A transflective and viewing angle controllable blue-phase liquid crystal display

A polymer-stabilised blue-phase liquid crystal display (PSBP-LCD) with double-side in-plane switching (DS-IPS) electrode structure is proposed. This structure shows the transflective characteristics because the bottom electrodes are made by aluminium material. For transflective displays, it exhibits a well-matched voltage-dependent transmission and reflection curves through designing the width and gap of the top electrodes. When a bias voltage is applied on the top electrodes, it exhibits as a good viewing angle controllable display.     

Blue phase III widening in CE6-dispersed surface-functionalised CdSe nanoparticles

The phase transition behaviour of the chiral liquid crystal CE6 doped with spherical surface-functionalised CdSe nanoparticles has been examined by means of high-resolution adiabatic scanning calorimetry and polarising microscopy. The addition of nanoparticles results in an essentially stabilised blue phase III. The phase diagram is displayed upon heating and cooling and the enthalpy changes involved in the conversion between the blue phases are determined. The dispersion of functionalised nanoparticles is prominent for the stabilisation of blue phase III, which is potentially useful for applications, especially if applied on liquid crystals that exhibit blue phases close to room temperature.     

Molecular organization in two-dimensional films of liquid crystalline mixtures III. Langmuir films of binary mixtures of liquid crystal materials with terminal CN o r NCS group

Langmuir films of binary mixtures of the following liquid crystal materials: 4-octyl-4′-cyanobiphenyl (8CB) or 4-pentyl-4″-cyano-p-terphenyl (5CT) with 4-(trans-4'-octylcyclohexyl)isothiocyanatobenzene (8CHBT), trans-4-octyl(4′-cyanophenyl)cyclohexane (8PCH) or 4-octyl4′-isothiocyanatobiphenyl (8BT) were investigated. Surface pressure-mean molecular area isotherms were recorded at various mixture compositions. It was found that only liquid crystal materials for which the molecules have a terminal -CN group are able to form a stable monolayer at the air-water interface. Moreover, information about the miscibility or the phase separation of the two components in the mixures was obtained by using the excess area criterion and surface phase rules.     

Book reviews

Inorganic mercury ions (Hg²⁺) in laboratory prepared solutions were determined with a screen-printed carbon electrode (SPCE) coated with a polyaniline-methylene blue (PANI-MB) polymer layer. The structure and properties of the PANI-MB polymer layer were compared to that of normal polyaniline (PANI) in order to elucidate the structure of the PANI-MB layer. The electrically-conducting polymers were prepared by electrochemical polymerisation of monomer solutions of aniline, and mixed solutions of aniline with methylene blue onto respective screen-printed carbon electrodes (SPCEs). Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) analyses of the SPCE polymer coated electrodes have shown that nanostructured materials have formed with the diameters of the PANI nanoclusters and PANI-MB nanorods at approximately 200 nm. Anodic stripping voltammetry (ASV) was used to evaluate a solution composed of 1 × 10^?6 M Hg²⁺, in the presence of the SPCE/PANI-MB polymer sensor electrode. The Hg²⁺ ions were determined as follows: (i) pre-concentration and reduction on the modified electrode surface and (ii) subsequent stripping from the electrode surface during the positive potential sweep. The experimental conditions optimised for Hg²⁺ determination included the supporting electrolyte concentration and the accumulation time. The results obtained have shown that the SPCE/PANI-MB polymer sensor electrode operates optimally at a pH 2, with the supporting electrolyte concentration at 0.5 M HCl. A linear calibration curve was found to be in the range of 1 × 10^?8 M to 1 × 10^?5 M Hg²⁺ after 120 s of pre-concentration. The detection limit was calculated and found to be 54.27 ± 3.28 µg L^?1 of Hg²⁺. The results have also shown that a conducting polymer modified SPCE sensor electrode can be used as an alternative transducer for the voltammetric stripping and analysis of inorganic Hg²⁺ ions.     

Zr/Ti摩尔比对锶锆钛复合氧化物在可见光下光催化性能的影响

通过分步沉积法制备了不同Zr/Ti 摩尔比的锶锆钛(SZT)复合氧化物催化剂, 以X射线衍射(XRD)、扫描电镜(SEM)、透射电镜(TEM)、紫外-可见(UV-Vis)漫反射光谱等表征手段考察不同Zr/Ti 摩尔比下SZT催化剂的结构形态, 以可见光下光催化降解亚甲基蓝为模型反应考察样品的光催化活性. 结果表明: Zr/Ti 摩尔比<1 时SZT催化剂发生Zr⁴⁺与Ti⁴⁺同质替换, 引起晶格缺陷, 光催化活性小幅提高; Zr/Ti 摩尔比≥1 时SZT催化剂产生SrZrO₃/Ti_nO_2n-1 (n=4, 9)的新晶相, Ti_nO_2n-1 (n=4, 9)的存在有利于光生电子-空穴的传导与分离, 可大幅提高催化剂光催化活性. 其中, SZT-5/5 表现出最高的光催化活性, 其一级反应速率常数达到0.2133 min^-1, 是同等光照条件下纯SrTiO₃样品(0.0158 min^-1)的13.5倍.     

