Donor Phase Research Articles

Spectrophotometric determination of o-phenylphenol in canned drinks using three-phase hollow-fiber liquid phase microextraction

A three-phase hollow-fiber liquid phase microextraction for o-phenylphenol (OPP) determination was developed. 1-octanol was employed as the organic phase, impregnated within the pores of the hollow fiber wall which was immersed in the sample solution, serving as a donor phase. OPP in the sample solution was extracted via octanol in the fiber pores into NaOH, which acted as the acceptor phase in the lumen of the fiber. The extracted OPP was then subjected to spectrophotometric detection at 712 nm using the indophenol blue reaction. The developed method showed a linear calibration curve (0.002–0.040 mg L−1) with high sensitivity (5.75 L mg−1), low limit of detection (0.31 μg L−1), and high recovery (73.6–94.8 %). Intra-day and inter-day precision at 2.1 μg L−1 OPP were 7.4 % (n = 12) and 10.9 % (n = 4) relative standard deviations, respectively. The determined OPP in various canned drinks was found to be between 2.0 and 17.8 μg L−1 using the developed method.

Ultra-sensitive detection of cadmium and lead in water using crown ether gel electromembrane extraction coupled with miniaturized electrochemical system

This study presents the development of an electrochemical technique combined with gel electromembrane extraction (G-EME) for the simultaneous detection of cadmium and lead in environmental water samples. Crown ether (18C6) was added to the gel as a complexing agent and cationic carrier. The electrochemical responses were evaluated using differential pulse anodic stripping voltammetry (DPASV) across various pH levels and deposition times. The most sensitive response (acetate buffer pH 4, deposition time 90 s) was selected for the development of the G-EME process. By applying a 30 V electrical potential across the gel membrane containing 1 % (w/v) of 18C6 for 10 min, positively charged Cd2+ and Pb2+ ions migrated from the donor phase (pH 5.0) through the 18C6@gel membrane (pH 5.0) into the acceptor phase (pH 5.0). This resulted in a linear range from 0.3 to 5 µg/L for Cd2+ and 0.5 to 5 µg/L for Pb2+, with detection limits of 0.10 µg/L and 0.19 µg/L, respectively— up to 120 times more sensitive than direct electrochemical measurements. Furthermore, the proposed technique maintained selectivity for cadmium and lead, despite the presence of other potential heavy metal ions in the environment.

Approaching 20% Efficiency in Ortho-Xylene Processed Organic Solar Cells by a Benzo[a]phenazine-Core-Based 3D Network Acceptor with Large Electronic Coupling and Long Exciton Diffusion Length.

High-performance organic solar cells often rely on halogen-containing solvents, which restrict the photovoltaic industry. Therefore, it is imperative to develop efficient organic photovoltaic materials compatible with halogen-free solvents. Herein, a series of benzo[a]phenazine (BP)-core-based small-molecule acceptors (SMAs) achieved through an isomerization chlorination strategy is presented, comprising unchlorinated NA1, 10-chlorine substituted NA2, 8-chlorine substituted NA3, and 7-chlorine substituted NA4. Theoretical simulations highlight NA3's superior orbit overlap length and tight molecular packing, attributed to interactions between the end group and BP unit. Furthermore, NA3 demonstrates dense 3D network structures and a record electronic coupling of 104.5 meV. These characteristics empower the ortho-xylene (o-XY) processed PM6:NA3 device with superior power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 18.94%, surpassing PM6:NA1 (15.34%), PM6:NA2 (7.18%), and PM6:NA4 (16.02%). Notably, the significantly lower PCE in the PM6:NA2 device is attributed to excessive self-aggregation characteristics of NA2 in o-XY. Importantly, the incorporation of D18-Cl into the PM6:NA3 binary blend enhances crystallographic ordering and increases the exciton diffusion length of the donor phase, resulting in a ternary device efficiency of 19.75% (certified as 19.39%). These findings underscore the significance of incorporating new electron-deficient units in the design of efficient SMAs tailored for environmentally benign solvent processing of OSCs.

