Effects of additives and post‐treatment on the thermoelectric performance of vapor‐phase polymerized PEDOT films

Vapor‐phase polymerization (VPP) is an important method for the fabrication of high‐quality conducting polymers, especially poly(3,4‐ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT). In this work, the effects of additives and post‐treatment solvents on the thermoelectric (TE) performance of VPP‐PEDOT films were systematically investigated. The use of 1‐butyl‐3‐menthylinidazolium tetrafluoroborate ([BMIm][BF₄], an ionic liquid) was shown to significantly enhance the electrical conductivity of VPP‐PEDOT films compared with other additives. The VPP‐PEDOT film post‐treated with mixed ethylene glycol (EG)/[BMIm][BF₄] solvent displayed the high power factor of 45.3 μW m^?1 K^?2 which is 122% higher than that prepared without any additive or post‐treatment solvent, along with enhanced electrical conductivity and Seebeck coefficient. This work highlighted the superior effect of the [BMIm][BF₄] additive and the EG/[BMIm][BF₄] solvent post‐treatment on the TE performance of the VPP‐PEDOT film. These results should help with developing the VPP method to fabricate high‐performance PEDOT films. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part B: Polym. Phys. 2017 , 55 , 1738–1744     

Aerobic and Electrochemical Oxidative Cross‐Dehydrogenative‐Coupling (CDC) Reaction in an Imidazolium‐Based Ionic Liquid

The ionic liquid 1‐butyl‐3‐methylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate [BMIm][BF₄] has demonstrated high efficiency when applied as a solvent in the oxidative nitro‐Mannich carbon? carbon bond formation. The copper‐catalyzed cross‐dehydrogenative coupling (CDC) between N‐phenyltetrahydroisoquinoline and nitromethane in [BMIm][BF₄] occurred with high yield under the described reaction conditions. Both the ionic liquid and copper catalyst were recycled nine times with almost no lost of activity. The electrochemical behavior of the tertiary amine substrate and β‐nitroamine product was investigated employing [BMIm][BF₄] as electrolyte solvent. The potentiostatic electrolysis in ionic liquid afforded the desired product with a high yield. This result and the cyclic voltammetric investigation provide a better understanding of the reaction mechanism, which involves radical and iminium cation intermediates.     

Synthesis of TiO2 hollow spheres using binary ionic liquids as an electrocatalyst

Titanium dioxide (TiO₂ titania) hollow sphere was simply synthesized using various ionic liquids (ILs). The shape and size of TiO₂ particles were significantly different with the composition of ILs. This is mainly attributed to the interaction between organic solvent and IL at the interface leading to the formation of sphere. Among the binary ILs, [Bmim][BF₄] + [Omim][PF₆], [Bmim][BF₄] + [Omim][PF₆], and [Bmim][PF₆] + [Hmim][PF₆] were useful to prepare TiO₂ nanostructures with high surface area and anatase phase. Especially, [Bmim][BF₄] + [Omim][PF₆] was the most effective IL to synthesize an anatase TiO₂ hollow sphere.

     

Liquid structures of 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate and carbon dioxide mixtures by X-ray diffraction measurements

X-ray diffraction measurements for the ionic liquid 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate, [BMIM][BF₄], mixed with CO₂ were carried out at high pressures using our developed polymer cell. The intermolecular distribution functions obtained for [BMIM][BF₄]–CO₂ mixtures showed that CO₂ molecules are preferentially solvated to the [BF₄]⁻ anion. The similar preferential solvation was previously observed in analogous 1-btuyl-3-methylimidazolium hexafluorophosphate, [BMIM][PF₆], with a different anion, which is in harmony with the present results in [BMIM][BF₄]–CO₂.     

Effects of organic solvents and ionic liquids on the aminolysis of (RS)-methyl mandelate catalyzed by lipases

The enzymatic resolution of (RS)-methyl mandelate with n-butylamine using lipases in organic solvents (n-hexane, tert-butanol, and chloroform) and ionic liquids [BMIm][BF₄] and [BMIm][PF₆] is reported. The amide configuration is dependent on the organic solvent. When using mixtures of chloroform or tert-butanol/ionic liquids (10:1 v/v) with CAL-B as the catalyst, the amides were obtained in high enantiomeric excess (ee_p >99% and E >200).     

