Hybrid nanocomposites for optical applications

Incorporating inorganic particles into conjugated polymer matrices is an area of current interest in the fields of optoelectronics and solar energy. The hybrid nanocomposites exhibit interesting physical properties thanks to good optical properties of polymers and to high carrier mobility of inorganic semiconductors. A judicious combination of organic/inorganic can therefore provide materials of low cost, ease processing, high stability, with specific electrical and optical properties.In the present study, we briefly review the composite materials that have been successfully utilized in the field of optoelectronics and photovoltaic conversion. We shall describe in particular a family of nanocomposites using polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxanes (POSS) of general formula (RSiO_3/2)n where R is an organic group as a core. The composites are made by grafting functional polymer groups to the core, which allows the control of their optical properties. Such composites have high mechanical resistance and stability because of the special structure of the core. For illustration, we present a study of polyfluorene (PF)/POSS materials used as an active layer in organic light emitting diodes, with improved performance as compared to those using polymer only, and we discuss the role of the particles in the transport and emission processes in the devices studied.     

Direct determination of cadmium and lead in pharmaceutical ingredients using anodic stripping voltammetry in aqueous and DMSO/water solutions

A new electrochemical method has been developed to detect and quantify the elemental impurities, cadmium(II) (Cd²⁺) and lead(II) (Pb²⁺), either simultaneously or individually in pharmaceutical matrices. The electro-analytical approach, involving the use of anodic stripping voltammetry (ASV) on an unmodified glassy carbon electrode, was performed in both aqueous and in a 95/5 dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO)/water solutions, without acid digestion or dry ashing to remove organic matrices. Limits of detection (LODs) in the μg L⁻¹ [or parts per billion (ppb), mass/volume] range were obtained for both heavy metals - in the presence and absence of representative pharmaceutical components. To the best of our knowledge, the work demonstrates the first analysis of heavy metals in DMSO/water solutions through ASV. The strong reproducibility and stability of the sensing platform, as well as obviation of sample pretreatment show the promise of utilizing ASV as a sensitive, robust, and inexpensive alternative to inductively-coupled-plasma (ICP)-based approaches for the analysis of elemental impurities in, e.g., pharmaceutical-related matrices.     

稀土配合物杂化发光材料的组装及光物理性质研究进展

稀土配合物兼具无机物稳定性好以及有机物荧光量子效率高的优点,而且具有可设计性,制备简便,容易修饰,荧光性质优异（发射谱带窄、色纯度高、荧光寿命长、量子产率高以及发射光谱范围覆盖可见和近红外光区等）．但配合物的光、热、化学稳定性和机械加工性能相对较差,因而限制了其在很多领域中的实际应用．近年来的研究表明,将稀土配合物引入到各种基质材料中可以改善其稳定性及机械加工性能,并对其光物理性质产生调制作用．根据基质材料的不同,杂化材料可分为无机基质、无机／有机复合基质及有机基质杂化材料．本文综述了这些不同基质稀土配合物杂化发光材料的研究进展,探讨了主客体间相互作用对杂化材料光物理性质及稳定性的影响,为实现稀土配合物杂化发光材料在光学器件领域（LED照明、光纤维、光学放大器及激光等）及生命分析领域的应用提供了重要的理论依据．     

Effect of Column Temperature on the Retention of Inorganic Anions and Organic Acids in Non-Suppressed Anion-Exchange IC

An investigation has been conducted into the effect of column temperature on the retention of inorganic anions and organic acids in non-suppressed ion chromatography on an anion-exchange column. Potassium biphthalate and p-hydroxybenzoic acid–tris–boric acid were used as mobile phases. The column temperature was from 25 to 50 °C. Endothermic and exothermic retention of inorganic anions were both observed when potassium biphthalate was used as mobile phase. When p-hydroxybenzoic acid–tris–boric acid was used as mobile phase, however, endothermic behavior only was observed. Moreover, for the two mobile phases, variation of the retention time of the system peaks with changing temperature was reversed. For retention of the organic acids, only endothermic behavior was observed with the two mobile phases. Variation of retention time was greater when p-hydroxybenzoic acid–tris–boric acid was used as mobile phase than when potassium biphthalate was used. These results indicated the exchange reaction in anion-exchange chromatography could be either endothermic or exothermic, depending on the solute and mobile phase ions involved. Different relative changes of retention time were observed for individual inorganic anions and organic acids with increasing column temperature. In general, variation of retention time with increasing temperature was greater for strongly retained inorganic anions and organic acids than for weakly retained species. Van’t Hoff plots for inorganic anions, organic acids, and system peaks were linear. Selectivity variation of the retention of inorganic anions and organic acids was achieved by changing the temperature. In achieving optimum separation of inorganic anions and organic acids, temperature was a valuable tool. To reduce the retention times of the ions and avoid interference from system peaks in non-suppressed anion-exchange ion chromatography with the two mobile phases, a low column temperature, for example, 35 °C, was best.     

