Optimised thermally driven molecular stability of an SCO metal complex for TEC Seebeck generation enhancement

The thermoelectricity effect allows the generation of electrical potential in an electrolyte upon application of a thermal gradient. In the previous work, the spin crossover effect in metal complexes was shown to be beneficial for generating a high Seebeck coefficient due to the high entropy associated with the conformational change accompanying the spin state change. In this study, we examine the diamagnetic stability of a spin crossover material through optimisation of the ligand chain length. We show that the diamagnetic stability of the spin crossover material can enhance the thermoelectrochemical Seebeck effect through ligand optimisation of the octahedral structure. The increase of carbon chain length from C₁₄ to C₁₆ in the long alkyl chain of the N-donor ligand increased Seebeck generation in a Co(iii)L16 complex to 1.94-fold that of a previously studied paramagnetic Co complex, and in a Fe(iii)L16 complex to 3.43-fold that of a less diamagnetic Fe complex. We show with DSC studies of an Fe based octahedral complex that an endothermic absorption accompanies the spin crossover transition, which enhances the Seebeck coefficient of this metal complex. Thus, we can correlate the diamagnetic stabilisation with temperature. We therefore indicate a molecular design strategy for optimisation of a spin crossover metal complex.

Highly stable reversible spin crossover electrolyte transition of Fe²⁺ to Fe³⁺ for high Seebeck generation.     

Calcaneal quantitative ultrasound value for middle-aged and elderly Malaysian Chinese men and its association with age and body anthropometry

Quantitative ultrasound (QUS) is a relatively easy, reliable, and safe method for bone status assessment, but reference data for Asian males remain scarce. Our study aimed to determine the values for one QUS parameter, the speed of sound (SOS) at the calcaneus, in Malaysian Chinese men and to determine the association between the SOS and several demographic characteristics, such as age, weight, height, and body mass index. Three hundred forty-eight Malaysian Chinese men aged 40 yr and older were recruited, and their calcaneal QUS value was determined using the CM-200 densitometer (Furuno Electric, Nishinomiya City, Japan). The results indicated a significant correlation between SOS and age, and multiple stepwise regression analysis indicated that age and height were important predictors of SOS. A significant reduction in SOS value was observed when men 60 yr and older were compared with men aged 40-49 yr. Compared with the reference data for Japanese males, Chinese men in Malaysia showed higher SOS values across all the age groups studied. In conclusion, there is an age-related decrease in SOS values in Malaysian Chinese men, and the SOS values established in this study can be used as a reference for future studies.