Effect of the rutile content on the photovoltaic performance of the dye-sensitized solar cells composed of mixed-phase TiO2 photoelectrodes

The effect of the rutile content on the photovoltaic performance of dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) composed of mixed-phase TiO(2) photoelectrode has been investigated. The mixed-phase TiO(2) particles with varied amounts of rutile, relative to anatase phase, are synthesized by an in situ method where the concentration of sulfate ion is used as a phase-controlling parameter in the formation of TiO(2) using TiCl(4) hydrolysis. The surface area (S(BET)) varies from 33 (pure rutile) to 165 (pure anatase) m(2) g(-1). Generally, both the current density (J(sc)) and photo-conversion efficiency (η) decrease as the rutile content increases. The incorporation of rod-shaped rutile particles causes low uptake of dye due to the reduced surface area, as well as slow electron transport in less efficiently-stacked structure. However, maximum J(sc) (14.63 mA cm(-2)) and η (8.69%) appear when relatively low rutile content (16%) is employed. The reported synergistic effect by the efficient interparticle electron transport from rutile to anatase seems to overbalance the decrease of surface area when small amount of rutile particles is incorporated.     

Unusual coordination mode of tetradentate Schiff base cobalt(III) complexes

Contrary to the stereotype, Jacobsen's catalyst, chiral (salcy)Co(III)OAc adopts an unusual binding mode. The tetradentate {ONNO} ligand does not form a square plane but wraps cobalt in a cis-β fashion while acetate is chelating.     

Synthesis, X-ray structures, and controlled ring opening polymerization behavior of l-lactide using titanium complexes chelated by tetradentate diamine-diethanolate ligand

The synthesis and characterization of LTi(O-i-Pr)(2) (1) and LTiCl(2) (2) complexes containing a new [ONNO]-type tetradentate diamine-diethanolate ligand such as (HOCMe(2)CH(2)NMeCH(2)CH(2)NMeCH(2)CMe(2)OH) (LH(2)) was achieved. Single-crystal X-ray analyses revealed that monomeric complexes 1 and 2 had pseudo-C(2) and pseudo-C(1) symmetric distorted octahedral geometry, respectively. Interestingly, complex 1 has fac-fac geometry for tetradentate L around a Ti centre in both solid and solution, whereas complex 2 has different geometry in solid (mer-fac, C(1)) and solution (fac-fac, C(2)). They are effective catalysts for the controlled ring opening polymerization of l-lactide, as shown by the linearity of the number average of the molecular weight of polylactides versus conversion, as well as narrow PDI values.     

Reversible Crystal-to-Amorphous Structural Conversion in the Single End-On Azide-Bridged Co(II) Complex: Concomitant Color and Magnetic Modulations

Crystal clear: An end-on (EO) azide-bridged Co(II) layer (see scheme; 1) with coordinated water molecules, long spacer p-XBP4 ligands, and unbound azide anions was evacuated to generate a dehydrated sample of 2. A reversible crystal-to-amorphous structural transformation accompanied by color and magnetic changes takes place between 1 and 2 by using a desolvation-solvation protocol.     

A unique tetranuclear Er(III)4 cluster exhibiting field-induced single-molecule magnetism

A tetranuclear Er(III) compound chelated with N(2)O(2) donors of a tetradentate Schiff base was produced from the self-assembly of the corresponding chemical species. This intriguing cluster shows field-induced slow relaxation of magnetization.     

Novel fabrication and catalytic application of poly(ethylenimine)-stabilized gold–silver alloy nanoparticles

Novel synthesis of amine-stabilized Au–Ag alloy nanoparticles with controlled composition has been devised using poly(ethylenimine) (PEI) as a reducing and a stabilizing agent simultaneously. The composition of Au–Ag alloy nanoparticles was readily controlled by varying the initial relative amount of HAuCl₄ and AgNO₃. Due to the presence of abundant amine functional groups in PEI, which could act as the dissolving ligand for AgCl, the precipitation problem of Ag⁺ in the presence of Cl⁻ from the gold salt was avoided. On this basis, the relatively high concentrations of HAuCl₄ and AgNO₃ salts were used for the fabrication of Au–Ag alloy nanoparticles. The PEI thus plays triple roles in this study that include the co-reducing agents for HAuCl₄ and AgNO₃, the stabilizing agents for Au–Ag alloy nanoparticles, and even the dissolving agents for AgCl. As a novel material for use in catalysis, the Au–Ag alloy nanoparticles including pure Au and Ag samples were exploited as catalysts for the reduction of 4-nitrophenol in the presence of NaBH₄. As the Au content was increased in the Au–Ag alloy nanoparticles, the rate constant of the reduction was exponentially increased from pure Ag to pure Au.     

The absence of the Kerr black hole in the Hořava–Lifshitz gravity

We show that the Kerr metric does not exist as a fully rotating black hole solution to modified Hořava–Lifshitz (HL) gravity with Λ _W =0 and λ=1. We do this by showing that the Kerr metric does not satisfy the full equations derived from modified HL gravity.     

Absorption cross section in Lifshitz black hole

We summarize recent work in which we attempt to make consistent models of LHC physics, from the Pyramid Scheme. The models share much with the NMSSM, in particular, enhanced tree level contributions to the Higgs mass and a preference for small tan??. There are three different singlet fields, and a new strongly coupled gauge theory, so the constraints of perturbative unification are quite different. We outline our general approach to the model, which contains a K?hler potential for three of the low energy fields, which is hard to calculate. Detailed calculations, based on approximations to the K?hler potential, will be presented in a future publication.     

Reversible changes between bipolar and unipolar resistance-switching phenomena in a Pt/SrTiOx/Pt cell

We find that resistance switching (RS) phenomena change reversibly between bipolar RS (BRS) and unipolar RS (URS) in a Pt/SrTiO_x/Pt cell. For an asymmetric electrode configuration of Ti/SrTiO_x/Pt cells whose top and bottom interfaces are Ohmic and Schottky-like rectifying, we determine that BRS only occurs when a positive voltage is applied to the bottom Pt electrode at the forming process. During the set process of BRS in a Pt/SrTiO_x/Pt cell, O₂ bubbles develop on the top Pt electrode. From the experimental results for a single sample in which both BRS and URS occur, O^2? ion movement and consequent interfacial resistance modification might play an important role in BRS but not URS.