Two-dimensional covalent organic frameworks (2D COFs)
feature graphene-type
2D layered sheets but with a tunable structure, electroactivity, and
high porosity. If these traits are well-combined, then 2D COFs can
be applied in electronics to realize functions with a high degree
of complexity. Here, a highly crystalline electroactive COF, BDFamide-Tp,
was designed and synthesized. It shows regularly distributed pores
with a width of 1.35 nm. Smooth and successive films of such a COF
were fabricated and found to be able to increase the conductivity
of an organic semiconductor by 103 by interfacial doping.
Upon encapsulation of a photoswitchable molecule (spiropyran) into
the voids of the COF layer, the resulted devices respond differently
to light of different wavelengths. Specifically, the current output
ratio after UV vs Vis illumination reaches 100 times, thus effectively
creating on and off states. The respective positive and negative feedbacks
are memorized by the device and can be reprogrammed by UV/Vis illumination.
The reversible photostimulus responsivity and reliable memory of the
device are derived from the combination of electroactivity and porosity
of the 2D COF. This work shows the capability of 2D COFs in higher-level
electronic functions and extends their possible applications in information
storage.
Polyethyleneimine (PEI) is a common polymer used in many industrial applications and in research, especially in surface chemistry. It is available in a wide range of molecular weights and different degrees of branching. It is classified as linear or branched and sometimes the term hyperbranched is also used. This description, however, is quite rough, which limits the possibility to correlate the structure of the PEI to its properties. The aim of this study is to provide analytical tools to characterize the polymer at a level of detail not normally provided by the supplier of PEI. To this end, five commercially available polyethyleneimines were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy to gain insight into the structure and the functional groups present in the polymers. Quantitative 13 C NMR analysis turned out to be particularly useful, revealing the degree of branching of the polymer based on the ratio of primary, secondary, and tertiary amino groups.
The adsorption and self-assembly of ammonium perfluorooctanoate (APFO) at surfaces of porous alumina immersed in solution at pH ∼ 4 have been studied using 19 F NMR. From the intensity of the APFO NMR signals, the amount of adsorbed surfactant, and thereby the adsorption isotherm, was determined. The adsorption isotherm indicates that APFO forms bilayers on alumina. This result is supported by finding the CF 3 signal of adsorbed APFO shifted upfield compared to the signal in aqueous solution with an amount that corresponds to a change from aqueous to fluorocarbon environment. Additionally, faster transverse relaxation of the fluorine nuclei adjacent to the head group compared to that of the CF 3 group adds a further argument for the formation of a bilayer. The exchange pattern of surfactants between the adsorbed layer and the aqueous bulk was studied through the CF 3 group 19 F signals and their timeaveraged behavior. Inside the pores of the alumina particles, the exchange time was found to be fast (,1 ms) between adsorbed and dissolved APFO. The presented NMR method to determine the adsorption isotherm could be a powerful new tool when studying systems of mixed surfactants, since the adsorbed amount of chemically different surfactants and their formation in aggregates would become separately quantifiable. The method is readily applicable to any NMR nuclei and thereby to many adsorption problems.
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