Preparation of polyimide/BaTiO3‐nanocrystal hybrid thin films and their dielectric property

High dielectric constant is highly desirable in capacitors and memory devices. In this work, oleic acid (OA)‐capped BaTiO₃ nanocrystals were synthesized by a two‐phase approach. Polyimide (PI)/BaTiO₃‐nanocrystal composite thin films with high dielectric constant have been successfully fabricated. The morphologies and dielectric properties of the hybrid films were exploited. The results showed that BaTiO₃ nanocrystals can be uniformly dispersed in the PI thin films owing to the surface modification of OA‐capped BaTiO₃ nanocrystals. It was found that the dielectric constant of composite film varies with the volume fraction of BaTiO₃ nanocrystals and sintering temperatures and reaches a maximum value of 44.1, which is around 13 times higher than that of pristine PI thin film (3.2). These results demonstrated that PI/BaTiO₃‐nanocrystal composite films have considerable application potential in microelectronic fields.     

Formation of long‐range stripe patterns with sub‐10‐nm half‐pitch from directed self‐assembly of block copolymer

We have demonstrated directed self‐assembly of poly(styrene‐b‐dimethylsiloxiane) (PS‐b‐PDMS) down to sub‐10‐nm half‐pitch by using grating Si substrate coated with PDMS. The strong segregation between PS and PDMS enables us to direct the self‐assembly in wide grooves of the grating substrate up to 500 nm in width. This process can be applied to form various type of sub‐10‐nm stripe pattern along variety of grating shape. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys, 2010     

Supramolecular template‐directed synthesis of stable and high‐efficiency photoluminescence 9,10‐diphenylanthryl‐bridged ladder polysiloxane

A soluble well‐defined 9,10‐diphenylanthryl‐bridged ladder polysiloxane ( DPAnLP ) was prepared via supramolecular assembly‐directed condensation polymerization of silanols. The ladder superstructure ( LS ) was obtained via a synergistic interaction of H‐bonding and π–π stacking between polymerizable precursor 2‐tert‐butyl‐9,10‐bis(methyldihydroxylsilyl)anthracene in organic solvent. The resultant LS was then used as template to direct the condensation of silanol groups to obtain DPAnLP with high regularity. It was found that DPAnLP can emit blue light (430 nm) with great stability and high efficiency in both solution and solid film, which indicated a well organizing of fluorophore within confined environment (ladder structure). TGA and DSC measurements showed that DPAnLP had good thermal stability, and cyclic voltammetry detection gave a low‐lying highest occupied molecular orbital level. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 48: 2491–2497, 2010     

Microstructure and properties of 3,3′,4,4′‐biphenyltetracarboxylic dianhydride (BPDA)‐p‐phenylene diamine (PDA) polyimide/poly(vinylsilsesquioxane) hybrid nanocomposite films

Hybrid nanocomposite films of poly(vinylsilsesquioxane) (PVSSQ) and polyimide (PI) (PI/PVSSQ) were prepared via sol‐gel process from triethoxyvinylsilane (VSSQ) and thermal imidization from 3,3′,4,4′‐biphenyltetracarboxylic dianhydride (BPDA)‐p‐phenylene diamine (PDA) polyamic acid (BPDA‐PDA PAA). We investigated the microstructure; interfacial interaction; and optical, thermal, dielectric, and mechanical properties of the hybrid films. The phase morphologies and degree of surface roughness were evaluated by scanning electron microscope (SEM) and atomic force microscope (AFM), respectively. It was found that the surface topography was influenced by the composition of PVSSQ. Hydrogen bonding interactions between polyimide (PI) matrix and PVSSQ domains were proved with FT‐IR spectroscopy. The transparency of the hybrid films was found to be dependent on the PVSSQ content. Incorporating of the PVSSQ in the hybrid composites increased the glass transition temperature of PI. Dielectric constants of the hybrid films were in the range of 2.37–3.59. Properties of the PI films were also significantly enhanced by adding 5–30 wt % of PVSSQ. For comparison, we also prepared the hybrid composites of PI and mixtures of VSSQ and tetraethoxysilane (TEOS) and the PI/silica hybrid composite containing 30 wt % of silica obtained from TEOS. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 42: 5189–5199, 2004     

