A novel carbonized polydopamine (C‐PDA) adsorbent with high CO2 adsorption capacity and water vapor resistance

Novel carbonized polydopamine adsorbents (C‐PDAs) with high surface area, high CO₂ adsorption capacity and superior moisture resistance performance were prepared by one‐step synthesis method using polydopamine as carbon precursor at different KOH/C ratios, and then characterized. CO₂ and water vapor adsorption performances of C‐PDAs were examined separately by static adsorption and fixed‐bed experiments. Results showed that BET area and pore volume of C‐PDA‐4 were up to 3342 m²/g and 2.01 cm³/g, respectively. Its CO₂ adsorption capacity reached up to 30.5 mmol/g at 25 bar, much higher than many other adsorbents including metal‐organic frameworks (MOFs). C‐PDAs prepared with high KOH/C ratios had low surface element concentrations of O and N resulting in low surface hydrophilic property. H₂O(g) isotherm of C‐PDA was much lower than those on Mg‐MOF‐74, Cu‐BTC, and MIL‐101(Cr). Fixed‐bed experiments showed that co‐presence of water vapor in feed stream with 30% RH had negligible impact on CO₂ working capacity of C‐PDA. © 2016 American Institute of Chemical Engineers AIChE J, 62: 3730–3738, 2016     

Application of raman spectroscopy to monitor and quantify ethyl esters in soybean oil transesterification

Biodiesel (FA esters) has become very attractive as an alternative diesel fuel owing to its environmental benefits. Transesterification is the most usual and important method to make biodiesel from vegetable oils. This article investigates the potential for using Raman spectroscopy to monitor and quantify the transesterification of soybean oil to yield ethyl esters. The differences observed in the Raman spectra of soybean oil after transesterification were a peak at 2932 cm⁻¹ ( ), the displacement of the v _C=O band from 1748 to 1739 cm⁻¹, and the bands at 861 (v _R-C=O and v _C-C) and 372 cm⁻¹ (δ _CO-O-C). Uni- and multivariate analysis methods were used to build several analytical curves and then applied in known samples, treated as unknowns, to test their ability to predict concentrations. The best results were achieved by Raman/PLS calibration models (where PLS=partial least squares regression) using an internal normalization standard (v _=C-H band). The correlation coefficient (R ²) values so obtained were 0.9985 for calibration and 0.9977 for validation. Univariate regression analysis between biodiesel concentration and the increasing intensity of band or v _C=O displacement showed R ² values of 0.9983 and 0.9742, respectively. Although spectroscopic methods are less sensitive than chromatographic ones, the data obtained by spectroscopy can be correlated with other techniques, allowing biodiesel yield and quality to be quickly assessed.     

Thermal and spectroscopic properties of the polydiacetylene derived from docosa-10,12-diyne-1,22-diylbis(phenylacetate)

Polydiacetylene ( 2 ) of varying molecular weight has been formed by UV- or ⁶⁰Co γ-irradiation of the diacetylene PhCH₂CO₂(CH₂)₉-C?C? C?C(CH₂)₉O₂CCH₂Ph ( 3 ), with conversion of 30?>95%. Samples of ( 2 ) with differing physical properties have been studied, in the bulk phase, by CPMAS ¹³C NMR and VIS/UV spectroscopy and by DSC; complementary spectroscopic data on solutions of ( 2 ), including fluorescence studies, are also reported. Spectroscopic studies support the presence of an extended planar conjugated backbone in ‘as polymerised’ blue–black samples of ( 2 ), from which various forms of red-coloured polymer, with shorter conjugation lengths, can be obtained. Studies of the thermal behaviour indicate the existence of several differing thermal transitions for these materials and the results are discussed.     

Catalytic dehydrochlorination of the solid poly(vinyl chloride) in the presence of aluminium chloride (friedel-crafts) catalyst: Studies of the structure by spectroscopical methods

Catalytic dehydrochlorination (100%) of solid poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC) in the presence of AlCl₃ at 200°C gives a product which has a similar structure to the product of catalytic dehydrochlorination of 1,2-dichloroethane in the presence of AlCl₃ at 60°C. Both products have brown-black color, are completely insoluble, thermally resistant up to more than 400°C, and exhibit conductivities in the range 10^?6 S cm^?1 (after doping with FeCl₃ or I₂ conductivities: 10^?5 S cm^?1). Different spectroscopical methods such as UV/VIS, IR, Raman, ESCA, and ¹³C-NMR were employed to the structure study of both products, which are crosslinked polyenes with a number of aromatic rings.     

