Effect of intramonolayer hydrogen bonding of carboxyl groups in self-assembled monolayers on a single force with phenylurea on an AFM probe tip.

The molecular interaction force of the intermonolayer hydrogen bonding between phenylurea groups on a probe tip and carboxyl groups in self-assembled monolayers was measured directly by means of atomic force microscopy in ethanol. Gold-coated AFM probe tips were modified chemically with 2-(N'-phenylureido)ethanethiol possessing a terminal urea moiety, which is a well-known powerful functionality for forming stable hydrogen bondings with neutral and anionic species. Adhesion force measurements were carried out on gold substrates coated with a COOH-terminated SAM composed of 6-mercaptohexanoic acid in ethanol using the phenylurea-functionalized probe tip. The adhesion force observed was decreased in the presence of H2PO4(-) in the measurement bath, indicating that the intermonolayer hydrogen bonding between the phenylurea moieties and carboxyl groups attached covalently to the probe tip and substrate, respectively, is suppressed by the anion added to the measurement solution. The specific hydrogen-bonding force was measured on binary mixed SAMs prepared by mixing 6-mercaptohexanoic acid with 1-hexanethiol. The individual hydrogen-bonding force between the phenylurea-modified tip and the binary mixed SAMs with various fractions of MHA was evaluated by repetitive force measurements and their statistical analyses by an autocorrelation method. We discuss the effect of diluting the COOH-terminated component in the mixed SAM on the adhesion force and the single force between the phenylurea and carboxyl groups in terms of competition between intermonolayer and intramonolayer hydrogen bonding.     

AFM observation of cation complexation of dibenzocrown ethers adsorbed on highly oriented pyrolytic graphite

The cation complexation behavior of dibenzocrown ethers adsorbed on highly oriented pyrolytic graphite substrates was investigated by means of atomic force microscopy using probe tips modified chemically with ammonium ion by silane coupling. The specific adhesion force based on the intermolecular force between dibenzocrown ether and ammonium ion was observed via force curve measurements in ethanol at the interface between the substrate and tip. The observed specific force decreased in the presence of the alkali metal ion in solution, indicating that the cation in solution interferes with the complexation of the crown ethers adsorbed on the substrate with the ammonium ion immobilized on the tip. The blocking effect of metal ions in solution on the observed force depended on the sizes of both the blocking cation and crown ether ring, suggesting that the surface-adsorbed dibenzocrown ethers possess a selective cation-complexing ability similar to that in their bulk state and that the adhesion force measurements using cation-modified tips allow evaluation of the cation-complexing ability of crown ethers under cation-competitive conditions.     

一种含螺吡喃和肉桂酸酯双光功能基团的光致变色染料的合成与性能

合成了一种含有光致聚合肉桂酸酯基团的新型光致变色螺吡喃染料,研究其与普通螺吡喃染料在不同高分子材料中的光致变色和热退色过程(PMMA和PVCi).通过UV-Vis光谱、NMR谱和IR光谱研究了新型染料中的肉桂酸酯基团的光致聚合过程,考察了其对螺吡喃结构的光致变色显色体热稳定性的影响.     

Polymeric siloxanes with a substituent and the spirobenzopyran moiety: Effect of polar substituent on the photochromic properties

Oligomeric polysiloxanes having the spirobenzopyran moiety and various substituents were prepared. The polymers were photochromic; the color changed from colorless to red on UV irradiation and the color faded on visible irradiation or on standing in the dark. The thermal decoloration was depressed by the polar substituents. However, the effect of the bulky substituent, which had been observed in the rigid siloxane resins, was not detected. In the inorganic/organic hybrid siloxane gels, the silica/(spirobenzopyran-bonding polysiloxane) system and the (spirobenzopyran-bonding silica)/polysiloxane system, the thermal decoloration was also affected by the polar substituent introduced into the polysiloxane portion. The effect was larger in the first case than in the second. The result can be interpreted by the term of the preferential diffusion of polar spirobenzopyran to the vicinity of the polar substituents during the gelation.     

