Raising the conductivity of crystalline polymer electrolytes by aliovalent doping

Polymer electrolytes, salts dissolved in solid polymers, hold the key to realizing all solid-state devices such as rechargeable lithium batteries, electrochromic displays, or SMART windows. For 25 years conductivity was believed to be confined to amorphous polymer electrolytes, all crystalline polymer electrolytes were thought to be insulators. However, recent results have demonstrated conductivity in crystalline polymer electrolytes, although the levels at room temperature are too low for application. Here we show, for the first time, that it is possible to raise significantly the level of ionic conductivity by aliovalent doping. The conductivity may be raised by 1.5 orders of magnitude if the SbF6- ion in the crystalline conductor poly(ethylene oxide)6:LiSbF6 is replaced by less than 5 mol % SiF6(2-), thus introducing additional, mobile, Li+ ions into the structure to maintain electroneutrality.     

Synthesis of 6H-pyrrolo[3',4':2,3][1,4]diazepino[6,7,1-hi]indole-8,10(7H,9H)-diones using 3-bromo-4-(indol-1-yl)maleimide scaffold

Series of 3-arylalkyl- or 3-alkylamino-4-(indol-1-yl)maleimides and bis(indol-1-yl)maleimides were synthesised. The cyclization of the 3-substituted 4-(indol-1-yl)maleimides under the action of acids resulted in the formation of diazepine[1,4] derivatives with indoline and maleimide nuclei annelated. These compounds readily produced the corresponding indolomaleimidodiazepines[1,4] after dehydrogenation.     

Syntheses,molecular structures,and thermal decomposition of cyclopentadienyldicarbonylmanganese chalcogenide derivatives

Transmetallation of the dichalcogenide complexes [CpMn(CO)₂]₂(-X₂) (X = S or Se) with M(CO)₅(thf) (M = Cr or W) afforded new heterometallic complexes CpMn(CO)₂(-Se₂)Cr(CO)₅, CpMn(CO)₂(-Se₂)[Cr(CO)₅]₂, CpMn(CO)₂(-X₂)[W(CO)₅]₂ (X = S or Se), and CpMn(CO)₂(-Se₂)[Cr(CO)₅][W(CO)₅]. According to the X-ray diffraction data, their molecular structures contain the cyclic MnX₂ fragments coordinated by one or two M(CO)₅ groups via the X atoms. Study of thermal decomposition of the manganese complexes with different Mn : M : X ratios (M = Cr, W; X = S, Se, Te) by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and thermogravimetry demonstrated that this process took place at rather low temperatures (100—400 °C) and was accompanied by complete elimination of the CO groups followed by elimination of the Cp groups. At any metal to chalcogen ratio, the resulting inorganic chalcogenides contained no impurities of metal oxides and carbides.     

Influence of inorganic mobile phase additives on the retention, efficiency and peak symmetry of protonated basic compounds in reversed-phase liquid chromatography

Inorganic eluent additives affect the retention of protonated basic analytes in reversed-phase HPLC. This influence is attributed to the disruption of the analyte solvation-desolvation equilibria in the mobile phase, also known as "chaotropic effect". With an increase of counteranion concentration analyte retention increases with concomitant decrease in the tailing factor. Different inorganic counteranions at equimolar concentrations affect protonated basic analyte retention and peak symmetry to varying degrees. The effect of the concentrations of four different inorganic mobile phase additives (KPF6, NaClO4, NaBF4, NaH2PO4) on the analyte retention, peak symmetry, and efficiency on a C8-bonded silica column has been studied. The analytes used in this study included phenols, toluene, benzyl amines, beta-blockers and ophthalmic drugs. The following trend in increase of basic analyte retention factor and decrease of tailing factor was found: PF6- > ClO4- approximately BF4- > H2PO4-. With the increase of the counteranion concentration greater analyte loading could be achieved and consequently an increase in the apparent efficiency was observed until the maximum plate number for the column was achieved. At the highest concentration of counteranions, the peak efficiency for most of the basic compounds studied was similar to that of the neutral markers. In contrast, the neutral markers, such as phenols, showed no significant changes in retention, efficiency or loading capacity as counteranion concentration was increased.     

Cation selective ion channels formed by macrodiolide antibiotic elaiophylin in lipid bilayer membranes

The macrodiolide antibiotic elaiophylin (1) forms stable, long-lasting cation selective ion channels in planar lipid bilayer membranes prepared from soybean phosphatidylcholine. Current of the single ion channel displayed two sublevels corresponding to the two substates of the channel conductance: a slow substate, with about 5 s of mean dwell time in the open state at 40% level of the total amplitude conductance, and a fast substate of higher conductance with dwell times in the open and closed state of about 0.1 s. Amplitude conductances of the single ion channels in 200 mM of LiCl, NaCl, KCl, RbCl and CsCl were 75, 140, 220, 240 and 226 pS, and the conductance was linear function of the electrolyte concentration. Ratios of cation to anion permeabilities of the channel for NaCl and KCl were 8+/-2 and >24, respectively. A molecular model of the channel structure is suggested.     

