Synthesis,electrolyte properties and solar cell performance of hyperbranched poly(aryl-ether-urea)s

Hyperbranched poly(aryl-ether-urea)s with phenyl, N,N-dimethylamino ethyl and polyethylene oxide end-groups linked through urethane group – HBPEU-1, HBPEU-2 and HBPEU-3 respectively – were synthesized from an AB₂-type blocked isocyanate monomer and characterized by FT-IR, ¹H-NMR, SEC-MALLS, TGA and DSC techniques. The molecular weight of the polymers were found to be ranged from 4.9 × 10³ ? 1.96 × 10⁴ g/mol. The TGA results showed that the polymers decompose between 175°C – 220°C. In the DSC curves, HBPEU-1 and HBPEU-3 showed T_g at 160°C and 53°C respectively, whereas HBPEU-2 did not showed clear T_g. All the three polymers were converted into polymer electrolytes by doping with LiI/I₂. The doped polymers showed remarkably high ionic conductivity, up to 222 – 277 times compared to the un-doped polymers and the highest conductivity was observed with doped HBPEU-2. The TiO₂ based dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) were fabricated using the doped polymer electrolytes and their performance was tested; HBPEU-2 showed good performance by yielding energy conversion efficiency (η) of 4.5%.     

Synthesis and spectral studies on Ni(II) complexes involving N-furfuryl-N-substituted benzyldithiocarbamates and PPh3: Anagostic and C–H…π(chelate) interactions in (N-furfuryl-N-(4-fluorobenzyl)dithiocarbamato-S,S′)(thiocyanato-N)(triphenylphosphine)nickel(II)

Twelve new nickel(II) complexes of functionalized dithiocarabamates [Ni(S₂CNRR')₂](1-6) and [Ni(S₂CNRR')(NCS)(PPh₃)](7-12) [where R=furfuryl; R'=2-hydroxy benzyl (1,7), 3-hydroxy benzyl (2,8), 4-hydroxy benzyl (3,9), 4-methoxy benzyl (4,10), 4-fluoro benzyl (5,11), 4-chloro benzyl (6,12)] have been prepared and characterized by elemental analysis, IR, UV-Vis and NMR (¹H and ¹³C) spectroscopy. IR spectra of the complexes support the bidentate coordination of dithiocarbamate ligands. Electronic spectral studies on complexes 1-12 indicate square planar geometry around the nickel(II) central atom. In the ¹³C NMR spectra, the upfield shift of NCS₂ carbon signal for heteroleptic complex (7-12) compared to homoleptic complexes (1-6) is due to the effect of PPh₃ on the mesomeric drift of electron density toward nickel through thioureide C-N bond. Single crystal X-ray structural analysis of complex 11 confirms that the coordination geometry about the Ni(II) is distorted square planar. A rare intramolecular anagostic interaction C–H^…Ni [Ni???H=2.804 Å] is observed. The packing of complex 11 is stabilized by non-conventional C–H^…S, C–H?F and C–H?π(chelate, NiS₂C) bonding interactions.     

Synthesis of oxalate doped polyaniline and its corrosion protection performance

It is known that dopants present in polyaniline (PANI) play an important role in corrosion protection of mild steel since the dopant ions form a secondary layer with iron. Since oxalate ions form a stable iron oxalate layer on mild steel, a study has been made on the corrosion protection performance of steel by vinyl coating containing oxalate doped PANI in acid and neutral media. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) studies have shown that the oxalate doped PANI is able to protect mild steel in sodium chloride solution since the impedance values are maintained at 10¹⁰ Ω cm² even after 100 days of exposure.     

Crystallographic and Computational Studies on N-Furfuryl-N-(3-Hydroxybenzyl)amine and N-Furfuryl-N-(4-Hydroxybenzyl)amine

Crystal structures of N-furfuryl-N-(3-hydroxybenzyl)amine (1) and N-furfuryl-N-(4-hydroxybenzyl)amine (2) are reported. The furyl ring is coplanar with the C–N–C plane in 1 and perpendicular to the C–N–C plane in 2. Intermolecular O–H ? N and C–H ? O hydrogen bonds stabilize the crystal structures and play a crucial role in crystal packing. In addition, the molecular geometry and molecular vibrations are calculated using the DFT/B3LYP method with the 6-31G(d,p) basis set and the calculated geometrical parameters are correlated with the corresponding experimental data. The obtained HOMO and LUMO energies are negative, indicating that the compounds are in the stable state. FT-IR spectra of compounds 1 and 2 are measured in order to elucidate the spectroscopic properties of the compounds in the spectral range 4000–500 cm^?1. The recorded FT-IR spectral measurements are further supported by spectral simulations.     

Influence of sol–gel derived lithium cobalt phosphate in alkaline rechargeable battery

A lithium cobalt phosphate (LiCoPO₄) cathode was synthesised by citric acid assisted sol?Cgel method and its electrochemical behaviour in alkaline secondary battery (using novel lithium hydroxide as the electrolyte) is reported. The sol?Cgel method using metal acetate precursors with citric acid as a chelating agent influenced the particle size and the homogeneity while yielding a single phase LiCoPO₄ at a considerably lower temperature and shortened heating time, compared to that of the conventional solid state reaction. The cyclic voltammogram of LiCoPO₄ showed a reversible redox process implying that de-intercalation and intercalation of lithium can occur in aqueous electrolyte. This was supported by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Infra-red (IR) studies. The charge?Cdischarge performance of the Zn/LiCoPO₄ battery showed good capacity retention (after 25 cycles it delivered 90?% of its initial capacity). This enhanced capacity retention was attributed to the synergistic effect of particle homogeneity, reduced Li⁺ diffusion path and stability of the non-reactive aqueous electrolyte between the electrode and the electrolyte interface.     

