Modeling of organic light-emitting diodes with graded concentration in the emissive multilayer

We model the electrical behavior of organic light-emitting diodes whose emissive multilayer is formed by blends of an electron transporting material, tris-(8-hydroxyquinoline) aluminum (Alq(3)) and a hole transporting material, N,N-'-diphenyl-N,N-'-bis(1,1(')-biphenyl)-4,4-diamine. The multilayer is composed of layers of different concentration. The Alq(3) concentration gradually decreases from the cathode to the anode. We demonstrate that these graded devices have higher efficiency and operate at lower applied voltages than devices whose emissive layer is made of nominally homogeneous blends. Our results show an important advantage of graded devices, namely, the low values of the recombination rate distribution near the cathode and the anode, so that electrode quenching is expected to be significantly suppressed in these devices.

Concentration and time dependant behavior of chlorpromazine interaction with supported bilayer lipid membrane

The interaction of chlorpromazine (CPZ) with supported bilaver lipid (dipalmitoyphosphatidylcholine) membrane (s-BLM) on the glassy carbon electrode (GCE) was investigated using cyclic voltammetry and ac impedance spectroscopy. The experimental data, based on the voltammetric response of Ru(NH3)(6)(3+) associated with the oxidation of CPZ on the electrode, indicated that the interaction of CPZ with s-BLM was concentration and time dependant. The interaction between them could be divided into three stages by the concentration of CPZ: low, middle and high concentration. At the first stage, s-BLM was not affected by CPZ and the interaction was only a penetration of a small quantity of CPZ molecule into s-BLM. At the second stage, the defects formed in s-BLM due to the penetration of more CPZ molecule into s-BLM. At the last stage, a high CPZ:lipid ratio reached in s-BLM, resulting in the solubilization of s-BLM. The interaction time had different effect at three stages.

Effect of dye-doped concentration on the charge carrier recombination in molecularly doped organic light-emitting devices

The effect of the concentration of 4-(dicyanomethylene)-2-t-butyl-6(1,1,7,7-tetramethyljulolidyl- 9-enyl)-4H-pyran(DCJTB) as dopant in tris(8-hydroxyquinoline) aluminium (Alq(3)) on the charge carrier recombination was studied by transient electroluminescence (EL). The electron-hole recombination coefficient (gamma) was determined from the long-time component of the temporal decay of the EL intensity after a rectangular voltage pulse was turned off. It was found that the coefficient monotonically decreased with an increase in the DCJTB-doping concentration. The monotonic decrease is attributed to concentration quenching on the excitons and coincided well with the reduction of the EL efficiency.

Solvent and polymer concentration effects on the surface morphology evolution of immiscible polystyrene/poly(methyl methacrylate) blends

The effects of solvent nature on the surface topographies of polystyrene (PS)/poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) blend films spin-coated onto the silicon wafer were investigated. Four different solvents, such as ethylbenzene, toluene, tetrahydrofuran and dichloromethane, were chosen. They are better solvents for PS than that for PMMA. When dichloromethane, tetrahydrofuran and toluene were used, PMMA-rich phase domains protruded from the background of PS. When ethylbenzene was used, PS-rich phase domains elevated on the average height of PMMA-rich phase domains. In addition, continuous pits, networks and isolated droplets consisted of PS formed on the blend film surfaces with the decrease of polymer concentrations. The mechanism of the surface morphology evolution was discussed in detail.

Polymer concentration, shear and stretch field effects on the surface morphology evolution during the spin-coating

Polymer concentration and shear and stretch field effects on the surface morphology evolution of three different kinds of polymers (polystyrene (PS), polybutadiene (PB) and polystyrene-b-polybutadiene-b-polystyrene (SBS)) during the spin-coating were investigated by means of atomic force microscopy (AFM). For PS and SBS, continuous film, net-like structure and particle structure were observed at different concentrations. For PB, net-like structures were not observed and continuous films and radial array of droplets emerged. Moreover, we compared surface morphology transitions on different substrate locations from the center to the edge. For PS, net-like structure, broken net-like structure and irregular array of particles were observed. For SBS, net-like structure, periodically orientated string-like structure and broken-line structure appeared. But for PB, flower-like holes in the continuous film, distorted stream-like structure and irregular distributions of droplets emerged. These different transitions of surface morphologies were discussed in terms of individual material property.

Concentration-dependent behavior of nisin interaction with supported bilayer lipid membrane

Nisin is a positively charged antibacterial peptide that binds to the negatively charged membranes of gram-positive bacteria. The initial interaction of the peptide with the model membrane of negatively charged DPPG (dipalmitoylphosphatidylglycerol) was studied by cyclic voltammetry and a.c. impedance spectroscopy. Nisin could induce pores the supported bilayer lipid membrane, thus, it led to the marker ions Fe(CN)(6)(3-/4-) crossing the lipid membrane and giving the redox reaction on the glassy carbon electrode (GCE). Experimental results suggested that the pore formation on supported bilayer lipid membrane was dependent on the concentration of nisin and it included three main concentration stages: low, middling, high concentration.

Direct electron transfer between hemoglobin and a glassy carbon electrode facilitated by lipid-protected gold nanoparticles

We synthesized a kind of gold nanoparticle protected by a synthetic lipid (didodecyidimethylammonium bromide, DDAB). With the help of these gold nanoparticles, hemoglobin can exhibit a direct electron transfer (DET) reaction. The formal potential locates at -169 mV vs. Ag/AgCl. Spectral data indicated the hemoglobin on the electrode was not denatured. The lipid-protected gold nanoparticles were very stable (for at least 8 months). Their average diameter is 6.42 nm. It is the first time to use monolayer-protected nanoparticles to realize the direct electrochemistry of protein.

