多孔纳米氧化铝薄膜上荧光分子光谱特性研究

通过两步电化学阳极氧化技术制备了孔径为40nm的多孔纳米阳极氧化铝材料(AAO),在AAO薄膜上分别填充了几种有机荧光分子使其形成高度有序的有机-无机复合体发光阵列,测定了此复合体的发射光谱．结果表明,AAO薄膜对有机分子具有较强的结合能力,其结合能力来源于物理和化学的协同作用．在AAO纳米薄膜上的有机荧光分子的最大发射波长均产生了明显的蓝移现象,初步探讨了此现象的机理．有机分子填充进入高度有序的AAO纳米孔阵列之中时,有机分子的聚集形式会发生改变并且也是高度有序的,同时由于极化作用使有机分子沿着纳米孔的轴向具有相对优势的分子取向,使有机分子在AAO纳米薄膜上形成了接近单分子层的高度有序的排列方式,增强了发光效率．     

Direct observation of liquid crystal phases under nanoconfinement: A grazing incidence X-ray diffraction study

We have controlled the molecular orientation of nematic and smectic A liquid crystal (LC) phases in a porous anodic aluminium oxide (AAO) film, in which the pore diameter was varied from 20 nm to 100 nm. Surface anchoring to induce planar and homeotropic molecular arrangement was controlled by chemical modification of the AAO inner surface. Direct observation of the molecular orientation of LC phases was performed using grazing incidence X-ray diffraction technique, showing in-plane and out-of-plane molecular orientation, and the corresponding layer orientation. The systematic investigation of LC phases under nanoconfinement will be useful to design various kinds of physicochemical environments to control the orientation of other soft matters.     

纳米孔阵列阳极氧化铝膜的制备和表征

本文通过在0℃、0.5mol·L^-1的草酸溶液中阳极氧化高纯铝片的方法制得了阳极氧化铝(AAO)膜，并用扫描电子显微镜(SEM)和原子力显微镜(AFM)对AAO膜的形貌和结构进行了表征。结果表明，阻挡层AAO膜中大小一致的膜胞在铝/氧化铝界面上排成六方形阵列;有孔层AAO膜中含有高度有序的纳米孔阵列和膜胞阵列，并且孔的直径和膜胞的尺寸都具有较窄的分布。另外，考察了阳极氧化电压对膜胞尺寸、孔径大小、孔密度和膜胞密度的影响，表明在一定的电压范围内，膜胞和孔径都随电压的升高而增大，而孔密度和膜胞密度却随电压的升高而减小。     

2,6-Bis[2-(4-pentylphenyl)vinyl]anthracene: a stable and high charge mobility organic semiconductor with densely packed crystal structure

The development of new organic semiconductors with improved electrical performance and enhanced environmental stability is the focus of considerable research activity. This paper presents the design, synthesis, optical and electrochemical characterization, crystal packing, modeling and thin film morphology, and organic thin film field effect transistor (OTFT) device data analysis for a novel 2,6-bis[2-(4-pentylphenyl)vinyl]anthracene (DPPVAnt) organic semiconductor. We observed a hole mobility of up to 1.28 cm2/V.s and on/off current ratios greater than 107 for OTFTs fabricated using DPPVAnt as an active semiconductor layer. The mobility value is comparable to that of the current best p-type semiconductor pentacene-based device performance. In addition, we found a very interesting relationship between the charge mobility and molecule crystal packing in addition to the thin film orientation and morphology of the semiconductor as determined from single-crystal molecule packing study, thin film X-ray diffraction, and AFM measurements. The high performance of the semiconductor ranks among the best performing p-type organic semiconductors reported so far and will be a very good candidate for applications in organic electronic devices.     

