Synthesis and characterization of white‐light‐emitting polyfluorenes containing orange phosphorescent moieties in the side chain

Two orange phosphorescent iridium complex monomers, 9‐hexyl‐9‐(iridium (III)bis(2‐(4′‐fluorophenyl)‐4‐phenylquinoline‐N,C^2′)(tetradecanedionate‐11,13))‐2,7‐dibromofluorene (Br‐PIr) and 9‐hexyl‐9‐(iridium(III)bis(2‐(4′‐fluorophenyl)‐4‐methylquinoline‐N,C^2′)(tetradecanedionate‐11,13))‐2,7‐dibromofluorene (Br‐MIr), were successfully synthesized. The Suzuki polycondensation of 2,7‐bis(trimethylene boronate)‐9,9‐dioctylfluorene with 2,7‐dibromo‐9,9‐dioctylfluorene and Br‐PIr or Br‐MIr afforded two series of copolymers, PIrPFs and MIrPFs, in good yields, in which the concentrations of the phosphorescent moieties were kept small (0.5–3 mol % feed ratio) to realize incomplete energy transfer. The photoluminescence (PL) of the copolymers showed blue‐ and orange‐emission peaks. A white‐light‐emitting diode with a configuration of indium tin oxide/poly(3,4‐ethylenedioxythiophene):poly(styrenesulfonate)/PIr05PF (0.5 mol % feed ratio of Br‐PIr)/Ca/Al exhibited a luminous efficiency of 4.49 cd/A and a power efficiency of 2.35 lm/W at 6.0 V with Commission Internationale de L'Eclairage (CIE) coordinates of (0.46, 0.33). The CIE coordinates were improved to (0.34, 0.33) when copolymer MIr10PF (1.0 mol % feed ratio of Br‐MIr) was employed as the white‐emissive layer. The strong orange emission in the electroluminescence spectra in comparison with PL for these kinds of polymers was attributed to the additional contribution of charge trapping in the phosphorescent dopants. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. JPolym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 45: 1746–1757, 2007     

Photoluminescence Characterization of Silicon Nanoparticles Hybridized Europium Complex

A europium complex Eu (DBM)3 TPPO (Eu tris(benzoylmethide)-(triphenylphosphine oxide)) and silicon nanoparticles have been hybridized.The hybridization can evidently change the photoluminescence (PL) characteristics of the Eu complex in the following aspects:under an excitation of 390nm,the intensity of the PL peak at 611nm due to the ^5Du-^7F2 transition of the Eu^3 ions has been increased by 30%,and thc integrated PL intensity in the visible range has been increased by nearly 3 times;the PL excitation efficiency beyond 440nm has been improved cvidently;the peak in the PL excitation spectrum shifts from 408nm to 388nm,and the PL decay time decreases from 2.07 to 0.96μs,The experimental results indicatde that in the PL process,the photoexcited energy may transfer from the silicon nanoparticlcs to the Eu^3 ions.     

Specific identification of Bacillus anthracis strains

Accurate identification of human pathogens is the initial vital step in treating the civilian terrorism victims and military personnel afflicted in biological threat situations. We have applied a powerful multi-dimensional protein identification technology (MudPIT) along with newly generated software termed Profiler to identify the sequences of specific proteins observed for few strains of Bacillus anthracis, a human pathogen. Software termed Profiler was created to initially screen the MudPIT data of B. anthracis strains and establish the observed proteins specific for its strains. A database was also generated using Profiler containing marker proteins of B. anthracis and its strains, which in turn could be used for detecting the organism and its corresponding strains in samples. Analysis of the unknowns by our methodology, combining MudPIT and Profiler, led to the accurate identification of the anthracis strains present in samples. Thus, a new approach for the identification of B. anthracis strains in unknown samples, based on the molecular mass and sequences of marker proteins, has been ascertained.     

