Structure of microparticles in solid-stabilized emulsions

Emulsions of oil and water stabilized by adsorbed solid particles are known as solid-stabilized emulsions (often referred to as Pickering emulsions). Using confocal microscopy, we have studied the assembly of colloidal-sized polystyrene particles in poly(dimethylsiloxane)-in-water solid-stabilized emulsions. Monodisperse polystyrene particles, when included in the emulsions at low concentrations, were found to form small patches with local "hexagonal" order, separated by other particle-free domains. Polystyrene particles with different sizes (1 and 4 microm) and different wettability could simultaneously segregate to the emulsion interface; even mixtures of hydrophobic and hydrophilic solid particles were found to simultaneously segregate to the same interface.     

Nonlinear optical probe of biopolymer adsorption on colloidal particle surface: poly-L-lysine on polystyrene sulfate microspheres

A nonlinear optical technique--second harmonic generation (SHG)--has been applied to characterize the adsorption of poly-L-lysine on micrometer size polystyrene particles, whose surface is covered with negatively charged sulfonate groups, in aqueous solutions. Adsorption behavior of the biopolymer with two chain lengths (14 and 75 amino acid units; PL14 and PL75) has been examined. Centrifugation experiments were also performed to support the adsorption measurements made using SHG. The adsorption free energies of the two polymers PL75 and PL14 are determined as -16.57 and -14.40 kcal/mol, respectively. The small difference in the adsorption free energies of the two chain lengths, however, leads to dramatic difference in the concentration needed for saturated surface coverage: nearly 50 times higher concentration is needed for the smaller polymer. Under acidic colloidal conditions, polylysine is found to adsorb in a relatively flat conformation on the surface. The surface area that each polylysine molecule occupies is nearly 1 order of magnitude larger than the size of the molecule in its extended form. The low adsorption density is likely a result from Coulombic repulsion between the positive charges on the amino acid units of PL. The measurements demonstrate the utility of SHG as an efficient and sensitive experimental approach for measuring adsorption characteristics of bio/macromolecules on colloidal particles and define surface and colloidal conditions for achieving maximum surface coverage of a widely used biopolymer.     

A novel class of amide-derived air-stable P,O-ligands for Suzuki cross-coupling at low catalyst loading

The benzamide-derived P,O-ligands efficiently promoted the Pd-catalyzed Suzuki cross-coupling reactions of aryl bromides with phenylboronic acid at 0.01 mol % of Pd loading at 60-80 °C to form biaryls in excellent yields. A sterically hindered arylboronic acid gave a quantitative yield of the coupling product at 110 °C with 1 mol % Pd.     

A Novel 3‐D Heterobimetallic Cyano‐bridged Coordination Polymer Incorporating Ag···Ag Interaction: [Cu(dien)Ag(CN)2]2[Ag2(CN)3][Ag(CN)2]

A three‐dimensional cyano‐bridged copper(II) complex, [Cu(dien)Ag(CN)₂]₂[Ag₂(CN)₃][Ag(CN)₂] ( 1 ) (dien = diethylenetriamine), has been prepared and characterized by X‐ray crystallography. Complex 1 crystallized in the monoclinic space group P2₁/n with a = 6.988(2), b = 17.615(6), c = 12.564(4) Å, β = 90.790(5)°. The crystal consists of cis‐[Cu(dien)]²⁺ units bridged by [Ag(CN)₂]^— to form a zig‐zag chain. The Ag atoms of the free and bridging [Ag(CN)₂]^— link together to form additional infinite zig‐zag chains with short Ag···Ag distances. The presence of Ag···Ag interactions effectively increases the dimensionality from a 1‐D chain to a 3‐D coordination polymer.     

