Regulation of excitation transitions by molecular design endowing full-color-tunable emissions with unexpected high quantum yields for bioimaging application

Organic fluorophores are indispensible in chemical/biological imaging. The conjugated fluorescent molecules simultaneously possessing highly tunable emission, high quantum yield in solvents of different polarities, and large Stokes shift are quite rare. Herein, we report a new category of fluorophores based on diarylated thieno[3,4-b]thiophenes efficiently synthesized by direct C–H arylation reaction. TbT-Fluors showed full-color-tunable emissions with large Stokes shifts. Intriguingly, the fluorescence quantum yields of TbT-Fluors are barely sensitive to solvent polarities, approaching 100%. Based on photophysical and theoretical investigations, we found that the enhanced oscillator strength of the S₁-S₀ transition and increased T₂-S₁ energy difference can sufficiently compensate the negative effect from the decreased energy gap and increased reorganization energy in dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO). Bioimaging applications revealed that some TbT-Fluors can penetrate the cell membrane and are superior for imaging in terms of high photochemical stability and low cytotoxicity. Furthermore, TbT-PhF exhibits specific colocalization with mitochondria in living cells.     

Thermodynamic Properties of Zincate-Manganites of LaM<Subscript>2</Subscript> <Superscript>II</Superscript>ZnMnO<Subscript>6</Subscript> (М<Superscript>II</Superscript> = Mg,Ca, Sr,Ba) Composition

Temperature dependences of the heat capacity of new zincate-manganites of LaM₂^IIZnMnO₆ (M^II = Mg, Ca, Sr, Ba) composition are studied via experimental calorimetry in the interval of 298.15–673 K. It is found that all compounds have λ-shape effects on the curve of dependence C_p° ~ ?(T) with respect to phase transitions of the second kind. Equations for the temperature dependence of the heat capacity are derived with allowance for phase transition temperatures, and thermodynamic functions H°(T) ? H°(298.15), S°(T) and Φ^xx(T) are calculated on the basis of experimental data on C_p°(T) and the calculated S°(298.15) value.     

Heat capacity and thermodynamic functions of new cobalt manganites NdM<Subscript>2</Subscript><Superscript>I</Superscript> CoMnO<Subscript>5</Subscript> (M<Superscript>I</Superscript> = Li,Na, and K) in the range of 298.15–673 K

Temperature dependences of the heat capacity of cobalt manganites NdM₂ ^I CoMnO₅ (M^I = Li, Na, and K) are studied by means of dynamic calorimetry in the range of 298.15?673 K. It is found that λ-shaped effects are observed on the C _p ^° ~ f (T) curve of cobalt manganites, due probably to second order phase transitions. Based on the experimental data, equations for the temperature dependences of the heat capacity of cobalt manganite are derived with allowance for the temperatures of phase transitions. The values of thermodynamic functions Н°(T)–Н°(298.15), S°(T), and Ф^хх(T) are calculated.     

Peroxy radicals as motional probes at the end of isolated polystyrene chains and on the cellulose surfaces in vacuum

The isolated polystyrene chains spin-labeled with peroxide radical at the free end (IPSOO) in which the chain roots were covalently bonded to the surface of microcrystalline cellulose (MCC) powder were produced by mechanochemical polymerization of styrene initiated by MCC mechanoradicals. The IPSOO was used as motional probes at the ends of isolated polystyrene chains tethered on the surface of MCC powder. Two modes for the molecular motion of IPSOO were observed. One was a tumbling motion of IPSOO on the MCC surface, defined as a train state, and another was a free rotational motion of IPSOO protruding out from the MCC surface, defined as a tail state. The temperature of tumbling motion (T _tum ) of IPSOO at the train state was at 90 K with anisotropic correlation times. T _tum (90 K) is extremely low compared to the glass transition temperature (T _g ^b ; 373 K) of polystyrene in the bulk. At temperatures above 219 K, the IPSOO was protruded out from the MCC surface, and freely rotated at the tail state. The train–tail transition temperature (T _train–tail ) was estimated to be 222 K. T _tum (90 K) and T _train–tail (222 K) are due to the extremely low chain segmental density of IPSOO on the MCC surface under vacuum. The interaction between IPSOO and the MCC surface is a minor contributing factor in the mobility of IPSOO on the surface under vacuum. It was found that peroxy radicals are useful probes to characterize the chain mobility reflecting their environmental conditions.     

