I Have a Research Support System

The time after graduation defense is the last carnival moment for most senior undergraduates.

Because after that, whether you enter the society, step into a job, start working with screws, or go abroad, enter a research group, continue to do scientific research, and pursue advanced studies, the days of freedom and freedom in the student days will never return.

Different people have different choices. Xu Qiu's two roommates, Tao Yan, started preparing for a graduation trip. It is said that he planned to spend a month traveling around the world; Less than two years of computer to make up.

As for Xu Qiu, he decided to continue working hard in the field of scientific research.

Xu Qiu started planning for the next experiment very early on, and the medicines had already been bought in advance.

In the afternoon, he improved it again and got the final version, generally following the previous four optimization paths.

The first and second paths are both to modify the IDT unit and optimize the conjugated main chain and side chain respectively.

Xu Qiu found the literature where the IDT unit was first reported a few years ago, and obtained the synthesis method of IDT. Although its molecular structure looks complicated, the synthesis route is surprisingly simple, requiring only three steps.

In the first step, ethyl terephthalate (B) substituted with dibromo at 2 and 5 positions reacts with monotrimethyltin substituted thiophene (T) unit, the reaction type is Stille reaction, and T-B-T is formed as a carbon-carbon single bond phase Linked structure, in which the B unit, that is, the benzene ring, is connected with two ethyl formate groups.

In the second step, use n-butyllithium to react with the ester group, and then add benzene substituted by bromine and hexyl at the 1 and 4 positions respectively. Two hexylphenyl groups are connected to the original ester group and introduced as side chains. At the same time a hydroxyl group is formed.

In the third step, catalyzed by sulfuric acid and acetic acid, the hydroxyl group and a hydrogen atom on the next door thiophene ring are dehydrated to form a ring, forming a structure of five linear fused rings, which is the structure of TTBTT, in which the two T units in the middle are connected to each other. Two side chains of hexylphenyl, which is the structure of commercial IDT.

Based on the structure of IDT, Xu Qiu suddenly came up with a synthetic route:

In the first step, the T unit can be changed to a TT unit, and the other steps remain unchanged, and a structure with seven linear conjugated fused rings can be obtained, that is, the TTTBTTT structure, which was named IDTT by Xu Qiu. By analogy, a series of materials can also be synthesized.

Xu Qiu brainstormed and conceived a total of more than a dozen structures: the core unit in the middle could be a benzene ring, or benzodithiophene BDT, and two units of the core unit could be introduced to obtain a conjugated fused ring with an even number of digits. unit.

In place of the second step, the type of side chain can be changed to introduce thiophene side chains, different positions of benzene ring side chains, and other side chains.

In addition to the scheme of modifying the IDT unit, there is also the structure of optimizing the ICIN unit, which is the third path.

Similarly, Xu Qiu turned to a literature published in 2000, which introduced "a method for synthesizing 1,3-indanedione":

In the first step, phthalic acid and acetic anhydride react to produce phthalic anhydride.

In the second step, phthalic anhydride is reacted under the conditions of acetic anhydride, triethylamine, and tert-butyl acetoacetate to form 1,3-indanedione.

As long as a group is introduced into the phthalic acid in the first step, a derivative of 1,3-indandione can be obtained through a similar reaction, and then reacted with malononitrile to finally obtain a derivative of ICIN .

Xu Qiu's preliminary plan is to introduce monomethyl, dimethyl, single fluorine atom, double fluorine atom, single chlorine atom, and double chlorine atom.

Among them, the introduction of methyl and chlorine atoms is relatively easy, and the raw materials can be purchased directly without additional steps.

However, the difficulty and risk of introducing fluorine atoms is increased because of the use of potassium fluoride reagent and additional reaction steps.

As for the fourth path, senior sister Chen Wanqing has already started it, and Xu Qiu has not considered it for the time being.

Xu Qiu's overall plan is to synthesize one or two kinds of materials for each plan. After he is familiar with all the synthesis experiments, he can ask two simulation experimenters in the simulation laboratory to help with the synthesis of other similar materials.

After all, the premise for the simulation experimenters to start work is that Xu Qiu must have done similar experiments by himself.

It was after eight o'clock in the evening, and almost nine o'clock, when Wei Xingsi came back from outside, his face was full of red.

It seems that the teachers in charge of the defense did not treat them badly in the department, and they should have gone out to have a good time.

Teacher Wei went directly to Xu Qiu and confessed: "This graduation defense, you are the first in material science with a score of 99. I propose to Zhou Mathematics to submit your graduation thesis to be selected as the top ten outstanding undergraduates in Shanghai. Graduation thesis, it shouldn't be a big problem."

Xu Qiu said "hmm" and didn't say much, it was all expected.

Wei Xingsi continued: "Xu Qiu, what are your plans for the future? If you want to go out and have fun, I will give you a month's leave, or two months."

Xu Qiu was taken aback on the spot, and thought to himself: "It's really strange that such words can come from Mr. Wei's mouth. Usually, he wants students to work harder."

However, Xu Qiu had already made a decision, so he said without hesitation, "I intend to continue the experiment, and I have already planned the next experiment route."

