No abstract

Organically modified layered silicates (OLS) with high thermal stability are critical for synthesis and processing of polymer layered silicate nanocomposites (PLSN). In the current study, the non-oxidative thermal degradation chemistry of alkyl and aryl quaternary phosphonium-modified montmorillonites (P-MMT) was examined using TGA combined with pyrolysis/GC-MS. The morphology evolution at elevated temperature was investigated using in-situ high-temperature X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). The onset decomposition temperature via TGA of these P-MMTs ranged from 190 to 230 °C. The initial degradation of the alkyl P-MMTs follows potentially two reaction pathways − β-elimination [Eβ] and nucleophilic displacement at phosphorus [SN(P)] − reflecting the multiple environments of the surfactant in the silicate. Aryl P-MMT decomposition proceeds via either a reductive elimination through a five-coordinate intermediate or radical generation through homologous cleavage of the P−phenyl bond. Overall, the interlayer environment of the montmorillonite has a more severe effect on stability of the phosphonium surfactant than previously reported for ammonium-modified montmorillonite (N-MMT). Nonetheless, the overall thermal stability of P-MMT is higher than that of N-MMT. These observations indicate that, in addition to their conventional purpose as stabilizers, phosphonium salts offer unique opportunities for melting processing polymer layered silicate nanocomposites.

A new series of linear, asymmetrical diphenylaminofluorene-based chromophores (AFX) with various strong π-electron acceptors were synthesized and evaluated for two-photon absorptivity. These chromophores were studied to determine a suitable replacement for 2-(4-vinyl)pyridine, the π acceptor for our previously reported AFX series, which contains a photochemically and thermo-oxidatively unstable olefinic unit. In addition to the benzoyl group (AF-370), these π-electron acceptors include 2-benzothiazolyl (AF-240), 2-benzoxazolyl (AF-390), 2-(N-phenyl)benzimidazolyl (AF-386), and 2-(3,4-diphenyl)imidazolyl (AF-385) moieties (five-membered heterocycles) and the 2-quinoxalinyl (AF-260) group (six-membered heterocycle). From nanosecond nonlinear transmission measurements, these new chromophores have effective two-photon cross sections (σ2‘) at 800 nm, spanning from 3.87 × 10-48 cm4 s/(photon molecule) for AF-385 to 97.46 × 10-48 cm4 s/(photon molecule) for AF-240. Two of them, 2-benzothiazolyl-end-capped AF-240 and benzoyl-containing AF-370 [σ2‘ = 84.32 × 10-48 cm4 s/(photon molecule)] stand out as having relatively good, albeit lower, values of two-photon cross sections, as compared to that of previously reported N,N-diphenyl-7-[2-(4-pyridinyl)ethenyl]-9,9-didecyl-fluorene-2-amine, AF-50 [σ2‘ = 115.6 × 10-48 cm4 s/(photon molecule)]. However, we observed that AF-240 was more photochemically robust than AF-50 when their THF solutions were subjected to repetitive and prolonged exposure to nanosecond laser radiation. Finally, on the basis of our nanosecond TPA cross-section data (σ2‘/MW values), the general trend for π-electron accepting ability, i.e., ability to accept charge transferred from diphenylamine appears to be as follows:  2-(4-vinyl)pyridine > 2-benzothiazolyl > benzoyl > 2-(N-phenylbenzimidazolyl > 2-quinoxalinyl > 2-benzoxazolyl > 2-(4,5-diphenyl)imidazoyl.

A new approach to two-photon excited photodynamic therapy has been developed. A dendritic array of eight donor chromophores capable of two-photon absorption (TPA) was covalently attached to a central porphyrin acceptor. Steady-state fluorescence measurements demonstrated that the donor chromophores transfer excited-state energy to the porphyrin with 97% efficiency. Two-photon excitation of the donor chromophores at 780 nm resulted in a dramatic increase in porphyrin fluorescence relative to a porphyrin model compound. Enhanced singlet oxygen luminescence was observed from oxygen-saturated solutions of the target compound under two-photon excitation conditions.

We report the synthesis of amorphous, heat-resistant (T g ranging from 220 to 246 °C) polyimides cross-linked with a novel tris(azobenzeneamine) cross-linker and examine the photodirected bending of cantilevers composed of these materials to exposure to linearly polarized, 442 nm light. Increasing the cross-linker concentration from 5 to 20 mol % in the network not only serves to increase the T g and modulus but also results in a considerable increase in photomechanical response observed as an increase in bending angle from 5° to 20°. Adjustment of the orientation of the electric field of the light polarization to the cantilever axis is shown to generate forward and backward (bidirectional) bending. Upon removal of the incident light, the cantilevers exhibit photoelastic behavior by restoring to the original vertical position.

