Immobilization of AIEgens into metal‐organic frameworks: Ligand design,emission behavior,and applications

Aggregation‐induced emission (AIE), in which the luminophores are highly emissive in aggregate state, is one of the most unique photophysical phenomena and has shown interesting applications in many areas. The immobilization of AIE luminogens (AIEgens) into metal‐organic frameworks (MOFs), which are inorganic‐organic hybrid porous materials with tunable and predictable structures, has been investigated over the past few years. These well‐defined porous frameworks cannot only provide an ideal platform for studying the mechanism of AIE phenomenon in solid state, but also show potential applications from sensing to white light‐emitting diodes. In this highlight, we will summarize the recent progress of AIEgens‐based MOFs, including ligand design, emission behavior, and applications. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2017 , 55, 1809–1817     

Green organic syntheses: organic carbonates as methylating agents

Dimethylcarbonate (DMC) is a valuable methylating reagent that can replace methyl halides and dimethylsulfate in the methylation of a variety of nucleophiles. It couples tunable reactivity and unprecedented selectivity towards mono-C- and mono-N-methylation. In addition, it is a prototype example of a green reagent, because it is nontoxic, is made by a clean process, is biodegradable, and reacts in the presence of a catalytic amount of base, thereby avoiding the formation of undesirable inorganic salts as by-products. Depending on the reaction conditions, DMC can be reacted under plug-flow, CSTR, or batch conditions. Other remarkable reactions are those where DMC behaves as an oxidant. The reactivity of other carbonates is reported as well.     

Isophorone－based Fluorescent Dopant for Red Organic Electrolumi－nescence Device

lsophorone-based red fluorescent compound 3-(dicyanomethy-lene ) -5, 5-dimethyi- 1- [ 2- ( N-ethyl-3-carbazyi ) ethylene ] cyciohe-xene (DCDCC) was synthesized for use in organic Hght-emit-ring diodes (OLEDs). DCDCC was characterized by narrow emission in photoluminescence with full.width at half-maximum of only 50 nm in solution and in thin solid film of 70 nm width. devices with configuration of ITO/NPB/Alq3:DCDCC/Alq3/Mg: Ag were fabricated utilizing DCDCC as dopant emitter. An efficient red emission peaked at 612 nm was obtained for the device with 1% (wt.%) DCDCC in Alq3. The maximum luminance and current efficiency were as high as 3700 cd/m^2 at 14 V and 1.25 cd/A at 150 mA/cm^2, respective-ly.     

Synthesis,molecular, and morphological characterization of initial and modified diblock copolymers with organic acid chloride derivatives

Six well defined PS‐b‐PB_1,2 diblock copolymers (PS: polystyrene and PB: polybutadiene) with almost 100% of 1,2 microstructure for the PB segment were synthesized. Size exclusion chromatography (SEC), membrane osmometry (MO) and proton nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (¹H NMR) were used for verification of the molecular characteristics and the 100% ‐1,2 addition for the PB blocks. Modification with heptanoyl or pentadecafluorooctanoyl chloride was accomplished via hydroboration and subsequent oxidation, leading to hydroxylated PB blocks and was verified with ¹H NMR and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. Only two samples were modified with both organic acid chloride derivatives. Structural characterization was accomplished via transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and small‐angle X‐ray scattering (SAXS) in all cases. The self‐assembly was more evident in the modified copolymers with the corresponding halides due to the increase of the molecular weight of the modified PB block. Taking into consideration the χN values in each case and comparing the results with those of PS‐b‐PI copolymers already reported in the literature the discrepancies with the theoretical predictions are very small or minimal. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem, 2011     

Repurposing aromaticity for organic electronics: Making,breaking, and stacking π‐circuits

This article summarizes a series of lectures I presented in Taiwan as a visiting lecturer sponsored by the Ministry of Science and Technology.     

Inorganic‐organic Microporous Solid of Wells‐Dawson Type Polyoxometalate: Synthesis,Characterization, and Electrochemical Properties

An inorganic‐organic hybrid solid (H_6/5bppy)₅[P₂W₁₈O₆₂]·4.5H₂O ( 1 ) (bppy = 4‐(5‐(4‐bromophenyl)pyridin‐2‐yl)pyridine) was hydrothermally synthesized by using pre‐constructed Wells‐Dawson type salt α‐K₆P₂W₁₈O₆₂·15H₂O as inorganic moiety. The crystal structure keeps integrated and steady under the interactions together of aryl packing, hydrogen bonding and halogen bonding. X‐ray single crystal structure analysis reveals that compound 1 contains cavities with the sizes of about 6 × 8Å, in which H₂O molecules are captured. The hybrid was used as a solid bulk modifier to fabricate a three‐dimensional bulk‐modified carbon paste electrode ( 1 ‐CPE) by direct mixing. The electrochemical and electrocatalytic behavior of the 1 ‐CPE has been studied in detail. The results exhibit that the redox ability of the Wells‐Dawson polyanions can be maintained in the hybrid solid, which has a good electrocatalytic activity toward the reduction of bromate and hydrogen peroxide. A hydrodynamic voltammetric experiment was performed to characterize the electrode as an amperometric sensor for the determination of hydrogen peroxide. The 1 ‐CPE showed long‐term stability and excellent reproducibility of surface renewal.     

