Similar Structural Dynamics for the Degradation of CH3NH3PbI3 in Air and in Vacuum

We investigate the degradation path of MAPbI₃ (MA=methylammonium) films over flat TiO₂ substrates at room temperature by means of X‐ray diffraction, spectroscopic ellipsometry, X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and high‐resolution transmission electron microscopy. The degradation dynamics is found to be similar in air and under vacuum conditions, which leads to the conclusion that the occurrence of intrinsic thermodynamic mechanisms is not necessarily linked to humidity. The process has an early stage, which drives the starting tetragonal lattice in the direction of a cubic atomic arrangement. This early stage is followed by a phase change towards PbI₂. We describe how this degradation product is structurally coupled with the original MAPbI₃ lattice through the orientation of its constituent PbI₆ octahedra. Our results suggest a slight octahedral rearrangement after volatilization of HI+CH₃NH₂ or MAI, with a relatively low energy cost. Our experiments also clarify why reducing the interfaces and internal defects in the perovskite lattice enhances the stability of the material.     

Phase Transition with the Line‐Tension Effect

We make the connection between the geometric model for capillarity with line tension and the Cahn‐Hilliard model of two‐phase fluids. To this aim we consider the energies where u is a scalar density function and W and V are double‐well potentials. We show that the behaviour of F _ε in the limit ε→0 and λ→∞ depends on the limit of ε log λ. If this limit is finite and strictly positive, then the singular limit of the energies F _ε leads to a coupled problem of bulk and surface phase transitions, and under certain assumptions agrees with the relaxation of the capillary energy with line tension. These results were announced in [ABS1] and [ABS2]. (Accepted November 5, 1997)     

Exponential self-similar mixing and loss of regularity for continuity equations

We consider the mixing behavior of the solutions to the continuity equation associated with a divergence-free velocity field. In this Note, we sketch two explicit examples of exponential decay of the mixing scale of the solution, in case of Sobolev velocity fields, thus showing the optimality of known lower bounds. We also describe how to use such examples to construct solutions to the continuity equation with Sobolev but non-Lipschitz velocity field exhibiting instantaneous loss of any fractional Sobolev regularity.     

Combinatorially Designed Lipid‐like Nanoparticles for Intracellular Delivery of Cytotoxic Protein for Cancer Therapy

An efficient and safe method to deliver active proteins into the cytosol of targeted cells is highly desirable to advance protein‐based therapeutics. A novel protein delivery platform has been created by combinatorial design of cationic lipid‐like materials (termed “lipidoids”), coupled with a reversible chemical protein engineering approach. Using ribonuclease A (RNase A) and saporin as two representative cytotoxic proteins, the combinatorial lipidoids efficiently deliver proteins into cancer cells and inhibit cell proliferation. A study of the structure–function relationship reveals that the electrostatic and hydrophobic interactions between the lipidoids and the protein play a vital role in the formation of protein–lipidoid nanocomplexes and intracellular delivery. A representative lipidoid (EC16‐1) protein nanoparticle formulation inhibits cell proliferation in vitro and suppresses tumor growth in a murine breast cancer model.     

Ruthenium-Catalyzed Hydrogenative Degradation of End-of-Life Poly(lactide) to Produce 1,2-Propanediol as Platform Chemical

The chemical recycling of end-of-life polymers can add some value to a future circular economy. In this regard, the hydrogenative degradation of end-of-life PLA was investigated to produce 1,2-propanediol as product, which is a useful building block in polymer chemistry. In more detail, the commercially available Ru-MACHO-BH complex was applied as catalyst to degrade end-of-life PLA efficiently to 1,2-propanediol under mild conditions. After investigations of the reaction conditions a set of end-of-life PLA goods were subjected to degradation.     

