Measurement of the solubility of metal complexes in supercritical carbon dioxide using a UV–vis spectrometer

A new apparatus based on the circulation method was developed to measure the solubility of metal complexes in supercritical carbon dioxide (scCO₂) at a wide range of temperatures and pressures. A UV–vis spectrometer, which was connected to a small saturation cell through optical fibers, was used to determine solubility. The solubilities of cobalt(III) acetylacetonate (Co(acac)₃) and chromium(III) acetylacetonate (Cr(acac)₃) in scCO₂ were measured to check the validity of both the apparatus and the method and to accumulate new solubility data. The solubility data for Cr(acac)₃ obtained in this study were in good agreement with the data reported in the literature.The measured solubilities of Co(acac)₃ and Cr(acac)₃ were also correlated with the empirical equation including the three adjustable parameters, based on the equation proposed by Chrastil. The parameters were determined by fitting the equation to the experimental data for each metal complex and the calculated results closely replicated the experimental data.     

Ion-beam irradiation effects on polyimide-UV–vis and infrared spectroscopic study

Ion-beam irradiation effects on polyimide, Kapton™, were studied with respect to optical and electronic properties. Stack films of Kapton™ (12.5 μm thick) were irradiated to various ion beams in air or vacuo at room temperature and subjected to ultraviolet–visible (UV–vis) spectroscopy, and change in absorbance and energy gap is discussed. The UV–vis absorption spectrum, which is assigned to the transition of electrons in benzene rings from π to π* orbital, upon He²⁺ (6 MeV/u) irradiation in air, shifted towards longer wavelength direction for all cases, and the shift was more obvious for higher linear energy transfer (LET) ion beams. The energy gap of the transition was estimated, and the H⁺ and He²⁺ ion beams caused little change in the transition energy gap Eg, while the heavier ions such as C⁶⁺ and Si¹⁴⁺ caused more significant decrease. This decrease is assumed to the structural changes around benzene rings, and the infrared spectroscopy revealed breakage in imide groups next to benzene ring in the repeating unit of polyimide.     

Solute–solvent interactions of acid–1,4-dioxane mixtures—By dielectric, FTIR, UV–vis and 13C NMR spectrometric methods

Results of the dielectric studies carried out on the binary mixture of n-butyric and caprylic acids with 1,4-dioxane over the entire composition range and at temperatures 303 K, 308 K, 313 K and 318 K, and FTIR, UV–vis and 13C NMR spectral studies are presented in this paper. The excess permittivity and excess free energy were fitted with the Redlich–Kister polynomial. The variation of Kirkwood correlation factors, excess permittivity and excess free energy of mixing with the concentration and temperature has been investigated in view of understanding the ordering of dipoles of solute and solvent molecules. The FTIR, UV–vis and 13C NMR spectral analysis reveals the formation of complex between solute and solvent molecules. The parallel alignment of electric dipoles of the complex predicted by dielectric studies is well supported by UV–vis spectral analysis. The structure of the complex molecule present in the clusters has been deduced.     

UV–vis absorption properties of polyazomethine in base and protonated with 1,2-(di-2-ethylhexyl)ester of 4-sulfophthalic acid form

The UV–vis absorption properties of undoped and doped 1,4-phenylenemethylidynenitrilo-1,4-phenylenenitrilomethylidyne (PAZ) in various temperatures are reported. It is demonstrated that the absorption spectra can be modified not only by changing the temperature from 193 K to 413 K, but also via acid–base doping involving the protonation of nitrogen atom in imine group. The use of special protonating agent, i.e. 1,2-(di-2-ethylhexyl)ester of 4-sulfophthalic acid (PSA) lead to the modification of the absorption spectrum of the PAZ. The imine band in UV–vis spectrum of the doped with the PSA polyazomethine is 85 nm red shifts in comparison with unprotonated one. The thermochromism of PAZ included the conformational changes in the conjugating backbone structure of the undoped and doped polyazomethine.     

Spectroelectrochemical studies of poly-o-phenylenediamine Part 2. In situ UV—vis subtractive reflectance spectroscopy

In our previous paper, the phenazine-like structure of the poly-o-phenylenediamine (PoPD) and its three steady redox states have been revealed mainly by using in situ resonance Raman spectroscopy. It has also been shown that the semi-oxidized state of PoPD is the most stable state of PoPD, while the totally-oxidized state of PoPD is chemically unstable and can exist only at certain electrode potentials. In the present work, the more detailed reaction mechanism of a PoPD film in strong acid solution has been studied by using in situ UV—vis substractive reflectance spectroscopy. The semi-oxidized state and the totally-oxidized state of PoPD have electronic absorption bands around 300 nm, 430 nm, 500 nm and 300 nm, 450 nm, 530 nm, 735 nm respectively in the in situ steady state UV—vis subtractive reflectance spectra with respect to the reduced state of PoPD, which verifies once again that three redox states of PoPD exist in the redox process of PoPD. Moreover, the relative intensity between two oxidized states of PoPD at the maximum absorption wavelength (λ_max) reveals that only about one third of the semi-oxidized state of PoPD can be oxidized to the totally-oxidized state of PoPD. The in situ resonance Raman spectra and the cyclic voltammograms of PoPD display the same quantitative relationship. New absorption bands were observed in the in situ time-resolved UV—vis subtractive reflectance spectra with appropriate time resolutions, which illustrate the dynamic structure changes of PoPD in its redox process. These intermediate states of PoPD are more unstable than its three redox states.     