Photoinduced swelling control of amphiphilic azoaromatic polymer membrane

To control the swelling of polymer membrane by photoirradiation amphiphilic azoaromatic polymer membranes were prepared and a photoinduced change in the swelling degree of water was investigated. The azobenzene moiety in the side chain of the polymer was isomerized from trans form to cis form by ultraviolet (UV) irradiation and reverse isomerization was found by visible light irradiation. The swelling degree of the polymer membrane for water in the dark was decreased by UV radiation, and when visible light irradiation was carried out in the polymer membrane the degree of swelling recovered to the original level. The swelling degree decreased with an increase in the mole fraction of the azobenzene moiety in the dark and under UV irradiation. The deswelling degree of the polymer membrane by UV irradiation also decreased with an increase in the mole fraction of the azobenzene moiety. This reversible change in the swelling degree was considered to be caused by the photoisomerization of the azobenzene moiety in the polymer membrane.     

Evaluation of photoinduced changes in stability constants for metal-ion complexes of crowned spirobenzopyran derivatives by electrospray ionization mass spectrometry

The photoinduced changes of metal-ion complexing ability of crowned spirobenzopyran derivatives were studied by using electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI-MS). Stability constants for the complexation with various metal ions in methanol under visible-irradiation conditions were determined for the first time by ESI-MS. It was found that the stability constants of crowned bis(spirobenzopyran) derivatives with metal ions are decreased dramatically by visible irradiation due to the disappearance of powerful ionic interaction between phenolate anion(s) of the merocyanine form of their spirobenzopyran moiety and a metal ion bound to their crown ether moiety, and the decrease in the stability constants is more pronounced for the multivalent metal-ion complexes. A theoretical consideration was also made to attain reliable values of stability complexes for metal-ion complexes of crown compounds.     

Single complexation force of 18-crown-6 with ammonium ion evaluated by atomic force microscopy

The cation complexation force of 18-crown-6 has been measured in ethanol by means of atomic force microscopy using probe tips and mica substrates modified chemically with 18-crown-6 and ammonium ion, respectively. The specific complexation force was suppressed by free potassium ion in the measurement solution, indicating a blocking effect based on the competitive complexation of the 18-crown-6 moiety between the free ion and the ammonium ion bound to the substrate. The single complexation force of 18-crown-6 with ammonium ion was evaluated to be about 60 pN in ethanol by autocorrelation analyses of the histograms for observed forces.     

In situ hydrodynamic lateral force calibration of AFM colloidal probes

Lateral force microscopy (LFM) is an application of atomic force microscopy (AFM) to sense lateral forces applied to the AFM probe tip. Recent advances in tissue engineering and functional biomaterials have shown a need for the surface characterization of their material and biochemical properties under the application of lateral forces. LFM equipped with colloidal probes of well-defined tip geometries has been a natural fit to address these needs but has remained limited to provide primarily qualitative results. For quantitative measurements, LFM requires the successful determination of the lateral force or torque conversion factor of the probe. Usually, force calibration results obtained in air are used for force measurements in liquids, but refractive index differences between air and liquids induce changes in the conversion factor. Furthermore, in the case of biochemically functionalized tips, damage can occur during calibration because tip-surface contact is inevitable in most calibration methods. Therefore, a nondestructive in situ lateral force calibration is desirable for LFM applications in liquids. Here we present an in situ hydrodynamic lateral force calibration method for AFM colloidal probes. In this method, the laterally scanned substrate surface generated a creeping Couette flow, which deformed the probe under torsion. The spherical geometry of the tip enabled the calculation of tip drag forces, and the lateral torque conversion factor was calibrated from the lateral voltage change and estimated torque. Comparisons with lateral force calibrations performed in air show that the hydrodynamic lateral force calibration method enables quantitative lateral force measurements in liquid using colloidal probes.     