The <Emphasis Type="Italic">pVT</Emphasis> properties and phase equilibria in the <Emphasis Type="Italic">n</Emphasis>-pentane-water binary system

The pVT properties of the 0.075 n-C₅H₁₂ + 0.925H₂O binary system were studied experimentally. Thermal properties were measured along nine different isochores over the density and temperature ranges 87–698 kg/m³ and 303–684 K at pressures up to 60 MPa. Measurements were performed using a constant-volume piezometer. Inflection and break points of the p(T) dependences were used to construct phase equilibrium curves, which were described by scaling equations.     

Catalytic removal of soot particles over MnCo<Subscript>2</Subscript>O<Subscript>4</Subscript> catalysts prepared by the auto-combustion method

Soot removal for exhaust gas from diesel engine has been addressed due to the more stringent legislation and environmental concerns. MnCo₂O₄ catalysts were systematically prepared using glucose as a fuel via the auto-combustion method and applied for soot removal. The as-prepared samples were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), O₂-temperature-programmed oxidation (TPO) reaction and H₂-temperature-programmed reduction reaction (H₂-TPR). The catalytic activities for soot combustion were evaluated by micro activity test (MAT) with a tight contact mode between soot and catalysts. Compared with catalysts prepared by the solid state method without glucose, auto-combustion method in the presence of glucose can decrease the synthetic temperature, avoiding high temperature treatment and sintering. The catalysts prepared with glucose could catalyze soot oxidation effectively and the derived values of T₁₀, T₅₀, and T₉₀ were 326, 408, and 468 °C in a tight contact mode, respectively, showing a significant drop of T₁₀, T₅₀, and T₉₀ by 156, 177, and 178 °C for non-catalytic reaction.     

Method for calculating the sizes of nucleation centers upon homogeneous crystallization from a supercooled liquid

An alternative approach to calculating critical sizes l_k of nucleation centers and work A_k of their formation upon crystallization from a supercooled melt by analyzing the variation in the Gibbs energy during the phase transformation is considered. Unlike the classical variant, it is proposed that the transformation entropy be associated not with melting temperature T_L but with temperature T < T_L at which the nucleation of crystals occurs. New equations for l_k and A_k are derived. Based on the results from calculating these quantities for a series of compounds, it is shown that this approach is unbiased and it is possible to eliminate known conflicts in analyzing these parameters in the classical interpretation.     

Synthesis and heat capacity of NdVO<Subscript>4</Subscript> in the temperature range of 384–859 K

Heat capacity of NdVO₄ was determined in the temperature range of 384–859 K using differential scanning calorimetry. The thermodynamic functions (H°(T)–H°(384 K), S°(T)–S°(384 K), and Φ°) of neodymium orthovanadate were calculated using the experimental C_p = f(T) values. The structure of NdVO₄ was studied at 298 and 973 K.     

Oxygen isotope exchange in praseodymium nickelate

Oxygen surface exchange kinetics and diffusion were studied in Pr₂NiO_4?+?δ (PNO) by the isotope exchange method with gas phase equilibration in the temperature range of 600–800 °C and oxygen pressure range of 0.33–1.62 kPa. The oxygen heterogeneous exchange rate (r_H), oxygen diffusion coefficient (D), rates of oxygen dissociative adsorption (r_a), and oxygen incorporation (r_i) were calculated along with the apparent activation energies of oxygen surface exchange and diffusion processes. The temperature dependence of r_H was found to benon-linear in Arrhenius coordinates. The apparent activation energy changed from 1.4?±?0.2 eV at T?>?700 °C to 2.0?±?0.1 eV. This might be attributed to the change in the rate-determining stage of oxygen exchange for Pr₂NiO_4?+?δ at T ~?700 °C, because of a shift in the ratio between r_a and r_i caused by the difference in their activation energies. Possible reasons for the observed changes in the rate-determining stage are discussed.     

