A novel terthienyl based polymer electrochrome with peripheral BODIPY

Design, synthesis and electropolymerization of a new hybrid material based on terthienyl system bearing BODIPY appendage are reported. This electrochemically polymerized unique combination readily gives an electrochromic polymer with a narrow optical band gap (1.71 eV). The electrochrome exhibits purple color when neutralized and sky blue color when oxidized in a monomer-free electrolyte solution containing 0.1 M tetrabutylammonium tetrafluoroborate dissolved in acetonitrile. Spectroscopic and electrochemical features of the electroactive polymer electrochrome indicate that it is a promising candidate for electrochromic device and display applications.     

Pressureless sintering of β-SiAlON ceramic compositions using fluorine and oxide additive system

SiAlONs are silicon aluminium oxynitride ceramic materials with a range of technically important applications, from cutting tools to specialised refractories and the properties of SiAlONs can be tailored for specific purposes. In this study, different β-SiAlON compositions were prepared using fluoride (MgF₂ as fluorine source plus Y₂O₃) and oxide (MgO plus Y₂O₃). These compositions were pressureless sintered under nitrogen atmosphere in the range of 1450–1750 °C for 0.5–2.5 h for comparison of densification behaviour and mechanical properties. Densities of samples were measured and analyses of result products were carried out using SEM and XRD. The F-doped sintered β-SiAlON ceramics showed better densities and less pore micrographs especially at lower temperatures compared with the fluorine free samples. Full densifications were achieved for β-SiAlON ceramics with fluoride addition at 1700 °C for 60 min. Consequently, fluorine addition to additive system has a good effect on mechanical properties and densification behaviour.     

Synthesis and characterization of polyphenols derived from 4-fluorobenzaldeyde: The effect of electron-donating group on some physical properties

In this study, we proposed to investigate how the effect of electron-donating methyl ( CH₃) group at p-position of amin ( NH₂) group in aminophenol (AP) compound affected thermal stability, optical, electrochemical properties, and conductivity measurement. For this reason, we choice 2-AP and 2-amino-4-methylphenol compounds and synthesized phenolic monomers by condensation reactions 4-fluorobenzaldehyde with aromatic amino phenols. Then, these monomers were converted to their polyphenol derivatives by oxidative polycondensation reactions in an aqueous alkaline medium. Structural characterizations were carried out by FTIR, NMR, and size exclusion chromatography. Cyclic voltammetry was used to determine the electrochemical oxidation-reduction characteristics. Optical properties were investigated by UV–vis and fluorescence analyses. Solid state electrical conductivities were measured on polymer films by four-point probe technique using an electrometer. Thermal data of monomer/polymer and polymers were obtained by TG-DTA and DSC techniques, respectively. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2012     

The study of MIG weldability of heat-treated aluminum alloys

In this article, Metal Inert Gas (MIG) weldability of commercially received and aged samples of 6061-T₆ and 7075-T₆₅₁ aluminum alloys was investigated. The welding joints were prepared in ten different combinations. Microstructure, microhardness, EDX, energy-dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), and X-ray diffraction (XRD) analyses were used in order to evaluate the effect of aged heat treatment on the performance of welded joints. In addition, the mechanical properties of welding joints were characterized using the tensile and microhardness tests. In conclusion, it was shown that prewelding aging heat treatment improves the mechanical properties of welding joints.     

Is technological change biased toward energy? A multi-sectoral analysis for the French economy

Since the adoption and implementation of new technologies has an important influence on the structure and performance of the economy in both developed and developing countries, many research papers are devoted to the technology–economy nexus. Motivated by the fact that the impact of technical progress on the demand for different production factors may vary depending on the bias of the technological change, in this paper, by estimating a translog cost-share system and using state-space modeling technique, we investigate to what extent the direction of technical change is biased toward energy and away from other factors. By applying this methodology to the French economy for the period 1978–2006 the obtained results suggest that: first, technical change has a non-neutral impact on factor demands; second, capital-saving technical progress is present in the majority of the sectors studied; third, energy demand has increased in all sectors but electricity and gas. These findings may have important policy implications for environmental and energy issues in France.     

Synthesis and electrochemical,electrochromic and electrical properties of novel s-triazine bridged trinuclear Zn(II), Cu(II) and Lu(III) and a tris double-decker Lu(III) phthalocyanines

The new s-triazine-bridged trinuclear Zn(II) and Cu(II) phthalocyanines have been synthesized from the reaction of corresponding anhydrous metal salts, Zn(OAc)₂ and CuCl with 4,5-bis(hexylthio)-phthalonitrile and 2,4,6-tris(2-thiophthalonitrile)-s-triazine. The tris phthalonitrile derivative of s-triazine was prepared from the reaction of 4-nitrophthalonitrile and thiocyanuric acid in dry dimethylformamide as solvent using K₂CO₃ as the base. The same route was applied to prepare the trinuclear Lu(III) phthalocyanine analogue. The conversion of tris phthalonitrile into its isoindoline derivative was accomplished by bubbling ammonia gas through a solution in methanol in the presence of sodium methoxide. The cyclization of two different isoindoline derivatives and 4,5-bis(hexylhthio)-1,2-diiminoisoindoline, with lutetium (III) acetate in dimethylformamide gave trinuclear Lu(III) phthalocyanine. The reaction of this complex with octakis-hexylthio phthalocyanine led to the isolation of tris double-decker Lu(III) phthalocyanine. The structures of the target compounds were confirmed by elemental analysis, UV–vis, IR and MALDI-TOF mass spectroscopies. The d.c. and a.c. conductivities of the phthalocyanine compounds were measured as a function of temperature. The small value of pre-exponential factor suggested the conduction by localized states in the band tails and by localized states near the Fermi level. The temperature dependence of the frequency exponent showed that the conduction in these compounds is due to hopping of charge carriers. The tris double-decker phthalocyanine complex showed well-defined electrochromic behaviour with green-blue and blue-purple colour transitions.     

A processable rainbow mimic fluorescent polymer and its unprecedented coloration efficiency in electrochromic device

A processable rainbow mimic fluorescent polymer (PSNSF) based on 1-(9H-fluoren-2-yl)-2,5-di(thiophen-2-yl)-1H-pyrrole (SNSF) was synthesized via electrochemical polymerization in a mixture of ethanol and CH₂Cl₂ solution containing 0.1 M LiClO₄. Characterization was carried out using cyclic voltammetry, UV-vis and FT-IR spectroscopic techniques. Also, an electrochromic device based on PSNSF was studied, which exhibits high coloration efficiency (CE), high redox stability (retaining 98.6% of its optical activity after 4000th switch) and very low response time (less than 0.5 s).