An easily prepared palladium-hydrogel nanocomposite catalyst for C-C coupling reactions

Supported metallic nanoparticles are important composite materials owing to their enormous potential for applications in various fields. In this work, palladium nanoparticles were prepared in situ in a calcium-cholate (Ca-Ch) hydrogel by reduction with sodium cyanoborohydride. The hydrogel matrix appeared to assist the controlled growth as well as stabilization of palladium nanoparticles. The palladium nanoparticle/Ca-Ch hydrogel hybrid was characterized by scanning and transmission electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy, X-ray diffraction, and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. Furthermore, the PdNP/Ca-Ch hybrid xerogel was shown to act as an active catalyst for the Suzuki reaction under aqueous aerobic conditions. The PdNP/Ca-Ch xerogel retains its catalytic activities on storage for several months.

Differential response of cholesterol based pyrimidine systems with oxyethylene type spacers to gelation and mesogen formation in the presence of alkali metal ions

A new series of lipophilic cholesteryl derivatives of 2,4,6-trichloro-pyrimidine-5-carbaldehyde has been synthesized. Oxyethylene spacers of variable lengths were inserted between the hydrogen bonding promoting pyrimidine core and the cholesteryl tail in order to understand their effect on the selfassembly of these compounds. Only compound 1a with the shortest spacer formed a gel in organic solvents such as n-butanol and n-dodecane. While other members (1b and c) having longer spacers led to sol formation and precipitation in n-butanol and n-dodecane respectively. The self-assembly phenomena associated with the gelation process were investigated using temperature-dependent UVVis and CD-spectroscopy. The morphological features of the freeze-dried gels obtained from different organic solvents were examined by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM). The solid phase behaviours of these molecules and their associated alkali metal ion complexes were explored using polarized optical microscopy (POM) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). The molecular arrangements in the xerogel and in the solid state were further probed using a wide-angle Xray diffraction (WAXD) technique. Analysis of the wide-angle X-ray diffraction data reveals that this class of molecules adopts a hexagonal columnar organization in the gel and in the solid state. Each slice of these hexagonal columnar structures is composed of a dimeric molecular-assembly as a building block. Significant changes in the conformation of the oxyethylene chains could be triggered via the coordination of selected alkali metal ions. This led to the production of interesting metal ion promoted mesogenic behaviour.

Influence of phosphate precursors on the structures of sodium aluminophosphate sols, gels and glasses

Transparent and homogeneous aluminophosphate gels and glasses have been widely synthesized through an aqueous sol-gel route, extending significantly the glass-forming range compared to that accessible via the melt-cooling route. Different phosphorus precursors, sodium polyphosphate (NaPO3) and orthophosphate species (NaH2PO4 and/or H3PO4) were compared with regard to the macroscopic properties and the microscopic structure of the resultant gels and glasses as characterized by extensive high-resolution liquid- and solid-state NMR. Sodium polyphosphate solution results in a substantially wider composition range of homogenous gel formation than orthophosphate solutions, and the two routes produce significant structural differences in the sol and xerogel states. Nevertheless, the structures of the glasses obtained upon gel annealing above 400 degrees C are independent of the P-precursors used. (c) 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Preparation and luminescence properties of Eu2+ in SiO2 xerogels

Al-doped and B, Al co-doped SiO2 xerogels with Eu2+ ions were prepared only by sol-gel reaction in air without reducing heat-treatment or post-doping. The luminescence characteristics and mechanism of europium doping SiO2 xerogels were studied as a function of the concentration of Al, B, the europium concentration and the host composition. The emission spectra of the Al-doped and B, Al codoped samples all show an efficient emission broad band in the blue violet range. The blue emission of the Al-doped sample was centered at 437 nm, whereas the B, Al co-doped xerogel emission maximum shifted to 423 nm and the intensity became weaker. Concentration quenching effect occurred in both the Al-doped and B, Al co-doped samples, which probably is the result of the transfer of the excitation energy from Eu2+ ions to defects. The highest Eu2+ emission intensity was observed for samples with the Si(OC2H5)(4):C2H5OH:H2O molar ratio of 1:2:4. (c) 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

