Chemical synthesis and electric properties of the conducting copolymer of aniline and o‐aminophenol

A copolymer, poly(aniline‐co‐o‐aminophenol), was prepared chemically by using ammonium peroxydisulfate as an oxidant. The monomer concentration ratio of o‐aminophenol to aniline strongly influences the copolymerization rate and properties of the copolymer. The optimum composition of a mixture for the chemical copolymerization consisted of 0.3 M aniline, 0.021 M o‐aminophenol, 0.42 M ammonium peroxydisulfate, and 2 M H₂SO₄. The result of cyclic voltammograms in a potential region of ?0.20 to 0.80 V (vs.SCE) indicates that the electrochemical activity of the copolymer prepared under the optimum condition is similar to that of polyaniline in more acid solutions. However, the copolymer still holds the good electrochemical activity until pH 11.0. Therefore, the pH dependence of the electrochemical property of the copolymer is improved, compared with poly(aniline‐co‐o‐aminophenol) prepared electrochemically, and is much better than that of polyaniline. The spectra of IR and ¹H NMR confirm that o‐aminophenol units are included in the copolymer chain, which play a key role in extending the usable pH region of the copolymer. The visible spectra of the copolymers show that a high concentration ratio of o‐aminophenol to aniline in a mixture inhibits the chain growth. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 45: 5573–5582, 2007     

Effects of alcohols on micellization and on the reaction methyl 4‐nitrobenzenesulfonate + Br− in cetyltrimethylammonium bromide aqueous micellar solutions

The effects of n‐hexanol, n‐pentanol, and n‐butanol on the critical micelle concentration (cmc), on the micellar ionization degree (α), and on the rate of the reaction methyl 4‐nitrobenzenesulfonate + Br^? have been investigated in cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) aqueous solutions. An increase in the alcohol concentration present in the solution produces a decrease in the cmc and an increase in the micellar ionization degree. Kinetic data show that the observed rate constant decreases as alcohol concentration increases. This result was rationalized by considering variations in the equilibrium binding constant of the methyl 4‐nitrobenzenesulfonate molecules to the micelles, variations in the interfacial bromide ion concentration, and variations in the characteristics of the water–alcohol bulk phase provoked by the presence of alcohols. When these operative factors are considered, kinetic data in this and other works show that the second‐order rate constants in the micellar pseudophases of water–alcohol micellar solutions are quite similar to those estimated in the absence of alcohols. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Chem Kinet 36: 634–641, 2004     

Singlewall carbon nanotubes covered with polystyrene nanoparticles by in‐situ miniemulsion polymerization

This work is to make carbon nanotubes dispersible in both water and organic solvents without oxidation and cutting nanotube threads. Polystyrene‐singlewall carbon nanotube (PS‐SWNT) composites were prepared with three different methods: miniemulsion polymerization, conventional emulsion polymerization, and mixing SWNT with PS latex. The two factors, crosslinking and surface coverage of PS are important factors for the mechanical and electrical properties, including dispersion states of SWNT in various solvents. The PS‐SWNT composite prepared via a conventional emulsion polymerization showed SWNT bundles entirely covered with PS, whereas the PS‐SWNT composite prepared via a miniemulsion polymerization showed SWNT partially covered with crosslinked PS nanoparticles. The method of mixing SWNTs with PS latex did not show the well dispersed state of carbon nanotubes because PS was not crosslinked and was dissolved in a solvent, and nanotubes separated from PS precipitated. So the PS nanoparticle‐SWNT composite had lower electrical resistance, and higher mechanical strength than the other composites made by the latter two methods. As the amount of SWNT increases, the bare surface area of SWNT increases and the electrical conductivity increases in the composite made by the miniemulsion polymerization. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 44: 573–584, 2006     

Gold ultra-microelectrode arrays: application to the steady-state voltammetry of hydroxide ion in aqueous solution.

Gold ultra-microelectrode arrays are used to explore the electrochemical oxidation of hydroxide ions and are shown to be analytical useful. Two types of ultra-microelectrode arrays are used; the first consist of 256 individual electrodes of 5 microm in radius, 170 of which are electrochemically active in a cubic arrangement which are separated from their nearest neighbour by a distance of 100 microm. The second array compromises 2597 electrodes of 2.5 microm in radius and of which 1550 of which are electrochemically active in a hexagonal arrangement separated by the nearest neighbour by 55 microm. Well defined voltammetric waves are found with peak currents proportional to the concentration of hydroxide ions in the range 50 microM to 1 mM. Detection limits of 20 microM using the 170 ultra-microelectrode and 10 microM with the 1550 ultra-microelectrode array are shown to be possible but with a higher sensitivity of 4 mA M(-1) observed using the 1550 ultra-microelectrode array compared to 1.2 mA M(-1) with the 170 ultra-microelectrode array.     

