Particle assembly on patterned surfaces bearing circular (dots) and rectangular (stripes) surface features

Irreversible and localized adsorption of spherical particles on surface features of various shapes (collectors) was studied using the random sequential adsorption (RSA) model. Collectors in the form of dots and rectangles were considered, including the two limiting cases of squares and stripes. Numerical simulation of the Monte Carlo type enabled one to determine particle configurations, average coverage of particles, and the distribution for various collector length to particle size ratios L = L/d and collector width to particle size ratios B = b/d. It was predicted that particle coverage under the jamming state was highly nonuniform, exhibiting a maximum at the center and at the periphery of the collectors. The averaged number of particles Np adsorbed at the jamming state was also determined as a function of the L and B parameters, as well as the averaged number of particles per unit length in the case of stripes. It was revealed that Np was the highest for the circular and square collectors (for a fixed value of L). On the other hand, for L > 5, our numerical results could be well approximated by the analytical expressions Np = thetainfinityL2 for circles, Np = 4thetainfinityL2/pi for squares, Np = 4thetainfinityBL/pi for rectangles, and Np = 4thetainfinityB/pi for stripes (per unit length). It was demonstrated that the theoretical results are in agreement with experimental data obtained for latex particles adsorbing on patterned surfaces obtained by a polymer-on-polymer stamping technique of gold covered silicon and on photolitographically patterned silane layers on silica.     

Population Balance Model for Miniemulsion Polymerization, 2

Summary: The predictions of the model developed in Part 1 of this series are compared with experimental values taken from literature. Initially, the method of solution of the population balance equation and the simulation algorithm are given. Various radical entry mechanisms are discussed in adequate detail. Plausible arguments are given to identify the correct radical entry mechanism. An expression to evaluate the radical exit coefficient is given. Model predictions of a number of variables are discussed. These include average number of radicals per particle, particle phase monomer volume fraction, average number of radicals averaged over all particles, monomer volume fraction averaged over all particles, variation of nucleation rate, variation of fraction of droplets nucleated, variation of average diameter, variation of standard deviation, variation of polydispersity index, and development of particle size distribution with time. Finally, model predictions for the variation of conversion with time for five different initiator concentrations, number average diameter, standard deviation and full distribution are compared with experimental values.

Variation in the average number of radicals per particle with time, at different collocation points.     

Effect of particle size distribution on the collection efficiency of Brownian particles

The main purpose of the present paper is to investigate the effect of the normal Gaussian size distribution on the deposition of Brownian particles onto a spherical collector, by applying the Brownian dynamic simulation method and the Kuwabara flow field model with different types of DLVO interaction energy curves and the shadow effect. The simulation results show that the collection efficiency of Brownian particles always increases with a wider particle size distribution region. The same increased tendencies are also observed for the case of increasing Reynolds number and for the case of increasing the particle size to the collector size ratio. When compared to the available experimental data, the present simulation method fits well with the experimental data when the specific deposit per collector is not large.     

Particle Nucleation and Growth in the Emulsion Polymerization of Styrene: Effect of Monomer/Water Ratio and Electrolyte Concentration

This work is an extension of previous research results reported by our team (Colloid and Polymer Science 2013, 291: 2385-2398), where large scale and high solid content latexes of poly(n-butyl acrylate) were obtained with the particle coagulation method induced by the electrolyte. However, how to prepare controlled particle size distribution polymer latex has not been studied. Thus, in this study, the effect of the monomer/water ratios and electrolyte concentrations on particle formation and growth methods were studied by following the tracks of the evolutions of particle size, number and distribution as a function of reaction time or conversion. Experimental results showed that the length of time that particle nucleation occurred increased with increasing monomer charged for the systems without electrolyte. A point worthy of attention here is that homogeneous nucleation may occur at high monomer concentrations (30/70, 40/60). However, electrolyte added could be made the nucleation mechanism shift from micellar/homogeneous nucleation to micelle /coagulation nucleation. As a result, the final particle size distribution can be controlled by adding an appropriate electrolyte to regulate the nucleation mechanism. Spherical and uniformly sized particles could be obtained when electrolyte concentration is between 0.2 wt% and 0.4 wt% for water at the high monomer/water ratio (40/60). The effects of electrolyte concentration on nucleation mechanism mainly were expressed by decreasing the solubility of the monomer and interparticle potential, and then preventing homogeneous nucleation and enhancing particle coagulation.     

