EPR and IR spectra of Ni(ClO4)2)·6H2O between 98 and 298 K

EPR measurements between 98 and 298 K on single crystal of Ni(ClO₄)₂·6H₂O have indicated the appearance of a rhombic component in the axial crystal field at Ni²⁺ sites at T_c = 224 K, confirming a phase transition first reported by Chaudhuri from magnetic susceptibility measurements. Temperature variations of g, D and E parameters were determined. IR spectra at room and liquid nitrogen temperatures are consistent with our EPR results.     

Glass transition in the lower homologues of polyethyleneoxide

Experimental measurements of T_g for two series of lower homologues of polyethyleneoxide. differing in their end-groups, are discussed in terms of existing theories. Simple free-volume considerations predicting linear dependence of T_g on (molecular weight)^?1 are inadequate in systems with end-groups capable of specific interactions (hydrogen bonding). Thermodynamic arguments show that the true T_g of infinitely long PEO chain is 220 ± 5°K. Suitable modification of parameters of the Gibbs-DiMarzio equations to account for the dependence of the free volume fraction on the concentration of end-groups results in good fit of the experimental data for hydroxyl-terminated samples and correctly predicts T_g(∞). Analysis of the data for chlorine-substituted oligomers suggests the existence of specific intermolecular interactions in the latter, involving chlorine atoms.     

Comparison of electrical conductivity and thermal properties of borosilicate glass with and without simulated radioactive waste

Electrical conductivity and percentage linear thermal expansion of the borosilicate glass (BSG) and simulated waste-loaded borosilicate glass (BSGW) were measured in the temperature range of 300–780 K and compared. Pronounced increase in electrical conductivity was observed around glass transition temperature (T _g) of BSG and BSGW. The activation energy (E _a) of electrical conduction determined from the measured data for BSG and BSGW is 0.961 ± 0.005 and 0.960 ± 0.005 eV, respectively. The % average linear thermal expansion of BSGW showed a slight decreasing trend compared with pristine BSG. The average coefficient of thermal expansion determined from dilatometry data is 12.87 ± 0.24 × 10^?6 and 11.94 ± 0.23 × 10^?6 K^?1 for BSG and BSGW, respectively. The T _g measured by dilatometry is 806 ± 24 K for BSG and 790 ± 23 K for BSGW, respectively. The T _g measured by DTA was found to be 820 ± 7 and 805 ± 5 K for BSG and BSGW, respectively, for heating cycle. The T _g values obtained from DSC measurements are 805 ± 5 and 803 ± 5 K for BSG and BSGW, respectively. The T _g of BSGW showed a slight decrease compared with that of BSG. The values obtained by DSC examination also showed the lowering of T _g values for the waste-loaded composition. The lowering of T _g may be attributed to the interaction of glass-forming agents and simulated waste elements.     

Magnetic properties of the quasi one-dimensional Heisenberg linear chain antiferromagnet: manganocene

Magnetic susceptibility measurements on the rhombic form of manganocene, Mn(C₅H₅)₂, are reported between 0.94 and 297.5 K. A pronouced minimum in the 1/x^corr_m versus T curve is located at T_min = 141 ± 1 K. The results are well reproduced by the solution of Fisher to the quasi one-dimensional Heisenberg linear chain modified such as to include interchain interaction for J/k = ?14 K, g = 2x = ?5 K. A less accurate approximation to the experimental results has been achieved in terms of the pair model (J/k = ?22.5 K, g = 2.0). The results are in excellent agreement with the zigzag chain structure of C₅H₅Mn units reported for the compound.     

