An Unexpected Fluctuating Reactivity for Odd and Even Carbon Numbers in the TiO2‐Based Photocatalytic Decarboxylation of C2‐C6 Dicarboxylic Acids

The degradation behaviours of five straight‐chain dicarboxylic acids (from ethanedioic acid to hexanedioic acid) were compared in aqueous TiO₂‐based photocatalysis. When all other conditions were identical, the degradation rates were found to fluctuate regularly with the parity of the number of carbon atoms. Dicarboxylic acids with an even number of carbon atoms (e‐DAs) always degraded more slowly than those acids with an odd number of carbon atoms (o‐DAs). This unusual fluctuation in the reactivity for the degradation of dicarboxylic acids by TiO₂‐based photocatalysis is very closely related to the different pre‐coordination modes of the acids with the photocatalyst. Attenuated total reflection FTIR (ATR‐FTIR) of e‐DAs labelled with ¹³C showed that both carboxyl groups of the acid coordinate to TiO₂ through bidentate chelating forms. In contrast, only one carboxyl group of the o‐DAs coordinated to TiO₂ in a bidentate chelating manner, whereas the other formed a monodentate binding linkage. The bidentate chelating form with bilateral symmetric coordination did not favour degradation. Isotope‐labelling experiments were performed with ¹⁸O₂ to observe the different ways in which incorporated oxygen entered the initial decarboxylated products of e‐ and o‐DAs. For the degradation of butanedioic acid, (45.9±0.5) % of the oxygen in the formed propanedioic acid came from H₂O, whereas for pentanedioic acid, (97.4±0.2) % of the oxygen in the formed butanedioic acid came from H₂O. Our results demonstrate that in TiO₂‐based photocatalysis, the reactivity of active species, such as ^. OH/h_vb⁺, is far from non‐selective and that the attacks of these active species on organic substrates are significantly affected by the coordination patterns of the substrates on the TiO₂ surface.     

Oligosiloxane Functionalized with Pendant (1,3‐Bis(9‐carbazolyl)benzene) (mCP) for Solution‐Processed Organic Electronics

A new oligosiloxane derivative (ODCzMSi) functionalized with the well‐known 1,3‐bis(9‐carbazolyl)benzene (mCP) pendant moiety, directly linked to the silicon atom of the oligosiloxane backbone, has been synthesized and characterized. Compared to mCP, the attachment of the oligosiloxane chain significantly improves the thermal and morphological stabilities with a high decomposition temperature (T_d=540 °C) and glass transition temperature (T_g=142 °C). The silicon–oxygen linkage of ODCzMSi disrupts the backbone conjugation and maintains a high triplet energy level (E_T=3.0 eV). A phosphorescent organic light‐emitting diode (PhOLED) using iridium bis(4,6‐difluorophenyl)pyridinato‐N,C² picolinate (FIrpic) as the emitter and ODCzMSi as the host shows a relatively low turn‐on voltage of 5.0 V for solution‐processed PhOLEDs, maximum external quantum efficiency of 9.2 %, and maximum current efficiency of 17.7 cd A^?1. The overall performance of this device is competitive with the best reported solution‐processed blue PhOLEDs. Memory devices using ODCzMSi as an active layer exhibit non‐volatile write‐once read‐many‐times (WORM) characteristics with high stability in retention time up to 10⁴ s and a low switch on voltage. This switching behaviour is explained by different stable conformations of ODCzMSi with high or low conductivity states which are obtained under the action of electric field through a π–π stacking alignment of the pendant aromatic groups. These results with both PhOLEDs and memory devices demonstrate that this oligosiloxane–mCP hybrid structure is promising and versatile for high performance solution‐processed optoelectronic applications.     

