Influence of the processing solvent on the photoactive layer nanomorphology of P3HT/PC60BM solar cells

In this article, it is demonstrated that doctor blading of thin poly‐3‐hexylthiophene/phenyl‐C₆₁‐butyric acid methyl ester (1/1) bulk‐hetero junction films from toluene leads to an improved nanocrystallinity, when compared with their unannealed chlorobenzene processed counterparts. This difference in morphology was demonstrated by solid‐state NMR and Rapid Heating Cooling Calorimetry (RHC), being useful complementary techniques to investigate the active layer morphology of photovoltaic devices. An increased PC₆₀BM nanocrystallinity is indicated by several NMR relaxation decay times (T_1C, T_1H, and T_1ρH) and confirmed by an increase of the melting enthalpy in RHC experiments. An improved solar cell performance further strengthens this conclusion. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem, 2012     

Enhancing Metal Separations by Liquid–Liquid Extraction Using Polar Solvents

The less polar phase of liquid–liquid extraction systems has been studied extensively for improving metal separations; however, the role of the more polar phase has been overlooked for far too long. Herein, we investigate the extraction of metals from a variety of polar solvents and demonstrate that, the influence of polar solvents on metal extraction is so significant that extraction of many metals can be largely tuned, and the metal separations can be significantly enhanced by selecting suitable polar solvents. Furthermore, a mechanism on how the polar solvents affect metal extraction is proposed based on comprehensive characterizations. The method of using suitable polar solvents in liquid–liquid extraction paves a new and versatile way to enhance metal separations.     

EPR spectroscopy of multicomponent,multispin molecular system obtained by the photolysis of 2,4,6-triazido-3-cyano-5-fluoropyridine in solid argon

Complex multicomponent, multispin molecular system, consisting of a septet trinitrene, two quintet dinitrenes, and three triplet mononitrenes, was obtained by the photolysis of 2,4,6-triazido-3-cyano-5-fluoropyridine in solid argon. To identify these paramagnetic products, electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy in combination with line-shape spectral simulations and density functional theory calculations was used. The products of the photolysis was found to be triplet 2,4-diazido-3-cyano-5-fluoropyridyl-6-nitrene (D_T = 1.000 cm⁻¹, E_T = 0), triplet 2,4-diazido-3-cyano-5-fluoropyridyl-2-nitrene (D_T = 1.043 cm⁻¹, E_T = 0), triplet 2,6-diazido-3-cyano-5-fluoropyridyl-4-nitrene (D_T = 1.128 cm⁻¹, E_T = 0 cm⁻¹), quintet 4-azido-3-cyano-5-fluoropyridyl-2,6-dinitrene (D_Q = 0.211 cm⁻¹, E_Q = 0.0532 cm⁻¹), quintet 2-azido-3-cyano-5-fluoropyridyl-4,6-dinitrene (D_Q = 0.208 cm⁻¹, E_Q = 0.0386 cm⁻¹), and septet 3-cyano-5-fluoropyridyl-2,4,6-trinitrene (D_S = −0.1017 cm⁻¹, E_S = −0.0042 cm⁻¹) in a 38:4:7:22:14:4 ratio, respectively.     

Synthesis and photophysical properties of fullerene-phthalocyanine-porphyrin triads and pentads

The synthesis and photophysical properties of several fullerene-phthalocyanine-porphyrin triads (1-3) and pentads (4-6) are described. The three photoactive moieties were covalently connected in an one-step synthesis through 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition to C(60) of the corresponding azomethine ylides generated in situ by condensation reaction of a substituted N-porphyrinylmethylglycine derivative and an appropriated formyl phthalocyanine or a diformyl phthalocyanine derivative, respectively. ZnP-C(60)-ZnPc (3), (ZnP)(2)-ZnPc-(C(60))(2) (6), and (H(2)P)(2)-ZnPc-(C(60))(2) (5) give rise upon excitation of their ZnP or H(2)P components to a sequence of energy and charge-transfer reactions with, however, fundamentally different outcomes. With (ZnP)(2)-ZnPc-(C(60))(2) (6) the major pathway is an highly exothermic charge transfer to afford (ZnP)(ZnP(.+))-ZnPc-(C(60)(.-))(C(60)). The lower singlet excited state energy of H(2)P (i.e., ca. 0.2 eV) and likewise its more anodic oxidation (i.e., ca. 0.2 V) renders the direct charge transfer in (H(2)P)(2)-ZnPc-(C(60))(2) (5) not competitive. Instead, a transduction of singlet excited state energy prevails to form the ZnPc singlet excited state. This triggers then an intramolecular charge transfer reaction to form exclusively (H(2)P)(2)-ZnPc(.+)-(C(60)(.-))(C(60)). A similar sequence is found for ZnP-C(60)-ZnPc (3).     

