Synthesis of a thermally stable hybrid acene-thiophene organic semiconductor via a soluble precursor

An acene fused-thiophene hybrid p-semiconductor exhibiting high thermal stability has been synthesized via a soluble precursor bearing sterically interacting trimethylsilyl groups. [structure: see text]     

Design and synthesis of a thermally stable second‐order nonlinear optical chromophore and its poled polymers

A multiple charge‐transfer second‐order nonlinear optical (NLO) chromophore 2,3‐bis(4‐aminophenyl)‐5,6‐dicyanopyrazine (BAPDCP) was successfully designed and synthesized. It was characterized by ¹H NMR, mass spectrometry, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and elemental analysis. The first hyperpolarizability β of BAPDCP was measured with the Hyper–Rayleigh scattering technique, which was 123.5 × 10^?30 esu. The donor‐embedded prepolyimide and prepolyurea were also synthesized by a polyaddition reaction. Thermogravimetric analysis and differential scanning calorimetry demonstrated that either the chromophore or the polymers have fine thermal stability. The thin films of prepolymers were prepared by coating on ITO glass substrate and poled by corona poling at elevating temperature. The second‐order NLO coefficients d₃₃ of the films were measured by in situ second‐harmonic generation measurements. The d₃₃ were deduced as 27.7 and 16.5 pm/V for polyurea and polyimide at 1064 nm fundamental wavelength, respectively. The onset depoling temperature of the polyimide and polyurea were both as high as 200 °C. To understand the temperature effect to the orientation thermal stability of polyimide, two films were treated at different final poling temperatures. The depoling experimental results showed that the orientation stability is higher, as raising the final treated temperature but the d₃₃ value are almost similar. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 41: 2846–2853, 2003     

Facile synthesis and properties of a new generation of soluble and thermally stable polyimides

A new diamine, 1,4-phenylene bis((E)-1-(4-chloro-3-aminobenzylidene) thiourea) (PCABT), containing phenylthiourea and azomethine groups was prepared from the reduction of dinitro compound, 1,4-phenylene bis((E)-1-(4-chloro-3-nitrobenzylidene)thiourea), PCNBT. The structures of resulting monomers were characterized by elemental analysis, FTIR, ¹H and ¹³C NMR techniques. Afterwards, this diamine was reacted with various aromatic dianhydrides (ODPA, BTDA and 6FDA) in glacial acetic acid to afford poly(phenylthiourea azomethine imide)s (PPTAIs) with η_inh of 1.59-1.66 dL/g, depending on the dianhydride used. The ensuing PPTAIs exhibited ample solubility in organic solvents (DMAc, DMF, DMSO and NMP) and were obtained in quantitative yields. Also, all polyimides were amorphous according to wide-angle X-ray determination. GPC measurements of polymers revealed M_w around 69,000-72,000. Moreover, thermogravimetric analyses indicated that PPTAIs were fairly stable up to 550 °C, and 10% weight loss temperatures were recorded in the range of 563-578 °C (N₂ atmosphere). Ultimately, these polyimides own high glass transition temperatures about 281-285 °C.     

Design and fabrication of thermally stable nanoparticles for well-defined nanocomposites

The nanocomposites consisted of polymer and nanoparticles (NPs) have been regarded as one of core materials in the nanotechnology. From the practical viewpoint, the heat treatment is often required in many nanocomposite fabrication processes. However, some NPs such as gold NPs exhibit the low thermal stability due to the dissociation of ligands from the nanoparticle surface at elevated temperature, limiting their use in many applications. Herein, we provide an overview of the recent efforts in strategies for the design and fabrication of inorganic NPs which have enhanced thermal stability. The recent investigation on the phase behavior of thermally stable NPs within the polymer matrices (polymer blends and block copolymer), morphologies of nanocomposites induced by NPs, and examples of their applications are also discussed. These approaches may provide useful strategy to employ the NPs for the fabrication of nanocomposites in diverse applications especially where heat treatment are required. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys, 2013     

Design and synthesis of thermally stable single atom catalysts for thermochemical CO2 reduction

The continuous and excessive emission of CO₂ into the atmosphere presents a pressing challenge for global sustainable development.In response,researchers have been devoting significant efforts to develop methods for converting CO₂ into valuable chemicals and fuels.These conversions have the potential to establish a closed artificial carbon cycle and provide an alternative resource to depleting fossil fuels.Among the various conversion routes,thermochemical CO₂ re...     