Phthalhydrazide nanoparticles as new highly reusable organic photocatalyst in the photodegradation of organic and inorganic contaminants

Phthalhydrazide nanoparticles are introduced as a new, efficient, stable and reusable organic photocatalyst for the photodegradation of a range of azo dyes, including methyl orange, methyl red, congo red and yellow titan, 4‐nitrophenol and permanganate as important organic and inorganic contaminants. Various experimental parameters including pH, photocatalyst dose, dye concentration and illumination time were investigated for methyl orange as a model substrate. The results revealed high degradation efficacy, up to 93.6%, for methyl orange in 20 min. Moreover, a preliminary kinetic study along with a proposed photodegradation mechanism is included in this study. Mechanistic investigations showed that phthalhydrazide behaved as a photoreduction catalyst. With the addition of Cl^? ion, as a hole scavenger, photodegradation efficacy for methyl orange was improved. Results showed that phthalhydrazide nanoparticles behaved better than commercial bulk phthalhydrazide and both performed as successful photocatalysts for photoreduction of the mentioned organic and inorganic compounds.     

Solvent-free luminescent organic liquids

Illuminating! Isolation of a π-core by covalently attached flexible hydrocarbon chains has been employed to synthesize blue-emitting oligo(p-phenylenevinylene) (OPV) liquids with tunable viscosity and optical properties. A solvent-free, stable, white-light emitting ink/paint, which can be applied onto various surfaces and even onto LEDs, was made by blending of liquid OPVs with emissive solid dopants.     

Three-dimensional six-connecting organic building blocks based on polychlorotriphenylmethyl units--synthesis, self-assembly, and magnetic properties

The synthesis of a three-dimensional, six-connecting, organic building block based on a robust, rigid, and open-shell polychlorotriphenylmethyl (PTM) unit (radical 1) is reported, and its self-assembly properties are described in detail. The tendencies of this highly polar molecule and its hydrogenated precursor, compound 4, to form hydrogen bonds with oxygenated solvents ([1THF(6)] and [4THF(6)]) were reduced by replacing THF with diethyl ether in the crystallization process to yield two-dimensional (2D) hydrogen-bonded structures ([1(Et(2)O)(3)] and [4(Et(2)O)(3)]). The presence of direct hydrogen bonds between the radicals in the latter phase of 1 gives rise to very weak ferromagnetic intermolecular interactions at low temperatures, whereas when the radicals are isolated by THF molecules these interactions are antiferromagnetic and very weak. The role played by the carboxylic groups not only in the self-assembly properties but also in the transmission of the magnetic interactions has been illustrated by determination of the crystal structure and measurement of the magnetic properties of the corresponding hexaester radical 6, in which the close packing of molecular units gives rise to weak antiferromagnetic intermolecular interactions. Attempts to avoid solvation of the molecules in the solid state and to increase the structural and magnetic dimensionality were pursued by recrystallization of both compounds 1 and 4 from concentrated nitric acid, affording two three-dimensional (3D) robust hydrogen-bonded structures. While the structure obtained with compound 4 is characterized by the presence of polar channels and boxes containing water guest molecules along the c axis, radical 1 was oxidized to the corresponding fuchsone 10, which presented a completely different close-packed, guest-free structure.     

Porous organic alloys

Another brick in the wall: Porous ternary cocrystals were prepared by chiral recognition between organic cage modules. One module, CC1, is ordered on 50?% of the lattice positions with respect to two other modules, CC3 and CC4, that are disordered across the other 50?% of sites (see picture). There is a linear relationship between relative module composition and the cocrystal lattice parameters.     

Porous Metal‐organic Framework based on Strip‐shaped Manganese(II) Chains: Synthesis,Structure, and Magnetic Properties

The Mn^II‐based porous metal‐organic framework, [Mn₃(btca)₂(HCOO)(μ₃‐OH)(H₂O)₂] · 2DMF ( 1 ) (H₂btca = benzotriazole‐5‐carboxylate acid), was prepared by the solvothermal reaction of Mn(CH₃COO)₂ · 4H₂O and H₂btca, which was characterized by infrared spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analyses, and X‐ray crystallographic study. 1 exhibits 3D framework with 1D rectangle channels constructed by the strip‐shaped chains containing [Mn₅(μ₃‐OH)₂(btca)₄]^– pentaclusters subunits. Furthermore, the magnetic measures show that 1 exhibits weak ferromagnetic behavior at low temperature.     

