Electronic states of a single layer of pentacene: standing-up and flat-lying configurations

The electronic properties of a single layer (SL) of pentacene molecules are investigated by high-resolution UV photoemission and near-edge X-ray absorption spectroscopy in different configurations of the SL, either standing up on an aromatic self-assembled monolayer or planar on a bare Cu(001) substrate. The weakly interacting pentacene molecules in the standing-up SL present a semiconducting character, and the empty states distribution reflects that of gas-phase pentacene, while the planar pentacene-Cu system shows a metallic interface with redistribution of the empty molecular states. The highest-occupied molecular orbital lineshape in the weakly interacting SL shows a double structure, attributed to two nonequivalent molecules in the ordered configuration.     

Structure and electrochemical properties of polymeric composite membranes with a selective layer

The structure and electrochemical properties of polyethylene terephthalate track-etched membranes were studied. The membranes were covered with a solution of a styrene-butylmethacrylate copolymer on one side. The formation of a selective layer of copolymer in the pores of the starting membranes led to composite membranes characterized by asymmetric conductivity in electrolyte solutions—a rectification effect similar to the p-n transition in semiconductors. The asymmetry resulted from a considerable decrease in the pore diameter in the deposited copolymer layer, changing the pore geometry, and was also due to the existence of an interface in the pores between the starting membrane and the copolymer layer, having different levels of hydrophilicity.     

Short-focus nematic liquid crystal microlens array with a dielectric layer

ABSTRACT

A short-focus microlens array using dielectric layer and inhomogeneous electric field over a homogeneous nematic liquid crystal (LC) layer is proposed. The top substrate has a planar indium tin oxide (ITO) electrode which is coated on the inner surface. The bottom substrate has strip ITO electrodes which are embedded in the dielectric layers. The inhomogeneous electric field generates a required gradient refractive index profile within the LC layer which, in turn, causes the focusing effect. Due to the thinner LC layer (15 μm), the spherical aberration should be negligible. Moreover, the fabrication process of the proposed microlens array can be easily carried out because of the layer-by-layer configuration. The simulation results show that the focal length of the LC microlens can be continuously tuned from infinity to 0.988 mm with the change of applied voltage.     

Fully printed flexible audio system on the basis of low‐voltage polymeric organic field effect transistors with three layer dielectric

Fully mass printed, flexible and truly polymeric organic field effect transistors consisting of a three layer dielectric made of CYTOP (low‐k), PVA (intermediate) and P(VDF‐TrFE‐CTFE)(high‐k) are introduced. Gravure‐, flexo‐and screen printing were selected as highly productive manufacturing technologies. These OFETs work at strongly reduced voltages and show high field effect mobility (µ = 0.2 cm²/Vs) and remarkable good bias stress stability at very high current density (50 µA/mm). Fully printed OFETs are used for the realization of ring oscillators working in the kHz regime at reduced supply voltage (10 V). In combination with printed fully polymeric piezoelectric loudspeakers, this work shows for the first time fully printed flexible audio systems. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part B: Polym. Phys. 2015 , 53, 1409–1415     

Effect of adsorbed layer surface roughness on the QCM-D response: focus on trapped water

The effect of surface roughness on the quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation monitoring (QCM-D) response was investigated with emphasis on determining the amount of trapped water. Surfaces with different nanoroughnesses were prepared on silica by self-assembly of cationic surfactants with different packing parameters. We used surfactants with quaternary ammonium bromide headgroups: the double-chained didodecyltrimethylammonium bromide (C12)2DAB (DDAB), the single-chained hexadecyltrimethylammonium bromide C16TAB (CTAB), and dodecyltrimethyl-ammonium bromide C12TAB (DTAB). The amount of trapped water was obtained from the difference between the mass sensed by QCM-D and the adsorbed amount detected by optical reflectometry. The amount of water, which is sensed by QCM-D, was found to increase with the nanoroughness of the adsorbed layer. The water sensed by QCM-D cannot be assigned primarily to hydration water, because it differs substantially for adsorbed surfactant layers with similar headgroups but with different nanoscale topographies.     