Simple synthesis of tetra-n-butylphosphonium benzimidazolate/benzimidazole mixture as a thermally stable proton conductor

A mixture of tetra-n-butylphosphonium benzimidazolate and benzimidazole is readily prepared as a proton conductive liquid having thermal stability up to 300 °C.     

Theoretical study of a novel organic electride with large nonlinear optical responses

The design of stable organic electrides with high nonlinear optical (NLO) properties is a challenge in organic and materials chemistry. Here we theoretically design of a novel organic molecular electride model, Li⁺(C₂₀H₁₅Li₅)e⁻, by modifying the lithiation and Li-doping based on dodecahedrane (C₂₀H₂₀). Its electride characteristic is verified by the quantum theory of atoms in molecules and electron localization function analyses. For the first time, the strategy of steric protection is applied to improve the stability of the organic electride Li⁺@(C₂₀H₁₅Li₅)e⁻, in which the closed C₂₀ cage serves not only as the ligand with a negative inner electric field to stabilize the Li cation but also as a barrier to prevent the Li cation from escaping. Meanwhile, the released excess electron is firmly captured in the cavity of Li₅. Moreover, Li⁺(C₂₀H₁₅Li₅)e⁻ displays a remarkably large first hyperpolarizability of 1.4 × 10⁴ au with potential application in organic second-order NLO materials.     

New thermally stable aggregation-induced emission enhancement compounds for non-doped red organic light-emitting diodes

New thermally stable aggregation-induced emission enhancement compounds were synthesized. A non-doped red device showed a maximum brightness of 13,535 cd m(-2), a maximum current efficiency of 6.81 cd A(-1), a maximum power efficiency of 4.96 lm W(-1) and a low turn-on voltage of 4.3 V.     

New thermally stable polymer with a graphite-type structure

A new thermally stable polymer with a structure resembling that of graphite has been synthesized by the condensation of 1,4,5,8-tetraaminoanthraquinone and 1,3,6,8-tetraketo-1,2,3,6,7,8-hexahydropyrene (naphthalene-1,8,4,5-diindandione). Prepolymers, with an open structure, were soluble to some extent in concentrated sulfuric acid but were more completely solubilized by methanesulfonic acid. The final polymer with a closed-ring structure, which was obtained by heating the prepolymer having an inherent viscosity of 0.4, was completely insoluble in these acids. Elemental analysis indicated that a high degree of cyclization was achieved, and the final polymer showed good thermal stability. Prepolymers with inherent viscosities in the range 0.11–1.58 have been obtained but, usually, a high viscosity was accompanied by a low acid solubility. Prepolymers with an inherent viscosity of 0.4, which were very soluble (>90%) in strong acids, were solubilized to a high degree by reduction with sodium dithionite in alkaline, aqueous dimethylacetamide. The highest molecular weight prepolymer (inherent viscosity of 1.30–1.58) was solubilized to a greater extent in this base mixture than in methanesulfonic acid. However, it was not completely soluble, under the conditions employed. The propolymers of higher molecular weight showed some fiber- and film-forming properties.     

Simple and efficient fabrication of room temperature stable electride: melt-solidification and glass ceramics

Electrides are ionic compounds in which electrons act as anions. These compounds are expected to have interesting properties arising from their exotic structure. The fatal drawbacks of the thermal and chemical instability of organic electrides were resolved by the synthesis of a room temperature (RT) stable electride using single crystalline 12CaO.7Al2O3 (C12A7) with a nanoporous structure and the chemical treatments for a long duration. However, an innovative fabrication method is obviously required for practical applications such as cold electron-emitter and thermionic devices. Herein we report a simple synthesis for polycrystalline C12A7 electrides with a moderate electronic conductivity via a strongly reducing C12A7 "melt", i.e., direct solidification of the melt or crystallization of the transparent glass. Generation of carrier electrons and precipitation of the C12A7 phase from the strongly reducing melt and glass are likely associated with the incorporation of carbon-related anions for stabilizing the C12A7 phase and keeping the mobile electrons in C12A7. These findings will be broadly utilized for applications by mass production in a desired shape and dimension, facilitating the research of electrides.     

