Changes in the physical properties of low bandgap polymer after interaction with ionic liquids

Over the past few years, polymers shown comprehensive utilization in optical devices, solar cells, sensors, and other such devices. However, the efficiency of these devices remains a problem. We have synthesized new thiophene based, lowband gap polymer, poly(2-heptadecyl-4-vinylthieno[3,4-d] [1,3] selenazole) (PHVTS) and investigated the interactions between the PHVTS and ionic liquids (ILs), in this study. We have used imidazolium- and ammonium-family ILs, and studied the interactions using various spectroscopic techniques such UV–visible, FTIR, and confocal Raman spectroscopies. Additionally, we studied surface morphology of the polymer-IL film. Spectroscopic studies show that both families of ILs can interact with the newly synthesized polymer poly(2-heptadecyl-4-vinylthieno[3,4-d] [1,3] selenazole). However, the imidazolium-family Ionic Liquid-polymer (IL-polymer) mixture films show higher conductivities than ammonium-family IL–polymer mixture films.     

Inclined Substrate Deposition of Nanostructured TiO2 Thin Films for DSSC Application

Nanostructured TiO₂ films were deposited onto Indium Tin Oxide (ITO) and glass substrates by dc reactive magnetron sputtering at different substrate inclination angles. The structural and optical properties of the deposited films were studied by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy and UV–Vis spectrophotometer, respectively. Dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSC) were assembled using these TiO₂ films as photoelectrodes and the effect of the substrate inclination angle in the preparing process of TiO₂ films on the DSSC conversion efficiency was studied.     

热处理对钙钛矿锰氧化物La_(0.95)Sr_(0.05)MnO_3离子价态和磁结构的影响

对于磁性氧化物的磁有序,传统的观点用超交换相互作用(SE)和双交换相互作用(DE)模型进行解释,其出发点都建立在全部氧离子是-2价的基础上.例如,对于LaMnO_3,认为其中的La和Mn都处于+3价,用SE模型解释相邻Mn~(3+)离子间的反铁磁序;当以二价的Sr离子替代一部分La离子后,认为等量的Mn~(3+)离子变为Mn~(4+)离子,用DE模型解释相邻Mn~(3+)和Mn~(4+)离子间的铁磁序.然而,事实上在氧化物中存在一部分负一价氧离子.Cohen[Nature 358 136]利用密度泛函理论计算了BaTiO_3的价电子态密度,结果得到只有Ba离子的化合价与传统观点相同,为+2价;而Ti和0分别为+2.89价和-1.63价,不是传统观点的+4价和-2价,但是与多年来关于氧化物电离度的研究[Rev.Mod.Phys.42 317]和X射线光电子谱(XPS)的研究结果相符合.本文经过不同热处理条件制备了名义成分为La_(0.95)Sr_(0.05)MnO_3的三个样品,通过对样品的XPS分析,发现样品中不存在Mn~(4+)离子,只存在Mn2+和Mn~(3+)离子,平均价态随热处理程序的增加而升高.尽管三个样品有相同的晶体结构,但磁矩明显不同.对于这样的性能,不能用SE和DE模型解释其磁结构.利用本课题组最近在研究尖晶石结构铁氧体磁有序过程中提出的O 2p巡游电子模型解释了这种现象,利用样品在10 K的磁矩估算出的Mn离子平均价态变化趋势与XPS分析结果一致.O 2p巡游电子模型的出发点建立在氧化物中存在一部分负一价氧离子的基础上,这是其与SE和DE模型的根本区别.     

光学观测中太阳夹角的分析与计算

对影响光学观测效果的太阳夹角计算方法进行了研究。首先给出了太阳夹角的定义及计算公式。然后重点研究了太阳视位置的计算方法,比较了几种赤纬角计算方法,给出了一种改进的时角计算方法,实现了高精度的太阳视位置计算,并对其计算精度进行了分析。最后提出了在实际光学观测应用中的太阳夹角计算算法。实验表明,太阳视位置计算精度比传统数值近似方法高一个数量级,能够满足光学观测中太阳光照分析的需要。     

Impact of thermal annealing on physical properties of vacuum evaporated polycrystalline CdTe thin films for solar cell applications

A study on impact of post-deposition thermal annealing on the physical properties of CdTe thin films is undertaken in this paper. The thin films of thickness 500 nm were grown on ITO and glass substrates employing thermal vacuum evaporation followed by post-deposition thermal annealing in air atmosphere within low temperature range 150–350 °C. These films were subjected to the XRD, UV‐Vis NIR spectrophotometer, source meter, SEM coupled with EDS and AFM for structural, optical, electrical and surface topographical analysis respectively. The diffraction patterns reveal that the films are having zinc-blende cubic structure with preferred orientation along (111) and polycrystalline in nature. The crystallographic parameters are calculated and discussed in detail. The optical band gap is found in the range 1.48–1.64 eV and observed to decrease with thermal annealing. The current–voltage characteristics show that the CdTe films exhibit linear ohmic behavior. The SEM studies show that the as-grown films are homogeneous, uniform and free from defects. The AFM studies reveal that the surface roughness of films is observed to increase with annealing. The experimental results reveal that the thermal annealing has significant impact on the physical properties of CdTe thin films and may be used as absorber layer to the CdTe/CdS thin films solar cells.     

