Synthesis and photovoltaic properties of efficient organic dyes containing the benzo[b]furan moiety for solar cells

New organic dyes composed of the benzo[b]furan donor, thiophene-conjugated bridge, and cyano acrylic acid acceptor have been newly synthesized through the one-pot coupling cyclization key step. Nanocrystalline TiO2 dye-sensitized solar cell was fabricated using this dye. A solar-to-electric conversion efficiency of 6.65% and 4.70% is achieved with 1 and 2, respectively.     

Synthesis and characterization of chitosan‐modified polymethyl methacrylate latex particles

Stable chitosan‐modified polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) latex particles were prepared by using 2,2′‐azobis(2‐amidinopropane) dihydrochloride (V‐50) as the cationic initiator. The polymerization rate (R_p) is controlled by the V‐50 concentration ([V‐50]) and R_p is less sensitive to the chitosan concentration ([C]) used in the synthesis work. The reaction system follows Smith–Ewart Case III kinetics due to the relatively large particles produced. The zeta potential data show that the isoelectric point (pI) of the latex particles is 10.7. The amounts of V‐50 (C_V‐50) and chitosan (C_c) ultimately incorporated into the particles correlate reasonably well with [V‐50] and [C], respectively. At pH 7, the quantity of the negatively charged bovine serum albumin (BSA, pI = 4.8) adsorbed on the positively charged chitosan‐free particles (Q) via the electrostatic interaction increases with increasing C_V‐50. However, Q is relatively insensitive to changes in C_c. This result implies that only the outermost region of the hairy chitosan‐modified particles is available for adsorption of the relatively large protein species. Colloidal stability shows a significant influence on the BSA adsorption process. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci A: Polym Chem 37: 1489–1499, 1999     

A new approach towards tetrahedral imidazolate frameworks for high and selective CO2 uptake

Successful development of a new synthetic approach towards tetrahedral imidazolate frameworks (TIFs) via combining an auxiliary uninegative linker into the zinc-imidazolate tetrahedral assembly leads to new TIF materials (TIF-A1 to TIF-A3) with distinct structural topologies and high CO(2) uptake capacity.     

Monosaccharide-responsive release of insulin from polymersomes of polyboroxole block copolymers at neutral pH

We synthesized a boroxole-containing styrenic monomer that can be polymerized by the reversible addition-fragmentation and chain transfer (RAFT) method. Poly(styreneboroxole) (PBOx) and its block copolymers with a poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) as a hydrophilic block displayed binding to monosaccharides in phosphate buffer at neutral pH, as quantified by Wang's competitive binding experiments. By virtue of a controlled radical polymerization, we were able to adjust the degree of polymerization of the PBOx block to yield sugar-responsive block copolymers that self-assembled into a variety of nanostructures including spherical and cylindrical micelles and polymer vesicles (polymersomes). Polymersomes of these block copolymers exhibited monosaccharide-responsive disassembly in a neutral-pH medium. We demonstrated the possibility of using these polymersomes as sugar-responsive delivery vehicles for insulin in neutral phosphate buffer (pH 7.4). Encapsulated insulin could be released from the polymersomes only in the presence of sugars under physiologically relevant pH conditions.     

自发形核生长的AlN单晶湿法腐蚀研究

采用湿法腐蚀工艺,使用熔融态KOH和NaOH作为腐蚀剂,对一种物理气相传输(PVT)自发形核新工艺在2100~2250 ℃条件下生长的AlN单晶进行了腐蚀实验.通过实验及扫描电子显微镜(SEM)结果分析,得到了典型的AlN单晶c面、r系列面及m面最佳的腐蚀工艺参数及腐蚀形貌.另外,基于腐蚀形貌分析,发现了采用该自发形核新工艺生长的AlN晶体某些独特习性并计算出AlN单晶腐蚀坑密度(EPD).     

