Dithienonaphthobisthiadiazole synthesized by thienannulation of electron-deficient rings: an acceptor building unit for high-performance π-conjugated polymers.

The development of building units for π-conjugated polymers is a driving force in advancing the field of organic electronics. In this study, we designed and synthesized dithienonaphthobisthiadiazole (TNT) as a thiophene-fused acceptor (A) building unit and two TNT-based π-conjugated polymers named PTNT2T and PTNT1-F. We found that the microwave-assisted thiophene annulation reaction (thienannulation) of arylethynylated naphthobisthiadiazole (NTz) C-H functionalization effectively produced TNT moieties.

Synthesis of indano[60]fullerene thioketone and its application in organic solar cells.

Evaporable indano[60]fullerene ketone (FIDO) was converted to indano[60]fullerene thioketone (FIDS) in high yield by using Lawesson's reagent. Three compounds with different substituents in position were successfully converted to the corresponding thioketones, showing that the reaction tolerates compounds with electron-donating and electron-withdrawing substituents. Computational studies with density functional theory revealed the unique vibrations of the thioketone group in FIDS.

Nanostructuring silica-iron core-shell particles in a one-step aerosol process.

Silica-coated iron (Fe@SiO) particles have attracted considerable interest as a potential powder core material due to their distinctive advantages, including higher magnetic saturation and enhanced electrical resistance. In this study, the submicron-sized core-shell Fe@SiO particles were successfully synthesized in a single step an aerosol process using a spray pyrolysis method assisted by a swirler connector for the first time. Changing the reducing agent concentration (supplied H) and tuning the number of core (Fe) particles were investigated to achieve the desired Fe@SiO particles.

Innovative surfactant-free synthesis of core-shell SiO/ZnO particles: rapid ultrasonication and photocatalytic inhibition.

This study demonstrates the preparation of SiO/ZnO core-shell nanoparticles with controllable shell size and their optical properties. A facile ultrasonication method was utilized to prepare the core-shell particles in the absence of surfactant materials. The synthesis duration was 75% shorter than that required for the common sol-gel method, which favours its potential applicability in the future for mass production.

Impact of multiple H/D replacements on the physicochemical properties of flurbiprofen.

Although deuterium incorporation into pharmaceutical drugs is an attractive way to expand drug modalities, their physicochemical properties have not been sufficiently examined. This study focuses on examining the changes in physicochemical properties between flurbiprofen (FP) and flurbiprofen- (FP-), which was successfully prepared by direct and multiple H/D exchange reactions at the eight aromatic C-H bonds of FP. Although the effect of deuterium incorporation was not observed between the crystal structures of FP and FP-, the melting point and heat of fusion of FP- were lower than those of FP.

Aqueous solutions with information on solids: room-temperature phosphorescence of polysaccharide-benzophenone complexes.

Benzophenone and its derivatives emit crystallization-induced phosphorescence despite their simple structures. To easily modify their phosphorescence properties, we prepared phosphorescence-emitting aqueous solutions of polysaccharide-benzophenone and polysaccharide-4,4'-difluorobenzophenone complexes, which exhibit excellent biocompatibility and biodegradability.

Fluorescent polymer films based on photo-induced electron transfer for visualizing water.

As fluorescent materials for visualization, detection, and quantification of a trace amount of water, we have designed and developed a PET (photo-induced electron transfer)-type fluorescent monomer SM-2 composed of methyl methacrylate-substituted anthracene fluorophore-(aminomethyl)-4-cyanophenylboronic acid pinacol ester (AminoMeCNPhenylBPin) and achieved preparation of a copolymer poly(SM-2--MMA) composed of SM-2 and methyl methacrylate (MMA). Both SM-2 and poly(SM-2--MMA) exhibited enhancement of the fluorescence emission with the increase in water content in various solvents (less polar, polar, protic, and aprotic solvents) due to the formation of the PET inactive (fluorescent) species SM-2a and poly(SM-2--MMA)a, respectively, by the interaction with water molecules. The detection limit (DL) of poly(SM-2--MMA) for water in the low water content region below 1.

Cyclodextrin-induced release of drug-entrapping liposomes associated with the solation of liposome gels.

