Synthesis, Characterization, Morphology and Photovoltaic Properties of Aniline-Tiophene Based Polymers

Monomers composed of thiophene and aniline rings, 4-(2-thiophen)aniline and 4-(3-thiophen)aniline, were successfully synthetized through the Suzuki-Miyaura cross coupling reaction and then polymerized. The polymers poly 4-(2-tiophen)aniline and poly 4-(3-tiophen)aniline (P4,2TA and P4,3TA) were characterized via spectroscopycal NMR, optical and electrochemical methodologies. Subsequently the morphology of deposits were characterized using atomic force microscopy (AFM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The photovoltaic devices were constructed under the same conditions, observing differences in the photovoltaic yield of each polymer. P4,2TA exhibited higher photovoltaic yield in comparison with P4,3TA, indicating that the molecular geometry affects the crystallinity and surface morphology of the polymeric deposits, and the photovoltaic propertie

Thiophene and Pyrrole Derivative Polymers Electro-Synthesized on Stainles Steel. Doping and Morphology Characterization

3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene (EDOT), 3,4-propylenedioxythiophene (PRODOT), 3,4-ethylenedioxypyrrole (PEDOP) and 3,4 propylenedioxypyrrole (PRODOP), thiophene and pyrrole derivatives, were electro-polymerized by potentiodynamic and potentiostatic methods on stainless steel AISI 316 electrodes, using lithium perchlorate as support electrolyte in acetonitrile. In all cases electrodes modified with the respective polymeric deposit (PEDOT, PPRODOT, PPEDOP and PPRODOP) were obtained. One of the most relevant features of these polymers is that their voltammetric responses revealed that all presented p- and n-doping/undoping processes, being both processes reversible. Moreover, nucleation and growth mechanism (NGM) of the polymers was established by deconvolution of the experimental j/t transients recorded during it electropolymerization. PEDOT and PPRODOP showed a single contribution to the overall process, corresponding to instant nucleation with three-dimensional growth, controlled by charge transfer, whereas pyrrole derivatives (PEDOP and PPRODOP) are controlled by the same contribution, but there is also a second one corresponding to progressive nucleation with diffusion-controlled three-dimensional growth. Nuclei shape predicted from these NGM is consistent with the respective morphologies determined by SEM and AFM that, once more, validated the proposed electropolymerization model and the morphology prediction from the NGM of the respective polymers. To sum up, a correlation between the structure of the starting unit, doping, and morphology of the electro-deposited polymers was established

Improved performance of organic solar cells by growth optimization of MoO3/CuI double-anode buffer

We investigated the effect of a CuI anode buffer layer (ABL) on the molecular orientation of the copper phthalocyanine (CuPc) in organic photovoltaic cells (OPV cells), and we compare it to the effect of MoO3 buffer layer. While, in the presence of CuI, the CuPc molecules lie down parallel to the substrate, they stand up perpendicular in the case of MoO3. We show that the optical absorption, the morphology, and the JV characteristics of the OPV cells depends strongly on the orientation of the CuPc molecules. The improvement of the OPV cells performance is related to the property modifications induced by the change in molecule orientation. We show that the improvement of the OPV cell performance through the templating effect of CuI depends strongly on the deposition rate of the CuI, because the CuI thin-film morphology depends on this deposition rate. In this context, we show that the use of a double-ABL MoO3/CuI leads to a significant improvement of the cell performance. These results are discussed on the basis of the dual function of MoO3 and CuI. While both of them reduce the hole-injection barrier, CuI improves the CuPc film absorbance through specific molecular order and MoO3 prevents the OPV cells from leakage-path formation

Electrochemical synthesis of poly(30-alkylterthiophenes). Characterization and applications

A new series of polymers obtained from 30-alkyl-terthiophene monomers have been electropolymerized aimed at using them as raw materials for the development of electronic devices, e.g., solar cell and organic light-emitting diodes, among others. The polymers were characterized by infrared and UV–Vis spectroscopy and cyclic voltammetry. Cyclic voltammetry results revealed that during polymerization both terthiophene system and substituent groups are oxidized, but these processes are reversible

New Polymers Based on 2,6-di(thiophen-2-yl)aniline and 2,2'-(thiophen-2,5-diyl)dianiline Monomers. Preparation, Characterization and Thermal, Optical, Electronic and Photovoltaic Properties

A new series of polymers, chemically and electrochemically obtained from monomers containing aniline and thiophene moieties, has been prepared. The purpose is to use them as electron donor layers in the fabrication of dual-layer organic solar cells. Both the monomers and the polymers were characterized using techniques such as NMR, FT-IR, cyclic voltammetry, etc. It was found that polymer growth occurred only through aniline unit(s) and not through thiophene unit(s), as might also be expected. Optical and electronic studies revealed that the products displayed properties suitable for use in photovoltaic devices. However, prepared prototypes yields ranged just between 10-2 and 10-3

Registro ACESUR: atención de pacientes adultos con crisis epilépticas en servicios de urgencias: diferencias entre primer episodio y recurrencia

