Noncovalent interactions on the electrocatalytic oxidation of ethanol on a Pt/C electrocatalyst

Due to their environmentally friendly nature and high energy density,direct ethanol fuel cells have attracted extensive research attention in recent decades.However,the actual Faraday efficiency of the ethanol oxidation reaction(EOR)is much lower than its theoretical value and the reaction kinetics of the EOR is sluggish due to insufficient active sites on the electrocatalyst surface.Pt/C is recognized as one of the most promising electrocatalysts for the EOR.Thus,the microscopic interfacial reaction mechanisms of the EOR on Pt/C were systematically studied in this work.In metal hydroxide solutions,hydrated alkali cations were found to bind with OH_(ad)through noncovalent interactions to form clusters and occupy the active sites on the Pt/C electrocatalyst surface,thus resulting in low Faraday efficiency and sluggish kinetics of the EOR.To reduce the negative effect of the noncovalent interactions on the EOR,a shield was made on the electrocatalyst surface using 4-trifluoromethylphenyl,resulting in twice the EOR catalytic reactivity of Pt/C.

Multiscale mechanics of noncovalent interface in graphene oxide layered nanocomposites

Noncovalent interfaces play a vital role in inelastic deformation and toughening mechanisms in layered nanocomposites due to their dynamical recoverability. When interfacial engineering is applied to design layered nanocomposites, shear-lag analysis is usually implemented to evaluate the capability of interfacial loading transfer. Here, we introduce a multiscale shear-lag model that correlates macroscale mechanical properties with the molecular mechanisms to quantify the effects of interfacial configuration in graphene oxide(GO) layered nanocomposites. By investigating the mechanical responses of commensurate and incommensurate interfaces, we identify that the commensurate interface exhibits a pronounced size effect due to the nucleation and propagation of interfacial defects, whereas the incommensurate interface displays uniform deformation. Our predictions are further validated through large-scale molecular dynamics simulations for GO layered nanocomposites. This work demonstrates how size effects and interfacial configurations can be exploited to fabricate layered nanocomposites with superior mechanical properties despite relying on weak noncovalent interfaces.

Diflurobenzothiadiazole core-based noncovalently fused small molecule acceptor exhibiting over 12% efficiency and high fill factor

The versatility and flexibility of organic photoelectric materials endow organic photovoltaic cells fine function modulation and huge commercial potential. In this work, a new noncovalent fused-ring small molecule acceptor(SMA) BID-4 F has been synthesized for high-efficient organic solar cells(OSCs). BID-4 F consists of a diflurobenzothiadiazole(DFBT) core, ladder-like indacenodithiophene(IDT) spacers, and dicyanoindanone electron-withdrawing end groups, which are supposed to be conformationally interlocked by noncovalent interactions, leading to good molecular planarity. In addition, compact solid state stacking was revealed by UV–vis–NIR absorption spectrum. The optimized PM6:BID-4 F based device delivers an eminent power conversion efficiency(PCE) of 12.30% with a high open-circuit voltage(Voc) of 0.92 V and a high fill factor(FF) of 74.3%. Most importantly, the PCE and FF are among one of the highest values reported for the OSCs based on the unfused-ring SMAs. Overall, our work demonstrates that the unfused ring central framework with high molecular planarity through noncovalent interactions provides a good strategy to construct highly efficient SMAs.

Enhancing Photovoltaic Performance of Nonfused-Ring Electron Acceptors via Asymmetric End-Group Engineering and Noncovalently Conformational Locks

By employing the asymmetric end-group engineering,an asymmetric nonfused-ring electron acceptor(NFREA)was designed and synthesized.Compared with the symmetric analogs(NoCA-17 and NoCA-18),NoCA-19 possesses broader light absorption range,more coplanarπ-conjugated backbone,and appropriate crystallinity according to the experimental and theoretical results.The organic solar cells based on J52:NoCA-19 exhibited a power conversion efficiency as high as 12.26%,which is much higher than those of J52:NoCA-17(9.50%)and J52:NoCA-18(11.77%),mainly due to more efficient exciton dissociation,better and balanced charge mobility,suppressed recombination loss,shorter charge extraction time,longer charge carrier lifetimes,and more favorable blend film morphology.These findings demonstrate the great potential of asymmetric end-group engineering in exploring low-cost and high-performance NFREAs.