Oxidative amidation of benzyl alcohol,benzaldhyde, benzoic acid styrene and phenyl acetylene catalyzed by ordered mesoporous HKUST‐1‐Cu: Effect of surface area on oxidative amidation reaction

HKUST‐1‐Cu synthesized in the presence and absence of P‐123 trough solvotermal method. After characterization using some different microscopic and spectroscopic techniques such as XRD, FT‐IR, SEM, ICP, BET and TEM its catalytic activity was investigated in the oxidative coupling of benzyl alcohol, benzaldhyde, benzoic acid, styrene and phenyl acetylene with N,N‐dialkylformamides for the preparation of N,N‐dimethylformamides. Different derivatives of tertiary amides were synthesized in moderate to good yields in the presence of just ~0.28 mol% of this catalytic system. Reusability of the synthesized catalysts was examined and catalysts were reusable for 8 times without significant decrease in optimized conditions.     

Entrapment of amino acids in gas phase surfactant assemblies: The case of tryptophan confined in positively charged (1R,2S)‐dodecyl (2‐hydroxy‐1‐methyl‐2‐phenylethyl) dimethylammonium bromide aggregates

The ability of positively charged aggregates of the surfactant (1R ,2S )‐dodecyl(2‐hydroxy‐1‐methyl‐2‐phenylethyl)dimethylammonium bromide (DMEB) to incorporate D‐tryptophan or L‐tryptophan in the gas phase has been investigated by electrospray ion mobility mass spectrometry (ESI‐IM‐MS). Strongly impacted by the pH of the electrosprayed solutions, both protonated (T⁺) and deprotonated (T⁻) tryptophan are effectively included into the aggregates, whereas, tryptophan in zwitterionic (T⁰) form is practically absent in singly charged DMEB aggregates but can be found in multiply charged ones. The ability to incorporate tryptophan increases with the aggregation number and charge state of aggregates. More than 1 tryptophan species can be entrapped (aggregates including up to 5 tryptophan are observed). Collision induced dissociation experiments performed on the positively singly charged DMEB hexamer containing 1 T⁻ show that at low collision energies the loss of a DMEB molecule is preferred with respect to the loss of the DMEB cation plus T⁻ species which, in turn, is preferred with respect to the loss of mere tryptophan, suggesting that the deprotonated amino acid is preferentially located in proximity of a DMEB head group and with the ionic moiety pointing towards the core of the aggregate. The analysis of the collision cross sections (CCS) of bare and tryptophan containing aggregates allowed evaluating the contributions of tryptophan and bromide ions to the total aggregate CCS. No significant discrimination between D‐tryptophan and L‐tryptophan by the chiral DMEB aggregates has been evidenced by mass spectra data, CID experiments, and CCS values.     

Micellar structures of block‐copolymers with ordered cores in dilute solution as studied by polarized and depolarized light scattering

The hierarchical self‐assembly behaviors of a series of amphiphilic liquid crystalline block copolymers (pEG_mAz_n), consisting of poly(ethylene glycol) (pEG) block and liquid crystalline polymer block (pAz) of poly{11‐[4‐(4‐butylphenylazo) phenoxy]‐undecyl methacrylate} containing an azobenzenzene mesogen, in the selective solvent diethyleneglycol, which is good for pEG block, were studied by polarized and depolarized light scattering. It was found that these copolymers can form micellar particles with internal ordered structures of optical anisotropy. Depending on the relative lengths of the blocks, the obtained micellar structures show optical anisotropies with different geometrical anisotropies. The higher composition of pAz‐core blocks leads to the larger aggregate. The lower‐molecular‐weight copolymers tend to form the long and thin strings, which show rather the larger size with larger aggregation number. Even at the similar composition of pAz‐core block, copolymers with different chain lengths can form the core of the different aggregating structures with the different molecular orientations. It was also found that the addition of a small amount of the surfactant, C₁₂E₂₅, makes the string‐like aggregate shorter. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 45: 1333–1343, 2007     

One‐pot synthesis of (3‐sulfopropyl methacrylate potassium)‐silica hybrid monolith via thiol‐ene click chemistry for CEC

