Signaling Recognition Events with Fluorescent Sensors and Switches.

Over the past 100 years, the global average temperature has increased by approximately 0.6 °C and is projected to continue to rise at a rapid rate1. Although species have responded to climatic changes throughout their evolutionary history2, a primary concern for wild species and their ecosystems is this rapid rate of change3. We gathered information on species and global warming from 143 studies for our meta-analyses. These analyses reveal a consistent temperature-related shift, or ‘fingerprint’, in species ranging from molluscs to mammals and from grasses to trees. Indeed, more than 80% of the species that show changes are shifting in the direction expected on the basis of known physiological constraints of species. Consequently, the balance of evidence from these studies strongly suggests that a significant impact of global warming is already discernible in animal and plant populations. The synergism of rapid temperature rise and other stresses, in particular habitat destruction, could easily disrupt the connectedness among species and lead to a reformulation of species communities, reflecting differential changes in species, and to numerous extirpations and possibly extinctions.

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Fingerprints of global warming on wild animals and plants

THE photovoltaic effect involves the production of electrons and holes in a semiconductor device under illumination, and their subsequent collection at opposite electrodes. In many inorganic semiconductors, photon absorption produces free electrons and holes directly1. But in molecular semiconductors, absorption creates electrona¤-hole pairs (excitons) which are bound at room temperature2, so that charge collection requires their dissociation. Exciton dissociation is known to be efficient at interfaces between materials with different electron affinities and ionization potentials, where the electron is accepted by the material with larger electron affinity and the hole by the material with lower ionization potential3. A two-layer diode structure can thus be used, in which excitons generated in either layer diffuse towards the interface between the layers. However, the exciton diffusion range is typically at least a factor of 10 smaller than the optical absorption depth, thus limiting the efficiency of charge collection3. Here we show that the interpenetrating network formed from a phase-segregated mixture of two semiconducting polymers provides both the spatially distributed interfaces necessary for efficient charge photo-generation, and the means for separately collecting the electrons and holes. Devices using thin films of these polymer mixtures show promise for large-area photodetectors.

Efficient photodiodes from interpenetrating polymer networks

A review was presented to demonstrate a historical description of the synthesis of light-emitting conjugated polymers for applications in electroluminescent devices. Electroluminescence (EL) was first reported in poly(para-phenylene vinylene) (PPV) in 1990 and researchers continued to make significant efforts to develop conjugated materials as the active units in light-emitting devices (LED) to be used in display applications. Conjugated oligomers were used as luminescent materials and as models for conjugated polymers in the review. Oligomers were used to demonstrate a structure and property relationship to determine a key polymer property or to demonstrate a technique that was to be applied to polymers. The review focused on demonstrating the way polymer structures were made and the way their properties were controlled by intelligent and rational and synthetic design.

Synthesis of Light-Emitting Conjugated Polymers for Applications in Electroluminescent Devices

Occurrence, behavior and effects of nanoparticles in the environment.

THE range of materials now available for polymer-based light-emitting diodes (LEDs) is such that electroluminescence can be obtained throughout the visible spectrum(1-12). Here we show that, by ble ...

Light-emitting diodes with variable colours from polymer blends

A water-soluble complex of C60 is formed on refluxing a solution of γ-cyclodextrin with solid C60; the lifetime of the triplet excited state of C60 in the complex is 83 µs in an oxygen free solution.

C60 embedded in γ-cyclodextrin: a water-soluble fullerene

We report a systematic approach to the control of the conjugation length along the poly(thiophene) backbone. The planarity of the main chain can be permanently modified by altering the pattern of s ...

Electroluminescence from Substituted Poly(thiophenes) : From Blue to Near-Infrared

Polarized light sources based on stretch-oriented conjugated polymers are reported. The devices, based on poly 3(4-octylphenyl)-2,2′-bithiophene, show an external quantum efficiency of 0.1% and are produced using a very simple method which may be easily extended to other polymers. The fabrication of the devices is described and factors such as the emission and spectral differences parallel and prependicular to the stretching direction discussed.

Polarized electroluminescence from an oriented substituted polythiophene in a light emitting diode

We have shown that it is possible to regioselectively polymerize 3-(4-octylphenyl) thiophene with FeCl3. Adding FeCl3 slowly to the monomer leads to a soft and therefore regioselective polymerizati ...

Olof Wennerström

Papers

Light-emitting diodes with variable colours from polymer blends

C60 embedded in γ-cyclodextrin: a water-soluble fullerene

Electroluminescence from Substituted Poly(thiophenes) : From Blue to Near-Infrared

Polarized electroluminescence from an oriented substituted polythiophene in a light emitting diode

Regioselective polymerization of 3-(4-octylphenyl)thiophene with FeCl3