Toughening hydrogels by immersing with oppositely charged polymers

A very simple yet novel strategy to significantly enhance the mechanical properties of hydrogels is reported. Poly(acrylic acid) (PAA) hydrogels with aligned macroporous channels are immersed in the aqueous solutions of poly(dimethyl diallyl ammonium chloride) (PDMDAAC). Strong electrostatic interactions are formed between the anionic PAA and cationic PDMDAAC chains. In the resultant PAA/PDMDAAC hybrid hydrogels, the mass ratio of PDMDAAC to PAA is about 0.2 and PDMDAAC is uniformly distributed throughout the gels. The mechanical properties of the formed hybrid hydrogels are largely enhanced in comparison with the original PAA hydrogels. The hybrid hydrogels exhibit high tensile strengths (0.38–1.73 MPa), elastic moduli (0.21–1.59 MPa) and toughness (up to 3.0 MJ/m³), about several to more than 10 times those of the corresponding PAA hydrogels. In addition, the PAA/PDMDAAC hydrogels also show excellent and very rapid shape recovery ability in both air and deionized water. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part B: Polym. Phys. 2016 , 54, 2432–2441     

Tailorable PC71BM Isomers: Using the Most Prevalent Electron Acceptor to Obtain High‐Performance Polymer Solar Cells

Despite being widely used as electron acceptor in polymer solar cells, commercially available PC₇₁BM (phenyl‐C₇₁‐butyric acid methyl ester) usually has a “random” composition of mixed regioisomers or stereoisomers. Here PC₇₁BM has been isolated into three typical isomers, α‐, β₁‐ and β₂‐PC₇₁BM, to establish the isomer‐dependent photovoltaic performance on changing the ternary composition of α‐, β₁‐ and β₂‐PC₇₁BM. Mixing the isomers in a ratio of α/β₁/β₂=8:1:1 resulted in the best power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 7.67 % for the polymer solar cells with PTB7:PC₇₁BM as photoactive layer (PTB7=poly[[4,8‐bis[(2‐ethylhexyl)oxy]benzo[1,2‐b:4,5‐b′]dithiophene‐2,6‐diyl][3‐fluoro‐2‐[(2‐ethylhexyl)carbonyl]thieno[3,4‐b]thiophenediyl]]). The three typical PC₇₁BM isomers, even though sharing similar LUMO energy levels and light absorption, render starkly different photovoltaic performances with average‐performing PCE of 1.28–7.44 % due to diverse self‐aggregation of individual or mixed PC₇₁BM isomers in the otherwise same polymer solar cells.     

Controlling the spectrum of high-power terahertz radiation from a laser-driven plasma wave

Generation of strong THz waves is a very important and difficult research issue. We performed particle-in-cell (PIC) simulation studies to investigate the possibility of powerful THz generation and spectrum controllability by using a laser-driven plasma wave. Our results show that it is possible to produce spectrum-controllable high-power (>1 MV/cm) THz waves by manipulating the plasma density profiles. This method may provide a good way for coherent high-power THz radiation sources, of which the spectrum ranges from a narrow bandwidth to a wide bandwidth.     

基于失效情景的应急设施选址问题

非常规突发事件巨大的破坏力以及发生时间、地点和规模的不确定性,使应急系统内设施有可能被破坏而失效,因此选址时必须考虑设施失效情景的发生.给出以最大限度覆盖用户需求为目标,基于失效设施数目具有不确定性情景的设施选址双层随机规划模型;通过计算模型上下界,给出减小规模的等价模型,降低了双层规划求解难度;最后实验验证了模型的合理性,并给出新增选址方案.     

On the construction of periodic solutions of kaplan-yorke type for some differential delay equations

In this paper we point out the main idea to yield periodic solutions of Kaplan-Yorke type of differential delay equations. Some new sufficient conditions for the existence of Kaplan-Yorke type periodic solutions have been given. Many interesting examples are also disscused.     

N-heterocyclic carbene-catalyzed regio- and stereoselective hydrothiolation reaction of alkynes

N-heterocyclic carbenes (NHCs) have been utilized as Brønsted base to catalyze the hydrothiolation reaction between alkynes and thiols to produce the vinyl sulfides stereoselectively.     

Enhanced photocatalytic activity of hybrid reduced graphene oxide–CeO2 hierarchical flower-like nanostructures

Research on Chemical Intermediates - The combination of the unique properties of graphene with functional characteristics of metal oxides is an interesting pathway to achieve desirable properties...