硼砂水溶液的低温热容及热化学性质研究

利用精密绝热量热仪测定了0.03355mol·kg-1的硼砂水溶液在78～351K温区的热容,从实验热容测定结果得到了该水溶液的凝固点为272.905K。用最小二乘法将实验热容值对温度进行拟合,建立了该溶液的热容随温度变化的多项式方程。根据热力学函数关系式,用此多项式方程进行数值积分,获得了以298.15K为基准的该溶液在80～350K温区每隔5K的热力学函数值,并计算出摩尔熔化焓和熔化熵分别为4.536kJ·mol-1和16.22J·K-1·mol-1。根据溶液凝固点降低值,计算出了该溶液的活度为0.99763。     

Characterization of PVdF-HFP/Nafion/AlO[OH]n composite membranes for direct methanol fuel cell (DMFC)

Poly-(vinylidene fluoride-hexafluoropropylene) (PVdF-HFP)/Nafion ionomer/aluminum oxy hydroxide nanocomposite membranes were prepared by phase inversion technique. The resultant membranes were subjected to protonic conductivity, methanol permeability, infra-red and thermogravimmetric analysis. The infra-red spectroscopic measurements revealed the presence of sulfonic acid groups in the composite membranes. The thermal stability and ionic conductivity of the polymer membranes have been greatly varied upon the addition of AlO[OH]_n. Although the PVDF-HFP/Nafion/AlO[OH]_n composite membranes have moderate protonic conductivity it has lower methanol permeability and may be considered as a candidate for DMFC applications.     

Reactivity of plasma-treated SiO2 against O2: An EPR study

During plasma treated of SiO₂ (dehydrated at 700°C in high vacuum) electrons become trapped at the surface and in the bulk. The captured electrons from the well known E_í centre, an F-like electron centre with the unpaired electron mainly in an s-type orbital, and CO₂^? which comes from carbon impurities. Adsorption of O₂ (partial pressure 5 × 10^-3 torr ? po₂ ? 10 ^?1 torr) gives O₂^? species that depend on the adsorption temperature, characterized by the following g-values: g₁ = 2.069, g₂ = 2.000m T_ads = 300 K; g₁ = 2.039, g₂ = 2.007, g₃ = 2.002, T_ads = 77 K.     

Glass transition temperatures of stereoblock,isotactic and atactic polypropylenes of various chain lengths

The effect of sample molecular weight on the glass transition temperature has been examined for isotactic, stereoblock and atactic polypropylene samples. Asymptotic values of T₉ (∞) (isotactic) = 272°K, T₉ (∞) (atactic) = 266°K, and T_g (∞) (stereoblock) = 266°K were found. Deviation from T_g (∞) was observed when M?_n was below 10⁴; the dependence of T_g on M?_n has been discussed in relation to the Gibbs-DiMarzio treatment of the glass transition. The possible effects of both tacticity and crystallinity on T_g were examined; comparison of the data obtained with those of other workers was made. It was concluded that molecular order in polypropylene samples could affect T_g significantly and that this was particularly obvious in short chain stereoblock fractions.     

Calorimetric study of the glassy state XII. Plural glass-transition phenomena of ethanol

Ethanol was found to give a metastable crystalline phase (crystal-II) when the liquid was cooled at a moderate rate. Glassy states of liquid and of newly found crystal-II were obtained in the calorimeter cell by controlling the cooling rate of the liquid. The heat capacities of these phases as well as that of the stable crystal-I were measured by an adiabatic calorimeter in the temperature range between 14 and 300 K. The glass transition temperature T_g, the heat-capacity jump at T_g, and the residual entropy were found to be 97 K, 35.3 J K^?1 mol^?1, and 8.93 J K^?1 mol^?1 for the glassy liquid, and 97 K, 22.8 J K^?1 mol^?1, and 4.24 J K^?1 mol^?1 for the glassy crystal-II, respectively. The values for the residual entropy are referred to the third-law entropy for crystal-I.The heat capacities reported previously for the supercooled liquid by Gibson et al. and by Parks and Kelley agree well with those for the metastable crystal-II. Those of the supercooled liquid connect smoothly with those obtained for the liquid above the melting temperature. Thus, ethanol is found to be another example of a low-molecular-weight compound which shows multiple glass-transition phenomena.     