A novel (3‐sulfopropyl methacrylate potassium)‐silica hybrid monolithic column for CEC has been prepared by a simple one‐pot approach based on efficient thiol‐ene click chemistry. In this process, the polycondensation of hydrolyzed alkoxysilanes and in situ click reaction of vinyl groups on 3‐sulfopropyl methacrylate potassium and thiol groups on the precondensed siloxanes simultaneously occurred in a pretreated capillary. Homogeneous monolithic matrix with large through‐pores tightly bonded to the inner wall of the capillary was shown by optical microscope and SEM. The minimum plate height of this hybrid monolithic column was determined as 3.9 μm for thiourea. Anilines, alkylbenzenes, and phenols were well separated on this hybrid monolithic column by CEC, which indicated typical reversed‐phase and cation‐exchange chromatographic retention mechanisms of the column.     

Synthesis and self‐assembly of diblock copolymers bearing 2‐nitrobenzyl photocleavable side groups

The light‐responsive behavior in solution and in thin films of block copolymers bearing 2‐nitrobenzyl photocleavable esters as side groups is discussed in this article. The polymers were synthesized by grafting 2‐nitrobenzyl moieties onto poly(acrylic acid)‐block‐polystyrene (PAA‐b‐PS) precursor polymers, leading to poly(2‐nitrobenzyl acrylate‐random‐acrylic acid)‐block‐polystyrene (P(NBA‐r‐AA)‐b‐PS) block copolymers. The UV irradiation of the block copolymers in a selective solvent for PS led to the formation of micelles that were used to trap hydrophilic molecules inside their core (light‐induced encapsulation). In addition, thin films consisting of light‐responsive P(NBA‐r‐AA) cylinders surrounded by a PS matrix were achieved by the self‐assembly of P(NBA‐r‐AA)‐b‐PS copolymers onto silicon substrates. Exposing these films to UV irradiation generates nanostructured materials containing carboxylic acids inside the cylindrical nanodomains. The availability of these chemical functions was demonstrated by reacting them with a functional fluorescent dye. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem, 2011     

Dispersion of TiO2 on high‐surface‐area mesoporous silica: functionalization with tungstophosphoric acid and application in solvent‐free,aerobic oxidation of n‐hexadecane

Imidazole type ionic liquid, 1‐hexadecyl‐3‐methylimidazolium chloride, was used to template the synthesis of high‐surface‐area mesoporous silica under acidic conditions and crystalline titanium dioxide (TiO₂) nanoparticles of anatase phase were inserted utilizing a solvent evaporation‐induced method. The surface area of more than 700 m² g^?1 was obtained after TiO₂ impregnation. Further, the polyoxometalate, 12‐tungstophosphoric acid (PW₁₂) was dispersed on the surface of TiO₂ to form PW₁₂–TiO₂–silica hybrid catalytic materials. The catalytic activity of this hybrid material was tested for solvent‐free, aerobic oxidation of n‐hexadecane. The experimental investigation shows that PW₁₂–TiO₂ nanocrystals did not block the pore channels and gave good conversion. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

One‐pot synthesis of conjugated poly(3‐hexylthiophene)‐b‐poly(phenyl isocyanide) hybrid rod–rod block copolymers and its self‐assembling properties

In this article, the synthesis of a series of conjugated rod–rod block copolymers based on poly(3‐hexylthiophene) (P3HT) and poly(phenyl isocyanide) (PPI) building blocks in a single pot is presented. Ni‐catalyzed Grignard metathesis polymerization of 2,5‐dibromo‐3‐hexylthiophene and subsequent addition of 4‐isocyanobenzoyl‐2‐aminoisobutyric acid decyl ester in the presence of Ni(dppp)Cl₂ as a single catalyst afford P3HT‐b‐PPI with tunable molecular weights and compositions. In solid state, microphase separation occurred as differential scanning calorimetric analysis of P3HT‐b‐PPI revealed two glass transition temperatures. In solutions, the copolymers can self‐assemble into spherical aggregates with P3HT core and PPI shell in tetrahydrofuran and exhibit amorphous state in CHCl₃. However, atomic force microscopy revealed that the block copolymers self‐assemble into nanofibrils on the substrate. These unique features warrant the resultant conjugated rod–rod copolymers' potential study in organic photovoltaic and other electronic devices. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2013, 51, 2939–2947     