Investigation of ultrasound velocity measurements of polymeric parts with different surface roughness

Ultrasound velocity is a crucial parameter for polymeric parts because it characterizes the mechanical properties and micro structure. In our previous study, we proposed a frequency-domain method for measuring ultrasound velocity via full spectrum analysis (UFSA). In this study, we conducted a series of experiments to compare the accuracy and feasibility of three measurement methods: time of flight method (TOF), ultrasonic water immersion method (UWI) and UFSA. The methods were applied to measure polymeric parts with different surface roughnesses; in addition, experiments were conducted to evaluate the effect of an external disturbance and to characterize the micro structure. Error analyses were performed for the methods. The experimental results showed that the TOF method was only suitable for measuring polymeric parts with flat surfaces, whereas the UWI and UFSA methods performed well for the measurement and characterization of polymeric parts with rough surfaces. The UFSA method had higher anti-interference ability than the other two methods. X-ray diffraction experiments indicated a negative correlation between the ultrasound velocity measured by the UWI and UFSA methods and the degree of orientation of the polymeric parts. The results obtained in this study provide guidance for the application of these methods.     

Evidence of a water layer in solid-contact polymeric ion sensors

This paper presents the very first direct structural evidence for the formation of a 100 +/- 10 A water layer in coated-wire polymeric-membrane ion-selective electrodes (ISEs).     

Particle-collision and porogen-leaching technique to fabricate polymeric porous scaffolds with microscale roughness of interior surfaces

A facile technique is herein reported to fabricate three-dimensional(3D) polymeric porous scaffolds with interior surfaces of a topographic microstructure favorable for cell adhesion.As demonstration,a well-known biodegradable polymer poly(lactide-co-glycolide)(PLGA) was employed as matrix.Under the porogen-leaching strategy,the large and soft porogens of paraffin were modified by colliding with small and hard salt particles,which generated micropits on the surfaces of paraffin spheres.The eventual PLGA scaffolds after leaching the modified porogens had thus interior surfaces of microscale roughness imprinted by those micropits.The microrough scaffolds were confirmed to benefit adhesion of bone marrow stromal cells(BMSCs) of rats and meanwhile not to hamper the proliferation and osteogenic differentiation of the cells.The insight and technique might be helpful for biomaterial designing in tissue engineering and regenerative medicine.     

Influence of spacer length on dielectric properties of polymeric liquid crystals

For a liquid-crystalline side chain polymer with cyanobiphenyl mesogenic groups and a spacer length of four methylene groups the dielectric properties over a wide frequency range are studied. They are compared with a previously published analogous compound with six spacer groups in order to get the spacer length dependence of dielectric relaxations. Both compounds have been analysed in terms of theoretical relaxation curves. The δ-relaxation is more asymmetrically broadened and shifted to longer relaxation times for shorter spacer. This is consistent with its molecular interpretation as end-to-end rotation around the short molecular axis. The relaxation in perpendicular orientation is strongly shifted to longer relaxation times and shows another temperature dependence for shorter spacer. This behaviour is attributed to superposition of up to three separate relaxation processes.     

Effect of inorganic phase on polymeric relaxation dynamics in PMMA/silica hybrids studied by dielectric analysis

Dielectric relaxation spectroscopy was used to investigate the effect of the inorganic phase on the polymeric relaxation dynamics in PMMA/silica hybrids synthesized in situ via sol-gel processes. It was found that the large-scale molecular motions of PMMA were influenced by the addition of silica, inducing longer mean relaxation times, more heterogeneous relaxing environments and the higher activation energy. Explanations based on hydrogen-bond interactions between two phases and a fraction of entrapped chain segments in silica networks were proposed to understand the influence of the silica.     

