One-Step Ionic Liquid-Assisted Electrochemical Synthesis of Ionic Liquid-Functionalized Graphene Sheet Directly from Graphite

Graphite, inexpensive and available in large quantities, unfortunately does not readily exfoliate to yield individual graphene sheets. Here a mild, one-step electrochemical approach for the preparation of ionic-liquid-functionalized graphite sheets with the assistance of an ionic liquid and water is presented. These ionic-liquid-treated graphite sheets can be exfoliated into functionalized graphene nanosheets that can not only be individuated and homogeneously distributed into polar aprotic solvents, but also need not be further deoxidized. Different types of ionic liquids and different ratios of the ionic liquid to water can influence the properties of the graphene nanosheets. Graphene nanosheet/polystyrene composites synthesized by a liquid-phase blend route exhibit a percolation threshold of 0.1 vol % for room temperature electrical conductivity, and, at only 4.19 vol %, this composite has a conductivity of 13.84 S m(-1), which is 3-15 times that of polystyrene composites filled with single-walled carbon nanotubes.

Influence of the deposition energy on the composition and thermal cycling behavior of La-2(Zr0.7Ce0.3)(2)O-7 coatings

Lanthanum-zirconium-cerium composite oxide (La-2(Zr0.7Ce0.3)(2)O-7, LZ7C3) coatings were prepared under different conditions by electron beam-physical vapor deposition (EB-PVD). The composition, crystal structure, surface and cross-sectional morphologies, cyclic oxidation behavior of these coatings were studied. Elemental analysis indicates that the coating composition has partially deviated from the stoichiometry of the ingot, and the existence of excess La2O3 is also observed.

Synthesis of Cu-In-S ternary nanocrystals with tunable structure and composition

Nearly monodisperse Cu-In-S ternary nanocrystals with tunable composition, crystalline structure, and size were synthesized by a hot-injection method using mixed generic precursors. Such ternary nanocrystals with zincblende and wurtzite structure were reported for the first time.

A solid-state dye-sensitized solar cell based on a novel ionic liquid gel and ZnO nanoparticles on a flexible polymer substrate

This paper describes a new strategy to make a full solid-state, flexible, dye-sensitized solar cell (DSSC) based on novel ionic liquid gel, organic dye, ZnO nanoparticles and carbon nanotube (CNT) thin film stamped onto a polyethylene terephthalate (PET) substrate. The CNTs serve both as the charge collector and as scaffolds for the growth of ZnO nanoparticles, where the black dye molecules are anchored.

Tetrahydrothiophenium-based ionic liquids for high efficiency dye-sensitized solar cells

Binary melts of S-ethyltetrahydrothiophenium iodide and dicyanoamide (or tricyanomethide) have been employed for dye-sensitized solar cells with high power conversion efficiencies up to 6.9% under the illumination of AM 1.5G full sunlight. We have further shown that the transport of triiodide in ionic liquids with high iodide concentration is viscosity-dependent in terms of a physical diffusion coupled bond exchange mechanism apart from the simple physical diffusion.

New Efficiency Records for Stable Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells with Low-Volatility and Ionic Liquid Electrolytes

We report a high molar extinction coefficient heteroleptic polypyridyl ruthenium sensitizer, featuring an electron-rich 3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene unit in its ancillary ligand. A nanocrystalline titania film stained with this sensitizer shows an improved optical absorption, which is highly desirable for practical dye-sensitized solar cells with a thin photoactive layer, facilitating the efficient charge collection.

New Organic Sensitizer for Stable Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells with Solvent-Free Ionic Liquid Electrolytes

We report a high molar extinction coefficient metal-free sensitizer composed of a triarylamine donor in combination with the 2-(2,2'-bithiophen-5-yl)acrylonitrile conjugation unit and cyanoacrylic acid as an acceptor. In conjugation with a volatile acetonitrile-based electrolyte or a solvent-free ionic liquid electrolyte, we have fabricated efficient dye-sensitized solar cells showing a corresponding 7.5% or 6.1% efficiency measured under the air mass 1.5 global sunlight. The ionic liquid cell exhibits excellent stability during a 1000 h accelerated test under the light-soaking and thermal dual stress. Intensity-modulated photocurrent and photovolatge spectroscopies were employed along with the transient photoelectrical decay measurements to detail the electron transport in the mesoporous titania films filled with these two electrolytes.

Dye-sensitized solar cells with solvent-free ionic liquid electrolytes

We systematically studied the temperature-dependent physicochemical properties, such as density, conductivity, and fluidity, of 1,3-dialkylimidazolium iodides. In combination with the amphiphilic Z907Na sensitizer, we have found that it is important to use low-viscosity iodide melts with small cations to achieve high-efficiency dye-sensitized solar cells. By employing high-fluidity eutectic-based melts the device efficiencies considerably increased compared to those for cells with the corresponding state of the art ionic liquid electrolytes.

