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Now showing 1 - 10 of 45
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    Nanometer-resolved mechanical properties around GaN crystal surface steps
    (Frankfurt, M. : Beilstein-Institut zur Förderung der Chemischen Wissenschaften, 2014) Buchwald, J.; Sarmanova, M.; Rauschenbach, B.; Mayr, S.G.
    The mechanical properties of surfaces and nanostructures deviate from their bulk counterparts due to surface stress and reduced dimensionality. Experimental indentation-based techniques present the challenge of measuring these effects, while avoiding artifacts caused by the measurement technique itself. We performed a molecular dynamics study to investigate the mechanical properties of a GaN step of only a few lattice constants step height and scrutinized its applicability to indentation experiments using a finite element approach (FEM). We show that the breakdown of half-space symmetry leads to an "artificial" reduction of the elastic properties of comparable lateral dimensions which overlays the effect of surface stress. Contact resonance atomic force microscopy (CR-AFM) was used to compare the simulation results with experiments.
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    Coordination chemistry and photoswitching of dinuclear macrocyclic cadmium-, nickel-, and zinc complexes containing azobenzene carboxylato co-ligands
    (Frankfurt, Main : Beilstein-Institut zur Förderung der Chemischen Wissenschaften, 2019) Klose, Jennifer; Severin, Tobias; Hahn, Peter; Jeremies, Alexander; Bergmann, Jens; Fuhrmann, Daniel; Griebel, Jan; Abel, Bernd; Kersting, Berthold
    The synthesis of mixed-ligand complexes of the type [M2L(μ-L')]+, where L represents a 24-membered macrocyclic hexaaza-dithiophenolate ligand, L' is an azobenzene carboxylate co-ligand, and M = Cd(II), Ni(II) or Zn(II), is reported. A series of new complexes were synthesized, namely [M2L(μ-L')]+ (L' = azo-H, M = Cd (1), Ni (2); L' = azo-OH, M = Zn (3), Ni (4); L' = azo-NMe2, M = Zn (5), Cd (6), Ni (7); L' = azo-CO2Me, M = Cd (8), Ni (9)), and characterized by elemental analysis, electro-spray ionization mass spectrometry (ESIMS), IR, UV–vis and NMR spectroscopy (for diamagnetic Zn and Cd complexes) and X-ray single crystal structure analysis. The crystal structures of 3' and 5–8 display an isostructural series of compounds with bridging azobenzene carboxylates in the trans form. The paramagnetic Ni complexes 2, 4 and 7 reveal a weak ferromagnetic exchange interaction with magnetic exchange coupling constant values between 21 and 23 cm−1 (H = −2JS1S2). Irradiation of 1 with λ = 365 nm reveals a photoisomerization of the co-ligand from the trans to the cis form. © 2019 Klose et al.
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    Plasma-assisted synthesis and high-resolution characterization of anisotropic elemental and bimetallic core-shell magnetic nanoparticles
    (Frankfurt, M. : Beilstein-Institut zur Förderung der Chemischen Wissenschaften, 2014) Hennes, M.; Lotnyk, A.; Mayr, S.G.
    Magnetically anisotropic as well as magnetic core-shell nanoparticles (CS-NPs) with controllable properties are highly desirable in a broad range of applications. With this background, a setup for the synthesis of heterostructured magnetic core-shell nanoparticles, which relies on (optionally pulsed) DC plasma gas condensation has been developed. We demonstrate the synthesis of elemental nickel nanoparticles with highly tunable sizes and shapes and Ni@Cu CS-NPs with an average shell thickness of 10 nm as determined with scanning electron microscopy, high-resolution transmission electron microscopy and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy measurements. An analytical model that relies on classical kinetic gas theory is used to describe the deposition of Cu shell atoms on top of existing Ni cores. Its predictive power and possible implications for the growth of heterostructured NP in gas condensation processes are discussed.