In this work, we demonstrate that liposome gels in which liposomes are connected by polyethylene glycol terminated by cholesterol groups at both ends can store hydrophilic and hydrophobic drugs in the gel interiors, inner aqueous phases, and lipid membranes. The addition of cyclodextrins (CDxs) as extrinsic stimuli led to the release of drug-entrapping liposomes due to the interactions between CDxs and cholesteryl groups and/or the alkyl chains of lipids. The addition of aqueous solutions of β-CDx, dimethyl-β-CDx, trimethyl-β-CDx, and γ-CDx (final concentration: 7.

Mechanofluorochromism of (D-π-)A-type azine-based fluorescent dyes.

Bathochromic or hypsochromic shift-type mechanofluorochromism (b-MFC or h-MFC) was found for (D-π-)A-type azine-based fluorescent dyes OUY-2, OUK-2, and OUJ-2 possessing intramolecular charge-transfer (ICT) characteristics from two (diphenylamino)carbazole-thiophene units as D (electron-donating group)-π (π-conjugated bridge) moieties to a pyridine, pyrazine, or triazine ring as A (electron-withdrawing group): grinding of the recrystallized dyes induced red or blue shifts of the fluorescent colors, that is, bathochromic or hypsochromic shifts of the fluorescence maximum wavelengths (λ ). The degrees of MFC evaluated by the absolute value of differences (Δ ) in λ before and after grinding of the recrystallized dyes increased in the order of OUY-2 (+7 nm) < OUK-2 (-17 nm) < OUJ-2 (+45 nm), so that OUJ-2 exhibits obvious b-MFC, but OUK-2 exhibits h-MFC. X-ray powder diffraction (XRD) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) demonstrated that the recrystallized dyes were in the crystalline state but the ground dyes were in the amorphous state.

Photo-triggered cargo release from liposome chlorin e6-bearing pullulan hybrid nanoparticles membrane permeabilization.

A liposome chlorin e6-bearing pullulan nanogel hybrid was prepared as a light-triggered payload release platform. The current system enabled manipulation of the release profile of model drugs encapsulated by liposomes. Gelatin hydrogels that comprised hybrid nanoparticles could successfully control the delivery of cargo molecules to human mesenchymal stem cells with light stimuli without injury to the cells.

Solid-state nitrogen-doped carbon nanoparticles with tunable emission prepared by a microwave-assisted method.

Tunable emissive solid-state carbon nanoparticles (CNPs) have been successfully synthesized by a facile synthesis through microwave irradiation. Modulating microwave interaction with the sample to generate abrupt localized heating is a long-term challenge to tailor the photoluminescence properties of CNPs. This study systematically revealed that the sample temperature through microwave irradiation plays a crucial role in controlling the photoluminescence properties over other reaction conditions, such as irradiation time and microwave duty cycle.

Spherical submicron YAG:Ce particles with controllable particle outer diameters and crystallite sizes and their photoluminescence properties.

The purpose of this study was to demonstrate the preparation of spherical submicron YAG:Ce particles with controllable particle outer diameters and crystallite sizes and their photoluminescence (PL) properties, which were produced using a flame-assisted spray-pyrolysis method followed by the annealing process. The correlation of particle outer diameter, crystallite size, and PL performance of the prepared particles was also investigated. Experimental results showed that the increases in the particle outer diameters have an impact on the obtainment of higher PL performance.

Polymer films doped with fluorescent sensor for moisture and water droplet based on photo-induced electron transfer.

Anthracene-(aminomethyl)phenylboronic acid pinacol ester (AminoMePhenylBPin) OF-2 acts as a PET (photo-induced electron transfer)-type fluorescent sensor for determination of a trace amount of water: the addition of water to organic solvents containing OF-2 causes a drastic and linear enhancement of fluorescence emission as a function of water content, which is attributed to the suppression of PET. Indeed, detection limits (DLs) for OF-2 were as low as 0.01-0.

Synthesis, optical and electrochemical properties of 4,4'-bibenzo[]thiophene derivatives.