PARTICLE SIZE DISTRIBUTION IN CONTINUOUS EMULSION POLYMERIZATION WITH FREE RADICAL DESORPTION

A mathematical model of particle size distribution in continuous emulsion polymerization which accounts for the free radical desorption from polymer particles is presented. The desorption rate is based on the diffusion theories which suggest the rate coefficient should be inversely proportional to the surface area of the polymer particles. The number density and total particle number are estimated by our model.

The average number of radicals per particle approaches Smith-Ewart case II In the range of large particle sizes. A means for predicting the nature of average desorption rate is proposed, and it seems to be influenced by concentrations of emulsifier and initiator, and residence times as well     

A novel technique based on diffuse reflectance near-infrared spectrometry and back-propagation artificial neural network for estimation of particle size in TiO2 nano particle samples

Determination of particle size is one of the critical parameters in nanotechnology. The relationship between particle size and diffuse reflectance (DR) spectra in near-infrared region has been applied to introduce a method for estimation of particle size. Back-propagation artificial neural network (BP-ANN) as a nonlinear model was applied to estimate average particle size based on near-infrared diffuse reflectance spectra. Thirty five different nano TiO₂ samples with different particle size were analyzed by DR-FTNIR spectrometry and the obtained data were processed by BP-ANN. The network was trained by 30 samples and was evaluated by the remaining 5 samples. In order to establish whether the new method is applicable for estimation of particle size of nano structured samples, the optimized model was applied to analyze 44 nano TiO₂ samples. It was observed that ANN using the back-propagation algorithm is capable of generalization and could correctly predict the average particle size of nano-sized particles.     

Analysis of the debonding process in polypropylene model composites

Polypropylene (PP) model composites were prepared using cross-linked PMMA particles with a very narrow particle size distribution as filler in order to study the micromechanical processes, which take place during deformation. Composites containing a commercial CaCO₃ filler with a broad particle size distribution were also prepared and studied for comparison. The filler loading of the composites was changed from 0 to 0.3 volume fraction in 0.05 volume fraction steps. Measurements of acoustic emission signals during the elongation of PP/PMMA model composites allowed us to assign the debonding process, including its initiation, unambiguously to a well-defined section of the stress vs. strain curve. The number and intensity of the acoustic signals detected during the deformation of the matrix polymer and the composite, respectively, differed considerably, which made possible the separation of the various micromechanical deformation processes occurring in them. At low extensions the composite is deformed elastically, then debonding takes place in a very narrow deformation range, followed by the plastic deformation of the matrix. At small particle content debonding occurs at relatively low stresses, which differ significantly from the yield stress. Considerable plastic deformation of the matrix begins at the yield point. At larger filler content debonding and shear yielding occur simultaneously. Micromechanical deformation processes cannot be separated as clearly in composites prepared from the commercial CaCO₃ filler with a broad particle size distribution. The debonding of particles with different size occurs in a wide deformation range because of the particle size dependence of debonding stress. The analysis of characteristic values derived from acoustic emission experiments proved that the interacting stress fields of neighboring particles influence the deformation process and that even large particles may aggregate or at least associate at large filler content.     