稀土(Er, Nd, Yb, Pr, Ho, Sm)有机/无机杂化材料的制备及发光性能研究

目前，国内外对于铕和铽等稀土配合物的可见区发光和应用都有大量研究，但对具有近红外发光（800-1700 nm）性能的稀土配合物的研究还处于起步阶段。由于稀土的近红外发光在光纤通讯、激光系统及诊断学等方面应用具有特殊的优点，越来越引起人们的兴趣和重视。 稀土近红外发光配合物的致命弱点是其光、热和化学稳定性较差，从而限制了其在很多领域的实际应用。而溶胶－凝胶材料和介孔材料具有良好的光、热和化学稳定性，能改善客体分子的结构环境和化学微环境，从而能有效提高客体分子的发光性能。因此，本论文将具有优良近红外发光性能的稀土配合物分别与上述两种基质复合，从实验和理论研究稀土近红外发光杂化材料的性能和应用价值，制备出具有良好稳定性的高效稀土近红外发光杂化材料，以期为光纤通讯、激光等领域提供潜在的候选材料。围绕这一宗旨，开展了如下工作： 通过原位技术分别得到了掺杂和嫁接[Ln(dbm)3phen]化合物（Ln = Er, Nd, Yb）的杂化凝胶材料，Ln-D-P gel和Xerogel-Ln。通过对其近红外发光性能的研究，表明材料中配体能很好的保护稀土离子，并将能量有效的传递给稀土离子。采用Judd-Ofelt理论对所得部分材料进行了光谱分析，基于实验数据和理论分析表明其具有潜在的光放大和激光应用价值。 选择了两种含全氟化烷基链的β-二酮配体Hhfth和Htfnb，通过功能化的phen-Si配体，将三元配合物[Ln(hfth)3phen] (Ln = Er, Nd, Yb, Sm)和[Pr(tfnb)3phen]成功共价嫁接到介孔MCM-41和SBA-15杂化材料中，得到的衍生材料Ln(hfth)3phen–MCM-41、Pr(tfnb)3phen–MCM-41和Ln(hfth)3phen–SBA-15、Pr(tfnb)3phen–SBA-15都保持了高度有序的介孔p6mm结构，并展现出稀土离子特征的近红外发射。所得稀土配合物功能化的材料的发射光谱能完全覆盖对光通讯极具应用价值的1300-1600nm区域。 通过对Er(dbm)3phen–M41(X, Y) (X = 1~14, Y = 3, 6, 12, 18, 24 h)材料系统的比较研究，选择了X = 12, Y = 6作为合成目标材料的优化参数，通过功能化的phen-Si配体将[Ln(dbm)3phen]配合物共价嫁接于有序介孔MCM-41和SBA-15中(Ln = Er, Nd, Yb)，所得两类材料Ln(dbm)3phenM41和Ln(dbm)3phenS15都保持了很好的介孔有序性，并具有良好的近红外发光性能。通过对Ln(dbm)3phenM41和Ln(dbm)3phenS15两类材料发光行为的比较，以及两类材料中稀土离子的含量及孔结构的分析，推出以SBA-15为载体得到的材料在相对发光强度和荧光寿命上，均比以MCM-41为载体的材料有所提高。 通过对8－羟基喹啉配体进行改性，合成了具有双功能的配体Q-Si，继而合成了共价嫁接8－羟基喹啉衍生物的介孔杂化材料Q–SBA-15，其形貌均一，并具有高度有序的介孔p6mm结构。通过配体交换反应，得到了嫁接稀土喹啉配合物的具有近红外发光性能的介孔杂化材料LnQ3–SBA-15 (Ln = Er, Nd, Yb)，其仍然保持高度有序的介孔结构，且外形呈现与母体材料Q–SBA-15相似的弯曲圆柱状。激发配体的吸收，LnQ3–SBA-15材料都分别展现出相应稀土离子特征的近红外发射，并详细分析和讨论了所得介孔杂化材料的近红外发光性能。

Preparation of Mn substituted La-hexaaluminate catalysts by using supercritical drying

LaMnxAl12-xO19 catalysts were prepared from NH4OH and metal nitrates solutions. Supercritical drying (SCD) and conventional oven drying (CD) methods were used to extract the water in the hydrogel. The effects of drying methods on properties of the catalysts were investigated by means of TEM, N-2-adsorption, thermogravimetry (TG)-differential thermal analysis (DTA) and X-ray diffraction. SCD method is beneficial to maintain high surface area and improving catalytic activity for methane combustion of the catalyst. The specific surface area and pore volume of LaMn1Al11O19 catalyst prepared by SCD method are 28 m(2)/g and 0.23 cm(3)/g, respectively, and the ignition of methane could be carried out at 450degreesC. However, those of the CD catalyst prepared from the same precursor are 15 m(2)/g, 0.11 cm(3)/g and 530 degreesC, respectively. Suitable Mn content (0 less than or equal to x less than or equal to 2) could promote the formation of LaMnAl11O19 hexaaluminate, while further addition of Mn (2 less than or equal to x less than or equal to 6) cause the formation of LaMnO3. (C) 2003 Elsevier B.V All rights reserved.