Adsorption properties of thermally stable and biologically active polyurea: its synthesis and spectral aspects

Novel polymer metal complexes were prepared by the condensation polymerization of a polymeric ligand with transition metal ions of Mn(II), Co(II), Ni(II), Cu(II) and Zn(II). The polymeric ligand was prepared by the addition polymerization of urea with toluene 2,4‐diisocyanate in 1:1 molar ratio. The polymeric ligand and its polymer metal complexes were characterized by elemental analysis, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, ¹³C‐NMR, and¹H‐NMR (nuclear magnetic resonance). The geometry was determined by electronic spectra and magnetic moment measurement. Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) was utilized to find out the degradation process of the polyurea ligand and the polymer metal complexes. The TGA data revealed that all the metal‐containing polyureas are much more thermally stable than the corresponding polyurea ligand. The surface morphology of the polyurea ligand and cobalt(II)‐containing polyureas was determined by scanning electron micrographs. The antibacterial and antifungal activities of all the synthesized polymers were investigated against Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, and Bacillus subtilis (bacteria) and Aspergillus niger, Candida albicans, and Aspergillus flavus (fungi). These compounds show remarkably good biocidal activities, which were enhanced after complexation with the metal. Batch adsorption studies of the ligand were carried out for malachite green dye, and the polyurea ligand was found to be a good adsorbent for this dye. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Design,synthesis, and characterization of a partially chlorinated acrylic copolymer for low‐loss and thermally stable graded index plastic optical fibers

As a novel material of low loss and high thermal stability, a graded index plastic optical fiber (GI POF) comprised of a copolymer of methyl α‐chloro acrylate (MCA) and 2,2,2‐trichloroethyl methacrylate (TCEMA) was prepared and the thermal, mechanical, and optical characteristics were investigated. Although each homopolymer had low loss and desirable high thermal stability, they had crucial disadvantages for the fiber fabrication process. To draw a MCA polymer (PMCA) fiber, it has to be heated above 270 °C. However, the polymer started to decompose at a lower temperature and produced numerous bubbles. In contrast, TCEMA polymer (PTCEMA) is too brittle to roll up during heat drawing. In this study, we succeeded to improve the strong viscoelasticity and the low decomposition temperature of PMCA and the brittleness of PTCEMA by copolymerizing MCA and TCEMA. In addition, the glass transition temperatures (T_g) of the copolymers were in the range of 133–147 °C and the transmittances of the copolymers were much higher than that of PMMA which has been commonly used as a base material of POF. A suitable GI POF was obtained using the MCA and TCEMA copolymer. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 47: 3352–3361, 2009     

Controllable and repeatable synthesis of thermally stable anatase nanocrystal-silica composites with highly ordered hexagonal mesostructures

In this article, we report a controllable and reproducible approach to prepare highly ordered 2-D hexagonal mesoporous crystalline TiO2-SiO2 nanocomposites with variable Ti/Si ratios (0 to infinity). XRD, TEM, and N2 sorption techniques have been used to systematically investigate the pore wall structure, and thermal stability functioned with the synthetic conditions. The resultant materials are ultra highly stable (over 900 degrees C), have large uniform pore diameters (approximately 6.8 nm), and have high Brunauer-Emmett-Teller specific surface areas (approximately 290 m2/g). These mesostructured TiO2-SiO2 composites were obtained using titanium isopropoxide (TIPO) and tetraethyl orthosilicate (TEOS) as precursors and triblock copolymer P123 as a template based on the solvent evaporation-induced co-self-assembly process under a large amount of HCl. Our strategy was the synchronous assembly of titanate and silicate oligomers with triblock copolymer P123 by finely tuning the relative humidity of the surrounding atmosphere and evaporation temperature according to the Ti/Si ratio. We added a large amount of acidity to lower condensation and polymerization rates of TIPO and accelerate the rates for TEOS molecules. TEM and XRD measurements clearly show that the titania is made of highly crystalline anatase nanoparticles, which are uniformly embedded in the pore walls to form the "bricked-mortar" frameworks. The amorphous silica acts as a glue linking the TiO2 nanocrystals and improves the thermal stability. As the silica contents increase, the thermal stability of the resulting mesoporous TiO2-SiO2 nanocomposites increases and the size of anatase nanocrystals decreases. Our results show that the unique composite frameworks make the mesostructures overwhelmingly stable; even with high Ti/Si ratios (> or =80/20) the stability of the composites is higher than 900 degrees C. The mesoporous TiO2-SiO2 nanocomposites exhibit excellent photocatalytic activities (which are higher than that for commercial catalyst P25) for the degradation of rhodamine B in aqueous suspension. The excellent photocatalytic activities are ascribed to the bifunctional effect of highly crystallized anatase nanoparticles and high porosity.     

