Thermal tuning band gap in cholesteric liquid crystals

The phase of a liquid crystal (LC) changing from a nematic phase to a cholesteric (Ch) mesophase is achieved by adding different ratios of chiral dopants S811. By studying the transmission spectrum, we are able to measure the helical pitch in cholesteric phase. The pitch in the mixtures of nematic E7 and chiral dopants S811 as a function of the concentration of the dopant and temperature is investigated. The sensitivity of the selective reflection notch of the cholesteric phase to the thermal tuning depends strongly on the ratios of the chiral dopants. It reveals that the influence of temperature is more profound for those cholesteric liquid crystals (CLCs) which exhibit smectic A (SmA) at lower temperatures. When fitted using Keating's formula, the helical pitch calculated from our experimental results lies on the predicted curve. Optimised ratios of the mixture CLCs for the optimised reflection band with the specified wavelength ranging from 467 nm to 2123 nm are suggested.     

Tunable photonic band gap crystals based on a liquid crystal-infiltrated inverse opal structure

Composite materials comprised of nematic liquid crystals (LCs) and SiO(2) inverse opal films were fabricated. Their optical properties were quite different from those of inverse opal films without the LCs. The optical properties could be controlled by changing the refractive indices of the LCs, which vary with orientation, phase, and temperature. In particular, the optical properties were drastically changed by thermal or photoinduced isothermal phase transitions of the LCs. This means that the photonic band structure could be controlled, and tunable photonic crystals have been achieved, based on the inverse opal structure. The mechanism of this change was investigated by the evaluation of the effective refractive indices. As a result, it was found that the change in optical properties was derived from the orientation of the LC molecules in the voids in the inverse opal film. Furthermore, once the mechanism was understood, it was also possible to control the position of the reflection peak by changing the alignment of the LCs. Such materials have the possibility for practical use in optical devices and fundamental research systems.     

A class of supported membranes: formation of fluid phospholipid bilayers on photonic band gap colloidal crystals

We report the formation of a new class of supported membranes consisting of a fluid phospholipid bilayer coupled directly to a broadly tunable colloidal crystal with a well-defined photonic band gap. For nanoscale colloidal crystals exhibiting a band gap at the optical frequencies, substrate-induced vesicle fusion gives rise to a surface bilayer riding onto the crystal surface. The bilayer is two-dimensionally continuous, spanning multiple beads with lateral mobilities which reflect the coupling between the bilayer topography and the curvature of the supporting colloidal surface. In contrast, the spreading of vesicles on micrometer scale colloidal crystals results in the formation of bilayers wrapping individual colloidal beads. We show that simple UV photolithography of colloidal crystals produces binary patterns of crystal wettabilities, photonic stopbands, and corresponding patterns of lipid mono- and bilayer morphologies. We envisage that these approaches will be exploitable for the development of optical transduction assays and microarrays for many membrane-mediated processes, including transport and receptor-ligand interactions.     

Anchoring effects on the electrically controlled optical band gap in twisted photonic liquid crystals

We study a one-dimensional twisted photonic liquid crystal (TPLC), consisting of various nematic liquid crystal cells adopting a twisted configuration intercalated by isotropic dielectric layers, submitted to a dc electric field (E^dc ) aligned along the periodicity axis. We write the corresponding Euler–Lagrange equations describing the nematic layer configuration. By assuming arbitrary anchoring quasi-planar boundary conditions, we calculate the equilibrium textures for the nematic, parametrized by the two types of strength of its interaction (polar and azimuthal) with the plane walls. We write the electromagnetic equations in a 4?×?4 matrix representation and using the transfer matrix formalism, we obtain the transmittance and reflectance coefficients for normal incidence as functions of the external electric field and anchoring strengths. We have observed a remarkable dependence of the electric field on the transmission and reflection spectra in opening and closing band gaps.     