Catalysis of cure reaction of ɛ-caprolactam-blocked polyisocyanate with diol using non-tin catalysts

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Catalysis of cure reaction of ?-caprolactam-blocked polyisocyanate with 1,4-butane diol in the presence of DABCO - a tertiary amine, tin(II) 2-ethylhexanoate and non-tin organometallics like bismuth neodecanoate, calcium(II) 2-ethylhexanoate and zinc(II) 2-ethylhexanoate was investigated. The activity of these catalysts was studied by the determination of cure-time (gel-time) and analysis of absolute molecular weight of cured polymers. Cure-time results indicated that all the non-tin organometallics act as catalysts; they were more active than DABCO and except bismuth neodecanoate, other two non-tin compounds were also found to be equally active or more active than tin(II) 2-ethylhexanoate. Within the three organometallics studied, zinc (II) 2-ethylhexanoate showed highest catalytic activity, it reduced the cure-time more than 50% compared to the uncatalysed reaction. In the case of bismuth neodecanoate catalysed reaction, it was found that the viscosity was build-up to a certain limit and then decreased; this catalyst assisted chain degradation was confirmed by the analysis of molecular weight of polymers as a function of time. Catalytically active new species was formed when mixing the solution of DABCO to the solution of zinc (II) 2-ethylhexanoate and this formation was confirmed using FT-IR and UV-visible spectroscopy, but this species not showed synergism.     

Variations in the Chemical Composition of Essential Oils in Native Populations of Korean Thyme,Thymus quinquecostatus Celak.

The genus Thymus (Lamiaceae) contains numerous medicinally important species. Among them, Thymus quinquecostatus Celak. has been extensively utilized as a traditional medicine and a food flavoring agent in the Korean peninsula, owing to its unique aroma. In particular, T. quinquecostatus has been used for the treatment of gastroenteritis, inflammation, stomach problems, liver disease, arthritis, arteriosclerosis, and menstrual problems. This study aimed to investigate the chemical diversity of essential oils among 103 Korean native populations of T. quinquecostatus. For this purpose, seedlings of T. quinquecostatus populations were purchased from different regions in the Korean Peninsula, and seedlings were grown in the experimental field under the same environmental conditions. The chemical compositions of steam-distilled essential oils were determined using GC-MS. In total, 212 components were identified from 103 populations of T. quinquecostatus. Furthermore, principal component analysis (PCA) was performed in order to understand variations in the essential oil compositions among 103 Korean native populations of T. quinquecostatus. According to the essential oil compositions, 30 components were selected for PCA. Based on the most abundant essential oil components, four chemotypes were identified in T. quinquecostatus populations. PCA and cluster analyses revealed that 103 individuals of T. quinquecostatus could be classified into four clusters, such as thymol, geraniol, geranyl acetate, and linalool. Furthermore, dendrogram construction demonstrated that geraniol and geranyl acetate, as well as linalool and thymol groups, were closely related. This study suggested the significant chemical polymorphism of essential oils in local populations of T. quinquecostatus in Korea. It could be concluded that the intraspecific variations in the essential oil compositions may be associated with genetic diversity among the individuals.     

Radical‐Mediated Three‐Component Coupling of Alkenes

A tandem radical process involving conjugate addition to an activated alkene followed by allylation is reported. B‐Alkylcatecholboranes, easily available via hydroboration of the corresponding alkenes, were used to generate the initial radicals. These radicals add efficiently to electrophilic alkenes such as phenyl vinyl sulfone, N‐phenylmaleimide, and dialkyl fumarate. In the last step of this one‐pot process, the radical adducts react with the allylic sulfones. The whole process can be considered as a unique and selective coupling of three different alkenes.     

Functionalized zinc(II) dithiocarbamate complexes: Synthesis,spectral and molecular structures of bis(N-cyclopropyl-N-4-methoxybenzyldithiocarbamato-S,S′)zinc(II) and (2,2′-bipyridine)bis(N-cyclopropyl-N-4-methoxybenzyldithiocarbamato-S,S′)zinc(II)

Two new zinc and dithiocarbamate integrated metal complexes such as bis(N-cyclopropyl-N-4-methoxybenzyldithiocarbamato-S,S′)zinc(II) (1) and (2,2′-bipyridine)bis(N-cyclopropyl-N-4-methoxybenzyldithiocarbamato-S,S′)zinc(II) (2) have been synthesized and their spectral investigations viz., FT-IR, ¹H and ¹³C NMR as well as single crystal X-ray diffraction studies have been accomplished. Single crystal X-ray analysis of the complex 1 reveals the presence of distorted trigonal bipyramidal and tetrahedral coordination geometry around the zinc. The dithiocarbamate motif acts as bidentate chelating and bidentate bridging ligands between the zinc ions furnishing centrosymmetric dimeric molecules. In the complex 2, the zinc is in a distorted octahedral environment with a ZnS₄N₂ chromophore. The supramolecular frameworks in the complexes 1 and 2 have been sustained by CH?S, CH?O and CH?π (ZnCS₂, and chelate) interactions. Computational studies on complexes 1 and 2 have been executed utilizing DFT-B3LYP/ LANL2DZ method. In both the cases, the HOMO-LUMO calculations imply the occurrence of effective charge transfer within the molecule. Further, the MEP analysis of 1 and 2 implies the negative potential sites are sulfur of NCS₂ and oxygen of OCH₃ and the positive potential sites are nitrogen of NCS₂ in both the complexes along with 2,2′-bipyridine for complex 2. The former sites are susceptible for electrophilic reactions while the latter for nucleophilic reactions.