Controlled partial attachment of polymer on gold nanoparticles breaks the symmetry of their surface functionalities, allowing tailored assembly of the nanoparticles.

Rational assembly of nanoparticles is of vital importance for exploring fundamental electronic and optical properties and for constructing novel nanoscale devices. Through controlling aggregation kinetics, dimers and trimers of gold nanoparticles were generated and encapsulated with polymer by using a one-pot synthesis that involved simple heating and cooling. Dimers of gold nanoparticles were enriched from the resulting solution by centrifugation. The polymer shells maintain the stability of the nanoparticle organization, preventing aggregation and disintegration during subsequent purification, enrichment, and application. A typical enriched sample showed that the dimer population reached 61% among 989 nanoparticles surveyed. In a proof-of-concept application, the gold nanoparticle dimers were used as catalyst to guide the growth of dimeric zinc oxide nanowires. Nanowire dimers with unprecedented narrow spacing (20 to 60 nm) were achieved using a vapor transport growth method; dimeric nanowire population reached approximately 25%.

1,3-Didodecylimidazolium salts have been prepared as first representatives of a new class of ionic liquid crystals (ILCs), showing thermotropic liquid crystalline behaviour in an extended temperature range below 70 degrees C. Remarkably strong non-Newtonian viscosity behaviour was found for the liquid-crystalline state of these ILCs.

The syntheses and solid-state structures of a series of imidazolium (IM) salt-based, double C 12 alkyl chain functionalized ionic liquids, namely, [C 12 C 12 IM][A], where the anion A is I À , I 3 À , I 5 À , N(CN) 2 À , C(CN) 3 À , B(CN) 4 À , or SbF 6À , are reported. All compounds were fully characterized by CHN elemental analysis, 1 H and 13 C NMR spectroscopy, and X-ray diffraction studies on single crystals. The molecular structure of the IM [C 12 C 12 IM] þ cation, as found in the individual crystal packing arrangements, is discussed in relation to the different anions used for crystallization. Depending on the geometry of the counteranions used (linear, bent, planar, and spherical), different molecular structures of the IM cations (rod-, V-, and U-shaped) resulted. The crystal packing in the solid-state structure is examined on the basis of a Hirshfeld surface analysis and is discussed in terms of polar and nonpolar regions.

Two novel double‐alkyl functionalized imidazolium ionic liquid crystals have successfully been utilized to demonstrate the benefits of the liquid crystalline phase on the ssDSSC performance. In particular, a good balance between dye regeneration and hole transport is only realized in the liquid crystalline phase. Devices that employ a single component ionic liquid based electrolyte show a remarkably stable efficiency during 1000 h under outdoor operation temperature conditions and 1 sun illumination.

New ionic liquids and ionic liquid crystalline materials with custom-tailored properties were synthesized based on long-alkyl-chain-derivatized 1,3-dialkylimidazolium salts.

Imidazoliums with proximal phosphines undergo C-H oxidative addition on [Ir(COD)Cl] 2 to give iridium(III) abnormal carbene hydrides. The effects of the length of the linker between the imidazolium and the phosphine are systematically studied. These C-H activation products can undergo base-promoted H-Cl reductive elimination to afford the corresponding Ir(I) abnormal NHC complexes.

An iridium N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC) complex with a rare hydrogen wing tip was obtained Via C-N bond cleaVage. The C-bound to N-bound tautomerization of this carbene cannot be achieVed in this neutral 18-electron Ir(III) complex. Chloride abstraction in MeCN afforded an NHCacetimidamide complex, where the N-bound to C-bound tautomerization of this carbene was obserVed in CDCl 3 at 110 °C. Crystal structures of iridium complexes with these rare ligands were reported.