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    Dinuclear lanthanide complexes supported by a hybrid salicylaldiminato/calix[4]arene-ligand: Synthesis, structure, and magnetic and luminescence properties of (HNEt3)[Ln2(HL)(L)] (Ln = SmIII, EuIII, GdIII, TbIII)
    (London : Soc., 2019) Ullmann, Steve; Hahn, Peter; Blömer, Laura; Mehnert, Anne; Laube, Christian; Abel, Bernd; Kersting, Berthold
    The synthesis, structures, and properties of a new calix[4]arene ligand with an appended salicylaldimine unit (H4L = 25-[2-((2-methylphenol)imino)ethoxy]-26,27,28-trihydroxy-calix[4]arene) and four lanthanide complexes (HNEt3)[Ln2(HL)(L)] (Ln = SmIII (4), EuIII (5), GdIII (6), and TbIII (7)) are reported. X-ray crystallographic analysis (for 4 and 6) reveals an isostructural series of dimeric complexes with a triply-bridged NO3Ln(μ-O)2(OH⋯O)LnO3N core and two seven coordinated lanthanide ions. According to UV-vis spectrometric titrations in MeCN and ESI-MS the dimeric nature is maintained in solution. The apparent stability constants range between logK = 5.8 and 6.3. The appended salicylaldimines sensitize EuIII and TbIII emission (λexc 311 nm) in the solid state or immersed in a polycarbonate glass at 77 K (for 5, 7) and at 295 K (for 7). © The Royal Society of Chemistry 2019.
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    KLaF4 nanocrystallisation in oxyfluoride glass-ceramics
    (Cambridge : RSC, 2013) De Pablos-Martín, A.; Muñoz, F.; Mather, G.C.; Patzig, C.; Bhattacharyya, S.; Jinschek, J.R.; Höche, T.; Durán, A.; Pascual, M.J.
    Nanocrystallisation of the cubic and hexagonal polymorphs of KLaF 4 in a 70SiO2-7Al2O3-16K 2O-7LaF3 (mol%) glass has been achieved by heat treatment above the glass transition temperature. For treatment at 580°C, only the cubic structure crystallises, with a maximum crystallite size of ~9 nm. At higher temperatures, crystallisation of the hexagonal structure also takes place. The crystallisation process has been analysed using several thermal and structural techniques and is revealed to occur from a constant number of nuclei. The formation of a viscous barrier which inhibits further crystal growth and limits the crystal size to the nanometric range is observed. The title materials doped with lanthanide ions may be good candidates for optical applications.
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    Polyoxometalates as components of supramolecular assemblies
    (Cambridge : RSC, 2019) Stuckart, Maria; Monakhov, Kirill Yu.
    The non-covalent interaction of polyoxometalates (POMs) with inorganic- or organic-based moieties affords hybrid assemblies with specific physicochemical properties that are of high interest for both fundamental and applied studies, including the discovery of conceptually new compounds and unveiling the impact of their intra-supramolecular relationships on the fields of catalysis, molecular electronics, energy storage and medicine. This minireview summarises the recent advances in the synthetic strategies towards the formation of such non-covalent POM-loaded assemblies, shedding light on their key properties and the currently investigated applications. Four main emerging categories according to the nature of the conjugate are described: (i) POMs in metal-organic frameworks, (ii) POMs merged with cationic metal complexes, (iii) architectures generated with solely POM units and (iv) POMs assembled with organic molecular networks. © 2019 The Royal Society of Chemistry.
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    Davydov splitting and singlet fission in excitonically coupled pentacene dimers
    (Cambridge : RSC, 2019) Basel, Bettina Sabine; Hetzer, Constantin; Zirzlmeier, Johannes; Thiel, Dominik; Guldi, Rebecca; Hampel, Frank; Kahnt, Axel; Clark, Timothy; Guldi, Dirk Michael; Tykwinski, Rik R.
    Singlet fission (SF) allows two charges to be generated from the absorption of a single photon and is, therefore, potentially transformative toward improving solar energy conversion. Key to the present study of SF is the design of pentacene dimers featuring a xanthene linker that strictly places two pentacene chromophores in a rigid arrangement and, in turn, enforces efficient, intramolecular π-overlap that mimics interactions typically found in condensed state (e.g., solids, films, etc.). Inter-chromophore communication ensures Davydov splitting, which plays an unprecedented role toward achieving SF in pentacene dimers. Transient absorption measurements document that intramolecular SF evolves upon excitation into the lower Davydov bands to form a correlated triplet pair at cryogenic temperature. At room temperature, the two spin-correlated triplets, one per pentacene moiety within the dimers, are electronically coupled to an excimer state. The presented results are transferable to a broad range of acene morphologies including aggregates, crystals, and films. © 2019 The Royal Society of Chemistry.
