Micropatterning of metal films coated on polymer surfaces with epoxy mold and its application to organic field effect transistor fabrication

In this letter, a simple and versatile approach to micropatterning a metal film, which is evaporated on a Si substrate coated with polymer, is demonstrated by the use of a prepatterned epoxy mold. The polymer interlayer between the metal and the Si substrate is found important for the high quality pattern. When the metal-polymer-Si sandwich structure is heated with the temperature below T-m but above T-g of the polymer, the plastic deformation of the polymer film occurs under sufficiently high pressure applied. It causes the metal to crack locally or weaken along the pattern edges. Further heating while applying a lower pressure results in the formation of an intimate junction between the epoxy stamp and the metal film. Under these conditions the epoxy cures further, ensuring adhesion between the stamp and the film. The lift-off process works because the adhesion between the epoxy and the metal film is stronger than that between the metal film and the polymer. A polymer field effect transistor is fabricated in order to demonstrate potential applications of this micropatterning approach.

High-efficiency spin-coated organic light-emitting diodes based on a europium complex

An organic light-emitting diode fabricated by doping a europium, complex tris(dibiphenoylmethane)-mono (phenanthroline)-europium (Eu(DBPM)(3) (Phen)) into polymer poly(2-methoxy-5-(2-ethyl-hexyloxy)-1,4-phenylene) and poly(N-carbazole) was realized by spin coating. Comparison with other europium complexes, due to the existence of a larger spectral overlap between Eu(DBPM)(3)(Phen) and poly(2-methoxy-5-(2-ethyl-hexyloxy)-1,4phenylene), a high efficiency red emission was achieved. The device showed a turn-on voltage of 5.2 V The maximum efficiency reached 0.47 cd/A at luminance of 50 cd/m(2). The maximum luminance can reach 150 cd/m(2) at 95 mA/cm(2). To the best of our knowledge, this is one of the best results based on europium complexes by spin-casting method.

Toluidine blue modified self-assembled silica gel coated gold electrode as biosensor for NADH

A toluidine blue modified gold electrode was constructed using self-assembled silica gel technique. Firstly, toluidine blue was encapsulated within 3D network of silica self-assembly monolayer on the surface of gold electrode. Secondly, another layer of silica sol was further assembled to protect from leaching of mediator or possible contamination. The electrochemical characteristics of toluidine blue immobilized within self-assembled silica gel were studied in detail. The modified electrode was applied for electrochemical oxidation of NADH with satisfactory results.

Characterization of Y2O3 : Eu coated with polystyrene

The core-shell Y2O3:Eu3+/polystyrene particles was prepared by surface modification with citric acid and emulsion polymerization method of styrene. The DTA curve of coated particles exhibits a small and wide exothermic peak of organic compound around 387 degreesC. The carbonyl stretching vibration band was shifted to low wavenumber in FTIR spectrum and the binding energy of Y3d5/2 was shifted to high-energy band in XPS spectrum. The results of FTIR and XPS show that citric acid was coupled to the particles surface. The hydrophilic surface became amphiphilic by modification of citric acid. So styrene could adsorb on particles surface to form emulsion structure which inorganic core was inside. EDS spectra show that Y2O3:Eu3+ particles were coated uniformly with polystyrene.

Gold-coated iron (Fe@Au) nanoparticles: Synthesis, characterization, and magnetic field-induced self-assembly

A unique reverse micelle method has been developed to prepare gold-coated iron (Fe@Au) nanoparticles. XRD, UV/vis, TEM, and magnetic measurements are utilized to characterize the nanocomposites. XRD only gives FCC patterns of gold for the obtained nanoparticles. The absorption band of the Fe@Au colloid shifts to a longer wavelength and broadens relative to that of the pure gold colloid. TEM results show that the average size of Fe@Au nanoparticles is about 10 nm, These nanoparticles are self-assembled into chains on micron scale under a 0.5 T magnetic field. Magnetic measurements show that the particles are superparamagnetic with a blocking temperature (T-B) of 42 K, At 300 K (above T-B), no coercivity (Hc) and remanence (M-r) is observed in the magnetization curve, while at 2K (below T-B) He and M, are observed to be 728 Oe and 4.12 emu/g, respectively, (C) 2001 Academic Press.

In-situ FTIR spectroelectrochemical investigation of cobalt(II)-cyanoferrate polymeric film coated on a glassy carbon electrode

Cobalt(II)-cyanoferrate polymeric film has been electrochemically deposited on a glassy carbon electrode and investigated by cyclic voltammetry and in-situ reflection FTIR spectroscopy. A reorientation of the terminal C=N groups upon redox reactions was proposed. The stretching vibration mode of the terminal C=N groups associated with Fe(III) was observed at 2122 cm(-1), however, the stretching vibration mode for terminal groups associated with Fe(II) did not appear. This process could result in a switch between lattice-closed and lattice-opened surface structure. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science B.V.