Unravelling the Relationship between Raman Enhancement and Photocatalytic Activity on Single Anisotropic Au Microplates

Anisotropic noble‐metal structures are attracting increasing attention because of interesting size‐ and shape‐dependent properties and have emerging applications in the fields of optics and catalysis. However, it remains a significant challenge to overcome chemical contributions and acquire molecular insight into the relationship between Raman enhancement and photocatalytic activity. This study gives visualized experimental evidence of the anisotropic spatial distribution of Raman signals and photocatalytic activity at the level of single nanometer‐thin Au microtriangles and microhexagons. Theoretical simulations indicate an anisotropic spatial distribution and sharpness‐dependent strength of the electric‐field enhancement. Analysis by using statistical surface‐enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) supports this view, that is, Raman enhancement is on the order of corner>edge>face for a single microplate, but SERS measurements at different depths of focus also imply a concentration‐dependent feature of SERS signals, especially at the corners and edges. Similarly, the SERS signals of product molecules in plasmonic photocatalysis also exhibit asymmetrical strengths at different corners of the same microplate. However, by examining the variations in the relative intensities of the SERS peaks, the difference in the photocatalytic activities at the corners, edges, and faces has been successfully calculated and is highly consistent with electric‐field simulations, thus indicating that an increased number of molecules adsorbed at specific sites does not necessarily lead to a higher conversion ratio in noble‐metal photocatalysis. Our strategy weakens the assumed impact of plasmonic local heating and, to a certain extent, excludes the influence of concentration effects and chemical contributions in noble‐metal photocatalysis, thus clearly profiling plasmon‐related characteristics. This study also promises a new research direction to understand the enhancement mechanism of SERS‐active structures.     

Xylan-type hemicelluloses supported terpyridine–palladium(II) complex as an efficient and recyclable catalyst for Suzuki–Miyaura reaction

Xylan-type hemicelluloses supported terpyridine–palladium(II) as a novel biomass-supported catalyst was synthesized and characterized in terms of morphology, composition, and thermal stability. The nano-Pd catalyst was further explored for Suzuki–Miyaura reaction between arylboronic acid and aryl halide under aerobic condition, with a yield up to 98 %. In particular, the catalyst exhibited both high catalytic activity and stability for Suzuki–Miyaura reaction. Furthermore, the catalyst could be easily recovered by simple filtration and reused at least six times without significant loss of its catalytic activity. This work provides a novel and effective supported catalyst, and broadens the applications of polysaccharides in green catalysis.     

Coloring properties of novel 1,4-distyrylbenzene and 4,4′-distyrylbiphenyl fluorescent brighteners and their arrangement in cotton and polyester fiber

Some novel 1,4-distyrylbenzene (DSB) and 4,4′-distyrylbiphenyl (DSBP) fluorescent brighteners (FBs) were used to dye polyester and cotton fabrics. The CIE whiteness, color hue and reflectance spectrum of dyed fabrics were compared. DSBP derivatives could dye the cotton and polyester fabrics with a higher whiteness level and had a lower fluorescent quenching concentration than DSB derivatives. The color hue for the fabric dyed with DSB FBs was yellow-green, whereas that dyed with DSBP was blue–violet. The molecular arrangement in the fiber had a significant influence on their optical properties, resulting in different coloring properties. The increase in molecule planarity and rigidity generated by the interaction between the polymer and FB molecules caused a remarkable bathochromic shift in emission and excitation spectra. The H-aggregate of the DSB molecule in the fiber was easily generated, and the degree of aggregation increased with the molecular polarity. However, the aggregation of DSBP molecules in the polyester and cotton fiber was not found. The surface region of the cotton fiber was filled with FB molecules, whereas FB molecules in the polyester fiber aggregated easily, and incident light could pass through the surface region.     

Tough nanocomposite hydrogels from cellulose nanocrystals/poly(acrylamide) clusters: influence of the charge density,aspect ratio and surface coating with PEG

Cellulose-derived materials are usually characterized by sophisticated structures, leading to unique and multiple functions, which have been a source of inspiration for the fabrication of a wide variety of nanocomposites. Cellulose nanocrystals/poly(acrylamide) (CNCs/PAM) nanocomposite hydrogels were synthesized via in situ polymerization in the CNC suspension. The cellulose from pulp fiber under different sulfuric acid hydrolysis conditions, examined by conductometric titration and transmission electron microscopy, was applied to study how the effects of the surface charge and aspect ratio affect CNCs’ mechanical reinforcement in nanocomposites. The results indicated that the higher surface charge concentration resulted in better dispersibility in aqueous suspension, leading to a more efficient energy dissipation process. The CNC reinforcement behavior followed the percolation model where the greater aspect ratio of CNC contributed to higher mechanical properties. The preferential adsorption of poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) on the CNC surface was characterized by zeta potential measurements where the fracture strength and fracture elongation of nanocomposites decreased with increasing PEG concentration. The adsorption of PEG on the CNC surface occupied the active sites for polymer chain propagation, which hindered the PAM cross-linking effect on the CNC surface and decreased the cross-linking density of the network.     