Dielectric properties and study of AC electrical conduction mechanisms by non-overlapping small polaron tunneling model in Bis(4-acetylanilinium) tetrachlorocuprate(II) compound

In the present work, the synthesis and characterization of the Bis(4-acetylanilinium) tetrachlorocuprate(II) compound are presented. The structure of this compound is analyzed by X-ray diffraction which confirms the formation of single phase and is in good agreement the literature. Indeed, the Thermo gravimetric Analysis (TGA) shows that the decomposition of the compound is observed in the range of 420–520 K. However, the differential thermal analysis (DTA) indicates the presence of a phase transition at T=363 k. Furthermore, the dielectric properties and AC conductivity were studied over a temperature range (338–413 K) and frequency range (200 Hz–5 MHz) using complex impedance spectroscopy. Dielectric measurements confirmed such thermal analyses by exhibiting the presence of an anomaly in the temperature range of 358–373 K. The complex impedance plots are analyzed by an electrical equivalent circuit consisting of resistance, constant phase element (CPE) and capacitance. The activation energy values of two distinct regions are obtained from log σT vs 1000/T plot and are found to be E=1.27 eV (T<363 K) and E=1.09 eV (363 K<T).The frequency dependence of ac conductivity, σ_ac, has been analyzed by Jonscher's universal power law σ(ω)=σ_dc+Aω^s. The value of s is to be temperature-dependent, which has a tendency to increase with temperature and the non-overlapping small polaron tunneling (NSPT) model is the most applicable conduction mechanism in the title compound.     

Coplanar monolithic resonator for X-ray and synchrotron radiation

A scheme of a three-block monolithic X-ray resonator with Si \((04\bar 4,40\bar 4)\)-configuration single crystal for NiKα₂ and synchrotron radiation is proposed and realized experimentally. Specialties and advantages of the proposed scheme are given. It is shown that using asymmetric Bragg reflections makes possible to solve one of the basic problems of X-ray resonators, that of the input of radiation into the resonator and creation of the lossless cycle. The technology of fabrication of the resonator is described and the problems of raising the efficiency of its operation are considered.     

DOUBLESLICING: a non-iterative single profile multi-exponential curve resolution procedure. Application to time-domain NMR transverse relaxation data

A new non-iterative curve resolution technique for resolving single decay profiles is proposed. The new technique, called DoubleSlicing, is based on the Decra (Direct Exponential Curve Resolution Algorithm) principle. While the original Decra was designed to resolve several decay curves simultaneously and thus fitting common pure exponentials, DoubleSlicing can resolve single decay profiles by a simple double data transformation followed by an analytical and unique three-way decomposition. The new approach is successfully demonstrated on experimental NMR CPMG relaxation data, measured on combinations of unmixed paramagnetic CuSO(4) solutions. Decay signals of the water component were acquired following an innovative experimental design that ensured no interaction between the components present in each sample under observation. DoubleSlicing proved to be accurate in estimating relaxation times differing in one order of magnitude (range: 19.6-159.4ms). Its performance was comparable to discrete exponential fitting with the advantage of being much faster - in terms of computation time, DoubleSlicing outperformed exponential fitting by a factor of four.     

用于爆炸物探测的X射线相干散射技术研究

建立了基于X光机的相干散射实验装置, 对用于爆炸物探测的X射线相干散射技术进行了研究. 在一个固定的角度下(6.5°), 测量了多种常见爆炸物和非爆炸物的相干散射谱. 结果表明, 每种爆炸物都有特定的相干散射谱线, 包含了与物质化学组分相关的"指纹信息". 使用这一方法可以将爆炸物从常见的非爆炸物中鉴别出来.     

Low Temperature Metal-Enhanced Fluorescence

In this short letter, we describe the effects of low temperature on the Metal-Enhanced Fluorescence (MEF) phenomenon. Fluorophores close to Silver Island Films (SiFs) show on average two- to ten-fold enhancements in their fluorescence signatures at room temperature. However, at 77 K, we have observed that MEF is even more pronounced as compared to an identical glass control sample. We also demonstrate that the further enhancements in MEF occur at low temperature over a range of visible wavelengths for different fluorophores, for both SiFs and 20 nm surface deposited gold colloids.