Investigation of biodistribution by liquid-phase microextraction: Using a fatal diphenidol poisoning case

Liquid-phase microextraction (LPME) possesses a high potential to isolate organic substances from different sample matrices. In this work, LPME was applied for the first time to investigate the biodistribution of diphenidol in different biofluids, organs, and brain regions using a fatal poisoning case. Since the LPME of diphenidol hasn't been reported, the effect of supported liquid membrane (SLM), acceptor and donor phases, and extraction time on LPME performance was investigated first. The solvents of 2-nonanone and 2-nitrophenyl octyl ether (NPOE) were found to be stable and efficient SLMs for LPME of diphenidol from biofluids and tissue samples, respectively. At steady state, the LPME recoveries for different sample matrices were in the range of 87 %-91 %. Due to the clean-up capability of LPME and the relatively high concentration of diphenidol in the fatal poisoning case, the proposed LPME systems were validated with related sample matrices using HPLC-UV for the determination. The methods displayed good linearity (R² ≥ 0.9943), and the limits of detection were 0.30 mg L−1, 0.28 mg L−1, and 2.7 μg g−1 for blood, urine, and liver samples, respectively. Meanwhile, the precision (≤13%), accuracy (90–110%), and matrices effect (±15%) were satisfactory at low, medium, and high concentrations. In addition, the stability, carryover, and dilution integrity met the requirements of ASB Standard 036. Finally, the proposed method was successfully applied to evaluate the biodistribution of diphenidol in five different biofluids, five organs, and six brain regions from a fatal poisoning case. Generally, the distribution of diphenidol in biofluids was lower than that in the organs and brain regions, and the highest concentration of diphenidol was observed in the liver, which is very important for the selection of inspection samples in forensic toxicological analysis. Therefore, LPME was proved to be a powerful tool for the investigation of biodistribution and postmortem redistribution in the fields of forensics.

Enhancing Analytical Sensitivity and Selectivity for Methylene Blue Determination in Water Samples by Using Multiphase Electroextraction Coupled with Optical Absorption Spectroscopy and Surface-Enhanced Raman Scattering.

While optical analysis spectroscopy offers operational ease and low cost, it suffers from limitations regarding sensitivity when it comes to analyzing analytes at low concentrations. On the other hand, surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) offers high sensitivity but low selectivity in complex matrices. In this study, we have effectively addressed these challenges by integrating multiphase electroextraction (MPEE) as a sample preparation technique with these two spectroscopic methods for determining methylene blue (MB) dye in tap water samples. A Box-Behnken design was utilized for optimizing electroextraction parameters such as extraction time, pH, and acetonitrile percentage in the donor phase. After optimization, optical absorption spectroscopy results in a linear analytical curve within the range of 30 to 375 mg L-1 of MB, with method validation demonstrating high precision (relative standard deviation between 3.0 and 9.9%), recovery (99-105%), and detection and quantification limits of 1.3 and 4.0 μg L-1, respectively. On the other hand, using SERS, it was possible to detect MB in concentrations as low as 0.05 μg L-1. The extremely low concentrations of MB detected (in the range of a few ppb and ppt) and the acceptable validation performance parameters obtained highlight the potential of MPEE to enhance the applicability of spectroscopic techniques in routine analyses, especially when dealing with complex and challenging samples.

An efficient microchip electromembrane extraction online with high-performance liquid chromatography for the measurement of nicotine in high consumption vegetables.

Nicotine, a highly addictive substance, is naturally produced in the Solanaceae family of plants, particularly tobacco. The presence of nicotine in plant foods has adverse effects on the lungs, kidneys, heart, and reproductive system. A novel three-phase microchip flat electromembrane coupled with online high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) was developed to analyze nicotine in tomato, mushroom, eggplant, bell pepper, and red pepper. The microchip was connected to the HPLC in online mode. All effective variables were optimized to achieve the best extraction response. The use of electric potential and 2-nitrophenyl octyl ether -5% di(2-ethylhexyl) phosphate as a modified supported liquid membrane (SLM) increased the sensitivity and selectivity. The optimal extraction voltage, extraction time, and ion balance were 40 V, 10 min and 0, respectively. The dynamic linear range was 0.5-1000 ng g-1. The obtained recovery, relative standard deviation, and enrichment factor were 98%, 7%, and 35, respectively. The limits of detection 0.4 ng g-1 and the limits of quantification were obtained 1.3 ng g-1. The highest (105.0 ng g-1) and lowest (3.4 ng g-1) concentrations of nicotine were obtained for eggplant and tomato, respectively. Selective electromembrane extraction of nicotine from the donor phase to the acceptor phase was performed by optimizing the main variables influencing the method mechanism. The new channel design in this analytical system and online injection increased efficiency, stability, and repeatability. The results revealed that this method is capable for the efficient determination of trace amount of nicotine in edible vegetables.