Analytical chemistry and the cone penetrometer: In situ chemical characterization of the subsurface

The development of novel microanalytical techniques forin situ chemical characterization of the terrestrial subsurface environment has grown significantly over the last decade, particularly those instruments that are interfaced to the cone penetrometer. Cone penetrometer testing (CPT) has emerged as an effective means to introduce samplers and probes forin situ analysis of contaminants in soil and groundwater matrices. A variety ofin situ chemical samplers for CPT have been developed that can be driven into the subsurface to collect soil gas, groundwater, or soil samples at depth, thus providing a means of determining the vertical and horizontal extent of contamination. Cone penetrometer testing is also being explored as a means to deliverin situ subsurface sensor probes, including probes based on laser-induced fluorescence, Raman, and infrared spectroscopies for organics; on laser-induced breakdown and X-ray fluorescence spectroscopies for heavy metals; and on passive gamma-ray spectroscopy for radionuclides. The range of analytical technologies used in CPT for the determination of organic and inorganic species in the subsurface is described.     

Inductance-based sensing technique for wireless, remote-query measurement in liquid media

A novel inductance-based sensing technique is presented for remote query measurement in different liquid media including organic solvents and inorganic solutions. The inorganic solutions tested included salt solutions of different concentrations, and the organic solvents detected included 1,4-dioxane and tetrahydrofuran. To extend the application of the sensor, bacterial culture media were also detected, and the growth of Escherichia coli (E. coli) was controlled. The influential factors which may affect the inductance responses were studied in detail. It was found that quantitative relationships exist between the sensor’s inductance response and the physico-chemical parameters of the liquid media. The sensor’s inductance response (L) decreases with the increase of salt concentration (C) and its ionic valence (e) according to a semi-logarithmic equation LgL = ?aeC + b, where a and b are constants, which is in accordance with the theoretically deduced equation. The inductance variation rate (ΔK) increases directly with the temperature (T): ΔK = a′ T + b′. As for organic solutions, the sensor’s inductance was found to increase with the increasing permittivity of the organic solution. The wireless sensor we designed is simple and easy to manipulate. It has the potential for remote determination of not only chemical substances but also microbiological species such as bacteria. Using the newly developed inductance-based sensor, the pathogenic E. coli was monitored with a limit of detection of 10 cells/mL and a linear semi-logarithmic range of 1.0 × 10¹ to 2.5 × 10⁹ cells/mL.     

The Application of a Fast Pulse Atom Reservoir to the Determination of Mercury

Abstract

A system is described for the non-flame atomisation of mercury, using sample heating pulses of a few microseconds duration. The rapid sample atomisation thus obtained leads to good analytical sensitivity; it also provides a technique for distinguishing between, and separately measuring, inorganic and organically-bound mercury.     

Recurrent relations for the approximation of the physicochemical constants of homologues

In addition to the earlier revealed physicochemical constants of homologues whose changes in arbitrary series obey the simplest linear recurrent relations A (n + k) = aA(n) + b, such equations are shown to be applicable to the approximation of the solubility of organic compounds in water (k = 1), temperature dependences of the solubility of organic and inorganic compounds in water (k = ΔT), and nematic-isotropic phase transition temperatures for liquid crystals (k = 2). The a and b coefficients of linear recurrent relations are only determined by the nature of the homologous difference, and, if the homologous difference is the same, they are close for different series. This enables various properties of virtually arbitrary organic compounds to be described by unified recurrent equations, which is equivalent to the existence of a general method for their calculation. For continuous properties (for the example of the temperature dependence of solubility), a method for solving recurrent equations with nonintegral or nonequidistant argument values is suggested.     

