Nanometer‐Scale Water‐ and Proton‐Diffusion Heterogeneities across Water Channels in Polymer Electrolyte Membranes

Nafion, the most widely used polymer for electrolyte membranes (PEMs) in fuel cells, consists of a fluorocarbon backbone and acidic groups that, upon hydration, swell to form percolated channels through which water and ions diffuse. Although the effects of the channel structures and the acidic groups on water/ion transport have been studied before, the surface chemistry or the spatially heterogeneous diffusivity across water channels has never been shown to directly influence water/ion transport. By the use of molecular spin probes that are selectively partitioned into heterogeneous regions of the PEM and Overhauser dynamic nuclear polarization relaxometry, this study reveals that both water and proton diffusivity are significantly faster near the fluorocarbon and the acidic groups lining the water channels than within the water channels. The concept that surface chemistry at the (sub)nanometer scale dictates water and proton diffusivity invokes a new design principle for PEMs.     

Optically Active Helical Vinylterphenyl Polymers: Chiral Teleinduction in Radical Polymerization and Tunable Stereomutation

Helical vinyl aromatic polymers are emerging as interesting chiral materials due to their dynamic tailorability, synthetic simplicity, and outstanding chemical and physical stabilities. This Personal Account discusses long‐range chirality transfer in the radical polymerization of vinylterphenyl monomers and tunable stereomutation of the resultant polymers. It begins with a general introduction to the design, synthesis, and characterization of helical poly{(+)‐2,5‐bis[4′‐((S)‐2‐methylbutyloxy)phenyl]styrene}, the first one of this series of polymers. Then, long‐range chirality transfer during radical polymerization of terphenyl‐based vinyl monomers is explained. After that, the chiroptical property control of the resultant polymers by means of the transition from kinetically controlled conformation to thermodynamically controlled conformation and external stimulus is described. This Personal Account concludes by discussing the advantages and disadvantages of the strategy of using vinylterphenyls to obtain optically active helical polymers and providing a short outlook, especially emphasizing the importance of tacticity on the chiroptical properties of polymers.     

Core–Shell Carbon‐Coated CuO Nanocomposites: A Highly Stable Electrode Material for Supercapacitors and Lithium‐Ion Batteries

Herein we present a simple method for fabricating core–shell mesostructured CuO@C nanocomposites by utilizing humic acid (HA) as a biomass carbon source. The electrochemical performances of CuO@C nanocomposites were evaluated as an electrode material for supercapacitors and lithium‐ion batteries. CuO@C exhibits an excellent capacitance of 207.2 F g^?1 at a current density of 1 A g^?1 within a potential window of 0–0.46 V in 6 M KOH solution. Significantly, CuO electrode materials achieve remarkable capacitance retentions of approximately 205.8 F g^?1 after 1000 cycles of charge/discharge testing. The CuO@C was further applied as an anode material for lithium‐ion batteries, and a high initial capacity of 1143.7 mA h g^?1 was achieved at a current density of 0.1 C. This work provides a facile and general approach to synthesize carbon‐based materials for application in large‐scale energy‐storage systems.     

Sodium‐Doped Mesoporous Ni2P2O7 Hexagonal Tablets for High‐Performance Flexible All‐Solid‐State Hybrid Supercapacitors

A simple hydrothermal method has been developed to prepare hexagonal tablet precursors, which are then transformed into porous sodium‐doped Ni₂P₂O₇ hexagonal tablets by a simple calcination method. The obtained samples were evaluated as electrode materials for supercapacitors. Electrochemical measurements show that the electrode based on the porous sodium‐doped Ni₂P₂O₇ hexagonal tablets exhibits a specific capacitance of 557.7 F g^?1 at a current density of 1.2 A g^?1. Furthermore, the porous sodium‐doped Ni₂P₂O₇ hexagonal tablets were successfully used to construct flexible solid‐state hybrid supercapacitors. The device is highly flexible and achieves a maximum energy density of 23.4 Wh kg^?1 and a good cycling stability after 5000 cycles, which confirms that the porous sodium‐doped Ni₂P₂O₇ hexagonal tablets are promising active materials for flexible supercapacitors.     