A Simple Building Block with Noncovalently Conformational Locks towards Constructing Low-Cost and High-Performance Nonfused Ring Electron Acceptors

Nonfused ring electron acceptors(NFREAs)have attracted much attention due to their concise synthetic routes and low cost.However,developing high-performance NFREAs with simple structure remains a great challenge.In this work,a simple building block(POBT)with noncovalently conformational locks(No CLs)was designed and synthesized.Single-crystal X-ray study indicated the presence of S…O NOCLs in POBT,thus enabling it to possess a coplanar conformation comparable to that of fused-ring CPT.Two novel NFREAs based on CPT and POBT were developed,namely TT-CPT and TT-POBT,respectively.Besides,TT-POBT possessed a smaller Stokes shift and a reduced reorganization energy compared with TT-CPT,indicating the introduction of S…O No CLs can enhance the molecular rigidity even if simplifying the molecular structure.As a result,the TT-POBT-based PSC device afforded an impressive power conversion efficiency of 11.15%,much higher than that of TT-CPT counterpart(7.03%),mainly resulting from the tighterπ-πstacking,improved and balanced charge transport,and more favorable film morphology.This work demonstrates the potential of the simple building block POBT with No CLs towards constructing low-cost and highperformance NFREAs.

Combination of S…N and S…Cl Noncovalently Conformational Locks for Constructing High-Planarity and Low-Cost Nonfused-Ring Electron Acceptors

Comprehensive Summary By employing thiazole and 4-chlorothiazole as the A′units,two A-D-A′-D-A type nonfused-ring electron acceptors(NFREAs)Tz-H and Tz-Cl were designed and synthesized.Replacing thiazole in Tz-H with 4-chlorothiazole can not only remarkably shorten the synthetic route through C—H direct arylation but also enhance molecular planarity with the simultaneous incorporation of S…N and S…Cl noncovalently conformational locks(NoCLs).The photovoltaic devices based on PM6:Tz-Cl exhibited a power conversion efficiency as high as 11.10%,much higher than that of PM6:Tz-H(6.41%),mainly due to more efficient exciton dissociation,better and more balanced carrier mobility,less charge recombination,and more favorable morphology.These findings demonstrate the great potential of NoCLs in achieving low-cost and high-performance NFREAs.

Dual Nanofillers-Reinforced Noncovalently Cross-Linked Polymeric Composites with Unprecedented Mechanical Strength

Noncovalentlycross-linkedpolymermaterials through healing,recycling,and reprocessing can reduce materials consumption and alleviate environmental pollution.However,it remains a huge challenge to fabricate super-strong noncovalently cross-linked polymer materials with mechanical strength comparable to high-performance engineering polymers.Herein,healable and reprocessable noncovalently cross-linked polymer compositeswith an unprecedented mechanical strength are fabricated by complexation of polyacrylic acid(PAA),polyvinylpyrrolidone(PVPON),and carbonized polymer dots(CPDs)(denoted as PAA-PVPON-CPDs).The incorporation of 15 wt%CPDs generates PAA-PVPON-CPDs compositeswith a tensile strength of∼158 MPa and Young’s modulus of∼8.2GPa.Servingas nanofillers,theCPDs can establish strong interactions with polymers in PAA-PVPON composites.The CPDs and the in situ-formed PAAPVPON nanoparticles work in concert to significantly strengthen the PAA-PVPON-CPDs composites to an unprecedented strength.The PAA-PVPON-CPDs composites exhibit excellent impact resistance and damage tolerance because of the high mechanical strength of the composites and the energy dissipation mechanism of the CPDs and PAA-PVPON nanoparticles.Moreover,the fractured PAA-PVPON-CPDs composites can be healed to restore their original mechanical strength.

