New perylene polyimides containing p‐n diblocks for sensitization in TiO2 solar cells

Three novel perylene polyimides (PPIs) containing p‐n diblock units were designed and synthesized for use in dye‐sensitized mesoporous TiO₂ solar cells. They all dissolve in m‐cresol and N‐methyl‐2‐pyrrolidone (NMP). Their visible light absorption, electrochemical and photoelectrochemical properties were systematically studied. The polyimides have band gap energies of 2.16, 2.19 and 2.25 eV deduced from ultraviolet–visible absorption spectra, and electron affinity (E_a) and ionization potential (IP) of ?3.93 and 6.10 eV for PPI1, ?3.94 and 6.13 eV for PPI2, ?3.93 and 6.59 eV for PPI3, respectively, deduced from cyclic voltammogram. Experimental data show that introduction of 4,4′‐bisaminetriphenylamine cannot only greatly enhance optic‐electro conversion efficiency, but also enhance the dissolubility which in favorable for making the devices. The relationship of structure and properties of PPI is discussed and the mechanism of photocurrent generation is explained. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

The nearest neighbor random walk on subspaces of a vector space and rate of convergence

LetX be the collection ofk-dimensional subspaces of ann-dimensional vector spaceV _n overGF(q). A metric may be defined onX by letting

Phipps's lagrangian and hamiltonian

In this work it is derived Phipps's Lagrangian function and Phipps's Hamiltonian function. This allows the utilization of Phipps's interaction in the Lagrangian and Hamiltonian frameworks.Dedicated to Thomas E. Phipps, Jr. on the occasion of his 70th birthday (1995).     

On two--block--factor sequences and one--dependence

The distributions of two--block--factors arising from i.i.d. sequences are observed to coincide with the distributions of the superdiagonals of jointly exchangeable and dissociated arrays . An inequality for superdiagonal probabilities of the arrays is presented. It provides, together with the observation, a simple proof of the fact that a special one--dependent Markov sequence of Aaronson, Gilat and Keane (1992) is not a two--block factor.

     

The difference between Newtonian and relativistic forces

This paper discusses a new turn in the 148-year old electrodynamic force law controversy between the 1822 Ampère force law of the Newtonian electrodynamics and Grassmann's 1845 law which has become the electrodynamic force law of relativistic electromagnetism. Faced with the infallibility of Ampère's empirical law, defenders of relativity theory now argue that Ampère's law is equivalent to the relativistic law. This paper demonstrates that, far from being equivalent, the laws require two different mechanics of solid bodies, disagree on internally generated stresses, and predict different force distributions.     

Renormalization group for Markov chains and application to metastability

In this paper we introduce a new renormalization group method for the study of the long-time behavior of Markov chains with finite state space and with transition probabilities exponentially small in an external parameter. A general approach of metastability problems emerges from this analysis and is discussed in detail in the case of a two-dimensional Ising system at low temperature,     

RECENT PROGRESS OF NANO-MECHANICAL MAPPING

 Nano-mechanical mapping by atomic force microscopy has been developed as an useful application to measure mechanical properties of soft materials at nanometer scale. To date, the Hertzian theory was used for analyzing force-distance curves as the simplest model among several contact mechanics between elastic bodies. However, the preexisting methods based on this theory do not consider the adhesive interaction in principle, which cannot be neglected in the ambient condition. A new analytical method was introduced to estimate the elasticity and the adhesive energy simultaneously by means of the JKR theory, describing adhesive contact between elastic materials. Poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) and isobutylene-co-isoprene rubber (IIR) were analyzed to verify the applicable limit of the JKR analysis. For elastic samples such as PDMS, the force-deformation plots obtained experimentally were consistent with JKR theoretical curves. Meanwhile, for viscoelastic samples, especially for IIR, the experimental plots revealed large deviations from JKR curves depending on scanning velocity and maximum loading force. Some nano-rheological arguments were employed based on the difference between these specimens.     

Sensitivity in Supramolecular Architectures of Polyaromatic Salts Containing Two Singly‐Pimerized Bipyridines

Three novel supramolecular arrays of zigzag polyaromatic salts are reported. Both the conformation and disposition of the dications are subjected to various noncovalent interactions. Thus, the presence or absence of the π‐π interacting enclathrated molecules, the efficient packing and the involved hydrogen bonding interactions of anions, as well as the increased hydrophobic property of the dications themselves exert influence.     

Surface structures of adsorption layers of sodium hyaluronate and bovine serum albumin complexes on poly(γ-methyl-l-glutamate) film and their surface properties

Two-dimensional structures and characteristics of the complexes between sodium hyaluronate (NaHA) and bovine serum albumin (BSA) were studied by using a quartz crystal microbalance method and an atomic force microscope (AFM). NaHA did not adsorb on poly(-methyl-l-glutamate) (PMLG) film. On the other hand, the complexes adsorbed on it and the adsorption behaviors were found to be Langmuir types. With increasing weight ratio of BSA to NaHA, W _BSA, the adsorption constants K decreased and the saturated adsorption masses increased. The adsorbed complexes were spherical particles and at saturated adsorption states they covered compactly on the PMLG film. The mean diameters d _AFM estimated from the topographic images decreased from 70 to 54 nm with increasing W _BSA. The adhesion force F _ad and the frictional force F _f between the complex layers and the AFM tip were obtained by using the contact mode of the AFM. With increasing W _BSA, the values of F _ad decreased and the values of F _f increased. Compared with the frictional coefficient of the NaHA adsorption layer on the BSA monolayer, the values for the NaHA–BSA complex layer were found to be much higher.     

Electron radiation effects on the structure of ultradisperse polytetrafluoroethylene

Electron radiation effects (40 mrad, 70 mrad, and 100 mrad) on the molecular and supramolecular structure and morphology of ultradisperse polytetrafluoroethylene obtained by the thermogas dynamic (TGD) method were studied by IR and EPR spectroscopy, X-ray phase analysis, and atomic force microscopy. Irradiation of ultradisperse powder in air leads to oxidized polymer forms due to the terminal carbonyl groups and stable peroxide radicals that appear in the structure. Fast electron radiation in doses of up to 100 mrad did not change the polymer crystallinity and particle entity, while thin films on the surface of ultradisperse polytetrafluoroethylene powder decomposed.