One‐dimensional CuII coordination polymers containing C2h‐symmetric 1,1′:4′,1′′‐terphenyl‐3,3′‐dicarboxylate linkers

Two new one‐dimensional Cu^II coordination polymers (CPs) containing the C_2h‐symmetric terphenyl‐based dicarboxylate linker 1,1′:4′,1′′‐terphenyl‐3,3′‐dicarboxylate (3,3′‐TPDC), namely catena‐poly[[bis(dimethylamine‐κN)copper(II)]‐μ‐1,1′:4′,1′′‐terphenyl‐3,3′‐dicarboxylato‐κ⁴O,O′:O′′:O′′′] monohydrate], {[Cu(C₂₀H₁₂O₄)(C₂H₇N)₂]·H₂O}_n, (I), and catena‐poly[[aquabis(dimethylamine‐κN)copper(II)]‐μ‐1,1′:4′,1′′‐terphenyl‐3,3′‐dicarboxylato‐κ²O³:O^3′] monohydrate], {[Cu(C₂₀H₁₂O₄)(C₂H₇N)₂(H₂O)]·H₂O}_n, (II), were both obtained from two different methods of preparation: one reaction was performed in the presence of 1,4‐diazabicyclo[2.2.2]octane (DABCO) as a potential pillar ligand and the other was carried out in the absence of the DABCO pillar. Both reactions afforded crystals of different colours, i.e. violet plates for (I) and blue needles for (II), both of which were analysed by X‐ray crystallography. The 3,3′‐TPDC bridging ligands coordinate the Cu^II ions in asymmetric chelating modes in (I) and in monodenate binding modes in (II), forming one‐dimensional chains in each case. Both coordination polymers contain two coordinated dimethylamine ligands in mutually trans positions, and there is an additional aqua ligand in (II). The solvent water molecules are involved in hydrogen bonds between the one‐dimensional coordination polymer chains, forming a two‐dimensional network in (I) and a three‐dimensional network in (II).     

New hydrophobic L‐amino acid salts: maleates of L‐leucine,L‐isoleucine and L‐norvaline

Crystals of maleates of three amino acids with hydrophobic side chains [L‐leucenium hydrogen maleate, C₆H₁₄NO₂⁺·C₄H₃O₄⁻, (I), L‐isoleucenium hydrogen maleate hemihydrate, C₆H₁₄NO₂⁺·C₄H₃O₄⁻·0.5H₂O, (II), and L‐norvalinium hydrogen maleate–L‐norvaline (1/1), C₅H₁₁NO₂⁺·C₄H₃O₄⁻·C₅H₁₂NO₂, (III)], were obtained. The new structures contain C₂²(12) chains, or variants thereof, that are a common feature in the crystal structures of amino acid maleates. The L‐leucenium salt is remarkable due to a large number of symmetrically non‐equivalent units (Z′ = 3). The L‐isoleucenium salt is a hydrate despite the fact that L‐isoleucine is a nonpolar hydrophobic amino acid (previously known amino acid maleates formed hydrates only with lysine and histidine, which are polar and hydrophilic). The L‐norvalinium salt provides the first example where the dimeric cation L‐Nva...L‐NvaH⁺ was observed. All three compounds have layered noncentrosymmetric structures. Preliminary tests have shown the presence of the second harmonic generation (SGH) effect for all three compounds.     

Halogen‐bonded adduct of 1,2‐dibromo‐1,1,2,2‐tetrafluoroethane and 1,4‐diazabicyclo[2.2.2]octane

Halogen bonding is an intermolecular interaction capable of being used to direct extended structures. Typical halogen‐bonding systems involve a noncovalent interaction between a Lewis base, such as an amine, as an acceptor and a halogen atom of a halofluorocarbon as a donor. Vapour‐phase diffusion of 1,4‐diazabicyclo[2.2.2]octane (DABCO) with 1,2‐dibromotetrafluoroethane results in crystals of the 1:1 adduct, C₂Br₂F₄·C₆H₁₂N₂, which crystallizes as an infinite one‐dimensional polymeric structure linked by intermolecular N...Br halogen bonds [2.829 (3) Å], which are 0.57 Å shorter than the sum of the van der Waals radii.     

The structures of the isomorphous potassium and rubidium salts of 4‐nitrobenzoic acid and an overview of the metal complex stereochemistries of the alkali metal salt series with this ligand