The specific volume of poly(4-methylpentene-1) as a function of temperature (30°–320°C) and pressure (0–2000 kg/cm2)

The dependence of the specific volume of a commercial sample of poly(4-methylpentene-1) (Mitsui TPX, RT-20, abbr. PMP) on temperature (30°–320°C) and pressure (0–2000 kg/cm²) has been determined. Results are reported in tabular form and as approximate fits, making use of the Tait equation. The data show that the crystalline melting transition of this type of PMP is completed at 235°C under zero pressure and gives indication of a glass transition temperature T_g at about 20°C at p = 0. Its approximate pressure dependence is given by dT_g/dp ≈ 0.015°C kg^?1 cm². The zero pressure results on the melting and glass transitions are in agreement with DTA results. The p-v-T data, quenching experiments, and a determination of the crystalline unit cell (tetragonal, a = b = 18.70 Å, c = 13.54 Å) confirm earlier work indicating that the room-temperature crystalline specific volume of PMP is greater than the amorphous specific volume. This unusual density behavior persists to a temperature of 50–60°C at p = 0 and to temperatures as high as 230–240°C under a pressure of 2000 kg/cm².     

Synthesis and properties of polydiacetylene-containing polyesters

A series of diacetylene-containing polyesters with number-average molar masses (GPC) in the range 900–4200 g mol⁻¹ were prepared from terephthaloyl chloride and hexa-2,4-diyne-1,6-diol using benzoyl chloride as a monofunctional reactant for control of molar mass. Degrees of crystallinity were estimated from WAXD to be up to 29%. Correlations between molar mass, melting behaviour, degree of crystallinity and thermal cross-polymerisation of diacetylene-containing polyesters have been established using hot-stage microscopy, DSC and resonance Raman spectroscopy. The polyester with M̄_n of 1264 g mol⁻¹ gave the best balance between processability and the ability to cross-polymerise efficiently. Its degree of crystallinity before cross-polymerisation was estimated from WAXD measurments to be 24%, a value coincident with the percentage conversion of diacetylene units to polydiacetylene chains measured by ¹³C solid-state NMR. The optimum conditions for compression moulding the polyester to produce a material with a strong Raman spectrum involved heating under vacuum at 120°C for 6h after an initial 3 h heat-up period. The material thus produced gave an intense Raman CC stretching band, which upon tensile deformation shifted linearly with strain to lower wavenumber by 12.0 cm⁻¹ %⁻¹. The potential use of the diacetylene-containing polyesters in the preparation of model blends for use in quantitative micromechanics studies of stress transfer between phases is briefly discussed.     

(N-Phenyl-aza-Krone)-ethenyl-acridine – Komplexbildende Chromoionophore und Vorstufen für tiefblau gefärbte Hemicyanine

(N-Phenyl-aza-crown)-ethenyl-acridines – Complexing Chromoionophores and Precursors for Deep Blue Coloured Hemicyanines Aromatic aldehyde derivatives of N-phenyl-aza-15-crown-5 and N-phenyl-aza-18-crown-6 ( 1a–b ) are condensed with 9-methylacridine to give yellow phenyl-ethenylacridine derivatives 3a–b which are reversibly converted by protonation into deep blue colored hemicyanines, Using 9,10-dimethylacridinium perchlorate in the condensation with the crown ether aldehyde 1 the blue hemicyanine 6 is directly obtained. UV/VIS absorption spectra of the basic/acidic forms of the acridine derivatives are presented. The complex formation of the crown ether derivatives with Na⁺ and K⁺ are studied using ¹H-NMR and UV/VIS spectroscopy.     

Electrochromism of novel triphenylamine-containing polyamide polymers

A series of novel polymers (coded as BCT-1 to BCT-6 (BTC is block triphenylamine)) based on N¹-(4-aminophenyl)-N¹-phenyl benzene-1,4-diamine, pyridine-2,6-dicarboxylic acid, 4,4′-(phenyl azanediyl)dibenzoic acid (PDA), and different diamine compounds were synthesized successfully through a polymer condensation reaction. For comparison, model polymers, BCT–2,6-pyridine dicarboxylic acid (PA) and BCT–PDA, were synthesized as well. The electrochromic properties of the BCTs were determined via an electrochemical workstation and a UV–visible spectrophotometer. Through electrooxidation, the polymer films showed reversible redox processes and steady color changes. In a comparision of the electrochromic characteristics of the BCTs, almost all the novel polymer films showed a better electrochromism stability, a higher electrochromic coloration efficiency (CE), and a more rapid switching time than BCT–PA and BCT–PDA. Among these polymers, BCT-1 exhibited the highest CE of 266.7 cm²/C, and BCT-4 showed the most rapid switching time (color switching time = 3.08 s and bleaching time = 2.01 s). © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2019 , 136, 47264.     

