Electrostatic layer-by-layer a of platinum-loaded multiwall carbon nanotube multilayer: A tunable catalyst film for anodic methanol oxidation

A simple layer-by-layer (LBL) electrostatic adsorption technique was developed for deposition of films composed of alternating layers of positively charged poly(diallyldimethylammonium chloride) (PDDA) and negatively charged multiwall carbon nanotubes bearing platinum nanoparticles (Pt-CNTs). PDDA/Pt-CNT film structure and morphology up to six layers were characterized by scanning electron microscopy and ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy, showing the Pt-CNT layers to be porous and uniformly deposited within the multilayer films.

Order-Order Transition of C -> sdG -> sL -> S in ABC Triblock Copolymer Thin Film Induced by Solvent Vapor

The morphology transition of polystyrene-block-poly(butadiene)-block-poly(2-vinylpyridine) (SBV) triblock thin film induced in benzene vapor showing weak selectivity for PS is investigated. The order-order transitions (OOT) in the sequence of core-shell cylinders (C), sphere in 'diblock gyroid' (sdG), sphere in lamella (sL) and sphere (S) are observed. The projection along (111) direction in Gyroid phase (sdG(111)) is found to epitaxially grow from C(001) in the film.

Very low hysteresis organic thin-film transistors

Very low hysteresis vanadyl-phthalocyanine/para-sexiphenyl thin-film transistors (TFTs) have been fabricated using benzocyclobutenone (BCBO) derivatives/tantalum pentoxide (Ta2O5)/BCBO triple gate dielectrics. The field effect mobility, on/off current ratio and threshold voltage of organic TFTs are 0.45 cm(2) V-1 s(-1), 3.5 x 10(4) and -6.8 V, respectively. To clarify the mechanism of hysteresis, devices with different dielectrics have been studied. It is found that the bottom BCBO derivatives (contact with a gate electrode) block the electron injection from a gate electrode to dielectrics.

Effect of the work function of gate electrode on hysteresis characteristics of organic thin-film transistors with Ta2O5/polymer as gate insulator

Organic thin-film transistors (OTFTs) using high dielectric constant material tantalum pentoxide (Ta2O5) and benzocyclobutenone (BCBO) derivatives as double-layer insulator were fabricated. Three metals with different work function, including Al (4.3 eV), Cr (4.5 eV) and Au (5.1 eV), were employed as gate electrodes to study the correlation between work function of gate metals and hysteresis characteristics of OTFTs. The devices with low work function metal Al or Cr as gate electrode exhibited high hysteresis (about 2.5 V threshold voltage shift). However, low hysteresis (about 0.7 V threshold voltage shift) OTFTs were attained based on high work function metal Au as gate electrode.

Weak Epitaxy Growth of Copper Hexadecafluorophthalocyanine (F16CuPc) on p-Sexiphenyl Monolayer Film

Weak epitaxy growth (WEG) behavior and mechanism of copper hexadecafluorophthalocyanine (F16CuPc) on p-sexiphenyl (p-6P) monolayer film were investigated by atomic force microscopy (AFM), selected area electron diffraction (SEAD), and wide-angle X-ray diffraction (WAXD). High-quality F16CuPc films with high order, large size, and molecular-level smoothness were obtained successfully by WEG method. It was identified that there exists incommensurate epitaxial relation between highly oriented F16CuPc and p-6P films. The geometrical channels of p-6P monolayer surface induce the nucleation and growth of F16CuPc molecules.

The first liquid crystalline phthalocyanine derivative capable of edge-on alignment for solution processed organic thin-film transistors

Tetraoctyl-substituted vanadyl phthalocyanine (OVPc4C8) as a new NIR-absorbing discotic liquid crystalline material can form highly ordered thin films with edge-on alignment of the molecules and molecular packing mode identical to that in the phase II of OVPc for solution processed OTFTs with mobility up to 0.017 cm(2) V-1 s(-1).

