Isothermal crystallization of P3HT:PCBM blends studied by RHC

Defining appropriate annealing temperatures and times is vitally important for increasing the efficiency of bulk heterojunction solar cells by favoring the crystallinity of the polymer-fullerene blend components. In order to better understand the annealing process, the isothermal crystallization of poly(3-hexyl thiophene) (P3HT) and [6,6]-phenyl C₆₁-butyric acid methyl ester (PCBM) blend investigated by means of rapid heating cooling calorimetry (RHC). Isothermal crystallization experiments at temperatures in between the glass transition and melting, within the temperature range of 70–150 °C, can successfully be performed since RHC permits cooling at a sufficiently high rate in order to prevent crystallization during cooling. Crystallization isotherms were determined from the subsequent melting behavior of the blend. They were measured for a wide set of annealing temperatures and times, and the evolution of the crystallization rate with temperature is compared for annealing from the glassy state and from the melt state.     

Synthesis,characterization, and antimicrobial evaluation of a small library of ferrocene-containing acetoacetates and phenyl analogs: the discovery of a potent anticandidal agent

A library of 16 2-substituted methyl acetoacetates containing ferrocenyl or phenyl units was designed to disclose differences in the antimicrobial activity of ferrocene-containing compounds and their phenyl analogs. Two methyl acetoacetates, whose structures do not contain an aromatic nucleus, were also included in order to probe the inherent activity of the scaffold itself. The acetoacetates were synthesized (low-to-good yields) and fully characterized by spectral (MS, IR, UV–Vis, 1D and 2D NMR) and electrochemical (cyclic voltammetry) techniques. Single-crystal X-ray analysis has been performed for methyl 2-acetyl-2-(ferrocenylmethyl)-5-methylhex-4-enoate. All compounds have demonstrated in vitro antimicrobial activity against six bacterial (three Gram-positive and three Gram-negative) and two fungal strains with minimal inhibitory concentration values of 0.0050–20.6  \(\upmu \hbox {mol mL}^{-1}\) . The most active compound was 2-acetyl-2-(ferrocenylmethyl)-4-methylpent-4-enoate whose activity was comparable to that of nystatin against the yeast Candida albicans. Agglomerative hierarchical clustering statistical analysis of the antimicrobial assay data demonstrated that ferrocene-containing compounds have statistically different and greater antimicrobial activity when compared to their phenyl analogs.     

Electrochemical Phenylselenoetherification as a Key Step in the Synthesis of (±)‐Curcumene Ether

Two variants of a new pathway for the synthesis of (±)‐curcumene ether are described. The key steps in these procedures are intramolecular cyclizations of 6‐methyl‐2‐(4‐methylphenyl)hept‐6‐en‐2‐ol and 2‐methyl‐6‐(4‐methylphenyl)hept‐6‐en‐2‐ol by means of an electrochemically generated phenylselenyl cation. This synthetic approach provides significantly better yields than the previously reported protocols.     

Hydrazinium Nitriminotetrazolates

Hydrazinium 5‐nitrimino‐1H‐tetrazolate ( 1 ) and dihydrazinium nitriminotetrazolate monohydrate ( 2 ) were synthesized by the reaction of hydrazine with 5‐nitriminotetrazole. The energetic compounds 1 and 2 were characterized by single‐crystal X‐ray diffraction (only 2 ), NMR spectroscopy, IR‐ and Raman spectroscopy as well as DSC measurements. The sensitivities towards impact, friction and electrical discharge were determined. In addition, several detonation parameters (e.g. heat of explosion, detonation velocity) were computed by the EXPLO5 computer code based on calculated (CBS‐4M) heats of formation and X‐ray densities.