Manipulating Alkyl Inner Side Chain of Acceptor for Efficient As-Cast Organic Solar Cells.

As-cast organic solar cells (OSCs) possess tremendous potential for low-cost commercial applications. Herein, five small-molecule acceptors (A1-A5) are designed and synthesized by selectively and elaborately extending the alkyl inner side chain flanking on the pyrrole motif to prepare efficient as-cast devices. As the extension of the alkyl chain, the absorption spectra of the films are gradually blue-shifted from A1 to A5 along with slightly uplifted lowest unoccupied molecular orbital energy levels, which is conducive for optimizing the trade-off between short-circuit current density and open-circuit voltage of the devices. Moreover, a longer alkyl chain improves compatibility between the acceptor and donor. The in situ technique clarifies that good compatibility will prolong molecular assembly time and assist in the preferential formation of the donor phase, where the acceptor precipitates in the framework formed by the donor. The corresponding film-formation dynamics facilitate the realization of favorable film morphology with a suitable fibrillar structure, molecular stacking, and vertical phase separation, resulting in an incremental fill factor from A1 to A5-based devices. Consequently, the A3-based as-cast OSCs achieve a top-ranked efficiency of 18.29%. This work proposes an ingenious strategy to manipulate intermolecular interactions and control the film-formation process for constructing high-performance as-cast devices.

A methodology of quantifying membrane permeability based on returning probability theory and molecular dynamics simulation.

We propose a theoretical approach to estimate the permeability coefficients of substrates (permeants) for crossing membranes from donor (D) phase to acceptor (A) phase by means of molecular dynamics (MD) simulation. A fundamental aspect of our approach involves reformulating the returning probability (RP) theory, a rigorous bimolecular reaction theory, to describe permeation phenomena. This reformulation relies on the parallelism between permeation and bimolecular reaction processes. In the present method, the permeability coefficient is represented in terms of the thermodynamic and kinetic quantities for the reactive (R) phase that exists within the inner region of a membrane. One can evaluate these quantities using multiple MD trajectories starting from phase R. We apply the RP theory to the permeation of ethanol and methylamine at different concentrations (infinitely dilute and 1 mol % conditions of permeants). Under the 1 mol% condition, the present method yields a larger permeability coefficient for ethanol (0.12 ± 0.01cms-1) than for methylamine (0.069 ± 0.006cms-1), while the values of the permeability coefficient are satisfactorily close to those obtained from the brute-force MD simulations (0.18 ± 0.03 and 0.052 ± 0.005cms-1 for ethanol and methylamine, respectively). Moreover, upon analyzing the thermodynamic and kinetic contributions to the permeability, we clarify that a higher concentration dependency of permeability for ethanol, as compared to methylamine, arises from the sensitive nature of ethanol's free-energy barrier within the inner region of the membrane against ethanol concentration.

