Influence of mixed common solvent on the co-assembled morphology of PS-<Emphasis Type="Italic">b</Emphasis>-PEO and CdS quantum dots

The hybrid structures of polystyrene-b-poly(ethylene oxide) (PS-b-PEO) block copolymer and inorganic nanoparticles with good stability and biocompatibility have potential applications in drug delivery and bioimaging. Spherical co-assemblies of PS₁₂₀-b-PEO₃₁₈ and oleylamine-capped CdS quantum dots (QDs) are produced successfully in this work by adding water to a mixed common solvent, such as N,N-dimethylmethanamide (DMF)/chloroform, DMF/tetrahydrofuran (THF), or DMF/toluene. The energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) spectrum indicates that QDs are located at the interface between the core and shell of the spherical co-assemblies. The co-assembly process during water addition is traced by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and turbidity measurement. Spherical co-assemblies are formed through budding from bilayers of the block copolymer and QDs. The morphology of the co-assemblies is related to the miscibility of the QD-dispersing solvents with water and the morphology changes from a spherical to a vesicle-like structure with DMF/toluene. Increasing THF content in the mixed solvent causes morphological transitions from spherical co-assemblies to multi-branched cylinders and micelles where QDs are located in the central core. Increasing chloroform content yields vesicle-like structures with protruding rods on the surface. The mechanism of the morphological transitions is also discussed in detail.     

Influence of Mixed Common Solvent on the Co-assembled Morphology of PS-b-PEO and CdS Quantum Dots

The hybrid structures of polystyrene-b-poly(ethylene oxide)(PS-b-PEO) block copolymer and inorganic nanoparticles with good stability and biocompatibility have potential applications in drug delivery and bioimaging. Spherical co-assemblies of PS120-b-PEO318 and oleylamine-capped Cd S quantum dots(QDs) are produced successfully in this work by adding water to a mixed common solvent, such as N,N-dimethylmethanamide(DMF)/chloroform, DMF/tetrahydrofuran(THF), or DMF/toluene. The energy dispersive X-ray(EDX) spectrum indicates that QDs are located at the interface between the core and shell of the spherical co-assemblies. The co-assembly process during water addition is traced by transmission electron microscopy(TEM) and turbidity measurement. Spherical co-assemblies are formed through budding from bilayers of the block copolymer and QDs. The morphology of the co-assemblies is related to the miscibility of the QD-dispersing solvents with water and the morphology changes from a spherical to a vesicle-like structure with DMF/toluene. Increasing THF content in the mixed solvent causes morphological transitions from spherical co-assemblies to multi-branched cylinders and micelles where QDs are located in the central core. Increasing chloroform content yields vesicle-like structures with protruding rods on the surface. The mechanism of the morphological transitions is also discussed in detail.     

Preparation of sustained-release chlorpyrifos particles via the emulsification coacervation method and their sustained-release performance

MMA-HEMA-MAA ternary random copolymer (PA) and CaCl₂ was used as carrier and precipitant, respectively, and emulsification coacervation was adopted to prepare sustained-release chlorpyrifos particles. The particle size, morphology, structure, and the sustained-released performance of the samples were characterized. Results showed that porous and random sustained-release chlorpyrifos particles piled up into small spherical particles. Hydrogen-bonding interactions between PA and chlorpyrifos molecules were observed, and chlorpyrifos was dispersed among the PA molecules as both crystal and noncrystal forms. Raising chlorpyrifos concentrations resulted in larger proportions of chlorpyrifos distributed in the crystalline state. Chlorpyrifos was loaded into the PA crosslinked network structure and the heat resistance of the pesticide was improved significantly. The sustained-release process of chlorpyrifos was controlled by Fick diffusion mechanism, and the release mechansim of the drug consisted with the Korsmeyer-Peppas kinetic equation.     

The mechanism of thermal elimination of urea and thiourea derivatives. Part 1. Rate data for pyrolysis of N-acetylurea,N-acetylthiourea,N,N -diacetylthiourea,and N-acetylthiobenzamide

Rates of thermal decomposition of N-acetylurea (1), N-acetylthiourea (2), N,N′-diacetylthiourea (3), and N-acetylthiobenzamide (4) have been measured over a 45 K range for each compound. The molecules were found to undergo unimolecular first-order elimination reactions for which log A = 11.9, 11.6, 11.8, and 13.4 s^-1, and E_a = 181.2, 135.9, 128.3, and 130.3 kJ mol^-1, respectively. The reactivities of these compounds have been compared with those of amide derivatives and with each other. Product analysis together with the kinetic data were used to outline feasible pathways for the elimination reactions of the compounds under study. © 1996 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Structure,conformation, and motions of polytetrahydrofuran (PTHF) in the hexagonal form of the PTHF-urea inclusion compound

