Self-assembly and electrochromic property of electroactive tetraaniline-b-PEG diblock copolymer

A kind of amphiphilic rod-coil diblock copolymer consisting both of tetraaniline(TAni)and polyethylene glycol(PEG)blocks,TAni-b-PEG,was synthesized.The diblock copolymer shows excellent electrochromic properties,especially,in switching time and coloration efficiency compared with tetraaniline.TAni-b-PEG is able to self-assemble into spherical structure,which is attributed to the formation of conducting channels and increase of ion-exchange capacity of TAni-b-PEG,implying that a block copolymer with electrochromic block and high ionic conductive block simultaneously possesses improving electrochromic properties.     

改进的假高稀技术合成聚苯胺三聚体和四聚体及其紫外光谱的研究

提出了一条合成还原态的苯基封端聚苯胺齐聚物的新方法:即苯胺二聚体的Schiff碱或苯胺三聚体的Schiff碱在酸性溶液中缓慢水解,形成聚苯胺二聚体和三聚体的盐酸盐,这些盐酸盐与二苯胺或N-苯基-对苯二胺反应,经苯肼还原,生成还原态的苯基封端的聚苯胺三聚体和四聚体.用红外、核磁、元素分析和基底辅助激光解吸质谱对其进行了表征,并用紫外光谱对还原态的三聚体和四聚体的化学氧化过程进行了跟踪研究.     

侧基为苯胺四聚体的聚丙烯酰胺的合成和表征

以异溴丁酸羟乙酯为引发剂、溴化亚铜和2,2′-联吡啶为催化剂和配体,引发丙烯酸琥珀酰胺酯(NAS)进行原子转移自由基聚合,得到的聚丙烯酸琥珀酰胺酯(PNAS)的分子量可以通过配比和转化率预测.进一步与单端氨基苯胺四聚体(TA)在50℃下反应,得到的聚合物用1H-NMR和FT-IR的测试,结果表明,当TA/NAS的摩尔比为3∶1时,PNAS上的琥珀酰胺酯可以完全被取代,从而得到侧链为苯胺四聚体的导电高分子.聚合物的结构和分子量以及分布用核磁共振氢谱、FT-IR和GPC进行表征;电化学性质用循环伏安法进行了测试.     

苯封端还原态苯胺四聚体结晶形态的研究

研究了用溶液滴膜、甘油表面成膜以及溶液旋涂成膜等方法制备的苯封端还原态苯胺四聚体的结晶形态.晶体的晶片厚度、晶体尺寸及结晶完善性均随溶液等温结晶温度的升高而增大.齐聚物在较低过冷度下易于形成尺寸较大的晶体.详细讨论了溶剂及基底与结晶形态的关系.     

Self-assembly and electrochromic property of electroactive tetraaniline-<Emphasis Type="Italic">b</Emphasis>-PEG diblock copolymer

A kind of amphiphilic rod-coil diblock copolymer consisting both of tetraaniline (TAni) and polyethylene glycol (PEG) blocks, TAni-b-PEG, was synthesized. The diblock copolymer shows excellent electrochromic properties, especially, in switching time and coloration efficiency compared with tetraaniline. TAni-b-PEG is able to self-assemble into spherical structure, which is attributed to the formation of conducting channels and increase of ion-exchange capacity of TAni-b-PEG, implying that a block copolymer with electrochromic block and high ionic conductive block simultaneously possesses improving electrochromic properties.     

A facile design for multifunctional AIEgen based on tetraaniline derivatives

Aniline oligomers have been widely used in many fields due to their excellent physicochemical properties. Owing to strong intermolecular interactions, their emission is always weakened or quenched when they are in high concentration or aggregated state, which greatly limits their fluorescent applications. Inspired by the concept of aggregation-induced emission(AIE), herein we introduced large steric groups onto the aniline oligomer to prevent the formation of packing structure. In particular, diphenyl vinyl group was bonded with oligomeric tetraaniline by a facile synthetic procedure with high yield. The obtained aniline oligomer derivative exhibited typical AIE features, which was also confirmed by density functional theoretical calculation. More importantly, this AIE oligomer was able to detect Fe~(3+) ions selectively and quantitatively. The fluorescence intensity decreased linearly along with the increment of Fe~(3+) concentration. Moreover, we demonstrated that this AIE oligomer could stain live bacteria, such as E. coli and S. aureus efficiently. All these results suggest that such a readily accessible and multifunctional tetraaniline derivative provides a new platform for the construction of fluorescent materials.     