UV–visible spectroscopy for zirconocene activation by MAO in olefin polymerization: activity versus wavenumber

Activation of ansa‐zirconocenes of the type Rac [Zr{1‐Me₂Si(3‐R‐(η⁵‐C₉H₅))(3‐R′‐(η⁵‐C₉H₅))}Cl₂] [R = Et, R′ = H ( 1 ); R = Pr, R′ = H ( 2 ); and R = Et, R′ = Pr ( 3 ), R, R′ = Me ( 4 ) and R, R′ = Bu ( 5 )] by MAO has been studied by UV–visible spectroscopy. Compounds 1–3 have been tested in the polymerization of ethylene at different Al:Zr ratios. UV–vis spectroscopy was used to determine a correlation between the electronic structures of ( 1–5 ) and their polymerization activity. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Use of diffusion‐ordered NMR spectroscopy and HPLC–UV–SPE–NMR to identify undeclared synthetic drugs in medicines illegally sold as phytotherapies

The informal (and/or illegal) e‐commerce of pharmaceutical formulations causes problems that governmental health agencies find hard to control, one of which concerns formulas sold as natural products. The purpose of this work was to explore the advantages and limitations of DOSY and HPLC–UV–SPE–NMR. These techniques were used to identify the components of a formula illegally marketed in Brazil as an herbal medicine possessing anti‐inflammatory and analgesic properties. DOSY was able to detect the major components present at higher concentrations. Complete characterization was achieved using HPLC–UV–SPE–NMR, and 1D and 2D NMR analyses enabled the identification of known synthetic drugs. These were ranitidine and a mixture of orphenadrine citrate, piroxicam, and dexamethasone, which are co‐formulated in a remedy called Rheumazim that is used to relieve severe pain, but it is prohibited in Brazil because of a lack of sufficient pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic information. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Solvent‐tunable colors in imprinted helical structures on polymer template via multiple UV‐induced polymerization

A solvent tunable single‐layer polymer film with a multipitched photonic structure as a new photonic band gap material has been developed by imprinting the helical structures on polymer matrices through multiple photocrosslinking in an induced chiral nematic mesophase. Here, the polymer matrices themselves served as a chiral template, which exhibited Bragg reflections in the absence of both a chiral dopant and anisotropic materials because of the memory effects of the polymer network. Tuning of colors was achieved by making a refractive index contrast in the two periodic media of imprinted solid helical structure and the isotropic liquids that fill it. On incorporation of various isotropic liquids in the imprinted matrices, a sharp peak in the reflection spectrum shifted drastically, which indicated that the wavelength shifts strongly depended on the sort of liquids that filled the matrices. The effects of temperature on the imprinted polymer template feeding the various liquids were studied through the reflectance spectra. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem, 2011     

Determination of cadmium and copper in water and food samples by dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction combined with UV–vis spectrophotometry

In this work, a new method based on dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction (DLLME) preconcentration using tetrachloromethane (CCl₄) as extraction solvent was proposed for the spectrophotometric determination of cadmium and copper in water and food samples. The influence factors relevant to DLLME, such as type and volume of extractant and disperser solvent, concentration of chelating reagents, pH, salt effect, were optimized. Under the optimal conditions, the limits of detection for cadmium and copper were 0.01 ng/L and 0.5 μg/L, with enhancement factors (EFs) of 3458 and 10, respectively. The tremendous contrast of EFs could come from the different maximum absorption wavelength caused by the different extraction acidity compared with some conventional works and the enhancement effect of acetone used as dilution solvent during the spectrophotometric determination. The proposed method was applied to the determination of water and food samples with satisfactory analytical results. The proposed method was simple, rapid, cost-efficient and sensitive, especially for the detection of cadmium.     

