Two organic–inorganic hybrid compounds constructed from 12-tungstovanadate and bipyridine

Two rare 12-tungstovanadate-bipyridine inorganic–organic hybrid compounds, [VW₁₂O₄₀] · 2(4,4′-H₂bipy) · 2H₂O (1) and [VW₁₂O₄₀] · 4(2,2′-Hbipy) (2), have been hydrothermally synthesized and structurally characterized by single-crystal X-ray diffraction and IR analysis. In 1, a 2-D supramolecular architecture is formed by hydrogen-bonding between [VW₁₂O₄₀]^4? and bipy. Compound 1 shows good activity for photocatalytic reduction of rhodamine B in a liquid–solid system. The electrochemical and electrocatalytic properties of 2-bulk carbon paste electrode modified with 2 were investigated by cyclic voltammetry.     

Research progress on hybrid organic–inorganic perovskites for photo-applications

Hybrid organic–inorganic perovskite materials have attracted significant attention of most researchers in recently years, which is ascribed to the superior photoelectric properties, such as the suitable band gaps for harvesting sunlight, and exhibit high optical adsorption, high charge-carrier lifetimes and long diffusion lengths. The photodetectors, light-emitting diodes, solar cells and photocatalysts represent the remarkable applications for the hybrid organic–inorganic perovskite materials. Herein, we review the recent progress of hybrid organic–inorganic perovskite-based photodetectors, light-emitting diodes, solar cells and photocatalysts. The challenges and outlook for the hybrid organic–inorganic perovskite-based photodetectors, light-emitting diodes, solar cells and photocatalysts are considered.     

Two organic–inorganic hybrid compounds constructed from [PMoV1MoVI7VIV2VV4O42]4− and different transition metal fragments

Two new organic–inorganic hybrid compounds, [Cu(phen)(prz)]₂[PMo^V₁Mo^VI₇V^IV₂V^V₄O₄₂]·4H₂O (1) and [Ag₂(phen)₄]₂[PMo^V₁Mo^VI₇V^IV₂V^V₄O₄₂] (2) (phen = 1,10-phenanthroline, prz = pyrazine), have been synthesized and characterized by IR, XPS, XRD, UV–vis, fluorescent spectra analyses, elemental analyses, X-ray diffraction analyses, TG analyses, and cyclic voltammetric measurements. Both compounds are formed by Keggin POM cores and transition metal fragments. Compound 1 exhibits an unprecedented 1-D chain structure constructed from [PMo^V₁Mo^VI₇V^IV₂V^V₄O₄₂]^4? and [Cu(phen)(prz)]²⁺ in the –A–B↑–C–B↓– linking mode. Compound 2 shows a supramolecular structure formed by [PMo^V₁Mo^VI₇V^IV₂V^V₄O₄₂]^4? and [Ag₂(phen)₄]²⁺.     

Compact layer influence on hysteresis effect in organic–inorganic hybrid perovskite solar cells

Organic–inorganic hybrid perovskite solar cells have attracted great attention due to their high power conversion efficiency and low cost. However, an anomalous hysteresis effect exists in the perovskite solar cells, especially with TiO₂ as the n-type electron extraction layer. In this communication, we prepare two kinds of TiO₂ compact layers using Atomic Layer Deposition (ALD) and Spin-Coating (SC) methods and compare their influences on the hysteresis effect. By efficiency comparison and AC impedance spectroscopy study, we find that the thickness and morphology of compact layer have a significant influence on the hysteresis effect. Compared to the SC approach, the ALD prepared compact layer is ultra-thin with uniform morphology and shows small interfacial capacitance and large recombination resistance, meaning reduced interfacial charge accumulation and accelerated electron transport, which would relieve the hysteresis effect.     

A series of new organic–inorganic compounds templated by the [SiW12O40]4− polyanion