Computer Simulation of the Cathode Active Layer in Hydrogen–Oxygen Fuel Cell with Polymer Electrolyte: The Nature of the Overall Current Variations

Full computer simulation of the cathode structure in hydrogen–oxygen fuel cell with polymer electrolyte is performed. Both transport, support grains (agglomerates of carbon particles onto whose surface Pt-catalyst is deposited), and the current generation in active layer are simulated. The active layer operation in potentiostatic mode is studied. The effect of variations of the active layer and the fuel cell temperature (T_s and Т, respectively) on the cathode overall current I and the support grain flooding with water is calculated. The changes in the temperature difference T_s–Т was shown for the first time, experimentally and by the simulation, to generate variations of I and the degree of the support grain flooding with water. In particular, with the increasing of T_s–Т the current I increased, whereas the support grain flooding with water decreased; and vice versa, with the decreasing of T_s–Т the current I drops down, while, the support grain flooding with water grows. An explanation of the phenomena is presented, which takes account of structure of the support grains in which О₂ reduction and Н₂О generation occur. There exist intrinsic channels for protons and О₂ molecules transportation to the catalyst. Water releasing in the support grains is able to fill partially or even entirely the gas pores through which oxygen is supplied to the platinum. As a result, the current generated in the support grains can drop down significantly; at the same time, the value of I also drops down. The degree of the support grainfilling with water is determined by two processes, namely, the flooding and draining. The source of flooding is the current generation; that of draining, the water saturated vapor diffusion and water filtration in nanopores. The lower cathode potential, the higher the flooding rate, whereas the water removal rate grows or drops down with the increasing of decreasing of the temperature difference Т_s–Т, respectively. Thus, the temperature difference variations naturally lead to those of the quantity I.     

Thermodynamic Properties of Polyphenylquinoxaline in the Temperature Range of <Emphasis Type="Italic">T</Emphasis> → 0 to 570 K

The thermodynamic properties of amorphous polyphenylquinoxaline in the temperature range of 6 to 570 K are studied via precision adiabatic vacuum calorimetry and differential scanning calorimetry. The thermodynamic characteristics of glass transition are determined. Standard thermodynamic functions C^°_p, H°(T) ? H°(0), S°(Т) ? S°(0), and G°(T) ? H°(0) in the range of T → 0 to 570 K and the standard entropy of formation at T = 298.15 K are calculated. The low-temperature (T ≤ 50 K) heat capacity is analyzed using a multifractal model for the processing of heat capacity, fractal dimension D values are determined, and conclusions on the topological structure of the compound are drawn.     

Synthesis and study of high-temperature heat capacity of erbium orthovanadate

Orthovanadate ErVO₄ has been prepared by solid-phase synthesis from a stoichiometric mixture of high pure V₂O₅ and chemically pure Er₂O₃ by multistage calcination in air in the temperature range 873–1273 K. The effect of temperature (380–1000 K) on the heat capacity of orthovanadate ErVO₄ was studied by hightemperature calorimetry. Thermodynamic properties of erbium orthovanadate (enthalpy change H°(T)–H°(380 K), entropy change S°(T)–S°(380 K), and reduced Gibbs energy Φ°(T)) have been calculated from the experimental C_p = f(T) data. It has been shown that the specific heat varies in a row of oxides and orthovanadates of Gd-Lu naturally depending on the radius of the R³⁺ ion within the third and fourth tetrads.     

Thermoresponsive behavior of water-salt solutions of a graft copolymer with a main polyimide chain and side poly(<Emphasis Type="Italic">N</Emphasis>,<Emphasis Type="Italic">N</Emphasis>-dimethylamino-2-ethyl methacrylate) side chains