Supramolecular Ionic‐Liquid Gels with High Ionic Conductivity

Supramolecular ionogels were prepared by the gelation of room‐temperature ionic liquid 1‐butyl‐3‐methylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate ([BMIm][BF₄]) with (S,S)‐bis(leucinol)oxalamide. Remarkably, the ionic conductivity of solutions and ionogels with low gelator concentrations is higher than that of neat [BMIm][BF₄]. On the basis of molecular dynamics simulations and quantum mechanical calculations, the origin of this phenomenon is attributed to the higher affinity of gelator molecules towards [BF₄]^? ions, which reduces the electrostatic attraction between [BMIm]⁺ and [BF₄]^? and thus increases their mobility. With increasing gelator concentration, the ionic conductivity decreases due to the formation of a denser gelator matrix, which hinders the pathways for ionic transport. However, even for very dense ionogels, this decrease is less than one order of magnitude relative to neat [BMIm][BF₄], and thus they can be classified as highly conductive materials with strong potential for application as functional electrolytes.     

Solubility of CO2 in imidazolium-based tetrafluoroborate ionic liquids

The solubility of CO₂ in imidazolium ionic liquids (ILs), 1-butyl-3-methyl imidazolium tetrafluoroborate ([bmim][BF₄]), 1-hexyl-3-methyl imidazolium tetrafluoroborate ([hmim][BF₄]) and 1-octyl-3-methyl imidazolium tetrtafluoroborate ([omim][BF₄]) was determined at 305-25 K and pressures from 1 to 9 MPa. The influence of chain length of alkyl substituents on the imidazolium cation on the solubility of CO₂ was investigated. The differences in solubility with chain length are in the sequence [omim][BF₄] > [hmim][BF₄] > [bmim][BF₄]. The solubility data were correlated by the extended Henry's law, and enthalpy, Gibbs free energy and entropy changes were obtained.     

Effects of temperature and anion species on CO2 permeability and CO2/N2 separation coefficient through ionic liquid membranes

The permeability of carbon dioxide (CO₂) through imidazolium-based ionic liquid membranes was measured by a sweep gas method. Six species of ionic liquids were studied in this work as follows: [emim][BF₄], [bmim][BF₄], [bmim][PF₆], [bmim][Tf₂N], [bmim][OTf], and [bmim][dca]. The ionic liquids were supported with a polyvinylidene fluoride porous membrane. The measurements were performed at T = (303.15 to 343.15) K. The partial pressure difference between feed and permeate sides was 0.121 MPa. The permeability of the CO₂ increases with temperature for the all ionic liquid species. Base on solution diffusion theory, it can be explained that the diffusion coefficient of CO₂ in an ionic liquid affects the temperature dependence more strongly than the solubility coefficient. The greatest permeability was obtained with the [bmim][Tf₂N] membrane. The membrane of [bmim][PF₆] presents the lowest permeability.The separation coefficient between CO₂ and N₂ through the ionic liquid membranes was also investigated at the volume fraction of CO₂ at feed side 0.10. The separation coefficient decreases with the increase of temperature for the all ionic liquid species. The membrane of [emim][BF₄] and [bmim][BF₄] gives the highest separation coefficient at constant temperature. The lowest separation coefficient was obtained from [bmim][Tf₂N] membrane which presents the highest permeability of CO₂.     

Reverse ATRP process of acrylonitrile in the presence of ionic liquids

An ionic liquid, 1‐butyl‐3‐methylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate ([C₄mim] [BF₄]), was first used as the solvent in azobisisobutyronitrile (AIBN)‐initiated reverse atom transfer radical polymerization (RATRP) of acrylonitrile with FeCl₃/succinic acid (SA) as the catalyst system. The polymerization in [C₄mim][BF₄] proceeded in a well‐controlled manner as evidenced by kinetic studies. Compared with the polymerization in bulk, the polymerization in [C₄mim][BF₄] not only showed the best control of molecular weight and its distribution but also provided rather rapid reaction rate with the ratio of [C₄mim][BF₄] at 200:1:2:4. The polymerization apparent activation energies in [C₄mim][BF₄] and bulk were calculated to be 48.2 and 55.7 kJ mol^?1, respectively. Polyacrylonitrile obtained was successfully used as a macroinitiator to proceed the chain extension polymerization in [C₄mim][BF₄] via a conventional ATRP process. [C₄mim][BF₄] and the catalyst system could be easily recycled and reused after simple purification and had no effect on the living nature of polymerization. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 46: 2701–2707, 2008     

