New Type of Columnar Liquid Crystal Superlattice in Double-Taper Ionic Minidendrons

Wedge-shaped molecules, such as dendrons, are among the most important building blocks for directed supramolecular self-assembly. Here we present a new approach aimed at widening the range and complexity of potential mesophases by introducing double-tapered mesogens. Two series of compounds are presented, both alkali metal salts (Li, Na, Cs) of 3,4,5-tris-alkoxybenzoic acid with a second tapered tris-alkoxyaryl group attached at the end of an alkoxy chain. The double-tapered compounds all display an unusual hexagonal columnar phase consisting of one ionic and three non-ionic columns per unit cell. The cation size has an unexpectedly drastic effect on unit cell size. Unlike most columnar phases, the current phases show unusually high dimensional stability on heating, and high stiffness in spite of being 80–85 % aliphatic, attributed to their molecular topology. The described approach may lead to co-assemblies of multifunctional materials, for example, parallel p- and n-semiconducting nanowires or parallel ionic and electronic conductors.     

Non-isothermal crystallization behaviors and spherulitic morphology of poly(lactic acid) nucleated by a novel nucleating agent

Journal of Thermal Analysis and Calorimetry - The effect of cadmium phenylmalonate (PMA-Cd) as a novel nucleating agent on the crystallization behaviors and spherulitic morphology of poly(lactic...     

Changes in Phenols,Polysaccharides and Volatile Profiles of Noni (Morinda citrifolia L.) Juice during Fermentation

The change in phenols, polysaccharides and volatile profiles of noni juice from laboratory- and factory-scale fermentation was analyzed during a 63-day fermentation process. The phenol and polysaccharide contents and aroma characteristics clearly changed according to fermentation scale and time conditions. The flavonoid content in noni juice gradually increased with fermentation. Seventy-three volatile compounds were identified by solid-phase microextraction coupled with gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (SPME-GC-MS). Methyl hexanoate, 3-methyl-3-buten-1-ol, octanoic acid, hexanoic acid and 2-heptanone were found to be the main aroma components of fresh and fermented noni juice. A decrease in octanoic acid and hexanoic acid contents resulted in the less pungent aroma in noni juice from factory-scale fermentation. The results of principal component analysis of the electronic nose suggested that the difference in nitrogen oxide, alkanes, alcohols, and aromatic and sulfur compounds, contributed to the discrimination of noni juice from different fermentation times and scales.     

Charge-transfer complex coupled between polymer and H-aggregate molecular crystals

Crystal needles of N,N′-bis(1-ethylpropyl)-3,4,9,10-perylenebis(dicarboximide) (EPPTC) are produced through p-stacking and are embedded in the thin film of poly(9,9-din-hexylfluorenyl-2,7-diyl) (PFO) when the blend solution of EPPTC and PFO in p-xylene is spin-coated onto a glass substrate. Charge transfer (CT) complex is resolved from the spectroscopic response of the blend film, which is generated only when the PFO molecules are excited. Thus, the PFO molecules are specified as donors and the H-aggregated EPPTC as acceptors in the formation of CT state (CTS). The emission resulting from the CTS in the red is further recognized by its much longer lifetime than both the intrinsic emission of the individual EPPTC molecules and that of their pure aggregates. Near-field analysis verifies that the CTS form on the boundary between the PFO and the crystal phases. The CT exciton forms by bounding the hole left on HOMO of the donor (PFO) and the indirectly transferred electron to the H-aggregate state of EPPTC, which transits back to the ground state by emitting a photon at about 650 nm. This introduces special physics in the heterojunctions that are coupled with the H-aggregates and mechanisms important for the design of organic photovoltaic devices. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys, 2013     

Oxygen consumption and chemisorption in low-temperature oxidation of sub-bituminous pulverized coal

