Application of a New Cyclic Guanidinium Ionic Liquid on Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells (DSCs)

A new cyclic guanidinium ionic liquid OGI (1,3-dimethyl-2-N ''-methyl-N ''-octylimidazoguanidinium iodide) has been used as a quasi-solid-state electrolyte for dye-sensitized solar cells (DSCs), and 6.38% conversion efficiency was achieved at AM 1.5 simulated sunlight (9.81 mW cm(-2)). Further gelation with SiO2 nanoparticles afforded the solid-state electrolyte, which presented overall conversion efficiency of 5.85%. The diffusion properties of these OGI-based electrolytes were investigated. In the meantime, the optimal structure and ion-pairing interaction in OGI have been proposed by density functional theoretical calculation (DFT) at the B3LYP/6-21G(d,p) level.

Influence of metal particle size on the hydrogenation of maleic anhydride over Pd/C catalysts in scCO(2)

Hydrogenation of maleic anhydride (MAH) with Pd/C catalysts in supercritical carbon dioxide (scCO(2)) was investigated. The selectivity for gamma-butyrolactone (GBL) reached 97.3% in scCO(2) at 100% conversion of MAH, which was notably higher than that of 77.4% obtained in organic solvent of ethylene glycol dimethyl ether (EGDME). The particle size of Pd exhibited large influence on the reaction rate and selectivity of GBL. Higher selectivity of GBL was obtained with Pd/C catalyst of smaller Pd particle size, and the rate of GBL selectivity increase as a function of CO2 pressure was found to be significantly correlated with Pd particle size.

A high-performance tandem white organic light-emitting diode combining highly effective white-units and their interconnection layer

By utilizing 2,9-dimethyl-4,7-diphenyl-1,10-phenanthroline:Li/MoO3 as an effective charge generation layer (CGL), we extend our recently demonstrated single-emitting-layer white organic light-emitting diode (WOLED) to realize an extremely high-efficiency tandem WOLED. This stacked device achieves maximum forward viewing current efficiency of 110.9 cd/A and external quantum efficiency of 43.3% at 1 mu A/cm(2) and emits stable white light with Commission Internationale de L'Eclairage coordinates of (0.34, 0.41) at 16 V. It is noted that the combination of effective single units and CGL is key prerequisite for realizing high-performance tandem WOLEDs.

SYNTHESIS AND CHARACTERIZATION OF HYPERBRANCHED VINYL POLYMERS FROM RAFT POLYMERIZATION OF AN ASYMMETRIC DIVINYL MONOMER

Hyperbranched vinyl polymers were prepared by reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer ( RAFT) polymerization of a styrenic asymmetric divinyl monomer. This was achieved by using cumyl dithiobenzoate or S-dodecyl-S'-(alpha,alpha'-dimethyl-alpha ''-acetic acid) trithiocarbonate as the chain transfer agent, 1,1'-azobis(cyclohexanecarbonitrile) or thermal initiation as a source of radicals. Cross-linking was inhibited by a rapid RAFT-based equilibrium between active propagation chains and dormant species, and thus a hyperbranched polymer with a monomer conversion as high as 80% was obtained. The hyperbranched structure and properties of the resultant polymers were characterized by a combination of H-1-NMR spectroscopy and a triple detection size exclusion chromatography (TRI-SEC). The hyperbranched vinyl polymer has a broad molecular weight distributions and a low Mark-Houwink exponent alpha value compared with the linear counterpart.

Polymerization of rac-lactide using schiff base aluminum catalysts: Structure, activity, and stereoselectivity

A series of aluminum ethyls and isopropoxides based upon N,N,O,O-tetradentate Schiff base ligand framework have been prepared. X-ray diffraction analysis and H-1 NMR confirmed that these Schiff base aluminum ethyls and isopropoxides were all monomeric species with a five-coordinated central aluminum in their solid structures. Compared to the aluminum ethyls which all retain their monomeric structure in the solution, the dinucleating phenomenons of aluminum isopropoxides with less steric hindered substituents in the solution have also been observed. The activities and stereoselectivities of these complexes toward the ring-opening polymerization of rac-lactide have been investigated. Polymerization experiments indicated that (SB-2d)(AlOPr)-Pr-i [(SB-2d) = 2,2-dimethyl-1,3-propylenebis(3,5-di-tert-butylsalicylideneiminato)] exhibited the highest stereoselectivity and (SB-3b)(AlOPr)-Pr-i [(SB-3b) = 2,2-dimethyl-1,3-propylenebis(3,5-dichlorinesalicylideneiminato)] possessed the highest activity among these aluminum isopropoxides. The substituents and the mode of the bridging part between the two nitrogen atoms both exerted significant influences upon the progress of the polymerizations, influencing either the tacticity of isolated polymers or the rate of polymerization.