"Okay, very good," Wei Xingsi said two good times, and waved to Xu Qiu: "Bring it to me to have a look, come to my office."

Xu Qiu took the USB flash drive and followed Mr. Wei into room 218.

Wei Xingsi opened the PPT file summarized by Xu Qiu on the computer, and began to carefully review it, discussing a few words with Xu Qiu from time to time. After a few minutes, he nodded with satisfaction: "Generally, I think the plan is very well done."

"However..." Wei Xingsi changed the subject: "Is the workload a bit too much? It requires exploration in three directions at the same time, and so many molecular structures have been designed."

Just as Xu Qiu wanted to explain, Wei Xingsi continued: "Chen Wanqing and Han Jiaying have their own work to do now, how about I assign the new post-doctorate Wu Shengnan to you?"

"This way..." Xu Qiu originally wanted to say, "This is not very good, that's a postdoctoral fellow", but he changed his words when he came to his mouth: "Teacher, please ask Wu Shengnan's opinion, she still has calcium titanium dioxide. Mineral quantum dots work..."

"Perovskite quantum dots don't matter. At that time, it was the research direction I thought of when I bought TRPL. It is not easy to come up with results in a new field. I guess she may not be willing to do it. I will ask her in person later. That's it." Wei Xingsi paused and said:

"By the way, after a while, I'm going to Gong Yuanjiang's side to give an academic report. Then you can go there with me. They have a lot of students, and maybe a doctoral exchange student will come over and cooperate with their group. Publish a few articles, this is also the condition that was negotiated when I accepted the heated glue homogenizer."

"Okay." Xu Qiu nodded. In the academic circle, there is usually an equivalent exchange, and there is a price to be paid for PY.

However, this is a good thing for Xu Qiu. If Wu Shengnan can join, plus a doctoral exchange student, the number of organic photovoltaic team will be expanded to five people, which is not a small team.

Moreover, I look like a small boss in the group. While doing experiments by myself, I tell other people my ideas, and then let them help realize it. It is very cool to think about it.

After explaining the matter, Wei Xingsi took out a can of coconut juice from the refrigerator, handed it to Xu Qiu, and said, "Go and do your work, and call Wu Shengnan for me by the way."

"Teacher Wei is looking for me, what's the matter?" Wu Shengnan asked suspiciously after receiving Xu Qiu's news.

"Well... I'm not very clear about the details. It seems that you want to adjust your research direction." Xu Qiu took a sip of coconut juice, thought about it, and still didn't elaborate. If he said it, Wu Shengnan was unwilling to come to the organic photovoltaic industry By the way, isn't it embarrassing for me.

"That's it." Wu Shengnan nodded as if realizing something, and got up to go to 218.

Seeing Wu Shengnan, Wei Xingsi went straight to the point and said, "Xu Qiu's development of non-fullerene materials in the field of organic photovoltaics is relatively short of manpower. I mean, you go and help him."

Wu Shengnan was excited. This was exactly what she thought when she first came to the research group, asking Xu Qiu to hug her thigh. No matter what field, choice is greater than hard work. With the right people, you can get twice the result with half the effort. And her request is also very simple and rude, post a few more good articles, and then find a better school to solve her associate professor teaching position. If she spends two years in China after her doctorate, the associate professor will definitely not be found, at most one Lecturers, if there are several JACS, AM and other articles to support, it will be different. There are opportunities for direct appointment of associate professors.

Wu Shengnan never found a suitable opportunity to discuss with Teacher Wei before, but now it was Teacher Wei who proposed it. Although she was excited in her heart, she didn't show it on her face, and said reservedly: "Since it is Teacher Wei's arrangement, I accept it."

"That's fine." Wei Xingsi was not surprised, and said lightly: "The field of perovskite quantum dots can be slowed down first. While you are working on the two articles at hand, you help Xu Qiu start experiments and combine various synthetic reactions. Get acquainted first.

Then Teacher Wei added: "As you can see, the non-fullerene field is booming now, and it is much easier to publish articles than your fluorescent materials. Post more articles here, and then find a better school. Solving the associate professor is not a problem."

Back at 216, Wu Shengnan found Xu Qiu and said, "From now on, I will be yours."

Xu Qiu almost spit out the coconut juice, but he understood the meaning in seconds. Wu Shengnan should agree with Mr. Wei's proposal, but this expression...

Fortunately, Han Jiaying went to Zhangjiang Synthesis and has not come back, otherwise it would take a lot of explaining.

Xu Qiu thought about it, and arranged for Wu Shengnan to synthesize a conjugated structure based on the BDT nuclear unit, and asked her to familiarize herself with several common synthesis methods. Previous post-doctorate sisters mainly did polymerization reactions, such as Stille and Suzuki. Yes, there are not many small molecule synthesis, especially low-temperature reactions involving n-butyllithium, and I have not been exposed to it.

Xu Qiu didn’t have too much psychological pressure when he used the post-doctoral senior sister. After all, in any field, masters are teachers, and there are also doctoral supervisors in their 20s. He feels that with his current understanding in the field of organic photovoltaics , I still have the ability to guide them.

That is, perovskite quantum dots are really like a hot potato, and no one can do it for long...

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