Length dependence of electron conduction for oligo(1,4-phenylene ethynylene)s: A conductive probe-atomic force microscopy investigation

The dependence of electron conduction of oligo(1,4-phenylene ethynylene)s (OPEs) on length, terminal group, and main chain structure was examined by conductive probe-atomic force microscopy (CP-AFM) via a metal substrate-molecular wire monolayer-conductive probe junction. The electron transport in the molecular junction was a highest occupied molecule orbital (HOMO)-mediated process following a coherent, non-resonant tunneling mechanism represented by the Simmons equation.

Novel Sulfonated Polyimide Ionomers by Incorporating Pyridine Functional Group in the Polymer Backbone

A series of sulfonated polyimides (SPIs) containing pyridine ring in the polymer backbone were synthesized by the polycondensation of 1,4,5,8-naphthalene-tetracarboxylic dianhydride (NTDA), 5-(2,6-bis(4-arninophenyl)pyridin-4-yl)-2-methoxy benzene sulfonic acid (SDAM), and 4,4'-diaminodiphenyl ether (ODA). Flexible, transparent, and tough membranes were obtained. Property study revealed that all the membranes displayed high thermal stability with the desulfonation and decomposition temperature higher than 290 and 540 degrees C, respectively, as well as good mechanical property with Young's modulus larger than 1.0 GPa, maximum strength (MS) on a scale of 60-80 MPa, and elongation at break (EB) ranged from 41.79 to 75.17%.

Two Mn(2)(II)Ln(4)(III) (Ln = Gd, Eu) hexanuclear compounds of p-tert-butylsulfinylcalix[4]arene

Two 3d-4f heterometallic compounds of p-tert-butylsulfinylcalix[4] arene were synthesized by the solvothermal method and characterized by some hinged double-dumbbell-like subunits in which two perpendicular dumbbell entities were constructed by an in-between isosceles triangle Mn(II)Ln(2)(III), and two tail-to-tail calixarene molecules, and hinged by the lanthanide-sulfinyl group bonding. The magnetic properties of the title compounds were examined.

The synthesis and properties of meso-tetra(4-alkylamidophenyl)porphyrin liquid crystals and their Zn complexes

A series of novel, long-chain-substituted, porphyrin derivatives, meso-tetra (4-alkylamidophenyl) porphyrin ligands and their Zn complexes (alkyl = 8,10,12,14,16,18) were prepared by acylation of the amino groups of 5,10,15,20-tetra(4-aminophenyl)porphyrin by alkyl chloride. Mesomorphism was investigated by DSC, polarized optical microscopy (POM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). Only ligands containing chains > 12 carbon atoms displayed liquid crystalline behaviour, which exhibited a high phase transition temperature and a broad mesophase temperature span, Zn complexes showed no liquid crystalline behaviour. Cyclic voltammetry, luminescence spectra and surface photovoltage spectroscopy revealed that covalent linking of an alkylamido group to the tetraphenylporphyrin molecule influences, significantly, the properties of the porphyrin macrocycle.

Why [6,6]- and 1,2-Benzal-3-N-4-O-Cyclic Phenylimidate C-60 Undergo Electrochemically Induced Retro-Addition Reactions while 1,4-Dibenzyl-2,3-Cyclic Phenylimidate C-60 Does Not? C-H center dot center dot center dot X (X = N, O) Intramolecular Interactions in Organofullerenes

The electrochemical properties of a series of structurally related fullerooxazoles, [6,6] cyclic phenylimidate C-60 (1), 1,2-benzal-3-N-4-O-cyclic phenylimidate C-60 (2), and 1,4-dibenzyl-2,3-cyclic phenylimidate C-60 (3), are described, and the spectroscopic characterizations of their anionic species are reported. The results show that compounds I and 2 undergo retro-cycloaddition reactions that lead to the formation of C-60 and C61HPh, respectively, upon two-electron-transfer reduction. However, compound 3 demonstrates much more electrochemical stability as no retro-cycloaddition reaction occurs under similar conditions. Natural bond orbital (NBO) calculations on charge distribution show there is no significant difference among the dianions of 1, 2, and 3, indicating that the electrochemical stability of 3 is unlikely to be caused by the charge distribution difference of the dianions of three compounds. Examination on the crystal structure of compound 3 reveals close contacts of the C-H group with the heteroatoms (N and O) of cyclic phenylimidate, suggesting the existence of C-H center dot center dot center dot X (X = N, O) intramolecular hydrogen bonding among the addends, which is further confirmed by NBO analysis.

