Designing a Perylene Diimide/Fullerene Hybrid as Effective Electron Transporting Material in Inverted Perovskite Solar Cells with Enhanced Efficiency and Stability

Electron transport materials (ETM) play an important role in the improvement of efficiency and stability for inverted perovskite solar cells (PSCs). This work reports an efficient ETM, named PDI‐C₆₀, by the combination of perylene diimide (PDI) and fullerene. Compared to the traditional PCBM, this strategy endows PDI‐C₆₀ with slightly shallower energy level and higher electron mobility. As a result, the device based on PDI‐C₆₀ as electron transport layer (ETL) achieves high power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 18.6 %, which is significantly higher than those of the control devices of PCBM (16.6 %) and PDI (13.8 %). The high PCE of the PDI‐C₆₀‐based device can be attributed to the more matching energy level with the perovskite, more efficient charge extraction, transport, and reduced recombination rate. To the best of our knowledge, the PCE of 18.6 % is the highest value in the PSCs using PDI derivatives as ETLs. Moreover, the device with PDI‐C₆₀ as ETL exhibits better device stability due to the stronger hydrophobic properties of PDI‐C₆₀. The strategy using the PDI/fullerene hybrid provides insights for future molecular design of the efficient ETM for the inverted PSCs.     

Encapsulating Perovskite Quantum Dots in Iron‐Based Metal–Organic Frameworks (MOFs) for Efficient Photocatalytic CO2 Reduction

Improving the stability of lead halide perovskite quantum dots (QDs) in a system containing water is the key for their practical application in artificial photosynthesis. Herein, we encapsulate low‐cost CH₃NH₃PbI₃ (MAPbI₃) perovskite QDs in the pores of earth‐abundant Fe‐porphyrin based metal organic framework (MOF) PCN‐221(Fe_x) by a sequential deposition route, to construct a series of composite photocatalysts of MAPbI₃@PCN‐221(Fe_x) (x=0–1). Protected by the MOF the composite photocatalysts exhibit much improved stability in reaction systems containing water. The close contact of QDs to the Fe catalytic site in the MOF, allows the photogenerated electrons in the QDs to transfer rapidly the Fe catalytic sites to enhance the photocatalytic activity for CO₂ reduction. Using water as an electron source, MAPbI₃@PCN‐221(Fe_0.2) exhibits a record‐high total yield of 1559 μmol g^?1 for photocatalytic CO₂ reduction to CO (34 %) and CH₄ (66 %), 38 times higher than that of PCN‐221(Fe_0.2) in the absence of perovskite QDs.     

Dehydrogenative Silylation of Alkenes for the Synthesis of Substituted Allylsilanes by Photoredox,Hydrogen‐Atom Transfer,and Cobalt Catalysis

A synergistic catalytic method combining photoredox catalysis, hydrogen‐atom transfer, and proton‐reduction catalysis for the dehydrogenative silylation of alkenes was developed. With this approach, a highly concise route to substituted allylsilanes has been achieved under very mild reaction conditions without using oxidants. This transformation features good to excellent yields, operational simplicity, and high atom economy. Based on control experiments, a possible reaction mechanism is proposed.     

Aryl Sulfonium Salts for Site‐Selective Late‐Stage Trifluoromethylation

Incorporation of the CF₃ group into arenes has found increasing importance in drug discovery. Herein, we report the first photoredox‐catalyzed cross‐coupling of aryl thianthrenium salts with a copper‐based trifluoromethyl reagent, which enables a site‐selective late‐stage trifluoromethylation of arenes. The reaction proceeds with broad functional group tolerance, even for complex small molecules on gram scale. The method was further extended to produce pentafluoroethylated derivatives.     

Lewis Base/Brønsted Acid Co‐catalyzed Enantioselective Sulfenylation/Semipinacol Rearrangement of Di‐ and Trisubstituted Allylic Alcohols

An enantioselective sulfenylation/semipinacol rearrangement of 1,1‐disubstituted and trisubstituted allylic alcohols was accomplished with a chiral Lewis base and a chiral Brønsted acid as cocatalysts, generating various β‐arylthio ketones bearing an all‐carbon quaternary center in moderate to excellent yields and excellent enantioselectivities. These chiral arylthio ketone products are common intermediates with many applications, for example, in the design of new chiral catalysts/ligands and the total synthesis of natural products. Computational studies (DFT calculations) were carried out to explain the enantioselectivity and the role of the chiral Brønsted acid. Additionally, the synthetic utility of this method was exemplified by an enantioselective total synthesis of (?)‐herbertene and a one‐pot synthesis of a chiral sulfoxide and sulfone.     

Ultrafast Intercalation Enabled by Strong Solvent–Host Interactions: Understanding Solvent Effect at the Atomic Level

Solvents play an essential role in many areas of chemistry and is the cornerstone of understanding reactivity in solution‐phase reactions. Solvent effects have been widely observed in intercalation reactions; however, understanding of the influence of solvents on the thermodynamics and kinetics remains largely elusive in intercalation chemistry. Now, the solvent‐dependent kinetics of ferrocene intercalation into a layered vanadyl phosphate (VOPO₄?2 H₂O) host is presented, with a special focus on primary alcohols. From methanol to 1‐hexnaol, the intercalation rate peaks in 1‐propanol (80 times faster than the slowest case in methanol). Similar kinetics of exfoliation are also found in these solvents without ferrocene. The correlation between intercalation and exfoliation is understood at atomic level by DFT calculations, which reveal the role of pre‐intercalated solvent molecules play in intralayer interactions, interlayer expansion, and layer sliding.     