Self-assembly of patchy particles into polymer chains: a parameter-free comparison between Wertheim theory and Monte Carlo simulation

The authors numerically study a simple fluid composed of particles having a hard-core repulsion, complemented by two short-ranged attractive (sticky) spots at the particle poles, which provides a simple model for equilibrium polymerization of linear chains. The simplicity of the model allows for a close comparison, with no fitting parameters, between simulations and theoretical predictions based on the Wertheim perturbation theory. This comparison offers a unique framework for the analytic prediction of the properties of self-assembling particle systems in terms of molecular parameters and liquid state correlation functions. The Wertheim theory has not been previously subjected to stringent tests against simulation data for ordering across the polymerization transition. The authors numerically determine many of the thermodynamic properties governing this basic form of self-assembly (energy per particle, order parameter or average fraction of particles in the associated state, average chain length, chain length distribution, average end-to-end distance of the chains, and the static structure factor) and find that predictions of the Wertheim theory accord remarkably well with the simulation results.     

The microgel formation by crosslinking reaction of primary polymer

The crosslinking reaction of primary polymers under the influence of potentials was studied by computer simulation. Under the predominant action of repulsive potential, macrogelation did not appear and the products remained as a sol (microgel). With increasing repulsive potential, the particle size descended and the final size distribution became narrow (Pw/Pn = 1·06; Pw, weight average degree of polymerization; Pn, number average degree of polymerization). By the simulation according to a diffusion limited aggregation model with distant repulsive potential and short distant weak attractive potential, round and dense particles were obtained. In the crosslinking reaction of partially quaternized poly (4-vinylpyridine) (q-P4VP), the size of the particles declined and the size distribution became narrow with the quaternization degree of q-P4VP. This result agrees with that of the simulation.     

Connectivity percolation of polydisperse anisotropic nanofillers

We present a generalized connectedness percolation theory reduced to a compact form for a large class of anisotropic particle mixtures with variable degrees of connectivity. Even though allowing for an infinite number of components, we derive a compact yet exact expression for the mean cluster size of connected particles. We apply our theory to rodlike particles taken as a model for carbon nanotubes and find that the percolation threshold is sensitive to polydispersity in length, diameter, and the level of connectivity, which may explain large variations in the experimental values for the electrical percolation threshold in carbon-nanotube composites. The calculated connectedness percolation threshold depends only on a few moments of the full distribution function. If the distribution function factorizes, then the percolation threshold is raised by the presence of thicker rods, whereas it is lowered by any length polydispersity relative to the one with the same average length and diameter. We show that for a given average length, a length distribution that is strongly skewed to shorter lengths produces the lowest threshold relative to the equivalent monodisperse one. However, if the lengths and diameters of the particles are linearly correlated, polydispersity raises the percolation threshold and more so for a more skewed distribution toward smaller lengths. The effect of connectivity polydispersity is studied by considering nonadditive mixtures of conductive and insulating particles, and we present tentative predictions for the percolation threshold of graphene sheets modeled as perfectly rigid, disklike particles.     

Sterically stabilized polypyrrole–palladium nanocomposite particles synthesized by aqueous chemical oxidative dispersion polymerization

Aqueous chemical oxidative dispersion polymerizations of pyrrole using PdCl₂ oxidant were conducted using water-soluble polymeric colloidal stabilizers in order to synthesize polypyrrole–palladium (PPy–Pd) nanocomposite particles in one step. PPy–Pd nanocomposite particles with number average diameters of approximately 30 nm were successfully obtained as colloidally stable aqueous dispersions, which were stable at least for 7 months, using poly(4-lithium styrene sulfonic acid) colloidal stabilizer. The resulting nanocomposite particles were extensively characterized with respect to particle size, size distribution, colloidal stability, nanomorphology, surface/bulk chemical compositions, and conductivity. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy indicated the existence of poly(styrene sulfonic acid) colloidal stabilizer on the surface of the nanocomposite particles. Transmission electron microscopy studies confirmed that nanometer-sized Pd nanoparticles were distributed in the PPy matrix.     

