Alginic acid–silica hydrogel coatings for the protection of osmotic distillation membranes against wet-out by surface-active agents

The formulation of organic–inorganic polymer composites can be used to enhance selected properties, such as susceptibility to microbial attack, thermal stability, mechanical strength and water sorption capability. Accordingly, a series of alginic acid–silica hydrogel films was prepared for testing as protective coating materials for PTFE osmotic distillation membranes. Unprotected hydrophobic membranes are subject to wet-out when contacted by surface-active agents, such as oils and detergents. Films containing 5, 10, 15 and 20 wt.% silica, with and without the addition of glycerol for plasticisation, moisturisation and silica dispersion, were characterised using scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, differential scanning calorimetry, mechanical strength measurements, and water-swelling measurements. Composites prepared with glycerol addition had better thermal stability, mechanical strength and water sorption capability than those prepared without glycerol addition. Uncoated membranes and membranes coated with composites prepared with glycerol addition were tested for OD performance and resistance to surface-active agents using pure water, orange oil (limonene)–water mixtures, and sodium dodecylbenzene sulfonate detergent solutions. Uncoated membranes showed immediate hydrophobicity loss in the presence of orange oil and detergent. For coated membranes, no wet-out occurred over the 15 h duration of three consecutive 5 h OD trials using orange oil–water mixtures. In the case of detergent solutions, the coating afforded protection to the membrane for 4–5 h. In a separate trial, no wet-out occurred when the coated side of the membrane was placed in contact with 1.2 wt.% orange oil for 72 h.     

Novel sequence for generating glycopolymer tethered on a membrane surface

Cell surface carbohydrates, usually binding with other biomacromolecules (such as lipids and proteins), are involved in numerous biological functions, including cellular recognition, adhesion, cell growth regulation, and inflammation. Synthetic carbohydrate-based polymers, so-called glycopolymers, are emerging as important well-defined tools for investigating carbohydrate-based biological processes and for simulating various functions of carbohydrates. In this study, a novel two-step sequence for the generation of a glycopolymer layer tethered on a polypropylene microporous membrane is described. First, a UV-induced graft polymerization of 2-aminoethyl methacrylate hydrochloride (AEMA) was carried out on the membrane to generate an amino-functionalized surface, and the effects of polymerization factors (monomer/initiator concentration and UV irradiation time) on the grafting density were studied. Second, sugar moieties were bound with the grafted functional layer to form glycopolymer by the reaction between the amino groups on the membrane surface and carbohydrate lactones. Chemical analysis by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy combined with surface morphology observation by scanning electron microscopy confirmed the graft polymerization of AEMA and the formation of glycopolymer. The decreases of water contact angle and protein adsorption on the membrane revealed the enhancement of hydrophilicity and protein resistance due to the typical characteristics of the glycopolymer tethered on the surface. These results indicated that the novel sequence reported in this work is a facile process to form glycopolymer-modified surfaces.     

Recent Advances in Fullerene‐free Polymer Solar Cells: Materials and Devices

What is the most favorite and original chemistry developed in your research group? We focus on developing new organic photovoltaic materials and exploring their applications in photovoltaic devices. Based on the new materials, we can figure out the correlations among chemical strictures, optoelectronic properties, and photovoltaic behaviors. Our group originally demonstrated quite a few build blocks for making conjugated polymers for photovoltaic applications, some of them have been broadly used by the researchers in the field. How do you get into this specific field? Could you please share some experiences with our readers? I got into this field when I was a graduate student in 2002, just because my supervisor gave me a research topic for synthesis of new conjugated polymers. At that moment, as a fresh graduate student, I had no chance to say yes or no, but to do it. The field of organic solar cells is oriented by the new organic photovoltaic materials. In the past decades, the materials have been updated for a few generations, which promoted the device performance to be higher and closer to practical applications. We have to concentrate on the fundamental problems but also need to follow the pace of the filed. How do you supervise your students? In my opinion, the students need more specific projects to get into the field so as to be well trained at the beginning. In the later stage, I prefer to encourage them to find and creatively figure out the real fundamental problems. I used to give them a few questions: Why do you need to do this project? How to make a clear definition for the problem? Can you suggest a new and better approach to solve it? What is the most important personality for scientific research? Passion, perseverance and sense of innovation. What is your favorite journal(s)? The journals publishing the latest and/or systematic research works in chemistry and material science.     

Ion chromatographic separation of hydrogen ion and other common mono- and divalent cations

We introduced an approach to the ion chromatographic determination of common mono- and divalent cations including hydrogen ion and demonstrated the ability of a C30 column dynamically coated first with dodecylsulfate and then with 18-crown-6 ether to separate the cations by ion-exchange mechanism. Using an ethylenediamine solution containing a small concentration of 18-crown-6 ether and lithium dodecylsulfate at pH 6.2 as eluent, the cations were eluted in the order Li < Na+ < NH4+ < H+ < K+ < Mg2+ < Ca2+ with symmetrical peaks. The conductivity vs. concentration plots were linear about three orders of magnitude, from millimolar to micromolar; and the detection limits were all < 0.6 microM. Rainwater was analyzed directly using this ion chromatographic system with satisfactory results.     

