Effects of functional groups of polyfluoroalkyl substances on their removal by nanofiltration.

Determining the reliability of nanofiltration (NF) membranes for the removal of contaminants of emerging concern, including polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs), pharmaceuticals, and personal care products (PPCPs), is important for ensuring drinking water safety. This study aimed to clarify the factors that influence the removal of nine major PFASs during submerged NF treatment via extrapolation based on the factors that influence PPCP removal. The rejection of nine PFASs in ultra-filtered dam water by a polypiperazine-amide (NF270) membrane increased from 71 % to 94 % at a low permeate flux of 5 L/m h as the PFAS molecular dimensions increased.

Determination Method of Diffusion Coefficient in a Neat Redox-Active Ionic Liquid at a Microdisk Electrode in the Domains Ranging from the Steady-State to Potentiodynamic Near-Steady-State.

In redox-active ionic liquids (RAILs), either or both of the constituent ions are redox-active. Because of the high concentration of the ions, RAILs exhibit not only ion conduction but also electron conduction through the bimolecular electron self-exchange reaction. Because neat RAILs do not contain any supporting electrolyte, migration of the redox active ions results in enhancement or diminishment of the redox current at an electrode.

A redox-active ionic liquid manifesting charge-transfer interaction between a viologen and carbazole and its effect on the viscosity, ionic conductivity, and redox process of the viologen.

Redox-active ionic liquids (RAILs) are gaining attention as a material that can create a wide range of functions. We herein propose a charge-transfer (CT) RAIL by mixing two RAILs, specifically a carbazole-based ionic liquid ([CzCImC][TFSI]) as a donor and a viologen-based ionic liquid ([CVC][TFSI]) as an acceptor. We investigated the effect of CT interaction on the physicochemical properties of the CT ionic liquid (CT-IL) using the results of temperature-dependent measurements of UV-vis absorption, viscosity, and ionic conductivity as well as cyclic voltammograms.

Effects of a Tailored Brief Behavioral Therapy Application on Insomnia Severity and Social Disabilities Among Workers With Insomnia in Japan: A Randomized Clinical Trial.

Importance: According to the stepped-care model, there is a medium to large effect size for using cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia that is delivered digitally, such as a smartphone application. However, it has been reported that studies using fully automated cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia applications without expert support have high dropout rates.

Objective: To examine the effects of using a fully automated and individually tailored brief behavior therapy for insomnia (BBTI) applications for 2 weeks on insomnia-related symptoms, social disabilities, and work productivity among workers with insomnia in Japan.

Electrochromism of Ferrocene- and Viologen-Based Redox-Active Ionic Liquids Composite.

Redox-active ionic liquids (RAILs) require no other additional reagents such as solvent and supporting electrolyte for electrochemical reactions under undiluted condition. Viologen-based RAILs are one of the electrochromic (EC) ionic liquids with sharp color contrast and high chemical stability. An operation of an EC cell requires two electroactive elements, an EC material and a charge compensating material.

Electrochromism of a bipolar reversible redox-active ferrocene-viologen linked ionic liquid.

A ferrocene-viologen linked "bipolar" type redox-active ionic liquid ([FcCVC][TFSI]) was synthesized as an electrochromic (EC) material that functions without any other additives: solvents, supporting electrolytes and sacrificial agents. The efficiency of a prototype symmetrical EC cell was 70 cm C at 1.0 V.

Separation of semiconducting single-walled carbon nanotubes by using a long-alkyl-chain benzenediazonium compound.

We designed and synthesized 4-dodecyloxybenzenediazonium tetrafluoroborate (1), which preferentially reacts with metallic single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) by kinetic control. We first determined the suitable experimental conditions for the preferential reaction of 1 with individually dissolved SWNTs by monitoring the decrease in absorbance for the metallic SWNT in the range of 400-650 nm in the absorption spectrum of the SWNTs. The reacted SWNTs were thoroughly rinsed with THF to obtain THF-insoluble SWNTs.

Self-assembled aggregates and molecular bilayer films of a double-chain fullerene lipid: structure and electrochemistry.

The self-aggregation behavior of C60 fullerenes that bear two octadecyl chains (lipid 1) as well as the structures and electrochemical properties of cast films of 1 are described. We also examined the self-aggregation behavior in organic solvents of three previously reported compounds: C60 with three each of hexadecyl (lipid 2), tetradecyl (lipid 3), or dodecyl (lipid 4) chains. The fullerene lipids in alcohols spontaneously formed spherical aggregates, whose diameters are related to the alkyl-chain lengths, concentrations of the fullerene lipids, and the solvent polarity.

Construction and electrochemistry of Langmuir-Blodgett films of fullerene lipid composite/hybrid materials.

