Research Archive

Degradation of Block Copolymer Films Confined in Elastic Media: Molecular Dynamics Simulations

We performed coarse-grained molecular dynamics simulations of swelling and degradation of copolymer films confined within polymer networks with different values of shear modulus.

Direct Radiofluorination of Arene C-H Bonds via Photoredox Catalysis Using a Peroxide as the Terminal Oxidant

Herein, we describe an organic photoredox system for direct arene C–H radiofluorination, using a peroxide oxidizing agent and LEDs as the light source.

Electrochemical Sensing of Perfluorooctanesulfonate (PFOS) Using Ambient Oxygen in River Water

Here, we take advantage of ambient oxygen present in river water to quantify one of the more harmful PFAS molecules, perfluorooctanesulfonate (PFOS), from 0 to 0.5 nM on a MIP-modified carbon substrate.

Enabling Aqueous NiO Photocathodes by Passivating Surface Sites That Facilitate Proton-Coupled Charge Transfer

Here, using first-principles calculations, we find that adsorption of water to a defective NiO(111) surface can result in intraband gap surface electronic states that are associated with hydroxyl and oxygen moieties adjacent to Ni vacancies.

Pseudomonas Virulence Factor Pathway Synthesizes Autoinducers That Regulate the Secretome of a Pathogen

Using the insect pathogen Pseudomonas entomophila L48 as a model, we demonstrated that pvf-encoded biosynthetic enzymes produce PVF autoinducers that regulate the expression of pvf genes and a gene encoding the toxin monalysin via quorum sensing.

Elucidation of Quantum-Well-Specific Carrier Mobilities in Layered Perovskites

In this Letter, we use nonlinear photocurrent spectroscopy to selectively target charge transport processes within devices based on layered perovskite quantum wells. The photocurrent induced by a pair of laser pulses is directly measured in this “action” spectroscopy to remove ambiguities in signal interpretation.

Aggregation Controlled Charge Generation in Fullerene Based Bulk Heterojunction Polymer Solar Cells: Effect of Additive

Here, we studied the impact of aggregation on charge generation using transient absorption spectroscopy, neutron scattering, and atomic force microscopy.

Zeev Luz Commemorative Issue

In this Commemorative Issue of Liquid Crystals, former collaborators and contemporaries express their admiration of Zeev Luz’s legacy with an array of invited articles spanning a range of topics at the intersection of magnetic resonance with ordered fluid phases.

Application of Atomic Layer Deposition in Dye-Sensitized Photoelectrosynthesis Cells

This review focuses on applications of ALD in DSPECs for the preparation of solar fuels based on modified semiconductor surfaces. In this area, ALD has been used to prepare core/shell structures that modify surface-interfacial electron transfer, to prepare structures that stabilize surface-bound chromophores and catalysts, and for the preparation of overlayer structures that stabilize electrodes for water oxidation and photocathodes for H-2 or CO2 reduction.

Understanding the Synthesis of Linear–Bottlebrush–Linear Block Copolymers: Toward Plastomers with Well-Defined Mechanical Properties

The kinetics of grafting-through polymerization of PDMS11MA macromonomers was studied to establish correlations between reversible first-order kinetic trends and network mechanical properties. By varying the reaction conditions, including the initial monomer concentration, targeted degree of polymerization, and solvent, the syntheses of macroinitiators and chain extensions were optimized with improved chain-end fidelity while maintaining a high yield and provided elastomers with consistent desired mechanical properties.

Identifying and Evading Olefin Isomerization Catalyst Deactivation Pathways Resulting from Ion-Tunable Hemilability

Hemilabile ligands are found in many leading organometallic catalysts, but it can be challenging to tune the degree of hemilability in a particular catalyst. This work explores the impact of cation-tunable hemilability on the speciation of iridium(III) pincer-crown ether catalysts during high-activity olefin isomerization.

Diastereo-, Enantio-, and anti-Selective Formation of Secondary Alcohol and Quaternary Carbon Stereocenters by Cu-Catalyzed Additions of B-Substituted Allyl Nucleophiles to Carbonyls

A general method for the synthesis of secondary homoallylic alcohols containing α-quaternary carbon stereogenic centers in high diastereo- and enantioselectivity (up to >20:1 dr and >99:1 er) is disclosed.