Diastereoselective Control of Tetraphenylethene Reactivity by Metal Template Self-Assembly

The reaction of 4,4′,4′′,4′′′-(ethene-1,1,2,2-tetrayl)tetraaniline with 2-pyridinecarboxaldehyde and iron(II) chloride resulted, after aqueous workup, in the diastereoselective formation of an [Fe₂L₃]⁴⁺ triple-stranded helicate structure, irrespective of the stoichiometry employed. The helicate structure was characterized in solution by multinuclear NMR spectroscopy, and in the solid state by single-crystal X-ray crystallography. The reaction of iron(II) tetrafluoroborate or iron(II) bistriflimide with the tetraaniline and 2-pyridinecarboxaldehyde allowed the formation of an [Fe₈L₆]¹⁶⁺ cube when the appropriate stoichiometry was used, but these structures were unstable with respect to hydrolysis. The pendant amine groups on the helicate can be functionalized by reaction with acid chlorides or anhydrides, and the resulting functionalized tetraphenylethene (TPE) units were isolated by the reaction of the helicate with tris(2-aminoethyl)amine. The emission properties of the TPE units were studied in THF/water mixtures, and they were found by dynamic light scattering to self-assemble into large (av. diameter 250 nm) structures.     

Synthesis and characterization of polystyrene-b-tetraaniline stars from polystyrene stars with surface reactive groups prepared by RAFT polymerization

Functionalized star polymers with tetraaniline on their surface have been successfully prepared by substitution reaction of N-succinimidyl-terminated star polymers with tetraaniline. A novel functional RAFT agent bearing N-succinimidyl group was used in the RAFT polymerization of styrene, and N-succinimidyl groups-terminated polystyrenes with narrow molecular weight distribution were obtained. The star polymers with reactive N-succinimidyl groups on their surface were synthesized via RAFT polymerization of DVB. Polymerization mechanism study by gel permeation chromatography displayed that complete disappearance of linear polymers in the products is difficult. The N-succinimidyl-terminated PSt, polymer stars with surface N-succinimidyl groups and the PSt-b-tetraaniline stars were characterized by ¹H NMR spectroscopy, FT-IR and GPC.     

Synthesis and electrical,rheological and thermal characterization of conductive polyurethane

This work studies the electrical, rheological, and thermal characteristics for polyurethane (PU) capped with tetraaniline as a new material, tetraaniline-containing poly(urethane–urea) (TAPU). The conductivities can be increased from less than 10⁻¹⁰ S/cm for pure PU to 10⁻⁴ S/cm for TAPU, independently of the length of the soft segment in the TAPU backbone chain. The tensile strength and modulus are increased when PU is copolymerized with tetraaniline. The viscoelastic creep can be effectively simulated using a Burgers model. Additionally, TAPU has higher viscosity, higher retardation time, and lower compliance J ₁ than regular PU. Restated, TAPU exhibits less elastic but superior permanent deformation than PU because tetraaniline functions as a chain holder. The thermogravimetric analytic (TGA) results reveal that TAPU has lower T _d, smaller T _mw1 and T _mw2, and higher char yield because the dehydration of the urea-containing polymer produces a thin layer from a nitrogen compound on the polymer’s surface, which insulates the underlying polymer from heat and oxygen.     

Investigations on anticorrosive,thermal, and mechanical properties of conducting polyurethanes with tetraaniline pendent groups

This article describes the synthesis of conducting hybrid polyurethanes from novel tetraaniline‐diol as Gly‐TAni (glycidol with TAni). A new diol Gly‐TAni has been synthesized in a simple process using tetraaniline (TAni) and glycidol via SN2 reaction in a single‐step process. The asymmetric diol (Gly‐TAni) and polyols (PTMEG and TMP) were reacted with isophorone diisocyanate at OH:NCO ratio of 1:1.2 to obtain ―NCO terminated hybrid conducting polyurethanes. These were subjected for curing under atmospheric moisture to obtain conducting polyurethane‐urea coatings. The conducting coatings showed considerable enhancement in thermal and mechanical stabilities. All these conducting coatings films showed excellent corrosion resistance (on mild steel electrode) with an increase in the percentage of Gly‐TANi (5 to 15 wt%). The films of these hybrid polyurethanes containing pendent tetraanilines showed good surface conductivity in the range of 3.69 × 10⁻⁴ to 2.21 × 10⁻³ S/cm. The electrochemical investigation showed 2 single electron oxidation and 2 single reductions reversibly, centred around tetraaniline segments present in the polymer.     

