Introducing a new triazoloquinoxaline‐based fluorene copolymer for organic photovoltaics: Synthesis,characterization, and photovoltaic properties

A new donor‐acceptor copolymer consisting of triazoloquinoxaline and 9,9‐dialkylfluorene units on the main chain has been synthesized, characterized and evaluated as donor material in bulk heterojunction solar cells using PC₆₁BM as an acceptor. The resulting polymer PTQF showed good thermal stability and solubility in common organic solvents. Cyclic Voltammetry measurements showed that the PTQF has HOMO–LUMO energy levels of ?5.13 and ?3.62 eV, respectively. DFT calculations revealed that the HOMO is delocalized all over the thiophene and fluorene units and the LUMO is localized mainly on the triazole and pyrazine units. PTQF absorbs broadly in the visible region and exhibits a bandgap of 1.4 eV. Photovoltaic devices exhibited 1.7% efficiency for 1:2 PTQF:PC₆₁BM blend ratio using Ca/Ag electrodes. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem, 2013     

An efficient synthesis of 3,4-dihydropyrimidin-2(1H)-ones catalyzed by molten [Et3NH][HSO4]

A simple ammonium salt of sulfuric acid in molten state was used as a cheap and mild acidic ionic liquid for efficient synthesis of 3,4-dihydropyrimidin-2(1H)-ones in good to excellent yields.     

Realization of single and double axial InSb–GaSb heterostructure nanowires

Heteroepitaxial growth of III‐Sb nanowires allows for the formation of various interesting complex structures and enables the combination of their remarkable properties. In this Letter, we investigate the heteroepitaxial growth of Au‐seeded InSb and GaSb nanowires using metalorganic vapor phase epitaxy. We demonstrate successful single and double axial InSb–GaSb heterostructures in both directions. The formation properties of the grown nanowires including the compositional change of the particle and the interface sharpness are further discussed. In addition, the decomposition of InSb and GaSb segments and their side facet evolution are explained.

     

Regioselective synthesis of 2,3-disubstituted 1-alkyl pyrrolo[2,3-b] quinoxalines through palladium-catalyzed Heck reaction of chalcones and evaluation of their anti-bacterial activities

The regioselective synthesis of 1-alkyl-2-aryl-3-acyl pyrrolo[2,3-b]quinoxalines through palladium-catalyzed Heck coupling reaction/heteroannulation was reported. The reaction of N-alkyl/benzyl-3-chloroquinoxaline-2-amines with chalcones catalyzed by Pd(OAc)₂ in the presence of KO^tBu, as the base, in DMSO afforded the desired products in good-to-high yields. The MIC and MBC determinations revealed that these compounds could be used in the future research works for the development of antibiotics.     

Electrosynthesis of cinnamic acid by electrocatalytic carboxylation of phenylacetylene in the presence of [NiII(Me4-NO2Bzo[15]tetraeneN4)] complex: An EC′CCC′C mechanism

A Ni(II) complex, [Ni^II(Me₄-NO₂Bzo[15]tetraeneN₄)], was used for electrocatalytic reduction of CO₂ in acetonitrile solvent. Then, the reduced form of CO₂ (CO₂^?) was used for selective carboxylation of phenylacetylene to produce cinnamic acid at room temperature. The potential of the process is significantly less negative in comparison with those reported earlier. Using sacrificial magnesium electrode as anode, controlled potential coulometry was carried out in an undivided glass cell. The spectral characterizations of FTIR, ¹H NMR, and ¹³C NMR demonstrated that cinnamic acid was the main product of the electrolysis. With respect to other catalysts, which have been previously reported in the literature, application of the Ni(II) complex in carboxylation of unsaturated compounds has three advantages: (1) the selectivity in the production of cinnamic acid; (2) more increase in the reduction current indicating that the carboxylation of phenylacetylene is fast; and (3) the potential shift of electrocatalytic reduction of CO₂ to less negative values showing that the Ni(II) complex has an excellent electrocatalytic activity for CO₂ reduction. According to the voltammetric and coulometric results, an EC′CCC′C mechanism was proposed for the electrocatalytic synthesis of cinnamic acid.     