Phase transitions and molecular motions in [Cd(H2O)6](BF4)2 studied by DSC, H and F NMR and FT-MIR

Two solid phase transitions of [Cd(H₂O)₆](BF₄)₂ occurring on heating at T_C2=183.3 K and T_C1=325.3 K, with 2 K and 5 K hysteresis, respectively, were detected by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). High value of entropy changes indicated large orientational disorder of the high temperature and intermediate phase. Nuclear magnetic resonance (¹H NMR and ¹⁹F NMR) relaxation measurements revealed that the phase transitions at T_C1 and T_C2 were associated with a drastic and small change, respectively, of the both spin-lattice relaxation times: T₁(¹H) and T₁(¹⁹F). These relaxation processes were connected with the “tumbling” motions of the [Cd(H₂O)₆]²⁺, reorientational motions of the H₂O ligands, and with the iso- and anisotropic reorientation of the BF₄⁻ anions. The cross-relaxation effect was observed in phase III. The line width and the second moment of the ¹H and ¹⁹F NMR line measurements revealed that the H₂O reorientate in all three phases of the title compound. On heating the onset of the reorientation of 3 H₂O in the [Cd(H₂O)₆]⁺², around the three-fold symmetry axis of these octahedron, causes the isotropic reorientation of the whole cation. The BF₄⁻ reorientate isotropically in the phases I and II, but in the phase III they perform slow reorientation only about three- or two-fold axes. A small distortion in the structure of BF₄⁻ as well as of [Cd(H₂O)₆]²⁺ is postulated. The temperature dependence of the bandwidth of the O-H stretching mode measured by Fourier transform middle infrared spectroscopy (FT-MIR) indicated that the activation energy for the reorientation of the H₂O did not change much at the T_C2 phase transition.     

Phase transitions, structural changes and molecular motions in [Zn(NH3)4](BF4)2 studied by neutron scattering, X-ray powder diffraction and nuclear magnetic resonance

Nuclear magnetic resonance (¹H NMR and ¹⁹F NMR) measurements performed at 90-295 K, inelastic incoherent neutron scattering (IINS) spectra and neutron powder diffraction (NPD) patterns registered at 22-190 K, and X-ray powder diffraction (XRPD) measurements performed at 86-293 K, provided evidence that the crystal of [Zn(NH₃)₄](BF₄)₂ has four solid phases. The phase transitions occurring at: T_C3=101 K, T_C2=117 K and T_C1=178 K, as were detected earlier by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), were connected on one hand only with an insignificant change in the crystal structure and on the other hand with a drastic change in the speed of the anisotropic, uniaxial reorientational motions of the NH₃ ligands and BF₄⁻ anions (at T_C3 and at T_C2) and with the dynamical orientational order-disorder process (“tumbling”) of tetrahedral [Zn(NH₃)₄]²⁺ and BF₄⁻ ions (at T_C1). The crystal structure of [Zn(NH₃)₄](BF₄)₂ at room temperature was determined by XRPD as orthorhombic, space group Pnma (No. 62), a=10.523 Å, b=7.892 Å, c=13.354 Å and Z=4. Unfortunately, it was not possible to determine the structure of the intermediate and the low-temperature phase. However, we registered the change of the lattice parameters and unit cell volume as a function of temperature and we can observe only a small deviation from near linear dependence of these parameters upon temperature in the vicinity of the T_C1 phase transition.     

New coil geometries for the study of secondary discharge in atmospheric-pressure helium inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry

Several coil geometries are proposed to reduce the secondary discharge in atmospheric-pressure helium inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (He ICPMS) using a crystal-controlled 40-MHz generator. The effectiveness of the proposed geometries in controlling the plasma potential is investigated by the Langmuir probe method and ion kinetic energy (IKE) measurements. The influence of RF power on plasma gas temperature (T_g) is investigated through measurements of ICP-mass spectrometer interface pressure and IKEs for new and conventional coil geometries. Trends in plasma potential and T_g are well correlated, revealing that T_g is elevated (to ∼3500 K) at high power levels mainly as a consequence of the interaction between the ICP and the grounded sampler. The reduction of the secondary discharge results in lower T_g values (∼2600 K), necessitating the use of a membrane desolvator to remove water-related polyatomic interferences observed in the mass spectrum. Solvent removal also improves the sensitivity for bromine as a high-ionization-potential element by one order of magnitude compared to the previous studies.     