Synthesis and luminescent properties of europium (III) schiff base complexes covalently bonded to silica xerogels

A new kind of luminescent organic-inorganic hydrid material consisting of Eu(III)-schiff base complex covalently bonded to silica xerogel was synthesized via the sol-gel method using a Eu (N-propylene salicylimine ligand) complex modified with pendant triethoxysilane groups (Eu(III)(salenHSi)). The Eu(III)(salenHSi) complex is characterized by Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy. Luminescent properties of the complex and the resulted hybrid silica xerogels have been investigated at room temperature.

Tunable photoluminescence in sol-gel derived silica xerogels

Silica xerogels prepared by sol-gel method show blue emission under UV excitation with a smaller Stokes shift. The luminescent properties have been investigated under various preparation conditions and compositions. The silica xerogels show similar luminescent properties when using C2H5OH and N,N-dimethylformamide (DMF) as solvents, which are very different from those when using dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO) as solvent, i.e., a red shift of excitation and emission has been observed in the latter case. The emission intensity of the silica xerogels also depends on the water content and pH of the starting reaction solution. The introduction of organic group (-CH3) in the silica xerogel modifies the network structure and further changes their luminescence properties. Heat treatment results in the decomposition of the organic (-SiCH3) groups, which eliminates the old luminescent centers and produces new luminescent centers in longer wavelength simultaneously. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.

Study on the microstructure and properties of nanosized stannic oxide powders

Stannic oxide xerogel was prepared by a forced hydrolysis method using SnCl4 as the precursor. The average grain sizes of the nanosized stannic oxide powders varied with the sintering temperatures. The powders were characterized by several different physico-chemical techniques. TEM was employed for the direct observation on grain sizes, shape and state of aggregation of the particles. XRD technique was used for the determination of the crystalline structure. Microstructural parameters of average crystallite size () and mean-square root microstrain (epsilon(2)>(1/2)) for the samples were calculated from the broadened values of the half-peak intensity of XRD. The atomic ratio between oxygen and tin in the surface region of the particles was estimated through the analysis of XPS. Attributing to lots of oxygen vacancies in the surface region of the nanoparticulates and the 'trapped electrons' in the vacancies, an ESR signal was observed in the sample sintered at 300 degrees C for 2 h. FTIR of the powders showed that intensity of the transverse optical mode of Sn-O stretching vibration increased with the sintering temperature while the bending vibration of O-Sn-O showed a blue shift. For Raman spectra, very important spectral characteristics such as variations of intensity and width of the bands were observed. A new Raman vibrational band located at 572 cm(-1) was identified in the samples of nanosized stannic oxide powders. Variation of these spectroscopic properties were strongly affected by grain size, shape and state of aggregation of the nanosized particulates.

Infrared light on molecule-molecule and molecule-surface collisions

By analyzing measured infrared absorption of pure CH4 gas under both "free" (large sample cell) and "confined" (inside the pores of a silica xerogel sample) conditions we give a demonstration that molecule-molecule and molecule-surface collisions lead to very different propensity rules for rotational-state changes. Whereas the efficiency of collisions to change the rotational state (observed through the broadening of the absorption lines) decreases with increasing rotational quantum number J for CH4-CH4 interactions, CH4-surface collisions lead to J-independent linewidths. In the former case, some (weak) collisions are inefficient whereas, in the latter case, a single collision is sufficient to remove the molecule from its initial rotational level. Furthermore, although some gas-phase collisions leave J unchanged and only modify the angular momentum orientation and/or symmetry of the level (as observed through the spectral effects of line mixing), this is not the case for the molecule-surface collisions since they always change J (in the studied J=0-14 range).

The effects of temperature on the performance of electrochemical double layer capacitors

An electrochemical double layer capacitor test cell containing activated carbon xerogel electrodes and ionic liquid electrolyte was tested at 15, 25 and 40 OC to examine the effect of temperature on electrolyte resistance (RS) and equivalent series resistance (ESR) measured using impedance spectroscopy and capacitance using charge/discharge cycling. A commercial 10F capacitor was used as a comparison. Viscosity, ionic self-diffusion coefficients and differential scanning calorimetry measurements were used to provide an insight into the behaviour of the 1,2-dimethyl-3-propylimdazolium electrolyte. Both RS and ESR decreased with increasing temperature for both capacitors. Increasing the temperature also increased the capacitance for both the test cell and the commercial capacitor but proportionally more for the test cell. An increase in temperature decreased the ionic liquid electrolyte viscosity and increased the self diffusion coefficients of both the anion and the cation indicating an increase in dissociation and increase in ionic mobility.