Two couples of new compounds templated by the polyanion [SiW₁₂O₄₀]^4?,[Hbix][Cu^I(bix)]₃[SiW₁₂O₄₀]·4H₂O (1) and [Cu^II(H₂O)(Hbix)₂(bix)]₂[Cu^II(H₂O)₂(Hbix)₂(bix)][SiW₁₂O₄₀]₃·4H₂O (2) (bix = 1,4-Bis(imidazol-1-ylmethyl)benzene), [Cu^I(bbi)]₄[SiW₁₂O₄₀]·2H₂O (3) and [Cu^II(bbi₂)]₂[SiW₁₂O₄₀] (4) (bbi = 1,1′-(1,4-butanediyl)bis(imidazole)) were hydrothermally synthesized, and characterized by elemental analyses, IR spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analyses and single X-ray diffraction. Compounds 1 and 2 were synthesized from the same reactants but exhibited distinct structures which could be ascribed to the different ratios of the reactant bix to Cu^II. In compound 1, the higher ratio of bix results in the transformation of the Cu^II to Cu^I, the [SiW₁₂O₄₀]^4? templates direct the Cu^I–bix coordination polymers to form a 3D supramolecular framework with grid-like channels along two directions. The [SiW₁₂O₄₀]^4? templates in compound 2 locate in the voids of the 3D supramolecular network constructed by Cu^II–bix coordination polymers, which exhibits the interdigitation fashion in both the formation of the 2D layer and the 3D framework. Compounds 3 and 4 were synthesized similar to 1 and 2, except for the change of bix to bbi. In compound 3, the Cu^I–bbi polymers form a supramolecular metal–organic host framework with rhombic channels in which the SiW₁₂ templates reside. Compound 4 shows a framework with hexagonal channels constructed by Cu^II–bbi coordination polymers which accommodated the SiW₁₂ templates.     

TEOS/HDTMS inorganic–organic hybrid compound used for stone protection

Inorganic–organic hybrid crack-free xerogels were obtained by using a surfactant n-octylamine as a catalyst containing tetraethoxyorthosilicate (TEOS) and hexadecyltrimethoxysilane as an additive. We studied the effect of gelling time and sol pH on n-octylamine concentration. The organic modification was confirmed by infrared spectroscopic studies, and the hydrophobicity of the coating was tested by the contact angle measurements. The stone surface morphology of sample treated with hybrid sol was characterized. The results show the hybrid gel network exhibits a larger pore size than the gel containing exclusively the silica from TEOS. After the limestone’s surface was modified by hybrid sol, the contact angle of limestone increased from 58° to 123°. The protective performance evaluated by its ability to resist acid rain reveals that the protective effects are satisfied.     

Construction of acetate-bridged dicopper(II) hybrid organic–inorganic networks with calix[4]arene-derived nitrogenous ligands

The reactions of mono-, bis- and tetrapicolyl-p-tert-butylcalix[4]arene derivatives functionalised in the phenolic positions (L ¹ –L ⁴ ) with copper(II) acetate resulted in the formation of discrete complexes or extended coordination polymers. The centrosymmetric dimer [Cu₂(μ-O₂CCH₃)₄(L ¹ )₂] 1, obtained with monodentate L ¹ , has square pyramidal coordination around the copper centres and a cone conformer of monopicolyl-calix[4]arene acting as an axial ligand, with a molecule of acetonitrile hosted within its cavity. The potentially bidentate L ² acts as a monodentate ligand, affording the complex [Cu₂(μ-O₂CCH₃)₄(L ² )₂] 2, which based on spectroscopic and combustion analysis data has a similar coordination sphere around Cu(II). Compound L ³ bridges two dicopper units in the coordination polymer [Cu₂(μ-O₂CCH₃)₄(μ-L ³ )] _n 3, with the calixarene hosting a molecule of tetrahydrofuran. Finally, compound L ⁴ reacts with 4 equivalents of copper(II) acetate, presumably generating a two-dimensional coordination polymer formulated as [{Cu₂(μ-O₂CCH₃)₄}₂(L ⁴ )] 4.     

A new method for the synthesis of organic–polyoxometallate hybrid compounds

The reaction of the Na₂MoO₄ or Na₂WO₄ salt with organic amine and PCl₅, SiCl₄ or TiCl₄ in hydrochloric acid medium under hydrothermal conditions yields organic–polyoxometallate hybrid compounds, with the following reaction formula: Na₂MO₄ + Lewis-base + XCl_n + HCl → (Lewis-baseH)_m(XM₁₂O₄₀) + NaCl + H₂O (M = Mo or W; X = P, Si, Ti,; n = 3–5). By using this method, four new complexes, [(CH₃)₂NH]₃[H₃PW₁₂O₄₀] (1), (C₂H₅OH)₃(H₃PMo₁₂O₄₀) (2), [DMDA]₂[H₄SiW₁₂O₄₀]·H₂O (3) (DMDA = 1 N,3 N-dimethyl-1,3-diazolidine) and [(DAN)₆][H₄TiW₁₂O₄₀]·4H₂O (DAN = 4,4′-dianiline) (4), were obtained, and their crystal structures are reported. Thermal analysis of 1, 2 and 4 has been carried out. The thermal analysis indicates that the Keggin anion skeleton begins to decompose at about 300 °C. The possibility of constructing hydrogen-bond interactions by association between the polyoxometallate and the organic compound is explored. The roles of solvents and organic groups in the formation of specific crystalline architectures are discussed. The crystal structure of [H₄TiW₁₂O₄₀], a hetero-transition-metal Keggin polyoxometallate with a square-plane TiO₄, has been reported. Four architectures developed by hydrogen-bond associations of different Keggin polyoxometallates and organic bearing N–H or O–H donor functions are described. The selected organic modules (4,4′-dianiline, 1,3-dimethylimidazolidine, dimethylamine and ethanol) possess hydrogen-donor functions to allow them to act as bridges between polyoxometallate groups. Depending on the nature of the donor group, the number of hydrogens available for bonding, the geometric features and the sizes of the organic modules, diverse assembling patterns have been observed ranging from one-dimensional to three-dimensional networks. For all the networks, H₃O⁺ and H⁺ act as actual linkers between the molecular units.     

