Biosynthesis of zinc oxide nanoparticles using Euphorbia milii leaf constituents: Characterization and improved photocatalytic degradation of methylene blue dye under natural sunlight

A facile biosynthesis route was followed to prepare zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NPs) using Euphorbia milii (E. milii) leaf constituents. The SEM images exhibited presence of spherical ZnO NPs and the corresponding TEM images disclosed monodisperse nature of the ZnO NPs with diameter ranges between 12 and 20 nm. The Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) analysis revealed that the ZnO NPs have specific surface area of 20.46 m²/g with pore diameter of 2 nm–10 nm and pore volume of 0.908 cm³/g. The EDAX spectrum exemplified the existence of Zn and O elements and non-appearance of impurities that confirmed pristine nature of the ZnO NPs. The XRD pattern indicated crystalline peaks corresponding to hexagonal wurtzite structured ZnO with an average crystallite size of 16.11 nm. The FTIR spectrum displayed strong absorption bands at 512 and 534 cm^?1 related to ZnO. The photocatalytic action of ZnO NPs exhibited noteworthy degradation of methylene blue dye under natural sunlight illumination. The maximum degradation efficiency achieved was 98.17% at an illumination period of 50 min. The reusability study proved considerable photostability of the ZnO NPs during photocatalytic experiments. These findings suggest that the E. milii leaf constituents can be utilized as suitable biological source to synthesis ZnO NPs for photocatalytic applications.     

Interface effect between blue phosphorus and metals

The contacted properties of metal substrates with single layer (monolayer) blue phosphorus are calculated by first principles. We analyze the charge transfer, atomic orbital overlap, electronic properties and potential barrier at the interface of metal contacted blue phosphorene (BuleP) to understand how to effectively inject electrons from the metal into the contacted blue phosphorus. We inquire into interfacial effect of blue phosphorene directly in contact with five representative metallic substrates – Au (111), Ag(111), Al(111), Co(111) and Sc(0001), which are having minimal lattice mismatch with the BlueP. We find that the contact properties of these five metals are ohmic contact and schottky contact. Of the five different contact metals, Co-BlueP heterojunction has the best electrical conductivity. The lower SBH in the Al contact can also lead to a good substrate for a Schottky contact for the heterojunction. These results can provide guidance for the future design of BlueP-based electronic devices and for the exploration of new low-dimensional semiconductor transport processes.     

基于混合空穴注入层的湿法制备高效蓝光热激活延迟有机发光二极管

在溶液法制备有机电致发光器件(OLEDs)的研究中, PEDOT∶PSS由于具有较好的成膜性与高透光性而常被用作器件的空穴注入层。但相关研究表明, PEDOT∶PSS本身稳定性较差以及功函数较低,这使得溶液法制备OLEDs的性能差且不稳定。蓝色作为全彩色的三基色之一,制备高效的蓝光器件对于实现高质量显示器件和固态照明装置必不可少。而目前溶液法制备蓝光OLEDs的器件效率普遍较差,针对此问题,本文利用传统的蓝光热激活延迟荧光发光(TADF)材料DMAC-DPS作为发光层,用溶液法制备了蓝光TADF OLEDs,通过在PEDOT∶PSS中掺杂PSS-Na制备混合空穴注入层(mix-HIL)来提高空穴注入层的功函数,研究其对于蓝光TADF OLEDs器件性能的影响。首先在PEDOT∶PSS水溶液中掺入不同体积的PSS-Na溶液,在相同条件下旋涂制膜,进行器件制备。通过观测各个实验组器件的电致发光(EL)光谱,发现掺入PSS-Na后器件EL谱存在光谱蓝移的现象,这是由于掺入PSS-Na水溶液后, mix-HIL层的厚度有所降低,使得在微腔效应作用下, EL光谱发生蓝移。通过对比各组器件的电流密度-电压-亮度(J-V-L)曲线及其计算所得器件的电流效率,结果显示随着PSS-Na的掺入,器件的亮度和电流都有所增大,器件的电流效率也得到了提升,当掺杂比例为0.5∶0.5(PEDOT∶PSS/PSS-Na)时提升幅度最大(亮度提升86.7%,电流效率提升34.3%)。通过在瞬态电致发光测试过程中施加或撤去驱动电压观测了器件EL强度的变化,分析了在混合空穴注入层/发光层(mix-HIL/EML)界面处的电荷积累情况。实验证明,通过在PEDOT∶PSS中掺杂PSS-Na制备mix-HIL获得了蓝光TADF OLEDs器件性能的提升,这是一个获得高效率溶液法制备OLEDs的可行方法。     