二维分子晶体的研究进展

二维分子晶体具有超薄、长程有序、无晶界和缺陷密度低等优点,是构建多种高性能光电器件的理想材料.实现二维分子晶体的低成本、大面积制备是二维分子晶体走向应用的关键.目前,人们开发了多种方法,在气相和液相中实现了二维分子晶体的可控制备,并揭示了这类二维有机体系独特的光电性能.本文综述了二维分子晶体的制备方法及其在有机场效应晶...     

A link between impact sensitivity of energetic compounds and their activation energies of thermal decomposition

A new relationship is introduced between impact sensitivity of energetic compounds and their activation energies of thermal decomposition. In this relationship, the impact sensitivity of an energetic compound with general formula C_aH_bN_cO_d is a function of its activation energy of thermal decomposition as well as the ratio of \( \left( {\frac{{n_{\text{H}} }}{{n_{\text{O}} }}} \right) \) and the contribution of specific molecular structural parameters. The new correlation can help us to elucidate the mechanism of initiation of energetic materials by impact. It can be used to predict the magnitude of impact sensitivity of new energetic materials. The new correlation has the root mean square and the average deviations of 2.22 and 1.79 J, respectively, for 40 energetic compounds with different molecular structures. The proposed new method is also tested for 11 energetic compounds, which have complex molecular structures, e.g., 4,10-dinitro-2,6,8,12-tetraoxa-4,10-diazaisowurtzitane and 1,3,7,9-tetranitrophenoxazine.     

Molecular design of prismane-based potential energetic materials with high detonation performance and low impact sensitivity

To develop new energetic materials, the eleven nitroester substitution derivatives of prismane were investigated at the B3LYP/6-311G** level of density functional theory (DFT). The gas phase heats of formation were calculated by isodesmic reactions and the solid-state heats of formation were obtained by the Politzer approach using the heats of sublimation for the designed compounds. The detonation velocities and pressures of all molecules were calculated by Kamlet–Jacobs equations based on molecular density and heat of detonation. The results show that the nitroester group in prismane is helpful for enhancing molecular detonation properties and power index. Among all molecules, 1,2,3,4-tetrnitroesterprismane has excellent detonation properties (detonation pressure = 40.05 GPa, detonation velocity = 9.28 km/s) and large power index value. The molecular stabilities were evaluated by calculating bond dissociation energies and characteristic heights (H₅₀). The results indicate that the bond dissociation energies of all molecules are above 80 kJ/mol, and all molecules have a larger H₅₀ value than hexanitrohexaazaisowurtzitane (CL-20, 12 cm). The obtained structure–property relationships may provide basic information for the molecular design of novel high-energy materials.     

Dual frequency liquid crystals: a review

We review the recent progress in developing high performance dual frequency liquid crystal (DFLC) materials. A new figure of merit is derived for evaluating the DFLC performance. The dielectric relaxation and electro-optical properties of several high performance compounds, which possess a positive dielectric anisotropy at low frequencies and a relaxation frequency in the kilohertz region, are presented. Potential applications of these compounds are discussed. Compounds with a negative dielectric anisotropy were also compared and discussed. Two experimental DFLC mixtures were demonstrated with one intended for room temperature operation and another for elevated temperature operation.     

The electronic structures of vanadate salts: Cation substitution as a tool for band gap manipulation