Synthesis of a diacetylene-containing polyisophthalate and its third-order nonlinear optical susceptibility

In order to obtain amorphous thin films of a polydiacetylene, a polyisophthalate containing a push–pull diacetylene chromophore was synthesized by the reaction of p-(N,N-diethanolamino)-p’-nitrodiphenylbutadiyne with isophthaloyl chloride in anhydrous 1-methyl-2-pyrrolidone. The polymer was soluble in organic solvents, such as chloroform, tetrahydrofuran, dimethylformamide, etc., and films with good optical quality were obtained by spin coating from its N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone solution. It was characterized by ¹H-NMR, IR, DSC, UV–Visible, X-ray, etc. The diacetylene groups underwent polymerization in the film when irradiated with UV light at 120 °C under Ar atmosphere, and it contained free radicals with a radical concentration of 10¹⁶ radicals/g. The third-order nonlinear optical susceptibility, χ⁽³⁾, of the polymer film measured by the Z-scan technique at 1064 nm was not noticeable, but when the film was heated and irradiated with UV light, a χ⁽³⁾ value of 6.4?×?10^?10 esu was obtained due to increase in π-conjugation by the formation of polydiacetylene in the side chain.     

Synthesis of nitrogen incorporated diamond-like carbon thin films using microwave surface-wave plasma CVD

Nitrogenated diamond-like (DLC:N) carbon thin films have been deposited by microwave surface wave plasma chemical vapor deposition on silicon and quartz substrates, using argon gas, camphor dissolved in ethyl alcohol composition and nitrogen as plasma source. The deposited DLC:N films were characterized for their chemical, optical, structural and electrical properties through X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, UV/VIS/NIR spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy, atomic force microscope and current–voltage characteristics. Optical band gap decreased (2.7 to 2.4 eV) with increasing Ar gas flow rate. The photovoltaic measurements of DLC:N / p-Si structure show that the open-circuit voltage (V_oc) of 168.8 mV and a short-circuit current density (J_sc) of 8.4 μA/cm² under light illumination (AM 1.5 100 mW/cm²). The energy conversion efficiency and fill factor were found to be 3.4 × 10^{− 4}% and 0.238 respectively.     

Well‐functioned photovoltaics based on nanofibers composed of PBDT‐TIPS‐DTNT‐DT and graphenic precursors thermally modified by polythiophene,polyaniline and polypyrrole

Reduced graphene oxide nanosheets modified by conductive polymers including polythiophene (GPTh), polyaniline (GPANI) and polypyrrole (GPPy) were prepared using the graphene oxide as both substrate and chemical oxidant. UV–visible and Raman analyses confirmed that the graphene oxide simultaneously produced the reduced graphene oxide and polymerized the conjugated polymers. The prepared nanostructures were subsequently electrospun in mixing with poly(3‐hexylthiophene) (P3HT)/phenyl‐C71‐butyric acid methyl ester (PC₇₁BM) and poly[bis(triisopropylsilylethynyl)benzodithiophene‐bis(decyltetradecylthien)naphthobisthiadiazole] (PBDT‐TIPS‐DTNT‐DT)/PC₇₁BM components and embedded in the active layers of photovoltaic devices to improve the charge mobility and efficiency. The GPTh/PBDT‐TIPS‐DTNT‐DT/PC₇₁BM devices demonstrated better photovoltaic features (J_sc = 11.72 mA cm^?2, FF = 61%, V_oc = 0.68 V, PCE = 4.86%, μ_h = 8.7 × 10^?3 cm² V^–1 s^?1 and μ_e = 1.3 × 10^?2 cm² V^–1 s^?1) than the GPPy/PBDT‐TIPS‐DTNT‐DT/PC₇₁BM (J_sc = 10.30 mA cm^?2, FF = 60%, V_oc = 0.66 V, PCE = 4.08%, μ_h = 1.4 × 10^?3 cm² V^–1 s^?1 and μ_e = 8.9 × 10^?3 cm² V^–1 s^?1) and GPANI/PBDT‐TIPS‐DTNT‐DT/PC₇₁BM (J_sc = 10.48 mA cm^?2, FF = 59%, V_oc = 0.65 V, PCE = 4.02%, μ_h = 8.6 × 10^?4 cm² V^–1 s^?1 and μ_e = 7.8 × 10^?3 cm² V^–1 s^?1) systems, assigned to the greater compatibility of PTh in the nano‐hybrids and the thiophenic conjugated polymers in the bulk of the nanofibers and active thin films. Furthermore, the PBDT‐TIPS‐DTNT‐DT polymer chains (3.35%–5.04%) acted better than the P3HT chains (2.01%–3.76%) because of more complicated conductive structures. © 2019 Society of Chemical Industry     

