This paper describes the synthesis and characterization of [Cr(babhq)OAc^F(EtOH)] (OAc^F− = CF₃CO₂⁻) as well as the application of the complex as the catalyst in the reaction of CO₂ with epoxides.

Stable doping of indacenodithieno[3,2-b]thiophene (IDTT) structures enables easy color tuning and significant improvement in the charge storage capacity of electrochromic polymers, making use of their full potential as electrochromic supercapacitors and in other emerging hybrid applications. Here, the IDTT structure is copolymerized with four different donor–acceptor–donor (DAD) units, with subtle changes in their electron-donating and electron-withdrawing characters, so as to obtain four different donor–acceptor copolymers. The polymers attain important form factor requirements for electrochromic supercapacitors: desired switching between achromatic black and transparent states (L*a*b* 45.9, −3.1, −4.2/86.7, −2.2, and −2.7 for PIDTT–TBT), high optical contrast (72% for PIDTT–TBzT), and excellent electrochemical redox stability (I^red/I^oxca. 1.0 for PIDTT–EBE). Poly[indacenodithieno[3,2-b]thiophene-2,8-diyl-alt-4,7-bis(2,3-dihydrothieno[3,4-b][1,4]dioxin-5-yl)-2-(2-hexyldecyl)-2H-benzo[d][1,2,3]triazole-7,7′-diyl] (PIDTT–EBzE) stands out as delivering simultaneously a high contrast (69%) and doping level (>100%) and specific capacitance (260 F g^–1). This work introduces IDTT-based polymers as bifunctional electro-optical materials for potential use in color-tailored, color-indicating, and self-regulating smart energy systems.

p-type NiO nanofibers have been synthesized from a simple electrospinning and sintering procedure. For the first time, p-type nanofibers have been electrospun onto a conductive fluorine doped tin oxide (FTO) surface. The properties of the NiO nanofibers have been directly compared to that of bulk NiO nanopowder. We have observed a p-type photocurrent for a NiO photocathode fabricated on an FTO substrate.

A microfluidic sensor was studied for the photometric detection of active chlorine, total chlorine, and pH in swimming pool samples. The sensor consisted of a four-layer borosilicate glass chip, containing a microchannel network and a 2.2 mm path length, 1.7 mL optical cell. The chip was optimised to measure the bleaching of methyl orange and spectral changes in phenol red for quantitative chlorine (active and total) and pH measurements that were suited to swimming pool monitoring. Reagent consumption (60 mL per measurement) was minimised to allow for maintenance-free operation over a nominal summer season (3 months) with minimal waste. The chip was tested using samples from 12 domestic, public, and commercial swimming pools (indoor and outdoor), with results that compare favourably with commercial products (test strips and the N,N’-diethyl-p-phenylenediamine (DPD) method), precision pH electrodes, and iodometric titration.