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An improved extraction (ion pairing) and cleanup (ENVI-carb and solid phase extraction) method was developed for analysis of perfluorinated compounds (PFCs) in human whole blood samples from China. Ten PFCs including PFOS, PFHxS, PFOSA, PFDoDA, PFUnDA, PFDA, PFNA, PFOA, PFHpA, and PFHxA were detected in the blood samples (n = 30) from five cities (Jintan, Nanjing, Guiyang, Beijing, and Shenyang). PFOS was found to be the dominant PFC ranging from 0.446−83.1 ng/mL. Total fluorine (TF) and extractable organic fluorine (EOF) also were measured in the blood samples using combustion ion chromatography for fluorine. Analysis of known PFCs and extractable organic fluorine showed that known PFCs could account for >70% of EOF in samples from Beijing, Shenyang, and Guiyang, whereas known PFCs could only account for ∼30% of EOF in samples from Jintan. Results of the present study indicated the presence of substantial amounts of unidentified organic fluorine in human blood samples from Jintan. Characterization and identification of these unidentified fluorinated compounds will be instructive.

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Carrier transport properties of a non-peripherally alkyl-substituted phthalocyanine, 1,4,8,11,15,18,22,25-octahexylphthalocyanine (C6PcH2) have been investigated. The material is a low-molecular-weight organic semiconductor with high solubility for typical organic solvents and liquid crystallinity. The carrier mobility was measured in the crystal phase and the hexagonal disordered columnar (Colhd) mesophase by the time-of-flight technique. A strong negative temperature dependence was observed for the hole mobility in the crystal phase, and a maximum drift mobility of 1.4 cm2·V-1·s-1 was achieved at -15 °C. A maximum mobility of 0.5 cm2·V-1·s-1 was obtained for the electrons that had a smaller dependence

The objective of this study was to determine the concentrations and compositions of polybrominated biphenyls (PBBs), polybrominated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PBDDs), and polybrominated dibenzofurans (PBDFs) as contaminants in the commercial polybrominated diphenyl ether (PBDE) mixtures DE-71, DE-79, and DE-83 and to ascertain the lot-to-lot variations in the proportions of these contaminants. Commercial PBDE mixtures tested in the present study contained both PBBs and PBDFs, as impurities, at concentrations in the range of several tens to several thousands of nanograms per gram. Concentrations of total PBDFs were greater than those of total PBBs in DE-79 and DE-83 mixtures. PBDDs were not detected at levels above the limit of detection. Profiles of PBB and PBDF congeners varied with the degree of bromination of the commercial PBDE mixtures (i.e., more highly brominated mixtures of PBDEs contained heavily brominated homologues of PBBs and PBDFs). On the basis of the production/ usage of commercial PBDE mixtures in 2001, potential global annual emissions of PBBs and PBDFs were calculated to be 40 and 2300 kg, respectively. Results of our study suggestthat PBDFs can also be formed during the production of commercial PBDE mixtures, in addition to their formation during pyrolysis of brominated flame retardants.

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Organic thin-film solar cells based on a bulk heterojunction utilizing the phthalocyanine derivative 1,4,8,11,15,18,22,25-octahexylphthalocyanine (C6PcH2) have been studied. C6PcH2 is soluble in common organic solvents such as chloroform, and the blend uniform thin film with the fullerene derivative 1-(3-methoxy-carbonyl)-propyl-1-1-phenyl-(6,6)C61 (PCBM) could be fabricated by a spin-coating method. Solar cells with an indium–tin-oxide/polymer hole transport layer/C6PcH2:PCBM/Al structure, the active layer of which was prepared by a wet process using a low-weighted molecular system, have demonstrated a high external quantum efficiency of more than 70% in the Q-band absorption region of C6PcH2 and a high energy conversion efficiency of 3.1%.