Precise Orientational Control of Electroactive Units Using a Tripodal Triptycene Scaffold to Direct Noncovalent Pairing at the Single Molecular Level

A break junction technique has been established to explore conductive behavior at the single molecular level,and recent interest has shifted toward the evaluation of bimolecular systems interacting through noncovalent intermolecular forces.This requires precise control over the orientation of the two molecules so that they can adapt an appropriate face-to-face arrangement between two electrodes.Herein,we present an approach using a tripodal triptycene scaffold that allows for accurate positioning of electroactive subunits with an upright configuration on substrate surfaces.We incorporated electron-donating tetrathiafulvalene or electron-accepting anthraquinone into the molecular scaffold and confirmed that the resulting molecules retain the electronic properties particular to their attached subunits.Self-assembled monolayers(SAMs)of these molecules were prepared on Au(111)and characterized by XPS and STM.STM break junction techniques were applied to the SAMs,revealing two electrical conduction regimes;one arises from single-molecules sandwiched between two electrodes,and the second from intermolecularly interacting homodimers that bridge between electrodes.This observation demonstrates the validity of the approach of using tripodal triptycene scaffolds to precisely direct electroactive subunits to undergo intermolecular pairing.We believe that the present work will provide a new avenue for evaluating the heterodimers at the single molecular level.

Exploring the hygroscopic behavior of highly energetic oxidizer ammonium dinitramide(ADN)at different temperatures and humidities using an innovative hygroscopic modeling

Ammonium dinitramide(ADN)is a new type of green energetic oxidizer with excellent energy density and low pollution combustion characteristics.However,the strong hygroscopicity has a significant impact on its practical application.To assist in the research on moisture-proof modification of ADN materials,an innovative hygroscopic modeling approach was proposed to evaluate the hygroscopicity of ADN at various temperatures and humidities.By investigating the diffusion coefficient of water molecules in molecular dynamics processes,a visual insight into the hygroscopic process of ADN was gained.Furthermore,analyzing the non-covalent interactions between ADN and water molecules,the hygroscopicity of ADN could be evaluated qualitatively and quantitatively.The energy analysis revealed that electrostatic forces play a dominant role in the process of water adsorption by ADN,whereas van der Waals forces impede it.As a whole,the simulation results show that ADN presents the following hygroscopic law:At temperatures ranging from 273 K to 373 K and relative humidity(RH)from 10%to 100%,the hygroscopicity of ADN generally shows an increasing trend with the rise in temperature and humidity based on the results of three simulations.According to the non-hygroscopic point(298 K,52%RH)of ADN obtained by experiment in the literature,a non-hygroscopic range of temperature and humidity for ADN can be depicted when the simulation results in relative hygroscopicity is less than or equal to 17%.This study can provide effective strategies for screening anti-hygroscopic modified materials of ADN.

Enhanced Ion-Selective Diffusion Achieved by Supramolecular Interaction for High Thermovoltage and Thermal Stability

Thermoelectric(TE)generators capable of converting thermal energy into applicable electricity have gained great popularity among emerging energy conversion technologies.Biopolymer-based ionic thermoelectric(i-TE)materials are promising candidates for energy conversion systems because of their wide sources,innocuity,and low manufacturing cost.However,common physically crosslinked biopolymer gels induced by single hydrogen bonding or hydrophobic interaction suffer from low differential thermal voltage and poor thermodynamic stability.Here,we develop a novel i-TE gel with supramolecular structures through multiple noncovalent interactions between ionic liquids(ILs)and gelatin molecular chains.The thermopower and thermoelectric power factor of the ionic gels are as high as 2.83 mV K-1 and 18.33μW m^(-1)K^(-2),respectively.The quasi-solid-state gelatin-[EMIM]DCA i-TE cells achieve ultrahigh 2 h output energy density(E_(2h)=9.9 mJ m^(-2))under an optimal temperature range.Meanwhile,the remarkable stability of the supramolecular structure provides the i-TE hydrogels with a thermal stability of up to 80℃.It breaks the limitation that biopolymer-based i-TE gels can only be applied in the low temperature range and enables biopolymer-based i-TE materials to pursue better performance in a higher temperature range.