Intramolecular "Aryl-metal chelate ring" pi,pi-interactions as structural evidence for metalloaromaticity in (aromatic alpha,alpha'-diimine)-copper(II) chelates: molecular and crystal structure of aqua(1,10-phenanthroline)(2-benzylmalonato)copper(II) three-hydrate

By reaction of Cu(2)CO(3)(OH)(2), 2-benzylmalonic acid (H(2)Bzmal), and 1,10-phenanthroline (phen), [Cu(Bzmal)(phen)(H(2)O)] x 3H(2)O (compound 1) has been obtained and characterized by thermal, spectral, magnetic, and X-ray diffraction methods. The molecular structure of 1 is remarkably similar to that of [Cu(Bzmal)(bipy)(H(2)O)] x 2H(2)O (compound 2, bipy = 2,2'-bipyridine). In both complexes, the aryl(Bzmal) ring produces an unexpected pi,pi-stacking interaction with the Cu(II)-(aromatic alpha,alpha'-diimine) chelate ring, at an average distance d(pi)(-)(pi) of 3.40 A, involving roughly parallel and smoothly slipped rings. This insight is discussed as new structural evidence for metalloaromaticity of Cu(II)-(aromatic alpha,alpha'-diimine) chelate rings. Interestingly, 1 recognizes itself by a weak intermolecular pi,pi-stacking interaction between aryl(Bzmal) ligands to give pairs of complex molecules. In contrast, there is an intermolecular pyridyl-pyridyl pi,pi-stacking interaction also forming pairs of complex molecules in 2.     

Geometrical structure of yttrium and metal-bromine complexes in solution: limitations of extended X-ray absorption fine structure analysis (EXAFS)

An extensive study on the appearance of multi-electron features in the X-ray absorption spectra of several yttrium(III)-based compounds has been performed. The existence of a multi-electron transition of non-negligible intensity within the extended X-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) region of the Y K-edge spectra has been proven. The impact of such features in the EXAFS analysis is made evident for aqueous solutions of YBr3 x 6H2O in liquid and glassy states in the concentration range 0.005-2.0 M, in which this transition induces an overestimation in the coordination numbers derived from EXAFS. We have performed theoretical computation of cross-sections for the double-electron processes at the K-edge of both Y and Br. These computations have been applied to the experimental EXAFS K-edge spectra of both Y and Br in several solids and in aqueous solutions. While in the case of Y K-edge spectra the presence of such multi-electron transitions was seen to seriously affect the standard EXAFS analysis, its influence in the case of Br K-edge spectra was determined to be negligible.     

On-line sorbent extraction, preconcentration and determination of lead by atomic absorption spectrometry

A method for the quantitative preconcentration of lead based on an existing batch process was developed for implementation in a flow system including a flame AAS detector. Lead can be quantitatively preconcentrated as pyrrolidinedithiocarbamate or dithizonate on an activated carbon minicolumn. The chelates are eluted in methyl isobutyl ketone and introduced directly into the nebuliser-burner. An enrichment factor of 50 is typically obtained for a preconcentration time of 2 min (lead can be determined at concentrations between 15 and 400 ng/ml), which results in a throughput of ca. 25 samples per hr. The sensitivity achieved with the two reagents is similar, but the selectivity provided by APDC exceeds that of dithizone. Based on the results obtained in the determination of lead in reference materials (minerals and skim milk), the proposed APDC method is applicable to real samples.     

Novel Poly（thienylene Ethynylene）s with Electron-accepting Groups

Since the early works of A. J. Heeger, A G. MacDiarmid and Hideki Shirakawa on semiconducting polymers, π-conjugated oligomers and polymers have been actively investigated for a variety of optoelectronic applications, such as field effect transitors (FET…     

Qualitative and quantitative sensitivity in flame photometry

Concepts of sensitivity in flame photometry are discussed. A distinction is made between sensitivity itself, concentration limits and dilution limits applied to qualitative and quantitative analysis by flame photometry. Sensitivity values, as well as the concentration limits, are considered from two different aspects: as a function of the slope of calibration curves-percentual values-and as a function of fluctutions-fluctuational values. The concepts are applied to the two main branches of flame photometry, emission and absorption.