Luminescent -Iridium(III) Complex Based on a Bis(6,7-dimethoxy-3,4-dihydroisoquinoline) Platform Featuring an Unusual cis Orientation of the CN Ligands: From a Theoretical Approach to a Deep Red LEEC Device.

By pursuing the strategy of manipulating natural compounds to obtain functional materials, in this work, we report on the synthesis and characterization of a luminescent cationic iridium complex (-), designed starting from the catecholic neurotransmitter dopamine, exhibiting the unusual cis arrangement of the CN ligands. Through an integrated experimental and theoretical approach, it was possible to delineate the optoelectronic properties of -. In detail, (a) a series of absorption maxima in the range 300-400 nm was assigned to metal-to-ligand charge transfer and weak and broad absorption maxima at longer wavelengths (400-500 nm) were ascribable to spin-forbidden transitions with a mixed character; (b) there was an intense red phosphorescence with emission set in the range 580-710 nm; and (c) a highest occupied molecular orbital was mainly localized on the metal and the 2-phenylpiridine ligand and a lowest unoccupied molecular orbital was localized on the NN ligand, with a Δ set at 2.

Sustainable, Fluorine-Free, Low Cost and Easily Processable Materials for Hydrophobic Coatings on Flexible Plastic Substrates.

Zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnONPs) and stearic acid are herein used for the preparation of hydrophobic coatings with good moisture barrier property on flexible plastic substrates. Fast, high throughput, mild and easy-to-run processing techniques, like airbrushing and gravure printing, are applied for thin films deposition of these materials. The results of this study indicated that the best hydrophobic coating in terms of water contact angle (115°) is obtained through a two-steps printing deposition of a ZnONPs layer followed by a stearic acid layer.

Evidence of Unprecedented High Electronic Conductivity in Mammalian Pigment Based Eumelanin Thin Films After Thermal Annealing in Vacuum.

Melanin denotes a variety of mammalian pigments, including the dark electrically conductive eumelanin and the reddish, sulfur-containing, pheomelanin. Organic (bio)electronics is showing increasing interests in eumelanin exploitation, e.g.

Evaluation of the PMMA microlens efficiency for the realization of a solar micro-concentrator array.

In order to assess the performance of solar micro-concentrators, specific methods and protocols need to be developed, tested, and applied. In detail, as in conventional concentration modules, one of the fundamental parameters to consider is the efficiency of optical concentrators. In fact, optical concentrators give fundamental information on the current potentially generated from solar microcells that receive the concentrated light radiation.

End-of-Waste SiC-Based Flexible Substrates with Tunable Electrical Properties for Electronic Applications.

We demonstrated the suitability of polymer composites filled with silicon carbide (SiC) powders derived from a recycling process for applications in electronic devices manufacturing. SiC powders have been synthesized from the process byproducts and used as fillers in the formulation of polystyrene (PS)/SiC composites, which have been used in the preparation of substrates using the solution-casting technique. Different substrates have been prepared by changing the concentration of SiC in the composite in the range from 6.