Fast interfacial ionic conduction in nanostructured glass ceramics

The hopping movements of mobile ions in a nanostructured LiAlSiO4 glass ceramic are characterized by time-domain electrostatic force spectroscopy (TDEFS). While the macroscopic conductivity spectra are governed by a single activation energy, the nanoscopic TDEFS measurements reveal three different dynamic processes with distinct activation energies. Apart from the ion transport processes in the glassy and crystalline phases, we identify a third process with a very low activation energy, which is assigned to ionic movements at the interfaces between the crystallites and glassy phase. Such interfacial processes are believed to play a key role for obtaining high ionic conductivities in nanostructured solid electrolytes.     

Rheo-NMR study of a non-flow-aligning side-chain liquid crystal polymer in nematic solution

The flow behavior of a highly concentrated solution of a nematic side-chain liquid crystal polymer in a low molecular mass nematic solvent is investigated by deuterium nuclear magnetic resonance with simultaneous measurement of the shear viscosity in a cone-and-plate NMR viscometer. The director orientation under shear in the magnetic field is determined from the quadrupole splitting of the NMR spectra. The orientation as a function of shear rate is analyzed in terms of the Ericksen-Leslie-Parodi theory, yielding the Leslie coefficients ₂ and ₃ and thus the flow alignment parameter . From the combined analysis of orientation and viscosity as a function of shear rate a total of four independent viscosity parameters is obtained for the nematic solution. The value determined for the flow-alignment parameter, 0.2, and the analysis of the data based on Brochard's theory show that the polymer is of the non-flow-aligning type and has a slightly prolate shape.     

Nickel‐Triad Complexes of a Side‐on Coordinating Distannene

NHC adducts of the stannylene Trip₂Sn (Trip=2,4,6‐triisopropylphenyl) were reacted with zero‐valent Ni, Pd, and Pt precursor complexes to cleanly yield the respective metal complexes featuring a three‐membered ring moiety Sn‐Sn‐M along with carbene transfer onto the metal and complete substitution of the starting ligands. Thus the easily accessible NHC adducts to stannylenes are shown to be valuable precursors for transition‐metal complexes with an unexpected Sn? Sn bond. The complexes have been studied by X‐ray diffraction and NMR spectroscopy as well as DFT calculations. The compounds featuring the structural motif of a distannametallacycle comprised of a [(NHC)₂M⁰] fragment and Sn₂Trip₄ represent rare higher congeners of the well‐known olefin complexes. DFT calculations indicate the presence of a π‐type Sn–Sn interaction in these first examples for acyclic distannenes symmetrically coordinating to a zero‐valent transition metal.     

Encapsulation of Functional Organic Compounds in Nanoglass for Optically Anisotropic Coatings

A novel approach is presented for the encapsulation of organic functional molecules between two sheets of 1 nm thin silicate layers, which like glass are transparent and chemically stable. An ordered heterostructure with organic interlayers strictly alternating with osmotically swelling sodium interlayers can be spontaneously delaminated into double stacks with the organic interlayers sandwiched between two silicate layers. The double stacks show high aspect ratios of >1000 (typical lateral extension 5000 nm, thickness 4.5 nm). This newly developed technique can be used to mask hydrophobic functional molecules and render them completely dispersible in water. The combination of the structural anisotropy of the silicate layers and a preferred orientation of molecules confined in the interlayer space allows polymer nanocomposite films to be cast with a well‐defined orientation of the encapsulated molecules, thus rendering the optical properties of the nanocoatings anisotropic.