A p-type boron arsenide photoelectrode was prepared from a material consisting of a thin layer of boron arsenide on a boron substrate. The structure of the material was identified using X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy, and the surface composition was determined by means of X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The electrode was found to be photoactive under both visible light and UV-vis irradiation and displayed a photocurrent of ~0.1 mA/cm(2) under UV-vis irradiation at an applied potential of -0.25 V vs Ag/AgCl. Mott-Schottky plots for this boron arsenide electrode displayed an estimated flat-band potential near the onset photopotential. The estimated indirect band gap, as determined from incident photon-to-electron conversion efficiency plots, is 1.46 ± 0.02 eV.

A variety of Schiff base ligands have been synthesized in an effort to study the coordination chemistry of these ligands when reacted with various metal salts. By varying the structural features of the ligand as well as the synthetic route used to make the corresponding metal complexes, a number of different structural motifs have been observed. Schiff base ligands were chosen due to their ease of synthesis as well as their ability to bind a variety of metal salts. These complexes serve as model systems for and precursors to monomers for the preparation of conducting metallopolymers. Further functionalization of the Schiff base ligand with bithiophene end groups has resulted in electropolymerizable monomers. When polymerized these monomers give conducting metallopolymers which can then be used for a variety of applications. The products were characterized by multinuclear NMR, UV-Vis, and IR spectroscopy, and mass spectrometry. Solid-state structures were determined by single crystal X-ray diffraction studies. Electropolymerization yielded novel conducting polymers with embedded metals.