Direct electrochemistry of hemoglobin in egg-phosphatidylcholine films and its catalysis to H2O2

Direct electrochemistry of hemoglobin was observed in stable thin film composed of a natural lipid (egg-phosphatidylcholine) and hemoglobin on pyrolytic graphite (PG) electrode. Hemoglobin in lipid films shows thin layer electrochemistry behavior. The formal potential Edegrees' of hemoglobin in the lipid film was linearly varied with pH in the range from 3.5 to 7.0 with a slope of -46.4 mV pH(-1) Hemoglobin in the lipid film exhibited elegant catalytic activity for electrochemical reduction of H202, based which a unmediated biosensor for H2O2 was developed.

Application of 2D Raman correlation spectroscopy to studing the effect of rare-earth Eu3+ on hemoglobin

The effect of rare-earth ion Eu3+ on hemoglobin (Hb) was studied by using two-dimensional Raman correlation spectroscopy. The results show that with the variation of Eu3+ concentrations as perturbation, the oxidation state of Hb and its spin state are both sensitive to the perturbation. Eu3+ added to Hb affects the oxidation and spin state synchronously. The four structure-sensitive bands of Hb are more accessible to the Eu3+ than other bands.

Structural electrochemical study of hemoglobin by in situ circular dichroism thin layer spectroelectrochemistry

Secondary and tertiary or quaternary structural changes in hemoglobin (HB) during an electroreduction process were studied by in situ circular dichroism (CD) spectroelectrochemistry with a long optical path thin-layer cell. By means of singular value decomposition least-squares analysis, CD spectra in the far-UV region give two similar a components with different CD intensity, indicating slight denaturation in the secondary structures due to the electric field effect. CD spectra in the Soret band show a R --> T transition of two quaternary structural components induced by electroreduction of the heme, which changes the redox states of the center ion from Fe3+ to Fe2+ and the coordination number from 6 to 5. The double logarithmic analysis shows that electroreduction of hemoglobin follows a chemical reaction with R --> T transition. Some parameters in the electrochemical process were obtained: formal potential, E-0t = -0.167 V; electrochemical kinetic overpotential, DeltaE(0) = -0.32 V; standard electrochemical reaction rate constant, k(0) = 1.79 x 10(-5) cm s(-1); product of electron transfer coefficient and electron number, alphan=0.14; and the equilibrium constant of R --> T transition, K-c = 9.0.

Concentration effects of Er3+ ion in YAG : Er laser crystals

Laser crystals of (Y1-xErx)(3)Al5O12, (YAG:Er) have been grown by the Czochralski method and the spectral properties have been studied for different Er3+ concentrations. The effects of various Er3+ concentrations on the structural distortions, luminescence quenching Of F-4(9/2), H-2(11/2), S-4(3/2) and red shift in laser wavelength have been discussed for the YAG:Er laser crystals. By using absorption spectra and Judd-Ofelt theory the experimental oscillator strengths, Omega(lambda), parameters and the excited state integrated absorption cross sections of Er3+ ion are reported and some variation regularities of these parameters have been observed. (C) 2000 Published by Elsevier Science S.A. All rights reserved.

Influence of cation concentration on 7,7,8,8-tetracyanoquinodimethane in polyelectrolyte by using in-situ microscopic Fourier transform infrared spectroelectrochemistry

The ion pair between the dianion of 7,7,8, 8-tetracyanoquinodimethane(TCNQ) and Li+ were investigated by in - situ microscopic Fourier transform infrared( FTIR) spectroelectrochemical technique. The effect of ion pair increases with increasing the concentration of cation. We observed a new band at 2130 cm(-1).

Study on the structure of hemoglobin in organic solvents by in situ STM

In situ STM has been used to study the structure of hemoglobin(Hb) in two kinds of organic media. In hydrophobic organic solvent such as carbon tetrachloride, the structure of Hb is almost the same as in aqueous solution, similar to its native structure. However, when in hydrophilic organic solvent such as dimethylformamide, the two dimers of Hb molecule become separate and unfold to a certain extent.

Direct electron transfer reaction of horse heart hemoglobin at the indium oxide electrode

A direct, quasi-reversible electrochemical reaction of horse heart hemoglobin without further purification was obtained for the first time at the indium oxide electrode when oxygen was removed from the solution and hemoglobin molecules. It was found that removing oxygen from the solution and hemoglobin molecules is an important factor for obtaining the quasi-reversible electrochemical reaction of hemoglobin.

A study of the dependence of ferrocene diffusion on electrolyte concentration and size in a polymer medium using non-steady-state chronoamperometry

This article describes a quantitative study of the diffusion rate of ferrocene(Fc) dissolved in ploy(ethylene glycol)(PEG) medium containing MClO(4)(M = Li+, Na+, Bu(4)N(+), Hx(4)N(+)). The apparent diffusion coefficient D-app and the active concentration c(a) of Fc were simultaneously measured by using non-steady-state chronoamperometry. The D-app and c(a) of Fc have been estimated in PEG containing different concentrations and sizes of supporting electrolyte, and the dependence of D-app on ferrocene concentrations has been observed. The values of D-app decrease with increasing concentrations of Fc, increasing concentrations of LiClO4 or the ratio (O:Li) and also with 4 decreasing cation radius of the electrolyte. The temperature dependencies conform to a simple free volume model. The concentration and size of the counterion dependencies of the diffusion rate are similar to the behavior of their dependencies of ionic conductivity in polyelectrolyte.