The Polymer Physics of Multiscale Charge Transport in Conjugated Systems

Conjugated polymers are promising candidates for next‐generation low‐cost flexible electronics. Field‐effect transistors comprising conjugated polymers have witnessed significant improvements in device performance, notably the field‐effect mobility, in the last three decades. However, to truly make these materials commercially competitive, a better understanding of charge‐transport mechanisms in these structurally heterogeneous systems is needed for providing systematic guides for further improvements. This review assesses the key microstructural features of conjugated polymers across multiple length scales that can influence charge transport, with special attention given to the underlying polymer physics. The mechanistic understanding from collective experimental and theoretical studies point to the importance of interconnected ordered domains given the macromolecular nature of the polymeric semiconductors. Based on the criterion, optimization to improve charge transport can be broadly characterized by efforts to (a) promote intrachain transport, (b) establish intercrystallite connectivity, and (c) enhance interchain coupling. © 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part B: Polym. Phys. 2019 , 57, 1559–1571     

Sustainable and Robust Graphene Cellulose Paper Decorated with Lithiophilic Au Nanoparticles to Enable Dendrite-free and High-Power Lithium Metal Anode

Lithium metal anodes (LMAs) with high energy density have recently captured increasing attention for development of next-generation batteries. However, practical viability of LMAs is hindered by the uncontrolled Li dendrite growth and infinite dimension change. Even though constructing 3D conductive skeleton has been regarded as a reliable strategy to prepare stable and low volume stress LMAs, engineering the renewable and lithiophilic conductive scaffold is still a challenge. Herein, a robust conductive scaffold derived from renewable cellulose paper, which is coated with reduced graphene oxide and decorated with lithiophilic Au nanoparticles, is engineered for LMAs. The graphene cellulose fibres with high surface area can reduce the local current density, while the well-dispersed Au nanoparticles can serve as lithiophilic nanoseeds to lower the nucleation overpotential of Li plating. The coupled relationship can guarantee uniform Li nucleation and unique spherical Li growth into 3D carbon matrix. Moreover, the natural cellulose paper possesses outstanding mechanical strength to tolerate the volume stress. In virtue of the modulated deposition behaviour and near-zero volume change, the hybrid LMAs can achieve reversible Li plating/stripping even at an ultrahigh current density of 10 mA cm⁻² as evidenced by high Coulombic efficiency (97.2 % after 60 cycles) and ultralong lifespan (1000 cycles) together with ultralow overpotential (25 mV). Therefore, this strategy sheds light on a scalable approach to multiscale design versatile Li host, promising highly stable Li metal batteries to be feasible and practical.     

Phase behavior and viscoelastic properties of entangled block copolymer gels

Triblock copolymers in midblock‐selective solvents can form physical gels. However, at low triblock contents (near the percolation threshold), the bridging of chains between micelles can lead to macrophase separation. Adding a styrene–isoprene diblock to a styrene–isoprene–styrene triblock copolymer in squalane can eliminate macrophase separation, yielding a wide range of stable, single‐phase gels with a disordered arrangement of micelles. The plateau modulus of these triblock gels scales with the 2.2 power of polymer content, indicating the importance of entanglements in dictating the modulus. Comparing gels made from the midblock‐saturated derivative of the same polymer [styrene‐(ethylene‐alt‐propylene)‐styrene] in squalane reveals that the modulus differences in the gels are a direct consequence of the difference in the entanglement molecular weight of the midblock homopolymer in bulk. Finally, the broad relaxation spectrum of these triblocks is well‐described by a recent theory for the dynamics of entangled star polymers, with the breadth of the relaxation spectrum dictated by the number of entanglements per midblock in the gel. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 39: 2183–2197, 2001     

Conformational Analysis of Biphenyl Derivatives. I. A Novel Steric Constant from the Internal Rotation Rate of 2,2′‐Bis‐(N‐Substituted Carbamoylmethyl)Biphenyl by Means of Dynamic NMR

A novel scale of steric substituent constant E_s^D is defined from the correlation of the logarithms of the internal rotation rate (k_r) at 393 K with Hancock (E_s^c) steric constant by means of dynamic NMR. In the inhibition of Pseudomona species lipase by 2,2′‐bis‐(N‐substituted carbamoylmethyl)biphenyls (1‐8), the logarithms of bimolecular rate constants are multiply correlated with both the Taft substituent constant σ* and E_s^D.     

Nonsteroidal Constituents from Solanum Incanum L.

