Tuning of Photonic band gap via combined effect of electric and optical fields in a blue phase liquid crystal composite

ABSTRACT

Blue phase liquid crystals are soft 3D photonic crystals in which the liquid crystal molecules self-assemble to form a cubic structure with lattice spacing of a few hundred nanometers resulting in selective reflection of colours in the visible spectrum. The corresponding wavelength or the ‘photonic band gap’ can be tuned using various external stimuli such as thermal, electric, magnetic and optical fields. Here, we report efficient tuning of photonic band gap by utilising the combination of electric and optical fields in a blue phase liquid crystalline system. The studies indicate that the chirality of the medium has a direct bearing on the direction of the wavelength shift and the extent of the photonic band gap tunability. More importantly, the synergistic effect of the two fields helps in reversible tuning of the band gap.     

Experimental and theoretical studies of Mn(II) and Co(II) metal complexes of a tridentate Schiff's base ligand and their biological activities

We have used the condensation method to synthesize 2-acetyl-5-methylsemicarbazone ligand. Manganese(II) and Cobalt(II) complexes having formula [ML₂]X₂ were synthesized where M = Mn(II) and Co(II), L = ligand, X = Cl⁻, CH₃COO⁻, NO₃⁻, ½SO₄²⁻. The characterization data suggests the octahedral geometry for all the synthesized complexes. Tridentate nature of the 2-acetyl-5-methylsemicarbazone ligand was revealed by IR studies. Molar conductance analysis suggested the electrolytic nature of the complexes. The theoretical study includes geometrical optimization, HOMO-LUMO energy gap, energetic parameters and dipole moment. These results also confirmed the tridentate nature of the ligand and the octahedral geometry of complexes. The molecular electrostatic potential (MEP) study suggested the reactive sites for an electrophilic or nucleophilic attack in the ligand. We tested the synthesized compounds for their antifungal and antibacterial action via well diffusion method and found that parent ligand after the coordination with the metal ion showed more effective inhibition against bacteria and fungi.     

Structured water chains in external electric fields

ABSTRACT

We study the structural, energetic and electronic properties of the structured water chain clusters within the density functional theory. We refer the structured water chains to those water clusters that have specific geometric patterns stretched along one direction. External electric field required to keep the structures open chain, thereby preventing them to form closed structures, is applied along the length of the chain. The structures are essentially periodic with basic repeating unit consisting of the corner- or edge-sharing 4-, 5- or 6-membered ring water clusters. Our calculations underscore the possible existence of such structured water clusters in the electrostatic environments, which we simulate in its simplicity employing a dipolar, uniform and static electric field. Analysis reveals that the 5-membered ring water chain clusters, i.e. the pentamer chain clusters have the lowest average dipole moment per water molecule while the threshold field, that marks the onset of the field-induced closure of the HOMO (highest occupied molecular orbital)-LUMO (lowest unoccupied molecular orbital) energy gap, is highest, followed by that for the tetramer and hexamer chains. The results suggest that the pentamer chains are the most stable clusters over a wide range of electric fields.     

Regularized gap functions and error bounds for split mixed vector quasivariational inequality problems

In this paper, we consider a class of split mixed vector quasivariational inequality problems in real Hilbert spaces and establish new gap functions by using the method of the nonlinear scalarization function. Further, we obtain some error bounds for the underlying split mixed vector quasivariational inequality problems in terms of regularized gap functions. Finally, we give some examples to illustrate our results. The results obtained in this paper are new.     

Enhanced electronic and nonlinear optical responses of C24N24 cavernous nitride fullerene by decoration with first row transition metals; A computational investigation

The electronic (energy gap and work function) as well as electrical properties (dipole moment, polarizability, and first hyperpolarizabilities) of the first-row transition metals decorated C₂₄N₂₄ cavernous nitride fullerene were explored using DFT calculations. The transition metals are decorated at N4 cavity of C₂₄N₂₄ fullerene. According to our spin polarized computations, the most stable spin state monotonically increases to sextet for Mn@C₂₄N₂₄ and thereafter dropped off gradually to singlet state for Zn@C₂₄N₂₄ system. The findings demonstrate that transition metals can remarkably decrease the HOMO-LUMO energy gap and work function values up to 63% and 21% of bare C₂₄N₂₄, respectively. As can be seen, when the Sc and Ti metals are located above the N4 cavity of fullerene, systems of enhanced static hyperpolarizabilities (β₀) are delivered. These findings might provide an effective strategy to design high performance eletcro-optical materials based on carbon- nitride fullerene.     