Hybrid supraparticles of carbon dots/porphyrin for multifunctional tongue-mimic sensors

Supraparticles（SPs）, such as assembly of inorganic components with organic, have made tremendous attention in biochemical analysis, which represents a novel but challenging research orientation. Herein, a single-SPs multifunctional fluorescent sensor array has been developed for high-throughput detection of heavy metal ions in biofluids, which is based on an inorganic/organic hybrid SPs consisting of carbon dots（CDs） and an easily available porphyrin [5,10,15,20-tetra（4-carboxyphenyl）porphyrin（T...     

(CH3NH3)2PdCl4: A Compound with Two‐Dimensional Organic–Inorganic Layered Perovskite Structure

The synthesis of previously unknown perovskite (CH₃NH₃)₂PdCl₄ is reported. Despite using an organic cation with the smallest possible alkyl group, a 2D organic–inorganic layered Pd‐based perovskites was still formed. This demonstrates that Pd‐based 2D perovskites can be obtained even if the size of the organic cation is below the size limit predicted by the Goldschmidt tolerance‐factor formula. The (CH₃NH₃)₂PdCl₄ phase has a bulk resistivity of 1.4 Ω cm, a direct optical gap of 2.22 eV, and an absorption coefficient on the order of 10⁴ cm^?1. XRD measurements suggest that the compound is moderately stable in air, an important advantage over several existing organic–inorganic perovskites that are prone to phase degradation problems when exposed to the atmosphere. Given the recent interest in organic–inorganic perovskites, the synthesis of this new Pd‐based organic–inorganic perovskite may be helpful in the preparation and understanding of other organic–inorganic perovskites.     

The photodissociation of s-tetrazine and dimethyl-s-tetrazine

The photodissociation of s-tetrazine (ST) and its dimethyl derivative (DMST) has been investigated in hexane solutions at room temperature and in argon matrices and organic molecular crystals at cryogenic temperatures. Contrary to what has generally been assumed, only ST photodissociates upon excitation into its lowest excited singlet state at room temperature and in the rare gas matrix. Both ST and DMST in molecular crystal hosts exhibit a quadratic dependence of photodissociation on exciting light intensity. This we consider to be evidence of a sequential two photon photodissociation process.     

Zinc phyllosilicates containing amino pendant groups

Two new zinc silicate hybrids were synthesized via sol-gel process from the reaction of zinc ions with trialkoxyaminesilanes in aqueous basic medium at room temperature and at 373 K. The inorganic-organic hybrids obtained, named SILZn (x=1 or 2) are related to 3-aminopropyl- and N-propylethylenediaminetrimethoxysilane, respectively. From nitrogen content, the number of pendant moles of organic groups in the matrices SILZnx (x=1 to 2) were determined as 5.14 and 3.25 mmol g⁻¹, respectively. The thermogravimetric curves showed mass losses of 50.7% and 58.0% for the same sequence of hybrids, to give the oxides as residue. X-ray diffraction patterns gave basal distances of 2065 and 2814 pm for SILZnx (x=1, 2), with well-formed particles of irregular shapes and sizes, as a characteristic of such material obtained from sol-gel process. The infrared spectra confirmed the attachment of the organic moieties on siloxane groups on the inorganic framework.     

Synthesis and characterization of heptaphenyl polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane-capped poly(N-isopropylacrylamide)s

In this work, a novel initiator bearing heptaphenyl polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane (POSS) was synthesized via the copper-catalyzed Huisgen 1,3-cycloaddition (i.e., click chemistry). With this initiator, the atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) of N-isopropylacrylamide (NIPAAm) was carried out to afford the POSS-capped PNIPAAm. The organic–inorganic amphiphiles were characterized by means of nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (NMR) and gel permeation chromatography (GPC). Atomic force microscopy (AFM) showed that the POSS-capped PNIPAAm amphiphiles in bulk displayed microphase-separated morphologies. In aqueous solutions, the POSS-capped PNIPAAm amphiphiles were self-assembled into micelle-like aggregates as evidenced by dynamic light scattering (DLS) and transmission election microscopy (TEM). It was found that the sizes of the self-organized nanoobjects decreased with increasing the lengths of PNIPAAm chains. By means of UV–vis spectroscopy, the lower critical solution temperature (LCST) behavior of the organic–inorganic amphiphiles in aqueous solution was investigated and the LCSTs of the organic–inorganic amphiphiles decreased with increasing the percentage of POSS termini. It is noted that the self-assembly behavior of the POSS-capped PNIPAAm in aqueous solutions exerted the significant restriction on the macromolecular conformation alteration of PNIPAAm chains while the coil-to-globule collapse occurred.     

