Functional materials: making the world go round
This themed issue includes a collection of articles on functional materials.
Opportunities and challenges for electrochemistry in studying the electronic structure of nanocrystals
We review the state-of-the-art of determining the electronic structure of nanocrystals in thin films by electrochemistry and emphasize the benefits of correlating electrochemical with spectroscopic methods to this end.
Synthesis of Pt@TiO2 nanocomposite electrocatalysts for enhanced methanol oxidation by hydrophobic nanoreactor templating
In this work Pt@TiO2 nanocomposite electrocatalysts for methanol oxidation were synthesized using a one-pot process by hydrophobic nanoreactor templating.
Structural analyses of blended Nafion/PVDF electrospun nanofibers
A new type of polymer blend, prepared by electrospinning nanofibers containing the immiscible polymer polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF, 10 wt%) and Nafion® perfluorosulfonic acid (90 wt%), has been characterized experimentally.
Photoisomerization of azobenzene-substituted alkanethiolates on Au(111) substrates in the context of work function variation: the effect of structure and packing density
Novel azobenzene-substituted self-assembled monolayers were used for stimuli-responsive work function variation, with control of the molecular dipole and sterical constraints.
The impact of carbonate solvents on the self-discharge, thermal stability and performance retention of high voltage electrochemical double layer capacitors
Advanced electrolytes for supercapacitors with high electrochemical stability are necessary to improve the suitability of supercapacitors for many applications.
Dynamic exciton localisation in a pyrene–BODIPY–pyrene dye conjugate
The photophysics of a molecular triad consisting of a BODIPY dye and two pyrene chromophores attached in 2-position are investigated by steady state and fs-time resolved transient absorption spectroscopy as well as by field induced surface hopping (FISH) simulations.
Size-controllable and uniform gold bumpy nanocubes for single-particle-level surface-enhanced Raman scattering sensitivity
Gold nanocubes modified to form roughened structures with very strong and uniform single-particle surface-enhanced Raman scattering intensity were developed.
Paper
Influence of the average molar mass of poly(N-vinylpyrrolidone) on the dimensions and conductivity of silver nanowires
Improving the performance of Ag nanowire electrodes by adjusting the reaction conditions and the molar mass of PVP.
Mechanisms of fluorescence quenching in prototypical aggregation-induced emission systems: excited state dynamics with TD-DFTB
A recent implementation of time-dependent tight-binding density functional theory is employed in excited state molecular dynamics for the investigation of the fluorescence quenching mechanism in 3 prototypical aggregation-induced emission systems.
Paper
Nanoplatelet cryoaerogels with potential application in photoelectrochemical sensing
Photoelectrodes based on CdSe nanoplatelet cryoaerogels are prepared and the charge carrier transport within these structures is investigated photoelectrochemically.
Excited states and excitonic interactions in prototypic polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon dimers as models for graphitic interactions in carbon dots
The HOMO–LUMO transition in a stacked circum-1-coronene dimer as a model for excimer interactions in carbon dots.
Triangular graphene nanofragments: open-shell character and doping
In this work we study the intricacies of the electronic structure properties of triangular graphene nanofragments (TGNFs) in their ground and low-lying excited states by means of ab initio quantum chemistry calculations.
Theory of cyclic voltammetry in random arrays of cylindrical microelectrodes applied to carbon felt electrodes for vanadium redox flow batteries
In order to quantitatively investigate the kinetic performance and the pore size distribution of carbon felt electrodes for the application in vanadium redox flow batteries, the theory of cyclic voltammetry (CV) is derived for a random network of cylindrical microelectrodes on the base of convolutive modeling.
Excited state properties of a series of molecular photocatalysts investigated by time dependent density functional theory
Excited state characters and energies of molecular photocatalysts are calculated by TDDFT to deduce trends for the electron transfer efficiencies.
About this collection
This is the official themed issue of the international Bunsentagung 2019 meeting organised by the Deutsche Bunsen-Gesellschaft (DBG) in Jena, Germany on 30th May – 1st June. The issue features high quality and original research on the theme of 'Functional Materials'. The issue is guest-edited by Benjamin Dietzek (Jena University), Leticia Gonzalez (University of Vienna), Christina Roth (University of Berlin), Sebastian Schlücker (University of Duisburg-Essen), Andrey Turchanin (Jena University), Dr Maria Wächtler (Leibniz Institute of Photonic Technology, Jena).