DEFORMATION OF SOFT COLLOIDAL CRYSTALLINE STRUCTURE - THEORETICAL CONSIDERATIONS AND EXPERIMENTAL EVIDENCES BY SYNCHROTRON SMALL-ANGLE X-RAY SCATTERING ON TENSILE STRETCHED POLYMERIC LATEX FILM

Films obtained via drying a polymeric latex dispersion are normally colloidal crystalline where latex particles are packed into a face centered cubic (fcc) structure. Different from conventional atomic crystallites or hard sphere colloidal crystallites, the crystalline structure of these films is normally deformable due to the low glass transition temperature of the latex particles. Upon tensile deformation, depending on the drawing direction with respect to the normal of specific crystallographic plane, one observes different crystalline structural changes. Three typical situations where crystallographic c-axis, body diagonal or face diagonal of the fcc structure of the colloidal crystallites being parallel to the stretching direction were investigated.

Constructing Thin Polythiophene Film Composed of Aligned Lamellae via Controlled Solvent Vapor Treatment

Thin poly(3-butylthiophene) (P3BT) film composed of aligned lamellae attached to the edge of the original film has been achieved via a controlled solvent vapor treatment (C-SVT) method. The polarized optical microscopy operated at both single-polarization and cross-polarization modes has been used to investigate the alignment of the fiber-like lamellae. A numerical simulation method is used to quantitatively calculate angle distributions of the lamellae deviated from the film growth direction. Prepatterned P3BT film edge acts as nuclei which densely initialize subsequent crystal growth by exhausting the materials transported from the partially dissolved film. The growth of new film upon crystallization is actually a self-healing process where the two-dimensional geometric confinement is mainly responsible for this parallel alignment of P3BT crystals. The solvent vapor pressure should be carefully chosen so as to induce crystal growth but avoid liquid instability which will destroy the continuity of the film.

Autophobic Dewetting of a Poly(methyl methacrylate) Thin Film on a Silicon Wafer Treated in Good Solvent Vapor

The wettability of thin poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) films on a silicon wafer with a native oxide layer exposed to solvent vapors is dependent on the solvent properties. In the nonsolvent vapor, the film spread on the substrate with some protrusions generated on the film surface. In the good solvent vapor, dewetting happened. A new interface formed between the anchored PMMA chains and the swollen upper part of the film. Entropy effects caused the upper movable chains to dewet on the anchored chains. The rim instability depended on the surface tension of solvent (i.e., the finger was generated in acetone vapor (gamma(acetone) = 24 mN/m), not in dioxane vapor (gamma(dioxane) = 33 mN/m)). The spacing (lambda) that grew as an exponential function of film thickness h scaled as similar to h(1.31) whereas the mean size (D) of the resulting droplets grew linearly with h.

Nafion-graphene nanocomposite film as enhanced sensing platform for ultrasensitive determination of cadmium

In this work, an ultrasensitive platform for the detection of cadmium (Cd2+) combining the nafion-graphene nanocomposite film with differential pulse anodic stripping voltammetry (DPASV) analysis was presented. It is found that this sensing platform exhibits enhanced response to the determination of the Cd2+ and has been used to determine the Cd2+ in real sample with good recovery.

Solid-state electrochemiluminescence sensor based on the Nafion/poly(sodium 4-styrene sulfonate) composite film

An effective electrochemiluminescence (ECL) sensor based on Nafion/poly(sodium 4-styrene sulfonate) (PSS) composite film-modified ITO electrode was developed. The Nafion/PSS/Ru composite film was characterized by atomic force microscopy, UV-vis absorbance spectroscopy and electrochemical experiments. The Nafion/PSS composite film could effectively immobilize tris(2,2'-bipyridyl)ruthenium(II) (Ru(bpy)(3)(2+)) via ion-exchange and electrostatic interaction. The ECL behavior of Ru(bpy)(3)(2+) immobilized in Nafion/PSS composite film was investigated using tripropylamine (TPA) as an analyte. The detection limit (S/N = 3) for TPA at the Nafion/PSS/Ru composite-modified electrode was estimated to be 3.0 nM, which is 3 orders of magnitude lower than that obtained at the Nafion/Ru modified electrode. The Nafion/PSS/Ru composite film-modified indium tin oxide (ITO) electrode also exhibited good ECL stability. In addition, this kind of immobilization approach was simple, effective, and timesaving.