TADF激基复合物主体材料提升溶液法制备蓝色荧光有机发光二极管的效率

为了提升溶液法制备的蓝色荧光有机发光二极管(OLEDs)的效率,采用了基于热激活延迟发光(TADF)的激基复合物作为主体材料。TADF激基复合物主体可以利用反向系间窜跃上转换形成单线态激子并将能量传递到客体,从而可以同时利用发光层中的三线态激子和单线态激子,以提升蓝色荧光器件的效率。选择蓝色荧光材料1-4-Di-[4-(N,N-diphenyl)amino]styryl-benzene(DSA-ph)作为客体发光材料,4,4′,4″-T-ris(carbazol-9-yl)triphenylamine(TCTA)掺杂1,3,5-Tri(1-phenyl-1H-benzo[d]imidazol-2-yl)phenyl)(TPBi)作为热激活延迟荧光激基复合物主体,通过溶液法制备了蓝色荧光OLEDs。通过测试TCTA,TPBi以及TCTA掺杂TPBi的光致发光光谱发现,与TCTA和TPBi相比,TCTA掺杂TPBi的光致发光谱(PL)发生了明显的红移(峰值波长变为437 nm),而且光谱变宽,证明了TCTA∶TPBi激基复合物的形成。通过对于DSA-ph掺杂激基复合物主体的薄膜与DSA-ph掺杂poly(methyl methacrylate)(PMMA)的薄膜进行PL测试发现,两者发光峰相同,都是来自DSA-ph的发光,说明激基复合物主体将能量传递到了DSA-ph;DSA-ph的吸收光谱与激基复合物主体的PL光谱存在很大重叠,说明激基复合物主体与DSA-ph的能量传递非常有效;通过对激基复合物主体掺杂不同浓度客体的薄膜进行瞬态PL衰减测试发现,与纯DSA-ph的寿命相比,DSA-ph掺杂激基复合物主体之后其寿命会延长,纯DSA-ph的寿命只有1.19 ns,DSA-ph掺杂激基复合物主体的荧光衰减曲线与激基复合物主体的荧光衰减曲线相似,这进一步证明了激基复合物主体将能量传递到了DSA-ph。研究了主体引入以及DSA-ph掺杂浓度对器件性能的影响。对于器件的亮度、电流密度、电压、电流效率、电致发光光谱等参数进行了测试,与不采用激基复合物主体的器件相比,采用激基复合物主体的器件性能明显改善,在DSA-ph掺杂浓度为10%时,器件亮度从2133.6 cd·m^-2提升到了3597.6 cd·m^-2,器件效率从1.44 cd·A-1提升到了3.15 cd·A-1,发光峰只有来自DSA-ph的发光。采用TADF激基复合物主体的方法有潜力实现溶液法制备的高效蓝色荧光OLEDs。     

A Switch in the Hydrophobic/Hydrophilic Gas-Adsorption Character of Prussian Blue Analogues: An Affinity Control for Smart Gas Sorption

Porous coordination polymers are molecule-based materials presenting a high degree of tunability, which offer many advantages for targeted applications over conventional inorganic materials. This work demonstrates that the hydrophilic/hydrophobic character of Prussian blue analogues having a lipophilic feature may be tuned to optimize the gas adsorption properties. The role of the coordinatively unsaturated metal sites is emphasized through a combination of theoretical and experimental study of water, ethanol, and n-hexane adsorption.     