Chlorido­bis[(2‐oxoazocan‐1‐yl)methyl]­germanium(IV) trifluoro­methane­sulfonate

In the title compound, [Ge(C₈H₁₄NO)₂Cl]CF₃SO₃, which is the first complex containing an eight‐membered lactam (enantho­lactam) as ligand, the coordination polyhedron of the Ge^IV atom is inter­mediate between trigonal–bipyramidal and square‐pyramidal. Quantum chemical calculations of the crystal structure indicate the absence of additional coordination bonding between the Ge^IV atom and the trifluoro­methane­sulfonate anion.     

Luminescent properties of PP and LDPE films and rods doped with the Eu(III)‐La(III) complex

The work is devoted to luminescent properties of trivalent lanthanide complexes dispersed in thermoplastic host matrices. Polyethylene films and polypropylene‐rods, both doped with these complexes, were manufactured using an extrusion technique. Two kinds of dopants were used: Eu(III)‐thenoyltrifluoroacetone‐1,10‐phenanthroline complex (1) and Eu(III)‐La(III)‐1,10‐phenanthroline complex (2). Absorption, excitation, emission spectra and lifetime of luminescence were studied. The impact of the polymer matrix on the emission spectra was investigated. Emission spectra of the films were studied at room and helium temperatures. Time‐of‐flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (TOF‐SIMS) surface mapping showed that in the Eu(III)‐La(III) complex europium forms islands (clusters) with a dimension of 1 µm, whereas lanthanum was dispersed more uniformly in the polymer matrix. Dependence of emission intensity on the excitation was determined. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Analytical characteristics and sensitivity mechanisms of electrolyte-insulator-semiconductor system-based chemical sensors—a critical review

Recent trends in research and development of electrolyte-insulator-semiconductor (EIS) field-effect chemical sensors (ion-selective field-effect transistors, light-addressable potentiometric sensors, capacitive EIS-sensors) with inorganic gate insulators (oxide, nitride and chalcogenide films) are reviewed. Physical properties of EIS systems and basic mechanisms of their chemical sensitivity are examined. Analytical characteristics and sensing mechanisms of EIS pH sensors with oxide and nitride films, as well as metal ions sensors with chalcogenide films, are critically discussed. Prospects of future research on EIS field-effect biosensors are briefly outlined.     

An electrodynamics-based model for ion diffusion in microbial polysaccharides

An electrodynamics-based model was formulated for simulation of ion diffusion in microbial polysaccharides. The fixed charges and electrostatic double layers that may associate with microbial polysaccharides and their effects on ion diffusion were explicitly built into the model. The model extends a common multicomponent ion diffusion formulation that is based on irreversible thermodynamics under a zero ionic charge flux condition, which is only applicable to the regions without fixed charges and electrostatic double layers. An efficient numerical procedure was presented to solve the differential equations in the model. The model well described key features of experimental observations of ion diffusion in negatively charged microbial polysaccharides including accelerated diffusive transport of cations, exclusion of anions, and increased rate of cation transport with increasing negative charge density. The simulated diffusive fluxes of cations and anions were consistent with a cation exchange diffusion concept in negatively charged polysaccharides at the interface of plant roots and soils; and the developed model allows to mathematically study such diffusion phenomena. An illustrative example was also provided to simulate dynamic behavior of ionic current during ion diffusion within a charged bacterial cell wall polysaccharide and the effects of the ionic current on the compression or expansion of the bacterial electrostatic double layer at the interface of the cell wall and bulk solution.     

Size and persistence length of molecular bottle-brushes by Monte Carlo simulations

Single-chain simulations of densely branched comb polymers, or "molecular bottle-brushes" with side-chains attached to every (or every second) backbone monomer, were carried out by off-lattice Monte Carlo technique. A coarse-grained model, described by hard spheres connected by harmonic springs, was employed. Backbone lengths of up to 100 units were considered, and compared with the corresponding linear chains. The backbone molecular size was investigated as a function of its length at fixed arm size, and as a function of the arm size at fixed backbone length. The apparent swelling exponents obtained by a power-law fit were found to be larger than those for the corresponding linear polymers, indicative of stiffening of the comb backbone. The probability distribution function for the backbone end-to-end distance was also investigated for different backbone lengths and arm sizes. Analysis of this function yielded the critical exponents, which revealed an increase in the swelling exponent consistent with values found from the molecular size. The apparent persistence length of the backbone was also determined, and was found to increase with increasing branching density. Finally, the static structure factors of the whole bottle-brushes and of their backbones are discussed, which provides another consistent estimate of the swelling exponents.