Improvement of <Emphasis Type="Italic">n</Emphasis>-ZnO/<Emphasis Type="Italic">p</Emphasis>-Si photodiodes by embedding of silver nanoparticles

The photo-current of n-ZnO/p-Si heterojunction photodiodes was improved by embedding Ag nanoparticles in the interface (ZnO/nano-P_Ag/p-Si), and the ratio between photo- and dark-current increased by about three orders more than that of a n-ZnO/p-Si specimen. The improvement in the photo-current resulted from the light scattering of embedded Ag nanoparticles. The I–V curve of n-ZnO/p-Si degraded after thermal treatment (A-ZnO/p-Si) because the silicon robbed the oxygen from ZnO to form amorphous silicon dioxide and left an oxygen vacancy. Notably, the properties of ZnO/nano-P_Ag/p-Si were better in the time-dependent photoresponse under 10 V bias. Ag nanoparticles (15–20 nm) scattered the UV light randomly and increased the probability for the absorption of ZnO to enhance the properties of the photodiode.     

The electrical properties and phase transformation of PLZST 2/85/13/2 antiferroelectric thin films on different bottom electrode

Pb_0.97La_0.02(Zr_0.85Sn_0.13Ti_0.02)O₃ (PLZST 2/85/13/2) antiferroelectric thin films were deposited on Pt(111)/Ti/SiO₂/Si and LaNiO₃(LNO)/SiO₂/Si substrates through a modified sol-gel process. The phase structure and microstructure of PLZST 2/85/13/2 antiferroelectric thin films were analysed by x-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microcopy (SEM) and field-emission SEM (FE-SEM). The antiferroelectric nature of the PLZST 2/85/13/2 thin films on two electrodes was demonstrated by the C-V (capacitance-voltage) and P-E (polarization-electric field) measurement. The maximum polarizations for PLZST 2/85/13/2 films on Pt and LNO electrodes were 42 and 18 μC/cm², respectively. The temperature dependence of the dielectric property of the PLZST 2/85/13/2 films was measured under different dc electric fields. Also, the phase transformation of the PLZST 2/85/13/2 films was studied in detail as a function of temperature and dc electric field.     

A new polyether toxin from Davis

A new ichthyotoxic toxin was isolated from the unialgal culture of the deleterious Florida red tide organism, Davis (Syn. ), and its structure was elucidated.     

Preparation of Enamines Catalyzed by Lewis Acids in the Presence of Solid Supports

A simple and effective preparation of enamines from bulky ketones and secondary amines has been achieved with the aid of Lewis acid on various solid supports. The optimized yields were higher than those obtained without the solid support. Factors affecting the yield and regioselectivity of these reactions were also studied. Evidence showed that the reaction proceeded simultaneously in solution and on the solid support.     

Synthesis of 4-[(1,3-diaminopyrrolo[3′,4′:4,5]pyrido[2,3-d]-pyrimidin-8-yl)benzoyl]-L-glutamic acid as a potential antifolate

This paper is dedicated to the memory of Professor Roland K. Robins The synthesis of 4-[(1,3-diaminopyrrolo[3′,4′:4,5]pyrido[2,3-d]pyrimidin-8-yl)benzoyl]-L-glutamic acid ( 18 ), a potential antifolate and anticancer agent, has been achieved starting from 1,4-dibromobutan-2-ol with alkyl p-aminobenzoic acids. Condensation of these two agents gave 1-(4-alkoxycarbonylphenyl)pyrrolidin-3-ols 7a,b , which were oxidized to the corresponding pyrrolidin-3-one derivatives 8a,b . Compounds 8a,b were converted into 1,3-diamino-8-(4-alkoxycarbonylphenyl)-7,8-dihydro-9H-pyrrolo[3′,4′:4,5]pyrido[2,3-d]pyrimidines 12a,b in 4 steps. Saponification of 12b the benzoate ester and coupling with di-tert-butyl glutamate afforded a mixture of 7,8-dihydro product 16 and its aromatized derivative 17 . Finally hydrolysis of esters 16 or 17 gave only the title compound 18 . The 7,8-dihydro tricyclic derivatives were easily air-oxidized to form their fully aromatized compounds. The title compound 18 was one tenth less active than MTX against HL-60 cells in culture.     

Novel Rearrangements of 2,3-Dimercapto-1-propanol Derivatives: Formation of Dialkyl Sulfide, Dialkyl Disulfide, and 1,2,3-Tris(alkylthio)propane

The base alkylation of 2,3-dimercapto-1-propanol with alkyl halides leads in good yield to 2,3-bis(alkylthio)-1-propanol and dialkyl sulfide. The reaction of 2,3-bis(alkylthio)-1-propanol with catalytic concentrated sulfuric acid proceeds with rearrangement to give 1,2,3-tris(alkylthio)propane and dialkyl disulfide. The rearrangement reaction takes place through a common intermediate thiaranium intermediate 8.     

Effect of the Interface Component on Current-voltage Curves of a Composite Bipolar Membrane for Water and Methanol Solutions

The current-voltage curves of a composite bipolar membrane (CBM) were experimentally measured by varying the interface component between cation- and anion-exchange membranes for water and methanol solutions. In each solution system, 0.05 mol/l LiCl was used as the electrolyte. The interface component was varied by pasting the polymers or installing the thin membranes in the intermediate region of the CBM. The measured results show that the functional groups of the polymers and thin membranes enhanced the water and methanol splitting effect. This phenomenon can be explained by the protonation-deprotonation reactions occurring between these functional groups and the water or methanol molecules in the intermediate region of the CBM. The effect of transition metal compounds existing in the intermediate region of the CBM was also experimentally examined in this study. It was found that the effect of transition metal compounds on water or methanol splitting was not obvious. Copyright 1999 Academic Press.