Using Prussian blue analogue nanoparticles confined into ordered mesoporous silica monoliths as precursors of oxides

Powdered Prussian blue analogues (PBAs) and PBAs confined in ordered mesoporous silica monoliths were used as oxide precursors through thermal treatment under an oxidizing atmosphere. The study focuses on the transformation of the alkali cation-free CoCo PBA of chemical formula K_0.1Co^II₄[Co^III(CN)₆]_2.7·20 H₂O. The compounds were characterized by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), IR spectroscopy and small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS), and the magnetic properties of the calcined samples were investigated. In both cases, powdered and confined PBAs, the coordination polymers are transformed into well-crystallized Co₃O₄ spinel oxide. In the case of the confined PBA, isolated Co₃O₄ single crystals confined within the ordered mesoporosity of the monoliths were evidenced by HRTEM. A preliminary study shows an effect of particle size and confinement on the magnetic properties of the confined oxide particles.     

Highly Efficient Orange and Warm White Phosphorescent OLEDs Based on a Host Material with a Carbazole–Fluorenyl Hybrid

A new carbazole–fluorenyl hybrid compound, 3,3′(2,7‐di(naphthaline‐2‐yl)‐9H‐fluorene‐9,9‐diyl)bis(9‐phenyl‐9H‐carbazole) (NFBC) was synthesized and characterized. The compound exhibits blue‐violet emission both in solution and in film, with peaks centered at 404 and 420 nm. In addition to the application as a blue emitter, NFBC is demonstrated to be a good host for phosphorescent dopants. By doping Ir(2‐phq)₃ in NFBC, a highly efficient orange organic light‐emitting diode (OLED) with a maximum efficiency of 32 cd A^?1 (26.5 Lm W^?1) was obtained. Unlike most phosphorescent OLEDs, the device prepared in our study shows little efficiency roll‐off at high brightness and maintains current efficiencies of 31.9 and 26.8 cd A^?1 at a luminance of 1000 and 10 000 cd m^?2, respectively. By using NFBC simultaneously as a blue fluorescence emitter and as a host for a phosphorescent dopant, a warm white OLED with a maximum efficiency of 22.9 Lm W^?1 (21.9 cd A^?1) was also obtained.     

分光光度法测定亚甲基蓝溶液浓度线上实验设计

基于朗伯-比尔定律与互补色原理,利用QQ截图读取色块RGB三原色组成的功能,获得不同亚甲基蓝浓度色阶对应的红色和绿色信号,设计了亚甲基蓝测定的简易紫外-可见分光光度法实验方案。该方案包括标准色阶制作、颜色信号读取、标准曲线绘制,以及待测样品测试等。通过学生实验,获得了满意的可靠性。该实验方案尤其适用于线上教学或缺少分光光度计的线下教学。     

Trash GGBFS-based geopolymer as a novel sunlight-responsive photocatalyst for dye discolouration

In this study, we report a waste material-ground granulated blast furnace slag (GGBFS) as a low cost geopolymer, hybridised with ZnO to form a novel and efficient photocatalyst capable of discolouring textile wastewater. GGBFS is a waste material in an iron industry. Methylene blue was used as the probe dye and natural sunlight was used for activation of the photocatalyst. It was observed that under the experimental conditions, ZnGP-40 exhibited twice the discoloration efficiency than conventionally used ZnO or TiO₂. This enhanced performance is majorly attributed to increased surface area of ZnO when strewn in the GGBFS matrix. The photocatalysts were characterized by SEM, TEM, PSA, TGA, BET and UV–Vis/NIR. The effect of photocatalyst loading, speed of agitation and solar insolation has also been studied. Since this study has been performed in direct sunlight, it exhibits a realizable application of solar energy in the treatment of wastewater.     

A Comparison of Four Different Electrode Matrices on the Performance of Amperometric Hydrogen Peroxide (Bio)Sensors

A comparison of the analytical performances of four different (bio)sensor designs in H₂O₂ determination is discussed. The (bio)sensor designs developed were based on the use of (i) multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNT), zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnONP), prussian blue (PB); (ii) MWCNT, ZnONP, PB and ionic liquid (IL); (iii) MWCNT, ZnONP and horseradish peroxidase (HRP) and (iv) MWCNT, ZnONP, HRP and IL modified glassy carbon electrode (GCE). A performance comparison of (bio)sensors showed that the one based on HRP/IL-MWCNT-ZnONP/GCE showed the best analytical characteristics with a linear dynamic range of 9.99×10⁻⁸–7.55×10⁻⁴ M, detection limit of 1.37×10⁻⁸ M and sensitivity of 17.00 μA mM⁻¹.