High-sensitivity determination of lead and cadmium based on the Nafion-graphene composite film

Graphene nanosheets, dispersed in Nafion (Nafion-G) solution, were used in combination with in situ plated bismuth film electrode for fabricating the enhanced electrochemical sensing platform to determine the lead (Pb2+) and cadmium (Cd2+) by differential pulse anodic stripping voltammetry (DPASV). The electrochemical properties of the composite film modified glassy carbon electrode were investigated. It is found that the prepared Nafion-G composite film not only exhibited improved sensitivity for the metal ion detections, but also alleviated the interferences due to the synergistic effect of graphene nanosheets and Nafion. The linear calibration curves ranged from 0.5 mu g L-1 to 50 mu g L-1 for Pb2+ and 1.5 mu g L-1 to 30 mu g L-1 for Cd2+. respectively. The detection limits (S/N = 3) were estimated to be around 0.02 mu g L-1 for Pb2+ and Cd2+. The practical application of the proposed method was verified in the water sample determination.

Organic Thin-Film Transistor Memory With Nanoparticle Floating Gate

Organic thin-film transistor memory devices were realized by inserting a layer of nanoparticles (such as Ag or CaF2) between two Nylon 6 gate dielectrics as the floating gate. The transistor memories were fabricated on glass substrates by full thermal deposition. The transistors exhibit significant hysteresis behavior in current-voltage characteristics, due to the separated Ag or CaF2 nanoparticle islands that act as charge trap centers. The mechanism of the transistor memory operation was discussed.

Rational Design, Synthesis, and Optical Properties of Film-Forming, Near-Infrared Absorbing, and Fluorescent Chiromophores with Multidonors and Large Heterocyclic Acceptors

A new series of film-forming, low-bandgap chromophores (1a,b and 2a,b) were rationally designed with aid of a computational study., and then synthesized and characterized. To realize absorption and emission above the 1000 nm wavelength, the molecular design focuses on lowering the LUMO level by fusing common heterocyclic units into a large conjugated core that acts an electron acceptor and increasing the charge transfer by attaching the multiple electron-donating groups at the appropriate positions of the acceptor core. The chromophores have bandgap levels of 1.27-0.71 eV, and accordingly absorb at 746-1003 nm and emit at 1035-1290 nm in solution. By design, the relatively high molecular weight (up to 2400 g mol(-1)) and non-coplanar structure allow these near-infrared (NIR) chromophores to be readily spin-coated as uniform thin films and doped with other organic semiconductors for potential device applications. Doping with [6,6]-phenyl-C-61 butyric acid methyl ester leads to a red shift in the absorption on]), for la and 2a. An interesting NIR electrochromism was found for 2a, with absorption being turned on at 1034 nm when electrochemically switched (at 1000 mV) from its neutral state to a radical cation state. Furthermore, a large Stokes shift (256-318 nm) is also unique for this multidonor-acceptor type of chromophore.

Layer-by-Layer Buildup of Poly(L-glutamic acid)/Chitosan Film for Biologically Active Coating

A new biocompatible film based on chitosan and poly(L-glutamic acid) (CS/PGA), created by alternate deposition of CS and PGA, was investigated. FT-IR spectroscopy, UV-vis spectroscopy and QCM were used to analyze the build-up process. The growth of CS and PGA deposition are both exponential to the deposition steps at first. After about 9 (CS/PGA) depositions, the exponential to linear transition takes place. QCM measurements combined with UV-vis spectra revealed the increase in the multilayer film growth at different pH (4.4, 5.0 and 5.5). The build-up of the multilayer stops after a few depositions at pH = 6.5. A muscle myoblast cell (C2C12) assay showed that (CS/PGA)(n) multilayer films obviously promote C2C12 attachment and growth.