A Noncovalently Fused-Ring Asymmetric Electron Acceptor Enables Efficient Organic Solar Cells

Main observation and conclusion Recently,the asymmetric nonfullerene acceptors(NFAs)with acceptor-donor-acceptor(A-D-A)structure have been developed rapidly,especially for the modification of asymmetric core,asymmetric side chains and asymmetric end groups.In this work,a novel asymmetric A-D-π-A type NFA with a noncovalently fused-ring core named PIST-4F is synthesized,containing an indacenodithieno[3,2-b]dithiophene(IDT),two strong electron-withdrawing end groups and an alkylthio-substituted thiopheneπ-bridge.Benefiting from the S···S noncovalent interaction between the sulfur atom onπ-bridge and the adjacent thiophene in IDT,the PIST-4F presents nearly planar geometry and extended conjugated area,resulting in the optimized electronic properties,charge transport,and film morphology compared to the symmetric NFA PI-4F.As a result,PM6:PIST-4F-based devices achieve a higher power conversion efficiency(PCE)of 13.8%,while the PM6:PI-4F-based devices only show a PCE of 7.1%.Notably,the PM6:PIST-4F-based devices processed with nonhalogen solvent toluene exhibit an excellent PCE as high as 13.1%.These results indicate that PIST-4F is an effective acceptor for high-efficiency organic solar cells.

Low-cost polymer acceptors with noncovalently fused-ring backbones for efficient all-polymer solar cells

The polymerization of fused-ring acceptors(FRAs) to afford their corresponding polymeric acceptors for high-performance all-polymer solar cells(all-PSCs) has achieved remarkable progress in the past few years.However,due to the high degree of synthetic complexity for the monomer,the high-cost of these polymeric acceptors may limit their commercial applications.Thus,it is urgent to develop inexpensive and high-performance polymeric acceptors for all-PSCs.Herein,two novel polymeric acceptors(PBTzO and PBTzO-2F) have been designed and synthesized by copolymerization of noncovalently fused ring acceptors(NFRAs),which were employed in all-PSCs for the first time.Upon introducing the “noncovalently conformational locks(NoCLs)” in the backbone and selective fluorination of the end-group,photophysical and electrical properties,and solidstate packing properties of the NFRAs have been rationally tuned.As a result,the PBDB-T:PBTzO-2F based devices presented an excellent power conversion efficiency(PCE) of 11.04%,much higher than that of PBTzO based ones due to the increased charge generation and extraction,improved hole transfer and carrier mobilities,and reduced energy loss.More importantly,PBTzO-2F exhibited a much lower synthetic complexity(SC) index and higher figure-of-merit(FOM) values than the high-performance fused-ring acceptor based polymer acceptors(FRA-PAs) due to the simpler structures and more effective synthesis.This contribution provided a novel idea to achieve low-cost and high-performance all-PSCs.

Noncovalent conformational locks in organic semiconductors

Highly planar conformation is considered to be one of the most important properties for high performance organic semiconductors. Among all kinds strategies for designing highly performing materials, noncovalent conformational locks （NCLs） have been widely used to increase the planarity and rigidity for x-conjugated systems. This review summarizes π-conjugated small molecules and polymers by employing various NCLs for controlling molecular conformation in the past two years. The optoelectronic properties of the conjugated materials, together with their applications on organic field-effect transistors （OFETs） and organic photovoltaics （OPVs） are discussed. Besides, the outlook and challenges in this field are also presented. It is obvious that NCLs play an important role in the design and synthesis of high-performance organic semiconductors.

