Environmentally Benign Solution-Based Procedure for the Fabrication of Metal Oxide Coatings on Metallic Pigments

Aluminum pigments were coated with Fe₂O₃ and CuO by solution-based thermal decomposition of the urea nitrate compounds hexakisureairon(III)nitrate and tetrakisureacopper(II)nitrate. The deposition process was optimized to obtain homogeneously coated aluminum pigments. The growth of the surface coatings was controlled by investigation with scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy and static light scattering as well as infrared, X-ray diffraction and thermogravimetric analysis. The iron precursor showed an incomplete decomposition in solution, incorporating traces of urea molecules inside the coatings while the copper precursor showed complete dissociation accompanied by in situ formation of amine complexes. The amount of organic residues resulting from ligand fragments in the final oxide coatings could be reduced to 22 % for the iron oxide and 12 % for the copper oxide by further temperature treatment in solution (259 °C). Colorimetric investigations of the obtained pigments revealed an excellent hiding power, outperforming the pigments used in current state-of-the-art formulations.     

Diketopyrrolopyrrole‐Porphyrin Conjugates with High Two‐Photon Absorption and Singlet Oxygen Generation for Two‐Photon Photodynamic Therapy

Two‐photon photodynamic therapy is a promising therapeutic method which requires the development of sensitizers with efficient two‐photon absorption and singlet‐oxygen generation. Reported here are two new diketopyrrolopyrrole‐porphyrin conjugates as robust two‐photon absorbing dyes with high two‐photon absorption cross‐sections within the therapeutic window. Furthermore, for the first time the singlet‐oxygen generation efficiency of diketopyrrolopyrrole‐containing systems is investigated. A preliminary study on cell culture showed efficient two‐photon induced phototoxicity.     

Interplay of Hole Transfer and Host–Guest Interaction in a Molecular Dyad and Triad: Ensemble and Single‐Molecule Spectroscopy and Sensing Applications

A new molecular dyad consisting of a Cy5 chromophore and ferrocene (Fc) and a triad consisting of Cy5, Fc, and β‐cyclodextrin (CD) are synthesized and their photophysical properties investigated at both the ensemble and single‐molecule levels. Hole transfer efficiency from Cy5 to Fc in the dyad is reduced upon addition of CD. This is due to an increase in the Cy5‐Fc separation (r) when the Fc is encapsulated in the macrocyclic host. On the other hand, the triad adopts either a Fc‐CD inclusion complex conformation in which hole transfer quenching of the Cy5 by Fc is minimal or a quasi‐static conformation with short r and rapid charge transfer. Single‐molecule fluorescence measurements reveal that r is lengthened when the triad molecules are deposited on a glass substrate. By combining intramolecular charge transfer and competitive supramolecular interaction, the triad acts as an efficient chemical sensor to detect different bioactive analytes such as amantadine hydrochloride and sodium lithocholate in aqueous solution and synthetic urine.     

高效液相色谱-三重四极杆质谱同时测定与筛查海洋浮游藻类中的5种色素

对海洋藻类色素的高效液相色谱-三重四极杆质谱（HPLC-QqQ-MS）分析方法的有效性进行了验证。该方法采用C₁₆氨基色谱柱为固定相,以甲醇、乙腈和乙酸铵为流动相,在选择反应监测模式下对叶绿素a、叶绿素b、 β,β -胡萝卜素、叶黄素和岩藻黄素的含量进行了测定。结果表明,5种色素标准品的线性关系良好,相关系数（r²）均高于0.996,回收率在82.77%~99.83%之间,日内和日间精密度的相对标准偏差（RSD）均小于5%（n=5）;方法的检出限（LOD）在0.02~0.16 μg/L之间,定量限（LOQ）在0.06~0.54 μg/L之间。利用该方法对11种藻类中5种色素的含量进行分析,比较了赤潮异弯藻、卡罗藻、微小原甲藻、微拟球藻、蛋白核小球藻、颗石藻、定鞭金藻、中肋骨条藻、威氏海链藻和假微型海链藻之间的物种色素分布情况。该方法具有简单、灵敏度高、重复性好、回收率高等优点,适合藻类色素分析,为进行藻类生物量计算提供了分析手段。     

Tamarindus indica mucilage and its acrylamide-grafted copolymer as flocculants for removal of dyes

The application of Tamarindus indica seed mucilage (Tam), a food grade polysaccharide, and its acrylamide grafted copolymer as flocculants was assessed for the first time for removal of various types of dyes from model textile wastewater containing azo, basic, and reactive dyes. Acrylamide grafted T. indica mucilage (Tam-g-PAM) was obtained by ceric ion initiated polymerization technique. A series of contact time experiments were conducted to assess the system variables such as concentrations of mucilage and dyes and pH. These flocculants reduce the dye concentration by flocculation and settling. The grafted copolymer, Tam-g-PAM showed better results for dye removal. The optimal flocculant concentration, which was required to effect flocculation, was independent of dye concentration within the range examined. Both the flocculants performed better for removal of azo dyes than for reactive and basic dyes.     

