A review of external cavity-coupled quantum dot lasers

Since the external cavity quantum dot laser was first demonstrated, the performances have been improved in terms of operation temperature, output power, pulse generator and tuneability based on the naturally size fluctuation of quantum dot. Nowadays, the external cavity quantum dot sources have been successfully used in different absorption spectroscope techniques, in industry, biomedical and research. In this paper we reviewed the recent developments of quantum dot lasers operated in a grating-coupled external cavity system where a single frequency and wide tunable wavelength range were easily obtained by adjusting the grating angle. In all cases, we mainly stressed the significant progresses in understanding of basic optical and electronic properties to enable the importance steps forward. The prospects for further progress directed towards stability, mode-hoping-free tuning range, miniaturization and integration of the external cavity quantum dot lasers also reviewed.     

β-cyclodextrin Sensitized Spectrofluorimetry for the Determination of Abiraterone Acetate and Abiraterone

A novel spectrofluorimetric method to determine abiraterone acetate and its active metabolite, abiraterone was developed, based on the fact that fluorescence intensity of abiraterone acetate and abiraterone could be enhanced in β-cyclodextrin (β-CD) due to the formation of the inclusion complex. The inclusion interaction of β-CD and abiraterone acetate and the β-cyclodextrin sensitized spectrofluorimetry was examined. The various factors influencing fluorescence were discussed in details. The results showed that under the optimized conditions, the linear range of calibration curve for the determination of biraterone acetate and abiraterone was 0.20?~?6.0 μg/mL, and the detection limit (LOD) was 6.8 (r?=?0.997) or 6.6 ng/mL (r?=?0.996), respectively. No interference was observed from common co-existing substances or pharmaceutical excipient. The method was successfully applied to the analysis of abiraterone acetate in pharmaceutical formulation and abiraterone in human serum/urine.     

Recent advances of organometallic complexes in emerging photovoltaics

Organometallic complexes (OMCs) consisting of organic and metal active moieties have shown immense potential for application in solar cells. The diverse structure, rich porosity, and unique charge centers of OMCs enable them to be functional in solar cells. In this review, we introduced four types of OMCs, such as crown organometallic complexes, β-diketone metal complexes, cyclometallic complexes, and main chain metal-containing polymers, providing an in-depth analysis of the structure-performance relationship. OMCs could serve as active or interlayer materials in a variety of solar cell systems such as organic solar cells, perovskite solar cells, and dye-sensitized solar cells, especially some metals to improve the photoelectric performance of the device as dopants. In the end, perspectives on the opportunities and challenges of OMCs are given.     

Bottom‐Up Construction and Reversible Structural Transformation of Supramolecular Isomers based on Large Truncated Tetrahedra

A rational synthetic strategy to construct two supramolecular isomers based on polyoxovanadate organic polyhedra with tetrahedral symmetries is presented. VMOP‐α , a low‐temperature product, has an extremely large cell volume (470 842 ų), which is one of the top three for well‐defined MOPs. The corner‐to‐corner packing of tetrahedra leads to a quite low density of 0.174 g cm^?3 with 1D channels (ca. 5.4 nm). The effective pore volume is up to 93.6 % of cell volume, nearly the largest found in MOPs. For the high‐temperature outcome, VMOP‐β , the cell volume is only 15 513 ų. The packing mode of tetrahedra is corner‐to‐face, giving rise to a high‐density architecture (1.324 g cm^?3; channel 0.8 nm). Supramolecular structural transformation between VMOP‐α and VMOP‐β can be reversibly achieved by temperature‐induced solvent‐mediated transformation. These findings give a good opportunity for understanding 3D supramolecular aggregation and crystal growth based on large molecular tectonics.