4‐Nitrobenzoic acid (PNBA) has proved to be a useful ligand for the preparation of metal complexes but the known structures of the alkali metal salts of PNBA do not include the rubidium salt. The structures of the isomorphous potassium and rubidium polymeric coordination complexes with PNBA, namely poly[μ₂‐aqua‐aqua‐μ₃‐(4‐nitrobenzoato)‐potassium], [K(C₇H₄N₂O₂)(H₂O)₂]_n, (I), and poly[μ₃‐aqua‐aqua‐μ₅‐(4‐nitrobenzoato)‐rubidium], [Rb(C₇H₄N₂O₂)(H₂O)₂]_n, (II), have been determined. In (I), the very distorted KO₆ coordination sphere about the K⁺ centres in the repeat unit comprise two bridging nitro O‐atom donors, a single bridging carboxylate O‐atom donor and two water molecules, one of which is bridging. In Rb complex (II), the same basic MO₆ coordination is found in the repeat unit, but it is expanded to RbO₉ through a slight increase in the accepted Rb—O bond‐length range and includes an additional Rb—O_carboxylate bond, completing a bidentate O,O′‐chelate interaction, and additional bridging Rb—O_nitro and Rb—O_water bonds. The comparative K—O and Rb—O bond‐length ranges are 2.7352 (14)–3.0051 (14) and 2.884 (2)–3.182 (2) Å, respectively. The structure of (II) is also isomorphous, as well as isostructural, with the known structure of the nine‐coordinate caesium 4‐nitrobenzoate analogue, (III), in which the Cs—O bond‐length range is 3.047 (4)–3.338 (4) Å. In all three complexes, common basic polymeric extensions are found, including two different centrosymmetric bridging interactions through both water and nitro groups, as well as extensions along c through the para‐related carboxylate group, giving a two‐dimensional structure in (I). In (II) and (III), three‐dimensional structures are generated through additional bridges involving the nitro and water O atoms. In all three structures, the two water molecules are involved in similar intra‐polymer O—H...O hydrogen‐bonding interactions to both carboxylate and water O‐atom acceptors. A comparison of the varied coordination behaviour of the full set of Li–Cs salts with 4‐nitrobenzoic acid is also made.     

Two CdII/CoII‐Imidazolate Coordination Polymers: Syntheses,Crystal Structures,Stabilities, and Luminescent/Magnetic Properties

Cadmium(II) based 2D coordination polymer [Cd(L1)₂(DMF)₂] ( 1 ) (L1 = 4,5‐dicyano‐2‐methylimidazolate, DMF = N,N′‐dimethylformamide) and 2D cobalt(II)‐imidazolate framework [Co(L3)₄] ( 2 ) (L3 = 4,5‐diamide‐2‐ethoxyimidazolate) were synthesized under solvothermal reaction conditions. The materials were characterized by elemental analysis, IR spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, powder X‐ray diffraction measurement (PXRD) and single‐crystal X‐ray diffraction. Compound 1 has hexacoordinate Cd^II ions and forms a zigzag chain‐like coordination polymer structure, whereas compound 2 exhibits a 2D square grid type structure. The thermal stability analysis reveals that 2 showed an exceptional thermal stability up to 360 °C. Also, 2 maintained its fully crystalline integrity in boiling water as confirmed by PXRD. The solid state luminescent property of 1 was not observed at room temperature. Compound 2 showed an independent high spin central Co^II atom.     

Two Hexagonal Series of Lanthanoid(III) Oxide Fluoride Selenides: M6O2F8Se3 (M = La – Nd) and M2OF2Se (M = Nd,Sm, Gd – Ho)

Two hexagonal series of lanthanoid(III) oxide fluoride selenides with similar structure types can be obtained by the reaction of the components MF₃, M₂O₃, M, and Se in sealed niobium tubes at 850 °C using CsI as fluxing agent. The compounds with the lighter and larger representatives (M = La – Nd) occur with the formula M₆O₂F₈Se₃, whereas with the heavier and smaller ones (M = Nd, Sm, Gd – Ho) their composition is M₂OF₂Se. For both systems single‐crystal determinations were used in all cases. The compounds crystallize in the hexagonal crystal system (space group: P6₃/m) with lattice parameters of a = 1394–1331 pm and c = 403–372 pm (Z = 2 for M₆O₂F₈Se₃ and Z = 6 for M₂OF₂Se). The (M1)³⁺ cations show different square antiprismatic coordination spheres with or without an extra capping fluoride anion. All (M2)³⁺ cations exhibit a ninefold coordination environment shaped as tricapped trigonal prism. In both structure types the Se^2– anions are sixfold coordinated as trigonal prisms of M³⁺ cations, being first condensed by edges to generate trimeric units and then via faces to form strands running along [001]. The light anions reside either in threefold triangular or in fourfold tetrahedral cationic coordination. For charge compensation, both structures have to contain a certain amount of oxide besides fluoride anions. Since F^– and O^2– can not be distinguished by X‐ray diffraction, bond‐valence calculations were used to address the problem of their adjunction to the available crystallographic sites.