Template synthesized molecularly imprinted polymer nanotube membranes for chemical separations

In this report, we describe the synthesis of a molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP) nanotube membrane, using a porous anodic alumina oxide (AAO) membrane by surface-initiated atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP). The use of a MIP nanotube membrane in chemical separations gives the advantage of high affinity and selectivity. Furthermore, because the molecular imprinting technique can be applied to different kinds of target molecules, ranging from small organic molecules to peptides and proteins, such MIP nanotube membranes will considerably broaden the application of nanotube membranes in chemical separations and sensors. This report also shows that the ATRP route is an efficient procedure for the preparation of molecularly imprinted polymers. Furthermore, the ATRP route works well in its formation of MIP nanotubes within a porous AAO membrane. The controllable nature of ATRP allows the growth of a MIP nanotube with uniform pores and adjustable thickness. Thus, using the same route, it is possible to tailor the synthesis of MIP nanotube membranes with either thicker MIP nanotubes for capacity improvement or thinner nanotubes for efficiency improvement.     

One-dimensional ion-conductive polymer films: alignment and fixation of ionic channels formed by self-organization of polymerizable columnar liquid crystals

We have prepared two types of one-dimensional ion-conductive polymer films containing ion nanochannels that are both perpendicular and parallel to the film surface. These films have been obtained by photopolymerization of aligned columnar liquid crystals of a fan-shaped imidazolium salt having acrylate groups at the periphery. In the columnar structure, the ionic part self-assembles into the inner part of the column. The column is oriented macroscopically in two directions by different methods: orientation perpendicular to the modified surfaces of glass and indium tin oxide with 3-(aminopropyl)triethoxysilane and orientation parallel to a glass surface by mechanical shearing. Ionic conductivities have been measured for the films with columnar orientation vertical and parallel to the surface. Anisotropic ionic conductivities are observed for the oriented films fixed by photopolymerization. The ionic conductivities parallel to the columnar axis are higher than those perpendicular to the columnar axis because the lipophilic part functions as an ion-insulating part. The film with the columns oriented vertically to the surface shows an anisotropy of ionic conductivities higher than that of the film with the columns aligned parallel to the surface.     

Thin films of discotic liquid crystals and their applications

ABSTRACT

Discotic liquid crystals (DLCs) are considered as fascinating systems due to their unique property of self-assembly to yield different columnar structures. DLCs are organic semiconductors and create pathways for the development of numerous optical and electrical devices. The thin films of DLCs can be considered as low dimensional system which can exhibit remarkable optical and physical properties. In this article, we present a review on ultrathin films of some interesting DLC molecules at air–water and air–solid interfaces. The Langmuir monolayer and Langmuir–Blodgett films of DLC molecules are extensively studied. The ultrathin films of DLC molecules can yield highly anisotropic layer wherein the molecular orientation and aggregation can have large impact on the physicochemical properties of the film. Different surface phases with different molecular orientations as function of surface density and temperature can be obtained by forming the Langmuir monolayer of the DLC molecules at the air–water interface. The Langmuir monolayer in a particular phase can be deposited onto the active area of a device layer-by-layer by employing a highly controlled Langmuir–Blodgett technique. Here, we report some interesting results related on molecular orientation of the DLC molecules at different interfaces. Such aggregation of DLC molecules in ultrathin films may find applications in thin film-based electro-optical devices.     

Effect of Film Thickness on the Columnar Packing Structures of Discotic Supramolecules in Thin Films

The effects of film thickness on the columnar packing structure of discotic supramolecules in a thin supported film have been investigated by grazing‐incidence small‐angle X‐ray scattering technique using magnetically aligned cobalt octa(n‐decylthio)porphyrazine (CoS10) films on octadecyltrichlorosilane (OTS)‐functionalized substrates as model systems. Magnetically aligned CoS10 films with a range of film thicknesses (49–845 nm) form uniaxially oriented ‘edge‐on’ columnar superstructures with their columnar directors perpendicular to the applied magnetic field. However, the orientational ordering of the columnar packing in the plane perpendicular to the applied magnetic field is strongly dependent on the film thickness. While being damped by the elasticity of the side chains of CoS10, the strong interfacial interaction at the film‐substrate interface propagates up to 50–100 nm from the substrate, maintaining the orientation of columnar packing in the plane perpendicular to the applied magnetic field. When the distance from the film‐substrate interface becomes larger than about 100 nm, symmetric tilting of columnar layer orientation, which saturates at 11.5°, occurs due to longitudinal edge dislocations induced by accumulated elastic deformation.     