Cobalt(II), nickel(II), and zinc(II) complexes with bidentate N,N′-bis(β-phenylcinnamaldehyde)-1,2-diiminoethane Schiff base: synthesis and structures

A series of complexes of the type M(Phca₂en)X₂, where Phca₂en=N,N′-bis(β-phenyl-cinnamaldehyde)-1,2-diiminoethane, M(II)=Co, Ni or Zn and X=Cl, Br, I or NCS have been synthesized and characterized. The crystal and molecular structures of Co(Phca₂en)Cl₂ (2), Ni(Phca₂en)Br₂ (5) and Zn(Phca₂en)Cl₂ (6) were determined by X-ray crystallography from single-crystal data. Complexes 2 and 5 are isomorph and isostructure, in which the coordination polyhedron about the central metal ion is distorted tetrahedron with Cl---Co---Cl, 110.17(6)°; N---Co---N, 84.16(13)° and Cl---Zn---Cl, 112.02(6)°; N---Zn---N, 83.45(16)°. The complex 5 crystallizes in triclinic system with two molecules per asymmetric unit, both having nickel ion in distorted tetrahedral geometry, Br---Ni---Br, 122.645(18)° and 125.729(18)°; N---Ni---N, 84.63(9)° and 85.08(9)°. These structures consist of intermolecular hydrogen bonds of the type C---HX. The formation of the C---HM weak intramolecular hydrogen bonds due to the trapping of C---H bonds in the vicinity of the metal atoms are reported for 2, 5 and 6. A ¹H NMR study of Zn complexes gives further evidence for the presence of such interactions and their significance. The spectral properties of the above complexes are also discussed.     

Effect of preparation methods of graphene oxide on permeability of free-standing membranes against polar and nonpolar species

ABSTRACT

In this study, graphene oxide (GO) was synthesized using Hummers, modified Hummers and improved Hummers methods, and then freestanding membranes were prepared based on these materials. Effects of different GO preparation methods on C/O ratio and interlayer spacing of freestanding membranes were studied. Structure of these membranes was studied by X-ray diffraction, contact angle, XRF, FT-IR, and FESEM methods. Also, permeability of ammonia, dichloromethane, and water vapor was investigated through these membranes. Results showed that, the sample prepared by the Hummers method had lower C/O ratio, smoother surface and lower permeability for polar species, such as water and ammonia vapors, than nonpolar materials. Membranes prepared using Improved Hummers method showed the least permeability against nonpolar vapors such as dichloromethane.     

CO2/H2 separation by facilitated transport membranes immobilized with aqueous single and mixed amine solutions: Experimental and modeling study

An experimental and theoretical analysis to separate CO₂ using facilitated transport membranes immobilized with different aqueous single and mixed amine solutions have been performed. The membranes containing monoethanolamine (MEA), diethanolamine (DEA), monoprotonated ethylenediamine (EDAH⁺) and piperazine (PZ), as well as aqueous blends of PZ with MEA, DEA or EDAH⁺ were considered. The aqueous solution of PZ showed the highest CO₂ permeation rate with respect to other single amine solutions. Therefore blends of PZ with MEA, DEA and EDAH⁺ increased the permeance of carbon dioxide through mixed amine membranes.     

Electrospun Nylon-66/5-(4-dimethylaminobenzyliden) rhodanine composite nanofibres for solid phase extraction of palladium ions from wastewater samples

In the present work, a simple procedure is presented for the extraction and determination of pre-concentrated trace amounts of palladium ions through solid phase extraction (SPE) and flame atomic absorption spectrophotometry. This process was performed using Nylon-66/5-(4-dimethylaminobenzylidene) rhodanine composite nanofibres. These nanofibres were produced under optimised conditions via two-axial electrospinning technique and characterised by scanning electron microscopy and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy. The effect of experimental parameters including solution pH, the type and volume of eluent and contact time was investigated in extraction and desorption process. Under the optimised conditions, good linearity in the range of 0.07–8 μg L^?1 and low detection limit of 0.015 μg L^?1 were obtained. High enrichment factor of 187.5 and good relative standard deviation of ±2.2% at 5 μg L^?1 of palladium had been achieved. The sorbent capacity for palladium adsorption was obtained 27 mg palladium per gram of nanofibres. So, the SPE was successfully applied to pre-concentrate and determine Pd(II) ions with flame atomic absorption spectrophotometer in real samples.