We designed and synthesized unsubstituted 4,4'-bibenzo[]thiophene 4,4'-BBT and its silyl-substituted derivatives 1,1'-Si-4,4'-BBT and 1,1',3,3'-Si-4,4'-BBT with one or two -butyldimethylsilyl groups on each thiophene ring, as new π-building blocks in emitters, photosensitizers and semiconductors for organic optoelectronic devices. The characterization of 4,4'-BBT, 1,1'-Si-4,4'-BBT and 1,1',3,3'-Si-4,4'-BBT was successfully determined by FTIR, H and C NMR measurements, high-resolution mass spectrometry (HRMS) analysis, photoabsorption and fluorescence spectroscopy, cyclic voltammetry (CV) and density functional theory (DFT) calculations. Moreover, a single-crystal X-ray structural analysis was successfully made for 1,1'-Si-4,4'-BBT and 1,1',3,3'-Si-4,4'-BBT.

Correction: Solid-state nitrogen-doped carbon nanoparticles with tunable emission prepared by a microwave-assisted method.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1039/D1RA07290K.].

Effect of HSO/HO pre-treatment on electrochemical properties of exfoliated graphite prepared by an electro-exfoliation method.

The effect of pre-treating graphite sheets in a HSO/HO solution before electro-exfoliation is reported. It was revealed that the volume fraction of HSO to HO during pre-treatment could control the degree of exfoliation of the resulting exfoliated graphite (EG). X-ray diffraction (XRD), Raman, and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy analyses have suggested that EG produced by first pre-treating the graphite sheet in HSO/HO solution with the HSO : HO volume fraction of 95 : 5 demonstrates the highest exfoliation degree.

Proton to hydride umpolung at a phosphonium center electron relay: a new strategy for main-group based water reduction.

Generation of dihydrogen from water splitting, also known as water reduction, is a key process to access a sustainable hydrogen economy for energy production and usage. The key step is the selective reduction of a protic hydrogen to an accessible and reactive hydride, which has proven difficult at a p-block element. Although frustrated Lewis pair (FLP) chemistry is well known for water activation by heterolytic H-OH bond cleavage, to the best of our knowledge, there has been only one case showing water reduction by metal-free FLP systems to date, in which silylene (Si) was used as the Lewis base.

Visible light-driven Giese reaction with alkyl tosylates catalysed by nucleophilic cobalt.

The scope of the Giese reaction is expanded using readily available alkyl tosylates as substrates and nucleophilic cobalt(i) catalysts under visible-light irradiation. The reaction proceeds preferentially with less bulky primary alkyl tosylates. This unique reactivity enables the regio-selective Giese reaction of polyol derivatives.

SiC mesoporous membranes for sulfuric acid decomposition at high temperatures in the iodine-sulfur process.

Inorganic microporous materials have shown promise for the fabrication of membranes with chemical stability and resistance to high temperatures. Silicon-carbide (SiC) has been widely studied due to its outstanding mechanical stability under high temperatures and its resistance to corrosion and oxidation. This study is the first to prepare mesoporous SiC membranes for use in sulphuric acid decomposition to achieve thermochemical water splitting in the iodine-sulfur process.

Development of optical sensor for water in acetonitrile based on propeller-structured BODIPY-type pyridine-boron trifluoride complex.

A propeller-structured 3,5,8-trithienyl-BODIPY-type pyridine-boron trifluoride complex, ST-3-BF, which has three units of 2-(pyridin-4-yl)-3-(thiophen-2-yl)acrylonitrile at the 3-, 5-, and 8-positions on the BODIPY skeleton, was designed and developed as an intramolecular charge transfer (ICT)-type optical sensor for the detection of a trace amount of water in acetonitrile. The characterization of ST-3-BF was successfully determined by FTIR, H and B NMR measurements, high-resolution mass spectrometry (HRMS) analysis, thermogravimetry-differential thermal analysis (TG-DTA), photoabsorption and fluorescence spectral measurements, and density functional theory (DFT) calculations. ST-3-BF showed a broad photoabsorption band in the range of 600 to 800 nm, which is assigned to the S → S transition of the BODIPY skeleton with the expanded π-conjugated system over the 2-(pyridin-4-yl)-3-(thiophen-2-yl)acrylonitrile units at the 3-, 5-, and 8-positions onto the BODIPY core.