Time-resolved fluorescence study on the photomerocyanine form of spiropyran and its derivative with azobenzene

The excited state dynamics of the photomerocyanine (PMC) form originating from spirobenzopyran and the bi-functional photochromic compound spirobenzopyran–azobenzene (SpAz), containing typical photochromic molecules of spirobenzopyran (Sp) and azobenzene (Az), were investigated using picosecond time-resolved fluorescence measurements in solution at 200 and 285 K and in a PMMA polymer film at 298 K. While the fluorescence lifetimes of PMC were about twice as long as those of SpAz under all experimental conditions, both lifetimes showed similar strong dependence on viscosity rather than temperature. These results suggest that non-radiative decay to an intermediate state could be accompanied by a significant conformational change. The effect of the Az moiety in this relaxation process is also discussed. It is unlikely that an energy transfer from the PMC moiety to the Az moiety occurs. It was concluded that the PMC moiety in the bi-functional SpAz is independent from the Az moiety.     

Preliminary communication Generation of high pretilt angle in a nematic liquid crystal with single oblique polarized UV light irradiation on polyimide surfaces

We propose and investigate obtaining high pretilt nematic alignment using a new photoalignment method: single oblique polarized ultraviolet (UV) light irradiation on polyimide (PI) surfaces. It was found that the monodomain alignment in a nematic liquid crystal (NLC) is obtained with PI surfaces having side chains. We successfully observed that the generated high pretilt angles of the NLC are about 6 with an angle of incidence of 5 80 on the PI surface. Also, the generated pretilt angle of NLC is about 6 with an UV light irradiation of 30 min for angle of incidence of 5, and decreases with increasing UV light irradiation time. High pretilt orientation of the NLC is successfully observed in cells with a single oblique UV light irradiation on PI surfaces.     

Membrane Potential Photoresponse of Crowned Malachite Green Derivatives Affording Perfect Photoswitching of Metal Ion Complexation

Photoirradiation effect on potential response to metal ion concentrations and photoinduced potential change were investigated with poly(vinyl chloride) membranes based on a Malachite Green derivative carrying a bis(monoaza-15-crown-5) moiety, by comparing other Malachite Green derivatives. The Malachite Green carrying a bis(crown ether) moiety caused a potential response to potassium ion concentration changes under dark condition. In the membrane potential response, a clear-cut photoinduced switching of potential response was realized by the membrane of Malachite Green carrying a bis(crown ether) moiety, which exhibited no potential response to potassium ion concentrations (0 mV/decade) on UV irradiation. On the other hand, a Malachite Green carrying a monocyclic benzocrown ether moiety showed a considerable dependence of the membrane potential on the metal ion concentrations under both dark and UV irradiation conditions.     

Molecular design of tetraazamacrocyclic derivatives bearing a spirobenzopyran and three carboxymethyl moieties and their metal-ion complexing behavior.

Tetraazacyclododecane and tetraazacyclotetradecane derivatives bearing a spirobenzopyran and three carboxymethyl moieties, 1 and 2, and a diethylenetriamine derivative bearing a spirobenzopyran and four carboxymethyl moieties 3 were synthesized. The isomerization behaviors based on the spirobenzopyran moiety of these ligands were studied by UV-visible spectrophotometry in aqueous solutions containing various metal ions at neutral pH. These ligands formed stable 1:1 complexes with lanthanide ions, while the spirobenzopyran moiety was isomerized to its corresponding merocyanine form even under dark conditions. In aqueous solutions containing a lanthanide ion, the absorption spectra of 1 or 2 showed remarkable blue shifts, while absorbances at the maximum absorption wavelengths in the visible region were enhanced; such changes are attributable to the isomerization to the merocyanine form of the spirobenzopyran moiety. These results suggest that the phenolate anion of the merocyanine moiety interacts very strongly with a lanthanide ion bound by the complexing moiety because of the high charge density of lanthanide ions. In contrast, the absorbance of merocyanine form was decreased by the complexation of the macrocyclic ligand with transition metal ions, such as Cu2+ and Zn2+. This result indicates that macrocyclic ligands, 1 and 2, formed complexes with transition metal ions only by the aminocarboxylate moieties, and the phenolate ion of merocyanine moiety was not able to participate in the complexation. This conclusion was also demonstrated by density functional theory calculations.     