Three novel two-photon absorbing (TPA) chromophores with 1,3,5-triazine as the π-electron deficient core, dialkylfluorene as aromatic bridges, and diphenylamino groups as the electrondonating end-groups were prepared. Designated as AF-450 (2,4,6-tris[7-(diphenylamino)-9,9-didecylfluoren-2-yl]-1,3,5-triazine), AF-455 (2,4,6-tris[9,9-bis(3,7-dimethyloctyl)-7-(diphenylamino)-fluoren-2yl]-1,3,5-triazine), and AF-457 (2,4,6-tris[(7-(diphenylamino)-9,9-diprop-2-enylfluoren-2-yl]-1,3,5-triazine), their overall molecular structure and local symmetry (D 3h ) are similar to those of previously reported three-armed AF-350 (N,N,N-tris[4-{7-(2benzothiazolyl)-9,9-diethylfluoren-2-yl}phenyl]amine) and AF-380 (N,N,N,-tris[7-(2-benzothiazolyl)-9,9-diethylfluoren-2-yl]amine). Among the family of AFX chromophores previously reported by us, AF-450 possesses one of the largest effective TPA cross-sections (σ 2 ′ ) 39 500 × 10 -50 cm 4 -sec/photon-molecule, or 39 500 GM) as determined by nonlinear transmission method in the nanosecond regime at 800 nm. In contrast, AF-455, a mixture of stereoisomers with the same chemical formula as AF-450, is a glassy material that becomes fluid (molasses-like) upon heating at 70-80 °C and has noticeably smaller effective σ 2 ′ value (33 300 GM). AF-457 (σ 2 ′ ) 27 800 GM) with six allyl side groups was prepared as a precursor toward the synthesis of a TPA liquid. The intrinsic TPA cross-sections of these chromophores were also determined as a function of excitation wavelengths via a femtosecond white-light continuum generation and direct degenerate-TPA measurement technique. At the TPA peaks ∼779 nm, their σ 2 ′ values are 216, 214, and 199 GM ((15%) for AF-450, AF-455, and AF-457, in that order. They are in the same trend as the nanosecond values, albeit two orders of magnitude lower.

Sterically hindered fullerenyl chromophore dyad and triads, C 60 (>DPAF-C 9 ) x (x ) 1 and 2, respectively), in an acceptor-donor (A-D) molecular linkage of C 60 -(keto-fluorene) x were synthesized and fully characterized. Attachment of two 3,5,5-trimethylhexyl groups on C 9 of the fluorene ring moiety greatly improves their solubility and makes direct intermolecular aromatic stacking contacts more difficult. They are the first series of fullerene derivatives showing high three-photon absorptivity (3PA). Accordingly, C 60 (>DPAF-C 9 ) 2 exhibits 2PA and 3PA cross sections in the values of 0.824 × 10 -48 cm 4 s (or 82.4 GM) and 6.30 × 10 -25 cm 6 /GW 2 , respectively, in femtosecond region among the highest ones reported for many diphenylaminofluorene-derived AFX chromophores. Utilization of a keto linker located immediately between C 60 cage and fluorene chromophore moieties facilitates molecular polarization of the DPAF ring toward the C 60 cage. That may serve as the fundamental cause for correlation of enhanced A-D electron interactions to, ultimately, observed multiphoton absorption cross sections. By using nanosecond laser flash photolysis results taken at 355 nm as the reference, transient absorption data obtained from femtosecond pump-probe experiments at 800 nm unambiguously verified the occurrence of two-photon excitation processes of C 60 (>DPAF-C 9 ) in air-saturated benzene and subsequent efficient energy transfer from the two-photon pumped DPAF-C 9 moiety to the C 60 cage moiety.

A set of 12 new polyimides (PIs) with one or three polar CN dipoles directly attached to the aromatic diamine part were synthesized and their electric energy storage properties were studied using broadband dielectric spectroscopy (BDS) and electric displacement-electric field (D-E) loop measurements to determine their potential for high temperature film capacitors for aerospace applications. It was found that adding highly polar nitrile groups to the PI structure increased permittivity and thus electrical energy storage, especially at high temperatures, and 3 CN dipoles were better than 1 CN dipole. Below the glass transition temperature (T g ), a weak g transition was observed around À100 C and a broad b transition was observed between 100 and 150 C. It was the b (i.e., precursor dipolar motion before long-range segmental motion, or glass transition), rather than the g sub-T g transition that substantially increased the permittivity of PIs. From the BDS results on PIs having 3 nitrile groups, the enhancement in permittivity from permanent dipoles decreased with dianhydride in the order of pyromellitic dianhydride (PMDA) > 4,4 0 -oxydiphthalic dianhydride (OPDA) > 1,1,1,3,3,3hexafluoropropane dianhydride (6FDA) > 4,4 0 -benzophenonetetracarboxylic dianhydride (BTDA). Meanwhile, the increase in permittivity also decreased in the order of para-para, meta-para, and meta-meta linkage in the diamine, suggesting that the para-para linkage favored easier dipole rotation than the meta-meta linkage.From the D-E loop study, the PIs with a combination of PMDA dianhydride and a para-para linkage exhibited the highest discharged energy density and a reasonably low loss. † Electronic supplementary information (ESI) available: Syntheses of monomers and polymers, reection and transmission X-ray diffraction proles, details of calculation, and BDS results for sample 2a. See