Synthesis and luminescence behavior of inorganic–organic hybrid materials covalently bound with pyran-containing dyes

A DCM derivative, namely 4-Dicyanomethylene-2-methyl-6-{[4′-(N-hydroxyethyl-N-methyl)amino]styryl}-4H-pyran (DCMH), has been synthesized and covalently incorporated into the inorganic silica network as pendants via a sol–gel process. Molecular structures of the resultants are confirmed by elemental analysis, ¹H NMR, DSC, TGA, FTIR and UV–Vis spectroscopy. Photoluminescence (PL) spectra shows that the emission of DCMH peaked at 625 nm is almost completely quenched in DMF solution with a concentration of 1 × 10⁻⁴ mol/L, however, in hybrid films, the PL intensity enhances obviously with increasing DCMH concentration even at the high loading content of 40 mol%. All the hybrid films exhibit PL emission around 646–650 nm and the peak position reveal little dependence on the concentration of dye, suggesting they can be used as red emissive materials in light-emitting diodes. The relationship between fluorescence lifetime and dye concentration is also investigated by time-resolved PL measurements.     

Improving the heterointerface in hybrid organic–inorganic perovskite solar cells by surface engineering: Insights from periodic hybrid density functional theory calculations

A periodic hybrid density functional theory computational strategy is presented to model the heterointerface between the methylammonium lead iodide (MAPI) perovskite and titanium dioxide (TiO₂), as found in perovskite solar cells (PSC), where the 4-chlorobenzoic acid (CBA) ligand is used to improve the stability and the band alignment at the interface. The CBA ligand acts as a bifunctional linker to efficiently connect the perovskite and the oxide moieties, ensuring the stability of the interface through Ti–O and Pb–Cl interactions. The computed density of states reveals that the perovskite contributes to the top of the valence band while the oxide contributes to the bottom of the conduction band with a direct bandgap of 2.16 eV, indicating a possible electron transfer from MAPI to TiO₂. Dipole moment analysis additionally reveals that the CBA ligand can induce a favorable effect to improve band alignment and thus electron transfer from MAPI to TiO₂. This latter has been quantified by calculation of the spin density of the reduced MAPI/CBA/TiO₂ system and indicates an almost quantitative (99.94%) electron transfer from MAPI to TiO₂ for the surface engineered system, together with an ultrafast electron injection time in the femtosecond timescale. Overall, the proposed DFT-based computational protocol therefore indicates that surface engineering and the use of a bifunctional linker can lead to a better stability, together with improved band alignment and electron injection in PSC systems.     

Hydrothermal syntheses and structural characterization of two organic–inorganic hybrid compounds based on Lindqvist polyanions

Two organic–inorganic hybrid polyoxometalates {[V₂W₄O₁₉{Cu(2,2′-bipy)₂}₂] · (4,4′-bipy)} _n (1) and [Co(2,2′-bipy)₃][W₆O₁₉] · H₂O (2) (2,2′-bipy = 2,2′-bipyridine, 4,4′-bipy = 4,4′-bipyridine), constructed by Lindqvist polyanions and transition metal coordination cations, have been synthesized under hydrothermal conditions and characterized by elemental analysis, IR, UV spectra, thermogravimetric (TG) analyses, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and single- crystal X-ray diffraction. Compound 1 is a neutral molecule and consists of a di-V^V substituted Lindqvist-type polyanion [V₂W₄O₁₉]^4?, two supporting copper cations [Cu(2,2′-bipy)₂]²⁺ and one free 4,4′-bipy. Neutral molecules of 1 are extended to a 2-D grid-like network by π–π stacking interactions between pyridine groups. The molecular structure of 2 contains one [W₆O₁₉]^2? cluster polyanion and a [Co(2,2′-bipy)₃]²⁺. Inductively coupled plasma (ICP) analysis and XPS spectrum of 1 prove the presence of V^V. TG curves of 1 and 2 indicate two weight loss steps.     