Multi-step dielectrophoresis for separation of particles

A new concept for separation of particles based on repetitive dielectrophoretic trapping and release in a flow system is proposed. Calculations using the finite element method have been performed to envision the particle behavior and the separation effectiveness of the proposed method. As a model system, polystyrene beads in deionized water and a micro-flow channel with arrays of interdigited electrodes have been used. Results show that the resolution increases as a direct function of the number of trap-and-release steps, and that a difference in size will have a larger influence on the separation than a difference in other dielectrophoretic properties. About 200 trap-and-release steps would be required to separate particles with a size difference of 0.2%. The enhanced separation power of dielectrophoresis with multiple steps could be of great importance, not only for fractionation of particles with small differences in size, but also for measuring changes in surface conductivity, or for separations based on combinations of difference in size and dielectric properties.     

Synthesis of poly[2-methoxy-5-(2-ethylhexyloxy)-1,4-phenylenevinylene-silica core-shell particles with a self-templating method and their fluorescent properties

Sub-micrometer particles with poly[2-methoxy-5-(2-ethylhexyloxy)-1,4-phenylenevinylene (MEH-PPV) cores coated by silica-based shells were prepared with a self-templating method and their fluorescent properties were investigated in this paper. The characteristic of this method was that all reactions could be finished in one-pot, which exempted from removing the template and reduced reaction steps compared to the conventional process. Emission wavelength of the resultant core-shell particles can readily be tuned through chemical modification of MEH-PPV, which was carried out via regulating the conjugation length of the polymer. In addition, the size of MEH-PPV/SiO₂ core-shell particles could be controlled by altering reaction conditions. The obtained particles had clear core-shell structure and may be used as biolabeling materials. The morphologies, particle size distribution and fluorescent properties of MEH-PPV/SiO₂ particles were characterized by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), particle size analyzer and fluorescence emission spectra, respectively.     

A Simple Method of Evaluating Particle Size Distributions and Settling Rates for Silica Based Chromatographic Supports

Abstract

A simple and inexpensive method of evaluating particle settling rates and the particle size distribution of chromatographic supports using common laboratory equipment is reported. The time dependence of the turbidity of a solution of silica support particles suspended in an appropriate liquid is measured on a spectrometer. Digital acquisition allows data manipulation using simple algorithms to yield the distribution of particle sizes based on the Stoke's diameter. This data can easily be transformed into the most useful form for presentation, e.g. number average, weight average, cumulative distribution, etc.     

核/壳乳液聚合工艺中乳化剂的定量研究

以十二烷基硫酸钠(SDS)为乳化剂,采用多步种子乳液聚合方法制备了核/壳结构乳液,研究了乳化剂加入量以及加料速率对核壳乳液聚合的影响,并推导了核及壳乳液聚合阶段所需乳化剂量的计算公式.研究表明,当种子、核、壳乳液聚合阶段单体量分别为12g、50g和50g,种子乳液聚合阶段加入的乳化剂量为0.44g时,控制核、壳乳液聚合阶段乳化剂的加入量分别在0.64～2.07g及0.04～2.12g之间,且预乳化单体的滴加速度低于2.3g/min时,可以防止二次成核及新乳胶粒子的形成,制得粒径分布窄、核/壳结构明显的乳胶粒子.利用透射电镜(TEM)对所制备的核壳结构乳胶粒子的结构形态进行了验证,试验结果与理论预测结果一致.     

Peak broadening from an electrothermal vaporization sample introduction source into an inductively coupled plasma

Signal broadening using electrothermal vaporization with inductively coupled mass spectrometry (ETV-ICPMS) occurs at a rate much faster than would be predicted by simple longitudinal diffusion. A Monte Carlo simulation that focused on particle motion within the transport tubing was created to elucidate the causes of this dispersion within ETV-ICPMS. Several parameters, including the diffusion coefficient, tube diameter, transport tube length, and flow rate were varied to discern their role in signal broadening. Using typical instrumental parameters, the parabolic flow profile generated by laminar flow of the carrier gas was shown to be the primary cause of dispersion. Manipulating the aforementioned variables to lessen the effects of laminar flow led to a decrease in dispersion. Conversely, increasing the role of laminar flow promoted broadening. The broadening processes should be applicable to any transient introduction system where material must be transported to a detection system. Due to the difference in the rate of broadening expected for particles of different sizes, the simulation was used to calculate the average size of particles generated in the ETV using different mass amounts of sample. No change in particle size (∼1 nm) was seen for mass amounts ranging from 10–10 000 pg, which suggests that the particle number is increased with increasing sample mass rather than the average particle size. Using this method of determining particle size, it might be possible to further evaluate the mechanisms of physical ‘carrier’ action.     