The water-salt solutions of the graft copolymer bearing a polyimide main chain and poly(N,N-dimethylamino-2-ethyl methacrylate) side chains (M = 4.7 × 10⁵, the density of grafting with side chains z = 0.44) are studied by static and dynamic light scattering and turbidimetry. The solutions are investigated in a tenfold range of NaCl concentrations (from 0.015 to 0.15 mol/L) at the polymer concentration from 0.002 to 0.015 g/cm³ and pH from 8 to 12. The temperature dependences of the intensity of scattered light, optical transmission, hydrodynamic radius of scattering objects, and their concentrations in solutions are derived. The temperatures of phase separation onset T ₁ and end T ₂ are determined. It is shown that an increase in the salt content in solution leads to reduction in the polymer solubility and in temperatures T ₁ and T ₂. The watersalt solutions retain all the regularities of phase-separation temperature variation observed for aqueous solutions with change in the concentration of solution and pH of a medium: the values of T ₁ and T ₂ increase upon dilution and growth of acidity.     

Dehydroxylation of high-energy ball-milled diasporic bauxite

The review consists of four parts. Part I is about the thermal transformation in clay minerals under firing and about the properties of fired clay. The transformations in the clay are expressed quantitatively with the extent of conversion, α, which is the function of two parameters of firing process, time t and temperature T: α?=?f(t, T). Part II is about the estimation of firing temperature after the analysis of the products of firing clays. All the estimations are speculative, without mathematical equations. It is impossible to derive the value of only one variable T from α?=?f(t,T), the function of two variables. Part III is about the long-term inverse transformation in fired ceramic paste under ambient conditions. The mass gain as a function of time is used for the evaluation of the time elapsed from the ancient firing, t. Part IV is about the visualization of the extent of conversion of the clay in the paste after all direct and reverse reactions, i.e., α.     

Thermodynamics of the terpolymer of carbon monoxide,ethylene, and 1-butene

The heat capacity and the temperatures and enthalpies of physical transformations of the alternating terpolymer of carbon monoxide, ethylene, and 1-butene (the content of butene units is 10.7 mol.%) were studied by adiabatic and differential scanning calorimetry in the temperature range from 6 to 520 K. The energy of terpolymer combustion was measured at 298.15 K on an calorimeter with an isothermal shell and static bomb. The standard thermodynamic functions C°_p(T), H°(T)–H°(0), S°(T)–S°(0), and G°(T)–H°(0) for the range from Т → 0 to 400 K, the standard enthalpy of combustion, and the thermodynamic parameters of formation of the partially crystalline CO—ethylene—1-butene terpolymer at 298.15 K, as well as the thermodynamic characteristics of its synthesis in the range from T → 0 to 400 K were calculated.     

Thermodynamic properties of triphenylantimony dibenzoate

The temperature dependence of the heat capacity of triphenylantimony dibenzoate Ph₃Sb(OC(O)Ph)₂ is studied in the range of 6–480 K by means of precision adiabatic vacuum calorimetry and differential scanning calorimetry. The melting of the compound is observed in this temperature range, and its standard thermodynamic characteristics are identified and analyzed. Ph₃Sb(OC(O)Ph)₂ is obtained in a metastable amorphous state in a calorimeter. The standard thermodynamic functions of Ph₃Sb(OC(O)Ph)₂ in the crystalline and liquid states are calculated from the obtained experimental data: C_p^°(T), H°(T)–H°(0), S°(T), and G°(T)–H°(0) for the region from T → 0 to 480 K. The standard entropy of formation of the compound in the crystalline state at T = 298.15 K is determined. Multifractal processing of the low-temperature (T < 50 K) heat capacity of the compound is performed. It is concluded that the structure of the compound has a planar chain topology.     

Dynamics of radiationless transitions in large molecules: 3. Decay of vibration-phonon states

The statistical operator of the ensemble of high-frequency intramolecular vibrations associated with the phonon reservoir depends on the phonon occupation numbers under thermal equilibrium conditions. The eigenvalues of energy of statistically averaged vibration-phonon (VP) states are complex quantities. In the case of weak VP coupling, only one- and two-phonon transitions are taken into consideration for calculating the decay rate constant, in which the difference of phonon energies compensates for the difference in energy between the initial and final intramolecular states. Although the fast evolution of amplitudes of VP states is due to intramolecular redistribution of energy and is not reduced to exponential decay of the initial state, the imaginary components of the eigenvalues coincide with those predicted by Fermi’s golden rule. The relative contribution of two-phonon (combination) transitions compared with one-phonon transitions increases with an increase in the density of intramolecular states and temperature, becoming prevalent for large molecules at T ≥ D ? Δ₀ (D = 100–200 K (70–140 cm^?1) is the Debye temperature and Δ₀～10 cm^?1 is the spacing between neighboring intramolecular vibration levels). When T ≥ D, the decay rate constant is K ∝ T ².     