Recent advances in persulfate-based advanced oxidation processes for organic wastewater treatment

In recent years, with the emergence of new pollutants, the effective treatment of wastewater has become very important. Persulfate-based advanced oxidation processes have been successfully applied to the treatment of wastewater, such as wastewater containing antibiotics, pharmaceuticals and personal care products, dyes, endocrine-disrupting chemicals, chlorinated organic pollutants, and phenolics, for the degradation of refractory organic contaminants. This paper summarizes the production of sulfate radicals, which can be generated by the activation of persulfate via conventional and emerging approaches. The existing problems of persulfate-based advanced oxidation processes were analyzed in detail, including residual sulfates, coexisting factors (coexisting inorganic anions and natural organic matter), and energy consumption. This paper proposes corresponding possible solutions to the problems mentioned above, and this paper could provide a reference for the application of persulfate-based advanced oxidation processes in actual wastewater treatment.     

Coffee-ring effects in laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry

This report focuses on the heterogeneous distribution of small molecules (e.g. metabolites) within dry deposits of suspensions and solutions of inorganic and organic compounds with implications for chemical analysis of small molecules by laser desorption/ionization (LDI) mass spectrometry (MS). Taking advantage of the imaging capabilities of a modern mass spectrometer, we have investigated the occurrence of “coffee rings” in matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization (MALDI) and surface-assisted laser desorption/ionization (SALDI) sample spots. It is seen that the “coffee-ring effect” in MALDI/SALDI samples can be both beneficial and disadvantageous. For example, formation of the coffee rings gives rise to heterogeneous distribution of analytes and matrices, thus compromising analytical performance and reproducibility of the mass spectrometric analysis. On the other hand, the coffee-ring effect can also be advantageous because it enables partial separation of analytes from some of the interfering molecules present in the sample. We report a “hidden coffee-ring effect” where under certain conditions the sample/matrix deposit appears relatively homogeneous when inspected by optical microscopy. Even in such cases, hidden coffee rings can still be found by implementing the MALDI-MS imaging technique. We have also found that to some extent, the coffee-ring effect can be suppressed during SALDI sample preparation.     

A novel rapid detection approach for the analysis of radionuclides in environmental samples using graphite MALDI mass spectrometry

In nuclear technology, tri-n-butyl phosphate (TBP) diluted with a hydrocarbon diluent such as n-dodecane or NPH is the most frequently used solvent in liquid–liquid extraction for fuel reprocessing. This extraction, known as the plutonium uranium refining by extraction, is still considered as the most dominant process for the extraction of uranium and plutonium from irradiated fuels. The solubility of pure TBP in water is about 0.4 g/L at 25 °C. This is enough to create trouble during evaporation of raffinate and product solutions. Solubility data for undiluted TBP and TBP (diluted in inert hydrocarbon diluent) in various concentrations of nitric acid is not adequate in the literature. The solubility data generated in the present study provide complete information on the solubility of TBP in various nitric acid concentrations (0–15.7 M) at room temperature. The effect of heavy metal ion concentration such as uranium and various fission products on the solubility of TBP in nitric acid is also presented. The results obtained from gas chromatographic technique were compared with spectrophotometric technique by converting the organic phosphate into inorganic phosphate. The generated data is of direct relevance to reprocessing applications.     

