Synthesis and Characterization of a Thiophene Copolymer for Photovoltaic Application

A soluble thiophene copolymer having polar and non polar side groups was synthesized and its photovoltaics performance was investigated. The synthesized copolymer was characterized using Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) and optical spectroscopy. Dye sensitized solar cells were fabricated using this copolymer as sensitizer. An open-circuit voltage of 0.50V, a short-circuit current density of 1.195 mA/cm² and an overall power conversion efficiency of 0.3% were measured.     

Viscosity-Temperature Behavior of Hydroxypropyl Cellulose Solution in Presence of an Electrolyte or a Surfactant: A Convenient Method to Determine the Cloud Point of Polymer Solutions

The viscosity of hydroxypropyl cellulose (HPC) solution with or without an additive has been measured continuously as a function of temperature with the help of a vibro-viscometer. The viscosity of the polymer solution showed a gradual decrease initially with increase in temperature until a particular point beyond which there was a sharp decrease in the viscosity, which coincided with the clouding of the solution. The cloud point temperature (CP) of the polymer solution was determined from the first derivative plot of viscosity vs. temperature. Effect of addition of an electrolyte or a surfactant on the CP of HPC solution has also been studied. While a decrease in CP of HPC solution in presence of fluoride, chloride, or bromide ions was observed, presence of iodide or thiocyanide ions led to an increase in the CP. However, presence of an ionic surfactant initially lowered the CP but beyond a particular surfactant concentration a sharp increase in cloud point was observed due to interaction of the surfactant with the polymer. The results suggest that surfactants with longer hydrophobic tail or more hydrophobic groups have more affinity for HPC.     

Photograft Copolymerization of Methyl Methacrylate on Wool Using Ce4+ -Oxalic Acid Redox Initiator in a Limited Aqueous System

Abstract

Photograft copolymerization of methyl methacrylate on reduced wool (reduction done by treatment with thioglycollic acid, TGA) was studied at nearly 30°C using a Ce⁴⁺ -oxalic acid redox initiator system in a limited aqueous system (2.7 mL water for 0.15 g wool). Reduction of wool for 16 h with 15% TGA solution produced optimum grafting effects. Percent grafting and grafting efficiency under different sets of conditions were studied and compared, and the mechanism of grafting discussed. Generation of grafting sites (radical centers) on reduced wool was more effective in the presence of light than in the dark. Percent grafting of 250–350% and grafting efficiency of 65-80% over a conversion range of 60–90% in 3–5 h were easily obtained.     

Visible Colorimetric Sensor for Fluoride Ion Based on o-Phenylenediamine

A new chromogenic receptor based on 1,2-phenylene derivative containing thiourea moieties is synthesized and examined for its anion binding ability by UV–Vis and ¹H NMR studies. The results show that the receptor has selective colorimetric sensing of fluoride over all other anions like chloride, bromide, iodide, nitrate, hydrogen sulphate and acetate.     

T-shaped non-symmetrical twin liquid crystalline compounds

New unconventional T-shaped non-symmetrical dimeric liquid crystalline compounds have been synthesised and their thermotropic properties studied on the hot-stage of a polarising microscope. These compounds consist of an azo-ester mesogenic unit with a range of terminal substituents (–CH₃, –OCH₃, –NO₂ or –Cl) at one end, interconnected by a flexible spacer (n?=?4, 5 or 10) via ether and ester linking units to a biphenyl moiety at the lateral hydroxyl position of the azo-ester. All the compounds were characterised using a combination of elemental analysis and standard spectroscopic methods. The compounds were found to exhibit enantiotropic nematic and smectic mesophases. The effect of different terminal substituents on mesomorphism is discussed.     

Enhanced dielectric and electro-optical properties of a newly synthesised ferroelectric liquid crystal material by doping gold nanoparticle-decorated multiwalled carbon nanotubes

In this article, a newly synthesised ferroelectric liquid crystal (FLC) material, namely LAHS 22, has been characterised. The characterisation of the FLC material has been performed using dielectric relaxation spectroscopy, differential scanning calorimetry and polarisation optical microscopy. We observed an enhancement in the dielectric and electro-optical properties of the FLC material by incorporating gold nanoparticles (GNPs)-decorated multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs). The GNPs-decorated MWCNTs cause an increment in dielectric dispersion (up to kHz), absorption, spontaneous polarisation and rotational viscosity of the FLC material. The pure and GNPs-decorated MWCNTs doped FLC cells were analysed by means of various dielectric spectroscopic and optical measurements. The observed enhancement in the dielectric and electro-optical properties of the FLC material has also been studied with concentration of GNPs-decorated MWCNTs in FLC material. The GNPs-decorated MWCNTs/FLC composites are not only of fundamental importance, but also useful materials for device applications such as liquid crystal displays and memory devices.     