Ti0.17Zr0.08V0.34Nb0.01Cr0.1Ni0.3氢化物电极合金微观结构及电化学性能研究

采用XRD、FESEM-EDS、ICP及EIS等方法研究了Ti_0.17Zr_0.08V_0.34Nb_0.01Cr_0.1Ni_0.3氢化物电极合金微观结构和电化学性能。X射线衍射分析表明：该合金由体心立方结构(bcc)的V基固溶体主相和少量六方结构的C14型Laves相组成；FESEM及EDS分析表明：V基固溶体主相形成树枝晶，C14型Laves相呈网格状围绕着树枝晶的晶界，元素在两相中的分布呈现镜像关系。电化学性能测试结果表明：该合金的氢化物电极在303~343 K较宽的温度区间内，表现出较高的电化学容量，在303 K和343 K时，电化学容量分别为337.0 mAh·g^-1和327.9 mAh·g^-1。在303 K循环100周后，容量为282.7 mAh·g^-1。ICP分析结果表明，氢化物电极在充放电循环过程中，V及Zr元素向KOH电解质中的溶出较为严重。EIS研究表明，金属氢化物电极表面电化学反应的电荷转移电阻(R_T)随循环次数的增加而增加，相应的交换电流密度则随循环次数的增加而降低。氢化物电极循环过程中RT的增大以及V和Zr元素的溶解，可能是导致电极容量衰减的主要原因。     

Is adhesion between amorphous polymers sensitive to the bulk glass transition?

Two bulk samples of one and the same or of different amorphous polymers were brought into contact and held for a chosen period of time at a constant healing temperature (T) over the interval of T from below the bulk glass transition temperature (T _g ^bulk) by ~50 °C to above T _g ^bulk by ~10 °C. As formed adhesive joints were shear-fractured in tension at room temperature, and lap-shear strength (σ) was measured as a function of T. It has been found that σ develops with T as logσ?~?1/T both at symmetric and asymmetric interfaces of polystyrene, poly (methyl methacrylate) and poly (2,6-dimethyl-1,4-phenylene oxide). This behaviour implies that there is no discontinuity in the evolution of σ when going through T _g ^bulk, and that this process is controlled by one and the same diffusion mechanism both below and above T _g ^bulk. The results obtained indicate that the contact layer of the polymers investigated is in the viscoelastic state at T well below T _g ^bulk and support the concept of a decrease in the T _g of a near-surface layer with respect to T _g ^bulk.     

Electrocatalytic Nitrite Reduction to Nitrogen Oxide by a Synthetic Analogue of the Active Site of Cu‐Containing Nitrite Reductase Incorporated in Nafion Film