Conductive‐diamond electrochemical advanced oxidation of naproxen in aqueous solution: optimizing the process

BACKGROUND: Electrochemical advanced oxidation treatment using boron‐doped diamond (BDD) electrodes is a promising technology to treat small amounts of toxic and biorefractory pollutants in water. This process has been tested on the degradation of naproxen, a common pollutant drug present in surface waters. To optimize the process a series of experiments have been designed to study the interaction between four variables: pH (over the range 5–11); current (0–320 mA cm^?2); supporting Na₂SO₄ electrolyte concentration (0–0.375 mol L^?1); and solution flow rate (Q_v) between 3.64 and 10.8 cm³ min^?1. RESULTS: Among these variables the influence of current was the greatest, the second was the salt concentration, the third flow rate, and the fourth pH. An ANOVA test reported significance for seven of the fourteen variables involved and the degradation of naproxen was optimized using response surface methodology. CONCLUSIONS: Optimum conditions for naproxen removal (100%) were found to be pH = 10.70, Q_v = 4.10 cm³ min^?1, current density = 194 mA cm^?2 using a supporting electrolyte concentration of 0.392 mol L^?1. Copyright © 2010 Society of Chemical Industry     

Optoelectronic properties of nitrogenated amorphous carbon films synthesized by microwave surface wave plasma chemical vapor deposition system

The n-type nitrogen doped amorphous carbon (a-C:N) thin films have been grown by microwave (MW) surface wave plasma (SWP) chemical vapor deposition (CVD) system on silicon, quartz and ITO substrates at different nitrogen flow rates (1 to 4 sccm). The effects of nitrogen doping on chemical, optical, structural and electrical properties were studied through X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, Nanopics 2100/NPX200 surface profiler, UV/VIS/NIR spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy and solar simulator measurements. Argon, acetylene and nitrogen are used as plasma sources. Optical band gap decreased and nitrogen atomic concentration (%) increased with increasing nitrogen flow rate as a dopant. The a-C:N/p-Si based device exhibits photovoltaic behavior under illumination (AM 1.5, 100 mW/cm²), with a maximum open-circuit voltage (V_oc), short-circuit current (J_sc) and fill factor of 4.2 mV, 7.4 μA/cm² and 0.25 respectively.     

Raman spectroscopic studies of the polyacrylonitrile-zinc complexes in aqueous solutions of zinc chloride and bromide

Raman spectroscopic studies of the dissolution of polyacrylonitrile (PAN) in aqueous zinc halides are reported. The dissociation constants of aqueous PAN-zinc chloride and PAN-zinc bromide containing 60-75% wt/wt and 65-80% wt/wt zinc in aqueous polyacrylonitrile solutions, respectively, have been measured by Raman spectroscopy. Intensity measurements allowed for a quantitative measurement of the amount of free and complexed CN groups to be made, utilising the 2259 and 2290cm^?1 v(CN) stretching Raman bands. The degree of complexation was found to be small in many of the solutions. The effect of the addition of salt on the structure of the v(OH) band at 3000-3800 cm^?1 was studied for the aqueous zinc salts and an aqueous sodium thiocyanate solution. The low wavenumber regions of the Raman spectra, Δv = 100-350cm^?1, for both zinc chloride and zinc bromide solutions of PAN have also been studied.     

