Size of a polymer chain in an environment of quenched chains

We perform high‐coordination three‐dimensional (3D) lattice simulations of a single chain of N monomers embedded in matrices of quenched chains, at different concentrations ρ, using pruned‐enriched Rosenbluth sampling. The partition function is well‐described by the expression, , where is a universal constant, and is the concentration dependent lattice connectivity constant. For sufficiently long chains, , we find that the radius of gyration R varies nonmonotonically with ρ; R decreases gradually from its unperturbed dimensions R₀ until , after which it increases relatively rapidly due to repulsion between monomers. Motivated by the similarity in the shape of the curves, and results on Gaussian chains, we successfully superpose all the simulation data onto a single master curve. Finally, we test the relationship , suggested by a Flory‐type scaling model, where ρ_c is the critical percolation threshold, and is a universal constant. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part B: Polym. Phys. 2015 , 53, 1611–1619     

Nonmonotonic swelling of agarose‐carbopol hybrid hydrogel: Experimental and theoretical analysis

A hybrid gel is synthesized by physical mixing of agarose and carbopol and an interpenetrating network of Agarose‐Carbopol (AC) hybrid gel is observed by atomic force microscopy. This hybrid gel exhibits pH‐responsiveness and mechanical stability as well as tunable swelling. These hydrogels depict a nonmonotonic swelling behavior as a function of pH. In particular, the equilibrium degree of swelling increases with pH of bath solution until its maximum value around pH = , followed by a decrease at higher pH values. The degree of swelling is increased by the concentration of carbopol when the concentration of agarose is low [ ], or decreased by the concentration of agarose when is high [ ]. A physics‐based model is also adapted to characterize the swelling‐shrinking behavior of different compositions of AC gels. This swelling‐shrinking behavior of AC hydrogels will have potential applications in smart hydrogel‐based devices. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part B: Polym. Phys. 2017 , 55, 444–454     

Triplet harvesting in poly(9‐vinylcarbazole) and poly(9‐(2,3‐epoxypropyl)carbazole) doped with CdSe/ZnS quantum dots encapsulated with 16‐(N‐carbazolyl) hexadecanoic acid ligands

Semiconductor quantum dots (QDs) can be used as alternative for transition metal complexes to harvest the nonemissive triplet excitons in organic light‐emitting diodes (OLEDs). In search for a QD‐based OLED material generating blue emission, poly(9‐vinylcarbazole) (PVK) and poly(9‐(2,3‐epoxypropyl) carbazole) (PEPK) are chosen as host for blue‐emitting CdSe/ZnS core/shell QDs. The QDs are encapsulated with 16‐(N‐carbazolyl) hexadecanoic acid (C16), a ligand terminated by a carbazole moiety. As alternative for PVK, PEPK, where the lower molecular weight and less extensive excimer formation could promise a better film formation and more extensive exciton hopping, is explored. The efficiencies of singlet ( ) and triplet ( ) energy transfer to the C16 capped QDs are estimated by combining stationary photoluminescence spectra and fluorescence decays of pristine polymer films with those of polymer films doped with the QDs. At a loading of 30 wt % of the QDs, increases from 12 ± 1% in PVK to 41 ± 2% in PEPK while increases from 37 ± 22% in PVK to 72 ± 48% in PEPK. The investigation of the film morphology by atomic force microscopy confirms that the main factor limiting the triplet transfer efficiency in the PVK matrix is the clustering of the C16 capped QDs. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part B: Polym. Phys. 2014 , 52, 539–551     

Influence of the crystallization on the molecular mobility and ionic DC conductivity behaviors of relaxor ferroelectric P(VDF‐TrFE‐CTFE) terpolymers