Studying the effect of oxygen in coal oxidation is very important for understanding and controlling coal spontaneous combustion. However, the oxygen effect is not very easy to determine clearly due to the large effect of heat source on coal oxidation in temperature rising experiments. Here, focused on sub-bituminous coal, the oxygen effect was separated from coal oxidation by continuously measuring FTIR spectra of coal with respect to varying temperatures and under oxygen and nitrogen. The active groups’ real-time changes of coal oxidation, thermal treatment and oxygen effect were measured. The carboxylic ester and carboxyl units are the main functional groups that increase with temperatures increasing under oxygen and nitrogen, while the other functional groups decrease in quantity. The oxygen effect promoted the consumption of aliphatic hydrocarbons and hydroxyl groups and also promoted the formation of oxygen-containing groups (except hydroxyl). Four characteristic temperature stages involved in the oxygen effect and their key functional groups were identified. Simultaneously, the relationship of oxygen consumption and chemisorption in oxygen effect was analyzed. The starting temperature of oxygen chemisorption is between 50 and 60°C. The maximum contribution of oxygen effect was observed in methyl and methylene groups. These results are important for chemical control of coal spontaneous combustion. The oxidation of aliphatic hydrocarbon should be controlled before oxygen chemisorption. The value of oxygen consumption between 70 and 80°C can be measured accurately due to the constant chemisorption rate, which help to identify the tendency for spontaneous combustion. These results will help in better understanding of the reaction mechanism of coal oxidation, especially the oxygen effect.     

SELECTIVE S-ALKYLATION IN PHASE TRANSFER CATALYSIS OF 2-PYRIDINE-, -PYRIMIDINE- AND BENZOXAZOLE-THIONE

Abstract

Alkylation via phase transfer catalysis of several ambident anions of the |N–C–S|^? type leads exclusively to S-substitution. Yields obtained are better or equal to those given by conventional methods and experimental work-up is very much simplified compared to the latter.     

First‐Principles Investigation of Anisotropic Electron and Hole Mobility in Heterocyclic Oligomer Crystals

Based on quantum chemistry calculations combined with the Marcus–Hush electron transfer theory, we investigated the charge‐transport properties of oligothiophenes (nTs) and oligopyrroles (nPs) (n=6, 7, 8) as potential p‐ or n‐type organic semiconductor materials. The results of our calculations indicate that 1) the nPs show intrinsic hole mobilities as high as or even higher than those of nTs, and 2) the vertical ionization potentials (VIPs) of the nPs are about 0.6–0.7 eV smaller than the corresponding VIPs of the nTs. Based on their charge‐transport ability and hole‐injection efficiency, the nPs have potential as p‐type organic semiconducting materials. Furthermore, it was also found that the maximum values of the electron‐transfer mobility for the nTs are larger by one‐to‐two orders of magnitude than the corresponding maximum values of hole‐transfer mobility, which suggests that the nTs have the potential to be developed as promising n‐type organic semiconducting materials owing to their electron mobility.     

基于二氰根铬的一系列氰根桥联CrⅢ-CuⅡ-CrⅢ三核配合物的合成、结构与磁性

基于一系列二氰根铬与[Cu(cyclam)](ClO₄)₂反应合成了3个氰根桥联Cr^Ⅲ-Cu^Ⅱ-Cr^Ⅲ三核配合物[Cu(cyclam)][Cr(bpmb)(CN)₂]₂·4H₂O(1)(cyclam=1,4,8,11-四氮杂环十四,bpmb^2-=1,2-二(2-吡啶甲酰胺基)-4-甲基苯),[Cu(cyclam)][Cr(bpdmb)(CN)₂]₂(2)(bpdmb^2-=1,2-二(2-吡啶甲酰胺基)-4,5-二甲基苯)和[Cu(cyclam)][Cr(bpClb)(CN)₂]₂·4H₂O(3)(bpClb^2-=1,2-二(2-吡啶甲酰胺基)-4-氯苯)。单晶衍射结果表明:3个化合物是结构类似的中性三核配合物,均含有氰根桥联的Cr(Ⅲ)-CN-Cu(Ⅱ)-NC-Cr(Ⅲ)连接;磁性研究表明:氰根桥在Cr^Ⅲ和Cu^Ⅱ离子间传递弱的铁磁耦合作用,基于自旋哈密顿算符Ĥ=-2J_CrCuŜ_Cu(Ŝ_Cr1+Ŝ_Cr2)拟合得到它们的磁耦合常数分别是J_CrCu=1.53(2) cm^-1(1),0.45(1) cm^-1(2)和0.73(2) cm^-1(3)。