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Photocrosslinking of polymers for industrial applications show undoubted advantages related to the mild conditions needed and the economical equipment. However, some issues include: the use of (i) mercury lamps as light sources, which poses concerns about safety and energy consumption, (ii) typical additives, such as halogen-free flame-retardant fillers (HFFR) are powdered materials, which can scatter UV photons and avoid a deep penetration of the light. In this study, we explore the UV-curing of an innovative EVA-POE blend containing hydrotalcite and aluminum hydroxide as HFFR in the presence of a 370-nm UV LED, namely Ekopren[R] XI1321, a plastic used as coverage for electric cables. Two commercially available photoinitiators (benzophenone and ethyl Michler's ketone) were analyzed as well as two crosslinking coagents widely used in industry, that is, triallyl cyanurate and trimethylolpropane trimethacrylate. A comparison with pure EVA and LDPE was performed to show a higher cross-linked content of the proposed blend, even in the presence of light scattering mineral fillers at high concentration. KEYWORDS crosslinking, curing of polymers, flame retardance, initiators, irradiation, 1 | INTRODUCTION Polymers are probably the most versatile materials available nowadays. By engineering both the nature of the monomers and the structure in which the monomers are linked together, [...]

Excited states of radical anions derived from the photoreduction of stable organic molecules are suggested to serve as potent reductants. However, excited states of these species are too short‐lived to allow bimolecular quenching processes. Recently, the singlet excited state of Meisenheimer complexes, which possess a long‐lived excited state, was identified as the competent species for the reduction of challenging organic substrates (−2.63 V vs. SCE, saturated calomel electrode). To produce reasonably stable and simply accessible different Meisenheimer complexes, the addition of nBuLi to readily available aromatic heterocycles was investigated, and the photoreactivity of the generated species was studied. In this paper, we present the straightforward preparation of a family of powerful photoreductants (*Eox<−3 V vs. SCE in their excited states, determined by DFT and time‐dependent TD‐DFT calculations; DFT, density functional theory) that can induce dehalogenation of electron‐rich aryl chlorides and to form C−C bond through radical cyclization. Photophysical analyses and computational studies in combination with experimental mechanistic investigations demonstrate the ability of the adduct to act as a strong electron donor under visible light irradiation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We disclose the features of a category of reversible nucleophilic aromatic substitutions in view of their significance and generality in dynamic aromatic chemistry. Exchange of sulfur components surrounding arenes and heteroarenes may occur at 25 °C, in a process that one may call a "sulfur dance". These SNAr systems present their own features, apart from common reversible reactions utilized in dynamic covalent chemistry (DCC). By varying conditions, covalent dynamics may operate to provide libraries of thiaarenes with some selectivity, or conversion of a hexa(thio)benzene asterisk into another one. The reversible nature of SNAr is confirmed by three methods: a convergence of the products distribution in reversible SNAr systems, a related product redistribution between two per(thio)benzenes by using a thiolate promoter, and from kinetic/thermodynamic data. A four‐component dynamic covalent system further illustrates the thermodynamically‐driven formation of a thiacalix[2]arene[2]pyrimidine by sulfur component exchanges. This work stimulates the implementation of reversible SNAr in aromatic chemistry and in DCC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Room temperature phosphorescence rarely occurs from pure organic molecules, especially in the solid‐state. A strategy for the design of highly emissive organic phosphors is still hard to predict, thus impeding the development of new functional materials with the desired optical properties. Herein, we analyze a family of alkyl and aryl‐substituted persulfurated benzenes, the latter representing a class of organic solid‐state triplet emitters able to show very high emission quantum yield at room temperature. In this work, we correlate structural parameters with the photophysical properties observed in different experimental conditions (diluted solution, crystalline and amorphous phase at RT and low temperature). Our results, corroborated by a detailed computational analysis, indicate a close relationship between the luminescence properties and i) the nature of the substituents on the persulfurated core, ii) the adopted conformations in the solid state, both in crystalline and amorphous phases. These factors contribute to characterize the lowest‐energy lying excited‐state, its deactivation pathways, the phosphorescence lifetime and quantum yield. These findings provide a useful roadmap for the development of highly performing purely organic solid‐state emitters based on the persulfurated benzene platform. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copper indium sulfide quantum dots (CIS QDs) possess the desired optical properties to act as photoanodic material in photoelectrochemical cells, like a high molar absorption coefficient over the entire visible spectrum and long exciton lifetimes. The already reported procedures that utilize photoanodes based on such nanoparticles, however, exploit harsh conditions or utilize non‐scalable, expensive, and low‐yield syntheses. Here, the construction of CIS QDs adsorbed onto TiO2/FTO photoanodes (FTO = fluorine‐doped tin oxide) with a process aimed at avoiding these issues is proposed. In particular, the employment of dihydrolipoic acid as the ligand allows an easy and cost‐effective functionalization. CdS layers are deposited onto the nanoparticles to enhance the photoelectrochemical properties. Full characterization of the steady–state and transient photoelectrochemical properties of the electrodes is performed to gain information on the interfacial dynamics among the different components of the electrode. Maximum IPCEs of the order of 50% and a spectral sensitization extended up to 700 nm are obtained in the optimized conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dual photoredox catalysis is modifying the approach to sustainable metal catalysis based on metals in low oxidation state, as the use of stoichiometric metal as reductants are avoided. In this study, we showcase the potential use of vanadium in a dual photoredox process, allowing us to effectively control the formation of V(II) and its corresponding chemical reactions. A diastereoselective pinacol coupling with aromatic aldehydes is described. The process shows broad scope, and interestingly, unprotected salicylic aldehydes are compatible with the reaction protocol. Additionally, among all the ligands investigated we found that inexpensive bipyridines control the diastereoselection of the reaction favoring the d,l chiral compound (dr>20:1 for most of the aldehydes investigated). To promote the reaction and avoid an unproductive and not stereoselective radical coupling of the generated ketyl radical, the use of [DMQA]+, a stable organic dye, was found crucial. Furthermore, this dye possesses the remarkable capability of efficiently capturing light in the red segment of the visible spectrum, effectively raising efficiency of the protocol. The utilization of red light carries notable advantages in terms of penetration and safety, making it particularly significant. Moreover, careful photophysical investigations were able to give indications about the mechanism of the reaction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]