New results in the ammonolysis of hexafluoro-cyclo-triphosphazene: Crystal structure of P3N3F5–NH–P3N3F4NH2

The reaction of hexafluoro-cyclo-triphosphazene P₃N₃F₆ with ammonia in acetonitrile has been studied. New compounds, (2-imino-2,4,4,6,6-pentafluoro-2λ⁵,4λ⁵,6λ⁵-cyclo-triphosphaza-1,3,5-trienyl)-2-amino-4,4,6,6-tetrafluoro-2λ⁵,4λ⁵,6λ⁵-cyclo-triphosphaza-1,3,5-triene, P₃N₃F₅–NH–P₃N₃F₄NH₂ (2) and cis and trans isomers of non-gem-2,4-diamino-2,4,6,6-tetrafluoro-2λ⁵,4λ⁵,6λ⁵-cyclo-triphosphaza-1,3,5-triene, P₃N₃F₄(NH₂)₂ (4, 5)_, were detected by GC/MS, and ³¹P NMR spectroscopy in reaction mixtures. X-ray diffraction analysis of P₃N₃F₅–NH–P₃N₃F₄NH₂ (2) revealed two conformational polymorphs, 2A and 2B, the latter being built up of two different conformers that were further denoted as 2B_a (the same as the single conformer in 2A) and 2B_b. The compound 2 was characterized by spectroscopic methods and its 2D potential energy surface (PES) was described by density functional theory computations depending on two dihedral angles. The calculated PES spans over 30 kJ/mol in energy including 8 local minima and all first and second order saddle points. The occurrence of the two experimentally observed conformers 2B_a and 2B_b seems to be governed by crystal packing effects.     

A geometrical approach to monotone functions in \mathbb R^n

The paper is concerned with the fine properties of monotone functions on . We study the continuity and differentiability properties of these functions, the approximability properties, the structure of the distributional derivatives and of the weak Jacobians. Moreover, we exhibit an example of a monotone function u which is the gradient of a convex function and whose weak Jacobian Ju is supported on a purely unrectifiable set. Received October 9, 1996; in final form April 21, 1997     

Highly Sensitive “Off/On” EPR Probes to Monitor Enzymatic Activity

The assessment of unregulated level of enzyme activity is a crucial parameter for early diagnoses in a wide range of pathologies. In this study, we propose the use of electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) as an easy method to probe carboxylesterase (CE) enzymatic activity in vitro. For this application, were synthesized two amphiphilic, nitroxide containing esters, namely Tempo-C12 (T-C12) and Tempo-2-C12 (T-2-C12). They exhibit low solubility in water and form stable micelles in which the radicals are EPR almost silent, but the hydrolysis of the ester bond yields narrows and intense EPR signals. The intensity of the EPR signals is proportional to the enzymatic activity. CEs1, CEs2 and esterase from porcine liver (PLE) were investigated. The obtained results show that T-C12 and T-2-C12-containing systems display a much higher selectivity toward the CEs2, with a Limit of Detection of the same order of those ones obtained with optical methods.     

Laser Desorption Ionization of As<Subscript>2</Subscript>Ch<Subscript>3</Subscript> (Ch = S,Se, and Te) Chalcogenides Using Quadrupole Ion Trap Time-of-Flight Mass Spectrometry: A Comparative Study

Laser desorption ionization using time-of-flight mass spectrometer afforded with quadrupole ion trap was used to study As₂Ch₃ (Ch = S, Se, and Te) bulk chalcogenide materials. The main goal of the study is the identification of species present in the plasma originating from the interaction of laser pulses with solid state material. The generated clusters in both positive and negative ion mode are identified as 10 unary (S _p ^+/– and As _m ^+/– ) and 34 binary (As _m S _p ^+/– ) species for As₂S₃ glass, 2 unary (Se _q ^+/– ) and 26 binary (As _m Se _q ^+/– ) species for As₂Se₃ glass, 7 unary (Te _r ^+/– ) and 23 binary (As _m Te _r ^+/– ) species for As₂Te₃ material. The fragmentation of chalcogenide materials was diminished using some polymers and in this way 45 new, higher mass clusters have been detected. This novel approach opens a new possibility for laser desorption ionization mass spectrometry analysis of chalcogenides as well as other materials.

Open image in new window

Graphical abstract ?