Observation of Dominant Nuclei and Magic-Sized CdS Nanoparticles in a Single-Phase System

Cadmium sulfide nanoparticles (CdS NPs) were synthesized by using cadmium acetate and thiourea as precursors and sodium oleate as the surfactant under different cadmium acetate concentrations in anhydrous ethanol. Cadmium (Cd) precursor concentration greatly affected the nucleation-growth of CdS NPs. In extremely dilute solution with a Cd precursor concentration of 0.1 mmol · L−1, an overlapped nucleation and growth corresponding to two pronounced absorption peaks at 310 nm and 350 nm, respectively, was observed. Unparalleled nucleation was dominant within very long reaction time until 10 hours. The nuclei and the resulting magic-sized CdS NPs may be used as seeds to prepare size and shape controllable nanoparticles. On the contrary, at a high Cd precursor concentration (5 mmol · L−1), nucleation and growth were separated. Only one first exciton absorption peak standing for the growth of regular CdS NPs appeared at 440 nm. Many techniques including transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), ultraviolet-visible (UV-Vis) absorption and photoluminescence (PL) spectrometers were applied to characterize the morphology, crystalline structure, and optical properties of CdS NPs.

Position of Biphenyl Group Turning The Structure and Photophysical Property of D-π-π-A Prototype Fluorescent Material

Three novel D-π-π-A prototype compounds, namely, (E)-2-(3-([1,1'-biphenyl]-2-yl)-1-(9H-fluoren-2-yl) allylidene) malononitri-le (2-BAM), (E)-2-(3-([1,1'-biphenyl]-3-yl)-1-(9H-fluoren-2-yl)allylidene) malononitri-le (3-BAM), (E)-2-(3-([1,1'-biphenyl]-4-yl)-1-(9H-fluoren-2-yl)allylidene) malononitri-le (4-BAM) were synthesized. Furthermore, the structures and photophysical properties of three compounds were compared. Molecules of 2-BAM were packed into a 1D column structure with H-aggregation. However, both of 3-BAM and 4-BAM were packed into 3D layer structures with J-aggregation, respectively. Although three compounds all showed highly twisted molecular geometries, their molecular packing and intermolecular interactions were different. Because of the differences in electronic structures of molecules, the three compounds displayed different emission behaviors in solid and dilute solution. This study indicated that changing the position of biphenyl groups is an effective way to turn the structures and photophysical properties of such D-π-π-A prototype fluorescent material.

Unity of Opposite: Highly Emissive Luminogens in both Solution and Aggregate States toward Room Temperature Phosphorescence and Electroluminescence

Organic light-emitting materials, especially those with two-phase high emission, have attracted considerable attention for applications in bioimaging agents, sensors, optoelectronic devices, etc. Many fluorophores applied in such fields either emit brightly in dilute solution or in aggregate state, with the former often suffering from aggregation-caused quenching effect, and the latter falling dark at low concentrations. Herein, we overcame the dilemma by balancing the planar and distorted structures with various side units and achieved bright emission in both dilute solution (e.g., the absolute quantum yields (ФPL) = 90.2% in THF) and in aggregate states (e.g., ФPL=92.7% in powder state, ФPL = 95.3% in crystal). These luminescent mate-rials are demonstrated as promising guests embedded into host matrix to achieve efficient room temperature phosphores-cence, and these host-guest systems could be applied in the information encryption. Moreover, these luminogens could also be used as single-component emitting layers to construct non-doped organic light-emitting diodes, from which a maximum external quantum efficiency up to 4.75% with Commission International de L’Eclairge (CIE) coordinates of (0.15, 0.05), which is neatest to next generation ultra-high definition television (UHDTV) display standard, was realized. This work pro-vides a feasible strategy of balancing the planar and distorted structure of a luminogen toward highly efficient emission in both solution and solid states.

New Insights on Solvent Implications in the Design of Materials Based on Cellulose Derivatives Using Experimental and Theoretical Approaches

The current paper presents a strategic way to design and develop materials with properties adapted for various applications from biomedicine to environmental applications. In this context, blends of (hydroxypropyl)methyl cellulose (HPMC) and poly(vinylpyrrolidone) (PVP) were obtained to create new materials that can modulate the membrane properties in various fields. Thus, to explore the possibility of using the HPMC/PVP system in practical applications, the solubility parameters in various solvents were initially evaluated using experimental and theoretical approaches. In this frame, the study is aimed at presenting the background and steps of preliminary studies to validate the blends behavior for targeted application before being designed. Subsequently, the analysis of the behavior in aqueous dilute solution of HPMC/PVP blend offers information about the conformational modifications and interactions manifested in system depending on the structural characteristics of polymers (hydrophilicity, flexibility), polymer mixtures composition, and used solvent. Given this background, based on experimental and theoretical studies, knowledge of hydrodynamic parameters and analysis of the optimal compositions of polymer mixtures are essential for establishing the behavior of obtained materials and validation for most suitable applications. Additionally, to guarantee the quality and functionality of these composite materials in the targeted applications, e.g., biomedical or environmental, the choice of a suitable solvent played an important role.

Synthesis and Macrocyclization-Induced Emission Enhancement of Benzothiadiazole-based Macrocycle

We presented a novel strategy for the improvement of luminophore’s solid-state emission, i.e., macrocyclization-induced emission enhancement (MIEE), by linking luminophores through C(sp3) bridges to give a macrocycle. Benzothiadiazole-based macrocycle (BT-LC) has been synthesized by a one-step condensation of the monomer 4,7-bis(2,4-dimethoxyphenyl)-2,1,3-benzothiadiazole (BT-M) with paraformaldehyde, catalyzed by Lewis acid. BT-LC shows strong emission in both dilute solution and aggregated state. Moreover, in comparison with the monomer, macrocycle BT-LC produces much more intense fluorescence in the solid state (ΦPL=99%) and exhibits better device performance in the application of OLEDs. The MIEE can be ascribed to the restriction of intramolecular motion and the alleviation of the concentration quenching by the macrocyclic topological structure.

Conductivity Mechanism of Ion–DNA Interaction in Dilute Solution

In this paper, we propose an impurity scattering model of quasi-one-dimensional disordered system for ion–DNA interaction in dilute solution based on the density of state in non-periodic DNA. This disordered system is composed of cations and DNA, the hydrogen ions adsorbed on the surface of DNA with negative charges are considered as impurities. It is hydrogen ions in hydration layer that cause the variations of the density of state near the Fermi level. The classical theory describes the linear dependence of conductivity on concentration. By developing the Green function approach of ion–DNA interaction in the dilute solution, the quantum theory not only gives the linear part but also demonstrates the nonlinear part of the conductivity.