Fumio Uchida

Self-assembled nanoscale architecture of TiO2 and application for dye-sensitized solar cells.

A single-crystal-like titania nanowire network was successfully synthesized by a surfactant assisted oriented attachment mechanism. Highly crystallized titania nanorods have been synthesized by hydrothermal process using block-copolymer F127 with ethylenediamine. It was observed from high resolution TEM image that titanium atoms aligned perfectly in titania anatase structure with no defect. A high light-to-electricity conversion yield (9.3%) was attained by applying these titania nanoscale materials for making an electrode of dye-sensitized solar cells.

A new Zn(II) coordination polymer with 4-pyridylthioacetate: assemblies of homo-chiral helices with sulfide sites.

A coordination polymer [Zn(pyta)(OH)] (pyta = 4-pyridylthioacetate), was synthesized and structurally characterized; it is constructed by an alternating assembly of two types of homo-chiral helices, [Zn-OH] and [Zn-pyta], in which the sulfide moieties are fastened in the latter columns.

Syntheses and Characterization of New Nickel Coordination Polymers with 4,4′-Dipyridylsulfide. Dynamic Rearrangements of One-Dimensional Chains Responding to External Stimuli: Temperature Variation and Guest Releases/Re-Inclusions

Crystal structures and dynamic rearrangements of one-dimensional coordination polymers with 4,4′-dipyridylsulfide (dps) have been studied. Reaction of Ni(NO3)2·6H2O with dps in EtOH yielded [Ni(dps)2(NO3)2] ·EtOH (1), which had channels filled with guest EtOH molecules among the four Ni(dps)2 chains. This coordination polymer reversibly transformed the channel structure responding to temperature variations. Immersion of 1 in m-xylene released guest EtOH molecules to yield a guest-free coordination polymer [Ni(dps)2(NO3)2] (2a), which was also obtained by treatment of Ni(NO3)2·6H2O with dps in MeOH. On the other hand, removal of the guest molecules from 1 upon heating at 130 °C under reduced pressure produced a guest-free coordination polymer [Ni(dps)2(NO3)2] (2b). Although the 2a and 2b guest-free coordination polymers have the same formula, they showed differences in the assembled structures of the one-dimensional chains. Exposure of 2b to EtOH vapor reproduced 1, while 2a did not convert to 1 in a similar reaction. Reaction of Ni(NO3)2·6H2O with dps in acetone provided [Ni(dps)(NO3)2(H2O)] ·Me2CO (4) with no channel structure. When MeOH or acetone was used as a reaction solvent, the [Ni(dps)2(NO3)2] · (guest molecule) type coordination polymer, which was observed in 1, was not formed. Nevertheless, the reaction of Ni(NO3)2·6H2O with dps in MeOH/acetone mixed solution produced [Ni(dps)2(NO3)2]·0.5(MeOH·acetone) (5), which has an isostructural Ni-dps framework to 1.

A new nano-scale ferrocene assembly supported by a supercubane framework

Six ferrocenedicarboxylate units were supported by a supercubane framework to create a new nano-scale ferrocene assembly with a spherical motif, whose structure and redox properties were characterized.

Self-assembling construction of a novel nanoscale heptacobalt complex with an S-shaped folding

A nanoscale heptacobalt complex with an S-shaped folding is created by self-assembly from small building components, trapping the labile [Co(dchpy)2]2− units that are impossible to be isolated as a monomer.

Shape Control of Highly Crystallized Titania Nanorods for Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells Based on Formation Mechanism

Motonari Adachi1,4, Katsuya Yoshida2, Takehiro Kurata2, Jun Adachi3, Katsumi Tsuchiya2, Yasushige Mori2 and Fumio Uchida4 1Research Center of Interfacial Phenomena, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Doshisha University, 1-3 Miyakodani, Tatara, Kyotanabe, 2Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, Doshisha University, 1-3 Miyakodani, Tatara, Kyotanabe, 3National Instituite of Biomedical Innovation, 7-6-8 Asagi Saito, Ibaraki, 4Fuji Chemical Co., Ltd., 1-35-1 Deyashikinishi-machi, Hirakata, Japan