Yellow pigments based on Fe2TiO5 and TiO2

The aim of our research was to prepare yellow pigments based on structure of pseudobrookite Fe₂TiO₅. Part of Fe was substituted with Li and Ti from Fe₂TiO₅ to Li_0.05Fe_0.07Ti_2.44O₅. Synthesis and pigmentary-application properties in the Li₂O–Fe₂O₃–TiO₂ system were studied for 800 and 900°C using classical ceramic method of preparation. The main attention was aimed to usage of four different sources of titanium compounds as raw materials. We studied the influence of different sources of titanium compounds on the structural and the colour properties of the prepared pigments. The thermal analysis was used for characterization of titanium compounds and determination of their thermal stability.     

The Search for Highly Colored Organic Compounds

Until now the study of organic compounds in which the π-electron system is excited by absorbed light has been mainly concentrated on the ultraviolet and visible regions of the electromagnetic spectrum. Various new applications, such as the use of conjugated organic compounds as dye lasers or as materitals for storing information with the help of diode lasers, led to the synthesis of new compounds which absorb light in the near in infrared (NIR). It is possible to use structure-color relationships to predict the properties of such new compounds when they belong to dyestuff classes which have already been studied in detail; in this case the approach involves decreasing the energy difference between the ground state and the first excited state. A less conventional starting point is provided by molecular structures in which from the outset there is only a very small energy difference between the lowest-energy electronic states; such diradicaloid molecules occupy a special position among the various types of organic compounds. It is possible by means of suitable structural modification to stabilize such molecules in a singlet from which absorbs light at very long wavelengths (i.e. at small wave numbers).     

Simple diffuse reflectance UV-vis spectroscopic determination of organic pigments (fringelites) in fossils

To screen for organic pigments, like fringelites or porphyrins, in sediments and fossil specimen, a simple diffuse reflectance UV-vis spectroscopic determination was developed. In contrast to common inorganic pigments, like Fe₂O₃, these pigments exhibit well-structured characteristic absorption peaks which allow their recognition. This method was then used to identify fringelite H in a non-crinoidSolenopora species from the Jurassic. Reflectance FTIR spectroscopy proved not to be useful for this purpose.     

Fullerene C60-perylene-3,4:9,10-bis(dicarboximide) light-harvesting dyads: spacer-length and bay-substituent effects on intramolecular singlet and triplet energy transfer

Novel covalent fullerene C(60)-perylene-3,4:9,10-bis(dicarboximide) (C(60)-PDI) dyads (1-4) were synthesized and characterized. Their electrochemical and photophysical properties were investigated. Electrochemical studies show that the reduction potential of PDI can be tuned relative to C(60) by molecular engineering through altering the substituents on the PDI bay region. It was demonstrated using steady-state and time-resolved spectroscopy that a quantitative, photoinduced energy transfer takes place from the PDI moiety, acting as a light-harvesting antenna, to the C(60) unit, playing the role of energy acceptor. The bay-substitution (tetrachloro [1 and 2] or tetra-tert-butylphenoxy [3 and 4]) of the PDI antenna and the linkage length (C(2) [1 and 3] or C(5) [2 and 4]) to the C(60) acceptor are important parameters in the kinetics of energy transfer. Femtosecond transient absorption spectroscopy indicates singlet-singlet energy-transfer times (from the PDI to the C(60) unit) of 0.4 and 5 ps (1), 4.5 and 27 ps (2), 0.8 and 12 ps (3), and 7 and 50 ps (4), these values being ascribed to two different conformers for each C(60)-PDI system. Subsequent triplet-triplet energy-transfer times (from the C(60) unit to the PDI) are slower and in the order of 0.8 ns (1), 6.2 ns (2), 2.7 ns (3), and 9 ns (4). Nanosecond transient absorption spectroscopy of final PDI triplet states show a marked influence of the bay substitution (tetrachloro- or tetra-tert-butylphenoxy), and triplet-state lifetimes (10-20 micros) and the PDI triplet quantum yields (0.75-0.52) were estimated. The spectroscopy showed no substantial solvent effect upon comparing toluene (non-polar) to benzonitrile (polar), indicating that no electron transfer is occurring in these systems.     

Visible-light-induced dye degradation over copper-modified reduced graphene oxide

Previously, it was found that reduced graphene oxide (RGO) can degrade rhodamine B (RhB) under visible-light irradiation, but with an extraordinarily slow rate. It was also found that modification of RGO with gold nanoparticles can dramatically accelerate the photoreaction rate. Herein, we describe the preparation and photocatalytic properties of copper-ion-modified RGO composite materials, which display a faster photocatalytic reaction rate and better mineralization under visible-light irradiation than gold-modified RGO. The copper-ion-modified RGO composites were prepared by an immersion method. The characterization results of X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, field-emission scanning electron microscopy, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy show the presence of crystalline copper species Cu(2)(OH)(3)NO(3) and Cu(2)(OH)(3)Cl on the surface of RGO. Modification of RGO with the copper species greatly enhances the degradation of RhB--after 3 hours of reaction under visible-light irradiation, the total organic carbon is decreased by about 31%. The copper species act as an electron relay, passing the excited electrons from the RGO sheets to adsorbed oxygen, thus leading to continuous generation of reactive oxygen species for the degradation of RhB.