ESR spectra of endohedral metallofullerene Ce@C82 radical anions in dimethylformamide and pyridine

Endohedral metallofullerene Ce@C₈₂ dissolved in dimethylformamide or pyridine is reduced to the radical anion. Analysis of hyperfine coupling with the topologically different ¹³C nuclei indicates the electronic structure with bivalent cerium and the paramagnetic carbon framework Ce²⁺@C₈₂ ^·3–. The ESR spectra of the radical anions of the functionalized Ce@C₈₂ derivatives are detected.     

Spectral study of reactions of La@C82 and Y@C82 with amino-containing solvents

A solvent effect on the electronic absorption UV-VIS and ESR spectra of La@C₈₂ and Y@C₈₂ was found. The UV-VIS spectra of La@C₈₂ in pyridine, dimethylformamide, and hexamethylphosphorotriamide are identical with that of the La@C₈₂ ^– anion, which is evidence for La@C₈₂ reduction in these solvents. In amino-containing solvents, the shape of the ESR spectra depends on the temperature and the time of preparation of the solutions. Changes in the ESR spectra of La@C₈₂ and Y@C₈₂ in dimethylformamide are due to functionalization of these compounds upon reduction.     

The Bingel monoadducts of La@C82: synthesis, characterization, and electrochemistry

The reaction of La@C82 with diethyl bromomalonate in the presence of base (the Bingel reaction) generated five monoadducts which have been fully characterized. It was found that four of them (mono-A, -B, -C, and -D) are ESR-inactive, suggesting singly bonded regioisomers. In contrast, the fifth product (mono-E) is ESR-active, indicating that it possesses a cyclic moiety between the appended malonate group and the fullerene cage, analogous to conventional Bingel adducts. The differences in the molecular structures of mono-A, -B, -C, and -E result in varying thermal stabilities and electrochemical behavior. In particular, the singly bonded monoadducts undergo the retro-Bingel reaction either under thermal treatment or during electron transfer on the cyclic voltammetric timescale. However, mono-E shows remarkable thermal stability and perfect reversibility under the same experimental conditions.     

Absolute absorption measurements of polymer films for optical waveguide applications by photothermal deflection spectroscopy

A self‐contained experimental technique is proposed for measuring the absolute optical absorption spectra, thermal diffusivity, and thermal conductivity of polymer thin films. The technique is based on photothermal deflection spectroscopy and provides sensitivity that is high enough to quantify the very small optical absorption losses in polymer films used for optical waveguide applications. The capabilities of the technique are demonstrated with measurements performed on thin films of poly(methyl methacrylate) and a fluorinated polymer (CYTOP). An error analysis is presented, and the factors are discussed that influence the accuracy of the technique. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 39: 2717–2726, 2001     

Spectroscopic and electrochemical study of conducting films of tetrathiotetracene iodides

Films of tetrathiotetracene (TTT) iodides were prepared by electrochemical doping of deposited TTT films and were subjected to manyfold cycling in 0.2 mol L^–1 aqueous KI solution in the range of potentials from +0.04 to +0.34 V relative to Ag/AgCl. The thus formed films were electrochromic: their color changed reversibly as the potential changed. The results of spectral and electrochemical studies show that radical-cation salts of (TTT)I_x type are accounted for by the presence of several forms of such salts that differ in the content of iodine and reversibly transform into each other with potential changes. The formal compositions of the salts formed under high and low potentials can be approximately described as (TTT)I_0.9 and (TTT)I_0.5, correspondingly.Translated fromIzvestiya Akademii Nauk. Seriya Khimicheskaya, No. 12, pp. 2400–2403, December, 1995.The authors thank G. M. Mikhailov for measuring XPS and G. A. Krasochka for assistance in electrochemical experiments.This work is supported by the Russian Foundation for Basic Research, Project No. 93-03-4531.     

Influence of local structure on local electric field in Island‐like silver films

The infrared absorption enhancement phenomenon in the normal configuration of vacuum‐evaporated metal films on a transparent substrate is known to depend not only on the metal film morphology but also on the local structures of metal particles. To date, however, few studies have examined the effect of local structure on the phenomenon. Size distributions of islands and gaps, along with the volume fractions of Ag in thin films, were measured using scanning electron microscopy as a function of film thickness. The local structure of Ag nano clusters deposited on silicon substrates was investigated using a total conversion electron yield X‐ray absorption fine structure (XAFS) method at the Ag K‐edge. We observed a correlation between the electromagnetic field intensity at the surface as evaluated by IR measurement and the coordination numbers evaluated by XAFS. We found that the film morphology had a greater effect on resonant and nonresonant contributions than did the local structure of a particle. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Electrochemically induced sol-gel deposition of zirconia thin films

