Enhancement of Photocurrent Generation of a Novel Stilbazolium Dye Dimer in LB Monolayer Films

A novel dye dimer,bis-{[1-(N-hexadecyl-4-pyridinium)-2-(4-N,N-dimethylaminopheyl)] ethenyl} methane diiodide (C16BP) was synthesized,and the photoelectrochemistry of the dye Langmuir-Blodgett monolayer modified ITO electrode was investigated.For comparison,the photoelectrochemistry of the monomer (E)-N-hexadexyl-4-[2-(4-N,N-dimethylaminophenyl) ethenyl] pyridinium iodide (C16P) was also measured.The results show that the photocurrent generation property of the dimer is enhanced.The photocurrent generation quantum yield is 0.38% for C16BP,while that for C16P is 0.23%.     

Chemical deposition of semiconducting cadmium selenide quantum dots in thin film form and investigation of their optical and electrical properties

Cadmium selenide quantum dots with cubic crystal structure are chemically deposited in thin film form using selenosulfate as a precursor for selenide ions and ammonia buffer with double role: as a ligand and as a pH value controller. The optical band gap energies of as-deposited and thermally treated cadmium selenide thin films, calculated within the framework of parabolic approximation for the dispersion relation, on the basis of equations which arise from the Fermi's golden rule for electronic transitions from valence to conduction band, are 2.08 and 1.77 eV, correspondingly. The blue shift of band gap energy of 0.34 eV for as-deposited thin films with respect to the bulk value is due to the quantum size effects (i.e., nanocrystals behave as quantum dots) and this finding is in agreement with the theoretical predictions. During the thermal treatment the nanocrystals are sintered, the increase of crystal size being in correlation with the decrease of band gap energy. The annealed thin films are practically non-quantized. From the resistance-temperature measurements, on the basis of the dependence of ln(R/Ω) vs 1/T in the region of intrinsic conduction, the thermal band gap energy (at 0 K) of 1.85 eV was calculated.     

Spectroscopy and Structure of Sol-Gel Systems

Sol-gel derived glasses may differ from conventional melt-quenched glasses owing to the peculiar microstructures existing at the gel state, such that, even after gel densification, some differences may remain in their composition and molecular structure.This paper discusses structural characteristics of thin film oxide gels and glasses, with a special emphasis on SiO2-TiO2 based systems, which are of particular interest for sol-gel integrated optics applications. Short range structure aspects are discussed based on infrared, X-ray photoemission and X-ray photoabsorption spectroscopies. The chemical homogeneity of sol-gel materials is evaluated, based on X-ray photoemission and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopies, dealing in particular with the issue of homo- vs. heterocondensation. Finally, some microstructural features of sol-gel derived films are analyzed, namely the relationship between infrared absorption and porosity and the structure of nanocrystalline sol-gel films, based on grazing incidence X-ray diffraction and micro-Raman spectroscopy. The types of structural information obtainable by each different technique are compared in detail.     

Luminescent properties of PP and LDPE films and rods doped with the Eu(III)‐La(III) complex

The work is devoted to luminescent properties of trivalent lanthanide complexes dispersed in thermoplastic host matrices. Polyethylene films and polypropylene‐rods, both doped with these complexes, were manufactured using an extrusion technique. Two kinds of dopants were used: Eu(III)‐thenoyltrifluoroacetone‐1,10‐phenanthroline complex (1) and Eu(III)‐La(III)‐1,10‐phenanthroline complex (2). Absorption, excitation, emission spectra and lifetime of luminescence were studied. The impact of the polymer matrix on the emission spectra was investigated. Emission spectra of the films were studied at room and helium temperatures. Time‐of‐flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (TOF‐SIMS) surface mapping showed that in the Eu(III)‐La(III) complex europium forms islands (clusters) with a dimension of 1 µm, whereas lanthanum was dispersed more uniformly in the polymer matrix. Dependence of emission intensity on the excitation was determined. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Phenomenological aspects related to the electrochemical behaviour of smooth palladium electrodes in alkaline solutions