The electrocatalytic reduction of nitrite to NO by [CuMe₂bpa(H₂O)(ClO₄)]⁺ ( 1 ), which is a model for the active site of copper‐containing nitrite reductase, incorporated in Nafion film was investigated. The Cu complex in the Nafion matrix exhibits an intense band at 267 nm and a broad band around 680 nm, assigned to d–d and ligand field transitions, respectively. The 77‐K EPR spectrum of 1 in the Nafion matrix reveals the typical axial signals (g_//=2.28, g =2.08, A_//=13.3 mT) of a tetragonal Cu²⁺ chromophore. The redox potential, which is related to the Cu⁺/Cu²⁺ couple, was ?146 mV (ΔE=72 mV) at pH 5.5. The redox reaction of 1 in Nafion was not dependent on pH and was a diffusion‐controlled process. The electronic structure and redox properties of 1 in the negatively charged polymer matrix were almost the same as those in aqueous solution. In the presence of nitrite, an increase in the cathodic current was observed in the cyclic voltammogram of 1 in the Nafion matrix. The current increase was dependent on the nitrite concentration and pH in solution. Upon reaching ?400 mV, a linear generation of NO was observed for the 1 /Nafion film coated electrode. The relationship between the rate of NO generation and the nitrite concentration in solution was analyzed with the Michaelis–Menten equation, where V_max=45.1 nM s^?1 and K_m=15.8 mM at pH 5.5. The Cu complex serves the function of both the catalyst and electron transport in the Nafion matrix. The sensitivity of the electrode was estimated to be 3.23 μA mM^?1 in the range of 0.1–0.4 mM nitrite.     

Thermal and physical properties of hollandite-type K1.3Mn8O16 and (K,H3O)xMn8O16

Two kinds of samples of cryptomelane: synthetic single crystals of K_1.33Mn₈O₁₆ (A) and (K,H₃O)_xMn₈O₁₆ powder prepared by aqueous chemistry (B) were studied by thermogravimetry, magnetic, and electrical (dc and ac) measurements. B loses water at 100–185°C. A and B are decomposed in the range 460–610°C into Mn₂O₃ in air and MnO, under vacuum. They are antiferromagnetic with T_N 18 K (A), 11 K (B). A is a semiconductor with σ(300 K) ～ 3 Ω^?1 m^?1 and E_σ = 0.38 eV. The ac measurements did not reveal any significant contribution of ionic conduction up to 740 K.     

Poly(methylmethacrylate-dimethylsiloxane) triblock copolymers synthesized by transition metal mediated living radical polymerization: bulk and surface characterization

Well-defined poly(MMA-b-DMS-b-MMA) triblock copolymers were prepared by copper(I) mediated living radical polymerization. This was achieved by polymerization of methylmethacrylate (MMA) with different concentrations of 2-bromoisobutyrate terminated polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS). The polymerization occurred in controlled manner with the molecular weight found by ¹H NMR close to that predicted and a narrow molecular weight distribution (M_w/M_n∼1.2). Copolymers were obtained with M_n=2100, 4900, 10 100 and 29 500 g mol⁻¹ respectively with poly(MMA) (PMMA) terminal blocks and a central PDMS block of 5500 g mol⁻¹ in each case.DSC analysis showed most of the poly(MMA-b-DMS-b-MMA) triblock copolymers exhibits two T_g’s, one at low temperature corresponding to the T_g of PDMS microphase and a second at high temperature corresponding to the T_g of the PMMA microphase. TEM images show microphase segregation morphology in bulk for the triblock copolymers, with a higher degree of segregation for copolymers containing higher PDMS content. XPS measurements were performed to determine the chemical composition at the surface. For all the copolymers PDMS enrichment is observed at the surface. Copolymers containing higher percentage of PDMS exhibit higher phase separation and better enrichment of PDMS at the surface. The surface tension determined by contact angle measurements of the copolymer film containing 59 mol% of PDMS was 19.15 mN m⁻¹.     

ESR study of the photo-induced decomposition of polypropylene in the presence of N,N,N′,N′-tetramethyl-p-phenylenediamine