From superamphiphobic to amphiphilic polymeric surfaces with ordered hierarchical roughness fabricated with colloidal lithography and plasma nanotexturing

Ordered, hierarchical (triple-scale), superhydrophobic, oleophobic, superoleophobic, and amphiphilic surfaces on poly(methyl methacrylate) PMMA polymer substrates are fabricated using polystyrene (PS) microparticle colloidal lithography, followed by oxygen plasma etching-nanotexturing (for amphiphilic surfaces) and optional subsequent fluorocarbon plasma deposition (for amphiphobic surfaces). The PS colloidal microparticles were assembled by spin-coating. After etching/nanotexturing, the PMMA plates are amphiphilic and exhibit hierarchical (triple-scale) roughness with microscale ordered columns, and dual-scale (hundred nano/ten nano meter) nanoscale texture on the particles (top of the column) and on the etched PMMA surface. The spacing, diameter, height, and reentrant profile of the microcolumns are controlled with the etching process. Following the design requirements for superamphiphobic surfaces, we demonstrate enhancement of both hydrophobicity and oleophobicity as a result of hierarchical (triple-scale) and re-entrant topography. After fluorocarbon film deposition, we demonstrate superhydrophobic surfaces (contact angle for water 168°, compared to 110° for a flat surface), as well as superoleophobic surfaces (153° for diiodomethane, compared to 80° for a flat surface).     

Probing interfacial characteristics of rubrene/pentacene and pentacene/rubrene bilayers with soft X-ray spectroscopy

The electronic structure of rubrene/pentacene and pentacene/rubrene bilayers has been investigated using soft X-ray absorption spectroscopy, resonant X-ray emission spectroscopy, and density-functional theory calculations. X-ray absorption and emission measurements reveal that it has been possible to alter the lowest unoccupied and the highest occupied molecular orbital states of rubrene in rubrene/pentacene bilayer. In the reverse case, one gets p* molecular orbital states originating from the pentacene layer. Resonant X-ray emission spectra suggest a reduction in the hole-transition probabilities for the pentacene/rubrene bilayer in comparison to reference pentacene layer. For the rubrenepentacene structure, the hole-transition probability shows an increase in comparison to the rubrene reference. We also determined the energy level alignment of the pentacene-rubrene interface by using X-ray and ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopy. From these comparisons, it is found that the electronic structure of the pentacene-rubrene interface has a strong dependence on interface characteristics which depends on the order of the layers used.     

Effect of sonication on polymeric membranes

This article studies the effect of 47 kHz ultrasonic (US) waves on polymeric membranes immersed in an aqueous bath. The membranes under study are made from three different polymers: polyethersulfone (PES), polyvinylidenefluoride (PVDF) and polyacrylonitrile (PAN) and present various molecular weight cut-off (MWCO). The evolution of the polymeric structure exposed to US was followed by the measurement of the water permeability and the A_k/Δx parameter which represents the ratio of surface porosity to thickness. Results showed that important variations occurred on certain membranes after irradiation. In addition, microscopic imaging using field emission electron scanning microscopy (FESEM) was performed on irradiated membranes in order to visualize the nature of the degradation. An image analysis method gives the evolution of the pore density, porosity and pore size distribution of a homogeneous area of this membrane before and after irradiation.It has been shown that, over the three materials tested, only the PES is affected by the ultrasonic treatment over all its surface, whereas the others present no significant change in the measured parameters except the PAN (50 kDa) and PVDF (40 kDa) membranes whose edges are affected. In conclusion, in spite of their great efficiency in enhancing filtration processes, ultrasonic waves have to be used with care as the polymeric material itself is sensitive to the ultrasonic waves at the chosen frequency.     

Effect of N-doping-derived solvent adsorption on electrochemical double layer structure and performance of porous carbon

N-doped porous carbon has been extensively investigated for broad electrochemical applications. The performance is significantly impacted by the electrochemical double layer(EDL), which is material dependent and hard to characterize. Limited understanding of doping-derived EDL structure hinders insight into the structure–performance relations and the rational design of high-performance materials.Thus, we analyzed the mass and chemical composition variation of EDL within electrochemical operation...     

Pentacene oligomers and polymers: functionalization of pentacene to afford mono-, di-, tri-, and polymeric materials

The synthesis and characterization of defined-length di- and trimeric pentacenes and the corresponding polymers are described. The synthesis is divergent from two common pentacene building blocks, 1 and 2, allowing for structural diversity. The resulting materials are air stable and exhibit good solubility in common organic solvents.     