Combination of differential scanning calorimetry, x-ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared, and C-13 nuclear magnetic resonance observations made on the crystalline inclusion compound (IC) formed between polytetrahydrofuran (PTHF) and urea (U), together with their comparison to identical observations performed on bulk semicrystalline samples of PTHF, have permitted an analysis of the conformations, motions, and environments available to PTHF chains in both solid-state phases. The isolated PTHF chains occupying the narrow channels of the PTHF-U-IC are highly extended, though small rotational deviations averaging 24° from the nearly all trans, planar zig zag conformation of bulk crystalline PTHF chains produce some significant differences in their behaviors. PTHF chains in PTHF-U-IC possess much greater mobility than bulk crystalline PTHF chains as evidenced by C-13 spin lattice relaxation times, T₁, 50 times shorter (1.5 s) than observed for bulk crystalline PTHF chains (75 s). FTIR observations are consistent with very little specific interaction between guest PTHF chains and host urea matrix molecules and result in similar spectra for bulk and IC PTHF, except for the presence of the CH₂ rocking vibration band at 745 cm^?1 observed for bulk PTHF. The absence of this band in the IC PTHF can be understood by considering the symmetry of the all trans, planar zig zag conformation of bulk crystalline PTHF chains, which prevents the CH₂ rocking mode from coupling with skeletal stretching and bending modes as occurs in the nonplanar, helical PTHF chains in PTHF-U-IC. © 1995 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Synthesis,morphology, and field‐effect transistor characteristics of new crystalline–crystalline diblock copolymers of poly(3‐hexylthiophene‐block‐steryl acrylate)

We report the synthesis, morphology, and charge‐transporting characteristics of new crystalline–crystalline diblock copolymers, poly(3‐hexylthiophene‐block‐stearyl acrylate) (P3HT‐b‐PSA). Three different diblock copolymers, P1 , P2 , and P3 , with P3HT/PSA polymerization degree block ratios of 60/26, 60/50, and 60/360, respectively, were prepared for investigating the morphology‐property relationship and the dependence of optoelectronic properties on the block copolymer structure. Small‐ and wide‐angle X‐ray scattering indicated the presence of both P3HT and PSA crystalline domains and the presence of microphase separation among blocks. The transmission electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy results revealed that the diblock copolymers cast from chlorobenzene, tended to form needle‐like morphologies. The field‐effect mobilities of the diblock copolymers deposited on untreated SiO₂ substrates, decreased with increasing PSA block length. In a sharp contrast, the mobilities enhanced with increasing PSA content when the P3HT‐b‐PSA was deposited on phenyltrichlorosilane (PTS)‐treated substrates. The copolymers with a 60/360 P3HT/PSA ratio showed a good mobility of 4 × 10^?3 cm² V^?1 s^?1 and a high on/off ratio of 7 × 10⁶ on PTS‐treated substrates. This study highlighted the importance of the block ratio, the substrate and self‐assembly structures on the charge transport characteristics of the crystalline–crystalline conjugated diblock copolymers. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem, 2012     

Problems connected with the melting of NiII, CoII and MnII cyclo-tetraphosphates

Differential thermal analysis has been used to follow the process of melting of Ni^II, Co^II and Mn^II cyclo-tetraphosphates. The melting is congruent in a dry atmosphere, being non-congruent in the presence of small amounts of water vapour: the tetraphosphate cycles are split and further condensed to chains of higher linear phosphates. Their end groups (and hence their stability) are provided by water molecules present in the atmosphere. After cooling the products have a glassy amorphous form. By repeated heating they are changed back into the cyclo-tetraphosphates with crystalline character, and the water molecules are released.     

On the Mesoporogen‐Free Synthesis of Single‐Crystalline Hierarchically Structured ZSM‐5 Zeolites in a Quasi‐Solid‐State System