A study of the mechanism of response of liquid ion exchanger calcium selective electrodes: Part III. Membrane behaviour under non-zero current conditions

The I-E response of the liquid membrane of the calcium selective electrode is studied under constant or linearly varying current and voltage. An increase in the membrane resistance, recorded when an electrical current crosses the membrane, is due to the outflow of Cl^? ions initially present in the membrane. When calcium ions are replaced by alkaline ions inside the membrane at constant current, the decrease of the membrane resistance due to an ion exchange is in agreement with the conductivity measurements (Part II). When the applied voltage is imposed besides the ion exchange one must take into account the interfacial overpotential to explain the important rectification effect observed. The interfacial transfer constant rate of alkaline ions seems greater than that of Ca²⁺ ion.     

Electrochemical Interpretation of Propagation of the Change in the Membrane Potential Using the Goldman‐Hodgkin‐Katz Equation

Nerve conduction has been frequently explained by the Hodgkin‐Huxley equation based on the flow of K⁺ and Na⁺ across the cell membrane. By considering the relation between the membrane potential and the membrane current based on the Goldman‐Hodgkin‐Katz equation, it becomes clear that the conventional analysis using the voltage‐clamp method is not correct and that the hyperpolarization condition is artificially made. Taking into account the channel functions and the electronic properties, we suggested a new propagation mechanism. When the nerve cell is excited by an external stimulus, the ligand‐gated channels at the synapse serve as an electric power source to propagate the change in the membrane potential to the synapse terminal along the axon and the voltage‐gated channels at the axon locally assist the directional propagation along the axon.     

Microfluidic platform for electrophysiological studies on Xenopus laevis oocytes under varying gravity levels

Voltage clamp measurements reveal important insights into the activity of membrane ion channels. While conventional voltage clamp systems are available for laboratory studies, these instruments are generally unsuitable for more rugged operating environments. In this study, we present a non-invasive microfluidic voltage clamp system developed for the use under varying gravity levels. The core component is a multilayer microfluidic device that provides an immobilisation site for Xenopus laevis oocytes on an intermediate layer, and fluid and electrical connections from either side of the cell. The configuration that we term the asymmetrical transoocyte voltage clamp (ATOVC) also permits electrical access to the cytosol of the oocyte without physical introduction of electrodes by permeabilisation of a large region of the oocyte membrane so that a defined membrane patch can be voltage clamped. The constant low level air pressure applied to the oocyte ensures stable immobilisation, which is essential for keeping the leak resistance constant even under varying gravitational forces. The ease of oocyte mounting and immobilisation combined with the robustness and complete enclosure of the fluidics system allow the use of the ATOVC under extreme environmental conditions, without the need for intervention by a human operator. Results for oocytes over-expressing the epithelial sodium channel (ENaC) obtained under laboratory conditions as well as under conditions of micro- and hypergravity demonstrate the high reproducibility and stability of the ATOVC system under distinct mechanical scenarios.     

Synthesis of water soluble, biodegradable, and electroactive polysaccharide crosslinker with aldehyde and carboxylic groups for biomedical applications

We report the synthesis and characterization of a polysaccharide crosslinker of tetraaniline grafting oxidized sodium alginate with large aldehyde and carboxylic groups. We demonstrate that this copolymer has the following properties: it is water soluble under any pH, biodegradable, electroactive, and noncytotoxic; it can self-assemble into nanoparticles with large active functional groups on the outer surface; it can crosslink materials with amino and aminoderivative groups like gelatin to form hydrogels, and thus the electroactivity is readily introduced to the materials. This copolymer has potential applications in biomedical fields such as tissue engineering, drug delivery, and nerve probes where electroactivity is required.     

Study on the recovery of ionic liquids from dilute effluent by electrodialysis method and the fouling of cation-exchange membrane

With the wide application of ionic liquids(ILs)in various fields,developing efficient techniques to recover ILs from effluent is an urgent demand for the cost reduction and the environmental protection.In this study,an electrodialysis(ED)method was used to recover 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride([Bmim]Cl)IL from aqueous solution as model effluent.The influences of initial IL concentration and applied voltage on the current efficiency,removal ratio,desalination ratio,membrane flux and specific energy consumption during the ED process were investigated.It was found that the removal ratio and desalination ratio increases with the increasing of initial IL concentration and applied voltage.The current efficiency decreases with the increasing of initial IL concentration and the current efficiency reached the maximum value of 94.3%at 25 V.Besides,as the applied voltage increases,the membrane flux increases and the specific energy consumption decreases.Moreover,the fouling of cation-exchange membrane was also discovered after the desalination of IL.The deposits on the surface or into the membrane which is probably caused by[Bmim]+was characterized by scanning electron microscopy,elemental analysis and Fourier transform infrared.     