Analytical predictions of exergoeconomic performance of a solar air heater with surface roughness of metal waste

Journal of Thermal Analysis and Calorimetry - The current study is the authors’ next work from the perspectives of the second law and economics of an air collector having artificial roughness...     

Effect of molecule-substrate interaction on thin-film structures and molecular orientation of pentacene on silver and gold

Evaporated pentacene thin films with thicknesses from several nm to 150 nm on gold and silver substrates have been studied by ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopy (UPS), near-edge X-ray absorption fine structure (NEXAFS), scanning tunneling microscopy (STM), and atomic force microscopy (AFM). It was found that pentacene thin-film structures, particularly their molecular orientations, are strongly influenced by the metal substrates. UPS measurements revealed a distinct change in the valence band structures of pentacene on Au compared to those on Ag, which is attributed to the different packing between adjacent molecules. Using NEXAFS, we observed 74+/-5 degrees and 46+/-5 degrees molecular tilt angles on Ag and Au, respectively, for all measured thicknesses. We propose that pentacene molecules stand up on the surface and form the "thin-film phase" structure on Ag. On Au, pentacene films grow in domains with molecules either lying flat or standing up on the substrate. Such a mixture of two crystalline phases leads to an average tilt angle of 46 degrees for the whole film and the change in valence band structures. STM and distance-voltage (z-V) spectroscopy studies confirm the existence of two crystalline phases on Au with different conducting properties. z-V spectra on the low conducting phase clearly indicate its nature as "thin-film phase".     

Conformational effects on the performance and selectivity of a polymeric pseudostationary phase in electrokinetic chromatography

The effect of the conformation of a polymeric pseudostationary phase on performance and selectivity in electrokinetic chromatography was studied using an amphiphilic pH-responsive polymer that forms compact intramolecular aggregates (unimer micelles) at low pH and a more open conformation at high pH. The change in conformation was found to affect the electrophoretic mobility, retention, selectivity, and separation efficiency. The low-pH conformer has higher electrophoretic mobility and greater affinity for most solutes. The unimer micelle conformation was also found to provide a solvation environment more like that of micelles and other amphiphilic self-associative polymers studied previously. It was not possible to fully characterize the effect of conformation on efficiency, but very hydrophobic solutes with long alkyl chains appeared to migrate with better efficiency when the unimer micelle conformation was employed. The results imply that polymers with a carefully optimized lipophilic-hydrophilic balance that allow self-association will perform better as pseudostationary phases. In addition, the results show that electrokinetic chromatography is a useful method for determining the changes in solvation environment provided by stimuli-responsive polymers with changes in the conditions.     

Preparation and evaluation of 3 m open tubular capillary columns with a zwitterionic polymeric porous layer for liquid chromatography

A 3 m zwitterionic polymeric porous layer open tubular column (3 m × 25 μm id × 375 μm od) with a polymeric porous layer thickness of 4 μm was fabricated by the copolymerization of [2‐(methacryloyloxy)ethyl] dimethyl‐(3‐sulfopropyl) ammonium hydroxide and N,N’‐methylenebis(acrylamide). The effects of the diameter of the capillary, reaction temperature, and polymerization time on the preparation of the open tubular column were investigated. Characterized by scanning electron microscopy, the zwitterionic layer was observed to be rough and throughout the fused‐silica capillary homogenously, which increased the phase ratio. The separation of neutral, basic, and acidic compounds demonstrates the strong hydrophilicity of the poly[2‐(methacryloyloxy)ethyl] dimethyl‐(3‐sulfopropyl) ammonium hydroxide coating. In addition, the poly[2‐(methacryloyloxy) ethyl] dimethyl‐(3‐sulfopropyl) ammonium hydroxide porous layer open tubular column was applied for the analysis of flavonoids from the rootstalk of licorice, revealing the potential in separating complex samples. The relative standard deviation of retention time for run‐to‐run (n = 5), day‐to‐day (n = 3), and column‐to‐column (n = 3) of toluene, N,N‐dimethylformamide, formamide, and thiourea were below 1.2%, exhibiting good repeatability.