Solid‐Phase Room‐Temperature Phosphorescence

Abstract

Solid‐phase phosphorescence (SPP) has become an established approach for the trace analysis of organic compounds. More recently, SPP has been successfully applied to the trace analysis for inorganic species. In this mini review, initially a brief overview of SPP is given. Then the important aspects related to adsorption of the phosphors on the solid phase are discussed. In addition, the basic photophysical aspects of phosphorescence are presented. The physicochemical interactions in SPP, such as the rigidity of the solid phase, effects of oxygen and moisture, heavy‐atom salts, and temperature, are considered. Finally, several recent applications of SPP to both organic and inorganic compounds are discussed.     

k0-NAA quality assessment by analysis of different certified reference materials using the KAYZERO/SOLCOI software

A suite of natural matrix reference materials (RMs) were used to assess the quality of analytical results obtained by k ₀-instrumental neutron activation analysis (k ₀-INAA) at the Joef Stefan Institute (IJS). Five certified reference materials (CRMs) from the Institute for Reference Materials and Measurements (IRMM), two standard reference materials (SRMs) from the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), three RMs from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and one RM from IJS were analyzed. Altogether, results for twenty-four elements in inorganic matrices and twenty-nine elements in organic matrices, obtained by k ₀-INAA, were compared to certified values. Results obtained show good agreement with certified or assigned values except for Fe, La, Nd, Sm and U in inorganic matrices, and Ag, Al and Cr in organic matrices.     

Multi-element analysis of a thermographic material by means of solid sampling-electrothermal vaporization-inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry

In spite of the advantages that the direct analysis of inorganic samples by means of solid sampling-electrothermal vaporization-inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (SS-ETV-ICPMS) may offer, especially in terms of sample throughput, most works until date have only dealt with less complicated organic matrices. This paper reports on the direct determination of seven elements (Al, Mg, Mn, Ni, Sb, Ti and Zr, with concentrations ranging between 0.6 and 150 μg/g) in a thermographic material. This is a challenging application and can be used to assess the real possibilities of SS-ETV-ICPMS for the analysis of inorganic samples. In order to cope with the complex composition of the matrix (Ag, Si and organic compounds), as well as with the different characteristics of the analytes, several approaches and chemical modifiers (HF, HCl, HNO₃ and CH₃Li) were studied. Finally, two different strategies were optimized. The simultaneous determination of Al, Mg, Mn, Ni, Ti and Zr is made possible by addition of 20 μl of 23M HF, which enables an efficient matrix removal at a pyrolysis temperature of 1200 °C. On the other hand, due to the higher volatility of Sb, an alternative approach, consisting of the removal of the organic matrix at 800 °C and the subsequent addition of 20 μl of 0.12 M HCl, was used for the determination of this element. In this way, antimony was efficiently vaporized at 1200 °C as a chloride, prior to the vaporization of Ag and Si. Quantitative results, obtained by using aqueous standards for calibration, were very satisfactory in terms of accuracy. The R.S.D. ranged between 8 and 12%. The results are hence promising, illustrating that the possibilities of ETV to deal with complex matrices are yet to be fully exploited.     

Formulation of matrix solutions for use in matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization of biomolecules

We report a simple method for converting solid matrices into useful matrix solutions for matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization (MALDI). This method is based on the dissolution of the solid matrix in a liquid support of low volatility such as glycerol. An appropriate solubilizing reagent was added to promote the dissolution of the matrix materials into the liquid support. Selection of the solubilizing reagent is empirically related to an acid-base relationship, i.e., an acidic solid matrix requires a basic organic compound to form a stable matrix solution in the liquid support and vice versa. A tenfold increase in the solubility can be obtained for many solid matrices when appropriate solubilizing reagents are added into the glycerol support. This solubility enhancement is tentatively attributed to the ion-pair formation in a polar nonvolatile liquid support. In addition, the hydrophobicity of the solid matrix seems to play an important role in the efficiency of the resulting matrix solution. By using glycerol as liquid support, a hydrophilic matrix, such as 2,5-dihydroxybenzoic acid (DHB), showed a substantial “peripheral effect,” in which good analyte ion signals could only be recorded at the peripheral region of the sample droplet. More hydrophobic matrices, such as α-cyano-4-hydroxycinnamic acid (α-CCA), exhibit better and more homogeneous responses at different regions of the droplets. The performance of these matrix solutions was evaluated in terms of the durability, reproducibility, sensitivity, high mass capability, and generality. A typical sample droplet can afford more than an hour of repeated sampling with excellent shot-to-shot reproducibility. A low picomole sensitivity was demonstrated using a luteinizing hormone releasing hormone (LHRH) in a Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometer with a homemade external MALDI ion source. By using a commercial MALDI time-of-flight mass spectrometer, proteins with masses as high as 66,000 Da were successfully analyzed by using these matrix solutions.