Thermodynamic properties of a liquid crystal carbosilane dendrimer

The temperature dependence of the heat capacity of a first-generation liquid crystal carbosilane dendrimer with methoxyphenyl benzoate end groups is studied for the first time in the region of 6–370 K by means of precision adiabatic vacuum calorimetry. Physical transformations are observed in this interval of temperatures, and their standard thermodynamic characteristics are determined and discussed. Standard thermodynamic functions C_p^°(T), H°(T) ? H°(0), S°(T) ? S°(0), and G°(T) ? H°(0) are calculated from the obtained experimental data for the region of Т → 0 to 370 K. The standard entropy of formation of the dendrimer in the partially crystalline state at Т = 298.15 K is calculated, and the standard entropy of the hypothetic reaction of its synthesis at this temperature is estimated. The thermodynamic properties of the studied dendrimer are compared to those of second- and fourth-generation liquid crystal carbosilane dendrimers with the same end groups studied earlier.     

Preparation,crystal structure and mechanism of thermal decomposition of complex [Dy(<Emphasis Type="Italic">p</Emphasis>-MOBA)<Subscript>3</Subscript>Phen]<Subscript>2</Subscript>

1,10-Phenanthrolinetris(4-methoxybenzoate)dysprosium, Dy(p-MOBA)₃Phen (where p-MOBA = p-methoxybenzoate and Phen = 1,10-phenanthroline), (I) has been synthesized. The complex was characterized by various techniques including elemental analysis, UV, IR, XRD, molar conductance, and TG-DTG. The crystals consist of binuclear molecules and monoclinic, space group P2 ₁/n: a = 14.143(6) Å, b = 17.550(7) Å, c = 14.493(6) Å, β = 117.357(4)°, Z = 2, ρ _c = 1.655 g cm^?3, F(000) = 1588; R ₁ = 0.0176, wR ₂ = 0.0455. In the complex, each Dy³⁺ ion is nine-coordinate to one 1,10-phenanthroline molecule, one bidentate chelating carboxylate group, and four bridging carboxylate groups in which the carboxylate groups are bonded to the Dy³⁺ ions in three modes: bridging bidentate, bridging tridentate, and chelating bidentate. The thermal decomposition mechanism of I has been determined on the basis of thermal analysis. In addition, the lifetime equation at a weight-loss of 10% was deduced as lnτ = ?28.8361 + 19478.37/T by isothermal thermogravimetric analysis.     

Sm–Sm<Subscript>2</Subscript>Se<Subscript>3</Subscript> phase diagram and properties of phases

A Sm–Sm2Se3 phase diagram has been studied from 1000 K until melting. This system forms three congruently melting compounds: SmSe (ST NaCl, a = 0.6200 nm, T_m = (2400 ± 50) K, and H = 2750 MPa), Sm₃Se₄ (ST Th₃P₄, a = 0.8925 nm, T_m = (2250 ± 30) K, and H = 3350 MPa), and Sm₂Se₃ (ST Th₃P₄, a = 0.8815 nm, T_m = (2150 ± 40) K, and H = 5300 MPa). There are eutectics between Sm and SmSe phases and between SmSe and Sm₃Se₄ phases at 2.5 at % Se, 1300 K and at 54.5 at % Se, 2100 K, respectively. Within the extent of Sm₂₊ Sm₂³⁺ Se4–Sm₂³⁺Se₃ solid solution (ST Th₃P₄), the experimentally determined percentages of Sm₂₊ ions correspond with the values calculated from the formula compositions of samples. The bandgap width for SmSe_1.45 and SmSe_1.48 phases is ΔE = (1.90 ± 0.05) eV.