Raman spectroscopy of the polymorphic forms and liquid state of cocoa butter

Raman spectroscopy was used to characterize the polymorphs and liquid state of cocoa butter, with emphasis placed on the evolution of the ester carbonyl stretching region (1800–1700 cm^?1), along with complementary analysis and comparison of the Raman‐active C? C (1200–1000 cm^?1), C?C (1660 cm^?1), C? H (3000–2700 cm^?1) and CH₂ (1500–1250 cm^?1) vibrational modes. Unique Raman signatures were obtained for all cocoa butter polymorphs, with their identity confirmed using DSC and XRD. The ester carbonyl region permitted polymorph discrimination due to differences in the number of modes, their relative frequencies and their full‐widths at half‐maximum. The C? C stretching modes, which provided insight into the trans/gauche content, were polymorph‐independent. C? H stretching generally increased with polymorph stability, indicating the dominance of antisymmetric C? H methylene vibrations as the cocoa butter crystal lattice became more ordered. The change in the intensities of the C? H stretching bands used to probe the order–disorder transition of forms IV, V and VI hinted at pre‐melt structural changes mostly in forms IV and V. Overall, Raman spectroscopy clearly demonstrated that the different functional groups studied could be characterized independently, allowing for the understanding of their role in cocoa butter polymorphism. Practical applications : Fat bloom is the unwanted, uncontrolled re‐crystallization or polymorphic transition of CB form V crystals into form VI normally caused by the migration of lower‐melting fats (e.g. in centre‐filled products) and/or temperature fluctuations during storage. In its mildest form, it appears as an overall dulling of the chocolate surface. In its extreme form, the appearance of the chocolate deteriorates significantly with the development of distinct white patches. Though forms V and VI can be clearly distinguished via XRD, we present evidence that Raman spectral characterization of the ester carbonyl stretching (1800–1700 cm^?1), C? C (1200–1000 cm^?1), C?C (1660 cm^?1), C? H (3000–2700 cm^?1) and CH₂ (1500–1250 cm^?1) vibrational modes yields distinct liquid–solid and polymorph‐dependent differences in CB. From a practical standpoint, the unique signatures associated with forms V and VI offer novel possibilities in the study of fat bloom formation, such as the development of predictive tools.     

Anti-infrared/ultraviolet property of fullerene-containing polyacrylate film

Abstract

High-optical quality polyacrylate films containing a small load of C₆₀ were prepared by blending the soluble polyacrylate with the fullerene C₆₀ derivative poly-[2-(acrylamido)-2-methylpropane sulfonic acid] (PAMPS)-C₆₀. TEM was used to observe the morphological structure of the fullerene-containing polyacrylate solution. The anti-infrared/ultraviolet property was characterised by UV–VIS and FTIR in the wavelength range of 190–5000 nm. Experimental results demonstrated an improved anti-IR/UV property of polyacrylate as well as good diaphaneity. In the visible spectrum, its transmittance was greater than 80%. In the UV region, the transmittance decreased to 10% (<300 nm). Meanwhile, the transmittance was 55·7% in the near IR wave range (4000–14000 cm^?1) and 31% in the middle IR wave range (2000–4000 cm^?1), respectively. This new nanocomposite material has great potential to serve as an anti-IR/UV thin coating to implement heat insulation in many applications.     

Fabrication of ZnO-functionalized polypyrrole microcomposite as a protective coating to enhance anticorrosion performance of low carbon mild steel

In the present work, PPy, ZnO, and polypyrrole/zinc oxide (PPy/ZnO) microcomposites (1, 2, and 5 wt%) were prepared and their properties have been tuned for anticorrosion applications on low carbon mild steel. The synthesized products: ZnO, PPy, and composites were characterized by various sophisticated analytical techniques such as XRD, FTIR, Raman, FESEM, EDX, UV–VIS, TGA, and BET. The band frequencies observed at 480 and 588 cm⁻¹ in FTIR spectrum correspond to stretching vibrations of Zn-O and N-H bonds, respectively, broadening of the bands in the composites indicate strong interactions between ZnO and PPy matrix. The potentiodynamic polarization study of PPy and PPy/ZnO composite was carried out in 3.5% NaCl solution to investigate the corrosion resistance efficiency. PPy/1 wt% ZnO (I_corr = 190 nA) composite coating on low carbon mild steel was observed to exhibit best corrosion protection property compared to PPy (121 μA), 2 and 5 wt% ZnO (242, 295 nA) composites. © 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2019 , 136, 48319.     