Objetivo. Describir las características y la atención recibida de pacientes adultos que consultan por crisis epiléptica (CE) en los servicios de urgencias hospitalarios (SUH), diferenciando entre primera crisis y recurrencia en epiléptico conocido. Método. ACESUR es un registro observacional de cohortes multipropósito, prospectivo y multicéntrico con un muestreo sistemático, los días pares de febrero y julio alternando con los impares de abril y octubre de 2017. Se incluyeron pacientes 18 años con diagnóstico de CE en los SUH. Se recogieron variables clínico-asistenciales de la visita índice de pacientes, distinguiendo entre primera CE y recurrencia en epiléptico. Resultados. El registro ACESUR recogió a 664 pacientes procedentes de 18 SUH españoles, 229 (34, 5%) con primera CE y 435 (65, 5%) con CE recurrentes. Los pacientes con primera CE fueron de mayor edad (p < 0, 001), presentaron motivos de consulta distintos (p < 0, 001) y requirieron más traslados en ambulancia (p < 0, 001). La atención recibida en el SUH fue diferente, en pacientes con primera CE se solicitó con mayor probabilidad una prueba complementaria específica (OR ajustada = 13, 94; IC95%:7, 29-26, 7; p < 0, 001) y se necesitó mayor hospitalización o estancia prolongada en el SUH (OR ajustada = 1, 69; IC95%:1, 11-2, 58; p = 0, 015). No hubo diferencias en cuanto al tratamiento farmacológico en fase aguda ni preventivo (OR ajustada = 1, 40; IC95%:0, 94-2, 09; p = 0, 096). Se inició tratamiento con fármacos antiepiépticos (FAE) en 100 pacientes (43, 7%) tras primera CE y se reinició o modificó añadiendo nuevo FAE en 142 pacientes (32, 6%) con CE recurrentes. Conclusiones. Las características clínicas y la atención recibida de pacientes adultos con primera CE en SUH en España difieren de las recurrencias en epiléptico conocido. Objective. To describe the characteristics of care received by patients who come to the emergency department with a first epileptic seizure versus a recurrent seizure in a patient with diagnosed epilepsy. Methods. ACESUR (Acute Epileptic Seizures in the Emergency Department) is a prospective multicenter, multipurpose registry of cases obtained by systematic sampling on even days in February and July 2017 and on odd days in April and October 2017. Patients were aged 18 years or older and had an emergency department diagnosis of epileptic seizure. We recorded clinical variables and details related to care given during each patient''s visit, including whether the event was a first or recurrent seizure. Results. A total of 664 patients attended by 18 Spanish emergency departments were entered into the ACESUR registry. Two hundred twenty-nine (34.5%) were first seizures and 435 (65.5%) were recurrences. Patients who were attended for first seizures were older, consulted for a wider variety of reasons, and were transported in ambulances (P<.001, all comparisons). Care received differed between patients with first seizures versus recurrent seizures. Specific complementary testing was more likely in patients with first seizures (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 13.94; 95% CI, 29-26.7; P<.001), and they were more often hospitalized or stayed longer in the emergency department, (aOR, 1.69; 95% CI, 1.11-2.58; P=.015). Pharmacologic treatment did not differ between the groups, either in the acute phase or for prevention (aOR, 1.40; 95% CI, 0.94-2.09; P=.096). Antiepileptic drugs were given to 100 patients (43.7%) after a first seizure and were restarted or changed in 142 patients with recurrent seizure (32.6%). Conclusions. The clinical characteristics of adults attended for a first epileptic seizure differ from those of patients with diagnosed epilepsy who were attended for recurrent seizures in Spain. The care received also differs

Inclusive-photon production and its dependence on photon isolation in pp collisions at s√ = 13 TeV using 139 fb−1 of ATLAS data

Measurements of differential cross sections are presented for inclusive isolated-photon production in pp collisions at a centre-of-mass energy of 13 TeV provided by the LHC and using 139 fb−1 of data recorded by the ATLAS experiment. The cross sections are measured as functions of the photon transverse energy in different regions of photon pseudorapidity. The photons are required to be isolated by means of a fixed-cone method with two different cone radii. The dependence of the inclusive-photon production on the photon isolation is investigated by measuring the fiducial cross sections as functions of the isolation-cone radius and the ratios of the differential cross sections with different radii in different regions of photon pseudorapidity. The results presented in this paper constitute an improvement with respect to those published by ATLAS earlier: the measurements are provided for different isolation radii and with a more granular segmentation in photon pseudorapidity that can be exploited in improving the determination of the proton parton distribution functions. These improvements provide a more in-depth test of the theoretical predictions. Next-to-leading-order QCD predictions from JETPHOX and SHERPA and next-to-next-to-leading-order QCD predictions from NNLOJET are compared to the measurements, using several parameterisations of the proton parton distribution functions. The measured cross sections are well described by the fixed-order QCD predictions within the experimental and theoretical uncertainties in most of the investigated phase-space region

Search for excited τ-leptons and leptoquarks in the final state with τ-leptons and jets in pp collisions at s√ = 13 TeV with the ATLAS detector

A search is reported for excited τ-leptons and leptoquarks in events with two hadronically decaying τ-leptons and two or more jets. The search uses proton-proton (pp) collision data at s√ = 13 TeV recorded by the ATLAS experiment during the Run 2 of the Large Hadron Collider in 2015–2018. The total integrated luminosity is 139 fb−1. The excited τ-lepton is assumed to be produced and to decay via a four-fermion contact interaction into an ordinary τ-lepton and a quark-antiquark pair. The leptoquarks are assumed to be produced in pairs via the strong interaction, and each leptoquark is assumed to couple to a charm or lighter quark and a τ-lepton. No excess over the background prediction is observed. Excited τ-leptons with masses below 2.8 TeV are excluded at 95% CL in scenarios with the contact interaction scale Λ set to 10 TeV. At the extreme limit of model validity where Λ is set equal to the excited τ-lepton mass, excited τ-leptons with masses below 4.6 TeV are excluded. Leptoquarks with masses below 1.3 TeV are excluded at 95% CL if their branching ratio to a charm quark and a τ-lepton equals 1. The analysis does not exploit flavour-tagging in the signal region