Hierarchically structured zeolites (HSZs) have gained much academic and industrial interest owing to their multiscale pore structures and consequent excellent performances in varied chemical processes. Although a number of synthetic strategies have been developed in recent years, the scalable production of HSZs single crystals with penetrating and three‐dimensionally (3‐D) interconnected mesopore systems but without using a mesoscale template is still a great challenge. Herein, based on a steam‐assisted crystallization (SAC) method, we report a facile and scalable strategy for the synthesis of single‐crystalline ZSM‐5 HSZs by using only a small amount of micropore‐structure‐directing agents (i.e., tetrapropylammonium hydroxide). The synthesized materials exhibited high crystallinity, a large specific surface area of 468 m² g^?1, and a pore volume of 0.43 cm³ g^?1 without sacrificing the microporosity (≈0.11 cm³ g^?1) in a product batch up to 11.7 g. Further, a kinetically controlled nucleation–growth mechanism is proposed for the successful synthesis of single‐crystalline ZSM‐5 HSZs with this novel process. As expected, compared with the conventional microporous ZSM‐5 and amorphous mesoporous Al‐MCM‐41 counterparts, the synthesized HSZs exhibited significantly enhanced activity and stability and prolonged lifetime in model reactions, especially when bulky molecules were involved.     

Characterization of propylene-ethylene block copolymers using solid state 13C-NMR spectroscopy

Commercial block copolymers of propylene with ethylene (PEBC) are multiphase systems comprising block and random copolymers as well as small amounts of homopolymers. At present, no satisfactory method exists for characterizing the “blocky” structure of these copolymers. This article aims to fulfill this need. Accordingly, the block and random copolymers of propylene with ethylene have been investigated using ¹³C CP/MAS NMR with high-power dipolar decoupling. Comparisons have been made between the spectra of block and random copolymers and it is shown possible to distinguish between them by means of an additional signal, appearing at 32.5δ, in block copolymers (attributable to block junctions). © 1992 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Theoretical and Experimental Investigations of The Decomposition of 10-methylacridinium Halides

10-Methylacridinium chloride, bromide and iodide were prepared in crystalline forms (the first two salts as monohydrates) and subjected to thermogravimetric investigations. Decomposition of the compounds is initially accompanied by the liberation of water (in case of monohydrates), halomethanes and acridine molecules. As decomposition proceeds, side reactions occur which are reflected in a complex pattern of thermogravimetric curves. TG traces corresponding to the initial decomposition stage were used to determine the kinetic characteristics of the thermal dissociation of the salts. MNDO/d, AM1 and PM3 methods were employed independently to examine reaction pathways and to predict thermodynamic and kinetic barriers for the thermal decomposition of the compounds. These data were subsequently supplemented with theoretically determined crystal lattice energies, which enabled the relevant characteristics for the decomposition of crystalline phases to be predicted. The theoretically predicted characteristics are qualitatively comparable with those originating from thermogravimetric investigations, which allows one to believe that both are valid. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Synthesis and self‐assembly of rod‐coil molecules with n‐shaped rod building block

The rod‐coil molecules with n‐shaped rod building block, consisting of an anthracene unit and two biphenyl groups linked together with acetylenyl bonds at the 1,8‐position of anthracene as a rigid rod segment, and the alkyl or alkyloxy chains with various length (i.e., methoxy‐ ( 1 ), octyl‐ ( 2 ), hexadecyl‐ ( 3 )) at the 10‐position of anthracene and poly(ethylene oxide) with the number of repeating units of 7 connected with biphenyl as coil segments were synthesized. The molecular structures were characterized by ¹H NMR and MALDI‐TOF mass spectroscopy. The self‐assembling behavior of new type of molecules 1–3 was investigated by means of DSC, POM, and SAXS at the bulk state. These molecules with a n‐shaped rod building block segment self‐assemble into supramolecular structures through the combination of π–π stacking of rigid rod building blocks and microphase separation of the rod and coil blocks. SAXS studies reveal that molecules 1 and 2 show hexagonal columnar and rectangular columnar structures in the liquid crystalline phase, respectively; meanwhile, molecules 1–3 self‐organize into lamellar structures in the crystalline state. In addition, self‐assembling studies of molecules 1–3 by DLS and TEM indicated that these molecules self‐assemble into elongated nanofibers in aqueous medium. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 48: 1415–1422, 2010     

Infrared studies of drawn polyethylene. II. Orientation behavior of highly drawn linear and ethyl-branched polyethylene

