New high-dimensional networks based on polyoxometalate and crown ether building blocks

Three novel supramolecular assemblies constructed from polyoxometalate and crown ether building blocks, [(DB18C6)Na(H2O)(1.5)](2)Mo6O19.CH3CN, 1, and [{Na(DB18C6)(H2O)(2)}(3)(H2O)(2)]XMo12O40.6DMF.CH3CN (X = P, 2, and As, 3; DB18C6 = dibenzo-18-crown-6; DMF = N,N-dimethylfomamide), have been synthesized and characterized by elemental analyses, IR, UV-vis, EPR, TG, and single crystal X-ray diffraction. Compound 1 crystallizes in the tetragonal space group P4/mbm with a = 16.9701(6) Angstrom, c = 14.2676(4) Angstrom, and Z = 2. Compound 2 crystallizes in the hexagonal space group P6(3)/m with a = 15,7435(17) Angstrom, c = 30.042(7) Angstrom, gamma = 120degrees, and Z = 2. Compound 3 crystallizes in the hexagonal space group P6(3)/m with a = 15.6882(5) Angstrom, c = 29.9778(18) Angstrom, gamma = 120degrees, and Z = 2. Compound 1 exhibits an unusual three-dimensional network with one-dimensional sandglasslike channels based on the extensive weak forces between the oxygen atoms on the [Mo6O19](2-) polyoxoanions and the CH2 groups of crown ether molecules, Compounds 2 and 3 are isostructural, and both contain a novel semiopen cagelike trimeric cation [{Na(DB18C6)(H2O)(2)}(3)(H2O)(2)](3+). In their packing arrangement, an interesting 2-D "honeycomblike" "host" network is formed, in which the [XMo12O40](3-) (X = As and P) polyoxoanion "guests" resided.

Novel bipolar conjugated polymer containing both triphenylamine and oxadizole units

A novel bipolar conjugated polymer containing triphenylamine and 1, 3, 4-oxadiazole units was synthesized by Suzuki reaction. Its structure and properties were characterized by NMR, IR, UV-Vis, PL spectroscopy and electrochemical measurement. The photo luminescent spectroscopy and cyclic voltammograms measurement demonstrated that the resulting polymer shows blue emission (477 nm) and possesses both electron and hole-transporting property.

Synthesis of novel nitrogen- and sulfur-containing conjugated polymers used as hole-transporting materials for organic light-emitting diodes

Two series of highly soluble novel nitrogen- and sulfur-containing conjugated polymers were synthesized via an acid-induced self-polycondensation of functional monomers with methyl sulfinyl and aromatic groups. The well-defined structures of synthesized polymers were confirmed by their NMR and IR spectra. The highest occupied molecular orbital energy values for these materials, estimated by cyclic voltammetry, showed a broad range of values from about 5.0 to 5.2 eV used as hole-transport layers (HTL) in two-layer light-emitting diodes ITO/HTL/Alq(3)/Mg:Ag [ITO = indium tin oxide, and Alq(3) = tris(8-quinolinato) aluminum]. The typical turn-on voltage of these diodes was about 4-5 V. The maximum brightness of the device was about 3440 cd/m(2) at 20 V. The maximum efficiency was estimated to be 0.15 1m/W at 10 V.

Solvent-dependent formation of di- and trinuclear rhodiurn and iridium complexes bridged by N,N '-donor ligands