Fabrication of three dimensional interconnected porous carbons from branched anodic aluminum oxide template

In this communication, the morphology of double branched anodic aluminum oxide (AAO) templates from linear down or step down function of anodizing voltage is discussed. The interconnected AAO film is obtained when the thin pore wall at the final branched channels is dissolved by chemical etching. The three-dimensional interconnected porous carbons are fabricated by carbonization of polyimide film which is negative replicated from the layered interconnected AAO template.     

The molecular orientation of para-sexiphenyl on Cu(110) and Cu(110) p(2x1)O.

Controlling the molecular growth of organic semiconductors is an important issue to optimize the performance of organic devices. Conjugated molecules, used as building blocks, have an anisotropic shape and also anisotropic physical properties like charge transport or luminescence. The main challenge is to grow highly crystalline layers with molecules of defined orientation. The higher the crystallinity, the closer these properties reach their full intrinsic potential, while the orientation determines the physical properties of the film. Herein we show that the molecular orientation and growth can be steered by the surface chemistry, which tunes the molecule-substrate interaction. In addition, the oxygen reconstruction of the surface, demonstrates the flexibility of the organic molecules to adopt a given surface corrugation and their unique possibility to release stress by tilting.     

Nanoconfined heliconical structure of twist-bend nematic liquid crystal phase

We produced controlled heliconical structures of a twist-bend nematic (N_TB) liquid-crystal (LC) phase in nanoconfinement in a porous anodic aluminium oxide (AAO) film. The structural parameters of the N_TB phase such as conical angle and helical pitch can be modulated by varying the surface energy of the inner surface of the porous AAO film, done by using different self-assembled monolayers (SAMs). The LC molecules tend to be more freely packed, thus forming a larger conical angle, when placed on the tri-deca-fluoro-1,1,2,2-tetrahydrooctyl-trichlorosilane (FOTS)-treated substrate, which has a relatively low surface energy. In contrast, the molecules form a more tightly packed structure, and thus a smaller conical angle, when placed on the 2-(methoxy(polyethyleneoxy)-propyl)trimethoxysilane (PEG 6/9)-treated substrate, which has higher surface energy. This work improves our collective understanding of self-assembled heliconical structures in the N_TB phase.     

Surface-induced self-assembly of dipeptides onto nanotextured surfaces

There is an increasing interest for the utilization of biomolecules for fabricating novel nanostructures due to their ability for specific molecular recognition, biocompatibility, and ease of availability. Among these molecules, diphenylalanine (Phe-Phe) dipeptide is considered as one of the simplest molecules that can generate a family of self-assembly based nanostructures. The properties of the substrate surface, on which the self-assembly process of these peptides occurs, play a critical role. Herein, we demonstrated the influence of surface texture and functionality on the self-assembly of Phe-Phe dipeptides using smooth silicon surfaces, anodized aluminum oxide (AAO) membranes, and poly(chloro-p-xylylene) (PPX) films having columnar and helical morphologies. We found that helical PPX films, AAO, and silicon surfaces induce similar self-assembly processes and the surface hydrophobicity has a direct influence for the final dipeptide structure whether being in an aggregated tubular form or creating a thin film that covers the substrate surface. Moreover, the dye staining data indicates that the surface charge properties and hence the mechanism of the self-assembly process are different for tubular structures as opposed to the peptidic film. We believe that our results may contribute to the control of surface-induced self-assembly of peptide molecules and this control can potentially allow the fabrication of novel peptide based materials with desired morphologies and unique functionalities for different technological applications.     