The electronic structures of six ternary metal oxides containing isolated vanadate ions, Ba₃(VO₄)₂, Pb₃(VO₄)₂, YVO₄, BiVO₄, CeVO₄ and Ag₃VO₄ were studied using diffuse reflectance spectroscopy and electronic structure calculations. While the electronic structure near the Fermi level originates largely from the molecular orbitals of the vanadate ion, both experiment and theory show that the cation can strongly influence these electronic states. The observation that Ba₃(VO₄)₂ and YVO₄ have similar band gaps, both 3.8 eV, shows that cations with a noble gas configuration have little impact on the electronic structure. Band structure calculations support this hypothesis. In Pb₃(VO₄)₂ and BiVO₄ the band gap is reduced by 0.9-1.0 eV through interactions of (a) the filled cation 6s orbitals with nonbonding O 2p states at the top of the valence band, and (b) overlap of empty 6p orbitals with antibonding V 3d-O 2p states at the bottom of the conduction band. In Ag₃VO₄ mixing between filled Ag 4d and O 2p states destabilizes states at the top of the valence band leading to a large decrease in the band gap (E_g=2.2 eV). In CeVO₄ excitations from partially filled 4f orbitals into the conduction band lower the effective band gap to 1.8 eV. In the Ce_1−xBi_xVO₄ (0≤x≤0.5) and Ce_1−xY_xVO₄ (x=0.1, 0.2) solid solutions the band gap narrows slightly when Bi³⁺ or Y³⁺ are introduced. The nonlinear response of the band gap to changes in composition is a result of the localized nature of the Ce 4f orbitals.     

A low band gap conjugated polymer for supercapacitor devices

We present the electrochemical polymerization and characterization of a stable and dopable polyindophenine derivative starting from monomer 5. The fabrication of supercapacitor devices was carried out by direct electrochemical polymerization on an ITO-coated slide. Furthermore, the galvanostatic and potentiostatic experiments conducted on these supercapacitors have shown that the polyindophenine-derivative material has very good cyclability, over a potential range of 1.4 V, and a maximum capacitance of 140 F g(-1).     

Cholesteric liquid crystals for solvent vapour detection — Elimination of cross sensitivity by band shape analysis and pattern recognition

Cholesteric liquid crystals are suitable as sensitive materials for the detection of solvent vapours, such as aromatic and halogenated hydrocarbons. The optical properties of these materials are determined by their molecular short range order, given by the so-called pitch which is influenced by analyte incorporation. Thus, the wavelength of the absorbance band is shifted and the sensor effects are followed in the visible range at a defined wavelength on the flank of the band. Even a variety of aromatic or halogenated solvents, e.g. tetrachloroethylene, can be detected in the ppm-range. By using the whole spectral information combined with partial least squares analysis a separation of solvent effects from that of the disturbing temperature is achieved. Furthermore, these spectral data allow the optimization of the detection of halogenated hydrocarbons whereas the cross sensitivity to other analytes can be diminished.     

Design of low band gap polymers employing density functional theory—hybrid functionals ameliorate band gap problem

Band gaps in solids and excitation energies in finite systems are underestimated significantly if estimated from differences between eigenvalues obtained within the local spin density approximation (LSDA). In this article we present results on 20 small- and medium-sized π-systems which show that HOMO–LUMO energy differences obtained with the B3LYP, B3P86, and B3PW91 functionals are in good agreement with vertical excitation energies from UV-absorption spectra. The improvement is a result of the use of the exact Hartree–Fock exchange with hybrid methods. Negative HOMO energies and negative LUMO energies do not provide good estimates for IPs and EAs. In contrast to Hartree–Fock theory, where IPs are approximated well and EAs are given poorly, DFT hybrid methods underestimate IPs and EAs by about the same amount. LSDA yields reasonable EAs but poor IPs. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Comput Chem 18 : 1943–1953, 1997     

Donor-mediated band gap reduction in a homologous series of conjugated polymers

A family of six donor-acceptor-donor monomers was synthesized using combinations of thiophene, 3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene and 3,4-ethylenedioxypyrrole as donor moieties, and cyanovinylene as the acceptor moiety, to understand the effects of modified donor ability on the optoelectronic and redox properties of the resulting electropolymerized materials. Spectroelectrochemistry, differential pulse voltammetry, and cyclic voltammetry results indicate band gaps ranging from 1.1 to 1.6 eV and suggest that these polymers can be both p-type and n-type doped at accessible potentials. In situ conductivity results indicate that the n-type conductivity magnitude is modest, and the conductivity profile indicates a redox conductivity mechanism as opposed to a delocalized electronic band mechanism as observed for p-type doping.     

