A Theoretical Perspective to Study the Optical Properties of Tetrafluoroborates

In this study, a series of tetrafluoroborates with non-π-conjugated [BF₄] tetrahedra are investigated systematically by first-principles calculations. Theoretical studies demonstrate that tetrafluoroborates with alkali and/or alkaline-earth metals are more favorable for deep-ultraviolet transmission and are comparable to the classical deep-ultraviolet (deep-UV) material, MgF₂. Furthermore, bandgap decrease with the increasing of ionic radii in alkali and/or alkaline-earth metals. Introducing highly polarizable cations with d₁₀-configuration or cations with lone pair electrons into the structure will decrease the bandgaps. The birefringence and second harmonic generation effects are not large enough in tetrafluoroborates because polarizability anisotropy and hyperpolarizability in non-π-conjugated [BF₄] tetrahedra are much smaller than those in π-conjugated groups. However, the second harmonic generation effect for [BF₄] tetrahedra has a higher contribution in comparison with that due to birefringence. To effectively synthesize the borate fluorides or fluorooxoborates in the deep-UV region, raw materials with B−F bonds are preferred.     

Insulating Polymers as Additives to Bulk-Heterojunction Organic Solar Cells: The Effect of Miscibility

Adding insulating polymers to conjugated polymers is an efficient strategy to tailor their mechanical properties for flexible organic electronics. In this work, we selected two insulating polymers as additives for high-performance photoactive layers and investigated the mechanical and photovoltaic properties in organic solar cells (OSCs). The insulating polymers were found to reduce the electron mobilities in the photoactive layers, and hence the power conversion efficiencies were significantly decreased. More importantly, we found that the insulating polymers exhibited negative effect on the mechanical properties of the photoactive layers, with reduced Young's modulus and low crack onset strains. Further studies revealed that the insulating polymers had poor miscibility with the photoactive layers, providing large domains and more cavities in blend thin films, which act as negative effect for the tensile test. The studies indicate that rational selection of insulating polymers, especially enhancing the non-covalent interaction with the photoactive layers, will be critically important for the stretchable OSCs.     

超分子组装体激发态手性的响应性

圆偏振发光主要是指手性发光体系激发态的性质。由于其在信息加密、高分辨3D显示和智能传感器等领域的潜在应用而备受关注。圆偏振光除了可以通过物理方法获得,即使用线偏振片和四分之一波片的组合,还可以直接从具有光致发光或电致发光性质的手性材料中获得。目前研究者们已经开发了多种圆偏振发光材料,主要包括手性有机分子、手性金属配合物等小分子发光体系以及手性超分子组装体等复合体系。通过将手性组分与响应性功能基团结合而构筑的响应性自组装发光体系对实现智能圆偏振发光材料的发展起着重要作用。在这篇文章里,我们对手性超分子自组装发光体系对各种外界刺激的响应性能进行了总结和归纳,如光照、pH值、溶剂、温度、金属离子等。本综述通过对各种外部刺激对手性组装体激发态性能影响的总结和讨论,旨在进一步推动智能圆偏振发光材料在多学科领域的应用。     

Metal-Organic Frameworks-derived Indium Clusters/Carbon Nanocomposites for Efficient CO2 Electroreduction

Electrochemical reduction of carbon dioxide into value-added products is a promising way to recycle the greenhouse gas, thus solving the crisis of global warming. Pressing challenges remain in regulating the catalytic selectivity. In this work, we demonstrated a metal-organic frameworks-assisted approach to synthesizing In species loaded on the surface of N doped carbon matrix. By controlling the particle sizes, the catalytic selectivity can be easily altered. The obtained In_c/NC possesses the outstanding capability for converting CO₂ into CO. And 80.09% Faraday efficiency (FE) of CO can be achieved at 0.8 V vs. RHE. While the In₂O₃/C exhibits different catalytic behaviors, the main product is formic acid and the FE is more than 50% at 0.8 V vs. RHE. The selectivity reversal can be attributed to the strong interactions between In clusters and N atoms of carbon supports, which efficiently inhibits the formation of the by-product, formic acid. Our research has paved a new way to modulate catalytic selectivity by manipulating the fine structures of the catalysts.     

Direct pore engineering of 2D imine covalent organic frameworks via sub-stoichiometric synthesis

Two-dimensional covalent organic frameworks(2D COFs)bearing various topologies can be precisely designed based on the symmetry of monomers.Their pore environment can be further regulated via either pre-functionalization of the monomers or post-modification of the skeleton.Among them,sub-stoichiometric synthesis is an efficient method which can mediate uncondensed functional moieties periodically arranged in the COF skeletons.Herein,a series of imine-linked 2D COFs with specifically decorated formyl or amino groups were selectively synthesized via sub-stoichiometric formyl transamination.The molar ratios of the monomers directly determine the structures of the resulting COFs with periodic vertex vacancies.The COF with polar amino sites could efficiently capture CO₂ and H₂O.This work demonstrates tuning the stoichiometry of the monomers could facilely modulate the functions of the pore channels.It also provides insights into constructing novel COFs with complex structures for targeted applications.     