Studies of the electrochemistry of Langmuir-Blodgett (LB) films of C70/artificial lipids including tridodecylmethylammonium bromide (3C12N+Br-, 1), didodecylphosphate (2C12PO4H, 2), and dioleoylphosphatidylcholine (DOPC, 3) and of LB films of a fullerene lipid (4) bearing triple alkyl chains on a C60 moiety on electrodes were carried out in aqueous media. Stable Langmuir monolayers of fullerene C70/artificial lipid composites and the fullerene lipid (4) were formed at the air-water interface and these monolayers were transferred onto electrodes as LB films. Here, we focus on the importance of cationic matrix lipid films to the facile electrochemistry of C70 embedded in a LB film of cationic lipids on an electrode in aqueous media.

Helical superstructures of fullerene peapods and empty single-walled carbon nanotubes formed in water.

Aqueous dispersions of fullerene C70-filled carbon nanotubes (C70@SWNTs or peapods) and empty single-walled carbon nanotubes (empty SWNTs) were prepared with the aid of trimethyl-(2-oxo-2-pyrene-1-yl-ethyl)-ammonium bromide (1), which is a carbon nanotube solubilizer. This is the first report describing the preparation and characterization of the transparent dispersion/dissolution of the peapods. The UV-vis-near-IR spectra of C70@SWNTs-1 and empty SWNTs-1 were almost identical.

Soluble carbon nanotubes and their applications.

Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) have been the forefront of nanoscience and nanotechnology due to their unique electrical and mechanical properties and specific functions. However, due to their poor solubility in solvents, the applications using the materials have been limited. Therefore, strategic approaches toward the solubilization of CNTs are important in wide fields including chemistry, physics, biochemistry, biology, pharmaceuticals, and medical sciences.

Solubilization of single-walled carbon nanotubes by using polycyclic aromatic ammonium amphiphiles in water--strategy for the design of high-performance solubilizers.

We describe the design of polycyclic aromatic compounds with high performance that dissolve single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs). Synthetic amphiphiles trimethyl-(2-oxo-2-phenylethyl)-ammonium bromide (1) and trimethyl-(2-naphthalen-2-yl-2-oxo-ethyl)-ammonium bromide (2) carrying a phenyl or a naphtyl moiety were not able to dissolve/disperse SWNTs in water. By contrast, trimethyl-(2-oxo-2-phenanthren-9-yl-ethyl)-ammonium bromide (3) solubilized SWNTs, although the solubilization ability was lower than that of trimethyl-(2-oxo-2-pyrene-1-yl-ethyl)-ammonium bromide (4) (solubilization behavior observed by using 4 was described briefly in reference 4a).

A multi-mode-driven molecular shuttle: photochemically and thermally reactive azobenzene rotaxanes.

The shuttling process of alpha-CyD in three rotaxanes (1-3) containing alpha-cyclodextrin (alpha-CyD) as a ring, azobenzene as a photoactive group, viologen as an energy barrier for slipping of the ring, and 2,4-dinitrobenzene as a stopper was investigated. The trans-cis photoisomerization of 1 by UV light irradiation occurred in both DMSO and water due to the movement of alpha-CyD toward the ethylene group, while the photoisomerization of 2 occurred in DMSO, but not in water. No photoisomerization was observed for 3 in both water and DMSO.

Electrochemical fabrication of single-walled carbon nanotubes-DNA complexes by poly(ethylenedioxythiophene) and photocurrent generation by excitation of an intercalated chromophore.

It was found that single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) solubilized into water by complexation with DNA (salmon testes) can be readily deposited on the ITO electrode by electrochemical oxidative polymerization of ethylenedioxythiophene (EDOT). The driving force for this novel deposition is an electrostatic interaction between the anionic charges of wrapping DNA and the cationic charges of poly(EDOT) formed in the oxidative polymerization process. The presence of poly(EDOT), SWNTs and DNA in the composite was confirmed by measurements of UV-Vis, IR, resonance Raman spectra, cyclic voltammetry (CV) and confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM).

Structure and electrochemistry of self-organized fullerene-lipid bilayer films.

The unique properties of C(60)-bearing artificial lipids with three C(16) (lipid 1), C(14) (lipid 2), or C(12) (lipid 3) alkyl chains have been characterized by a variety of techniques, including (13)C NMR, UV/Vis, and FT-IR spectroscopies, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), X-ray diffraction, and electrochemistry. The (13)C NMR and UV/Vis spectra show that the lipids 1-3 have a closed aziridine structure at a 6/6-ring junction of C(60). The DSC data reveal that cast films of 1 exhibit two endothermic peaks at temperature ranges of 35-40 degrees C (main transition) and 47-49 degrees C (subtransition) in air, water, and 0.

A Fullerene/Lipid Electrode Device: Reversible Electron Transfer Reaction of C Embedded in a Cast Film of an Artificial Ammonium Lipid on an Electrode in Aqueous Solution.

Two reversible one-electron transfers are observed for an electrode device made from C and an artificial lipid (see schematic drawing). Cyclic voltammetric studies reveal that the redox couples are unchanged even after 50 cycles, thus indicating that the C radical monoanion and the C dianion generated in aqueous solution are very stable.