The voltammetric behaviour of smooth palladium electrodes in 1 M NaOH is studied in the potential range related to the thermodynamic stability of water. The electrosorption of H atoms on bulk Pd appears as a reversible reaction coupled to a diffusion process which occurs within bulk Pd. The voltammetric electrodesorption of H from bulk Pd is a process under mixed control, i.e. the diffusion from the bulk and the surface oxidation of H atoms. Fast pseudocapacitive reactions are detected in the range 0.2–0.4 V associated with the adsorption of H atoms at the submonolayer level. The initial stages of Pd oxide layer formation, at ca. 0.68 V, involves two reversible stages. The Pd oxide monolayer formation is achieved at 1.25 V/RHE and is followed by the formation of a third reversible system. This system is enhanced by an excursion in the potential range of the oxygen evolution reaction. This reversible system is probably a redox system involving Pd(II)/Pd(IV) species. The voltammetric electroreduction of the Pd oxide film shows rather irreversible behaviour. Inhibition effects on the reversible adsorption of H atoms due to residual oxide species were observed as well as inhibition on loading the Pd electrode with hydrogen to form the (α + β)-PdH phase. Rotating ring-disc experiments demonstrate that Pd electrodissolution in basic solutions is much smaller than in acid solutions. However, soluble palladium species are detected, especially during the formation of the fast redox systems, in the potential range related to Pd oxide layer growth.     

Investigation of RuO2-IrO2-SnO2 thin film evolution

The thermal evolution process of RuO₂–IrO₂–SnO₂ mixed oxide thin films of varying noble metal contents has been investigated under in situ conditions by thermogravimetry-mass spectrometry (TG-MS), infrared emission spectroscopy (IR) and cyclic voltammetry (CV). The gel-like films prepared from aqueous solutions of the precursor compounds RuOHCl₃, H₂IrCl₆ and Sn(OH)₂(CH₃COO)_2–xCl_x on titanium metal support were heated in an atmosphere containing 20% O₂ and 80% Ar up to 600°C. Chlorine evolution takes place in a single step between 320 and 500°C accompanied with the decomposition of the acetate ligand. The decomposition of surface species formed like carbonyls, carboxylates and carbonates occurs in two stages between 200 and 500°C. The temperature of chlorine evolution and that of the final film formation increases with the increase of the iridium content in the films. The anodic peak charge shows a maximum value at 18% iridium content.     

Polyelectrolyte Multilayer Films Containing Ferrocene: Effects of Polyelectrolyte Type and Ferrocene Contents in the Film on the Redox Properties

Electrochemical properties of Fc‐PEM films have been studied by changing the chemical structure of the polymer chains and the content of Fc moiety in the film systematically. We have prepared a series of PEM films by a layer‐by‐layer deposition of polycations, Fc‐modified poly(allylamine) (Fc‐PAA) and poly(ethyleneimine) (Fc‐PEI), and polyanionic poly(vinyl sulfate) (PVS) on the surface of a gold electrode. The redox properties of the Fc‐PAA/PVS and Fc‐PEI/PVS films depended significantly on the content of Fc moiety in the polymer chains and on the polymer type. Fc‐ PAA and Fc‐PEI polymer chains can penetrate 3 or 4 PAA/PVS bilayers inserted between the redox polymers and electrode. The Fc‐PAA film‐modified electrode can be used for electrocatalytic oxidation of ascorbic acid.     

TiO2纳米膜表面结构形态特征

采用反胶束法制备TiO2纳米溶胶,用浸渍提拉法在不同的条件下制备了三种TiO2多孔纳米薄膜,并利用AFM、SEM、XRD等方法对膜表面结构物理化学特性进行表征.结果表明三种膜基本上由粒径约为59 nm的纳米粒子以不同的方式堆积而成,溶胶刚生成时浸提一次,干燥、焙烧得到膜上纳米粒子分布均匀,所生成的二次粒子粒径最小,二次粒子形成的二次表面粗糙度最小,浸提10次得到膜上纳米粒子间存在较丰富缝隙结构,二次粒子粒径及其形成的表面粗糙度较大,而溶胶制备好陈化6 h后浸提得到的膜上二次粒子粒径最大,表面粗糙度最高.由分形理论估算得到三种膜的分形维数分别是2.22、2.20和2.27. XRD测试表明,膜上TiO2为锐钛矿晶相.这些结果表明,采用不同制备步骤得到的膜,其表面结构形态存在较大的差异.     

Fourier transform infrared studies of alternate acid-amine Langmuir-Blodgett films with pyroelectric properties

FTIR-RAIRS and ATR techniques are shown to provide a powerful means of investigating the molecular behaviour responsible for the pyroelectric properties of organic monolayer assemblies on silicon and aluminised glass. Spectral changes, associated with either proton transfer or head group rearrangement, are well correlated with the level of pyroelectric response for two different devices. The technique promises to be extremely important for the elucidation of the microscopic properties of molecular electronic devices.