Crystal structure and morphology of phenyl‐capped tetraaniline in the leucoemeraldine oxidation state

A series of crystals of phenyl‐capped tetraaniline in the leucoemeraldine oxidation state were obtained at different isothermal temperatures and were observed directly under transmission electron microscope. The crystals obtained at higher temperatures exhibit more perfect structures than those obtained at lower temperatures. Both the lamella thickness and the crystal size increase with crystallization temperature. The tetraaniline is apt to form larger scale crystals under lower degree of supercooling. However, their crystal structures keep steady with the crystallization temperature. The tetramer was found to adopt a monoclinic lattice with unit cell parameter of a = 13.93 Å, b = 8.82 Å, c = 23.20 Å, and β = 95.03°, as determined using electron diffraction tilting method combined with wide‐angle X‐ray diffraction experiment. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 44: 764–769, 2006     

Poly(aryl ether) bearing electroactive tetraaniline pendants and allyl groups: Synthesis,photo‐crosslinking and electrochemical properties

We describe the synthesis of a novel electroactive photo‐crosslinkable poly(aryl ether), containing tetraaniline pendants and allyl groups (EPPAE). The polymer structure and spectral properties are studied in detail. By introducing the electroactive tetraaniline pandents, EPPAE reveals reversible electrochemical activity, expected electrochromic behavior and good anticorrosive performance. After crosslinking the allyl groups with UV exposure, the resultant polymer (c‐EPPAE) shows drastic change in electrochemical properties. The c‐EPPAE/ITO electrode exhibits declining electroactivity but excellent electrochemical stability, which are associated with densification of the electroactive layer. Furthermore, in the corrosive protection measurements, c‐EPPAE reveals an outstanding protection efficiency (99.92%) for stainless steel substrates. A comprehensive study of electrochromic properties and corrosive protection of EPPAE before and after UV exposure will provide an insightful tool for the developing electrochromic smart windows, electrochromic displays, and anticorrosive paint. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2016 , 54, 2321–2330     

The asymmetric,rectifier-like I-V curve of the Na/K pump transient currents in frog skeletal muscle fibers

The Na/K pump transient currents in skeletal muscle fiber were identified using an improved double Vaseline gap voltage clamp technique. The asymmetric characteristics of the pump current-voltage relationship were studied. The definition of the Na/K pump currents was the ouabain-sensitive currents, where ouabain is a specific Na/K ATPase inhibitor. Membrane potential was held at -90 mV, the membrane resting potential. A series of stimulation pulse-pairs symmetric to the membrane resting potential were applied to the cell membrane. The summation of the currents responding to the two pulses in each pair indicates the asymmetry of the pump currents with respect to the membrane resting potential.The voltage dependence of the Na/K pump transient currents from skeletal muscle is similar to the steady-state I-V curve from either skeletal muscle fibers or cardiac muscles. It is a sigmoidal-shaped, asymmetric curve with respect to the membrane resting potential. This asymmetric, rectifier-like voltage dependence indicates that a symmetric oscillating membrane potential may generate a net, outward pump current. In other words, the Na/K pump molecules may be activated by an oscillating membrane potential.     

含苯胺低聚物侧链的导电共聚物的合成与性能研究

通过高分子反应合成了含有不同长度苯胺链段的聚甲基丙烯酸类接枝聚合物 ,研究结果发现 ,当苯胺链段达到一定长度时 ,经质子酸掺杂后的聚合物具有一定的电导性 ,其中 ,接枝苯胺八聚体的共聚物经质子酸掺杂后其电导率可以达到 10 - 5S cm .     

Inverted Fuel Cell: Room‐Temperature Hydrogen Separation from an Exhaust Gas by Using a Commercial Short‐Circuited PEM Fuel Cell without Applying any Electrical Voltage

A short‐circuited PEM fuel cell with a Nafion membrane has been evaluated in the room‐temperature separation of hydrogen from exhaust gas streams. The separated hydrogen can be recovered or consumed in an in situ olefin hydrogenation when the fuel cell is operated as catalytic membrane reactor. Without applying an outer electrical voltage, there is a continuous hydrogen flux from the higher to the lower hydrogen partial pressure side through the Nafion membrane. On the feed side of the Nafion membrane, hydrogen is catalytically split into protons and electrons by the Pt/C electrocatalyst. The protons diffuse through the Nafion membrane, the electrons follow the short‐circuit between the two brass current collectors. On the cathode side, protons and electrons recombine, and hydrogen is released.