氧等离子体对以石墨为碳源合成的CVD金刚石颗粒的影响

采用一种新型的金刚石颗粒制备方法,利用微波辅助化学气相沉积技术,向反应室内通入氢气,以固态石墨片同时作为碳源和衬底沉积金刚石颗粒。利用该方法合成的金刚石颗粒具有微米级尺寸,可用作研磨剂、抛光剂、形核剂等。但是合成的金刚石颗粒中仍含有少量的非晶碳,且合成颗粒的尺寸均匀性有待提高。为解决以上问题,本文中在反应不同阶段(初期、中期及末期)通入氧气,形成氧等离子体;研究氧等离子体对合成的金刚石颗粒形貌、尺寸、质量、纯度的影响,以及随氧等离子体添加阶段不同而产生的不同变化情况。结果表明,经氧等离子体处理的金刚石颗粒形貌略有改变,表面光滑度更好,且金刚石颗粒尺寸的一致性有所提高;经过激光粒度测试发现,金刚石颗粒的尺寸主要集中在25~29μm。添加氧等离子体有助于消除金刚石中的非晶碳,提高金刚石纯度;且在反应初期添加氧等离子体可最大程度提高金刚石颗粒质量。     

N‐(4‐Cyano­phenyl)‐α‐(4‐methoxy­phenyl)­nitro­ne

In the crystal structure of the title compound, 4‐cyano‐N‐(4‐methoxy­benzyl­idene)­phenyl­amine N‐oxide, C₁₅H₁₂N₂O₂, the 4‐methoxy­phenyl is approximately coplanar with the nitrone moiety but significantly rotated with respect to the 4‐cyano­phenyl moiety. The extent of this rotation is significantly different for the two crystallographically independent mol­ecules of the asymmetric unit [dihedral angles of 19.4 (1) and 26.5 (1)°]. The geometry about the C=N bond is Z. The two mol­ecules are related to one another by a pseudo inversion centre.     

Dynamic Visualization of Free Radicals at Single Oxygen Bubbles using Chemiluminescence

The generation of free radicals is a key process in the formation and the collapse of the bubbles in water, however, the direct and dynamic observation of the radicals in this process at single bubbles has never been achieved. Here, the hydroxyl (OH^.) and oxygen (O₂^.−) radicals at single oxygen bubbles are continuously traced using chemiluminescence (CL), in which these radicals at the bubble react with the surrounding luminol in the solution emitting the light. Varied increase trends of luminescence are observed in the generation of a bubble, floating, short parking at the water/air interface and the final explosion, revealing the complexity in the distribution of radicals at the bubble unprecedentedly. Despite more radicals are observed at the bubble generated at a deep position under the water for the stabilization, almost the same amount of radicals are included in the bubbles that is independent on the water pressure during the production of the bubble. This rich information collected from the dynamic study of bubbles illustrates the complicated generation and distribution process of radicals at the bubbles, and will facilitate the understanding of the function about the bubbles.     

Mechanisms for NH3 decomposition on Si(100)-(2 x 1) surface: a quantum chemical cluster model study

In this paper, we present a detailed mechanism for the complete decomposition of NH3 to NHx(a) (x = 0-2). Our calculations show that the initial decomposition of NH3 to NH2(a) and H(a) is facile, with a transition-state energy 7.4 kcal mol-1 below the vacuum level. Further decomposition to N(a) or recombination-desorption to NH3(g) is hindered by a large barrier of approximately 46 kcal mol-1. There are two plausible NH2 decomposition pathways: 1) NH2(a) insertion into the surface Si-Si dimer bond, and 2) NH2(a) insertion into the Si-Si backbond. We find that pathway (1) leads to the formation of a surface Si = N unit, similar to a terminal Si = Nt pair in silicon nitride, Si3N4, while pathway (2) leads to the formation of a near-planar, subsurface Si3N unit, in analogy to a central nitrogen atom (Nc) bounded to three silicon atoms in the Si3N4 environment. Based on these results, a plausible microscopic mechanism for the nitridation of the Si(100)-(2 x 1) surface by NH3 is proposed.