Syntheses and optoelectronic properties of quinoxaline polymers: The effect of donor unit

Tuning the bandgap of electrochromic polymers is one of the important research topics in electrochromism. To understand clearly the effect of donor unit in donor–acceptor–donor‐type polymers, 2,3‐bis(4‐tert‐butylphenyl)‐5,8‐di(thiophen‐2‐yl)quinoxaline and 2,3‐bis(4‐tert‐butylphenyl)‐5‐(2,3‐dihydrothieno[3,4‐b][1,4]dioxin‐ 5‐yl)‐8‐(thiophen‐2‐yl)quinoxaline were synthesized and polymerized potentiodynamically. Their electrochemical and spectroelectrochemical studies were performed, and the results were compared with those of poly(2,3‐bis(4‐tert‐butylphenyl)‐5,8‐bis(2,3‐dihydrothieno[3,4‐b][1,4]dioxin‐5‐yl)quinoxaline) (Gunbas et al., Adv Mater 2008, 20, 691–695). A blue shift in the polymer π–π* transitions revealed that the bandgap of such polymers with the same acceptor unit is related to the electron density of donor units. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem, 2011     

Soluble alkyl substituted poly(3,4‐propylenedioxyselenophene)s: A new platform for optoelectronic materials

Optical and electrochemical properties of regiosymmetric and soluble alkylenedioxyselenophene‐based electrochromic polymers, namely poly(3,3‐dibutyl‐3,4‐dihydro‐2H‐selenopheno[3,4‐b][1,4]dioxephine) (PProDOS‐C₄), poly(3,3‐dihexyl‐3,4‐dihydro‐2H‐selenopheno[3,4‐b][1,4]dioxephine) (PProDOS‐C₆), and poly(3,3‐didecyl‐3,4‐dihydro‐2H‐selenopheno[3,4‐b][1,4]dioxephine) (PProDOS‐C₁₀), are highlighted. It is noted that these unique polymers have low bandgaps (1.57–1.65 eV), and they are exceptionally stable under ambient atmospheric conditions. Polymer films retained 82–97% of their electroactivity after 5000 cycles. The percent transmittance of PProDOS‐C_n (n = 4, 6, 10) films found to be between 55 and 59%. Furthermore, these novel soluble PProDOS‐C_n polymers showed electrochromic behavior: a color change form pure blue to highly transparent state in a low switching time (1.0 s) during oxidation with high coloration efficiencies (328–864 cm² C^?1) when compared to their thiophene analogues. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem, 2011     

Building an Iron Chromophore Incorporating Prussian Blue Analogue for Photoelectrochemical Water Oxidation

The replacement of traditional ruthenium-based photosensitizers with low-cost and abundant iron analogs is a key step for the advancement of scalable and sustainable dye-sensitized water splitting cells. In this proof-of-concept study, a pyridinium ligand coordinated pentacyanoferrate(II) chromophore is used to construct a cyanide-based CoFe extended bulk framework, in which the iron photosensitizer units are connected to cobalt water oxidation catalytic sites through cyanide linkers. The iron-sensitized photoanode exhibits exceptional stability for at least 5 h at pH 7 and features its photosensitizing ability with an incident photon-to-current conversion capacity up to 500 nm with nanosecond scale excited state lifetime. Ultrafast transient absorption and computational studies reveal that iron and cobalt sites mutually support each other for charge separation via short bridging cyanide groups and for injection to the semiconductor in our proof-of-concept photoelectrochemical device. The reorganization of the excited states due to the mixing of electronic states of metal-based orbitals subsequently tailor the electron transfer cascade during the photoelectrochemical process. This breakthrough in chromophore-catalyst assemblies will spark interest in dye-sensitization with robust bulk systems for photoconversion applications.     

Copper(II) complexes with pyridine-2,6-dicarboxylic acid from the oxidation of copper(I) iodide

Via an oxidation reaction of Cu(I) iodide with pyridine-2,6-dicarboxylic acid (H₂L) in DMF three copper(II) complexes, [(CH₃)₂NH₂]₂[CuL₂] (1), K₂[CuL₂]?H₂L?H₂O (2) and [Cu(L)(H₂O)]_n (3), were synthesized and characterized. The structures of 1–3 were determined by single crystal X-ray diffraction studies. In-situ DMF decomposition produces dimethylamine base under solvothermal conditions and a proton transfer reaction takes place for the complex formation of 1. 3-D networks are stabilized in 1 and 2 via hydrogen bonds. Complex 3 is a 1-D coordination polymer with Cu-O semi-coordination bonds. Thermal decomposition of the complexes results in the corresponding metal oxides. Also, the electrochemical behavior of 1 was determined to be a metal-centered and diffusion-controlled, one-electron reduction process.     

