Bulk and shear rheology of silica/polystyrene nanocomposite: Reinforcement and dynamics

Bulk and shear rheological studies were performed on a 10 wt % silica nanoparticle‐filled polystyrene nanocomposite. The limiting moduli in glassy and rubbery states are higher for the nanocomposite than for the neat polymer; the increase is consistent with hydrodynamic reinforcement and is slightly higher than the lower bound of the rule of mixtures prediction. All evidence indicates that the presence of nanoparticles does not significantly change the polymer dynamics associated with glass transition, except to increase the T_g by 3 K. Comparison of the bulk and shear retardation spectra suggests that the underlying mechanisms for both responses are similar at short times and that the long‐time chain modes available to the shear are not available to the bulk, consistent with Plazek's earlier findings. In addition, T ? T_g and TV^γ scaling, along with the findings of thermorheological complexity, are discussed. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part B: Polym. Phys. 2015 , 53, 621–632     

Synthesis,Electrochemistry, and Photophysical Studies of Ruthenium(II) Polypyridine Complexes with D–π–A–π–D Type Ligands and Their Application Studies as Organic Memories

A new class of ruthenium(II) polypyridine complexes with a series of D–π–A–π–D type (D=donor, A=acceptor) ligands was synthesized and characterized by ¹H NMR spectroscopy, mass spectrometry, and elemental analysis. The photophysical and electrochemical properties of the complexes were also investigated. The newly synthesized ruthenium(II) polypyridine complexes were found to exhibit two intense absorption bands at both high‐energy (λ=333–369 nm) and low‐energy (λ=520–535 nm) regions. They are assigned as intraligand (IL) π→π* transitions of the bipyridine (bpy) and π‐conjugated bpy ligands, and IL charge‐transfer (CT) transitions from the donor to the acceptor moiety with mixing of dπ(Ru^II)→π*(bpy) and dπ(Ru^II)→π*(L) MLCT characters, respectively. In addition, all complexes were demonstrated to exhibit intense red emissions at approximately λ=727–744 nm in degassed dichloromethane at 298 K or in n‐butyronitrile glass at 77 K. Nanosecond transient absorption (TA) spectroscopy has also been carried out, establishing the presence of the charge‐separated state. In order to understand the electrochemical properties of the complexes, cyclic voltammetry has also been performed. Two quasi‐reversible oxidation couples and three quasi‐reversible reduction couples were observed. One of the ruthenium(II) complexes has been utilized in the fabrication of memory devices, in which an ON/OFF current ratio of over 10⁴ was obtained.     

A Terbium Metal–Organic Framework for Highly Selective and Sensitive Luminescence Sensing of Hg2+ Ions in Aqueous Solution

A series of isomorphic lanthanide metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) Ln(TATAB)?(DMF)₄(H₂O)(MeOH)_0.5 (LnTATAB, Ln=Eu, Tb, Sm, Dy, Gd; H₃TATAB=4,4′,4′′‐s‐triazine‐1,3,5‐triyltri‐p‐aminobenzoic acid) have been solvothermally synthesized and structurally characterized. Among these MOFs, TbTATAB exhibits good water stability and a high fluorescence quantum yield. Because mercury ions (Hg²⁺) have a high affinity to nitrogen atoms, and the space between multiple nitrogen atoms from triazine and imino groups is suitable for interacting with Hg²⁺ ions, TbTATAB shows highly selective and sensitive detection of Hg²⁺ in aqueous solution with a detection limit of 4.4 nm . Furthermore, it was successfully applied to detect Hg²⁺ ions in natural water samples.     

Rhodium(I)‐Catalyzed Decarbonylative Spirocyclization through C?C Bond Cleavage of Benzocyclobutenones: An Efficient Approach to Functionalized Spirocycles

The rhodium‐catalyzed formation of all‐carbon spirocenters involves a decarbonylative coupling of trisubstituted cyclic olefins and benzocyclobutenones through C C activation. The metal–ligand combination [{Rh(CO)₂Cl}₂]/P(C₆F₅)₃ catalyzed this transformation most efficiently. A range of diverse spirocycles were synthesized in good to excellent yields and many sensitive functional groups were tolerated. A mechanistic study supports a hydrogen‐transfer process that occurs through a β‐H elimination/decarbonylation pathway.     

Formation of Cr(VI) compounds during the thermal decomposition of amorphous chromium hydroxide

Chromium hydroxide (CH) was prepared by the reduction of purified sodium chromate using starch. CH was then used to prepare chromium oxide (Cr₂O₃). Results of thermogravimetric, X-ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and chemical analyses suggested that a small amount of the initial Cr(VI) content speeds up the oxidation and reduction reactions, thereby promoting the purity and crystallization of Cr₂O₃. Cr(VI) in CH induced the evolution of CH and the formation of Cr(VI) containing compounds including CrO₃, NaCr(CrO₄)₂, Cr₃O₈, and Cr₅O₁₂ at low sintering temperature. Furthermore, homogeneous Cr₂O₃ nanoparticles with 99 % purity and particle size of 50 nm were obtained.