Tuning of Photonic band gap via combined effect of electric and optical fields in a blue phase liquid crystal composite

ABSTRACT

Blue phase liquid crystals are soft 3D photonic crystals in which the liquid crystal molecules self-assemble to form a cubic structure with lattice spacing of a few hundred nanometers resulting in selective reflection of colours in the visible spectrum. The corresponding wavelength or the ‘photonic band gap’ can be tuned using various external stimuli such as thermal, electric, magnetic and optical fields. Here, we report efficient tuning of photonic band gap by utilising the combination of electric and optical fields in a blue phase liquid crystalline system. The studies indicate that the chirality of the medium has a direct bearing on the direction of the wavelength shift and the extent of the photonic band gap tunability. More importantly, the synergistic effect of the two fields helps in reversible tuning of the band gap.     

Concepts of photochemical damage of Photosystem II and the role of excessive excitation

Photoinhibition is one of the most controversial topics in photophysiology. Well into the 21 st century, scientists have not agreed on the mechanism of action, primary site, and roles of excess energy absorbed by photosynthetic pigments. It is recognized that Photosystem II is the most fragile component during photoinhibition and that excess excitation absorbed by the photosynthetic pigments has a strong impact on it. Consensus is yet to come on terminology, guidelines to study photoinhibition, or boundaries of what can be considered photodamage. Some of these controversies are the result of how we understand the phenomenon of photoinhibition, as this is what determines a given experimental design. Thus, how we understand photodamage depends on the philosophical approach of each group. While some efforts have been made in the parametrization of Photosystem II photoinhibition, an updated review about the concepts of photoinhibition of Photosystem II and how to study it is still pending. In this work, a review of the concepts used in the field of photoinhibition is presented, accompanied by a synopsis on the history and mechanisms of action.     

Rapid reductive degradation of dye contaminated water by using a core-shell nano zerovalent iron (nZVI)

We report on the synthesis of zero valent iron nano particles (nZVI) via chemical reduction method. The large peak visible in the XRD pattern reveals the presence of an amorphous phase of iron. SEM and TEM images signify the dendritic morphology and core-shell-like structure of manufactured nZVI particles respectively. Methylene blue dye (MB) was used as model contaminant to assess the reductive degradation proficiency of nZVI. With complete elimination of MB, the fresh synthesized nZVI exhibited the best performance (97%), while the regenerated nZVI had an 85.1% MB removal efficiency after five regenerations. The equilibrium data of adsorption were fitted to eight different kinetic and isothermal models. The effects of critical operating factors such as pH, varied amounts of nZVI and dye concentration, adsorption temperature, and adsorption time were also studied. A presumptive reaction mechanism and function of core-shell construction in contaminant sequestration has also been investigated.     

Tuning the properties of a black TiO2-Ag visible light photocatalyst produced by a rapid one-pot chemical reduction

A highly efficient black TiO₂-Ag photocatalytic nanocomposite, active under both UV and visible light illumination, was synthesized by decorating the surface of 25 nm TiO₂ particles with Ag nanoparticles. The material was obtained via a rapid, one-pot, simple (surfactant and complexing agent free) chemical reduction method using silver nitrate and formaldehyde as a metal salt and reducing agent, respectively. The nanocomposite shows an increase of over 800% in the rate of photocatalytic methylene blue dye degradation, compared to commercial unmodified TiO_2, under UV-VIS illumination. Unlike pure TiO₂, the nanocomposite exhibits visible light activation, with a corresponding drop in optical reflectance from 100% to less than 10%. The photocatalytic properties were shown to be strongly enhanced by post-reduction annealing heat treatments in air, which were observed to decrease, rather than coarsen, silver particle size, and increase particle distribution. This, accompanied by a variation in the silver surface oxidation states, appear to dramatically affect the photocatalytic efficiency under both UV and visible light. This highly active photocatalyst could have wide ranging applications in water and air pollution remediation and solar fuel production.