The dynamics of semicrystalline poly(vinylidene fluoride‐trifluoroethylene‐chlorotrifluoroethylene) (P(VDF‐TrFE‐CTFE)) terpolymers were fully investigated as a function of temperature and frequency, by means of broadband dielectric spectroscopy. Four types of relaxation regimes were observed over the full dielectric spectroscopy, namely (second) relaxation in the sub‐glass state, (segmental dynamics) in the rubbery state, the Curie transition and space charge carrier motion at high temperatures. Constrained segmental dynamics were observed in the terpolymer containing the highest crystalline fraction for which a narrow relaxation time distribution was found. These results indicate a decreasing average size of the cooperative rearranging region over the crystalline fraction. A decrease of the strength index values also implied a more fragile behavior for terpolymers with a higher degree of crystallinity. An exceptional increase in dielectric strength was found as the crystallinity increased. This behavior could be explained by an enhanced interphase (constrained amorphous phase). The Curie transition showed an accelerating relaxation rate for a more fragile terpolymer. Moreover, a motion of the space charge carrier ions was observed in the higher temperature range. Finally, there was evidence that the segmental dynamics in the amorphous phase was responsible for the motion of the space charge carrier ions. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part B: Polym. Phys. 2016 , 54, 1645–1657     

Enthalpy of fusion of poly(3‐hexylthiophene) by differential scanning calorimetry

The enthalpy of fusion for a perfect, infinite poly(3‐hexylthiophene) (P3HT) crystal () must be known to evaluate the absolute crystallinity of P3HT. This value, however, is still ambiguous as different values have been reported using various experimental techniques. Here, we extrapolate the enthalpy of fusion for extended chain crystals of oligomeric P3HT to infinite molecular weight and obtain a value of 42.9 ± 2 J/g employing differential scanning calorimetry with a correction based on grazing incidence small angle X‐ray scattering data. Also, we define the onset of chain folding within P3HT crystallites at a chain length of 5 Kuhn segments. Knowledge of allows calculation of P3HT percent crystallinity in thin films for applications such as organic field effect transistors and solar cells. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part B: Polym. Phys. 2014 , 52, 1469–1475     

Additivity in kramers pairs symmetry: Multiplets with up to four unpaired electrons

Many fermions Kramers pairs formalism is considered from the prospective of the sum of individual single fermion time‐reversal operators. The obtained many fermions “pseudo Kramers pairs operator” ( ), as well as its square ( ), have formally the same structure as the many fermion spin operators and . Nevertheless, the shape of eigenfunctions with respect to and is different. Herein all Kramers adapted eigenfunctions of for cases of up to four unpaired fermions are compiled, and their properties with respect to further advocated. It will be shown that degeneracy of the multiplets recovers the proper behavior with respect to Pascal's triangle. A projection operator for obtaining the “high spin” Kramers adapted eigenfunctions is suggested. Noncommutation of with spin and angular momentum operators and degeneracy is discussed at last. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Geometry of the canonical Van Vleck transformation

Bloch's transformation from the zeroth‐order space for a perturbation problem to the corresponding space of exact eigenvectors, was found as a geometrically defined alternative to the algebraically constructed Van Vleck transformation. Klein's theorem of uniqueness transferred some of this geometrical interpretation to its canonical form . Quite recently Kvaal has taken a large step further by writing as a product of commuting planar rotations, obtained by describing and in terms of certain principal vectors and canonical angles. Kvaal's approach is now developed further, using a new commutation relation which simplifies algebraic manipulations substantially. It allows for a simple definition of an operator for the angle between and which has Kvaal's vectors and angles as eigenvectors and eigenvalues. Klein's theorem is refined in various ways. The impact of the approach on a number of previous results is considered. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Computational study of basis set and electron correlation effects on anapole magnetizabilities of chiral molecules

In the presence of a static, nonhomogeneous magnetic field, represented by the axial vector at the origin of the coordinate system and by the polar vector , assumed to be spatially uniform, the chiral molecules investigated in this paper carry an orbital electronic anapole, described by the polar vector . The electronic interaction energy of these molecules in nonordered media is a cross term, coupling and via , one third of the trace of the anapole magnetizability a_αβ tensor, that is, . Both and W^BC have opposite sign in the two enantiomeric forms, a fact quite remarkable from the conceptual point of view. The magnitude of predicted in the present computational investigation for five chiral molecules is very small and significantly biased by electron correlation contributions, estimated at the density functional level via three different functionals. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Rate Constants for the Gas‐Phase Reactions of Ozone and Nitrate Radicals with the Sesquiterpenes: Valencene and Farnesol