Mesoporous silica supported ytterbium as catalyst for synthesis of 1,2‐disubstituted benzimidazoles and 2‐substituted benzimidazoles

The benzimidazole ring is an important pharmacophore in contemporary drug discovery. Thus, effort to identifying new compounds containing benzimidazole scaffolds have gained much attention in recent years. In the present study, MCM‐41 type mesoporous silica with large pore (l‐MSN) supported ytterbium was successfully prepared by wet impregnation method. Among rare earth metal salts, ytterbium triflate has already been widely investigated as a catalyst in organic synthesis but less toxic ytterbium oxide has yet to be explored. Relatively high abundance and low cost of ytterbium with respect to many catalytically active metals (e.g. Pd, Au, Ru, Ir, Pt) offer an opportunity to develop sustainable catalysts for organic conversions. The catalyst has been characterized by various techniques including nitrogen adsorption, FT‐IR, TEM, SEM, EDX technique and elemental mapping. The obtained materials exhibit high surface area and a narrow distribution of mesoporosity. The catalytic performance of the Yb@l–MSNs was tested by synthesis of 1,2‐disubstituted benzimidazoles and 2‐substituted benzimidazoles through the coupling of aldehydes with o‐phenylenediamine. The catalyst resulted in excellent yields in short reaction times and the reaction showed tolerance toward both electron‐donating and electron‐withdrawing functional groups at room temperature. A particularly interesting finding was the solvent selectivity of this reaction; namely, 1,2‐disubstituted benzimidazoles generated as major product in water‐ethanol, while the 2‐substituted benzimidazoles was generated exclusively in non‐polar solvents like toluene.     

Evaluation of 5‐ethylidene‐2‐norbornene with an adhesion promoter for self‐healing applications

5‐Ethylidene‐2‐norbornene (ENB) has a potential application as part of a new generation of healing agents, owing to its rapid polymerization rate and wide liquid temperature range. In this study, we developed a new self‐healing system using ENB as the healing agent and methyl 5‐norbornene‐2‐carboxylate (MNC) as the adhesion promoter. Dynamic differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) was used to monitor cure behaviors of ENB with different MNC loadings, through which a series of cure temperatures were designed. The MNC loading and cure temperature had significant effects on the adhesion strength. The adhesion strength increased remarkably with MNC loadings of up to 10 wt % compared with ENB alone. The ENB monomer and the ENB/MNC mixture were successfully microencapsulated, and the resultant microcapsules were embedded into an epoxy resin along with Grubbs' catalyst for self‐healing efficiency measurements. Peak fracture loads for both healing agents showed maximal values at a low catalyst loading (0.3 wt %). In comparison with neat ENB, a significant improvement in healing efficiency was observed for the ENB/MNC mixture. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part B: Polym. Phys. 2016 , 54, 1170–1179     

Aminosilane SAM‐Assisted Patterning of Poly(3,4‐ethylenedioxythiophene) Nanofilm Robustly Adhered to SiO2 Substrate

To improve the patternability and adhesion of poly(3,4‐ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT) nanofilm to an SiO₂ surface, an oxidized silicon wafer substrate was microcontact printed with an octadecyltrichlorosilane (OTS) monolayer, and subsequently its negative pattern was self‐assembled with (3‐aminopropyl)trimethoxysilane (APS) molecules. Then, a PEDOT nanofilm was selectively grown on the APS monolayer‐patterned area via the vapor phase polymerization (VPP) method. To evaluate the adhesion and patterning, the PEDOT nanofilm and mixed monolayer were investigated with a Scotch® tape peel test, Fourier transform infrared (FT‐IR) microspectrometer, X‐ray photoelectron spectrometer, and optical and atomic force microscopes. The evaluation revealed that the newly developed bottom‐up process can offer a robustly adhered, and selectively patterned PEDOT nanofilm on an oxidized Si wafer surface, most likely through extensive but intermittent chemical bonds between the polymer and the APS monolayer.