Homogeneous liquid crystal orientation on ion beam exposure TiO2 surfaces depending on an anisotropic dipole field

We studied homogeneous liquid crystal (LC) alignment properties on ion-beam (IB) irradiated TiO₂ films deposited by the electron beam evaporation method. Stable homogeneous LC alignment on a TiO₂ surface resulted from IB irradiation energy over 1800 eV. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analyses showed that Ti⁴⁺ 2p_3/2 and Ti⁴⁺ 2p_1/2 peaks were increased with increasing IB energy. Assuming that the increased peaks produced anisotropy dipole fields in the direction of the IB exposure process, we confirmed that the increasing IB energy induced strengthened the surface energy for entirely clear and stable LC molecule orientation. The voltage-transmittance characteristics of the twisted-nematic cell on the TiO₂ surface indicate that the TiO₂ film has potential for use as the LC alignment layer.     

Ionic Liquid Ordering at an Oxide Surface

The interaction of the ionic liquid [C₄C₁Im][BF₄] with anatase TiO₂, a model photoanode material, has been studied using a combination of synchrotron radiation photoelectron spectroscopy and near‐edge X‐ray absorption fine structure spectroscopy. The system is of interest as a model for fundamental electrolyte–electrode and dye‐sensitized solar cells. The initial interaction involves degradation of the [BF₄]^? anion, resulting in incorporation of F into O vacancies in the anatase surface. At low coverages, [C₄C₁Im][BF₄] is found to order at the anatase(101) surface via electrostatic attraction, with the imidazolium ring oriented 32±4° from the anatase TiO₂ surface. As the coverage of ionic liquid increases, the influence of the oxide surface on the topmost layers is reduced and the ordering is lost.     

Morphology,Structure, and Dynamics of Pentacene Thin Films and Their Nanocomposites with [C2C1im][NTf2] and [C2C1im][OTF] Ionic Liquids

In this study, a homogeneous thin film growth of pentacene onto indium tin oxide (ITO) coated glass surfaces is explored using a high-resolution and reproducible vapor deposition methodology. Moreover, vacuum thermal evaporation of ionic liquids (ILs) ([C₂C₁im][NTf₂] and [C₂C₁im][OTF]) onto ITO, gold/palladium (AuPd) and pentacene surfaces were performed. A greater wettability behavior of ILs is observed for surfaces containing AuPd. Sequential and simultaneous depositions of ILs and pentacene were explored. Simultaneous depositions lead to the formation of nanocomposites films, consisting of IL micro- and nanodroplets covered by pentacene layers. Plasma surface treatment was used to induce the ILs droplets coalescence and explore the dynamics and phase separation of the nanocomposites. The [C₂C₁im][OTF] droplets were found to be completely covered with pentacene, which suggests a great affinity between cation-anion pairs and the aromatic moiety. Pentacene films and their nanocomposites with ILs exhibit a typical optical band gap of E_gap=1.77 eV, indicating that the nanocomposite phase domains are large enough to behavior as the bulk.     