Electromembrane Extraction of Ofloxacin from Human Plasma and Its Quantification by Capillary Electrophoresis

Background: Application of electromembrane extraction coupled with capillary electrophoresis was studied for ofloxacin extraction from plasma samples. Methods: Ofloxacin migrated from acidic plasma samples through a thin layer of 1-octanol immobilized in the pores of a porous hollow fiber wall into a 10 µL acidic aqueous acceptor solution located inside the lumen of the fiber. Results: Under optimum conditions influencing electromigration (i.e., 20 min of the operation time, stirring speed of 750 rpm, donor phase pH at 4.0, acceptor pH at 3.0, and applied voltage of 30 V across the supported liquid membrane), ofloxacin was extracted from plasma samples with an enrichment factor of 100-fold corresponding to extraction percent of 24%. The calibration curve showed acceptable linearity in the range of 0.2-7.0 µg.mL-1 (R=0.9993). The limits of detection and quantification of 0.05 and 0.2 µg.mL-1 were obtained, respectively. The inter- and intra-day precision and accuracy were obtained below 8.65%. Conclusion: The validated method was successfully processed for the ofloxacin determination in the plasma samples of patients under ofloxacin therapy. There were no interfering peaks which indicates the great selectivity of the developed method.

Enhancing the Concentration Capability of Nonsupported Electrically Driven Liquid-Phase Microextraction through Programmable Flow Using an All-In-One 3D-Printed Optosensor: A Proof of Concept.

A versatile millifluidic 3D-printed inverted Y-shaped unit (3D-YSU) was prototyped to ameliorate the concentration capability of nonsupported microelectromembrane extraction (μ-EME), exploiting optosensing detection for real-time monitoring of the enriched acceptor phase (AP). Continuous forward-flow and stop-and-go flow modes of the donor phase (DP) were implemented via an automatic programmable-flow system to disrupt the electrical double layer generated at the DP/organic phase (OP) interface while replenishing the potentially depleted layers of analyte in DP. To further improve the enrichment factor (EF), the organic holding section of the OP/AP channel was bifurcated to increase the interfacial contact area between the DP and the OP. Exploiting the synergistic assets of (i) the continuous forward-flow of DP (1050 μL), (ii) the unique 3D-printed cone-shaped pentagon cross-sectional geometry of the OP/AP channel, (iii) the bifurcation of the OP that creates an inverted Y-shape configuration, and (iv) the in situ optosensing of the AP, a ca. 24 EF was obtained for a 20 min extraction using methylene blue (MB) as a model analyte. The 3D-YSU was leveraged for the unsupervised μ-EME and the determination of MB in textile dye and urban wastewater samples, with relative recoveries ≥88%. This is the first work toward analyte preconcentration in μ-EME with in situ optosensing of the resulting extracts using 3D-printed millifluidic platforms.

Simultaneous extraction and preconcentration of two dyes with the same color from food samples by dual gel electro-membrane and determination by spectrophotometric method

In this study, the dual gel electromembrane extraction (G-EME) method coupled with UV–Vis spectrophotometry was developed to monitor the trace amount of Tartrazine (Tt) and auramine O (AO) in food samples. These dyes have different acidic and basic properties, but their colors are the same. The main driving forces of the dual G-EME are electro-migration and electroendosmosis (EEO). Tt as acidic and AO as basic analyte from 10 mL aqueous sample solution (pH 5.27) with a voltage of 65 V and a time of 29 min were extracted into 600 µL acidic (pH 9) and basic (pH 4) acceptor solution after passing through the agar membrane. The parameters, including the agar gel concentration (% w/v), the thickness of the agar gel, the pH of the gel, and the acceptor phases were optimized by one factor at a time also the design of the Experiment program was used to analyze and optimize the parameters such as the pH of the donor phase, voltage, time and stirring rate. Under the optimal conditions, the linear range for both dyes Tt and AO was 0.05–2.0 μg mL−1 with R2 > 0.99, the detection limits were 0.0256 and 0.0310 μg mL−1 and % recovery 85.0–111 and 91.7–112 respectively. Finally, the proposed method was successfully applied to the determination of Tt and AO in food samples. This novel approach offers a sensitive and accurate way to monitor the presence of these dyes in food products, which can be crucial for ensuring food safety and quality control.