Phenol O–H bond dissociation energy in water clusters

We are reporting ab initio and density functional theory (DFT) calculations for the phenol O–H bond dissociation energy in the gas phase and in phenol–water clusters. We have tested a series of recently proposed functionals and verified that DFT systematically underestimates the O–H bond dissociation energy of phenol. However, O–H bond dissociation energies in water clusters are in reasonable agreement with experimental data for phenol in solution. We have evaluated electronic difference densities in phenol–water, phenoxy–water, and water, and we are suggesting that the representation of this quantity gives an interesting picture of the electronic density rearrangement induced by hydrogen bond interactions in phenol–water clusters. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Int J Quantum Chem, 2001     

Structures and isomerization of neutral and zwitterion serine–water clusters: Computational study

Calculations are presented for the structure and the isomerization reaction of various conformers of the bare serine, neutral serine–(H₂O)_n and serine zwitterion–(H₂O)_n (n = 1, 2) clusters. The effects of binding water molecules on the relative stability and the isomerization processes are examined. Hydrogen bonding between serine and the water molecule(s) may significantly affect the relative stability of conformers of the neutral serine–(H₂O)_n (n = 1, 2) clusters. The sidechain (OH group) in serine is found to have a profound effect on the structure and isomerization of serine–(H₂O)_n (n = 1, 2) clusters. Conformers with the hydrogen bonding between water and the hydroxyl group of serine are predicted. A detailed analysis is presented of the isomerization (proton transfer) pathways between the neutral serine–(H₂O)₂ and serine zwitterion–(H₂O)₂ clusters by carrying out the intrinsic reaction coordinate analysis. At least two water molecules need to bind to produce the stable serine zwitterion–water cluster in the gas phase. The isomerization for the serine–(H₂O)₂ cluster proceeds by the concerted double and triple proton transfer mechanism occurring via the binding water molecules, or via the hydroxyl group. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Quantum Chem, 2005     

Synthesis and characterization of fluorene end‐labeled polystyrene with atom transfer radical polymerization

Fluorene end‐labeled polystyrene was prepared by atom transfer radical polymerization with 9‐bromofluorene as the initiator. Reactions were carried out in bulk or tetrahydrofuran solutions at temperatures of 80 °C or above. Analysis by gel permeation chromatography indicated that the polymers formed had low polydispersities with molecular weights consistently 2–5 times higher than calculated based on monomer‐to‐initiator ratios. Coupling of two fluorenyl radicals, formed by activation of the 9‐bromofluorene, was found to compete with initiation, leading to the higher‐than‐expected molecular weight values while giving rise to a fluorene dimer. UV–vis spectrometry indicated near‐quantitative fluorene labeling of the polystyrene. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 43: 2657–2665, 2005     

Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy and in situ UV‐vis spectroelectrochemistry studies of Poly(N‐vinyl carbazole)/ Polydimethylsiloxane composite electrodes

Poly(N‐vinyl carbazole)/polydimethylsiloxane (PNVCz/PDMS) composite electrodes were prepared by electrochemical polymerization of NVCz monomer onto PDMS‐coated platinum (Pt) and glassy carbon (GC) electrode surfaces to investigate the influence of the insulating constituent, PDMS and process temperature on the capacitive performance of the coated layers. The electrochemical properties of the bilayer coatings were studied by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy and UV‐vis spectroelectrochemistry measurements. The low‐frequencies capacitance values of composite electrodes indicated that the capacitive behaviors of the composites decreased with increasing PDMS content (from 5.0 to 10.0; in wt/v%) in coating solutions at 25 °C, and with decreasing coating temperatures (from 25 °C to ? 15 °C) of PDMS and PNVCz and, more resist PDMS/PNVCz layers formed. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Short communication: Carbon–Silicon coupling between fluorenyl Grignard reagents and dichlorosilanes for synthesis of novel copolymers and chemical properties of the copolymers

A series of novel silicon‐containing fluorene polymers has been prepared by carbon–silicon (C–Si) coupling between fluorenyl Grignard reagents and dichlorosilanes, and their optical and thermal properties have been studied. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Synthesis and properties of through‐space conjugated polymers based on π–π stacked 1,3‐biarylpropane tethering units

Novel skipped‐π polymers in which the π‐components are connected with 2‐substituted trimethylene tethering units exhibit bathochromically shifted, broadened ultraviolet absorption with a unique lower‐energy absorption band and a largely red‐shifted fluorescent emission. These results suggest that through‐space π–π interactions owing to a stair‐like stacking substructure in these polymers extend the π‐conjugation of the components in the ground and excited states. As the photophysical properties of the polymers observed both in a solution and in a dried film are similar to those of the J‐aggregates of π‐molecules, these polymers may be considered as pseudo J‐stacking (or J‐like‐stacking) polymers. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2013 , 51, 3412–3419     

Synthesis and unexpected electrochemical behavior of the triphenylamine‐based aramids with ortho‐ and para‐trimethyl‐protective substituents

