Enhanced Charge Separation Efficiency in Pyridine‐Anchored Phthalocyanine‐Sensitized Solar Cells by Linker Elongation

A series of zinc phthalocyanine sensitizers ( PcS22 – 24 ) having a pyridine anchoring group are designed and synthesized to investigate the structural dependence on performance in dye‐sensitized solar cells. The pyridine‐anchor zinc phthalocyanine sensitizer PcS23 shows 79 % incident‐photon to current‐conversion efficiency (IPCE) and 6.1 % energy conversion efficiency, which are comparable with similar phthalocyanine dyes having a carboxylic acid anchoring group. Based on DFT calculations, the high IPCE is attributed with the mixture of an excited‐state molecular orbital of the sensitizer and the orbitals of TiO₂. Between pyridine and carboxylic acid anchor dyes, opposite trends are observed in the linker‐length dependence of the IPCE. The red‐absorbing PcS23 is applied for co‐sensitization with a carboxyl‐anchor organic dye D131 that has a complementary spectral response. The site‐selective adsorption of PcS23 and D131 on the TiO₂ surface results in a panchromatic photocurrent response for the whole visible‐light region of sun light.     

High‐resolution MALDI‐TOF MS study on analysis of low‐molecular‐weight products from photo‐oxidation of poly(3‐hexylthiophene)

High‐resolution matrix‐assisted laser desorption/ionization (MALDI) time‐of‐flight mass spectrometry (TOF MS) was used for the analysis of the low‐molecular‐weight products from the photo‐oxidation of poly(3‐hexylthiophene) (P3HT) in solution and thin film. Eight new peak series were observed in the low‐mass range of the mass spectra of the products degraded in solution, and the formulas of the eight components were determined from the accurate mass. From SEC/MALDI‐TOF MS, two components were identified as the degraded products, and the other six components were derived from the fragmentation of the degraded products during the MALDI process. A mechanism for the formation of these components was proposed on the basis of the results of MALDI‐TOF MS. For the thin film degradation, a part of products in the solution degradation were observed, which supports that the oxidation of P3HT in solution and thin film proceeded in the same mechanism. This study shows that high‐resolution MALDI‐TOF MS is effective for the analysis of the low‐molecular‐weight products from P3HT photo‐oxidation and expected to be feasible for the degradation analyses of other polymers. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Facile Synthesis and Polymerization of 2,6‐Difluoro‐2′‐sulfobenzophenone for Aromatic Proton Conducting Ionomers with Pendant Sulfobenzoyl Groups

The lithium salt of 2,6‐difluoro‐2′‐sulfobenzophenone was conveniently synthesized in one‐pot by reacting 2,6‐difluorophenyllithium with 2‐sulfobenzoic acid cyclic anhydride in THF at −70 °C whereafter the product crystallized out of solution. A poly(arylene ether) and a poly(arylene sulfide) were prepared by polycondensation reactions to demonstrate the reactivity and efficacy of this new monomer to produce sulfonated high‐molecular weight aromatic polymers for fuel cell proton‐exchange membranes. This work demonstrated that organolithium chemistry may offer versatile and straightforward pathways to new functional monomers with fluorine atoms activated for nucleophilic aromatic substitution reactions.

     

The Source of “Fairy Rings”: 2‐Azahypoxanthine and its Metabolite Found in a Novel Purine Metabolic Pathway in Plants

Rings or arcs of fungus‐stimulated plant growth occur worldwide; these are commonly referred to as “fairy rings”. In 2010, we discovered 2‐azahypoxanthine (AHX), a compound responsible for the fairy‐ring phenomenon caused by fungus; AHX stimulated the growth of all the plants tested. Herein, we reveal the isolation and structure determination of a common metabolite of AHX in plants, 2‐aza‐8‐oxohypoxanthine (AOH). AHX is chemically synthesized from 5‐aminoimidazole‐4‐carboxamide (AICA), and AHX can be converted into AOH by xanthine oxidase. AICA is one of the members of the purine metabolic pathway in animals, plants, and microorganisms. However, further metabolism of AICA remains elusive. Based on these results and facts, we hypothesized that plants themselves produce AHX and AOH through a pathway similar to the chemical synthesis. Herein, we demonstrate the existence of endogenous AHX and AOH and a novel purine pathway to produce them in plants.     