Infrared dichroism is employed to study the orientation of chain molecules in linear and ethyl-branched polyethylene in the crystalline and noncrystalline regions during drawing and subsequent annealing. A crystalline (1894 cm^?1) and a noncrystalline (1368 cm^?1) band, as well as the bands at 909 cm^?1 and 1375 cm^?1 resulting from vinyl endgroups and methyl endgroups and sidegroups, are studied. For these bands relative orientation functions are derived and compared as a function of draw ratio and annealing temperature. It is shown that the relative orientation functions as derived from the dichroism of the noncrystalline, vinyl and methyl bands follow the same curve while the orientation function for the crystalline bands does not. These results support a two-phase model for partially crystalline polyethylene and additionally favor segregation of the endgroups and sidegroups in the noncrystalline component during crystallization. It is further shown that shrinkage occurs at the temperature at which the noncrystalline chain molecules start to disorient. From the dichroism of the methyl groups in ethyl-branched polyethylene, a value for the mean orientation of the noncrystalline chain molecules is calculated. We obtain for the orientation function of the noncrystalline regions at highest draw ratios (λ = 15–20), f = 0.35–0.57, while the chain molecules in the crystallites are nearly perfectly oriented (f ≈ 1.0). On the assumption that the noncrystalline component consists of folds, tie molecules, and chain ends, the different contributions of these components to the overall orientation are estimated. From these the relative number of CH₂ groups incorporated into folds, tie molecules, and cilia can be derived. Further, on the basis of a simple structural model, the relative number of chains on the crystal surface contributing to the different noncrystalline components and their average length are estimated.     

Reversible Humidity-Driven Transformation of a Bimetallic {EuCo} Molecular Material: Structural,Sorption, and Photoluminescence Studies

Functional molecule-based solids built of metal complexes can reveal a great impact of external stimuli upon their optical, magnetic, electric, and mechanical properties. We report a novel molecular material, {[Eu^III(H₂O)₃(pyrone)₄][Co^III(CN)₆]}·nH₂O (1, n = 2; 2, n = 1), which was obtained by the self-assembly of Eu³⁺ and [Co(CN)₆]³⁻ ions in the presence of a small 2-pyrrolidinone (pyrone) ligand in an aqueous medium. The as-synthesized material, 1, consists of dinuclear cyanido-bridged {EuCo} molecules accompanied by two H-bonded water molecules. By lowering the relative humidity (RH) below 30% at room temperature, 1 undergoes a single-crystal-to-single-crystal transformation related to the partial removal of crystallization water molecules which results in the new crystalline phase, 2. Both 1 and 2 solvates exhibit pronounced Eu^III-centered visible photoluminescence. However, they differ in the energy splitting of the main emission band of a ⁵D₀ → ⁷F₂ origin, and the emission lifetime, which is longer in the partially dehydrated 2. As the 1 ↔ 2 structural transformation can be repeatedly reversed by changing the RH value, the reported material shows a room-temperature switching of detailed luminescent features including the ratio between emission components and the emission lifetime values.     

Molecular Design of Liquid-Crystalline Block Molecules: Semifluorinated Pentaerythritol Tetrabenzoates Exhibiting Lamellar, Columnar, and Cubic Mesophases

Fluid assemblies of star-shaped molecules like 1 form a range of thermotropic liquid crystalline phases, and represent a borderline case between anisometric mesogens, surfactants, and block copolymers. The low molecular mass molecules (<5.5 kDa) consist of a semipolar central core and a shell of semifluorinated chains.     

The structural and dynamic properties of 1‐bromodecane in urea inclusion compounds investigated by solid‐state 1H, 13C and 2H NMR spectroscopy

For asymmetric guest molecules in urea, the end‐groups of two adjacent guest molecules may arrange in three different ways: head–head, head–tail and tail–tail. Solid‐state ¹H and ¹³C NMR spectroscopy is used to study the structural properties of 1‐bromodecane in urea. It is found that the end groups of the guest molecules are randomly arranged. The dynamic characteristics of 1‐bromodecane in urea inclusion compounds are probed by variable‐temperature solid‐state ²H NMR spectroscopy (line shapes, spin–spin relaxation: T₂, spin‐lattice relaxation: T_1Z and T_1Q) between 120 K and room temperature. The comparison between the simulation and experimental data shows that the dynamic properties of the guest molecules can be described in a quantitative way using a non‐degenerate three‐site jump process in the low‐temperature phase and a degenerate three‐site jump in the high‐temperature phase, in combination with the small‐angle wobbling motion. The kinetic parameters can be derived from the simulation. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Controlling the π‐Stacking Behavior of Pyrene Derivatives: Influence of H‐Bonding and Steric Effects in Different States of Aggregation

