Synthesis of stable aqueous dispersion of graphene/polyaniline composite mediated by polystyrene sulfonic acid

A facile method of producing stable aqueous dispersion of graphene/polyaniline (PANI) composite is described, which involves the in situ polymerization of aniline on the surface of graphene with the aid of polystyrene sulfonic acid (PSS). The prepared aqueous graphene/PANI composite dispersion was very stable and no aggregation or precipitation was observed for several weeks. The excellent aqueous dispersibility and stability of the graphene/PANI composite is attributed to the cooperative interactions of π stacking interaction between PSS, PANI, and the graphene basal planes, and the electrostatic repulsions between negatively charged PSS bound on graphene/PANI composite. Fourier transform‐infrared spectrometry (FTIR), ultraviolet‐visible spectra (UV–vis), and Raman spectra confirmed the interaction of PANI and graphene in the composite, which effectively delocalize the electrons. In addition, the composite showed three orders of magnitude of conductivity increase compared with pure PANI. This new approach is simple, fast, and straightforward, representing a significant improvement in the processing of graphene/PANI composites. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem, 2012     

Metal‐ and solvent‐free,clickable synthesis and postpolymerization functionalization of poly(triazole)s

In this study, a series of linear poly(triazole)s (PTAs) were successfully synthesized by the metal‐ and solvent‐free, thermal click polymerization of diazide and dialkyne (A₂ + B₂) monomers. All click polymerizations proceeded smoothly at 80 °C in an open atmosphere without protection from oxygen and moisture. After being polymerized for 36 h, the crude polymer was further fractionated into three fractions using a multistep precipitation method. By selectively choosing precipitating agents, this process produced poly(triazole) fractions with low polydispersity index (<1.30). The resulting PTAs are soluble in common organic solvents and stable at a temperature up to 320 °C. Furthermore, the methyl benzoate moieties in the main chain can serve as useful building blocks for further postpolymerization functionalization, yielding 1,2,4‐triazole derivatives. This functionalization strategy offers potential for the development of novel triazole‐based materials. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem, 2012     

Synthesis and photovoltaic properties of conjugated side chains polymers with different electron‐withdrawing and donating end groups

A series of novel low band gap polymers containing conjugated side chains with 4,7‐dithien‐5‐yl‐2,1,3‐benzodiathiazole and different electron‐withdrawing end groups of aldehyde ( PT‐DTBTCHO ), 2‐ethylhexyl cyanoacetate ( PT‐DTBTCN ), 1,3‐diethyl‐2‐thiobarbituric acid ( PT‐DTBTDT ), and electron‐donating end group of 2‐methylthiophene ( PT‐DTBTMT ) have been designed and synthesized. All polymers exhibit good solubility in common organic solvents, film‐forming ability, and thermal stability. These conjugated polymers show the broad ultraviolet‐visible absorption and the narrow optical band gaps in the range of 1.65–1.90 eV. Through changing the end group of conjugated side chains, the photophysical properties and energy levels of the polymers were tuned effectively. Bulk heterojunction solar cells based on the blend of these polymers and (6,6)‐phenyl‐C₆₁‐butyric acid methyl ester (PC₆₁BM) reached the best power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 2.72%. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem, 2012     

Validation of a novel very large eddy simulation method for simulation of turbulent separated flow

The paper describes the validation of a newly developed very LES (VLES) method for the simulation of turbulent separated flow. The new VLES method is a unified simulation approach that can change seamlessly from Reynolds‐averaged Navier–Stokes to DNS depending on the numerical resolution. Four complex test cases are selected to validate the performance of the new method, that is, the flow past a square cylinder at Re = 3000 confined in a channel (with a blockage ratio of 20%), the turbulent flow over a circular cylinder at Re = 3900 as well as Re = 140,000, and a turbulent backward‐facing step flow with a thick incoming boundary layer at Re = 40,000. The simulation results are compared with available experimental, LES, and detached eddy simulation‐type results. The new VLES model performs well overall, and the predictions are satisfactory compared with previous experimental and numerical results. It is observed that the new VLES method is quite efficient for the turbulent flow simulations; that is, good predictions can be obtained using a quite coarse mesh compared with the previous LES method. Discussions of the implementation of the present VLES modeling are also conducted on the basis of the simulations of turbulent channel flow up to high Reynolds number of Re_τ = 4000. The efficiency of the present VLES modeling is also observed in the channel flow simulation. From a practical point of view, this new method has considerable potential for more complex turbulent flow simulations at relative high Reynolds numbers. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Two heptadentate Co(III) and Mn(III) complexes with partially deprotonated cyclen derivative bearing four hydroxypropyl pendants: structure,DNA binding and DNA cleavage

Two new complexes, (Co^III)₂(H₃L^?)₂(0.5H₂O)₂(ClO₄)₄ (I) and (Mn^III)₂(H₃L^?)₂(0.5H₂O)₂ (ClO₄)₄ (II), were synthesized and crystallographically characterized [H₄L = 1,4,7,10‐tetra‐(2‐hydroxypropyl)‐l,4,7,10‐tetraazacyclododecane] using electrospray ionization mass spectrometry and X‐ray photoelectron spectrometery. The characterizations confirmed that the valences of the metal ions increased from divalent to trivalent due to deprotonation of one OH group (H₄L was in the form of H₃L^?). Owing to the instability of Co(III) and Mn(III) in both air and in solution, they preferred to exist in divalent form. The two heptadentate complexes are extraordinary in that the chiral pendants of the complexes are different in configuration. Spectroscopic studies, viscosity measurements, thermal denaturation experiments and circular dichroism spectra demonstrated that the complexes were prone to interact with DNA by groove binding. At micromolar concentrations and under physiological conditions, the two complexes were able to oxidatively cleave the supercoiled pUC19 plasmid DNA into its nicked and linear forms. Mechanistic studies using various additives suggest the complexes had structures different from those of other inorganic complexes. These are the first reported inorganic complexes not containing planar aromatic ligands and yet binding at the major groove. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Simplifying patterning process of ZnO nanowires by one step development and etching process

We present herein a simple protocol of growing a patterned ZnO nanowire by etching of ZnO seed layer in the tetramethyl ammonium hydroxide (TMAH) solution. The ZnO seed layer was fabricated by sol–gel method using zinc acetate solution and patterned by using photolithographic method. Patterned ZnO seed layer as etched in the TMAH solution, followed by growth of ZnO nanowires by hydrothermal method. Remarkable point of present ZnO seed layer patterning is that development of UV-exposed photoresist and etching of ZnO seed layer is subsequently processed in aqueous TMAH solution without interruption. The grown ZnO nanowires were analyzed using XRD patterns to exhibit high purity and degree of crystallinity, and showed very good pattern fidelity.