Luminescence properties of Y0.9-xGdxEu0.1Al3(BO3)(4) (0 <= x <= 0.9) phosphors prepared by spray pyrolysis process

Starting from metal nitrate aqueous solutions and H3BO3, Y0.9-xGdxEu0.1Al3(BO3)(4) (0 <= x <= 0.9) phosphors were synthesized by spray pyrolysis followed by annealing at high temperature. The obtained phosphor particles have spherical morphology with size in the range 0.5-2 mu m. Independent of the x values in Y0.9-xGdxEu0.1Al3(BO3)(4) (0 <= x <= 0.9) phosphors, the Eu3+ ion shows its characteristic D-5(0), (1)-F-7(J) (J = 0, 1, 2, 3, 4) transitions with D-5(0)-F-7(2) red emission (612 nm) as the most prominent group. The photoluminescence intensity of phosphors increases with the increase of x value in Y0.9-xGdxEu0.1Al3(BO3)(4) (0 <= x <= 0.9) due to an energy migration process like Gd3+-(Gd3+)(n)-Eu3+ that occurred in the host materials.

Solvent effects on spectrophotometric titrations and vibrational spectroscopy of 5,10,15-triphenyl-20-(4-hydroxyphenyl)porphyrin in aqueoius DMF

The spectrophotometric titration by sodium hydroxide of 5,10,15-triphenyl-20-(4-hydroxyphenyl)porphyrin ((OH)(1)PH2) is studied as a function of solvent composition of DMF-H2O binary solvent mixture ([OH-] = 0.04 M). Combining the structure changes of the porphyrin and the "four orbital" model of Gouterman, many features of the optical spectra of this deprotonated para-hydroxy-substituted tetraphenylporphyrin in different composition of binary solvent mixtures can be rationalized. In highly aqueous solvents, the changes of the titration curves are shown to be mainly due to hydrogen-bonding of the oxygen of the phenoxide anion group by the hydroxylic solvent, Which decreases the energy of the phenoxide anion pi orbital. Thus the phenoxide anion pi orbital cannot cross over the porphyrin Tr orbital being a different HOMO. However, its energy is close to that of the porphyrin pi orbitals. As a result, in the visible region, no charge-transfer band is observed, while in the visible-near region, the Soret peak split into two components. In nonaqueous solvents, the changes are mainly attributed to further deprotonation of pyrrolic-Hs of (OH) 1PH2 by NaOH and coordination with two sodium ions to form the sodium complex of (OH) 1PH2, which turns hyperporphyrin spectra of deprotonated of phenolic-H of (OH)(1)PH2 into three-banded spectra of regular metalloporphyrin.

Tris(2,2 '-bipyridyl)ruthenium(II) electrochemiluminescent detection of coreactants containing aromatic diol group by the interaction between diol and borate anion

Previous studies show that aromatic diols inhibited Ru(bpy)(3)(2+) electrochemiluminescence (ECL), and all reported Ru(bpy)(3)(2+) ECL methods for the determination of aromatic diols-containing coreactants are based on inhibition of Ru(bpy)(3)(2+)/tripropylamine ECL. In this study, the interaction between diol and borate anion was exploited for Ru(bpy)(3)(2+) ECL detection of coreactants containing aromatic diol group using epinephrine as a model analyte. The interaction prevented from the inhibition of Ru(bpy)(3)(2+) ECL by aromatic diol group of epinephrine. As a result, epinephrine was successfully detected in the absence of tripropylamine simply by using borate buffer solution as the supporting electrolyte. Under the optimum conditions, the log of the ECL intensity increases linearly with the log of epinephrine concentrations over the concentration range of 1.0x10(-9)-1.0x10(-4) M. The detection limit is 5.0x10(-10) M at a signal-to-noise ratio of three. The proposed method exhibit wider dynamic range and better detection limit than that by inhibited Ru(bpy)(3)(2+) ECL method. The relative standard deviation for 14 consecutive determinations of 5 mu M epinephrine was 3.5%. The strategy by interaction with borate anion or boronate derivatives is promising for the determination of coreactants containing aromatic diol group or aromatic hydroxyl acid group. Such interaction can also be used to avoid interference from aromatic diols or aromatic hydroxyl acids.