Development of confocal micro X-ray fluorescence instrument using two X-ray beams

A new confocal micro X-ray fluorescence instrument was developed. This instrument has two independent micro X-ray tubes with Mo targets. A full polycapillary X-ray lens was attached to each X-ray tube. Another half polycapillary lens was attached to a silicon drift X-ray detector (SDD). The focal spots of the three lenses were adjusted to a common position. The effects of the excitation of two X-ray beams were investigated. The instrument enabled highly sensitive three-dimensional X-ray fluorescence analysis. We confirmed that the X-ray fluorescence intensity from the sample increased by applying the two independent X-ray tubes in confocal configuration. Elemental depth profiling of black wheat was demonstrated with the result that each element in the surface coat of a wheat grain showed unique distribution.     

2‐Cyanoprop‐2‐yl dithiobenzoate mediated reversible addition–fragmentation chain transfer polymerization of acrylonitrile targeting a polymer with a higher molecular weight

The reversible addition–fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) polymerization of acrylonitrile (AN) mediated by 2‐cyanoprop‐2‐yl dithiobenzoate was first applied to synthesize polyacrylonitrile (PAN) with a high molecular weight up to 32,800 and a polydispersity index as low as 1.29. The key to success was ascribed to the optimization of the experimental conditions to increase the fragmentation reaction efficiency of the intermediate radical. In accordance with the atom transfer radical polymerization of AN, ethylene carbonate was also a better solvent candidate for providing higher controlled/living RAFT polymerization behaviors than dimethylformamide and dimethyl sulfoxide. The various experimental parameters, including the temperature, the molar ratio of dithiobenzoate to the initiator, the molar ratio of the monomer to dithiobenzoate, the monomer concentration, and the addition of the comonomer, were varied to improve the control of the molecular weight and polydispersity index. The molecular weights of PANs were validated by gel permeation chromatography along with a universal calibration procedure and intrinsic viscosity measurements. ¹H NMR analysis confirmed the high chain‐end functionality of the resultant polymers. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 45: 1272–1281, 2007     

The enhancement of photoluminescence of n-type porous silicon by Hall-effect assistance during electrochemical anodization

In this study, n-type porous silicon (n-PS) films with high-aspect-ratio Si-tips are formed with the assistance of Hall-effect during the electrochemical anodization. Lorentz force sweeps down the majority carriers (electrons) in n-type Si to enhance the anodization etching. Surface layers are inverted from n-type to p-type, so sufficient holes can continuously appear on the surface to participate in chemical reaction during the etching process. Illumination is not necessary in this process, so the problem of illumination-depth limitation is solved. The etching current, morphology, and photoluminescence of the n-PS prepared in this way are investigated. Strong visible photoluminescence emissions at room temperature are demonstrated on n-PS.     

Photophysical studies of 7-hydroxy-4-methyl-8-(4′-methylpiperazin-1′-yl) methylcoumarin: A new fluorescent chemosensor for zinc and nickel ions in water

The title compound, a new coumarin based fluorophore having a piperazine moiety as the photoinduced electron transfer (PET) switch was prepared and its photophysical properties studied in various solvents and under different pH. Solvatochromic shift in the fluorescence spectrum revealed an increase in the dipole moment in the lowest excited singlet state compared to that in the ground state. The compound also showed an interesting intramolecular photoinduced proton transfer phenomenon in the excited state under neutral pH. It was effectively utilized as a new Chelation-enhanced fluorescence (CHEF) based chemosensor for zinc and nickel ions in water.     

Wrapping interactions and a new source of corrections to the spin-chain/string duality

Assuming that the world-sheet sigma-model in the AdS/CFT correspondence is an integrable quantum field theory, we deduce that there might be new corrections to the spin-chain/string Bethe ansatz paradigm. These come from virtual particles propagating around the circumference of the cylinder and render Bethe ansatz quantization conditions only approximate. We determine the nature of these corrections both at weak and at strong coupling in the near-BMN limit, and find that the first corrections behave qualitatively as wrapping interactions at weak coupling.