Endohedral metallofullerenes-filled fullerene derivatives towards multifunctional reaction center mimics

In recent years, endohedral metallofullerenes have attracted tremendous interest not only in physics and chemistry, but also in interdisciplinary areas, such as materials and biological sciences. In this concept article we highlight recent results on different endohedral metallofullerenes based on lanthanides and their derivatives. The chemical and excited state reactivities of endohedral metallofullerenes are discussed for various endohedral clusters. Most important is the part that covers spectroscopic and kinetic assays of reductive and oxidative charge transfer evolving from photoexcited electron donors and electron acceptors, respectively, in a variety of electron donor-acceptor conjugates. Towards this end, we refer to the applications of endohedral metallofullerenes in photovoltaic devices that feature greater efficiency than devices fabricated with empty fullerenes. Herein, we focus mainly on results obtained in the groups of Akasaka, Echegoyen, and Guldi.     

Hydrothermal synthesis, crystal structure and properties of Ni(II)-4f complexes based on 1H-benzimidazole-5,6-dicarboxylic acid

Nine novel heterometallic coordination polymers [Ln(2)Ni(Hbidc)(2)(SO(4))(2)(H(2)O)(8)](n) (Ln = Pr (1), Sm (2), Eu (3), Gd (4), Tb (5), Dy (6), Ho (7), Er (8), Yb (9), H(3)bidc = 1H-benzimidazole-5,6-dicarboxylic acid) have been synthesized under hydrothermal conditions and characterized by elemental analysis, FT-IR, TG analysis and single crystal X-ray diffraction. X-ray analysis revealed that all complexes present almost identical three-dimensional (3D) structures with PtS-type topology. Complexes 1-7 are all isomorphous, and the structure variation of polymers 8 and 9 is induced by the lanthanide contraction effect. In additional, the luminescence properties of complexes 2, 3 and 5-7, and the magnetic properties of complexes 4 and 6-8 were investigated.     

Production of CaCO3/hyperbranched polyglycidol hybrid films using spray-coating technique

Biomineralizing organisms employ macromolecules and cellular processing strategies in order to produce highly complex composite materials such as nacre. Bionic approaches translating this knowledge into viable technical production schemes for a large-scale production of biomimetic hybrid materials have met with limited success so far. Investigations presented here thus focus on the production of CaCO(3)/polymer hybrid coatings that can be applied to huge surface areas via reactive spray-coating. Technical requirements for simplicity and cost efficiency include a straightforward one-pot synthesis of low molecular weight hyperbranched polyglycidols (polyethers of 2,3-epoxy-1-propanol) as a simple mimic of biological macromolecules. Polymers functionalized with phosphate monoester, sulfate or carboxylate groups provide a means of controlling CaCO(3) particle density and morphology in the final coatings. We employ reactive spray-coating techniques to generate CaCO(3)/hybrid coatings among which vaterite composites can be prepared in the presence of sulfate-containing hyperbranched polyglycidol. These coatings show high stability and remained unchanged for periods longer than 9 months. By employing carboxylate-based hyperbranched polyglycidol, it is possible to deposit vaterite-calcite composites, whereas phosphate-ester-based hyperbranched polyglycidol leads to calcite composites. Nanoindentation was used to study mechanical properties, showing that coatings thus obtained are slightly harder than pure calcite.     

Real time quantitative amplification detection on a microarray: towards high multiplex quantitative PCR

Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qrtPCR) is widely used as a research and diagnostic tool. Notwithstanding its many powerful features, the method is limited in the degree of multiplexing to about 6 due to spectral overlap of the available fluorophores. A new method is presented that allows quantitative amplification detection at higher multiplexing by the integration of amplification in solution and monitoring via hybridization to a microarray in real-time. This method does not require any manipulation of the PCR product and runs in a single closed chamber. Employing labeled primers, one of the main challenges is to measure surface signals against a high fluorescence background from solution. A compact, confocal scanner is employed, based on miniaturized optics from DVD technology and combined with a flat thermocycler for simultaneous scanning and heating. The feasibility of this method is demonstrated in singleplex with an analytical sensitivity comparable to routine qrtPCR.     

Mesophase behaviour and thermal stability of octa-alkoxy substituted phthalocyaninatocobalt (II) complexes

Cobalt (II) phthalocyanines substituted with eight alkoxy chains in the peripheral (2, 3, 9, 10, 16, 17, 23, 24) positions were prepared. The alkoxy chain length was varied between n-butyloxy (C₄H₉O) and n-octadecyloxy (C₁₈H₃₇O). Studies by polarizing optical microscopy and high temperature X-ray diffraction revealed that all the complexes are liquid crystalline and that they exhibit a hexagonal columnar mesophase (Col_h). Transition enthalpies were determined by differential scanning calorimetry. The clearing point could only be observed for compounds with a chain length longer than C₁₃H₂₇O. Both the melting and clearing points decrease with increasing chain length. The transition temperatures of these discotic metallomesogens are higher than those of the corresponding metal-free phthalocyanines, but are comparable with those of the corresponding copper (II) compounds. The thermal decomposition of the compounds was studied by thermogravimetry.