Synthesis of Anthracene Derivatives with Azaacene-Containing Iptycene Wings and the Utilization as a Dopant for Solution-Processed Organic Light-Emitting Diodes

Substituted acene derivatives are regarded as promising materials for organic electronic devices such as organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs). In particular, anthracene derivatives are known to exhibit good fluorescence property, with the air stability and solubility in common organic solvents expected to give advantages for solution-processed device fabrication. In this study, a series of bistriisopropylsilyl(TIPS)ethynyl anthracene derivatives with azaacene-containing iptycene wings have been synthesized by using condensation reactions. Effects of size of azaacenes on optical properties and packing structures were investigated. UV/Vis absorption and fluorescence spectra indicate that the π-elongation of iptycene units has small effects on the overall π-system, which is also supported by electrochemical measurements. Secondly, single-crystal X-ray analysis implies that the molecules likely have interactions with the iptycene units of adjacent molecules, while the iptycene wings and TIPSethynyl groups can prevent the central anthracene unit from undesirable non-radiative energy loss. Finally, the most emissive derivative was used as a dopant for solution-processed OLEDs, showing obvious electroluminescence with a luminance of over 920 cd m⁻².     

Modeling and design of a tuned liquid damper using triangular-bottom tank by a concentrated mass model

Nonlinear Dynamics - Rectangular flat-bottom liquid tanks known as tuned liquid dampers (TLDs) are often used as passive mechanical dampers. Sloped- and triangular-bottom TLDs have been reported to...     

A Theoretical study on the charge and discharge states of Na-ion battery cathode material,Na1+xFePO4F

Na₂FePO₄F is a promising cathode material for a Na-ion battery because of its high electronic capacity and good cycle performance. In this work, first principle calculations combined with cluster expansion and the Monte Carlo method have been applied to analyze the charge and discharge processes of Na₂FePO₄F by examining the voltage curve and the phase diagram. As a result of the density functional theory calculation and experimental verification with structural analysis, we found that the most stable structure of Na_1.5FePO₄F has the P2₁/b11 space group, which has not been reported to date. The estimated voltage curve has two clear plateaus caused by the two-phase structure composed of P2₁/b11 Na_1.5FePO₄F and Pbcn Na₂FePO₄F or Na₁FePO₄F and separated along the c-axis direction. The phase diagram shows the stability of the phase-separated structure. Considering that Na₂FePO₄F has diffusion paths in the a- and c-axis directions, Na₂FePO₄F has both innerphase and interphase diffusion paths. We suggest that the stable two-phase structure and the diffusion paths to both the innerphase and interphases are a key for the very clear plateau. We challenge to simulate a nonequilibrium state at high rate discharge with high temperature by introducing a coordinate-dependent chemical potential. The simulation shows agreement with the experimental discharge curve on the disappearance of the two plateaus. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

A new periodic pattern with five‐neighbored domain packing from ABC triblock terpolymer/B homopolymer blend

Self‐assembled structures from poly(isoprene‐b‐styrene‐b‐2‐vinylpyridine)(ISP)/styrene homopolymer blend were investigated. Five terpolymers whose total molecular weight, M, is in the narrow range of 121k < M < 214k, and volume fractions of the center block polystyrenes, ?_S, are similar at around 0.55, were prepared as parent block terpolymers. Their ?_P/?_I ratios, used as an indicator of asymmetry, are varied in the range 0.32 < ?_P/?_I < 2.46. Three low‐molecular weight styrene homopolymers with molecular weights of 3k, 9k, and 12k, respectively, were mixed with those block terpolymers to produce blends with almost constant styrene content within the range 0.65 < ?_S < 0.68. Both ISP/S(3k) and ISP/S(12k) blend series show a morphological transition from tetragonally packed cylinders (TPC) to double hexagonal structure (DHS) with hexagonally arrayed polyisoprene cylinders, each surrounded by six thin cylinders as satellites. If one focuses on ISP‐III(150k)/S blends whose ?_P/?_I is 0.88, TPC for ISP‐III/S(3k) was transformed to DHS for ISP‐III/S(12k), evidently due to the molecular weight effect of the added homopolymer. Finally a new periodic pattern, having P cylinders surrounded by five I cylinders each, has been discovered from ISP‐III/S(9k) at overall composition of ?_I/?_S/?_P = 0.17/0.68/0.15 and polystyrene block/styrene homopolymer ratio of w_S(b)/w_S(h) = 1.4. This structure was confirmed to possess hexagonal symmetry with larger unit cell than regular patterns ever known by X‐ray diffraction experiment. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part B: Polym. Phys. 2015 , 53, 907–911     

Aromaticity Relocation in Perylene Derivatives upon Two‐Electron Oxidation To Form Anthracene and Phenanthrene

We prepared perylene dications 1 ²⁺ and 2 ²⁺ by using “capped” perylene derivatives, and for the first time, successfully obtained single crystals of a perylene dication 1 ²⁺ that enabled us to perform its structural analysis. We realized that the substituted aryl groups on perylene control the positions of positive charges, thus the remaining electronic system satisfies Clar's sextet rule toward the highest number of localized sextets. Experimental and theoretical evidence proved that Clar's aromatic π‐sextet rule could be applied even for the dicationic perylenes in a very simple way.     