Reactions of Rh and Ir hydrido complexes. [Rh(H)(2)(PPh3)(2)(solv)(EtOH)]ClO4 (solv = Me2CO, 1a; EtOH, 1b) and [Ir(H)(2)(PPh3)(2)(Me2CO)(2)]BF4 (2), with various N,N'-donor bridging ligands, such as pyrazine (pyz), 4,4'-trimethylenedipyridine (tmdp) and di(4-pyridyl) disulfide (dpds), in some solvents were examined, and their reaction products were characterized by X-ray crystal structure analysis. IR, H-1 NMR and UV-vis spectra. Rh hydrido complexes, la or 1b, formed a dinuclear Rh complex, [Rh-2(PPh3)(2) {(eta(6)-C6H5PPh2}(2)] (ClO4)(2).6CH(2)Cl(2) (3.6CH(2)Cl(2)), in dichloromethane with a reductive elimination of hydrogen. The reactions of 1a or 1b with the pyz ligand in dichloromethane and tetrahydrofuran gave triangular Rh-3 complexes, [Rh-3(PPh3)(6)(pyz)(3)](ClO4)(3).CH2Cl2 (5.CH2Cl2) and [Rh-3(PPh3)(6)(pyz)(3)](ClO4)(3).EtOH (5.EtOH), respectively, in contrast to the formation of a dinuclear Rh hydrido complex, [Rh-2(H)(4)(PPh3)(4)(Me2CO)(2)(pyz)](ClO4)(2).EtOH A-EtOH). in acetone. The reactions of la or 1b with the tmdp ligand in dichloromethane and 3-methyl-2-butanone also afforded dinuclear Rh complexes, [Rh-2(PPh3)(4)(tmdp)(2)](ClO4)(2) (6) and [Rh-2(PPh3)(4)(tmdp)(2)](ClO4)(2).4MeCOCHMe(2) (6.4MeCOCHMe(2)), respectively. On the other hand, Ir hydrido complex 2 reacted with pyz and dpds ligands in dichloromethane to afford dinuclear Ir complexes, [Ir-2(H)(4)(PPh3)(4)(Me2CO)(2)(pyz)]- (BF4)(2).3CH(2)Cl(2) (7.3CH(2)Cl(2)) and [Ir-2(H)(4)(PPh3)(4)(dpds)(2)](BF4)(2).3CH(2)Cl(2).H2O (8.3CH(2)Cl(2).H2O), respectively, without any reductive elimination of hydrogen. Based on structural studies in solution and in the solid state. it was demonstrated that various Rh and Ir complexes were selectively produced depending on the choice of solvents and N,N'-donor bridging ligands.

Design, synthesis and characterization of novel nitrogen-and sulfur-containing polymers with well-defined conjugated length

A series of novel nitrogen- and sulfur-containing conjugated polymers with well-defined conjugation length have been synthesized via an acid-induced self-polycondensation of functional monomers with methylsulfinyl groups. Synthesized polymers exhibit good solubility in common solvents, such as CHCl3, THF, DMF, DMSO, and NMP. With increased numbers of aminophenyl groups, these polymers have shown similar electrical properties to polyaniline (PAn), and these are demonstrated by UV-vis spectroscopy and cyclic voltammetry (CV) measurements on the polymers. The conductivity of preliminarily protonic-doped poly[phenylene sulfide-alt-tetrakis(aniline)] (PPSTEA) is up to 10(-1) S cm(-1).

Nitrogen- and sulfur-containing conjugated polymers as the hole-transporting materials

A series of novel nitrogen- and sulfur-containing conjugated polymers have been synthesized via an acid-induced self polycondensation of functional monomers with methyl sulfinyl group. They exhibit good solubility in common solvents, such as CHCl3, THF, DMF, DMSO, et al; and thus show excellent film-forming properties. They are used as hole-transport layer (HTL) in two-layer light-emitting diodes (ITO/polymer/Alq3/Mg:Ag). The typical turn-on voltage of these diodes is about 4 similar to 5V. The maximum brightness is about 3440cd/m(2) at 20 V. The maximum efficiency is estimated to be 0.15 Im/W at 10V.

Synthesis and characterization of side chain liquid crystal M5MPP/MMEANB copolymers containing NLO active group

A new series of side chain liquid crystal polymers based on the backbone of polymethacrylate containing 4-nitroazobenzene and 4-methoxybiphenyl group as side chain mesogen were prepared and characterized, FTIR, H-1 NMR, POM and WAXD were used to study the structure, phase behavior and mesophase texture of this series of SCLC copolymers. The researches show that polymer PM5MPP and copolymer M5MPP/MMEANB are enantiotropic liquid crystalline polymers, but polymer PMMEANB has no liquid crystalline properties. DSC results showed that the thermal stability of the mesophase of this series of copolymers was enhanced by the existence of intermolecular electron donor-acceptor interaction. It was found that the temperature range of the mesophase of the copolymers was broadened with increasing 4-nitroazobenzene units. The focal-conic texture observed by POM indicated that this series of the copolymers possessed the characteristics of smectic liquid crystal.

Fluorescence and aggregation behavior of a polyimide in solutions

The UV-visible absorption and fluorescence spectra of a soluble polyimide, YS-30, in several organic solvents were measured over a wide range of concentration. The experimental results show that there exist both intramolecular and intermolecular electron donor acceptor interactions for YS-30 molecules. The fluorescence behavior of YS-30 in N,N-dimethylacetamide and in chloroform solutions is similar in general, except that its ground-state intermolecular charge transfer emission is more obvious in N,N-dimethylacetamide solution. This difference is attributed to the greater extent of disruption of the chain packing by solvent or/and the more efficient radiationless energy dissipation process from the excited state complexes to chloroform. The intensity ratio of intermolecular charge transfer emission to intramolecular charge transfer emission is used to characterize the state of aggregation of YS-30 molecules in solutions. The plot of this ratio versus concentration indicates the existence of two critical concentrations. It is also found from the same plot that the decrease of coil size is very pronounced during the initial stage of shrinkage.