In situ external reflection FTIR spectroelectrochemical investigation of poly(o-phenylenediamine) film coated on a platinum electrode

The electrochemically deposited poly(o-phenylenediamine) film on a Pt electrode has been investigated utilizing in situ external reflection FTIR spectroelectrochemistry technique. The prepared ladder polymer film is found to be partially ring-opened. The dopant ClO4- is evidenced to orient in such a way that more than one oxygen atom attach to the charge sites of the polymer. This suggests that positive charges of oxidized polymer are partially delocalized over the whole chains. The proton movement observed during the oxidation reaction is associated with the solvated MeCN molecule. It is proposed that the proton diffusion, dissolvation and protonation of the film may be essential to the electrochemical reduction reaction of the film. Copyright (C) 1996 Elsevier Science Ltd.

The electrochemical behavior of Eastman AQ/meldola blue-coated microelectrodes

Eastman-AQ 55D was coated onto a carbon fiber microelectrode surface, and the resulting modified electrodes exhibited high stability. Substantial improvement in the stability was observed as a result of good adhesion and the strong binding of large hydrophobic cations of Eastman AQ 55D. The electrode reaction of meldola blue bound in the polymer film showed a reversible, one-electron transfer process. The effects of solution pH and influence of supporting electrolyte on the modified carbon fiber microelectrode are discussed. The diffusion coefficient of meldola blue in the AQ polymer film determined by chronoamperometry is 2.3 x 10(-18) cm(2) s(-1), and the heterogeneous rate constant of meldola blue at the AQ polymer film/electrode determined by normal pulse voltammetry is 3.97 x 10(-3) cms(-1).

HIGHLY SENSITIVE AND SELECTIVE DETERMINATION OF RIBOFLAVIN BY FLOW-INJECTION ANALYSIS USING PARALLEL DUAL-CYLINDER MICROELECTRODES

A novel wall-jet cell with parallel dual cylinder (PDC) microelectrodes was constructed and used for flow injection analysis (FLA). The detector takes the advantages of ''redox recycling'' between bipotentiostated microcylinder electrodes (- 0.4 V/SCE an

FABRICATION OF STM TIPS WITH CONTROLLED GEOMETRY BY ELECTROCHEMICAL ETCHING AND ECSTM TIPS COATED WITH PARAFFIN

We have presented two simple methods of ''unfixed-position shield'' and ''pulling out'' for making sharp STM Pt-Ir tips with low aspect ratio by electrochemical etching in KCN/NaOH aqueous solution and ECSTM tips coated with paraffin. By limiting the elec

DETERMINATION OF CATECHOL DERIVATIVES ON PRETREATMENT AND COPOLYMER COATED GLASSY-CARBON ELECTRODE

A glassy carbon electrode was pretreated electrochemically and was coated with a copolymer of maleic acid anhydride attached with Eastman-AQ55D (MA/AQ). The voltammetric behavior of a series of biologically important compounds, such as dopamine, L-DOPA, D

MEASUREMENT OF CATALYTIC ACTIVITY VARIATION FOR H2O2 OXIDATION AT A COBALT PORPHYRIN COATED ELECTRODE

A rapid rotation-scan method was used for the electrocatalytic oxidation of H2O2 at a cobalt protoporphyrin modified pyrolytic graphite electrode (CoPP/PG). The rate constant of H2O2 oxidation at the CoPP/PG electrode at different potentials and in different pH solutions was measured. The variation of catalytic activity with reaction charges (Q) passed through the electrode was analyzed. This provided a convenient electrochemical method to study the passivation and poisoning of catalytic sites with time.

THIN-LAYER ELECTROCHEMICAL DETECTOR COATED WITH NAFION FILM

Electrochemical detection of the flow system has attracted considerable interest in recent years due to its high sensitivity and selectivity towards electroactive compounds. However, the improvement of sensitivity and selectivity is still a desire for practical application. In this note, a thin-layer electrochemical detector of the

Effective AC response of nonlinear spherical coated composites

Under alternating current electric field, effective response of granular nonlinear composites with spherical coated inclusions is investigated in the dilute limit by using the perturbation approach. For an external sinusoidal applied field with finite frequency omega, the local fields and potentials of composites in general consist of components at all harmonics for cubic nonlinear constitutive relationships. We derive the local potentials of spherical coated composites at harmonics. Moreover, we give the formulae of the nonlinear effective AC susceptibility at the third harmonic frequency.

A theory of nonlinear AC response in coated composites

A method for determining effective dielectric responses of Kerr-like coated nonlinear composites under the alternating current (AC) electric field is proposed by using perturbation approach. As an example, we have investigated the composite with coated cylindrical inclusions randomly embedded in a host under an external sinusoidal field with finite frequency omega. The local field and potential of composites in general consists of components with all harmonic frequencies. The effective nonlinear AC responses at all harmonics are induced by the coated nonlinear composites because of the nonlinear constitutive relation. Moreover, we have derived the formulae of effective nonlinear AC responses at the fundamental frequency and the third harmonic in the dilute limit.