Accurate measurement of uranium isotope ratios in soil samples using thermal ionization mass spectrometry equipped with a warp energy filter

A chemical and mass-spectrometric procedure for uranium isotopic analysis using a thermal ionisation mass spectrometer equipped with a Wide Aperture Retardation Potential energy filter has been developed and applied to uranium isotopic measurements for various soil samples. Soil samples were digested using a microwave digestor. Uranium was isolated from soil samples by the chemical separation procedure based on the use of anion-exchange resin and UTEVA extraction chromatography column. The isotope ratios were measured for two certified reference materials by using a VG Sector 54-30 thermal ionisation mass spectrometer in dynamic mode with Faraday cup and Daly ion counting system. Replicates of standard reference materials showed excellent analytical agreement with established values supporting the reliability and accuracy of the method. Precision of the ²³⁵U/²³⁸U ratio was achieved by a correction factor of 0.22% amu as a function of ion-beam intensity with sample loads of around 250?ng of U. The resulting reproducibility for standards and soil samples was better than 0.2% at two standard deviations (SD). Uranium isotopic compositions have been determined in several reference soil samples such as Buffalo river sediment, NIST 2704, river sediment SRM 4350b and ocean sediment NIST-4357 and a Chernobyl soil sample. There was a significant deviation from the natural uranium in comparison with Chernobyl soil samples.     

Structural Transitions of Self-Nanoemulsifying Drug Delivery System of Glibenclamide,Carvedilol, and Lovastatin upon Progressive Aqueous Dilution

The dynamics of morphological transition in amphiphillic systems such as self-nanoemulsifying drug delivery system (SNEDDS) has become an increasingly active field of research in colloidal science. The present contribution deals with the morphological transition of selected optimized SNEDDS formulations of glibenclamide, carvedilol, and lovastatin on progressive aqueous dilution using transmission electron microscopy. The study emphasizes the structural aspects of the systems and stresses the effect of aqueous dilution under which the systems transform from water-in-oil (L₂) phase into bicontinuous structure and, finally, in oil-in-water (L₁) nanodroplets.     

Analysis of the Interactions of Polyvinylpyrrolidone with Conventional Anionic and Dimeric Anionic Surfactant

Classical physical method has been applied in the present study of interaction between water soluble polymer with anionic dimeric and conventional anionic surfactants. Micellization activity of carboxylate-based anionic dimeric (CAD) as well as sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) surfactants in the presence of nonionic polymer, that is, polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP), has been studied through conductometric and surface tensiometric measurements. From these methods the critical aggregation concentrations (CACs), critical micelle concentrations (CMCs), and the effective degree of counterion binding (β) were determined. For the evaluation of behavior of CAD toward the PVP various thermodynamic properties viz. standard Gibbs energy of micellization, standard enthalpy, and entropy of micellization of CAD/PVP mixed system have also been estimated and discussed. The results exhibit that anionic dimeric surfactant interacts strongly with PVP as compared to conventional surfactant.     

Spectral characterisation of new organic fluorescent dyes with an alkoxysilane moiety and their utilisation for the labelling of layered silicates

New fluorescence dyes with an alkoxysilane moiety were synthesised by the condensation of 3-(triethoxysilyl)-1-propanamine (3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane) with 4,10-benzothioxanthene-3,1′-dicarboxylic acid anhydride (BTXA) and N,N-dimethylaminonaphthalene-1,8-dicarboxylic acid anhydride (DMANA), which was accompanied by the formation of an imidic bridge. The compounds N-(3-(triethoxysilyl)propyl)-thioxantheno[2,1,9-dej]isoquinoline-1,3-dione (BTX-S) and 4-(N′, N′-dimethyl)-N-(triethoxysilyl)propyl-1,8-naphthalene dicarboxylic acid imide (DMAN-S) were characterised by steady-state and time-resolved fluorescence spectroscopy in chloroform and ethanol. Both conjugates (BTX-S and DMAN-S) exhibited absorption and emission bands in the same region as the un-substituted BTXA and DMANA. An important Stokes shift was observed for DMAN-S in ethanol. A high fluorescence quantum yield was observed for BTX-S in both solvents and for DMAN-S in chloroform. In addition, the newly developed fluorescent silane dyes were covalently attached to the microscopic particles of layered silicates and on the surface of SiO₂ wafers as a proof of concept for fluorescence particle (surface) visualisation. The surface wafer modification was precisely characterised by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Successful covalent linkage onto the particles of layered silicates was proved by confocal laser scanning microscopy technique.