Dendronized polymers via Diels–Alder “click” reaction

A modular approach toward the synthesis of polymers containing dendron groups as side chains is developed using the Diels–Alder “click” reaction. For this purpose, a styrene‐based polymer appended with anthracene groups as reactive side chains was synthesized. First through third‐generation polyester dendrons containing furan‐protected maleimide groups at their focal point were synthesized. Facile, reagent‐free, thermal Diels–Alder cycloaddition between the anthracene‐containing polymer and latent‐reactive dendrons leads to quantitative functionalization of the polymer chains to afford dendronized polymers. The efficiency of this functionalization step was monitored using ¹H and ¹³C NMR spectroscopy and FTIR and UV–vis spectrometry. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 48: 410–416, 2010     

Novel hybrid process for the conversion of microcrystalline cellulose to value-added chemicals: part 2: effect of constant voltage on product selectivity

In this study, electrochemical degradation of microcrystalline cellulose (MCC) under hot-compressed water was investigated via application of constant voltage on reaction medium. Constant voltage ranges from 2.5 to 8.0 V was applied between anode (Titanium) and cathode (reactor wall). As an electrolyte and proton source 5–25 mM of H₂SO₄ was used. Reactions were carried out in a specially designed batch reactor (450 mL) made of T316 for 240 min at temperature of 200 °C.MCC decomposition products such as glucose, fructose, furfural, 5-HMF and levulinic acid were detected and quantified by High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC). In the absence of electrolyte, applied voltage (2.5 and 4.0 V) decreased the total organic carbon (TOC) yield, in contrast at 8.0 V, TOC yield increased to 13%. Application of 8.0 V in hydrothermal conditions alter MCC decomposition pathway selectively to furfural (15%). Addition of electrolyte (5 mM, H₂SO₄) and application of 2.5 V potential increased TOC (54%) and changed the decomposition pathway in favor of 5-HMF (30%) and levulinic acid (21%). The structural changes in solid residues of electrochemically reacted MCC was analyzed by Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) and found that MCC particles functionalized by carboxylic acid and sulfonated groups by the application of constant voltage to reaction medium. In the presence of electrolyte, under certain voltage (2.5 V), functionalization of solid particles became more obvious in FTIR spectrum results. Therefore, change in the selectivity values of degradation products were conducted with the functionalization of MCC particles due to applied voltage under sub-critical conditions.     

On The Spaces of Linear Operators Acting Between Asymmetric Cone Normed Spaces

An asymmetric norm is a positive sublinear functional p on a real vector space X satisfying \(x=\theta _X\) whenever \(p(x)=p(-x)=0\). Since the space of all lower semi-continuous linear functionals of an asymmetric normed space is not a linear space, the theory is different in the asymmetric case. The main purpose of this study is to define bounded and continuous linear operators acting between asymmetric cone normed spaces. After examining the differences with symmetric case, we give some results related to Baire’s characterization of completeness in asymmetric cone normed spaces.     

Diethoxy‐azobis(pyridinium) Salt as Photoinitiator for Cationic Polymerization: Towards Wavelength Tunability by Cis–Trans Isomerization

N,N′‐diethoxy‐4,4′‐azobis(pyridinium) hexafluorophosphate (DEAP) has been synthesized by alkylation of the corresponding N‐oxide and characterized. DEAP exhibits UV induced cis–trans isomerization with absorptions at around λ = 459 and 360 nm, respectively. The ability of the DEAP ion to act as a photoinitiator for the cationic polymerization of cyclohexene oxide and N‐vinylcarbazole is demonstrated. The initiation step involves the decay of the excited state of the trans form of the salt with homolytic bond rupture of the nitrogen–oxygen bond. Its potential use as a photoinitiator for free radical polymerization is also demonstrated using methyl methacrylate monomer as the example.

     

Supramolecular Arrangement and DFT analysis of Zinc(II) Schiff Bases: An Insight towards the Influence of Compartmental Ligands on Binding Interaction with Protein

We report, for the first time, a detailed crystallographic study of the supramolecular arrangement for a set of zinc(II) Schiff base complexes containing the ligand 2,6-bis((E)-((2-(dimethylamino)ethyl)imino)methyl)-4-R-phenol], where R=methyl/tert-butyl/chloro. The supramolecular study acts as a pre-screening tool for selecting the compartmental ligand R of the Schiff base for effective binding with a targeted protein, bovine serum albumin (BSA). The most stable hexagonal arrangement of the complex [Zn − Me] (R=Me) stabilises the ligand with the highest FMO energy gap (ΔE=4.22 eV) and lowest number of conformations during binding with BSA. In contrast, formation of unstable 3D columnar vertebra for [Zn − Cl] (R=Cl) tend to activate the system with lowest FMO gap (3.75 eV) with highest spontaneity factor in molecular docking. Molecular docking analyses reported in terms of 2D LigPlot+ identified site A, a cleft of domains IB, IIIA and IIIB, as the most probable protein binding site of BSA. Arg144, Glu424, Ser428, Ile455 and Lys114 form the most probable interactions irrespective of the type of compartmental ligands R of the Schiff base whereas Arg185, Glu519, His145, Ile522 act as the differentiating residues with ΔG=−7.3 kcal mol⁻¹.