Sesquiterpenes are constituents of a variety of essential oils that are used in flavorings, perfumes, personal care, and cleaning products. Two sesquiterpenes that are commonly used as indoor fragrances are valencene and farnesol. Knowing the reaction rate constants of these chemicals with ozone (O₃) and nitrate radical () is an important factor in determining their fate indoors. In this study, the bimolecular rate constants of , , , and were measured using the relative rate technique at 297 ± 3 K and 1 atm total pressure. Using the rate constants reported here and measured/modeled indoor concentrations of O₃ and (20 ppb and 1 ppt, respectively), pseudo–first‐order‐rate lifetimes , , , and were determined.     

Synthesis of gradient copolysiloxanes by simultaneous copolymerization of cyclotrisiloxanes and mechanism for kinetics inverse between anionic and cationic ring‐opening polymerization

Trifluoropropylmethylsiloxane–phenylmethylsiloxane gradient copolysiloxanes were synthesized by anionic and cationic ring‐opening polymerization (ROP) of 1,3,5‐tris(trifluoropropylmethyl)cyclotrisiloxane ( ) and phenylmethylcyclotrisiloxane ( ). The analysis of reactivity ratios revealed that the reactivity of toward anionic ROP was higher than that of ; however, exhibited lower reactivity compared with during the cationic ROP. AB and BAB type gradient copolymers were obtained because of a difference in the reactivity of the monomers. The microstructure of copolymers was characterized by ²⁹Si NMR spectroscopy, gel permeation chromatography, and differential scanning calorimetry. Furthermore, the mechanism for kinetics inverse of copolymerization was proposed based on the results of the optimized molecular configuration. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2016 , 54, 835–843     

Ruthenium(II) complexes bearing pyridine‐based tridentate and bidentate ligands: catalytic activity for transfer hydrogenation of aryl ketones

Ru(II) complexes of the general formula [RuCl₂(′′)(L)] (1: ′N = N_b, L = MeOH; 2: ′N = N_b, L = CH₃CN; 3: ′N = N_d, L = CH₃CN; 4: ′N = N_p, L = CH₃CN), [Ru(p‐cymene)(_a–b)Cl]Cl (5a: N N_a = 2,2′‐bipyridine; 5b: N N_b = 4,4′‐dimethyl–2,2′‐bipyridine), [Ru(′′)(_a–b)Cl]Cl (6a: ′N = N_b, _a = 2,2′‐bipyridine; 6b: ′N = N_b, _b = 4,4′‐dimethyl‐2,2′‐bipyridine; 7a: ′N = N_d, _a = 2,2′‐bipyridine; 7b: ′N = N_d, _b = 4,4′‐dimethyl‐2,2′‐bipyridine; 8a: ′N = N_p, _a = 2,2′‐bipyridine; 8b: ′N = N_p, _b = 4,4′‐dimethyl‐2,2′‐bipyridine) and [Ru(′′)(_a)Cl]BF₄ (9a: ′N = N_b; _a = 2,2′‐bipyridine) were synthesized from the corresponding [RuCl₂(p‐cymene)]₂ dimer, ′′ and _a–b ligands. The compounds were characterized by elemental analysis, IR and NMR. Complex 9a was studied by X‐ray diffraction, confirming its cationic‐mononuclear [RuCl(_bb)(_a)]⁺ nature. The synthesized Ru(II) complexes (1–8) were employed as catalysts for the transfer hydrogenation of ketones to secondary alcohols in the presence of KOH using 2‐propanol as a hydrogen source at 82°C. The rates of the transfer hydrogenation reactions strongly depended on the type of and ancillary ligands. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Dealing with the shifted and inverted Tietz–Hua oscillator potential using the J‐matrix method