Polyimidazolyl acetate ionic liquid grafted on cellulose filter paper as thin-film extraction phase for extraction of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs from water

Recently, pharmaceuticals and personal care products in the water environment exhibited potential risks to both human and aquatic organisms. In order to improve the sensitivity and accuracy of pharmaceutical detection, the polyimidazolyl acetate ionic liquid was synthesized by Radziszewski reaction and coated on cellulose filter papers as a thin-film extraction phase for extraction of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs from water. The attenuated total reflection-infrared spectrometry, thermogravimetric analysis, and scanning electron microscope analyses demonstrated that the polyimidazolyl acetate ionic liquid was successfully prepared and attached to the surface of the cellulose filter paper through chemical bonding. The adsorption capacity of the homemade thin-film extraction material for the four non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs was greater than 8898 ng/cm² under the optimum conditions, and the desorption rate was over 90%. Then, a paper-based thin-film extraction phase-high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry method was established for the extraction of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs in water. This method provided limits of detection and limits of quantification were in the range of 0.02–0.15 and 0.17–0.50 μg/L, respectively. Hence, the obtained thin-film extraction phase showed excellent recovery and reproducibility for the target non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs with carboxyl groups from water.     

Signatures for Coexistence of Monoclinic and Hexagonal Phases in GaTe Nanoflakes

The burgeoning two-dimensional (2D) layered materials provide a powerful strategy to realize efficient light-emitting devices. Among them, gallium telluride (GaTe) nanoflakes, showing strong photoluminescence (PL) emission from multilayer to bulk crystal, relax the stringent fabrication requirements of nanodevices. However, detailed knowledge on the optical properties of GaTe varies as layer thickness is still missing. Here we perform thickness-dependent PL and Raman spectra, as well as temperature-dependent PL spectra of GaTe nanoflakes. Spectral analysis reveals a spectroscopic signature for the coexistence of both the monoclinic and hexagonal phases in GaTe nanoflakes. To understand the experimental results, we propose a crystal structure where the hexagonal phase is on the top and bottom of nanoflakes while the monoclinic phase is in the middle of the nanoflakes. On the basis of temperature-dependent PL spectra, the optical gap of the hexagonal phase is determined to be 1.849 eV, which can only survive under temperature higher than 200 K with the increasing phonon population. Furthermore, the strength of exciton-phonon interaction of the hexagonal phase is estimated to be 1.24 meV/K. Our results prove the coexistence of dual crystalline phases in multilayer GaTe nanoflakes, which may provoke further exploration of phase transformation in GaTe materials, as well as new applications in 2D light-emitting diodes and heterostructure-based optoelectronics.     

An Electrochemical Way to Generate Amphiphiles from Hydrazones for the Synthesis of 1,2,4-Triazole Scaffold Cyclic Compounds

An electro-oxidative cyclization pathway in which hydrazones are selected as starting materials to generate amphiphiles by reacting with benzylamines and benzamides was reported. This strategy successfully prepared a series of 1,2,4-triazoles in satisfactory yields. Moreover, the use of cheap stainless steel as the anode, the feasibility to conduct the transformation as a one-pot reaction and the proof that scaling-up these reactions is possible make this transformation attractive for potential application in industry.     

Control of pore environment in highly porous carbon materials for C2H6/C2H4 separation with exceptional ethane uptake

Adsorptive separation of C₂H₆ from C₂H₄ by adsorbents is an energy-efficient and promising method to boost the polymer grades C₂H₄ production. However, that C₂H₆ and C₂H₄ display very similar physical properties, making their separation extremely challenging. In this work, by regulating the pore environment in a family of chitosan-based carbon materials (C-CTS-1, C-CTS-2, C-CTS-4, and C-CTS-6)- we target ultrahigh C₂H₆ uptake and C₂H₆/C₂H₄ separation, which exceeds most benchmark carbon materials. Explicitly, the C₂H₆ uptake of C-CTS-2 (166 cm³/g at 100 kPa and 298 K) has the second-highest adsorption capacity among all the porous materials. In addition, C-CTS-2 gives C₂H₆/C₂H₄ selectivity of 1.75 toward a 1:15 mixture of C₂H₆/C₂H₄. Notably, the adsorption enthalpies for C₂H₆ in C-CTS-2 are low (21.3 kJ/mol), which will facilitate regeneration in mild conditions. Furthermore, C₂H₆/C₂H₄ separation performance was confirmed by binary breakthrough experiments. Under different ethane/ethylene ratios, C-CTS-X extracts a low ethane concentration from an ethane/ethylene mixture and produces high-purity C₂H₄ in one step. Spectroscopic measurement and diffraction analysis provide critical insight into the adsorption/separation mechanism. The nitrogen functional groups on the surface play a vital role in improving C₂H₆/C₂H₄ selectivity, and the adsorption capacities depend on the pore size and micropore volume. Moreover, these robust porous materials exhibit outstanding stability (up to 800 °C) and can be easily prepared on a large scale (kg) at a low cost (～$26 per kg), which is very significant for potential industrial applications.