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    Towards efficient initiators for two-photon induced polymerization: Fine tuning of the donor/acceptor properties
    (Cambridge : Royal Society of Chemistry, 2019) Holzer, Brigitte; Lunzer, Markus; Rosspeintner, Arnulf; Licari, Giuseppe; Tromayer, Maximilian; Naumov, Sergej; Lumpi, Daniel; Horkel, Ernst; Hametner, Christian; Ovsianikov, Aleksandr; Liska, Robert; Vauthey, Eric; Fröhlich, Johannes
    In this work we present the design, synthesis and systematic investigation of the optical properties of symmetric triphenylamine (TPA)-substituted thiophenes. The use of electron-donating (-OMe, -tBu, -Me, -TMS), -neutral (-H) or -withdrawing (-F, -CN, -SO2Me) substituents gives rise to D-A-D based two-photon absorption (2PA) chromophores. The photophysical properties of these compounds, including one-photon absorption and 2PA using two-photon-excited fluorescence, were investigated in different organic solvents with varying polarity. The maximum 2PA cross sections prove to be strongly dependent on the nature of the TPA substituent and range between ~173 GM (Goeppert-Mayer units) and 379 GM. Although most of the investigated substances also exhibit high fluorescence quantum yields, two-photon absorption screening tests of an acrylate monomer formulation revealed the efficiency of these materials as 2PA photoinitiators. These results are supported by quantum chemical calculations of the spin density distribution indicating that the mechanism of polymerization initiation using acrylate monomer is favored by strong localization of the unpaired electrons in the triplet state on the C2 carbon of the thiophene moiety. © 2019 The Royal Society of Chemistry.
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    Electron beam-induced immobilization of laccase on porous supports for waste water treatment applications
    (Basel : MDPI AG, 2014) Jahangiri, E.; Reichelt, S.; Thomas, I.; Hausmann, K.; Schlosser, D.; Schulze, A.
    The versatile oxidase enzyme laccase was immobilized on porous supports such as polymer membranes and cryogels with a view of using such biocatalysts in bioreactors aiming at the degradation of environmental pollutants in wastewater. Besides a large surface area for supporting the biocatalyst, the aforementioned porous systems also offer the possibility for simultaneous filtration applications in wastewater treatment. Herein a "green" water-based, initiator-free, and straightforward route to highly reactive membrane and cryogel-based bioreactors is presented, where laccase was immobilized onto the porous polymer supports using a water-based electron beam-initiated grafting reaction. In a second approach, the laccase redox mediators 2,2′-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulphonic acid) (ABTS) and syringaldehyde were cross-linked instead of the enzyme via electron irradiation in a frozen aqueous poly(acrylate) mixture in a one pot set-up, yielding a mechanical stable macroporous cryogel with interconnected pores ranging from 10 to 50 μm in size. The membranes as well as the cryogels were characterized regarding their morphology, chemical composition, and catalytic activity. The reactivity towards waste-water pollutants was demonstrated by the degradation of the model compound bisphenol A (BPA). Both membrane- and cryogel-immobilized laccase remained highly active after electron beam irradiation. Apparent specific BPA removal rates were higher for cryogel-than for membrane-immobilized and free laccase, whereas membrane-immobilized laccase was more stable with respect to maintenance of enzymatic activity and prevention of enzyme leakage from the carrier than cryogel-immobilized laccase. Cryogel-immobilized redox mediators remained functional in accelerating the laccase-catalyzed BPA degradation, and especially ABTS was found to act more efficiently in immobilized than in freely dissolved state.
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    Incorporation of nitrogen into TiO2 thin films during PVD processes
    (Bristol : Institute of Physics Publishing, 2014) Asenova, I.; Manova, D.; Mändl, S.
    In this paper we investigate the possibility of incorporating nitrogen into amorphous, photocatalytic TiO2 thin films, prepared at room temperature, during the growth process. The aim is to reduce the bandgap of the UV active thin films. Physical vapor deposition experiments employing a titanium vacuum arc with gas backfill ranging from pure oxygen to pure nitrogen, are carried out. The resulting films are characterized for chemical composition, phase composition, optical properties and hydrophilicity in order to determine a correlation between gas composition and thin film properties. The experimental results point that a visible change in the band structure of the deposited layers is achieved.