Rationally designed f-MWCNT-coated bismuth molybdate (f-MWCNT@BMO) nanocomposites for the voltammetric detection of biomolecule dopamine in biological samples

Selective and sensitive dopamine (DPA) sensor was developed using hydrothermally prepared functionalized multi-walled carbon nanotube-coated bismuth molybdate (f-MWCNT@BMO). The f-MWCNT@BMO-reinforced electrode exhibited an outstanding electrocatalytic activity towards DPA oxidation. The nanocomposite-reinforced electrode displayed a rapid response towards DPA sensing and possessed the minimized potential of (E_pa + 0.285 V vs Ag/AgCl) in 0.1 M phosphate buffer (PB). The electrochemical results of prepared sensors were analyzed using the differential pulse voltammetry method (DPV). As a result, the f-MWCNT@BMO-reinforced electrode exhibited a widelinear range of 10 nM - 814 μM with a very low detection limit of 3.4 nM towards DPA oxidation. The developed sensor shows excellent selectivity in presence of similar functional group biomolecules. The detection of DPA in real samples was evaluated in human serum, as the results of the proposed sensor possessed good recoveries.

Dendrimer crown-ether tethered multi-wall carbon nanotubes support methyltrioxorhenium in the selective oxidation of olefins to epoxides

Benzo-15-crown-5 ether supported on multi-wall carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) by tethered poly(amidoamine) (PAMAM) dendrimers efficiently coordinated methyltrioxorhenium in the selective oxidation of olefins to epoxides.

Multifunctional Iodide-Free Polymeric Ionic Liquid for Quasi-Solid-State Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells with a High Open-Circuit Voltage

A polymeric ionic liquid, poly(oxyethylene)-imide-imidazolium selenocyanate (POEI-IS), was newly synthesized and used for a multifunctional gel electrolyte in a quasi-solid-state dye-sensitized solar cell (QSS-DSSC). POEI-IS has several functions: (a) acts as a gelling agent for the electrolyte of the DSSC, (b) possesses a redox mediator of SeCN(-), which is aimed to form a SeCN(-)/(SeCN)3(-) redox couple with a more positive redox potential than that of traditional I(-)/I3(-), (c) chelates the potassium cations through the lone pair electrons of the oxygen atoms of its poly(oxyethylene)-imide-imidazolium (POEI-I) segments, and (d) obstructs the recombination of photoinjected electrons with (SeCN)3(-) ions in the electrolyte through its POEI-I segments. Thus, the POEI-IS renders a high open-circuit voltage (VOC) to the QSS-DSSC due to its functions of b-d and prolongs the stability of the cell due to its function of a. The QSS-DSSC with the gel electrolyte containing 30 wt % of the POEI-IS in liquid selenocyanate electrolyte exhibited a high VOC of 825.50 ± 3.51 mV and a high power conversion efficiency (η) of 8.18 ± 0.02%. The QSS-DSSC with 30 wt % POEI-IS retained up to 95% of its initial η after an at-rest stability test with the period of more than 1,000 h.

Nafion-Initiated ATRP of 1-Vinylimidazole for Preparation of Proton Exchange Membranes

Nafion is one of the most widely investigated materials applied in proton exchange membranes. Interestingly, it was found that Nafion could serve as a macroinitiator to induce atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) on its C-F sites. In this study, poly(1-vinylimidazole) was selectively bonded on the side chains of Nafion via the Nafion-initiated ATRP process, which was confirmed by the measurements of (1)H/(19)F nuclear magnetic resonance spectra, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, differential scanning calorimeter and matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-time-of-flight/time-of-flight mass spectrometry. The as-prepared Nafion-co-poly(1-vinylimidazole) (Nafion-PVIm) membranes, with tunable loading amount of imidazole rings, presented greatly enhanced proton conductivity and methanol resistivity due to their well-controlled chemical structures. Especially, chemically bonding PVIm with Nafion chains endowed the Nafion-PVIm membranes with high stability in proton conductivity. For the first time, we revealed the great potentials of the Nafion-initiated ATRP process in developing high-performance proton exchange membranes.

Hydrogel adsorbents of poly(N-isopropylacrylamide-co-methacryloyloxymethyl-12-crown-4) for Li+ recovery prepared by droplet microfluidics

This article describes the synthesis and application of hydrogel adsorbents for lithium ion (Li⁺) recovery from seawater.

Aligned carbon nanotube/polymer hybrid electrolytes for high performance dye sensitized solar cell applications

Electrically aligned MWCNT/PEO/PVDF-HFP nanocomposite electrolyte membrane based solid state dye sensitized solar cell shows a power conversion efficiency of about 4%.