     

Synthesis and self‐assembly in water of coil‐rod‐coil amphiphilic block copolymers with central π‐conjugated sequence

The purpose of this study is to correlate the nano‐organization in water of coil‐rod‐coil amphiphilic block copolymers constituted of a conjugated segment to their optoelectronic properties. The ABA block copolymer structures, easily achieved via coupling reactions, are based on conjugated rod of dihexylfluorene and 3,4‐ethylenedioxythiophene units linked to two flexible poly(ethylene oxide) or poly[(ethylene oxide)‐ran‐(propylene oxide)] chains. These well‐defined copolymers exhibited a range of specific morphologies in water, a good solvent of coil blocks and a bad solvent of the conjugated rod. Particularly, vesicles and micelles with spherical, cylindrical, or elongated shape were noticed. Correlations were attempted to be established between the weight percent of the conjugated sequence contained in the copolymers, the morphology of the nanostructures obtained by self‐assembly in solution and the resulting optical properties. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 46: 4602–4616, 2008     

Synthesis,crystal structure solution and characterization of two organic–inorganic hybrid layered materials based on metal sulfates and 1,4‐phenylenediamine

Two organic–inorganic hybrid layered materials, namely poly[(μ‐1,4‐diaminobenzene‐κ²N:N′)[μ₃‐sulfato(VI)‐κ⁴O:O′:O′′,O′′′]manganese], [Mn(SO₄)(C₆H₈N₂)]_n, 1 , and poly[(μ‐1,4‐diaminobenzene‐κ²N:N′)[μ₃‐sulfato(VI)‐κ⁴O:O′:O′′,O′′′]copper], [Cu(SO₄)(C₆H₈N₂)]_n, 2 , have been synthesized using 1,4‐phenylenediamine (PPD) as an organic template and component (linker). Both materials form three‐dimensional frameworks. The crystal structures were determined using data from powder X‐ray diffraction measurements. The purity and morphology of the compounds were studied by elemental analyses and SEM investigations, and their thermal stabilities were determined by thermogravimetric and nonambient powder X‐ray diffraction measurements, which indicated that 1 is stable up to 537 K and 2 is stable up to 437 K.     

Combination of radical and cationic photoprocesses for the single‐step synthesis of organic‐inorganic hybrid films

Nanocomposite materials prepared from radically photocurable hybrid sol–gel precursors have been widely developed within the last decade, especially to devise novel optical devices and coatings. For their synthesis, a preferential route has involved in the successive sol–gel process of acrylate trialkoxysilane precursors followed by radical photopolymerization. In contrast, this work presents an original one‐step synthesis based on the association of two different photoinitiators (PIs) in the same formulation: the photolysis of a hydroxyphenylketone (radical PI) affords polyacrylate chains while that of a diaryl iodonium salt (cationic PI) generates powerful superacids catalyzing the sol–gel reactions of the alkoxy functions. The behavior of methacrylate and acrylate trimethoxysilane precursors was compared to highlight the effect of the organic moiety functionality on the reaction kinetics (Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy) and the film microstructure (¹³C and ²⁹Si solid‐state nuclear magnetic resonance). Interestingly, evidence of local organization in these hybrid films was also given by X‐ray analysis. In a last part, their thermomechanical properties were discussed thoroughly using a range of techniques: DSC, scratch‐resistance test, nanoindentation. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 48: 4150–4158, 2010     

Preparation of a long‐alkyl‐chain‐based hybrid monolithic column with mixed‐mode interactions using a “one‐pot” process for pressurized capillary electrochromatography

A simple “one‐pot” approach for the preparation of a new vinyl‐functionalized organic–inorganic hybrid monolithic column is described. In this improved method, the hydrolyzed alkoxysilanes of tetramethoxysilane and triethoxyvinylsilane were used as precursors for the synthesis of a silica‐based monolith, while 1‐hexadecene and sodium ethylenesulfonate were used as vinyl functional monomers along with azobisisobutyronitrile as an initiator. The effects of reaction temperature, urea content, and composition of organic monomers on the column properties (e.g. morphology, mechanical stability, and chromatographic performance) were investigated. The monolithic column was used for the separation of neutral solutes by reversed‐phase pressurized capillary. Furthermore, the monolith can separate various aromatic amines, which indicated its excellent cation‐exchange capability and hydrophobic interactions. The baseline separation of the aromatic amines was obtained with a column efficiency of up to 78 000 plates/m.     

