Anthracene based organic dipolar compounds for sensitized solar cells

Organic dyes that consist of an anthracene moiety between a triphenylamine donor group and a cyanoacrylic acid acceptor group displayed remarkable solar-to-energy conversion efficiency in dye-sensitized solar cells. The planar geometry of anthracene and its bulky substituents helped the dyes to form a high quality monolayer on the surface of TiO₂. A typical device made with the dye AN-Bu displayed a maximal photon-to-current conversion efficiency (IPCE) 65% in the region of 350–510 nm, a short-circuit photocurrent density (J_sc) 12.78 mA cm⁻², an open-circuit photovoltage (V_oc) 0.73 V, and a fill factor (FF) 0.67, corresponding to an overall conversion efficiency 6.23%. In an experiment of using deoxycholic acid (DCA) as a co-absorbent, the values of V_oc stayed in a similar range, yet the values of J_sc were reduced in ca. 11% due to a decrease of loading amounts. This result indicated that the quality of the dye films cannot be further improved by the adding of DCA. The photophysical properties were analyzed with the aid of a time-dependent density functional theory (TDDFT) model with the B3LYP functional.     

Simultaneous Determination of Key Osmoregulants in Halophytes Using HPLC–ELSD

Osmoregulants are the substances produced by plants that assist in tolerating environmental stresses. Three commonly analysed osomoregulants include mannitol, betaine and proline. A simple, sensitive and rapid HPLC–ELSD method has been developed for the simultaneous analysis of these common osmoregulants in plant extracts. Osmoregulants were extracted using 80 % ethanol and separated on an NH₂ column using 0.1 % formic acid and acetonitrile as the mobile phase. Retention time repeatability was 0.85, 1.50, and 0.93 % for mannitol, betaine and proline, respectively. The limit of detection (μmol) was 1.43 × 10^?4, 7.81 × 10^?5 and 1.08 × 10^?4 for mannitol, betaine and proline, respectively. The developed method was applied to three different plant extracts, Stylosanthes guianensis, Atriplex cinerea and Rhagodia baccata. A second method using a C18 column with 0.1 % heptafluorobutyric acid and acetonitrile as the mobile phase proved to be a useful complementary method for verifying tentative peak identifications.     

Synthesis of Bicyclo[4.3.0]Non-3-ene-7,9-diones via Solventless Diels–Alder Methodology

Four novel bicyclo[4.3.0]non-3-ene-7,9-diones have been synthesized in moderate to good yields through a solventless Diels–Alder cycloaddition method and characterized. Atom economies after purification ranged from 21% to 32%, and E factors ranged from 2.7 to 3.7. All reaction products exhibited endo selectivity. Dienophiles with heteroatoms that contribute electrons to the π system exhibited faster reaction times than the carbocyclic analog. Hydrogen-bond donating ability in the diene had no noticeable effect on reaction times.

Ball‐Milling‐Induced Amorphization of Zeolitic Imidazolate Frameworks (ZIFs) for the Irreversible Trapping of Iodine

The I₂‐sorption and ‐retention properties of several existing zeolitic imidazolate frameworks (ZIF‐4, ‐8, ‐69) and a novel framework, ZIF‐mnIm ([Zn(mnIm)₂]; mnIm=4‐methyl‐5‐nitroimidazolate), have been characterised using microanalysis, thermogravimetric analysis and X‐ray diffraction. The topologically identical ZIF‐8 ([Zn(mIm)₂]; mIm=2‐methylimidazolate) and ZIF‐mnIm display similar sorption abilities, though strikingly different guest‐retention behaviour upon heating. We discover that this guest retention is greatly enhanced upon facile amorphisation by ball milling, particularly in the case of ZIF‐mnIm, for which I₂ loss is retarded by as much as 200 °C. It is anticipated that this general approach should be applicable to the wide range of available metal–organic framework‐type materials for the permanent storage of harmful guest species.     

Thermal behavior and flammability of epoxy/glass fiber composites containing clay and decabromodiphenyl oxide

Epoxy/glass fiber hybrid composites with organo-montmorillonite (OMMT) and decabromodiphenyl oxide (DBDPO) flame retardants were prepared by vacuum-assisted resin infusion technique. The effects of OMMT and DBDPO on the flammability properties of epoxy/glass fiber hybrid composites were evaluated through UL-94 vertical flammability test and limiting oxygen index (LOI). Thermal decomposition was studied by means of thermogravimetric analyzer (TG). Field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) was used to study the char morphology of the epoxy hybrid composites after being subjected to UL-94 vertical flammability test. Epoxy/glass fiber/OMMT hybrid composites with DBDPO loading of 40 wt% showed V-1 rating, whereas an increase to 50 wt% loading showed V-0 rating. The LOI values increased from 22.7 to 39.9 % as the loading of DBDPO increased. The obtained TG results showed that the thermal stability of epoxy hybrid composites decreased as the DBDPO loading increased. DBDPO decomposed at a lower temperature to form bromine radicals, which reacted with the combustible gases to form hydrogen bromide to inhibit the flame spread in the gas phase. The condensed phase activity was shown in FESEM, in which a layer of compact and continuous char was formed in epoxy/glass fiber/OMMT/DBDPO hybrid composites.     

An analysis of phase noise and Fokker-Planck equations

A local moving orthonormal transformation has been introduced to rigorously study phase noise in stochastic differential equations (SDEs) arising from nonlinear oscillators. A general theory of phase and amplitude noise equations and its corresponding Fokker-Planck equations are derived to characterize the dynamics of phase and amplitude error. As an example, a van der Pol oscillator is considered by using the general theory.     

Low-temperature deposition of L10 FePt films for ultra-high density magnetic recording

A method based on strain-induced phase transformation was used to lower the ordering temperature of FePt films. The strain resulted from the lattice mismatch between the FePt film and the substrate or underlayer favored the ordering. The relationships between the lattice mismatch, the ordering of FePt film, and the corresponding magnetic anisotropic constant were investigated. A critical lattice mismatch near 6.33% was believed to be most suitable for improving the chemical ordering of the FePt films. CrX (X=Ru, Mo, W, Ti) alloys with (2 0 0) texture was used to control the easy axis and ordering temperature of FePt films on glass substrate. Large uniaxial anisotropy constant K_u?1×10⁷ erg/cm³, good magnetic squareness (∼1) and FePt(0 0 1) texture (rocking curve −5°) were obtained at the temperature T_s?250 °C when using CrRu underlayer. The diffusion from overlying layers of Ag and Cu and an inserted Ag pinning layer were effective in reducing the exchange decoupling and changing the magnetization reversal. The media noise was effectively reduced and the SNR was remarkably enhanced when a 2 nm Ag was inserted.     

Third-order optical nonlinearity of a novel material: [(C<Subscript>4</Subscript>H<Subscript>9</Subscript>)<Subscript>4</Subscript>N][Co(dmit)<Subscript>2</Subscript>]

A novel dmit organometallic complex—[(C₄H₉)₄N][Co(dmit)₂] (dmit^2? = 4,5-dithiolate-1,3-dithiole-2-thione), abbreviated as BuCo, is synthesized and its third-order optical nonlinearity of the acetone solution is characterized using the Z-scan technique with a 40-ps pulse width at 1064 nm. Z-scan curves show that BuCo sample solution possesses the negative nonlinear refraction, exhibiting a self-defocusing effect. In addition, the two-photon absorption has been observed in BuCo. The effective molecular second-order hyperpolarizability γ_eff of the BuCo molecule was estimated to be as large as 5.60 × 10^?31 esu, suggesting BuCo is a potential material for optical device applications.