How can azobenzene block copolymer vesicles be dissociated and reformed by light?

The underlying mechanism of UV light-induced dissociation and visible light-induced reformation of vesicles formed by an azobenzene diblock copolymer was investigated. These processes were studied in situ by monitoring changes in optical transmittance of the vesicular solution while being exposed to UV or visible light irradiation. The results indicate that the UV-induced dissociation of the vesicles results from their thermodynamic instability due to a shift of the hydrophilic/hydrophobic balance arising from the trans-cis isomerization, while their reaggregation takes place upon visible light irradiation that shifts the hydrophilic/hydrophobic balance in the opposite direction after the reverse cis-trans isomerization. The study suggests a specific design principle for obtaining UV light-dissociable and visible light-recoverable vesicles based on azobenzene block copolymers. On one hand, the structure of azobenzene moiety used in the hydrophobic block should have a small (near zero) dipole moment in the trans form and a significantly higher dipole moment in the cis form, which ensures a significant increase in polarity of the hydrophobic block under UV light irradiation. On the other hand, the hydrophilic block should be weakly hydrophilic. The conjunction of the two conditions can make the light-induced shift of the hydrophilic/hydrophobic balance important enough to lead to the reversible change in vesicular aggregation.     

Membrane Potential Photoresponse of Crowned Malachite Green Derivatives Affording Perfect Photoswitching of Metal Ion Complexation

Photoirradiation effect on potential response to metal ion concentrations and photoinduced potential change were investigated with poly(vinyl chloride) membranes based on a Malachite Green derivative carrying a bis(monoaza-15-crown-5) moiety, by comparing other Malachite Green derivatives. The Malachite Green carrying a bis(crown ether) moiety caused a potential response to potassium ion concentration changes under dark condition. In the membrane potential response, a clear-cut photoinduced switching of potential response was realized by the membrane of Malachite Green carrying a bis(crown ether) moiety, which exhibited no potential response to potassium ion concentrations (0 mV/decade) on UV irradiation. On the other hand, a Malachite Green carrying a monocyclic benzocrown ether moiety showed a considerable dependence of the membrane potential on the metal ion concentrations under both dark and UV irradiation conditions.This revised version was published online in July 2005 with a corrected issue number.     

Study on the nanoscale current of ZnO film by photoassisted peak force tunnel atomic force: A novel technique for UV detection

ZnO film-based ultraviolet (UV) detector was fabricated by photoassisted peak force tunnel atomic force (PFTUNA) on fluorine tin oxide (FTO) substrate. The PFTUNA current in dark and in UV light was ~0.1 and 2.0 nA, respectively. The UV sensitivity (photocurrent/dark current) is more than 20. The response time and the recovery time are ~0.12 and 0.32 s, respectively. The UV sensing mechanism is that the holes will transport to the ZnO surface to capture the adsorbed oxygen ions to weaken the depletion layer under UV illumination. The PFTUNA current between the tip and the ZnO film is consistent with the Richardson–Schottky (RS) thermionic emission model.     