Luminescent supramolecular polymers: Cd2+-directed polymerization and properties

A family of supramolecular polymers was prepared via Cd2+-directed self-assembly polymerization of his (2,2':6',2 ''-terpyridine)-based ligand monomers, using oligofluorenes and triphenylamine as bridges under mild conditions. The polymers were fully characterized using thermogravimetric analysis, inherent viscosity, electrochemical measurements, UV-visible spectroscopy, photoluminescence (PL) and electroluminescence (EL). Polymers with oligofluorenes as spacers exhibited blue emission (434-442 nm) in dimethyl acetamide (DMAc) solution, while polymers with triphenylamine as spacer presented an emission peak at 494 nn in DMAc solution. Complexation polymerization of bis(2,2':6',2 ''-terpyridine)-based ligand monomers with cadmium(II) improved fluorescence quantum yields dramatically, and the film PL quantum yields of these polymers were about 0.38-0.54. Single-layer light-emitting diodes were fabricated with the configuration indium tin oxide (ITO)/polymer/Ca/Al; the EL showed green emission and the onset voltages of the devices were 8-11 V.

A facile synthetic method for biphenyltetracarhoxylic dianhydrides

We report a facile and high-yielding procedure for preparing biphenyltetracarboxylic dianhydrides (BPDAs). This method relies on a nickel-catalyzed electroreductive coupling reaction of dimethyl 3-chorophthalate (3-DMCP) and/or dimethyl 4-chorophthalate (4-DMCP) with subsequent hydrolysis of tetra-ester and dehydration of tetra-acid.

Copolymers derived from bismaleimide oligomer with active solvent

An oligomer from 4, 4'-bis(maleimido)diphenyl methane and methylenedianiline were dissolved in active solvent N,N-dimethyl acrylamide in a solid content up to 50-70%; the solution was poured in a sheet-shaped module and irradiated b y Co-60 with the dose from 20 to 350 kGy at room temperature. The polymerized sheet was postcured at 180degreesC to obtain a transparent red-orange sheet with tensile strength above 100 MPa. The glass transition temperature before and after postcuring was around 100degreesC and 150-180degreesC, respectively. Styrene was used along with DMAA to decrease the water absorption for the copolymers.

Syntheses and properties of soluble biphenyl-based polyimides from asymmetric bis(chlorophthalimide)s

A novel synthesis of asymmetric bis(chlorophthalimide)s (3,4-BCPIs) has been established. The polymerizations of them produced higher molecular weight (0.38-0.51 dL/g) polyimides containing biphenyl units than those of isomeric polymers derived from symmetric bis(chlorophthalimide)s (4,4'-BCPIs) and 3,3'-BCPIs. The distribution of the formed biphenyl units of head to tail, head to head, and tail to tail in the chain of the polymers was about 58.0:21.0:21.0, determined by C-13 NMR spectra of the polymers. The composition of model compounds, determined by HPLC, was well consistent with the 13C NMR spectrum result. Comparing with polymers derived from 4,4'-BCPIs and 3,3'-BCPIs, the polymers derived from 3,4-BCPIs showed better solubilities in N,N-dimethylacetamide (DMAc), N,N-dimethyl-formamide (DMF), and N-methylpyrrolinone (NMP). Flexible films could be cast from the polymer solution with the inherent viscosities of above 0.35 dL/g. The polymer derived from asymmetric bis(chlorophthimide)s gave the highest T-g among the isomeric polymers.

Amplified spontaneous emission and gain from optically pumped films of dye-doped polymers

The amplified spontaneous emission and gain characteristics of various fluorescent dyes, 2-(1,1-dimethylethyl)-6(2-(2,3,6,7-tetrahydro-1,1,7,7-tetramethyl-1H,5H-benzo[ij] quinolizin-9-1)ethenyl)-4H-pyran-4-ylidene) propanedinitrile (DCJTB) and 4-dicyanomethylene-2-methyl-6-(p-dimethyl-aminostyryl)-4H-pyran (DCM), doped in polystyrene (PS) matrices were studied and compared. It was found that DCJTB has a larger net gain, 40.72 cm(-1), a lower loss, 2.49 cm(-1), and a lower threshold, 0.16 (mJ/pulse)/cm(2), than DCM, which has a net gain of 11.95 cm(-1), a loss of 9.25 cm(-1), and a threshold of 4(mJ/pulse)/cm(2). The improvement of performance in DCJTB PS films is attributed to the larger free volume of DCJTB caused by the introduction of steric spacer groups into the DCJTB molecule.