Diameter Selection of Carbon Nanotubes in Polymer/SWCNT Nanowire Arrays Fabricated by Template Wetting

Arrays of polymer/SWCNT (single‐wall carbon nanotube) nanowires supported on a residual nanocomposite film are prepared by melt wetting using porous anodic aluminum oxide (AAO) as a template. The aggregation parameter of SWCNTs extracted from the analysis of their Raman radial breathing modes gives the highest value for native SWCNTs, indicating that they tend to organize into bundles giving rise to a high degree of aggregation. However, the lowest value achieved at the interface between the nanocomposite film and the nanoarray is explained considering that the forces acting during infiltration are able to disrupt the SWCNT bundles inducing nanotube dispersion. In addition, scanning the nanoarrays along the nanowires length by Raman microscopy has shown a diameter selection of SWCNTs by the AAO membrane. The results reported in this work reveal that it is possible to fabricate arrays of nanowires with homogeneous SWCNT distribution along tens of microns, optimizing nanotube dispersion.     

用AFM研究阳极氧化铝的不稳定生长

用原子力显微镜(AFM)研究了多孔阳极氧化铝(AAO)模板的不稳定生长. 结果表明:AAO模板的不稳定生长导致了纳米孔道结构有序度的降低.在H₃PO₄溶液中生长的AAO模板孔道结构稳定性较差;而在H₂C₂O₄溶液中生长的AAO模板稳定性依赖于氧化电压和电流密度,在低电压和电流密度下稳定性较好,高电压和电流密度下稳定性较差. 充分利用这种不稳定生长特性,通过控制AAO模板的阳极氧化条件,可得到具有分枝孔道结构的特殊模板,这为利用模板法制备各种Y形或T形纳米线、管提供了新的发展空间.     

氧化铝纳米线的制备及其形成机理

采用二次铝阳极氧化技术, 制备高度有序的铝阳极氧化膜(AAO模板). 经X射线衍射(XRD)分析, 模板为无定形结构. 将模板放入腐蚀液中, 可获得大量无定形结构的氧化铝纳米线. 模板在800 ℃下退火4 h后, 变为γ-Al2O3结构, 采用类似腐蚀液溶解模板, 得到大量γ-Al₂O₃纳米线. 研究了腐蚀液种类、腐蚀时间和模板晶体结构等因素对生成氧化铝纳米线的影响, 并利用扫描电子显微镜(SEM)、透射电子显微镜(TEM)和XRD对纳米线的形貌与结构进行了表征. 结果表明, 在多种腐蚀液中, 均可获得氧化铝纳米线; 随着腐蚀时间的增加, 纳米线的长度增加, 直径变小, 长径比增大; 氧化铝纳米线的晶体结构与所采用模板的晶体结构一致. 此外, 还采用原子力显微镜(AFM)和SEM对AAO膜的表面形貌及其结构特点进行了详细的观测, 并以此为基础讨论了氧化铝纳米线的形成机理, 认为AAO模板本身存在的花状微结构是形成纳米线的内因, 花瓣间的凹陷部位首先被腐蚀断裂, 形成氧化铝纳米线.     

Localizing Binding Sites on Bioconjugated Hydrogen-Bonded Organic Semiconductors at the Nanoscale

Hydrogen-bonded organic semiconductors are extraordinarily stable organic solids forming stable, large crystallites with the ability to preserve favorable electrical properties upon bioconjugation. Lately, tremendous efforts have been made to use these bioconjugated semiconductors as platforms for stable multifunctional bioelectronics devices, yet the detailed characterization of bio-active binding sites (orientation, density, etc.) at the nanoscale has not been achieved yet. The presented work investigates the bioconjugation of epindolidione and quinacridone, two representative semiconductors, with respect to their exposed amine-functionalities. Relying on the biotin-avidin lock-and-key system and applying the atomic force microscopy (AFM) derivative topography and recognition (TREC) imaging, we used activated biotin to flag crystal-faces with exposed amine functional groups. Contrary to previous studies, biotin bonds were found to be stable towards removal by autolysis. The resolution strength and clear recognition capability makes TREC-AFM a valuable tool in the investigation of bio-conjugated, hydrogen-bonded semiconductors.     

