Discotic Ionic Liquid Crystals of Triphenylene as Dispersants for Orienting Single‐Walled Carbon Nanotubes

Advances in ionic liquids as fluorescent sensors

Ionic liquids (ILs) are a class of liquid salts with characteristics such as a low melting point, an ionic nature, non-volatility, and tunable properties. Because of their adaptability, they have a significant influence in the field of fluorescence. This paper reviews the primary literature on the use of ILs in fluorescence sensing technologies. The kind of target material is utilized to classify the fluorescence sensors made with the use of ILs. They include using ILs as probes for metals, nitro explosives, small organic compounds, anions, and gases. The efficacy of an IL-based fluorescence sensor depends on the precise design to guarantee specificity, sensitivity, and a consistent reaction to the desired analyte. The precise method can differ depending on the chemical properties of the IL, the choice of fluorophore, and the interactions with the analyte. Overall, the viability of the aforementioned materials for chemical analysis is evaluated, and prospective possibilities for further development are identified.

Vertical Orientation of Liquid Crystal on 4-n-Alkyloxyphenoxymethyl-Substituted Polystyrene Containing Liquid Crystal Precursor

We synthesized a series of polystyrene derivatives that were modified with precursors of liquid crystal (LC) molecules, such as 4-ethyloxyphenol (homopolymer PEOP and copolymer PEOP#; # = 20, 40, 60, and 80, where # indicates the molar fraction of 4-ethyloxyphenoxymethyl in the side chain), 4-n-butyloxyphenol (PBOP), 4-n-hexyloxyphenol (PHOP), and 4-n-octyloxyphenol (POOP), via polymer modification reaction to investigate the orientation of LC molecules on polymer films, exhibiting part of the LC molecular structure. LC molecules showed a stable and uniform vertical orientation in LC cells fabricated with polymers that have 4-ethyloxyphenoxymethyl in the range of 40–100 mol%. In addition, similar results were obtained in LC cells fabricated with homopolymers of PEOP, PBOP, PHOP, and POOP. The vertical orientation of LC molecules in LC cells fabricated with polymer films correlated to the surface energy of polymer films. For example, vertical LC orientation was observed when the total surface energies of the polymer films were lower than approximately 43.2 mJ/m². Good alignment stabilities were observed at 150 °C and 20 J/cm² of ultraviolet irradiation for LC cells fabricated with PEOP film.

π-Electron Systems That Form Planar and Interlocked Anion Complexes and Their Ion-Pairing Assemblies

Interactions between designed charged species are important for the ordered arrangements of π-electron systems in assembled structures. As precursors of π-electron anion units, new arylethynyl-substituted dipyrrolyldiketone boron complexes, which showed anion-responsive behavior, were synthesized. They formed a variety of receptor-anion complexes ([1+1] and [2+1] types) in solution, and the stabilities of these complexes were discussed in terms of their thermodynamic parameters. Solid-state ion-pairing assemblies of [1+1]- and [2+1]-type complexes with countercations were also revealed by single-crystal X-ray analysis. In particular, a totally charge-segregated assembly was constructed based on negatively and positively charged layers fabricated from [2+1]-type receptor-anion complexes and tetrabutylammonium cations, respectively. Furthermore, the [1+1]-type anion complex of the receptor possessing long alkyl chains exhibited mesophases based on columnar assembled structures with contributions from charge-by-charge and charge-segregated arrangements, which exhibited charge-carrier transporting properties.

Entrapping an ionic liquid with nanocarbon: the formation of a tailorable and functional surface

An interface microenvironment between nanocarbon and ionic liquids (ILs) is presented. By an entrapping effect, a few layers of ILs can be finely deposited on the surface of nanocarbon, endowing amazingly tailorable surface properties. The entrapped IL layer, which was believed to be unable to be charred under pyrolysis conditions alone, can be further carbonized to a functional carbon layer. C, B, and N were confirmed to share the same hexagonal ring in the resultant layer, which provides more designable electronic properties.

Supramolecularly knitted tethered oligopeptide/single-walled carbon nanotube organogels

A facile polymerization of an allyl-functionalized N-carboxyanhydride (NCA) monomer is utilized to construct an A-B-A-type triblock structure containing β-sheet-rich oligomeric peptide segments tethered by a poly(ethylene oxide) chain, which are capable of dispersing and gelating single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) noncovalently in organic solvents, resulting in significant enhancement of the mechanical properties of polypeptide-based organogels.

Host-guest nanocomposites of multiwalled carbon nanotubes and ionic liquids with controllable composition

It is widely believed that low-volatility is a defining characteristic of ionic liquids (ILs). Here we synthesize a series of host-guest nanocomposites containing multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) and ILs using the volatility of ILs under vacuum conditions. The nanocomposites with different IL contents can be easily obtained through simple physical methods. The interactions between IL and MWCNTs are thoroughly investigated. This new nanocomposite can be used both in carbon catalysis and IL catalysis.