Formation of Supramolecular Nanostructures through in Situ Self-Assembly and Post-Assembly Modification of a Biocatalytically Constructed Dipeptide Hydrazide**

Aqueous self-assembly of short peptides has attracted growing attention for the construction of supramolecular materials for various bioapplications. Herein, we describe how the thermolysin-assisted biocatalytic construction of a dipeptide hydrazide from an N-protected amino acid and an amino acid hydrazide leads to the formation of thermally stable supramolecular hydrogels. In addition, we demonstrate the post-assembly modification of the supramolecular architectures constructed in situ tethering hydrazide groups as a chemical handle by means of fluorescence imaging.     

Multiply Twisted Chiral Macrocycles Clamped by Tethered Binaphthyls Exhibiting High Circularly Polarized Luminescence Brightness

Chiral macrocyclic dimers, trimers, and tetramers composed of paraphenylene and tethered binaphthyl were synthesized, and their molecular structures and chiroptical properties were investigated. X-ray analysis and theoretical calculations revealed that multiple twisted molecular structures – dimers, trimers, and tetramers – adopt figure-of-eight, Möbius triangle, and concave rectangle structures, respectively. These homologues have large ϵ values in their UV-vis absorption spectra because of the π-conjugation of the naphthalene-phenylene-naphthalene frameworks. Owing to the shape-persistent ring structure and tethering with −OCH₂CH₂O−, high fluorescence quantum yields and a relatively high dissymmetry factor g_CPL in circularly polarized luminescence (CPL) spectra were achieved. This results in CPL brightness (B_CPL) of over 100, which is greater than that of the conventional organic CPL dye.     

Interaction of highly charged ions with carbon-based materials using Kobe EBIS

Interaction of highly charged ions (HCIs) with surfaces produce various specific phenomena as a consequence of the potential energy that HCI possesses. In the present study, we have observed photon emission, structural, magnetic, and electronic modification on various carbon-based materials such as carbon nanotube by the impact of HCIs using an electron beam ion source named Kobe EBIS installed at the Kobe University. In order to study the potential effect, HCIs of Ar^q+ (q = 6–16) with the intensity of 0.1–1 nA are projected on the surface with a constant kinetic energy (16 keV). For photon emission measurements, we observed spatial and spectral distribution of visible light emission from the surface during irradiation with HCIs. On the other hand, the structural modification of multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) irradiated with HCIs has been analyzed using a transmission electron microscopy and Raman spectroscopy. Irradiation effects on the resistivity of single MWCNT supported on micrometer scale bridge pattern were also measured. We have also measured magnetic structure of highly oriented pyrolytic graphite irradiated with HCIs using electron spin resonance at low temperature. At the present paper, we will review our recent experimental results on the interaction of HCI with various carbon-based materials.     

Mechanistic Study of the Solvent-Dependent Formation of Extended and Stacked Supramolecular Polymers Composed of Bis(imidazolylporphyrinatozinc) Molecules

Bis(imidazolylporphyrinatozinc) molecules linked through a 1,3-butadiynylene moiety respond to the solvents they are dissolved in to afford exclusively extended (E) or stacked (S) supramolecular polymers. This system is expected to be a solvation/desolvation indicator. However, the principles underlying the solvent-dependent formation of the two types of polymers and the mechanism of the transformation between them are unclear. The formation of the polymers is considered to depend on the two types of complementary coordination bonds that can be formed and the π–π interactions between the porphyrins. In this study, the contributions and solvent dependence of both the coordination bonds and the π–π interactions have been investigated. The results clearly indicate that the coordination bonds are weakly or little solvent-dependent, and that the π–π interactions function effectively only in the inner porphyrins of the S-polymer and are strongly solvent-dependent. Thermodynamic analysis revealed that the formation of the E- or S-polymer in solution is determined by the total energies and the type of solvent used. The transformation of the E- to S-polymer was investigated by gel permeation chromatography. The kinetics of the transformation were also determined. The role of the terminal imidazolylporphyrinatozinc moieties was also investigated: The results indicate that the transformation from the E- to S-polymer occurs by an exchange mechanism between the polymers, induced by attack of terminal free imidazolyl groups on a polymer to zinc porphyrins on other polymers.     

Synthesis of C12-Keto Saxitoxin Derivatives with Unusual Inhibitory Activity Against Voltage-Gated Sodium Channels

A novel series of C12-keto-type saxitoxin (STX) derivatives bearing an unusual nonhydrated form of the ketone at C12 has been synthesized, and their Na_V-inhibitory activity has been evaluated in a cell-based assay as well as whole-cell patch-clamp recording. Among these compounds, 11-benzylidene STX ( 3 a ) showed potent inhibitory activity against neuroblastoma Neuro 2A in both cell-based and electrophysiological analyses, with EC₅₀ and IC₅₀ values of 8.5 and 30.7 nm , respectively. Interestingly, the compound showed potent inhibitory activity against tetrodotoxin-resistant subtype of Na_V1.5, with an IC₅₀ value of 94.1 nm . Derivatives 3 a – d and 3 f showed low recovery rates from Na_V1.2 subtype (ca 45–79 %) compared to natural dcSTX ( 2 ), strongly suggesting an irreversible mode of interaction. We propose an interaction model for the C12-keto derivatives with Na_V in which the enone moiety in the STX derivatives 3 works as Michael acceptor for the carboxylate of Asp¹⁷¹⁷.