铱配合物为能量受体的阴离子型聚芴合成及其蛋白质多糖检测

用Suzuki偶合方法合成了一系列铱配合物为能量受体,侧链为羧酸基团的阴离子型水溶性聚芴.聚芴(P4,P5,P6)中铱配合物含量分别为0%,2%和5%,聚芴P6在水溶液中具有较好的荧光能量荧光转移(FRET)效率.还研究了p H变化对聚合物水溶液荧光光谱性能的影响,结果表明当p H>8时,所含羧基以钠盐形式存在使聚合物具有较好的溶解性和较强的荧光强度,p H<8时,羧基以COOH形式存在,使聚合物溶解度降低造成聚集,荧光发生淬灭.并且进一步研究了不同的蛋白质和多糖对铱配合物含量为5%的聚合物(P6)的荧光光谱变化,如加入带正电荷的溶菌酶后可以发生比较明显的FRET现象,加入中性的血红蛋白后荧光强度略有下降,而疏水作用较强的组蛋白和带负电荷肝素的加入可以增强P6的荧光强度减弱聚合物的FRET,因此聚合物P6可以作为蛋白质和多糖的光学检测器.     

聚丙烯酸双(乙氧羰基)甲酯及其螯合物的合成和磁性能的检测

以溴代丙二酸二乙酯、丙烯酸钠为原料合成了聚丙烯酸双(乙氧羰基)甲酯(PEOCMA),并制备了其相应的与稀土金属Gd3+、Nd3+以及过渡金属Ni2+的高分子螯合物.利用FTIR、1H-NMR、GPC对聚合物和高分子螯合物的结构进行了表征,通过电感耦合等离子质谱仪(ICP)测得了高分子螯合物中的金属含量,借助多功能材料物理特性测试系统(PPMS,physical property measurement system)测定螯合物的磁性能.结果表明这些高分子螯合物具有较高的磁饱和强度,在低温下呈现出一定的铁磁相互作用,且为软磁性材料.     

具有红光发射的稀土上转换发光纳米晶及其介孔直接功能化

红光发射稀土上转换发光纳米晶(UCNPs)在光动力治疗(PDT)等方面具有特定的优势。将油溶性的UCNPs通过表面改性转变为水溶性,对其在生物医疗、疾病诊断等方面的应用具有重要意义。利用一种简单易行的方法将具有红光发射的UCNPs进行介孔直接功能化表面修饰,制备了一种具有良好水溶性的纳米材料NaYF4:Yb/Er/Mn@mSiO2。实验结果表明该材料核-壳结构明显,形貌均一,在980 nm的激发下保持了上转换发光特性。该材料在光动力治疗等方面具有良好的潜在应用价值。     

低温热分析标准物质的研制

研制了两种0~100℃热分析标准物质,分别为金属镓和水杨酸苯酯标准物质。研制的标准物质具有良好的均匀性和稳定性,采用与NIST,LGC相应标准物质比较的方法定值。NIST为SRM 2234镓,其定值采用288.6~314.35 K范围内的绝热热量计测得温度及热量值;LGC用绝热法为水杨酸苯酯的熔化温度和熔化热定值,两种方法都可以直接溯源至SI单位。对定值结果的不确定度进行了分析和评定。镓和水杨酸苯酯标准物质的熔化温度分别为(29.77±0.20)℃(k=2),(41.81±0.34)℃(k=2);熔化热分别为(80.52±0.48)J/g(k=2),(88.94±0.62)J/g(k=2)。研制的两种标准物质满足国家标准物质的技术要求,申报已获批准。