Controlled microwave heating in modern organic synthesis

Although fire is now rarely used in synthetic chemistry, it was not until Robert Bunsen invented the burner in 1855 that the energy from this heat source could be applied to a reaction vessel in a focused manner. The Bunsen burner was later superseded by the isomantle, oil bath, or hot plate as a source for applying heat to a chemical reaction. In the past few years, heating and driving chemical reactions by microwave energy has been an increasingly popular theme in the scientific community. This nonclassical heating technique is slowly moving from a laboratory curiosity to an established technique that is heavily used in both academia and industry. The efficiency of "microwave flash heating" in dramatically reducing reaction times (from days and hours to minutes and seconds) is just one of the many advantages. This Review highlights recent applications of controlled microwave heating in modern organic synthesis, and discusses some of the underlying phenomena and issues involved.     

Quantitative analysis of an organic thin film by XPS,AFM and FT‐IR

We report the characterization of Firpic (iridium(III)bis[4,6‐di‐fluorophenyl]‐pyridinato‐N,C²,]picolinate) organic thin film prepared by vacuum deposition to provide a systematic route to organic film quantification. To analyze the characteristics of thin Firpic films on a Si substrate, various techniques such as XPS, Fourier transform infra‐red (FT‐IR) spectrometer, and atomic force microscopy (AFM) are utilized. The Firpic films remain stable without surface morphological or compositional change during deposition and after exposure to X‐ray irradiation or atmospheric environment, for which qualities these films are believed to be an ideal platform as a pure organic thin film. The monotonic increases in FT‐IR and XPS intensities with film thickness are matching well with each other. In particular, from the XPS intensity analysis, the relative atomic sensitivity factors of the present system, electron attenuation length, and molecular density in the organic thin film can be evaluated. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Fluorinated AB diblock copolymers and their aggregates in organic solvents

This investigation reported the preparation of fluorinated and nonamphiphilic well‐defined poly(styrene)‐block‐poly(2,2,3,3,4,4,4‐heptafluorobutyl methacrylate) (PS‐b‐PHFBMA) diblock copolymers via atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP). Their chemical composition, structure, and bulk morphology were thoroughly investigated. In addition, their self‐assembly behavior in a dilute organic mixture solution was investigated. It was found that that the ATRP could be used to prepare the well‐defined fluorinated and nonamphiphilic PS‐b‐PHFBMA diblock copolymers in a controlled manner. The results also showed that abundant morphologies including sphere, worm‐like structure, and vesicle could be formed with different volume ratios of these two solvents, which proves that the nonamphiphilic fluorinated diblock copolymers can self‐assemble in a dilute solution, and the aforementioned reason for self‐assembly was also discussed preliminarily in this work. Finally, the effect of temperature on the aggregates was investigated to verify whether the self‐assembly behavior was to some extent temperature sensitive. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem, 2011     

Use of volatile organic solvents in headspace liquid‐phase microextraction by direct cooling of the organic drop using a simple cooling capsule

A low‐cost and simple cooling‐assisted headspace liquid‐phase microextraction device for the extraction and determination of 2,6,6‐trimethyl‐1,3 cyclohexadiene‐1‐carboxaldehyde (safranal) in Saffron samples, using volatile organic solvents, was fabricated and evaluated. The main part of the cooling‐assisted headspace liquid‐phase microextraction system was a cooling capsule, with a Teflon microcup to hold the extracting organic solvent, which is able to directly cool down the extraction phase while the sample matrix is simultaneously heated. Different experimental factors such as type of organic extraction solvent, sample temperature, extraction solvent temperature, and extraction time were optimized. The optimal conditions were obtained as: extraction solvent, methanol (10 μL); extraction temperature, 60°C; extraction solvent temperature, 0°C; and extraction time, 20 min. Good linearity of the calibration curve (R² = 0.995) was obtained in the concentration range of 0.01–50.0 μg/mL. The limit of detection was 0.001 μg/mL. The relative standard deviation for 1.0 μg/mL of safranal was 10.7% (n = 6). The proposed cooling‐assisted headspace liquid‐phase microextraction device was coupled (off‐line) to high‐performance liquid chromatography and used for the determination of safranal in Saffron samples. Reasonable agreement was observed between the results of the cooling‐assisted headspace liquid‐phase microextraction high‐performance liquid chromatography method and those obtained by a validated ultrasound‐assisted solvent extraction procedure.