The tridiagonal J‐matrix approach has been used to calculate the low and moderately high‐lying eigenvalues of the rotating shifted Tietz–Hua (RSTH) oscillator potential. The radial Schrödinger equation is solved efficiently by means of the diagonalization of the full Hamiltonian matrix, with the Laguerre or oscillator basis. Ro–vibrational bound state energies for 11 diatomic systems, namely , , , NO, CO, , , , , , and NO⁺, are calculated with high accuracy. Some of the energy states for molecules are reported here for the first time. The results of the last four molecules have been introduced for the first time using the oscillator basis. Higher accuracy is achieved by calculating the energy corresponding to the poles of the S‐matrix in the complex energy plane using the J‐matrix method. Furthermore, the bound states and the resonance energies for the newly proposed inverted Tietz–Hua IRSTH‐potential are calculated for the H₂‐molecule with scaled depth. A detailed analysis of variation of eigenvalues with n, quantum numbers is made. Results are compared with literature data, wherever possible. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Photodetachment of hydrogen negative ion near inelastic surfaces: Arbitrary laser polarization direction

The photodetachment of hydrogen negative ion near different inelastic surfaces is investigated by the semiclassical closed orbit theory for arbitrary laser polarization direction . A two‐term formula of photodetachment cross section consisting of a smooth background term and an oscillatory term is derived. The oscillatory term contains an extra angular factor that describes the dependence of oscillations in total cross section on the laser polarization direction. It is observed that the amplitude of oscillations in cross section reaches maximum at when laser polarization is parallel to the z‐axis and it approaches zero as the laser polarization direction becomes perpendicular to the z‐axis. It is also observed that as the reflection coefficient , which accounts for the inelastic behavior of the surfaces, increases the amplitude of oscillation also increases. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Electronic Spectroscopy of Methylcyanodiacetylene (CH3C5N)

The results of a study devoted to the electronic spectroscopy of gaseous, solid, and cryogenic matrix‐isolated methylcyanodiacetylene (CH₃C₅N) are reported. UV absorption and optical phosphorescence spectra of the compound are described here for the first time, and the corresponding vibronic assignments are proposed. UV absorption, studied directly or through the excitation of phosphorescence, revealed the ¹E‐‐ ¹A₁ system, very weak ¹A₂– ¹A₁ bands, and a strong, broad absorption feature, tentatively identified as ¹E– ¹A₁. Spectral measurements were assisted by quantum chemical calculations at the DFT and ab initio (coupled cluster) levels of theory.     

Theoretical prediction of the optical rotation of chiral molecules in ordered media: A computational study of (Ra)‐1,3‐dimethylallene, (2R)‐2‐methyloxirane,and (2R)‐N‐methyloxaziridine

A theoretical procedure has been developed and implemented to calculate the optical rotation of chiral molecules in ordered phase via origin‐independent diagonal components , of the optical activity tensor and origin‐independent components , for , of the mixed electric dipole‐electric quadrupole polarizability. Origin independence was achieved by referring these tensors to the principal axis system of the electric dipole dynamic polarizability at the same laser frequency ω. The approach has been applied, allowing for alternative quantum mechanical methods based on different gauges, to estimate near Hartree–Fock values for three chiral molecules, (2R)‐N‐methyloxaziridine C₂NOH₅, (2R)‐2‐methyloxirane (also referred to as propylene oxide) C₃OH₆, and ( )‐1,3‐dimethylallene C₅H₈, at two frequencies. The theoretical predictions can be useful for an attempt at measuring correspondent experimental values in crystal phase. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Reliability of Orientational Order Parameters Determined from Two‐dimensional X‐ray Diffraction Patterns: A Simulation Study

The orientational order parameter is one of the most important quantities to describe the degree of long‐range orientational ordering of liquid crystals. There are several approaches to experimentally measure this order parameter of liquid crystalline phases but every method includes substantial simplifications and assumptions. We present a simulation‐based approach to elucidate the reliability of the method of Davidson, Petermann and Levelut to measure via 2D X‐ray experiments. We have found that this method slightly underestimates by an absolute value of only 0.05 and thus provides reliable measures of by X‐ray diffraction.     