Combining EDTA-intercalated (Zn-Al) layered double hydroxides/graphite and two-phase hollow fiber for liquid phase microextraction of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs

This study synthesized and characterized layered double hydroxides (LDHs) intercalated with ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid(EDTA) to increase the basal spacing of electrosynthesized Zn-Al-LDHs on pencil graphite (PG). The characteristic verification of the Zn-Al-EDTA-LDH nanostructures was conducted utilizing Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive and X-ray analysis (EDS), and X-ray diffraction (XRD). To improve the extraction efficiency, Zn-Al-EDTA-LDHs as adsorbent in solid phase microextraction (SPME) fiber was combined with hollow fiber liquid–liquid phase microextraction (HF-LLPME) to investigate the extraction efficiency of HF-LLME@PG-SPME technique the chosen non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) from aqueous solution Several variables, comprising extraction time, desorption time, stirring rate, desorption volume, pH of donor phase, and salt effects were screened and optimized by performing placket-Burman design (PBD). After evaluating the extraction and desorption procedures under optimal conditions, NSAIDs analysis was performed employing high-performance liquid chromatography-ultraviolet detection (HPLC-UV). Compared to the most common clean-up and sample preparation methods, the current study focused on developing a greener analytical chemistry process due to reduced solvent consumption, cost-effectiveness, miniaturization and simplified design. The proposed method for NSAIDs exhibited a good linear dynamic range (LDRs) (1.00–200.00 µg/L) with a coefficient of determination of > 0.9956, low limits of detection (LODs) (0.26–0.29 µg/L) and acceptable limits of quantifications (LOQs) (0.86–0.96 µg/L). Relative standard deviations of 5.31 % could be determined. The absolute recoveries of the urine sample analyses could be obtained in a 89.91–97.61 % range and enrichment factors (EFs) (178.92 to 183.88). Investigations of the developed method were also conducted in various urine samples containing the selected drugs. As a result of the obtained recoveries, the method proved to be valuable and suitable to complicated biological samples.

Exploring the impact of polyvinylidenefluoride membrane physical properties on the enrichment efficacy of microfluidic electro-membrane extraction of acidic drugs

Membrane technology has revolutionized various fields with its energy efficiency, versatility, user-friendliness, and adaptability. This study introduces a microfluidic chip, comprised of silicone rubber and polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) sheets to explore the impacts of polymeric support morphology on electro-membrane extraction efficiency, representing a pioneering exploration in this field. In this research, three polyvinylidenefluoride (PVDF) membranes with distinct pore sizes were fabricated and their characteristics were assessed through field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), and atomic force microscopy (AFM). This investigation centers on the extraction of three widely prescribed non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs: aspirin (ASA), naproxen (NAP), and ibuprofen (IBU). Quantitative parameters in the extraction process including voltage, donor phase flow rate, and acceptor phase composition were optimized, considering the type of membrane as a qualitative factor. To assess the performance of the fabricated PVDF membranes, a comparative analysis with a commercially available Polypropylene (PP) membrane was conducted. Efficient enrichment factors of 30.86, 23.15, and 21.06 were attained for ASA, NAP, and IBU, respectively, from urine samples under optimal conditions using the optimum PVDF membrane. Significantly, the choice of the ideal membrane amplified the purification levels of ASA, NAP, and IBU by factors of 1.6, 7.5, and 40, respectively.

Continuous flow membrane microextraction as a clean method for detecting codeine and papaverine in biological samples using HPLC-UV

In this study, continuous-flow membrane microextraction (CFMME) was connected online with a high-performance liquid chromatography-UV detector (HPLC-UV) for the pre-concentration and high clean-up of papaverine and codeine in biological samples. The extraction cell was designed with donor and acceptor chambers separated by a sheet membrane. By adjusting the pH of the donor phase (10 mL, pH 11), the analyte molecules were extracted into the supported liquid membrane (SLM) (15 μL of 1-octanol). The donor solution was circulated through the donor chamber using a peristaltic pump and magnetically agitated by a bar stirrer placed near the membrane, enhancing the diffusion and convection flow of the targeted drugs from the donor solution to the SLM. Subsequently, by adjusting the acceptor solution to an acidic pH of 2 (100 μL), the drugs in ionic form were reversely extracted into the acceptor phase. The procedure exhibited desirable relative standard deviation (RSD%) of less than 3.70%, linear ranges of 7-600 ng mL-1 for codeine and 2.0-600 ng mL-1 for papaverine, and limits of detection of 2.0 ng mL-1 for codeine and 0.6 ng mL-1 for papaverine. The design of the extraction cell significantly improved the performance for determining targeted drugs in complex matrices such as plasma and urine.