Luminescence properties of rare earth (Eu3+ and Tb3+) complexes with conjugated carboxylic acids and 1,10-phenanthroline incorporated in silica matrix

Binary and ternary complexes of europium and terbium with conjugated carboxylic acid (nicotinic acid and 3,4-furandicarboxylic acid) and 1,10-phenanthroline were introduced into silica gel by the sol-gel method. The luminescence behavior of the complexes in silica gels was studied compared with the corresponding solid state complexes by means of emission, excitation spectra and lifetimes. The result indicated that the rare earth ions (EU3+ and Tb3+) showed fewer emission lines and slightly lower emission intensities in the silica gel than those in pure rare earth complexes. The lifetimes of rare earth ions (EU3+ and Tb3+) in silica gel doped with rare earth complexes became longer than those in pure rare earth complexes. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science S.A.

The photophysical properties of binary and ternary complexes of rare earths with conjugated carboxylic acids and 1,10-phenanthroline

Results of photophysical properties of the complexes of Gd3+, Eu3+ and Tb3+ with conjugated carboxylic acids (3,4-funandicarboxylic acid and nicotinic acid) and 1,10-phenanthroline are reported. Whether between central ions and ligands or between the two ligands, it is found that the intramolecular energy efficiency is a sensitive function of the relative positions of the resonance energy levels of the central ions and the lowest triplet states of the ligands. Couplings of rare earth ions to the ligands are discussed in detail. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science S.A.

Synthesis and characterization of aromatic liquid crystalline poly(ester-imide)s derived from an imidodicarboxylic acid

A new class of liquid crystalline poly(ester-imide)s was synthesized by melt polycondensation. The basic physical properties of the resulting polymers were investigated by differential scanning calorimetry (d.s.c.), wide-angle X-ray diffraction (WAXD), polarized light microscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), thermogravimetric analysis (t.g.a.), and rheological and mechanical testing. All of these poly(ester-imide)s were amorphous, as reflected by the results obtained from the WAXD and d.s.c. studies. Characterization and comparison of these poly(ester-imide)s with the corresponding polyesters suggested that the introduction of imide groups into the polyester chain is favourable for the formation of liquid crystalline phases. These results, together with the rheological studies, suggested that there existed a form of strong inter- or intramolecular electron donor-acceptor interaction which played a significant role in the liquid crystalline properties of the poly(ester-imide)s. The polymer products thus obtained exhibited good mechanical properties, with flexural strengths and moduli as high as 174 MPa and 6.9 GPa, respectively. The morphology of the fracture surfaces of extruded rod samples showed a sheet-like structure which consisted of ribbons and fibres oriented along the flow direction. The glass transition temperatures and thermal stabilities of the polymers were improved by the incorporation of imide groups. Copyright (C) 1996 Elsevier Science Ltd.

Quasi -symmetric designs with good blocks and intersection number one

Mavron, Vassili; McDonough, T.P.; Schrikhande, M.S., (2003) 'Quasi -symmetric designs with good blocks and intersection number one', Designs Codes and Cryptography 28(2) pp.147-162 RAE2008

Nanoscale electronic properties of conjugated polymers and nanocrystals

The objective of this thesis is the exploration and characterisation of the nanoscale electronic properties of conjugated polymers and nanocrystals. In Chapter 2, the first application of conducting-probe atomic force microscopy (CP-AFM)-based displacement-voltage (z-V) spectroscopy to local measurement of electronic properties of conjugated polymer thin films is reported. Charge injection thresholds along with corresponding single particle gap and exciton binding energies are determined for a poly[2-methoxy-5-(2-ethylhexyloxy)-1,4-phenylenevinylene] thin film. By performing measurements across a grid of locations on the film, a series of exciton binding energy distributions are identified. The variation in measured exciton binding energies is in contrast to the smoothness of the film suggesting that the variation may be attributable to differences in the nano-environment of the polymer molecules within the film at each measurement location. In Chapter 3, the CP-AFM-based z-V spectroscopy method is extended for the first time to local, room temperature measurements of the Coulomb blockade voltage thresholds arising from sequential single electron charging of 28 kDa Au nanocrystal arrays. The fluid-like properties of the nanocrystal arrays enable reproducible formation of nanoscale probe-array-substrate junctions, allowing the influence of background charge on the electronic properties of the array to be identified. CP-AFM also allows complementary topography and phase data to be acquired before and after spectroscopy measurements, enabling comparison of local array morphology with local measurements of the Coulomb blockade thresholds. In Chapter 4, melt-assisted template wetting is applied for the first time to massively parallel fabrication of poly-(3-hexylthiophene) nanowires. The structural characteristics of the wires are first presented. Two-terminal electrical measurements of individual nanowires, utilising a CP-AFM tip as the source electrode, are then used to obtain the intrinsic nanowire resistivity and the total nanowire-electrode contact resistance subsequently allowing single nanowire hole mobility and mean nanowire-electrode barrier height values to be estimated. In Chapter 5, solution-assisted template wetting is used for fabrication of fluorene-dithiophene co-polymer nanowires. The structural characteristics of these wires are also presented. Two-terminal electrical measurements of individual nanowires indicate barrier formation at the nanowire-electrode interfaces and measured resistivity values suggest doping of the nanowires, possibly due to air exposure. The first report of single conjugated polymer nanowires as ultra-miniature photodetectors is presented, with single wire devices yielding external quantum efficiencies ~ 0.1 % and responsivities ~ 0.4 mA/W under monochromatic illumination.