电沉积表面修饰对染料敏化太阳电池微观性能影响机理研究

为了改善染料敏化太阳电池内电子的传输复合过程, 研究者尝试不同方法制备或改性TiO₂薄膜. 对TiO₂薄膜进行后处理, 在其表面引入一层小颗粒层, 是一种有效的方法并被广泛研究. 通过对TiO₂薄膜不同时间的电沉积表面修饰, 细致研究了表面修饰后染料敏化太阳电池微观性能的变化机制. 采用阳极氧化法在TiCl₃水溶液中对TiO₂薄膜进行电沉积后处理, 将溶液pH值调至2.2, 装置的反应速率由恒电位仪控制. 不同沉积时间电池带边移动以及电子传输复合的动力学过程, 借助强度调制光电流谱(IMPS)/强度调制光电压谱(IMVS)和电化学阻抗谱(EIS)等探测技术表征. 研究表明, 电沉积在TiO₂薄膜表面引入了大量浅能级陷阱态, 以致电势较高时电容随沉积时间延长增加明显. 不同时间的电沉积表面修饰在TiO₂薄膜表面形成了新的小颗粒层并改善了TiO₂颗粒间接触, 在改善电子注入及收集过程的同时, 也有效抑制了内部电子复合. IMPS/IMVS结果表明, 电沉积对动力学过程改善的效果受光强影响明显, 弱光下作用更为突出. 此外, 电池开路电压主要受带边移动及内部复合变化影响, 随沉积时间延长, 表面电荷的增多使TiO₂薄膜带边逐渐正移, 有效改善了光电流却限制了开路电压的提升. 在适合的电沉积时间下, 电沉积表面修饰可以同时改善光电流和光电压.     

量子点敏化太阳电池

基于量子限域效应的新型太阳电池——量子点敏化太阳电池(QD-SSCs),由于其最大理论转化效率超过了传统的Shockley-Queisser极限效率,已经成为目前最具研究潜力的太阳电池之一。本文综述了近几年来QD-SSCs领域的研究进展,主要从半导体氧化物纳米材料,特别是其低维纳米结构下的特殊性能;金属硫族化合物纳米晶;电解质;对电极等几个方面评述了电池材料的研究进展。另外,从量子点材料的制备和组装方面简述了目前电池光阳极的研究情况,并介绍了提高量子点光敏化性能的几个新途径。最后,从开路电压和短路电流角度分析了影响电池性能的几个关键因素,并对QD-SSCs今后的发展进行了展望。     

离子色谱法在城市和背景区域SO2监测中的应用

介绍用无动力采样技术采集样品、离子色谱法分析SO2污染物浓度的监测方法。国际实验室间分析结果的比对实验表明，离子色谱法具有快捷、准确及自动化程度较高等优点。该方法在城市和背景区域环境空气背景值研究，如SO2污染物迁移规律、空气质量预测预报模型验证及远距离传输等方面具有很大的实用价值。     

磷脂改性聚合物膜

综述了膦脂改性聚合物膜的制备方法，其中饭知光引发接枝、电晕放电、化学接枝、原位聚合、共混改性、物理吸附等方法，并对磷脂改性聚合物膜的部分性质和应用前景作了简单介绍。     

Effects of RF power on BZN thin‐film etching in SF6/Ar using surface analysis

Reactive ion etching (RIE) was used to etch bismuth zinc niobate (BZN) films in SF₆/ Ar plasma as a function of radio frequency (RF) power. Within the RF power range of choice, the etch rate of BZN films increases with increasing RF power. However, when RF power exceeds 200 W, the etch rate of films appears to increase at a slower rate. The structural properties of the BZN films before and after etching were characterized using X‐ray diffraction. As‐deposited film shows a cubic pyrochlore structure with preferential (222) plane orientation, but all the films etched at different reactive ion etching powers exhibit preferential (400) plane orientation. With increasing RF power, the ZnF₂ phase becomes evident. Also, the film surfaces before and after etching were analysed using XPS. Metal fluorides were found to remain on the surface, resulting in varying relative atomic percentages with RF power. Zn‐rich surfaces were formed because low‐volatile ZnF₂ residues were difficult to remove. Bi and Nb can be removed easily through chemical reactions because of their high volatility, whereas Bi–F and Nb–F, which were thought to be present in the form of a metal oxyfluoride, can still be detected using the narrow scan spectra. RF power has an effect on etch reaction through different plasma densities and particle energies, thus resulting in varying compositions and element chemical binding states. RF power also has an effect on the removal of residues. The minimum value of F atomic concentration is achieved at 150 W. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.