High-performance organic field-effect transistors: molecular design, device fabrication, and physical properties

In the past decade, tremendous progress has been made in organic field-effect transistors (OFETs). Their real applications require further development of device performance. OFETs consist of organic semiconductors, dielectric layers, and electrodes. Organic semiconductors play a key role in determining the device characteristics. The properties of the organic semiconductors, such as molecular structure and packing, as well as molecular energy levels, can be properly controlled by molecular design. Therefore, we designed and synthesized a series of organic molecules. The synthesized organic semiconductors exhibit excellent field-effect properties due to strong intermolecular interactions and proper molecular energy levels. Meanwhile, the influence of the device fabrication process, organic semiconductor/dielectric layer interface, and organic layer/electrode contact on the device performance was investigated. A deep understanding of these factors is helpful to improve field-effect properties. Furthermore, single-crystal field-effect transistors are highlighted because the single-crystal-based FETs can provide an accurate conducting mechanism of organic semiconductors and higher device performance as compared with thin film FETs.     

Field Emission From Ordered Nano-array Structures Based on Porous Aluminum Oxide Templates

This thesis reports my research work of fabricating nanostructures by using nanoporous anodic aluminum oxide (AAO) templates and their field emission properties in the past few years. Some important results obtained are as follows: 1. We first proposed a new concept of fabricating field emitters with ordered nanostructures based on porous aluminum oxide templates such as AAO/Al, metal/AAO, PANI/AAO, CNTs/AAO, Si/AAO and did a lot of research in this field.     

A Three-Dimensional Porous Organic Semiconductor Based on Fully sp2-Hybridized Graphitic Polymer

Dimensionality plays an important role in the charge transport properties of organic semiconductors. Although three-dimensional semiconductors, such as Si, are common in inorganic materials, imparting electrical conductivity to covalent three-dimensional organic polymers is challenging. Now, the synthesis of a three-dimensional π-conjugated porous organic polymer (3D p-POP) using catalyst-free Diels–Alder cycloaddition polymerization followed by acid-promoted aromatization is presented. With a surface area of 801 m² g⁻¹, full conjugation throughout the carbon backbone, and an electrical conductivity of 6(2)×10⁻⁴ S cm⁻¹ upon treatment with I₂ vapor, the 3D p-POP is the first member of a new class of permanently porous 3D organic semiconductors.     

Synthesis and characterization of benzo[1,2-b:3,4-b':5,6-b']trithiophene (BTT) oligomers

Two dimers (2 and 3), dendritic tetramer (4), hexamer (5), and decamer (6) of benzo[1,2-b:3,4-b':5,6-b']trithiophene (BTT), a potential π-core unit with C(3h) symmetry, were synthesized, characterized, and evaluated for possible use as organic semiconductors. Single crystal X-ray analyses of the dimers (2 and 3) revealed that they have planar molecular structures with dihedral angles of almost 180° between two BTT units. In accordance with the rigid and planar molecular structure, the unsubstituted dimer (2) is poorly soluble, whereas the octyl-substituted dimer (3) has improved solubility. Although the solubility of the dendritic tetramer (4) is decreased, further extended systems, i.e., the dendritic hexamer (5) and decamer (6), have solubilities better than that of 4. With increasing numbers of BTT units in the molecule, the experimentally determined energy levels of HOMO shift upward slightly and the HOMO-LUMO energy gaps become smaller, but the extent of HOMO destabilization and reduction of the HOMO-LUMO gap are not significant. Taking into account the energy levels of the frontier orbitals, 3-6 could be useful as p-channel organic semiconductors rather than n-channel. In fact, the spin-coated thin film of 3 with edge-on molecular orientation acted as an active channel of field-effect transistors that showed hole mobilities as high as 0.14 cm(2) V(-1) s(-1), indicating that the BTT core is a useful π-conjugated system for application to organic semiconductors, although 4-6 gave FET characteristics rather inferior to those of 3, owing to their amorphous nature in the thin film state.