Synthesis of 2‐Arylquinazolin‐4(3H)‐ones by N‐Aryl Benzamidines with Aromatic Carbonates

The reaction of N‐aryl benzamidines 1a , 1b , 1c , 1d , 1e , 1f , 1g , 1h , 1i , 1j , 1k , 1l , 1m , 1n with diphenyl carbonate 2a or ethyl phenyl carbonate 2b synthesized 2‐arylquinazolin‐4(3H)‐ones 3a , 3b , 3c , 3d , 3e , 3f , 3g , 3h , 3i , 3j , 3k , 3l , 3m , 3n in simple and safe process with good yields (71–90%). It was suggested that different electron‐donating substituent in N‐aryl benzamidines 1a , 1b , 1c , 1d , 1e , 1f , 1g , 1h , 1i , 1j , 1k , 1l , 1m , 1n afforded similar effect to the yields of 2‐arylquinazolin‐4(3H)‐ones 3a , 3b , 3c , 3d , 3e , 3f , 3g , 3h , 3i , 3j , 3k , 3l , 3m , 3n . In these reactions, N‐aryl benzamidines 1a , 1b , 1c , 1d , 1e , 1f , 1g , 1h , 1i , 1j , 1k , 1l , 1m , 1n built up intermediate compounds by nucleophilic addition to carbonates 2 to give annulation products 3a , 3b , 3c , 3d , 3e , 3f , 3g , 3h , 3i , 3j , 3k , 3l , 3m , 3n , following to cyclization involving the elimination of ethanol/phenol.     

Selective Ion Exchange in Supramolecular Channels in the Crystalline State

Artificial ion channels are of increasing interest because of potential applications in biomimetics, for example, for realizing selective ion permeability through the transport and/or exchange of selected ions. However, selective ion transport and/or exchange in the crystalline state is rare, and to the best of our knowledge, such a process has not been successfully combined with changes in the physical properties of a material. Herein, by soaking single crystals of Li₂([18]crown‐6)₃[Ni(dmit)₂]₂(H₂O)₄ ( 1 ) in an aqueous solution containing K⁺, we succeeded in complete ion exchange of the Li⁺ ions in 1 with K⁺ ions in the solution, while maintaining the crystalline state of the material. This ion exchange with K⁺ was selectively conducted even in mixed solutions containing K⁺ as well as Na⁺/Li⁺. Furthermore, remarkable changes in the physical properties of 1 resulted from the ion exchange. Our finding enables not only the realization of selective ion permeability but also the development of highly sensitive biosensors and futuristic ion exchange agents, for example.     

Synthesis of trifluoromethyl-group-containing cyclopentadienones by the palladium-catalyzed [2 + 2 + 1] cycloaddition of aryl- and trifluoromethyl-group substituted internal alkynes and carbon monoxide

We investigated the palladium-catalyzed [2?+?2?+?1] cycloaddition of aryl- and trifluoromethyl-group-substituted internal alkynes and carbon monoxide, and revealed that the PdBr₂ effectively catalyzed the intended reaction. The PdBr₂-catalyzed reaction smoothly proceeded and provided aryl- and trifluoromethyl-group-containing cyclopentadienone derivatives in up to 92% yield.     

Control of photochemistry of stilbazolium ion by adsorption to poly(potassium vinylsulfate) and to hectorite clay

Adsorption or intercalation of trans-1-methyl-4-(2-phenylvinyl)pyridinium ion (stilbazolium ion, SB ( 1 )) to a polyelectrolyte, i. e., poly(potassium vinylsulfate) (PVSK), and to a hectorite clay is studied and its effect on the photochemistry of SB examined. trans-cis Photoisomerization of SB molecularly adsorbed to PVSK proceeds efficiently as with free SB in water, while that of SB molecularly intercalated in the clay is markedly suppressed. Photodimerization proceeds efficiently with SB intercalated in the clay in the aggregated form. Overall photodecoloration, however, proceeds more efficiently with SB adsorbed to PVSK under multiple adsorption conditions apparently due to the higher mobility of PVSK-adsorbed SB compared to that of clay-intercalated SB.