A novel electrochemical method for deposition of ZrO(2) thin films is described. The films, 50-600 nm thick, were obtained by applying moderate positive or negative potentials (+2.5 V to -1.5 V versus SHE) on conducting surfaces immersed in a 2-propanol solution of zirconium tetra-n-propoxide [Zr(OPr)(4)] in the presence of minute quantities of water (water/monomer molar ratios in the range of 10(-5) to 10(-1)), which was the limiting reagent. Oxidative electrochemical formation of solvated H(+) and reductive formation of OH(-) catalyze the hydrolysis and condensation of the metal alkoxide precursor. The magnitude of the applied potential and its duration provide a convenient way of controlling the film thickness. The films consist of an amorphous phase, as revealed by XRD measurements. The effects of different parameters, such as the applied potential and its duration, the amount of added water and the current-time characteristics, were studied. A mechanism for the electrodeposition of the zirconia films which is in accordance with our findings is proposed.     

金刚石薄膜电化学

金刚石由于其特殊的物理与化学性质,早在几百年前就吸引了人们对它的关注.化学气相沉积(chemical vapor deposition,CVD)法制备的高掺杂硼复合多晶金刚石薄膜,为金刚石薄膜在电化学中的应用开辟了新的领域.作为新型碳素电极材料,高掺杂硼复合多晶金刚石薄膜具有许多目前使用的电极材料所不可比拟的优异特性如:宽电化学势窗,低残留电流,极好的电化学稳定性以及表面不易被污染等.本文综述了高掺杂硼复合多晶金刚石薄膜电极在电化学中的几个重要应用,包括电分析、电合成及电化学法处理废水等.     

Structural phase transitions in organized organic thin films built of alkali stearates

Temperature-dependent structure modification of organised organic thin films (OOTF) built of sodium (NaSt) and lithium (LiSt) stearates was investigated by DSC and vibrational spectroscopy. Structural phases found for the bulk specimens of substances by DSC measurements, correspond to those previously known [1]. The pre-transitional structural changes observed for thin films in the first crystalline phase were investigated by using temperature dependent FTIR spectroscopy. Changes in orientation of stearate long axis and alkyl chain conformation in NaSt and LiSt thin films with temperature are reported. It was found that film heating from 20 up to 110°C leads to decrease of the tilt of alkyl radicals with respect to the surface for NaSt films. With temperature increasing, in the IR absorption spectra of NaSt and LiSt films, the frequency of methylene symmetric C-H stretching IR band change from 2849 to 2851 cm⁻¹ upon the temperature variation in the range 70–90°C and at 100°C, respectively. This indicates the onset of partial melting of the chains at this temperatures which are lower as compared to those of bulk specimens. It is suggested that this may be caused by a peculiar structural organisation of the films near the substrate surface.     

Quantification of the electron beam damage of thin films

Owing to diverse possible mechanisms of the e-beam damage, some changes either in the crystalline structure, chemical composition or film thickness occur as the proper damage of the virgin state. Changes in the chemical bonds are often connected with some change in thickness or structure so that the other two are the most important items to be detected, preferably in real time of the electron-microscopical or electron-spectroscopical examination. We propose to measure the film thickness on the basis of the most probable energy loss due to the electron pass through the film and back, i.e. on the basis of the position of the broad background maximum in the electron spectra of stratified specimens. A change in crystallinity can be sensed through the elastic peak intensity. Placing a measurement window between these features in the energy scale and measuring the energy filtered background during the irradiation, we get a pronounced dependence of the signal on the dose which unambiguously reveals the damage limit in the form of a curve knee. In some cases, two stages of damage are detectable.     

Analysis of thin solid films and surfaces by infrared spectroscopy

Thin solid films and surfaces are characterized by IR spectroscopy, based on reflectance and transmittance measurements, in particular with polarized light at oblique incidence. Thus two independent data sets fors- andp-polarization are available. Atp-polarization additional absorption lines at the zeros of the dielectric function are observed (Berreman-mode). The interpretation of the measured spectra is carried out by a fit procedure to simulate the observed spectra. As a result the specimens are characterized in terms of vibronic resonances and their oscillator strengths or concentration, thicknesses of various films in a stack of layers, profiles of depth depending chemical composition, or concentration and mobility of conduction electrons.All examples are relevant for application in technology, as microelectronics, thin film technology, catalysis, e.g. The results of the IR analysis are compared with those of other analytical methods as SIMS, RBS, and AES. The agreement is very good. One important advantage of the IR analysis, however, is the fact that it is a non-destructive method.     