Sixteen compounds were isolated from the aerial parts of Solanum incanum L. These compounds included ten flavonoids ( 1‐10 ), chlorogenic acid ( 11 ), adenosine ( 12 ), benzyl‐O‐β‐D‐xylopyranosyl(1→2)‐β‐D‐glucopyranoside ( 13 ), and three phenylalkanoic acids ( 14‐16 ). The structures were determined from their physical and spectral data. Among these compounds, kaempferol 3‐O‐(6″′‐O‐2,5‐dihydroxycinnamoyl)‐β‐D‐glucopyranosyl (1→2) β‐D‐glucopyranoside ( 10 ) was identified as a new compound.     

Adsorption Geometry of 4-Cyanopyridine on Ag Electrode by SERS

The adsorption of 4-cyanopyridine (PyCN) on Ag electrode has been studied by surface-enhanced Raman scattering. The Raman band of the CN group is at 2240 or 2100 cm^?1; it appears in various ranges of potential. When a series of potentials was applied stepwise to the electrode, the growing and vanishing of both bands was monitored by an optical multichannel analyzer with a time resolution 1 s or less. Some information about the kinetics of the adsorption and desorption of CN group and about the adsorption geometry of PyCN on the electrode was obtained.     

Optical emission from laser-produced chromium and magnesium plasma under the effect of two sequential laser pulses

Parametric study of optical emission from two successive laser pulses produced chromium and magnesium plasma is presented. The line emission from chromium and magnesium plasma showed an increase by more than six times for double laser pulse excitation than for single-pulse excitation. An optimum increase in emission intensity was noted for inter-pulse delay of ∼2–3 μs for all the elements. The experimental observations were qualitatively explained on the basis of absorption of second laser pulse in the pre-formed (by first laser) coronal plasma by inverse Bremsstrahlung process, which were found responsible for the excitation of more ions and atoms in the plasma. This process starts as the plasma scale length becomes greater than the laser wavelength. This study further indicated the suitability of this technique in the field of elemental analysis     

Mechanistic aspects of the substrate ionization step in aminium salt catalyzed cyclopropanation

The cyclopropanations of a series of m- and p-substituted trans-β-methylstyrenes (3) by ethyl diazoacetate (4), catalyzed by tris(4-bromophenyl)aminium hexachloroantimonate (1 ^·+) and also by tris(2,4-dibromphenyl) aminium hexachloroantimonate (2 ^·+) have been studied by competition kinetics. For the reactions catalyzed by the milder aminium salt (1 ^·+), the Hammett-Brown ρ values and the fact that the absolute rates are independent of the concentration of 4 establish that ionization to 3 ^·+ is not reversible, but rate-determining. The dependence of the magnitude of ρ upon the absolute concentration of 3 indicates the operation of competing chain and catalytic mechanisms, i.e. the ionization of 3 by both product cation radicals and by the catalyst. The extremely low ρ value observed in the reactions catalyzed by 2 ^·+ indicates the exclusive operation of a relatively unselective chain mechanism. These mechanistic assignments are further supported by the observation of the formation of the same products under electrochemical conditions, in the absence of a chemical catalyst, in closely comparable diastereoisomer ratios and with ρ values which correspond nicely with the ρ values observed for equipotential aminium salt catalysts.     

Shift,Rotation and Limited Scale Invariant Pattern Recognition Using Synthetic Discriminant Functions

Making use of the idea of synthetic discriminant functions (SDF), a simple way to synthesize a shift, rotation and limited size correlation filter is proposed. The SDF is synthesized by superimposing four 2nd order circular harmonics of a training reference pattern in 4 different sizes. Computer simulation experiments have shown that the filter is indeed shift, full rotation and limited size invariant over a size range from 1 to 1.82. The invariant range can be increased if more training patterns are used.     

Cytotoxic Components from the Leaves of Schefflera Taiwaniana

The isolation and identification of eighteen components from the leaves of Schefflera taiwaniana are presented. Their structures were determined on the basis of spectral data as well as direct comparison with authentic samples. These compounds include two polyacetylenes, one carotenoid‐like, three sesquiterpenes, one diterpene, four triterpenes, two tocopherols, and five alkyl 4‐hydroxycinnamate mixtures. Among these, 4‐hydroxy‐trans‐cinnamic acid docosyl ester and 4‐hydroxy‐cis‐cinnamic acid tetracosyl ester are new compounds. Some of these components exhibit cytotoxic activity.