The effect of water content on the ultimate properties of rubbery nanocomposite gels

An investigation was conducted into the effects of water content (R) on the ultimate tensile properties of nanocomposite hydrogels (NC gels) based on poly(N‐isopropylacrylamide)/clay networks. Rubbery NC gels with low clay contents (<NC10) exhibited unique changes in their stress–strain curves, depending on the R. At high R, where PNIPA chains are fully hydrated, NC gels retained their rubbery tensile properties, whereas they changed to exhibit plastic‐like deformations with decreasing R. Consequently, for a series of NC gels with different R, a failure envelope was obtained by connecting the rupture points in the stress–strain curves. Here, the counterclockwise movement was observed as either the R decreased or the strain rate increased. This seemed to be analogous to that of a conventional elastomer (e.g., SBR), although the mechanisms are different in the two cases. From the R and C_clay dependences of the ultimate properties, three critical values of R were defined, where R showed a maximum strain at break, a steep increase in initial modulus, and onset of brittle fracture. Compared with NC gels, OR gels (chemically crosslinked hydrogels) showed similar but very small changes in their stress–strain curves on altering R, whereas LR (viscous PNIPA solution) showed a monotonic decrease (increase) in ε_b (E_i) with decreasing R. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 47: 2328–2340, 2009     

Quantum control of electron‐proton symmetry breaking in dissociative ionization of H2 by intense laser pulses

Forward and backward electron/proton ionization/dissociation spectra from one‐dimensional non‐Born‐Oppenheimer H₂ molecule exposed to ultrashort intense laser pulses ( W/cm², λ = 800 nm) have been computed by numerically solving the time‐dependent Schrödinger equation. The resulting above‐threshold ionization and above‐threshold dissociation spectra exhibit the characteristic forward‐backward asymmetry and sensitivity to the carrier‐envelope phase (CEP), particularly for high energies. A general framework for understanding CEP effects in the asymmetry of dissociative ionization of H₂ has been established. It is found that the symmetry breaking of electron‐proton distribution with π periodic modulation occurs for all CEPs except for ( integer) and the largest asymmetry coming from the CEP of . At least one of the electron and proton distributions is asymmetric when measured simultaneously. Inspection of the nuclear and electron wave packet dynamics provides further information about the relative contribution of the gerade and ungerade states of to the dissociation channel and the time delay of electrons in asymmetric ionization. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Kinetics of the Antibody Recognition Site in the Third IgG‐Binding Domain of Protein G

Protein dynamics occurring on a wide range of timescales play a crucial role in governing protein function. Particularly, motions between the globular rotational correlation time ( ) and 40 μs (supra‐ window), strongly influence molecular recognition. This supra‐ window was previously hidden, owing to a lack of experimental methods. Recently, we have developed a high‐power relaxation dispersion (RD) experiment for measuring kinetics as fast as 4 μs. For the first time, this method, performed under super‐cooled conditions, enabled us to detect a global motion in the first β‐turn of the third IgG‐binding domain of protein G (GB3), which was extrapolated to 371±115 ns at 310 K. Furthermore, the same residues show the plasticity in the model‐free residual dipolar coupling (RDC) order parameters and in an ensemble encoding the supra‐ dynamics. This β‐turn is involved in antibody binding, exhibiting the potential link of the observed supra‐ motion with molecular recognition.     

Low‐energy structures of benzene clusters with a novel accurate potential surface

The benzene‐benzene (Bz‐Bz) interaction is present in several chemical systems and it is known to be crucial in understanding the specificity of important biological phenomena. In this work, we propose a novel Bz‐Bz analytical potential energy surface which is fine‐tuned on accurate ab initio calculations in order to improve its reliability. Once the Bz‐Bz interaction is modeled, an analytical function for the energy of the clusters may be obtained by summing up over all pair potentials. We apply an evolutionary algorithm (EA) to discover the lowest‐energy structures of clusters (for ), and the results are compared with previous global optimization studies where different potential functions were employed. Besides the global minimum, the EA also gives the structures of other low‐lying isomers ranked by the corresponding energy. Additional ab initio calculations are carried out for the low‐lying isomers of and clusters, and the global minimum is confirmed as the most stable structure for both sizes. Finally, a detailed analysis of the low‐energy isomers of the n = 13 and 19 magic‐number clusters is performed. The two lowest‐energy isomers show S₆ and C₃ symmetry, respectively, which is compatible with the experimental results available in the literature. The structures reported here are all non‐symmetric, showing two central Bz molecules surrounded by 12 nearest‐neighbor monomers in the case of the five lowest‐energy structures. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.