Recent progress in low-cost noncovalently fused-ring electron acceptors for organic solar cells

The power conversion efficiencies(PCEs)of organic solar cells(OSCs)have improved considerably in recent years with the development of fused-ring electron acceptors(FREAs).Currently,FREAs-based OSCs have achieved high PCEs of over 19%in single-junction OSCs.Whereas the relatively high synthetic complexity and the low yield of FREAs typically result in high production costs,hindering the commercial application of OSCs.In contrast,noncovalently fused-ring electron acceptors(NFREAs)can compensate for the shortcomings of FREAs and facilitate large-scale industrial production by virtue of the simple structure,facile synthesis,high yield,low cost,and reasonable efficiency.At present,OSCs based on NFREAs have exceeded the PCEs of 15%and are expected to reach comparable efficiency as FREAs-based OSCs.Here,recent advances in NFREAs in this review provide insight into improving the performance of OSCs.In particular,this paper focuses on the effect of the chemical structures of NFREAs on the molecule conformation,aggregation,and packing mode.Various molecular design strategies,such as core,side-chain,and terminal group engineering,are presented.In addition,some novel polymer acceptors based on NFREAs for all-polymer OSCs are also introduced.In the end,the paper provides an outlook on developing efficient,stable,and low-cost NFREAs for achieving commercial applications.

Polymeric materials reinforced by noncovalent aggregates of polymer chains

Mechanical performances are among the most fundamental properties that dictate the applicability and durability of polymeric materials.Reinforcement of polymeric materials is eternally pursued to broaden the applications of polymers with light-weight,low-cost and easy-processing advantages.Noncovalent aggregates of biomacromolecules have been found to play a significant role in the mechanical properties of many natural materials,such as the spider silk.Increasing numbers of reports have demonstrated that the in situ formed noncovalent aggregates of polymer chains in polymeric systems are highly effective for enhancing the mechanical properties of artificial polymeric materials,in terms of strength,stiffness,toughness,and/or elasticity.The in situ formed noncovalent aggregates act as additional crosslinking domains and well-dispersed“hard”nanofillers in the polymer networks,significantly strengthening,stiffening and/or toughening the polymeric materials.Moreover,the noncovalent crosslinking of polymer chains favors the development of healable and recyclable polymeric materials,thanks to the reversible and dynamic properties of noncovalent bonds.This review provides an overview of the recent advances on the enhancement of the mechanical properties of different polymeric materials by the in situ formed noncovalent aggregates of polymer chains.It is expected to arouse inspirations for the development of novel polymeric materials with extraordinary mechanical performances and functionalities.

Effect of noncovalent complexations on coordination interactions in a tricomponent system ofβ-cyclodextrin,copper chloride and hexamethylene tetramine

This study reveals that the noncovalent complexation betweenβ-CD and Cu（HMTA）^（2＋） makes a positive contribution to the coordination interaction between Cu^（2＋） and HMTA in a tricomponent system.Besides,mono- and binuclear complexes：[β-CDCu]~＋ and[Cu·β-CDCu]~＋ were observed under the condition of ESI-MS.

Conformation preference and related intramolecular noncovalent interaction of selected short chain chlorinated paraffins