Tunning CO2 Separation Performance of Ionic Liquids through Asymmetric Anions

This work aims to explore the gas permeation performance of two newly-designed ionic liquids, [C₂mim][CF₃BF₃] and [C₂mim][CF₃SO₂C(CN)₂], in supported ionic liquid membranes (SILM) configuration, as another effort to provide an overall insight on the gas permeation performance of functionalized-ionic liquids with the [C₂mim]⁺ cation. [C₂mim][CF₃BF₃] and [C₂mim][CF₃SO₂C(CN)₂] single gas separation performance towards CO₂, N₂, and CH₄ at T = 293 K and T = 308 K were measured using the time-lag method. Assessing the CO₂ permeation results, [C₂mim][CF₃BF₃] showed an undermined value of 710 Barrer at 293.15 K and 1 bar of feed pressure when compared to [C₂mim][BF₄], whereas for the [C₂mim][CF₃SO₂C(CN)₂] IL an unexpected CO₂ permeability of 1095 Barrer was attained at the same experimental conditions, overcoming the results for the remaining ILs used for comparison. The prepared membranes exhibited diverse permselectivities, varying from 16.9 to 22.2 for CO₂/CH₄ and 37.0 to 44.4 for CO₂/N₂ gas pairs. The thermophysical properties of the [C₂mim][CF₃BF₃] and [C₂mim][CF₃SO₂C(CN)₂] ILs were also determined in the range of T = 293.15 K up to T = 353.15 K at atmospheric pressure and compared with those for other ILs with the same cation and anion’s with similar chemical moieties.     

Direct electrochemistry and electrocatalysis of myoglobin immobilized in hyaluronic acid and room temperature ionic liquids composite film

A novel biocomposite film based on hyaluronic acid (HA) and hydrophilic room temperature ionic liquid 1-ethyl-3-methyl-imidazolium tetrafluoroborate ([EMIM][BF₄]) was explored. Here, HA was used as a binder to form [EMIM][BF₄]-HA composite film and help [EMIM][BF₄] to attaching on glass carbon electrode (GCE) surface, while doping [EMIM][BF₄] in HA can effectively reduce the electron transfer resistance of HA. The composite film can be readily used as an immobilization matrix to entrap myoglobin (Mb). A pair of well-defined and quasi-reversible redox peaks of Mb was obtained at the Mb-[EMIM][BF₄]-HA composite film modified GCE (Mb-[EMIM][BF₄]-HA/GCE) through direct electron transfer between Mb and the underlying electrode. The Mb-[EMIM][BF₄]-HA/GCE showed an excellent electrocatalytic activity toward the reduction of H₂O₂. Based on the [EMIM][BF₄]-HA biocomposite film, a third-generation reagentless biosensor could be constructed for the determination of H₂O₂.     

The “one-pot” synthesis of 2,5-diformylfuran,a promising synthon for organic materials in the conversion of biomass

The organic ionic oxidant 4-acetamido-2,2,6,6-tetramethyl-1-oxopiperidinium tetrafluoroborate, [Pip*(O)][BF₄], was found to be compatible with both classical organic solvents and the ionic liquids [BMIm][Cl]/[BMIm][BF₄] (BMIm is 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium), which are essential in the conversion of cellulose biomass. A unique NMR monitoring procedure developed in our group was used to study the conversion of fructose to 2,5-diformylfuran in ionic liquids. This process can successfully be carried out in a “one-pot” fashion; [Pip*(O)][BF₄] efficiently oxidizes intermediate 5-hydroxymethylfurfural. The reaction is highly selective, giving 2,5-diformylfuran in 95% yield.     

Spontaneous Formation of Nano-Emulsions Containing Task-Special Ionic Liquid and CO2 Capture in this Nano-Emulsions System

Nano-emulsions containing task-special ionic liquid ([NH₂ebim][PF₆]) were prepared by spontaneous emulsification. The stability of nano-emulsions was investigated by analysis of droplet size. The microstructure of the mixed solvent including the Triton X-100, n-butanol, and [NH₂ebim][PF₆] was demonstrated based on macular dynamic simulation. The results indicate that nano-emulsions are relatively stable to the droplet growth at static storage, but unstable under high centrifugal force. Simulation results from the macular dynamic calculation show that [NH₂ebim][PF₆] locates in the hydrophobic layer of Triton X-100 and n-butanol, which is available for enhancing CO₂ mass transfer in an absorption process. Nano-emulsions were used as the absorbent to absorb CO₂ in absorption experiments, and the absorption rates were investigated. The results show that nano-emulsion containing [NH₂ebim][PF₆] can enhance CO₂ absorption rate compared to the system that pure water was used as the absorbent. The reason is attributed to the reversible chemical reaction between [NH₂ebim][PF₆] and CO₂ on the interface of oil and water, which decreases the concentration of CO₂ in the bulk so as to increase the mass transfer driving force between gas and liquid. Therefore, the chemical reaction on the interface of oil and water promotes the absorption process.     