Evaporative characteristics of sessile nanofluid droplet on micro‐structured heated surface

Micro‐structure patterned substrates attract our attention due to the special and programmable wettabilities. The interaction between the liquid and micro/nano structures gives rise to controllable spreading and thus evaporation. For exploration of the application versatility, the introduction of nanoparticles in liquid droplet results in interaction among particles, liquid and microstructures. In addition, temperature of the substrates strongly affects the spreading of the contact line and the evaporative property. The evaporation of sessile droplets of nanofluids on a micro‐grooved solid surface is investigated in terms of liquid and surface properties. The patterned nickel surface used in the experiments is designed and fabricated with circular and rectangular shaped pillars whose size ratios between interval and pillars is fixed at 5. The behavior is firstly compared between nanofluid and pure liquid on substrates at room temperature. For pure water droplet, the drying time is relatively longer due to the receding of contact line which slows down the liquid evaporation. Higher concentrations of nanoparticles tend to increase the total evaporation time. With varying concentrations of graphite at nano scale from 0.02% to 0.18% with an interval at 0.04% in water droplets and the heating temperature from 22 to 85°C, the wetting and evaporation of the sessile droplets are systematically studied with discussion on the impact parameters and the resulted liquid dynamics as well as the stain. The interaction among the phases together with the heating strongly affects the internal circulation inside the droplet, the evaporative rate and the pattern of particles deposition.     

CFD-PBM approach for the gas-liquid flow in a nanobubble generator with honeycomb structure

In recent years, nanobubble technologies have drawn great attention due to their wide applications in many fields of science and technology. From previous studies, a kind of honeycomb structure for high efficiency nanobubble generation has been proposed. In this paper, the numerical simulations of bubbly flow in the honeycomb structure were performed by using a computational fluid dynamics–population balance model (CFD-PBM) coupled model. The numerical model was based on the Eulerian multiphase model and the population balance model (PBM) was used to calculate the bubble size distribution. The bubble size distributions in the honeycomb structure under different work conditions were predicted. Two different drag force models (Schiller-Naumann model and Tomiyama model) and two different aggregation models (Luo model and turbulent aggregation model) were investigated. Both two drag models gave similar prediction of bubble number density distribution at the outlet. The results obtained from Luo model had better reflection of the trend of number density distribution. The turbulence dissipation rate ε can be used to evaluate the nanobubble generating ability. The water tank was not included in the CFD model in this work. The bubbles in the water tank should be studied in the future.     

氮化硼纳米管-纳米片分级结构的制备及光学和吸附特性

将五硼酸铵、 氨硼烷络合物和氧化镁混合, 球磨均匀后, 在1200 ℃及0.6 L/min流动氨气保护条件下退火6 h, 即可在氧化铝基片上收集到白色毛状产物. 采用X射线衍射(XRD), 红外光谱(FTIR)、 扫描电子显微镜(SEM)、 透射电子显微镜(TEM)、 拉曼光谱(Raman)、 紫外-可见吸收光谱(UV-Vis)和荧光光谱(PL)对产物进行了表征. 结果表明, 样品呈一维线状分级结构, 长度大于5 mm, 中间为竹节状空心结构, 内部管径为50~350 nm, 外径范围为200~800 nm. 分级结构表面负载了大量氮化硼(BN)纳米薄片, 单个薄片厚度约为13 nm. 薄片弯曲褶皱, 相互交织, 构成1个氮化硼片层, 其厚度约为50~200 nm. UV-Vis和PL光谱测试结果表明, 氮化硼纳米管(BNNT)分级结构在紫外光材料领域具有一定的应用潜力, 且对亚甲基蓝具有良好的吸附能力(7 min即可吸附71%, 107 min时可吸附96%). 对比实验结果表明, BNNT的生长机理遵循气-液-固相(VLS)模型, 而表面负载的超薄BN片的生长机理遵循气-固相(VS)模型.     

含芳香基团的梳状聚合物型降凝剂与沥青质协同改善合成蜡油的流变性

采用流变学实验、 差示扫描量热(DSC)分析、 显微观察及沥青质沉淀实验研究了聚丙烯酸十八酯-马来酸酐(POM)、 聚丙烯酸十八酯-马来酸酐-苯胺(POMA)及聚丙烯酸十八酯-马来酸酐-萘胺(POMN)梳状聚合物对合成蜡油的流变性能的影响规律. 实验结果表明, 这3种梳状聚合物降凝剂均能在一定程度上改善不含沥青质合成蜡油(MO-1)的低温流变性, 其中POM对MO-1蜡油的流变性改善效果最佳. 添加500 mg/kg POM后, MO-1的凝点从29 ℃降至23 ℃, 屈服值从627.20 Pa降至83.35 Pa. 而POM, POMA和POMN可以显著改善含0.3%(质量分数)沥青质的合成蜡油(MO-2)的低温流变性, 且添加500 mg/kg POMA后MO-2蜡油的流变改善效果最佳: 凝点降至3 ℃, 屈服值降至1.27 Pa. 可见, 本文制备的梳状聚合物降凝剂均能与沥青质协同改善MO-2蜡油的流变性, 并且向POM中引入芳香基团能进一步促进沥青质与降凝剂分子的相互作用, 进而增强梳状聚合物降凝剂与沥青质的协同作用.