Short chain chlorinated paraffins （SCCPs） are not only research focus of environmental issues but also interesting model mol- ecules for organic chemistry which exhibit diverse conformation preference and intramolecular noncovalent interactions （NCIs）. A systematic study was conducted to reveal the conlk）rmation preference and the related intramolecular NCIs in two C^-isomers of SCCPs, 5,5,6,6-tetrachlorodecane and 4,4,6,6-1etrachlorodecane. The overall conformation profile was deter- mined on the basis of relative energies calculated at the MP2/6-311＋＋G（d,p） level with the geometries optimized by B3LYP/6-31 l＋＋G（d,p） method. Then, quantum theory of atoms in molecules （QTAIM） has been adopted to identify the NCls in the selected conformers of the model molecules at both B31~YP/6-31 l＋＋G（d,p） and M06-2X/aug-cc-pvdz level. Different chlorine substitution modes result in varied conformation preference. No obvious gauche effect can be observed tk）r the SCCPs with chlorination on adjacent carbon atoms. The most stable conformer of 5,5,6,6-tetrachlorodecane （tTt） has its three dihedral angles in the T configuration, and there is no intramolecular N（3s found in this molecule. On the contrary, the chlorination on interval carbon atoms favors the adoption of gauche configmation for the H C C CI axis. Not only inlramolecular H-..CI contacts but also H---H interactions have been identified as driving forces to compensate the instability from steric crowding ot the gauche configuration. The gggg and g＇g＇g＇g＇ conformers are the most popular ones, while the populations of tggg and tg＇g＇g＇ conformer are second to those of the gggg and g＇g＇g＇g＇ conformers. Meanwhile, the M06-2X method with large basis sets is preferred for identification of subtle intramolecular NCIs in large molecules like SCCPs.

Synthesis, Structure and Noncovalent Interactions of Palladium(II) Complexes with N-Benzoyl-β-phenylalaninate Dianion and Aromatic Diimine

Two palladium(II) complexes, \[Pd(bipy)(BzPhe N,O)\] and \[Pd(phen)(BzPhe N,O)\]·4H 2 O were synthesized by reactions between Pd(bipy)Cl 2 and BzPheH 2( N benzoyl β phenylalanine), Pd(phen)Cl 2 and BzPheH 2 in water at pH～9, with their structures determined by X ray diffraction analysis. The Pd atom is coordinated by two nitrogen atoms of bipy (or phen), the deprotonated amido type nitrogen atom and one of the carboxylic oxygens of BzPhe (BzPhe= N benzoyl β phenylalaninate dianion). In the complex \[Pd(phen)(BzPhe N,O)\]·4H 2O, the side chain of phenylalanine is located above and approximately parallels to the coordination plane. Both the aromatic aromatic stacking interaction between the phenyl ring of phenylalanine and phen, and the metal ion aromatic interaction between the phenyl ring of phenylalanine and Pd(II) were observed. \[Pd(bipy)(BzPhe N,O)\] has the phenylalanyl side chain oriented outwards from the coordination plane, which is mainly due to the interaction between the carbonyl oxygen atom of the amido group and the phenyl ring of phenylalanine. The reason for the different orientation of phenylalanyl side chain in the complexes was suggested.

β-环糊精与蛋白质非共价复合物的电喷雾质谱研究

电喷雾质谱(ESI-MS)已经广泛应用于非共价复合物的检测和研究[1,2].ESI是一种极软的离子化过程,它不仅能在不断裂共价键的情况下使分子离子化,而且可以在离子化过程中保持分子间弱的非共价键作用.……

Dinuclear Copper(Ⅱ) Complex with a New Polycarboxylate Ligand:Syntheses,Characterization and Crystal Structure

A dinuclear copper（Ⅱ） complex,[Cu2（HL）2（H2O）6] 1（H3L = 2,4,6-tri（3-carboxy-phenylthio）-1,3,5-triazine）,was synthesized hydrothermally and characterized by single-crystal X-ray diffraction,IR and thermal analysis.Single-crystal X-ray diffraction reveals that complex 1 is a dinuclear copper（Ⅱ） complex,which is further extended to a 3D network by weak interactions such as O…H-O hydrogen bonds and noncovalent S...S interactions.The crystal of compound 1 belongs to monoclinic,space group C2/c,with a = 50.15（2）,b = 6.789（3）,c =15.667（8） ,β = 90.588（9）o,V = 5334（4） 3,Z = 4,C48H38Cu2N6O18S6,Mr = 1306.28,Dc = 1.627 g/cm3,F（000） = 2664,Rint = 0.0631,T = 293（2） K,μ = 1.112 mm-1,the final R = 0.0661 and wR = 0.1850 for 3782 observed reflections with I 2σ（I）.