Germaindacenodithiophene based low band gap polymers for organic solar cells

We report the first synthesis of a fused germaindacenodithiophene monomer and its polymerisation with 2,1,3-benzothiadiazole by Suzuki polycondensation. The resulting polymer, PGeTPTBT, is semicrystalline, despite the presence of four bulky 2-ethylhexyl groups. Blends with P(70)CBM afford solar cells with efficiencies of 5.02%.     

Optical properties of low band gap alternating copolyfluorenes for photovoltaic devices

In a joint experimental and theoretical work the optical response and excited-state character of two novel conjugated polymers for photovoltaic applications are studied. The polymers, alternating polyfluorene (APFO) Green 1 and APFO Green 2, are both copolymers of fluorene, thiophene, and electron accepting groups. The band gaps are extended into the red and near infrared with onsets of 780 and 1000 nm, respectively, due to alternating donor and acceptor moieties along the polymer chain. Spectroscopic ellipsometry and subsequent modeling made it possible to extract the dielectric function in the range of 260-1200 nm. Semiempirical quantum chemical calculations (ZINDO) revealed the character of the main electronic transitions in the studied spectral region. The spectral band just above 400 nm was assigned to a delocalized pi-pi* transition for both polymers. The red band lying at 622 and 767 nm in the two polymers corresponds to an electronic state mainly occupying the acceptor units and having a strong charge-transfer character. We show that the ZINDO transition energies are valuable input to the application of Lorentz oscillators in modeling of the dielectric function of the polymer material.     

On the origin of a band gap in compounds of diamond-like structures

Electronic structure calculations were performed to examine the origin of a band gap present in most 18-electron half-Heusler compounds and its absence in NaTl. In these compounds of diamond-like structures, the presence or absence of a band gap is controlled by the sigma antibonding between the valence s orbitals, and the bonding characteristics of the late-main-group elements depend on the extent of their ns/np hybridization. Implications of these observations on the formal oxidation state and the covalent bonding of the transition-metal atoms in 18-electron half-Heusler and related compounds were discussed.     

BaAl4Se7: a new infrared nonlinear optical material with a large band gap

The new compound BaAl(4)Se(7) has been synthesized by solid-state reaction. It crystallizes in the non-centrosymmetric space group Pc and adopts a three-dimensional framework built from AlSe(4) tetrahedra and with Ba(2+) cations in the cavities. The material has a large band gap of 3.40(2) eV. It melts congruently at 901 °C and exhibits a second harmonic generation (SHG) response at 1 μm that is about half that of AgGaS(2). From a band structure calculation, BaAl(4)Se(7) is a direct-gap semiconductor with strong hybridization of the Al 3s, Al 3p, and Se 4p orbitals near the Fermi level. The calculated birefractive index is about 0.05 for wavelength longer than 1 μm and major SHG tensor elements are: d(15) = 5.2 pm V(-1) and d(13) = 4.2 pm V(-1).     

Density functionals from many-body perturbation theory: the band gap for semiconductors and insulators

Theoretically the Kohn-Sham band gap differs from the exact quasiparticle energy gap by the derivative discontinuity of the exchange-correlation functional. In practice for semiconductors and insulators the band gap calculated within any local or semilocal density approximations underestimates severely the experimental energy gap. On the other hand, calculations with an "exact" exchange potential derived from many-body perturbation theory via the optimized effective potential suggest that improving the exchange-correlation potential approximation can yield a reasonable agreement between the Kohn-Sham band gap and the experimental gap. The results in this work show that this is not the case. In fact, we add to the exact exchange the correlation that corresponds to the dynamical (random phase approximation) screening in the GW approximation. This accurate exchange-correlation potential provides band structures similar to the local density approximation with the corresponding derivative discontinuity that contributes 30%-50% to the energy gap. Our self-consistent results confirm substantially the results for Si and other semiconductors obtained perturbatively [R. W. Godby et al., Phys. Rev. B 36, 6497 (1987)] and extend the conclusion to LiF and Ar, a wide-gap insulator and a noble-gas solid.