In‐Situ “molecular welding” preparation of graphene/polyimide hybrid film with superior thermal conductivity and flexibility

With the rapid development of electronic industry, thermal management has become a critical issue that severely restricts the application of portable devices. In this work, we fabricate a flexible and free‐standing graphitized‐graphene/polyimide (I‐g‐GO/PI) film via an in‐situ “molecular welding” strategy. With the help of in‐situ polymerization, PI can be well‐dispersed with GO and serves as a solder to enlarge the grain size of GO, resulting in an enhanced thermal conductivity of the film. The 7 wt % addition of PI into GO (I‐g‐GO/PI‐7%) leads to an in‐plane thermal conductivity as high as 1269.700 ± 1.498 W/m/K, which is 81.8% higher than that of the pristine graphene and also superior to that fabricated via solution blending method by 58.3%. Simultaneously, the hybrid film exhibits an excellent flexibility and survives from a 2000 cycles bending test. The large‐area hybrid film prepared by such an in‐situ “molecular welding” method provides a promising way to fabricate graphene‐based film for highly efficient thermal management. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part B: Polym. Phys. 2018 , 56, 1215–1223     

A self‐penetrated three‐dimensional zinc(II) coordination framework based on 4,4′,4′′‐(1,3,5‐triazine‐2,4,6‐triyl)tribenzoic acid and 1,3‐bis[(imidazol‐1‐yl)methyl]benzene ligands: synthesis,structure and properties

With the rapid development of metal–organic frameworks (MOFs), a variety of MOFs and their derivatives have been synthesized and reported in recent years. Commonly, multifunctional aromatic polycarboxylic acids and nitrogen‐containing ligands are employed to construct MOFs with fascinating structures. 4,4′,4′′‐(1,3,5‐Triazine‐2,4,6‐triyl)tribenzoic acid (H₃TATB) and the bidentate nitrogen‐containing ligand 1,3‐bis[(imidazol‐1‐yl)methyl]benzene (bib) were selected to prepare a novel Zn^II‐MOF under solvothermal conditions, namely poly[[tris{μ‐1,3‐bis[(imidazol‐1‐yl)methyl]benzene}bis[μ₃‐4,4′,4′′‐(1,3,5‐triazine‐2,4,6‐triyl)tribenzoato]trizinc(II)] dimethylformamide disolvate trihydrate], {[Zn₃(C₂₄H₁₂N₃O₆)₂(C₁₄H₁₄N₄)₃]·2C₃H₇NO·3H₂O}_n ( 1 ). The structure of 1 was characterized by single‐crystal X‐ray diffraction, IR spectroscopy and powder X‐ray diffraction. The properties of 1 were investigated by thermogravimetric and fluorescence analysis. Single‐crystal X‐ray diffraction shows that 1 belongs to the monoclinic space group Pc. The asymmetric unit contains three crystallographically independent Zn^II centres, two 4,4′,4′′‐(1,3,5‐triazine‐2,4,6‐triyl)tribenzoate (TATB^3?) anions, three complete bib ligands, one and a half free dimethylformamide molecules and three guest water molecules. Each Zn^II centre is four‐coordinated and displays a distorted tetrahedral coordination geometry. The Zn^II centres are connected by TATB^3? anions to form an angled ladder chain with large windows. Simultaneously, the bib ligands link Zn^II centres to give a helical Zn–bib–Zn chain. Furthermore, adjacent ladders are bridged by Zn–bib–Zn chains to form a fascinating three‐dimensional self‐penetrated framework with the short Schläfli symbol 6⁵·7·8¹³·9·10. In addition, the luminescence properties of 1 in the solid state and the fluorescence sensing of metal ions in suspension were studied. Significantly, compound 1 shows potential application as a fluorescent sensor with sensing properties for Zr⁴⁺ and Cu²⁺ ions.