Synthesis and structural characterization of trivalent amino acid derived chiral phosphorus compounds

Reaction of the N-toluenesulfonyl derivatives of (S)-alanine, phenylalanine, and valine (4-6) with PhPCl(2) gave in high yield the 4-methyl, benzyl, and isopropyl derivatives (7-9) of 2-phenyl-1-p-toluenesulfonyl-1,3,2-oxazaphospholidin-5-one. The ratios of the (2S,4S)/(2R,4S) diastereomers (cis/trans isomers) were 1:1, 2:1, and 10:1 for the methyl, benzyl, and isopropyl derivatives 7a,b, 8a,b, and 9a,b, respectively. For 7a,b, both isomers could be crystallized, but for the others only the major isomers were isolable. The X-ray crystal structure of 9a shows that the isopropyl and phenyl groups are mutually cis and that the tolyl moiety is oriented s-trans to both the isopropyl and phenyl groups. Reaction of 6 with Cl(2)PCH(2)CH(2)PCl(2) (10) gave a 56:38:7 mixture of the cis/cis, cis/trans, and trans/trans diphosphorus heterocycles 11a-c. The major isomer could be crystallized and isolated free of the other diastereomers. Reaction of 6 with EtPCl(2) gave a 6:1 mixture of cis/trans isomers of the ethyl-substituted heterocycles 12a,b as an inseparable oil but allowed confirmation of the structure of 11a. Slow epimerization at phosphorus may occur by inversion but more likely by ring opening/closure, since 7b, 9a, and 11a give rise upon standing in solution to mixtures containing starting material and 7a, 9b, and 11b, respectively, along with the free amino acid derivatives 4 and 6. The NMR spectra, and in particular the coupling constants between the alpha-hydrogen atom of the amino acid moiety and phosphorus, were used to establish the identities of the cis and trans isomers. Reaction of 9a with (THF)W(CO)(5) gave the phosphorus-ligated adduct (9a)W(CO)(5) (13), and the IR spectrum of this complex shows that 9a is a strongly electron-withdrawing ligand. The geometry of the sulfonamide moiety is discussed in detail, as are the (1)H NMR coupling constants. The data are consistent with the presence of little steric interaction between the cis isopropyl and phosphorus substituent in 9a, 11a, and 12a and orientation of the tolyl moiety s-cis to the isopropyl group in 9b, 12b, and 13.     

Microfluidics: from dynamic lattices to periodic arrays of polymer disks

We used coupling of flow and geometric confinement to assemble emulsion droplets in two-dimensional gliding lattices with a high degree of order and symmetry. Highly monodisperse discoid droplets with circular shapes were generated in a microfluidic flow-focusing device. Originally, close-packed lattices formed from these circular discoid droplets. Progressive confinement led to the gradual deformation of the circular disks: first, they elongated in the direction parallel to the direction of flow and then transformed into hexagons. Assembly driven by the combination of flow and confinement also allowed for the formation of lattices from droplets with a bimodal size distribution. We used photopolymerization of the monomer droplets to trap the lattice structure in the solid state and produce highly periodic arrays of solid polymer disks.     

{Pt

Prolonged evacuation of [{Pt(CO)(3)}(2)](2+) (1), the first homoleptic, dinuclear, cationic platinum(I) carbonyl complex, results in reversible disproportionation. Complex 1 was formed by dissolution of PtO(2) in concentrated H(2)SO(4) under an atmosphere of CO [Eq. (a)], and completely characterized by NMR ((13)C, (195)Pt), IR, and Raman spectroscopy.     

DOPING LEVEL INCREASE OF POLY(3-METHYLTHIOPHENE)FILM DURING ELECTROCHEMICAL POLYMERIZATION PROCESS

The Raman spectra of poly(3-methylthiophene) (PMeT) films with different thicknesses, which have beenelectrochemically deposited on a flat stainless steel electrode surface by direct oxidation of 3-methylthiophene in borontrifluoride diethyl etherate (BFEE) at a constant applied potential of 1.38 V (versus SCE), have been investigated byexcitation with a 633-nm laser beam. The spectroscopic results demonstrated that the doping level of PMeT film wasincreasing during film growth. This finding was also confirmed by electrochemical examination. Moreover, the Raman bandsassigned to radical cations and dications in doped PMeT films were found approximately at 1420 and 1400 cm~(-1),respectively. Radical cations and dications coexist on the backbone of PMeT as conductive species and their concentrationsincrease with the increase of doping level. Successive cyclic voltammetry was proved to be an effective approach toimproving the doping level of as-grown thin compact PMeT film.     

Enhanced electrical conductivity in chemically modified carbon nanotube/methylvinyl silicone rubber nanocomposite

Chemically modified multiwalled carbon nanotubes/methlyvinyl silicone rubber (m-MWNT/VMQ) nanocomposites with relatively good dispersion of nanotubes were prepared by treating the surface of MWNT using γ-aminopropyltriethoxy silane (KH550). Significant enhanced electrical conductivity was discovered in the m-MWNT/VMQ nanocomposites. The results could be attributed a strong interaction between m-MWNT and VMQ which was from the chemically modification of the surface for MWNT. The electrical property was also discussed in order to understand the percolation and electrical transport mechanism. The m-MWNT/VMQ nanocomposites with high conductivity in this study are promising application as one of novel functional materials.