Theory of stabilizing thermally stable polymers

It has been discovered that chemical compounds generated in some polymeric samples or articles and possessing high activity in the reactions with oxygen and free radicals as well as yielding inert products in the above reactions may stabilize the polymeric materials by inhibiting oxidative (and even thermal) degradation. The phenomenon described has both theoretical and experimental evidence.     

Recoverable and thermally stable superhydrophobic silica coating

A facile route to methyltrimethoxysilane (MTMS) based recoverable superhydrophobic silica coatings with dual-scale roughness obtained through the single step base catalyst sol–gel process. Superhydrophobic silica coatings have shown static water contact angle near about 170 ± 1° and dynamic water contact angle up to 2 ± 1°. Superhydrophobic-superhydrophilic switching feature also achieved by alternating heat treatment and bath surface modification with Trimethylchlorosilane (TMCS) at room temperature (26 °C). Furthermore, the superhydrophobic state could be transformed into superhydrophilic state by slow rate heat treatment. These studies present a very simple strategy for the fabrication of recoverable superhydrophobic surfaces.     

Novel thermally stable polyimides based on flexible diamine: synthesis, characterization, and properties

A novel diamine with built-in sulfone, ether, and amide structure was prepared via three-step reactions. Nucleophilic reaction of 4-aminophenol with 4-nitrobenzoyl chloride in the presence of propylene oxide led to preparation of N-(4-hydroxy phenyl)-4-nitrobenzamide (HPNB). The nitro group of this compound was reduced with hydrazine and Pd/C to afford 4-amino-N-(4-hydroxy phenyl)benzamide (AHPB). Two moles of AHPB were reacted with bis-(4-chloro phenyl)sulfone to provide a novel sulfone ether amide diamine (SEAD). All the prepared compounds were characterized by common spectroscopic methods. The prepared diamine (SEAD) used to prepare related polyimides by reaction with different aromatic dianhydrides. The obtained poly(sulfone ether amide imide)s were characterized and their properties were studied.     

Synthesis and characterization of thermally stable sulfonated polybenzimidazoles

A series of sulfonated polybenzimidazoles (sPBI-IS) with controlled sulfonation degrees (SDs) were synthesized from various stoichiometric ratio mixtures of 5-sulfoisophthalic acid monosodium salt (SIPN), 4,4′-sulfonyldibenzoic acid and 3,3′-diaminobenzidine by solution copolycondensation in poly(phosphoric acid). The resulting sulfonated polymers were characterized by means of FTIR, ¹H NMR and GPC, in addition to TGA and DMA. The number-average molecular weights (M_n) of the sPBI-IS are in the range of 45,500-64,000, and the polydispersity indices (M_w/M_n) vary from 1.9 to 2.4. The synthesized sPBI-IS samples present good solubilities in polar aprotic solvents and they are easy to form the transparent, flexible and tough films by solution casting. These polymer membranes show excellent thermal stabilities and dynamic mechanical properties. The thermal stability of the sodium form sPBI-IS remarkably increases with increasing SD. However, the acidic form sPBI-IS presents less thermal stability than the non-sulfonated sample (sPBI-IS0). The onset decomposition temperature (T_d) and the glass-transition temperature (T_g) of the acidic form sPBI-IS70 are 439 °C and 196 °C, respectively. The sulfonated membranes show higher storage moduli and loss moduli than sPBI-IS0. The resulting sPBI-IS membranes with high hygroscopicity show potential application as the high temperature proton exchange membrane in fuel cell.