Two series of new organosoluble polyamides with methyl‐substituted triphenylamine (MeTPA) units showing anodically electrochromic characteristic were prepared from the phosphorylation polyamidation reaction of two diamine monomers, 4,4′‐diamino‐2″,4″,6″‐trimethyltriphenylamine (Me₃TPA‐diamine; 2 ) and 4,4′‐diamino‐4″‐methyltriphenylamine (MeTPA‐diamine; 2 ′), with various dicarboxylic acids, respectively. These polymers were readily soluble in many polar solvents and showed useful levels of thermal stability associated with relatively high glass‐transition temperatures (T_g) (314–329 °C) and high char yields (higher than 62% at 800 °C in nitrogen). In addition, the polymer films showed reversible electrochemical oxidation, high coloration efficiency (CE), low switching time, and anodic green electrochromic behavior. The unexpected electrochemical behavior of higher oxidation potential and lower electrochemical stability of Me₃TPA‐polyamides I than MeTPA corresponding polymers could be attributed to the higher steric hindrance of ortho‐substituents in Me₃TPA moieties, thus made the resonance stabilization of cation radical much more difficult for the Me₃‐substituted phenyl ring. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem, 2010     

New selenium‐based iniferter agent for living free radical polymerization of styrene under UV irradiation

P,P‐Diphenyl phosphinodiselenoic acid benzyl ester was synthesized and used as a mediator for the polymerization of styrene under UV–vis irradiation. Moderately controlled evidence was found: linear polymerization kinetics, linear evolution of molecular weight with monomer conversion, and relatively narrow molecular weight distribution (1.5–2.0). The structure of the obtained polymers was characterized using NMR and oxidative eliminaton. Based on polymerization results, an iniferter mechanism was proposed for the current polymerization system. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem, 2012     

Synthesis and properties of polythiophenes with conjugated side‐chains containing carbon–carbon double and triple bonds

Two soluble side‐chain conjugated polythiophenes, poly{3‐[2‐(4‐octyloxy‐phenyl)‐vinyl]‐thiophene} (P3OPVT) and poly{3‐(4‐octyloxy‐phenylethynyl)‐thiophene} (P3OPET) have been synthesized successfully. In P3OPVT and P3OPET, substituted benzene rings are connected with the polythiophene backbone through trans carbon–carbon double bond and carbon–carbon triple bond, respectively. Absorption spectra of the P3OPVT and P3OPET both show two absorption peaks located in UV and visible region, respectively. The results of optical and electrochemical measurements indicate that the conjugated side‐chains can reduce the bandgap effectively. This type of side‐chain conjugated polythiophenes may be promising for the applications in polymer photovoltaic cells and field effect transistors. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 44: 2206–2214, 2006     

Synthesis of poly(1‐chloro‐2‐arylacetylene)s with high cis‐content and examination of their absorption/emission properties

A series of 1‐chloro‐2‐arylacetylenes [Cl‐C?C‐Ar, Ar = C₆H₅ ( 1 ), C₆H₄‐p‐i Pr ( 2 ), C₆H₄‐p‐Oi Pr ( 3 ), C₆H₄‐p‐NHC(O)Ot Bu ( 4 ), and C₆H₄‐o‐i Pr ( 5 )] were polymerized using (tBu₃P)PdMeCl/silver trifluoromethanesulfonate (AgOTf) and MoCl₅/SnBu₄ catalysts. The corresponding polymers [poly( 1 )–poly( 5 )] with weight‐average molecular weights of 6,500–690,000 were obtained in 10–91% yields. THF‐insoluble parts, presumably high‐molecular weight polymers, were formed together with THF‐soluble polymers by the Pd‐catalyzed polymerization. The Pd catalyst polymerized nonpolar monomers 1 and 2 to give the polymers in yields lower than the Mo catalyst, while the Pd catalyst polymerized polar monomers 3 and 4 to give the corresponding polymers in higher yields. The ¹H NMR and UV–vis absorption spectra of the polymers indicated that the cis‐contents of the Pd‐based polymers were higher than those of the Mo‐based polymers, and the conjugation length of the Pd‐based polymers was shorter than that of the Mo‐based polymers. Pd‐based poly( 5 ) emitted fluorescence most strongly among poly( 1 )–poly( 5 ). © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2017 , 55 , 382–388     

On the formation mechanism for electrically generated exciplexes in a carbazole–pyridine copolymer

Although carbazole‐containing copolymers are frequently used as hole‐transporting host materials for polymer organic light‐emitting diodes (OLEDs), they often suffer from the formation of undesired exciplexes when the OLED is operated. The reason why exciplexes sometimes form for electrical excitation, yet not for optical excitation is not well understood. Here, we use luminescence measurements and quantum chemical calculations to investigate the mechanism of such exciplex formation for electrical excitation (electroplex formation) in a carbazole–pyridine copolymer. Our results suggest that the exciplex is formed via a positively charged interchain precursor complex. This complex is stabilized by interactions that involve the nitrogen lone pairs on both chain segments. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys, 2012