Stable ordered mesoporous silica materials templated by high-temperature stable surfactant micelle in alkaline media

Ordered hexagonal mesoporous silica material (JLU-30) has been successfully synthesized in alkaline media at high temperature (> 160 degreesC, using cationic (1,3-dimethyl-2-imidazolidin-2-ylidene)hexadecylmethyl-ammonium bromide (DIHAB) as a template, and characterized with X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), nitrogen adsorption-desorption isotherms, differential thermal analysis (DTA), and thermogravimetric analysis (TG), as well as Al-27 and Si-29 nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. Mesoporous JLU-30 shows much higher hydrothermal stability than MCM-41. Si-29 NMR spectra indicate that the pore walls of JLU-30 samples synthesized at high temperature (160 degreesC) are fully condensed, giving a Q(4)/Q(3) ratio as high as 6.2. In contrast, MCM-41 synthesized at relatively low temperature (100 degreesC) shows the Q(4)/Q(3) + Q(2) ratio at 1.1. Such unique structural feature might be responsible for the observed highly hydrothermal stability of the mesoporous silica materials (JLU-30).

Stereoselective polymerization of rac-lactide with a bulky aluminum/Schiff base complex

An aluminum/Schiff base complex {[2,2-dimethyl-1,3-propylenebis(3,5-di-tert-butylsalicylideneiminato)](isopropanolato)aluminum(III) (2)} based on a bulky ligand and aluminum isopropoxide was prepared and employed for the stereoselective ring-opening polymerization (ROP) of rac-lactide (rac-LA). The initiator was characterized with nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), crystal structure measurements, and elemental analysis. It contained a five-coordinate aluminum atom that was trigonal bipyramidal in the solid state according to the crystal structure measurements. The two conformational stereoisomers of 2 exchanged quickly on the NMR scale. Compound 2 polymerized rac-LA into a crystalline polymer that was characterized with H-1 NMR, wide-angle X-ray diffraction, electrospray ionization mass spectrometry, and gel permeation chromatography. The kinetics of the polymerization were first-order in both the monomer and initiator, and there was a linear relationship between the rac-LA conversion and the number-average molecular weight of poly(rac-LA) with a narrow molecular distribution (1.04-1.08). These features showed that the polymerization was well controlled. The high melting temperature (196-201 degreesC) and isotacticity of poly(rac-LA) indicated that complex 2 was a highly stereoselective initiator for the ROP of rac-LA.

Thermal and crystalline properties of random copolymer of CL and DTC prepared by La(OAr)(3)

Thermal and crystalline properties of random copolymer of epsilon-caprolactone (CL) and 2,2-dimethyl trimethylene carbonate (DTC) prepared by lanthanum tris(2,6-di-tert-butyl-4-methylphenolate) (La(OAr)(3)) have been investigated by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), thermogravimetric analysis (TG) and wide-angle X-ray diffraction (WAXD). Fox equation interprets the relationship between glass transition temperature (T-g) and copolymer compositions. T-g decreases from PDTC (16.7degreesC) to PCL (-65.1degreesC), reflecting the internal plasticizing effect of CL units on DTC units in the copolymers. The introduction of CL units to PDTC can effectively improve its heat resistance. Small amount of DTC (5% molar) in PCL chain improves the mechanical properties of the polymer, which had elongation of 1000, much higher than that of PCL (8.8).

Synthesis of novel maleimide-terminated thioetherimide oligomer and its bulk copolymerization with reactive solvents

This paper reports the synthesis of a novel maleimide-terminated thioetherimide oligomer and its copolymefization with reactive solvents bearing vinyl. Starting from 3-chlorophthalic anhydride and 4-chlorophthalic anhydride, 2,2',3,3'-thiodiphenyl tertracaboxylic dianhydride (3,3'-TDPA) and 3,3',4,4'-thiodiphenyl tertracaboxylic dianhydride (4,4'-TDPA) were synthesized. Thereby, a novel maleimide-terminated thioetherimide oligomer was prepared from. 3,3-TDPA, 4,4'-TDPA, 3,3'-dimethyl-4,4-diaminodiphenylmethane (DMMDA) and maleic anhydride. Binary and ternary copolymer resin were derived from corresponding binary and ternary homogeous solution consisting of thioetherimide oligomer, reactive solvent N-vinylpyrrolidone (NVP) or N,N'-dimethylacrylamide (DMAA) and divinylbenzene (DVB) as modifier, initiated either by gamma ray irradiation or by benzoyl peroxide (BPO). Thermal and mechanical properties of copolymer resin are determined and compared in terms of the kind of reactive solvent, addition of modifier DVB. The effect of initiation approach on property of final copolymer resin were studied. Phase separation and sub-transition of ternary copolymer resin induced by BPO are observed, which could be accounted for by thermal movement of DMAA molecules during thermal initiation.