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In this paper, a transparent vacuum-encapsulated quartz tuning fork (QTF) is proposed for the first time to improve the quality factor and sensitivity of QTF sensors. Increasing the vacuum considerably improved the quality factor of QTF, and the resonance frequency was also shifted to higher values to 10 Hz. Subsequently, the spectroscopy detection of acetylene gas using an exposed QTF and a transparent vacuum-encapsulated QTF was investigated. The sensitivity of the detection system improved in the presence of the transparent vacuum-sealed QTF. The current findings represent a gateway to subsequent research in photo-thermoelastic spectroscopy.

Electrosorption of carbon nanotube and nanofiber (CNT–CNF) composite film electrodes was studied as a new desalination technology. The CNT–CNF composite film electrodes were grown on nickel sheets by low pressure thermal chemical vapor deposition. Different growth conditions at different acetylene flow rates of CNT–CNF composite film electrodes have been performed to obtain different crystallinities. The electrosorption experiments and Raman spectra analysis show the successful removal of ions with CNT–CNF composite film electrodes, depending on the optimal degree of crystalline perfection. In our work, optimal electrosorption was realized for the CNT–CNF composite film electrodes growing at 550°C with the acetylene and hydrogen flow rates of 30 and 200 sccm.

A silver-loaded one-dimensional (1D) vertical ZnO nanowires (NWs) array synthesized by a facile seed mediated hydrothermal-RF magnetron sputtering method has been investigated for the fabrication of a highly stable and reproducible acetylene (C₂H₂) gas sensor. Successful immobilization of silver nanoparticles (NPs) as a sensitizer on the ZnO NWs array significantly enhanced the C₂H₂ sensing properties and showed a stable sensing performance. The grown structure exhibited high response magnitude (30.8 at 1000ppm), short response time (43s) and excellent selectivity at 220${}^{\circ }$C. The enhanced performance can probably be accounted for the effect of combining the highly orientated ZnO NWs and catalytically active silver-based network. The superior sensing features toward C₂H₂ along with broad detection range (1–1000ppm), outstanding stability and excellent reproducibility indicate that the sensor is a promising candidate for practical applications.

A proof on concept study was conducted in the quest for dual-functional surfaces that provide both biopassivity and bioactivity. It presents the development of a biopassive platform that readily binds to bioactive molecules via copper-catalyzed acetylene-azide cycloaddition reaction. Acetylene-decorated poly(2-methyl-2-oxazoline) (PMOXA) brushes were grafted on an Nb₂O₅ surface. This biopassive brush platform was then exposed to various azide-decorated compounds of different sizes (molecular weight) and chemical structure, i.e. benzyl, mannose, and antimicrobial peptide (AMP), to react through the cycloaddition reaction. The different nature of the compounds “clicked” to the brushes requires different strategies of characterization. Time of flight-secondary ion mass spectroscopy (ToF-SIMS) results showed that benzyl-triazole-characteristic fragments were successfully bound to the surface. Fluorescence spectroscopy results indicated that mannose-azide molecules tagged with dye-carrying Concanavalin A (Con-A) could bind to the PMOXA-acetylene brush via specific and, to some extent, nonspecific interactions. Similarly, optical waveguide light-mode spectroscopy (OWLS) and quartz crystal microbalance-dissipation (QCM-D) analysis showed a successful reaction between AMP-azide and the PMOXA-acetylene brush platform. Together, these results validated the original approach of generating dual-functional surfaces using a “click” reaction between oxazoline brushes and a variety of ligands relevant to a range of applications.

Two-photon absorption (2PA) cross section values of bisacetylene-connected bisporphyrins were measured by using a nanosecond open aperture Z-scan method. The maximum effective cross section values of alkyl and aryl meso-substituted bisporphyrins were 14,000 GM at 890 nm and 7,700 GM at 860 nm, respectively, and the value of alkyl-substituted bisporphyrin was almost twice of that of aryl-substituted one. In one-photon absorption spectra, Q-bands of alkyl-substituted bisporphyrin were red-shifted at 635 nm and 685 nm, and intensified compared with those of aryl-substituted one at 625 nm and 678 nm, respectively, indicating higher π-electron density of the former compound compared to that of the later. The large enhancement observed for alkyl-substituted bisporphyrin is attributed to the increase in π- electron density compared with aryl-substituted one. It was found that the alkyl group is better to obtain large 2PA cross section values than the aryl group as the meso-substituent of the porphyrin.

Self-assemblies consisting of acetylene-linked bisporphyrins with a 4-nitrophenylethynyl substituent and with a phenylethynyl substituent were synthesized. The Q-band of the phenylethynyl-substituted compound appears at 762 nm whereas that of the 4-nitrophenylethynyl-substituted one was red-shifted to 784 nm and intensified. This may be attributed to the participation of the nitro group in the π-electronic communication system. HOMOs and LUMOs were calculated for these compounds using an INDO/S-CI method. The effective two-photon absorption cross-section values of these self-assemblies were measured by using a nanosecond open aperture Z-scan method. The maximum effective two-photon absorption cross-section values of 4-nitrophenylethynyl- and phenylethynyl-substituted bisporphyrins were obtained as 1.2 × 10⁵GM and 8.1 × 10⁴GM, respectively, at 890 nm. A 1.5 enhancement factor was obtained by introducing nitro groups, which was similar to the value previously reported for ferrocene- and fullerene-connected supramolecular porphyrin.

Acetylene-bridged bisporphyrins and trisporphyrins having branched bulky bis(carboxylethyl)methyl meso-substituents were synthesized. These compounds showed large effective two-photon absorption cross-section values at 890 nm measured by using a nanosecond Z-scan method. Sodium salt of hydrolyzed trisporphyrins showed broad and red-shifted Q-bands over 900 nm. Two-photon absorption cross-section values of water-soluble dimers in water were similar to, or slightly larger than, those of ester forms evaluated in toluene. Furthermore, the generation of singlet oxygen upon one-photon irradiation for dimers in water was confirmed.

A new porphyrintetrathiafulvalene composite, where two porphyrins are bridged by te trathiafulvalene (TTF) using acetylene bonds was synthesized. The Q-band of the monomeric porphyrin appears at 590 nm whereas that of the composite is red-shifted to 620 nm and intensified. The Soret band is also red-shifted from 427 nm to 435 nm and much broadened, indicating the expansion of π-conjugation over the porphyrin and tetrathiafulvalene units. The HOMOs and LUMOs were calculated using time-dependent density functional theory. Voltammetric experiments revealed that the first oxidation potential of the TTF moiety in the composite was shifted by +155 mV compa red with TTF in the absence of composite. The effective two-photon absorption (2PA) cross section values were measured by using a nanosecond open aperture Z-scan method. The maximum effective 2PA cross section values were obtained at 760 nm, as 7300 GM in benzonitrile and 5900 GM in toluene. The values obtained in the polar solvent were 1.2 to 1.5 times larger than those in the nonpolar solvent.