Cystic fibrosis gene repair: correction of ΔF508 using ZFN and CRISPR/Cas9 guide RNA gene editing tools

Cystic Fibrosis (CF) is an autosomal recessive monogenic disorder caused by mutations in the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) gene with the ΔF508 mutation accounting for approximately 70% of all CF cases worldwide. This thesis investigates whether existing zinc finger nucleases designed in this lab and CRISPR/gRNAs designed in this thesis can mediate efficient homology-directed repair (HDR) with appropriate donor repair plasmids to correct CF-causing mutations in a CF cell line. Firstly, the most common mutation, ΔF508, was corrected using a pair of existing ZFNs, which cleave in intron 9, and the donor repair plasmid pITR-donor-XC, which contains the correct CTT sequence and two unique restriction sites. HDR was initially determined to be <1% but further analysis by next generation sequencing (NGS) revealed HDR occurred at a level of 2%. This relatively low level of repair was determined to be a consequence of distance from the cut site to the mutation and so rather than designing a new pair of ZFNs, the position of the existing intron 9 ZFNs was exploited and attempts made to correct >80% of CF-causing mutations. The ZFN cut site was used as the site for HDR of a mini-gene construct comprising exons 10-24 from CFTR cDNA (with appropriate splice acceptor and poly A sites) to allow production of full length corrected CFTR mRNA. Finally, the ability to cleave closer to the mutation and mediate repair of CFTR using the latest gene editing tool CRISPR/Cas9 was explored. Two CRISPR gRNAs were tested; CRISPR ex10 was shown to cleave at an efficiency of 15% and CRISPR in9 cleaved at 3%. Both CRISPR gRNAs mediated HDR with appropriate donor plasmids at a rate of ~1% as determined by NGS. This is the first evidence of CRISPR induced HDR in CF cell lines.

Characterisation of bifunctional ruthenium(ii) complexes, potential DNA photo-probes. Presence of folded and unfolded conformers

Novel bifunctional ruthenium(n) complexes, [Ru(TAP)2(POQ-Nmet)]2+ and [Ru(BPY)2(POQ-Nmet)]2+(la, 2a), containing a metallic and an organic moiety, have been prepared as photoprobes and photoreagents of DNA(TAP = 1,4,5,8-tetraazaphenanthrene, POQ-Nmet = 5-[6-(7-chloroquinolin-4-yl)-3-thia-6-azaheptanamido]-l,10phenanthroline). The ES mass spectrometry and 'H NMR data in organic solvents indicate that the quinoline moiety exists in both the protonated and non-protonated form. Moreover, the comparison of the NMR data with those of the corresponding monofunctional complexes(without quinoline) evidences that [Ru(TAP).2(POQ-Nmet)]2+ and [Ru(BPY)J(POQ-Nmet)]2+ are unfolded when the quinoline unit is protonated whereas deprotonation permits folding of the molecule. In the folded state the spatial proximity of the electron donor(the organic moiety) and electron acceptor(the metallic moiety) in [Ru(TAP)2(POQ-Nmet)]2+ favours intramolecular photo-induced electron transfer, which has been shown in a previous study to be responsible for the very low luminescence of la in non-protonating solutions. The restoration of the luminescence by protonation of the quinoline moiety as observed previously is in agreement with the unfolding of the molecule demonstrated in this work. The existence of such folding-unfolding processes related to protonation is crucial for studies of la with DNA. © The Royal Society of Chemistry 2000.