Efficient organic photovoltaic cells based on thiazolothiazole and benzodithiophene copolymers with π‐conjugated bridges

New donor–π–acceptor (D–π–A) type conjugated copolymers, poly[(4,8‐bis((2‐hexyldecyl)oxy)benzo[1,2‐b:4,5‐b′]dithiophene)‐alt‐(2,5‐bis(4‐octylthiophen‐2‐yl)thiazolo[5,4‐d]thiazole)] (PBDT‐tTz), and poly[(4,8‐bis((2‐hexyldecyl)oxy)benzo[1,2‐b:4,5‐b′]dithiophene)‐alt‐(2,5‐bis(6‐octylthieno[3,2‐b]thiophen‐2‐yl)thiazolo[5,4‐d]thiazole)] (PBDT‐ttTz) were synthesized and characterized with the aim of investigating their potential applicability to organic photovoltaic active materials. While copolymer PBDT‐tTz showed a zigzagged non‐linear structure by thiophene π‐bridges, PBDT‐ttTz had a linear molecular structure with thieno[3,2‐b]thiophene π‐bridges. The optical, electrochemical, morphological, and photovoltaic properties of PBDT‐tTz and PBDT‐ttTz were systematically investigated. Furthermore, bulk heterojunction photovoltaic devices were fabricated by using the synthesized polymers as p‐type donors and [6,6]‐phenyl‐C₇₁‐butyric acid methyl ester as an n‐type acceptor. PBDT‐ttTz showed a high power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 5.21% as a result of the extended conjugation arising from the thienothiophene π‐bridges and enhanced molecular ordering in the film state, while PBDT‐tTz showed a relatively lower PCE of 2.92% under AM 1.5 G illumination (100 mW/cm²). © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2018 , 56, 1978–1988     

Additive assisted hydrothermal synthesis,characterization and optical properties of one dimensional DyPO4:Ce3+ nanostructures

One dimensional nanostructures of cerium doped dysprosium phosphate (DyPO₄:Ce³⁺) were synthesized via hydrothermal route in the presence of different surfactants [sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS), dodecyl sulfosuccinate (DSS), polyvinyl pyrollidone (PVP)] and solvent [ethylene glycol and water]. The prepared nanostructures were characterized by Powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), Field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), Transmission electron microscopy (TEM), energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), UV-VIS-NIR absorption spectrophotometer and photoluminescence (PL) studies. The PXRD and FTIR results indicate purity, good crystallinity and effective doping of Ce³⁺ in nanostructures. SEM and TEM micrographs display nanorods, nanowires and nanobundles like morphology of DyPO₄:Ce³⁺. Energy-dispersive X-ray spectra (EDS) of DyPO₄:Ce³⁺nanostructures confirm the presence of dopant. UV-VIS-NIR absorption spectra of prepared compounds are used to calculate band gap and explore their optical properties. Luminescent properties of DyPO₄:Ce³⁺ was studied by using PL emission spectra. The effect of additives and solvents on the uniformity, morphology and optical properties of the nanostructures were studied in detail.     

Temperature variation of the fundamental absorption edge in AgGaSe2

Optical absorption measurements were made in the temperature range 9–300 K on the chalcopyrite semiconductor compound AgGaSe₂ and the optical energy gap E_G determined as a function of temperature T. In order to obtain the values of E_G as a function of T, the Elliot-Toyozawa model [R.J. Elliot, J. Phys. Rev. 108 (1957) 1384; D.D. Sell, P. Lawaets, Phys. Rev. Lett. 26 (1971) 311] was employed to perform the analysis of the optical absorption spectra. The resulting E_G vs. T curve was fitted to a semi-empirical model that takes into account both the thermal expansion and the electron–phonon interaction contributions. The results have been used to estimate values of the deformation potentials of the valence and conduction bands of the compound.     

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用时域有限差分法研究了电磁波在等离子体光子晶体中的传播特性。数值模拟中使用完全匹配层吸收边界条件,计算了电磁波通过等离子体光子晶体的反射和透射系数。讨论了等离子体密度、等离子体温度、介电常数比和引入缺陷层对等离子体光子晶体光子带隙的影响。     

Bi2S3纳米带的制备及其谱学性能研究

以硝酸铋、硫代乙酰胺和氨三乙酸等为原料,利用水热法在180℃下反应12h得到Bi2S3纳米带.X射线粉末衍射结果表明产物对应于正交晶相的Bi2 S3(JCPDS:17-320),晶胞参数为a=1.110 6 nm,1,b=1.099 3 nm,c=O.389 2 nm,与文献报道值(a=1.114 9nm ,b=1.1304 nm,c=O.3981 nm)基本一致;通过透射电镜观察其形貌为均匀的带状,宽约100 nm;高分辨透射电镜照片显示晶体沿y轴优先生长;通过对x射线光电子能谱分析得到Bi和S的原子个数比例约为2:3,与目标产物Bi2 S3的计量比一致;测试显示Bi2S3纳米带的拉曼吸收峰出现在195 cm-1处,与块体Bi2s3(236 cm-1)相比,其吸收峰红移了41 cm-1,体现了纳米材料的表面效应.紫外-可见吸收光谱研究发现Bi2S3纳米带在450nm左右有吸收,计算得到Eg约为1.58 eV(块体Bi2S3的巨为1.3 eV),在光电领域有潜在的应用价值.