New insights into ion migration time under nonuniform electric fields: Mechanism and application to designing fast exhaustive electroextraction

Electrokinetic techniques, such as electrophoresis, electroextraction, and electrodialysis, have found a wide range of applications in fields such as chemical engineering, chemistry, biology, and environmental science. A critical parameter in these techniques is the time required for ion migration, which is often driven by a nonuniform three-dimensional electric field. However, the influence of the inhomogeneity of an electric field on ion migration time remains unclear, impeding procedures for its control. Herein, for the first time, we propose a concise, universal equation that clearly describes the features of electrophoresis times in nonuniform electric fields and reveals a linear relationship between ion migration time and the degree of dispersion of the electric field (or ion velocity). This discovery should facilitate the rational design for development of electrokinetic techniques to replace previous trial-and-error approaches. We demonstrate the viability of our method using a test case involving the design of an electroextraction device with high efficiency and matrix tolerance. The device with the optimized electric field geometry enables the exhaustive enrichment of crystal violet from a milliliter-level donor phase into a microliter-level acceptor phase within 540 s and avoids agitation. The direct, rapid electroextraction of trace analytes from complex essential oils and honey samples within 300–480 s is realized using this device, which is further coupled with liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry. The resulting analytical method displays low limits of detection (0.01–0.06 ng·mL−1; 0.08–0.30 μg·kg−1), overcoming the issues of time- and labor-intensive and error-prone sample preparation.

Sequentially Processed Bulk-Heterojunction-Buried Structure for Efficient Organic Solar Cells with 500nm Thickness.

Large-area printing fabrication is a distinctive feature of organic solar cells (OSCs). However, the advance of upscalable fabrication is challenged by the thickness of organic active layers considering the importance of both exciton dissociation and charge collection. In this work, a bulk-heterojunction-buried (buried-BHJ) structure is introduced by sequential deposition to realize efficient exciton dissociation and charge collection, thereby contributing to efficient OSCs with 500nm thick active layers. The buried-BHJ distributes donor and acceptor phases in the vertical direction as charge transport channels, while numerous BHJ interfaces are buried in each phase to facilitate exciton dissociation simultaneously. It is found that buried-BHJ configurations possess efficient exciton dissociation and rapid charge transport, resulting in reduced recombination losses. In comparison with traditional structures, the buried-BHJ structure displays a decent tolerance to film thickness. In particular, a power conversion efficiency of 16.0% is achieved with active layers at a thickness of 500nm. To the best of the authors' knowledge, this represents the champion efficiency of thick film OSCs.

Morphologically engineered multi-component organic solar cells with stratified donor distribution and alloyed acceptors for enhanced efficiency and stability

The strategy of integrating multiple components within the bulk-heterojunction layer of organic photovoltaics (OPVs) has proven effective in enhancing device performance and demonstrates broad potential applications. Nonetheless, achieving precise control over the morphology in such a multifaceted system presents a significant challenge. In this work, we introduce an innovative sequential casting technique to fabricate highly efficient quaternary OPVs with a meticulously tailored morphology featuring layers of stratified donor distribution and composite alloyed acceptors. The layered configuration of D18/PTQ10, with distinct crystalline domains, establishes a dedicated hole-transport pathway, while the alloyed BTP-eC9:Y6-O acceptors are evenly dispersed across the layered D18/PTQ10 donor phase. This carefully crafted morphology presents a gradient and interpenetrated donor/acceptor phase separation at an ideal length scale, which facilitates exciton dissociation, minimizes energetic disorder, and mitigates recombination. As a result, a power conversion efficiency close to 19% with excellent operational stability (extrapolated T80 = 818 h) was achieved. This work offers valuable insights into the morphological engineering of multicomponent OPVs for improved performance.