The molecular structure of poly(biphenyl dianhydride-p-phenylenediamine) polyimide thin films by infrared spectroscopy: Thickness dependence of structure in the nano- to micrometer range

The molecular structure of poly[biphenyl dianhydride-p-phenylenediamine] (BPDA–PDA) polyimide in ultrathin (3–300 nm) films on silicon has been characterized by polarized infrared spectroscopy in conjunction with ellipsometry and X-ray reflectivity measurements. In spite of the high degree of crystalline packing of the polymer chains, the results show that an unexpected and significant content of imide rings exhibit local structural perturbations, including out-of-plane twisting. Further, the fraction of perturbed rings increases with increasing film thickness while, in contrast, the high degree of in-plane uniaxial film symmetry and planar stacking of the chains remain constant with thickness. These results reveal a new structural aspect of localized ring disorder that arises within the otherwise well-ordered, chain-stacked structure of BPDA–PDA polyimide films. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci B: Polym Phys 36: 1247–1260, 1998     

Investigation of thin surface films by microprobe analysis

The electron microprobe has been applied to study thin films on metallic substrates. The intensities of the characteristic X-rays emitted by thin films of various elements and thicknesses on sublayers of different materials were measured. Two different theoretical approaches (Bishop and Poole, as well as Yakowitz and Newbury) were applied to interpet the X-ray intensities and to determine the film thickness from the intensity measurements. The effect of backscattering from the substrate, resulting in an increase of the intensity of characteristic X-rays of the film, is being described on the basis of a theory given by Hutchins. The corresponding equation for the backscattering factor has been modified to take into account the transmission of the electrons through the film, depending on the mass thickness of the film and the electron energy. The results obtained from theory and experiment are in good agreement for the different experimental parameters applied, except for very thick layers of high atomic numbers measured at low energies where the absorption of electrons in the film plays a dominant role.     

类金刚石薄膜修饰传感器在电化学中的应用

综述了类金刚石薄膜及其修饰的传感器特性以及制备工艺,介绍了类金刚石薄膜修饰的传感器在生物检测、电化学微重力测量、痕量金属检测、氢离子选择场效应晶体管和气体检测等领域的应用,并对类金刚石薄膜修饰传感器在电化学相关领域的应用进行了展望。     

Lanthanum nitride endohedral fullerenes La3N@C2n (43 <or= n <or= 55): preferential formation of La3N@C96

While the trimetallic nitrides of Sc, Y and the lanthanides between Gd and Lu preferentially template C(80) cages, M(3)N@C(80), and while those of Ce, Pr and Nd preferentially template the C(88) cage, M(3)N@C(88), we show herein that the largest metallic nitride cluster, La(3)N, preferentially leads to the formation of La(3)N@C(96) and to a lesser extent the La(3)N@C(88). This is the first time that La(3)N is successfully encapsulated inside fullerene cages. La(3)N@C(2n) metallofullerenes were synthesized by arcing packed graphite rods in a modified Kr?tschmer-Huffman arc reactor, extracted from the collected soot and identified by mass spectroscopy. They were isolated and purified by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Different arcing conditions were studied to maximize fullerene production, and results showed that yields have a high La(2)O(3)/C dependence. Relatively high yields were obtained when a 1:5 ratio was used. Three main fractions, La(3)N@C(88), La(3)N@C(92), and La(3)N@C(96), were characterized by UV/Vis-NIR and cyclic voltammetry. Unlike other trimetallic nitride metallofullerenes of the same carbon cage size, La(3)N@C(88) exhibits a higher HOMO-LUMO gap and irreversible reduction and oxidation steps.     

Encapsulation of Proteins in Bulk and Thin Film Sol-Gel Matrices

This paper considers the nature of the interactions between the sol-gel derived inorganic matrix and a specific biomolecule, cytochrome c. Optical absorption and impedance spectroscopies are used to characterize the influence of synthesis conditions on the protein’s stability and conformation within the silica matrix. In some instances, encapsulation within the sol-gel matrix provides stabilization. For example, protein denaturation is reversible and aggregation is prevented. Moreover, the drying process does not negatively affect the protein; it is possible to regenerate the aged gel state by rehydration. The flexibility of the sol-gel process enables high quality cytochrome c-doped SiO₂ thin films to be prepared. These films possess the characteristic reactivity and chemical function of cytochrome c in solution.