Supramolecular architectures, photophysics, and electroluminescence of 1,3,4-oxadiazole-based iridium(III) complexes: From mu-dichloro bridged dimer to mononuclear complexes

One mu-dichloro bridged diiridium complex and three mononuclear iridium(III) complexes based on the 1,3,4-oxadiazole derivatives as cyclometalated ligands and acetylacetonate (acac) or dithiolates O,O'-diethyldithiophosphate (Et(2)dtp) or N,N'-diethyldithiocarbamate (Et(2)dtc) as ancillary ligands have been synthesized and systematically studied by X-ray diffraction analysis. The results reveal that three mononuclear complexes all adopt distorted octahedral coordination geometry around the iridium center by two chelating ligands with cis-C-C and trans-N-N dispositions, which have the same coordination mode as the diiridium dimer. The dinuclear complex crystallizes in the monoclinic system and space group C2/c, whereas three mononuclear iridium complexes are all triclinic system and space group P(1) over bar. In the stacking structure of the dimer, one-dimensional tape-like chains along the b-axis are formed by hydrogen bondings, which are strengthened by pi stacking interactions between phenyl rings of 1,3,4-oxadiazole ligands. Then these chains assemble a three-dimensional alternating peak and valley fused wave-shape structure. In each stacking structure of three mononuclear complexes, two molecules form a dimer by the C-H center dot center dot center dot O hydrogen bondings, and these dimers are connected by pi stacking interactions along the b-axis, constructing a zigzag chain.

Crystal structures of EtEDTB center dot 1.4C(2)H(5)OH center dot 5H(2)O and H4EtEDTB(ClO4)(4)center dot C2H5OH (EtEDTB=N, N, N ', N '-tetrakis[2-(1-ethylbenzimidazolyl)methyl]-1,2-ethanediamine)

The crystal structures of EtEDTB.1.4C(2)H(5)OH.5H(2)O 1 and H4EtEDTB(ClO4)(4).C2H5OH 2 (EtEDTB = N, N,N',N'-tetrakis[2-(1-ethylbenzimidazolyl)methyl]-1,2-ethanediamine) have been determined by single-crystal X-ray diffraction method. Compound 1 crystallizes in the space group P(1) over bar with a = 11.489(2), b = 11.866(3), c = 12.002(3) Angstrom, alpha = 97.47(2), beta = 114.564(13), gamma = 114.11(2)degrees, V = 1266.6(5) Angstrom(3), Z = 1, M-r = 847.48, D-c = 1.111 g/cm(3), F(000) = 456 and mu(MoKalpha) = 0.076 mm(-1). A total of 5207 reflections were measured for 1, of which 4323 were independent. The structure of 1 was solved by direct methods and refined by full-matrix least-squares technique to the final R = 0.0706 and wR = 0.1802 for 1318 observed reflections with I > 2sigma(I). In the structure of 1, centrosymmetric EtEDTB molecules are linked by hydrogen bonds through water and ethanol to form 2-dimensional network. Compound 2 crystallizes in the space group C2/c with a = 24.260(5), b = 13.040(3), c = 17.680(4) Angstrom, beta = 97.50(3)degrees, V = 5545.2(2) Angstrom(3), Z = 4, M-r = 1140.80, D-c = 1.366 g/cm(3), F(000) = 2384 and mu(MoKalpha) = 0.289 mm(-1).

Synthesis, crystal structure, and thermal property of a novel supramolecular assembly: (NH42810424)(CHNO) O-[H(V)O(]2H)4(10)28(2), constructed from decavanadate and caffeine

A novel 3D supramolecular assembly constructed from decavanadate and caffeine building blocks, (NH4)(2)(C8H10N4O2)(4)[H4V10O28].2H(2)O (1), has been synthesized in aqueous solution and characterized by elemental analysis, IR, H-1 NMR, V-51 NMR, TG-DTA, and single crystal X-Ray diffraction. The compound 1 crystallizes in monoclinic system, space group P2(1)/n, a = 15.801(1) Angstrom, b = 12.914(1) Angstrom, c = 15.913(2) Angstrom, beta = 113.55degrees, V = 2976.4 (5) Angstrom(3), Z = 2, R = 0.0498 with 6818 reflections. Water molecules, ammonium ions, and caffeine act as "cement" linking the polyanions into 1D chain along the c-axis by hydrogen bonding. In compound 1, extensive hydrogen-bond contacts and strong pi-pi interactions lead to an ordered 3D supramolecular framework. TG-DTA curves indicate that the weight loss of the complex can be divided into three stages.