Electroextraction of methylene blue from aqueous environmental samples using paper points coupled with hollow fiber membranes

This article introduces a novel approach by coupling paper points with hollow fiber membrane for electroextraction (PP–HF-EE). The method was innovatively applied to extract methylene blue (MB) from large water volumes (up to 580 mL). A comprehensive study of six key parameters – organic filter, acceptor and donor phase composition, extraction time, applied voltage, and sample volume – was conducted using conventional flatbed scanning and digital image analysis. Our results revealed that extraction performance was primarily influenced by time, with low voltages (50 V) and low-conductivity organic filters (1-decanol) yielding comparable results to higher settings (300 V or 1-pentanol). Under optimized conditions (50 V, 60 min, 1-decanol as the organic filter), analytical performance parameters were assessed, demonstrating acceptable precision (RSD <18% for intra- and inter-day measurements) within a linear range of 5–100 μg L−1 (r = 0.98). PP–HF–EE demonstrated reliability through stable and reproducible electric current measurements during all extraction studies. Utilizing an extremely cost-effective detection system, PP–HF–EE achieved detection limits in the low ppb range, highlighting its potential as a promising variation of electromembrane extraction for environmental sample analysis.

Correlating the Photovoltaic Performance and Stability of the All-Small-Molecule Organic Solar Cells to Their Intermixed Phases Determined by Concentration-Dependent Ultraviolet-Visible Absorption Spectroscopy.

In addition to the donor-acceptor nano phases, the intermixed phase within the organic blends is crucial for the photovoltaic performance and stability of the bulk-heterojunction organic solar cells (OSCs). Here, the intermixed phase of a representative M-PhS:BTP-eC9 all-small-molecule organic solar cell was investigated by a concentration-dependent ultraviolet-visible (UV-vis) absorption spectroscopy method, where a shift of the absorption maximum wavelength was measured for the acceptor component with the increase of the acceptor concentration. The blend ratios of the acceptor to the donor in the intermixed phase, corresponding to the critical concentration for the formation of the acceptor nanophase (CAP), were determined to be 0.35, 0.20, and 0.15 for the as-cast, thermal annealing (TA), and the combined TA and solvent vapor annealing films. These results indicated that M-PhS and BTP-eC9 are kinetically well intermixed during spin coating, whereas TA and the following solvent annealing promote the crystallization of BTP-eC9 molecules out of the intermixed phase. The photovoltaic performance of the M-PhS:BTP-eC9 cells with different blend ratios was investigated. The formation of the BTP-eC9 nano phase in the blend film leads to stable VOC and fast increased JSC, which can be understood by the reduction of bimolecular charge recombination and the formation of electron transporting pathways within the photoactive layer. Similarly, the critical concentration for the formation of the donor phase was estimated to be 0.15 by measuring the stabilized VOC and increased JSC values of the cells with different donor blending ratios. More importantly, after a fast "burn-in" thermal degradation, the M-PhS:BTP-eC9 cell showed excellent thermal stability aging at 85 °C for over 1128 h, which is in good accordance with the unchanged intermixed phases measured by the UV-vis spectra of the annealed films. The current work demonstrates the feasibility of the spectroscopy method to investigate the intermixed phases for organic bulk-heterojunction solar cells and proves that all-small-molecule solar cells can be intrinsically very stable.

Separation of acetochlor through polymeric membrane system

In this study, an acetochlor belonging to the herbicide group was transported using a synthesized polymer inclusion membrane (PIM). Tricapryl-methylammonium chloride (Aliquat 366) and cellulose triacetate (CTA) were used as carrier and support material, respectively, in the membrane structure. The acetochlor samples taken during the transport from the donor phase containing 0.1 M HCl to the acceptor phase containing pure water were determined by Liquid Chromatography Mass Spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). The permeability coefficient (P), rate constant (k), and material flow rate (J) values were calculated at the end of the transportation processes. The recovery factor (%) was determined to be 91.2 % at the end of 240 min of transportation time. The effects of relative amounts of the target analyte, carrier, and acid type on the donor phase were determined, as well as those of the acceptor phase pH and stirring effect. The results achieved in this study suggest that a stable and environmentally sustainable polymer inclusion membrane system might be used to effectively transport acetochlor.