Isomerism tunes the diradical character of difluorenopyrroles at constant Hückel-level anti-aromaticity.

A new diradical based on diindenocarbazole or difluorenopyrrole was synthesized and experimentally characterized by optical, electrochemical, and magnetic techniques, as well as quantum chemical calculations. The isomerism of these structures tunes the diradical character and the associated properties, representing a unique case of such important modulation. A full study of the electronic structure was carried out considering the perturbative interactions between different canonical forms as well as the anti-aromatic character of the molecular cores.

Oriented growth of stacking α-cobalt hydroxide salt continuous films and their topotactic-like transformation to oriented mesoporous films of CoO and CoO.

Mesoporous metal oxide films composed of nanocrystal assemblies with an aligned crystallographic orientation are key nanostructures for efficient interfacial reactions; however, the development of a simple and versatile method for their formation on substrates still constitutes a challenge. Here we report the template-free centimetre-scale formation of novel cobalt oxide films of CoO and CoO with a [111]-oriented mesoporous structure starting from stacking cobalt hydroxide continuous films. The cobalt hydroxide precursor is formed electrochemically on conductive substrates from a Co(NO) aqueous solution at room temperature.

Arrangement of water molecules and high proton conductivity of tunnel structure phosphates, KMg H (PO)·HO.

A fast proton conductor was investigated in a mixed-valence system of phosphates with a combination of large cations (K) and small cations (Mg), which resulted in a new phase with a tunnel structure suitable for proton conduction. KMg H (PO)·HO was synthesized by a coprecipitation method. A solid solution formed in the range of = 0-0.

Microcapsules fabricated from liquid marbles stabilized with latex particles.

Millimeter- and centimeter-sized "liquid marbles" were readily prepared by rolling water droplets on a powder bed of dried submicrometer-sized polystyrene latex particles carrying poly[2-(diethylamino)ethyl methacrylate] hairs (PDEA-PS). Scanning electron microscopy studies indicated that flocs of the PDEA-PS particles were adsorbed at the surface of these water droplets, leading to stable spherical liquid marbles. The liquid marbles were deformed as a result of water evaporation to adopt a deflated spherical geometry, and the rate of water evaporation decreased with increasing atmospheric relative humidity.

Hydroxyapatite nanoparticles as particulate emulsifier: fabrication of hydroxyapatite-coated biodegradable microspheres.

Hydroxyapatite (HAp) nanoparticle-coated micrometer-sized poly(l-lactic acid) (PLLA) microspheres were fabricated via a "Pickering-type" emulsion route in the absence of any molecular surfactants. Stable oil-in-water emulsions were prepared using 40 nm HAp nanoparticles as a particulate emulsifier and a dichloromethane (CH(2)Cl(2)) solution of PLLA as an oil phase. It was clarified that the interaction between carbonyl/carboxylic acid groups of PLLA and the HAp nanoparticles at the CH(2)Cl(2)-water interface played a crucial role to prepare the stable Pickering-type emulsion.