Measurement of polyamide and polystyrene adhesion with coated-tip atomic force microscopy

This work presents atomic force microscopy (AFM) measurements of adhesion forces between polyamides, polystyrene and AFM tips coated with the same materials. The polymers employed were polyamide 6 (PA6), PA66, PA12 and polystyrene (PS). All adhesion forces between the various unmodified or modified AFM tips and the polymer surfaces were in the range -1.5 to -8 nN. The weakest force was observed for an unmodified AFM tip with a PS surface and the strongest was between a PS-coated tip and PS surface. The results point to both the benefits and drawbacks of coated-tip AFM force-distance measurements. Adhesion forces between the two most dissimilar (PA6-PS and PA66-PS) materials were significantly asymmetric, e.g., the forces were different depending on the relative placement of each polymer on the AFM tip or substrate. Materials with similar chemistry and intermolecular interactions yielded forces in close agreement regardless of placement on tip or substrate. Using experimental forces, we calculated the contact radii via four models: Derjaguin, Muller, and Toporov; Johnson, Kendall, and Roberts; parametric tip-force-distance relation; and a square pyramid-flat surface (SPFS) model developed herein. The SPFS model gave the most reasonable contact tip radius estimate. Hamaker constants calculated from the SPFS model using this radius agreed in both magnitude and trends with experiment and Lifshitz theory.     

In situ Observation of the Photochromism in the Langmuir Monolayer of a Non—typical Amphiphilic Spiropyran Derivative at the Air／Water Interface

In situ photochromic process in the monolayer of aphotochromic spiropyran derivative without long alkyl chain,was investigated.The photochromism at the air/water interface under differnet surface pressures was studied by surface pressure-area isotherms,surface pressure-time curves,area-time curves and Brewster angle microscopy.Both forms of the compound were found to form monolayers at the air/water interface althouhg it does not have long alkyl chain.A large area expansion in the monolayer corresponding to a zreo^th order reaction was found at the initial stage of the UV light irradiation.A series of dynamic investigations revealed that at high pressure after phase transition in the monolayer,the surface pressure changes greatly umder alternative irradiation of UV and visible light.An obvious morphological change accompanying with the photochromism was observed in situ.     

Unique photochromism of two solid-emissive boron difluoride-based diarylethenes with isomeric structures

Two solid-emissive boron difluoride-based diarylethenes with isomeric structures are synthesized and the boron-difluoride chromophores are one part of the photoisomerization units in both diarylethenes. These two diarylethenes show similar fluorescent properties in the solid state as in dilute chloroform solutions because intermolecular planar π-π interactions are significantly alleviated as verified by their X-ray single crystal structures. However, only one of these two diarylethenes exhibits typical reversible absorption and fluorescence changes upon UV or visible light irradiation, and their diverse response to light irradiation is investigated by X-ray single crystal analysis and also DFT calculation. The investigation presented here provides valuable insight into the designing and development of diarylethene-based fluorescent switches in the solid state.     

紫外光下纳米TiO2 薄膜亲水性机理的电化学研究

The nanometer films of TiO2 were prepared by sol-gel method on ITO（Indium-tin oxide,SnO2:In） substrate. The TiO2 film was the anatase phase with a particle size of 100 nm from the measurements of X-ray diffraction and AFM（Atomic-Force-Microscope）. Electrochemical characteristics of ITO/ TiO2 electrode under UV（ultraviolet）irradiation were investigated using the method of cyclic voltammetry. A new oxidative peak was observed at 0.035 V when the TiO2 electrode was irradiated by 253.7 nm UV light for a certain time. The peak current increased with the irradiation time. It was assumed that the new oxidative peak resulted from Ti3+,which was formed during the UV illumination. The changes of hydrophilicity of the TiO2 thin film on ITO under UV light were also observed. It was assumed that the changes of hydrophilicity of the films may be related with the formation of Ti3+ on the surface when the film was irradiated by UV light.     

Photochemical Behaviour of 17β-Acetoxy-4-aza-1,5-androstadien-3-one: Photo-oxidation vs. Di-π-methane Rearrangement

The irradiation of the title compound 6 with UV. light and under photosensitized oxidation conditions yields products which are characteristic of the photo-oxidation of the enamide moiety of 6 . In contrast to the situation encountered in the case of the irradiation of its carbocyclic and 4-oxa analogues 1 and 2 , respectively, no compound resulting from a di-π-methane rearrangement of the Δ^1,5(6)-unsaturated system of 6 has been so far detected.