Structure and liquid crystalline properties of 5-[(4 '-heptoxy-4-biphenylyl)carbonyloxy]-1-pentyne

The crystal structure and liquid crystalline properties of a biphenyl-containing acetylene, [5-[(4'-heptoxy-4- biphenylyl) carbonyloxy]-1-pentyne (A3EO7) were investigated by electron crystallography, X-ray diffraction, polarizing optical microscopy, differential scanning calorimetry, transmission electron microscopy, and atomic force microscopy. A3EO7 crystals obtained from a toluene solution adopts a monoclinic P112/m space group with unit cell parameters of a = 6.25 Angstrom, b = 7.82 Angstrom, c = 46.70 Angstrom and gamma = 96.7degrees, as determined using electron diffraction. Upon cooling from the isotropic phase, A3EO7 exhibits a smectic A phase in the temperature range 72.4 - 53.6degreesC. Further lowering of the temperature results in the formation of a smectic C phase which exhibits a strong tendency towards crystallization.

Self-immobilized metallocene catalysts bearing an allyl group for ethylene polymerization, X-ray crystal structure of [(CH2=CHCH2)CH3Si(C13H8)(2)]ZrCl2

A series of ansa-metallocene complexes with an allyl substituted silane bridge [(CH =CHCH2)CH3Si(C5H4)(2)]TiCl2 (1), [(CH2=CHCH2)CH3Si(C9H6)(2)]MCl2 [M = Ti (2), Zr (3), Hf (4)] and [(CH2=CHCH2)CH3Si(C13H8)(2)]ZrCl2 (6) have been synthesized and characterized. The molecular structure of 6 has been determined by X-ray crystallographic analysis. Complexes 1-4, 6 bearing allyl groups have been investigated as self-immobilized catalysts for ethylene polymerization in the presence of MMAO. The results showed that the self-immobilized catalysts 1-4, 6 kept high ethylene polymerization activities of ca. 10(6) g PE mol(-1) M h(-1) and high molecular weight (M-w approximate to 10(5)) of polyethylene.

Structure and identity of 4,4 '-thiobisbenzenethiol self-assembled monolayers

Self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) of 4,4'-thiobisbenzenethiol (TBBT) can be formed on Au surface spontaneously. The structural characteristics and adsorption behavior of TBBT SAMs on Au have been investigated by surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS), electrochemical cyclic voltammetry (CV), ac impedance spectroscopy (EIS), and atomic force microscopy (AFM). It is demonstrated that TBBT adsorbed on Au by losing a H atom, forming one Au-S bond, and the other mercapto group is free at the surface of the monolayer owing to the presence of the nu(S-H) at 2513 cm(-1) and the delta(C-S-H) at 910 cm(-1) in SERS. The enhancement of the vibration of C-S (1064 cm(-1)), the aromatic C-H vibration (3044 cm(-1)), and the absence of the vibration of S-S illustrate TBBT adsorbed on Au forming a monolayer with one benzene ring tilted with respect to the Au surface. The interpretation of the observed frequencies is aided by ab initio molecular orbital (MO) calculations at the HF/6-31G* level of theory. Electrochemical CV and EIS indicate TBBT monolayers can passivate the Au effectively for its low ratio of pinhole defects (theta = 99.6%). AFM studies give details about the surface morphology. The applications of TBBT SAMs have been extensively investigated by exposure of Cu2+ ion to TBBT SAMs on Au and covalent adsorption of metal nanoparticles.

Synthesis and properties of soluble polyimides based on isomeric ditrifluoromethyl substituted 1,4-bis(4-aminophenoxy)benzene

A new fluorinated diamine monomer, [1,4-bis(4-amino-3-trifluoromethylphenoxy)benzene (2)], and a known isomeric analog 1,4-bis(4-amino-2-trifluoromethylphenoxy)benzene (3) were synthesized. A series of organosoluble polyimides Ia-d and IIa were prepared from the diamines (2, 3) and dianhydrides (a-d) by a high-temperature one-step method. The effects of the trifluoromethyl substituents on the properties of polyimides were evaluated through the study of their soluble, thermal, optical, and gas permeability properties. Polyimides (Ia-d) had glass transition temperatures between 229 and 279 degrees C, and the temperatures at 5% weight loss ranged from 510 to 533 degrees C under nitrogen. These polyimides could be cast into flexible and tough membranes from DMAc solutions. The membranes had tensile strengths in the range of 137-169 MPa, tensile modulus in the range of 1.6-2.2 GPa and elongations at break from 11% to 14%. The polyimide la with trifluoromethyl groups ortho to the imide nitrogen exhibited enhanced gas permeability, solubility, transparency, and thermal stability compared with the isomeric polyimide IIa with the CF3 group meta to the imide nitrogen.