Preparation of the glucose sensor based on three-dimensional ordered macroporous gold film and room temperature ionic liquid

A novel type of glucose sensor was fabricated based on a glucose oxidase (GOD)-N,N-dimethtylformamide (DMF)-[BMIm][BF₄] composites modified three-dimensional ordered macroporous (3DOM) gold film electrode. The immobilized GOD exhibits a pair of well-defined reversible peaks in 50 mM pH 7.0 phosphate buffer solutions (PBS), which could be attributed to the redox of flavin adenine dinucleotide (FAD) in GOD. The research results show that ionic liquid ([BMIm][BF₄]), DMF and 3DOM gold film are crucial for GOD to exhibit a pair of stable and reversible peaks. It is believed that the large active area of 3DOM gold film can increase the amount of immobilized GOD. Simultaneously, the application of IL enhances the stability of GOD and facilitates the electron transfer between GOD and the electrode. The synergetic effect of DMF can help the GOD to maintain its bioactivity better. GOD immobilized on the electrode exhibits the favorable electrocatalytic property to glucose, and the prepared sensor has a linear range from 10 to 125 nM with a detection limit of 3.3 nM at a signal-to-noise ratio of 3σ. The apparent K _m (Michaelis- Menten constant) for the enzymatic reaction is 0.018 mM.     

Synthesis, properties and crystal structures of ferrocene derivatives containing pyrazinium and quinoxalinium units

The pyrazinium salt [FcCH₂pyz][BF₄] (1) and the quinoxalinium salt [FcCH₂quin][BF₄] (2) were prepared by the reaction of [FcCH₂][BF₄] with pyrazine and quinoxaline, respectively and characterised by spectroscopic methods, cyclic voltammetry and by single-crystal X-ray diffraction, which revealed the absence of any π-π-stacking motifs in the crystal structures.     

Synthesis and Characterization of Spindle-Like TiO<Subscript>2</Subscript> Nanostructures and Photocatalytic Activity on Methyl Orange and Methyl Blue Dyes Under Sunlight Radiation

Spindle-like TiO₂ nanostructures was prepared by a simple one pot solvothermal method followed by calcination at 400 °C for 3 h. The sample was characterized using various techniques such as X-ray diffractometer, transmission electron microscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and UV–Vis absorption spectroscopy. The crystal structure of TiO₂ nanostructure was measured by X-ray diffractometer. According to the XRD result, the peaks in the sample can be indexed to anatase phase of TiO₂. The morphological characterization of TiO₂ sample was examined by transmission electron microscopy. The synthesized sample consisted of spindle-like shape with size in the range of 50–70 nm. The band gap value of Spindle-like TiO₂ nanostructures is 2.92 eV, which is lower than that of bulk TiO₂ of 3.2 eV. The FTIR bands observed at 493, 443 and 428 cm^?1 confirms the presence of TiO₂. The Spindle-like TiO₂ nanostructures showed photodegradation ability for methyl orange and methyl blue dye. The reuse evaluation of the Spindle-like TiO₂ nanostructures showed that their photocatalytic activity had good durability.     

Electrocatalytic and Solar‐Driven CO2 Reduction to CO with a Molecular Manganese Catalyst Immobilized on Mesoporous TiO2

Electrocatalytic CO₂ reduction to CO was achieved with a novel Mn complex, fac‐[MnBr(4,4′‐bis(phosphonic acid)‐2,2′‐bipyridine)(CO)₃] ( MnP ), immobilized on a mesoporous TiO₂ electrode. A benchmark turnover number of 112±17 was attained with these TiO₂| MnP electrodes after 2 h electrolysis. Post‐catalysis IR spectroscopy demonstrated that the molecular structure of the MnP catalyst was retained. UV/vis spectroscopy confirmed that an active Mn–Mn dimer was formed during catalysis on the TiO₂ electrode, showing the dynamic formation of a catalytically active dimer on an electrode surface. Finally, we combined the light‐protected TiO₂| MnP cathode with a CdS‐sensitized photoanode to enable solar‐light‐driven CO₂ reduction with the light‐sensitive MnP catalyst.