Properties of poly(sodium 4-styrenesulfonate)-ionic liquid composite film and its application in the determination of trace metals combined with bismuth film electrode

A new kind of bismuth film modified electrode to sensitively detect trace metal ions based on incorporating highly conductive ionic liquids 1-butyl-3-methyl-imidazolium hexafluorophosphate (BMIMPF6) in solid matrices at glassy carbon (GC) was investigated. Poly(sodium 4-styrenesulfonate) (PSS), silica, and Nafion were selected as the solid matrices. The electrochemical properties of the mixed films modified GC were evaluated. The electron transfer rate of Fe(CN)(6)(4-)/Fe(CN)(6)(3-) can be effectively improved at the PSS-BMIMPF6 modified GC.

Dynamic mechanical properties of gel polymer electrolytes containing ionic liquid

The copolymer of acrylonitrile (AN), methyl methacrylate (MMA) and poly(ethylene glycol) methyl ether methacrylate (PEGMEMA) is synthesized in 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate (BMImBF(4)). The dynamic mechanical properties of the resulting gel polymer electrolytes containing ionic liquid are measured.

Temperature Dependence of Surface Composition and Morphology in Polymer Blend Film

Thin films of poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) and poly(styrene-ran-acrylonitrile) (SAN) blend can phase separate upon heating to above its critical temperature. Temperature dependence of the surface composition and morphology in the blend thin film upon thermal treatment was studied using in situ X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and in situ atomic force microscopy (AFM). It was found that in addition to phase separation, the blend component preferentially diffused to and aggregated at the surface of the blend film, leading to the variation of surface composition with temperature. At 185 degrees C, above the critical temperature, the amounts of PMMA and SAN phases were comparable.

An effective method for enhancing metal-ions' selectivity of ionic liquid-based extraction system: Adding water-soluble complexing agent

Selective extraction-separation of yttrium(Ill) from heavy lanthanides into 1-octyl-3-methylimidazolium hexafluorophosphate ([C(8)mim][PF6]) containing Cyanex 923 was achieved by adding a water-soluble complexing agent (EDTA) to aqueous phase. The simple and environmentally benign complexing method was proved to be an effective strategy for enhancing the selectivity of [C(n)mim] [PF6]/[Tf2N]-based extraction system without increasing the loss of [C(n)mim](+). (c) 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Separation of ethyl acetate-ethanol azeotropic mixture using hydrophilic ionic liquids

The separation of ethyl acetate and ethanol (EtOH) is important but difficult due to their close boiling points and formation of an azeotropic mixture. The separation of the azeotropic mixture of ethyl acetate and EtOH using the hydrophilic ionic liquids (ILs) 1-alkyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride (alkyl = butyl, hexyl, and octyl) ([C(n)mim]Cl, n = 4, 6, 8) and 1-allyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride and bromide ([Amim]Cl and [Amim]Br) has been investigated. Triangle phase diagrams of five ILs with ethyl acetate and EtOH were constructed, and the biphasic regions were found as follows: [Amim]Cl > [Amim]Br > [C(4)mim]Cl > [C(6)mim]Cl > [C(8)mim]Cl. The mechanisms of the ILs including cation, anion, and polarity effect were discussed.

The solid-liquid extraction of yttrium from rare earths by solvent (ionic liquid) impreganated resin coupled with complexing method

A kind of solvent (ionic liquid) impreganated resin (IL-SIR) was developed herein for ameliorating imidazolium-type IL-based liquid-liquid extraction of metal ions. In this study, [C(8)mim][PF6] containing Cyanex923 was immobilized on XAD-7 resin for solid-liquid extraction of rare earth (RE). The solid-liquid extraction contributed to ameliorating mass transfer efficiency, i.e. shortening equilibrium time from 40 min to 20 min, increasing extraction efficiency from 29% to 80%. In additional, the novel IL-SIR could separate Y(III) from Sc(III), Ho(III), Er(III), Yb(III) effectively by adding water-soluble complexing agent.

Separation of ternary systems of hydrophilic ionic liquid with miscible organic compounds by RPLC with refractive index detection

A rapid and simple analytical method was developed for the simultaneous and quantitative determination and separation of hydrophilic imidazolium ionic liquids (ILs) (1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride, [C(4)mim]Cl; 1-hexyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride, [C(6)mim]Cl; 1-octyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride, [C(8)mim]Cl; 1-allyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride, [Amim]Cl; or 1-allyl-3-methylimidazolium bromide, [Amim]Br) with miscible ethyl acetate and EtOH and their mixtures using reverse phase liquid chromatography coupled with refractive index detection (RPLC-RI). The influence of 60 to 100% (volume percentage) methanol in the mobile phase on the IL systems ([C(4)mim]Cl, [C(6)mim]Cl, [C(8)mim]Cl, [Amim]Br, or [Amim]Cl)-ethyl acetate-EtOH was investigated.