Photoinitiated Reactions of H Atoms with CO2: OH(v = 0) Rotational Excitation from the 239-nm Photolysis of CO2HI Complexes

Photoinitiated H + CO₂ → OH + CO reactions are discussed, with emphasis on reactions in CO₂HI complexes. Under single-collision bulk conditions, reaction probability rises with collision energy by two orders of magnitude throughout the range 10300–19000 cm⁻¹ (ΔH = 8960 cm⁻¹). Modest probabilities at collision energies well above threshold are interpreted as due to the inability of the heavier nuclei to move fast enough to trap the H atom on the HOCO potential surface. The pronounced increase in reaction probability with collision energy can be due to impact-induced distortion of the CO₂ frame, localizing the H atom in a shallow region of the HOCO potential surface long enough for the heavier nuclei to move toward the HOCO equilibrium geometry, thus capturing the H atom. Measurements of nascent OH(v = 0) R, T excitations indicate a significant bias toward product translation and away from OH rotation at the highest collision energies. OH LIF spectra taken at different collision energies provide a map of nascent OH(v = 0) rotational excitation for different values of E^†, the HOCO^† energy in excess of the OH + CO product channel. With CO₂HI complexes, pairwise I-H and H-CO₂ repulsions before HOCO^† is formed increase the I-HOCO^† speed at the expense of HOCO^† internal excitation. It is pointed out that with CO₂HBr, the Br atom is 3.6 Å from the C atom along a line perpendicular to the CO₂ axis, with the H atom localized near one of the O atoms. CO₂HI is expected to be qualitatively similar. The OH(v = 0) rotational distribution obtained using 239-nm photolysis of CO₂HI complexes differs markedly from that obtained under single-collision conditions at the same photolysis wavelength, the former being colder and qualitatively distinct from any of the OH(v = 0) distributions obtained at a single collision energy. The OH(v = 0) rotational distribution obtained using CO₂HI complexes can be reconciled with a bimodal P(E^†) distribution (e.g., ∼ 30% at E^† ∼ 800 cm⁻¹ and ∼ 70% at E^† ∼ 6000 cm⁻¹). The 6000-cm⁻¹ component is attributed to the squeezed-atom effect (E^† = 7880 cm⁻¹ for single-collision conditions at the same photolysis wavelength), while the origin of the other component is uncertain. It may derive from (i) mechanisms that produce HOCO^† with low E^† values, (ii) mechanisms that relax HOCO^† and/or OH such as interactions with the nearby I atom and (iii) higher-than-binary complexes.     

The synthesis,characterization and structures of some 4-[((E)-1-{2-hydroxy-5-[(E)-2-(aryl)-1-diazenyl]phenyl}methylidene)amino]benzoic acid

The structures of several azo-benzoic acids, 4-[((E)-1-{2-hydroxy-5-[(E)-2-(aryl)-1-diazenyl]phenyl}methylidene)amino]benzoic acid along with their precursors 2-hydroxy-5-[(E)-(aryldiazenyl)]benzaldehydes were confirmed using ¹H, ¹³C NMR, UV–VIS and IR spectroscopic techniques. UV–VIS absorption spectra were measured in pure organic solvents while complementary spectroscopic experiments using mixed solvent systems as well as in the presence of base were undertaken to characterize the different species present in solution. Both acid–base dissociation and azo–hydrazone tautomerism occurred in solution, with the extent of the individual equilibria being dependent on the solvent composition and/or pH of the medium. Molecular structures and geometries were optimized using the B3LYP density functional theory method employing the 6-31G(d) basis set.     

Synthesis and photovoltaic properties of two side‐chain polymeric metal complexes containing 8‐hydroxyquinoline and fluorene units with Zn(II) and Cd(II)

Two novel side‐chain polymeric metal complexes (PF1 and PF2) containing 8‐hydroxyquinoline and fluorene units with Zn(II) and Cd(II) having donor‐acceptor π‐conjugated structure have been synthesized and characterized using Fourier transform infrared, ¹H NMR, UV‐visible and photoluminescence spectroscopies, thermogravimetric analysis, differential scanning calorimetry, elemental analysis and cyclic voltammetry. Dye‐sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) based on PF1 and PF2 as the dye sensitizers exhibit good device performance with solar‐to‐electricity conversion efficiency up to 0.32% (J_sc = 0.83 mA cm^?2, V_oc = 0.62 mV and FF = 0.62) and 0.24% (J_sc = 0.69 mA cm^?2, V_oc = 0.59 mV and FF = 0.60), respectively, under simulated AM 1.5 G solar irradiation (100 mW cm^?2). The data show that these novel polymeric metal complexes are suitable for DSSCs. Copyright © 2012 Society of Chemical Industry