The performance of opto‐electronic devices built from low‐molecular‐weight dye molecules depends crucially on the stacking properties and the resulting coupling of the chromophoric systems. Herein we investigate the influence of H‐bonding amide and bulky substituents on the π‐stacking of pyrene‐containing small molecules in dilute solution, as supramolecular aggregates, and in the solid state. A set of four pyrene derivatives was synthesized in which benzene or 4‐tert‐butyl benzene was linked to the pyrene unit either through an ester or an amide. All four molecules form supramolecular H‐aggregates in THF solution at concentrations above 1×10^?4 mol L^?1. These aggregates were transferred on a solid support and crystallized. We investigate: the excimer formation rates within supramolecular aggregates; the formation of H‐bonds as well as the optical changes during the transition from the amorphous to the crystalline state; and the excimer to monomer fluorescence ratio in crystalline films at low temperatures. We reveal that in solution supramolecular aggregation depends predominantly on the pyrene chromophores. In the crystalline state, however, the pyrene stacking can be controlled gradually by H‐bonding and steric effects. These results are further confirmed by molecular modeling. This work bears fundamental information for tailoring the solid state of functional optoelectronic materials.     

N-Substituted Benzene-1-Urea-3,5-Biscarboxamide (BUBA): Easily Accessible C2-Symmetric Monomers for the Construction of Reversible and Chirally Amplified Helical Assemblies

Non-C₃-symmetric supramolecular helices are gaining interest for the design of hierarchical assemblies, for the compartmentalisation or the self-assembly of polymer chains and for application in asymmetric catalysis. Herein, N-substituted benzene-1-urea-3,5-biscarboxamide (BUBA) monomers, which consist of one urea and two carbon-connected amide functions linked to an aromatic ring, are introduced as an easily accessible class of C₂-symmetric supramolecular synthons. In apolar solvents, BUBA monomers assemble into long helical assemblies by means of hydrogen-bonding and aromatic interactions, as assessed by several analytical techniques. To probe the influence of the urea function, BUBA and related benzene-1,3,5-tricarboxamide (BTA) helical polymers have been compared, in terms of their thermodynamics of formation, stability, reversibility and chiral amplification properties. Similar to BTA, BUBA monomers form long helices reversibly through a highly cooperative mechanism and the helicity of their assemblies is governed by chiral amplification effects. However, precise quantification of their properties reveals that BUBA monomers assemble in a more cooperative manner. Also, chiral amplification operates to a higher extent in BUBA helices, as probed by both sergeants-and-soldiers and majority-rules experiments. Compatibility between urea and amide functions also allows the formation of co-assemblies that incorporate both BUBA and BTA monomers. Importantly, a small amount of chiral BUBA monomers in these co-assemblies is sufficient to obtain single-handed helices; thus paving the way towards the development of functional supramolecular helices.     

Monolayer structures of highly photoluminescent furan oligoaryls: an approach to improve packing crystallinity of dithiolated aromatics

We demonstrated that mono- and dithiolated furan-containing oligoaryls (II-IV, see Chart 2) can be successfully synthesized via a one-pot strategy starting from propargylic dithioacetals. IRAS (infrared reflection-absorption spectroscopy) and STM (scanning tunneling microscopy) experiments revealed that single-component monolayers of II, III, and IV are essentially disordered, an important property that prevents excited photoluminescent molecules from self-quenching in the organic layers of an OLED device. Surprisingly, localized lattice packing of crystalline dithiolated furan oligoaryls on Au(111) can be assembled by immersing preadsorbed n-dodecanethiol SAMs in the corresponding deposition solutions. The discrepancy in the formation of disordered or localized crystalline structures is discussed. For single-component monolayers, the facile formation of S-Au bonds generates chaotically distributed monolayers in which the arched molecules hinge each other and block the desorptive pathways. The absence of crystalline packing is mainly attributed to the difficulty for the dithiols to simultaneously break two S-Au bonds, to desorb, and then to readsorb, the key step to improve the intermolecular attractions for crystalline SAMs. By preassembling n-dodecanethiol SAMs, the space for dithiolated compounds III and IV to adsorb is limited to domain boundaries or packing defects where crystalline packing of III and IV can grow.     

A Theoretical Approach to the Description of the Thermal Dissociation of N,N,N-Trimethylmethanaminium Halides

MNDO/d and PM3 quantum chemistry methods were used to examine reaction pathways and predict thermodynamic and kinetic barriers for the thermal dissociation of isolated conglomerates of N,N,N-trimethylmethanaminium cations (TMA⁺) and halide anions (X = Cl⁻, Br⁻ and I⁻). Theoretically obtained changes in enthalpy and entropy for the above-mentioned process were subsequently supplemented with theoretically determined crystal lattice energies, that enabled prediction of relevant characteristics for the dissociation of crystalline phases. Data thus obtained compare only qualitatively with those available in literature and resulting predominantly from thermoanalytical investigations, although values of theoretical characteristics generally follow the same trends as experimental ones. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.