Efficient Mercury Capture Using Functionalized Porous Organic Polymer.

The primary challenge in materials design and synthesis is achieving the balance between performance and economy for real-world application. This issue is addressed by creating a thiol functionalized porous organic polymer (POP) using simple free radical polymerization techniques to prepare a cost-effective material with a high density of chelating sites designed for mercury capture and therefore environmental remediation. The resulting POP is able to remove aqueous and airborne mercury with uptake capacities of 1216 and 630 mg g , respectively.

A ZnO nanowire bio-hybrid solar cell.

Harvesting solar energy as a carbon free source can be a promising solution to the energy crisis and environmental pollution. Biophotovoltaics seek to mimic photosynthesis to harvest solar energy and to take advantage of the low material costs, negative carbon footprint, and material abundance. In the current study, we report on a combination of zinc oxide (ZnO) nanowires with monolayers of photosynthetic reaction centers which are self-assembled, via a cytochrome c linker, as photoactive electrode.

Advanced Photoemission Spectroscopy Investigations Correlated with DFT Calculations on the Self-Assembly of 2D Metal Organic Frameworks Nano Thin Films.

Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) deposited from solution have the potential to form 2-dimensional supramolecular thin films suitable for molecular electronic applications. However, the main challenges lie in achieving selective attachment to the substrate surface, and the integration of organic conductive ligands into the MOF structure to achieve conductivity. The presented results demonstrate that photoemission spectroscopy combined with preparation in a system-attached glovebox can be used to characterize the electronic structure of such systems.

Enhanced simulation of an RF ion funnel including gas turbulence.

Electrodynamic ion funnels are used to enhance the transmission of ions in electrospray-based ion injection systems in 0.1 to 30 Torr pressure range. Jet disrupters are commonly employed to prevent droplets and high pressure jets from entering subsequent vacuum regions.

Orbital line-up at poly[2-methoxy-5-(2'-ethylhexyloxy)-p-phenylene vinylene] (MEH-PPV)/poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT) heterojunction.

The poly[2-methoxy-5-(2'-ethylhexyloxy)-p-phenylene vinylene] (MEH-PPV)/poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT) heterojunction was investigated by photoemission spectroscopy. The orbital line-up at the MEH-PPV/P3HT heterojunction was determined based on the data of X-ray and ultra-violet photoemission measurements. The results were discussed with reference to the Induced Density of Interface States (IDIS) and integer charge transfer models.

Experimental determination of the charge neutrality level of poly[2-methoxy-5-(2'-ethylhexyloxy)-p-phenylene vinylene] (MEH-PPV).

The charge neutrality level (CNL) of poly[2-methoxy-5-(2'-ethylhexyloxy)-p-phenylene vinylene] (MEH-PPV) was determined. This was achieved by measuring the hole injection barrier at the MEH-PPV/Al interface with X-ray and ultraviolet photoemission spectroscopies in combination with in situ multistep electrospray-based thin film deposition. This deposition technique allows the deposition of polymers into a vacuum environment from solution, preventing significant contamination of the interface.

Determination of the charge neutrality level of poly(3-hexylthiophene).

The Al/poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT) and Ag/P3HT interfaces were investigated using photoemission spectroscopy in combination with in situ thin-film deposition. The P3HT thin films were deposited directly into high vacuum from solution on the two metal substrates using an electrospray system and characterized via photoemission spectroscopy. The electronic structure and charge injection barriers at these interfaces were determined from the evaluation of the resulting spectra sequences.

A one pot organic/CdSe nanoparticle hybrid material synthesis with in situ π-conjugated ligand functionalization.

A one pot method for organic/colloidal CdSe nanoparticle hybrid material synthesis is presented. Relative to traditional ligand exchange processes, these materials require smaller amounts of the desired capping ligand, shorter syntheses and fewer processing steps, while maintaining nanoparticle morphology.

Antibody immobilization using pneumatic spray: comparison with the avidin-biotin bridge immobilization method.

The formation of a thin antibody film on a glass surface using pneumatic spray was investigated as a potential immobilization technique for capturing pathogenic targets. Goat-Escherichia coli O157:H7 IgG films were made by pneumatic spray and compared against the avidin-biotin bridge immobilized films by assaying with green fluorescent protein (GFP) transformed E. coli O157:H7 cells and fluorescent reporter antibodies.

Charge transfer through modified peptide nucleic acids.

We studied the charge transfer properties of bipyridine-modified peptide nucleic acid (PNA) in the absence and presence of Zn(II). Characterization of the PNA in solution showed that Zn(II) interacts with the bipyridine ligands, but the stability of the duplexes was not affected significantly by the binding of Zn(II). The charge transfer properties of these molecules were examined by electrochemistry for self-assembled monolayers of ferrocene-terminated PNAs and by conductive probe atomic force microscopy for cysteine-terminated PNAs.