The mechanism of uv (λ > 325 nm) photodegradation of polypropylene (PP) containing N,N,N′,N′-tetramethyl-p-phenylenediamine (T₄MPD) has been investigated by means of ESR spectroscopy. The observed spectra after uv irradiation of both isotactic-PP (IPP) and stereoblock-PP (SPP) samples in vacuum at 77 K consisted principally of a broad singlet which was assigned to a T₄MPD cation radical (T₄MPD^+·). On the other hand, the spectrum observed after irradiation of an atactic polypropylene (APP) sample at 77 K in vacuum was resolved into several components which decayed almost up to ca. 263 K to give rise to the broad singlet of T₄MPD^+·. One component was a sharp quartet which was assigned to a methyl radical, ·CH₃·. The other component, a singlet, was attributed to a trapped electron, e_t^?.By comparison of the ESR spectrum of deuterated T₄MPD with that of the normal compound it was found that 60 ～ 70% of the methyl radicals arose from the added T₄MPD due to β-scission, which also formed the N,N,N′-trimethyl-p-phenylenediamine radical, T₃MPD·. The T₃MPD· radical presumably captures an electron at lower temperatures to become a carbanion, T₃MPD^?, which releases the electron to reproduce the T₃MPD· radical at elevated temperatures. This production of the radical T₃MPD· due to the liberation of an electron provides an explanation for the observed increase in intensity of the decay curve in the temperature range from ? 168 K to 185 K. The remaining fraction, 30 ～ 40%, of the total methyl radicals was produced from the PP matrix by an energy transfer from the excited T₄MPD¹ to the PP matrix. The broad singlet which appeared in the temperature range near 195 K was attributed to an acyl radical ～CH₂CH(CH₃)CH₂?O from the observed g-value. By photoillumination of this sample this broad singlet was converted reversibly into the quartet which was assigned to the radical ～CH₂CH(CH₂·)CH₂CHO.     

Crystal structure,phase transitions and dielectric properties of the mixed compound [Cs0.92(NH4)0.08]2HgBr4

The crystal structure of [Cs_0.92 (NH₄)_0.08]₂HgBr₄ was determined by three-dimensional X-ray diffraction analysis. The space group is Pnma with a = 10.210(2), b = 7.928(1), c = 13.883(1)Å and Z = 4 at 293K. The structure was refined to R = 0.067. The distribution of atoms can be described as isolated HgBr₄²⁻tetrahedra , Cs⁺ and NH₄⁺ cations. The main feature of this structure is the coexistence of two types of bonds: Cs⁺  Br⁻ ionic bonds and NH…Br hydrogen bonds ensuring the cohesion of the crystal. Dicaesium-ammonium tetrabromomercurate exhibits three phase transitions at T₁ = 237K, T₂ = 244K and T₃ = 513K. These transitions were detected by differential scanning calorimetry and analysed by dielectric measurements using the impedance and modulus spectroscopy techniques. The phase change at high temperature is related with the orientational disorder of NH₄⁺ cations. Transport properties in this material appear to be due to a H⁺ ion hopping mechanism.     

Crystallinity and transitions in ethylene hexene copolymers

Copolymers of ethylene with hexene-1 have been prepared by catalytic polymerization. Three types of specimens were studied: (a) as the polymerized material; (b) the same after extraction with heptane; (c) the low molecular weight extract. These specimens were subjected to one or more of the following characterization techniques: $\text{M}$_n by several methods, X-ray diffraction, GPC, DSC, Rheovibron at 110 Hz, and T_g by an ESR spin probe technique. The hexene content of the extracted polymer did not exceed 4 mol%; that in the extract was as high as 89.5%. The characterization data and dynamic mechanical loss results in this paper have been examined in the context of an exhaustive study of ethylene-ethylene-α-olefin copolymers by Shirayama et al. with some additional details by Wilson et al. All T_g data are summarized in the form of a plot of temperature vs log (wt% hexene-1). It is emphasized that increasing hexene content decreases crystallinity, crystallite size and molecular weight, so that caution is required in interpreting results. For high mol wt low hexene-1 whole and extracted polymers, the spin probe method gives T_g for the amorphous phase whereas Rheovibron data reflect T_β( >T_g) for the composite amorphous-crystallite specimens. The ESR data indicate that T_g for amorphous PE, called T_g(L), is very close to 200 K which is above and distinct from T_γ at c, 150 K. It would still be desirable to investigate a series of ethylene-hexene-1 copolymers over the entire composition range at essentially constant, high molecular weight.