Structure and characterization of an organic–inorganic hybrid compound: [Pr(NMP)4(H2O)4]H[SiMo12O40]·2NMP·1.5H2O

The organic–inorganic hybrid compound containing the cationic donor [Pr(NMP)₄(H₂O)₄]³⁺ and polyoxometalate acceptors of the Keggin structural type SiMo₁₂O₄₀ ^4– has been synthesized in high yield (83%). An X-ray crystallographic study showed that the crystal structure was constructed by electrostatic attraction and O—HO hydrogen bonds between coordinated water molecules and the dodesilicontungstate polyanion. Furthermore, the e.s.r. spectra in the solid state at 110 K indicate the presence of a Mo⁵⁺.     

Structure of hybrid organic–inorganic sols for the preparation of hydrothermally stable membranes

A procedure for the preparation of hybrid sols for the synthesis of organic–inorganic microporous materials and thin film membranes is reported. We describe silane reactivity and sol structure for acid-catalysed colloidal sols from mixtures of either tetraethylorthosilicate (TEOS) and methyltriethoxysilane (MTES), or bis(triethoxysilyl)ethane (BTESE) and MTES. Early-stage hydrolysis and condensation rates of the individual silane precursors were followed with ²⁹Si liquid NMR and structural characteristics of more developed sols were studied with Dynamic Light Scattering. Condensation was found to proceed at more or less similar rates for the different precursors. Homogeneously mixed hybrid colloids can therefore be formed from precursor mixtures. The conditions of preparation under which clear sols with low viscosity could be formed from BTESE/MTES were determined. These sols were synthesised at moderate water/silane and acid/silane ratios and could be applied for the coating of defect-free microporous membranes for molecular separations under hydrothermal conditions.     

Phosphorus-doped organic–inorganic hybrid silicon coating for improving fire retardancy of polyacrylonitrile fabric

Journal of Sol-Gel Science and Technology - In this study, in order to increase the flame retardancy of polyacrylonitrile fiber fabric, an organic–inorganic hybrid silane coating doped with...     

Sol–gel derived organic–inorganic hybrid materials: synthesis,characterizations and applications

Organic/inorganic hybrid materials prepared by the sol–gel approach have rapidly become a fascinating new field of research in materials science. The explosion of activity in this area in the past decade has made tremendous progress in both the fundamental understanding of the sol–gel process and the development and applications of new organic/inorganic hybrid materials. Polymer-inorganic nanocomposite present an interesting approach to improve the separation properties of polymer material because they possess properties of both organic and inorganic such as good permeability, selectivity, mechanical strength, and thermal and chemical stability. Composite material derived by combining the sol–gel approach and organic polymers synthesis of hybrid material were the focus area of review It has also been demonstrated in this review that a more complete understanding of their structure–property behavior can be gained by employing many of the standard tools that are utilized for developing similar structure–property relationships of organic polymers. This review article is introductory in nature and gives introduction to composite materials/nanocomposite, their applications and the methods commonly employed for their synthesis and characterization. A brief literature survey on the polysaccharide templated and polysaccharide/protein dual templated synthesis of silica composite materials is also presented in this review article.     

Novel anion-exchange organic–inorganic hybrid membranes: Preparation and characterizations for potential use in fuel cells

A new series of supported anion-exchange organic–inorganic hybrid membranes were prepared by quaternizing the copolymer of vinylbenzyl chloride (VBC) and γ-methacryloxypropyl trimethoxy silane (γ-MPS) and then applying a sol–gel reaction to the copolymer and monophenyltriethoxysilane (EPh). The membranes were characterized for potential use in fuel cells. The results show that the physicochemical properties, including ion-exchange property, hydrophilicity, and thermal/chemical stability, can be easily controlled by adjusting the quaternization extent of the copolymer and the dosage of EPh. The hybrid membranes have relatively strong alkali resistance, high temperature tolerance (thermal degradation temperature in air, Td, in the range of 250–300 °C), high tensile strength (TS) and elongation at break (E_b). The hydroxyl ion conductivity is in the range of 2.27–4.33 × 10⁻⁴ S/cm.     

Three inorganic–organic hybrid compounds based on Keggin polyoxometalate and transition metal complexes: crystal structures and electrochemical properties

Polyoxometalate (POM)-based coordination polymers, [Cu(L)₂][SiW₁₂O₄₀]·4py·H₂O (1), [Ag(py)₂]₄[SiW₁₂O₄₀] (2) and [Co(L)₃]₂[SiW₁₂O₄₀]·py·7H₂O (3) (L?=?pyridine-2-carboxylic acid, py?=?pyridine), have been obtained hydrothermally and characterized by elemental analyses, IR and single-crystal X-ray diffraction analyses. Electrochemical properties are also investigated.