Characterization of particle size and size distribution of multi-sized polymer lattices by centrifugation plus quasielastic light scattering

 A method for characterizing the particle size and size distribution of multi-sized polymer lattices was developed by combining quasielastic light scattering (QELS) with a centrifuge. Lattices were first fractionated by centrifugation and the different populations of particles were separated in successive steps. The size of these particles was measured by QELS, and the mass fraction of the particles was determined gravimetrically. The particle size and size distribution of several blends of monodisperse lattices and two industrial multi-sized lattices have been measured by this method. The results show that the particle sizes obtained using this method are in good agreement with the expected particle diameters, and that the relative amounts of the different groups of particles in the blends can be accurately determined. The efficiency of centrifuge-QELS was also confirmed by comparison with other techniques such as transmission electron microscopy (TEM), QELS, field-flow fractionation (FFF) and capillary hydrodynamic fractionation (CHDF). However, this method is not suited for the analysis of continuous, broad distributions or mixtures with a high number of different populations. It is better suited for distributions with a small number of families of particles, and then can be used for preparative propose on a laboratory scale. Received: 9 October 1996 Accepted: 7 July 1997     

凝并和成核机理下颗粒尺度分布的Monte Carlo求解

颗粒的凝并和成核现象影响其尺度分布,现有的MonteCarlo方法描述颗粒尺度分布的时间演变过程存在若干困难.提出了一种新的多重MonteCarlo(MMC)算法,基于时间驱动,利用加权的虚拟颗粒的思想,在模拟过程中保持虚拟颗粒总数不变和计算区域体积不变.利用该算法对“常凝并核,一阶成核”的情况下颗粒尺度分布的时间演变过程进行了数值求解,所得结果与数值解相符,表明MMC算法具有高且稳定的计算精度.另外,MMC算法由于跟踪比实际颗粒数目少得多的虚拟颗粒而具有较低的计算代价.     

苯乙烯/二乙烯基苯在乙醇/乙二醇单甲醚中分散共聚合速率及粒子大小的研究

以乙醇 乙二醇单甲醚 (EOH EGME)为介质 ,羟丙基纤维素 (HPC)为稳定剂 ,偶氮二异丁腈 (AIBN)为引发剂进行了苯乙烯和二乙烯基苯的分散共聚合研究 .制得粒径在 6～ 10 μm范围内的单分散交联聚苯乙烯微球 (CPS) .探讨了不同介质配比 ,以及苯乙烯、二乙烯基苯、引发剂的浓度对微球大小、粒径分布、聚合速率及稳定性的影响 .当苯乙烯和AIBN浓度增加时 ,聚合速率和平均粒子尺寸增加 ,而粒子分布变宽 ,粒子数先增加 ,而后降低 .随着EOH EGME比例的增加 ,平均粒子尺寸增加 ,而分布指数降低 ,稳定剂增加 ,粒子尺寸降低和粒子数增加 ,但对聚合速率及粒子分布影响不太明显 .另外还探讨了单体和交联剂的后滴加法对微球大小、粒径分布的影响     

Validity of particle size analysis techniques for measurement of the attrition that occurs during vacuum agitated powder drying of needle-shaped particles

Analysis of needle-shaped particles of cellobiose octaacetate (COA) obtained from vacuum agitated drying experiments was performed using three particle size analysis techniques: laser diffraction (LD), focused beam reflectance measurements (FBRM) and dynamic image analysis. Comparative measurements were also made for various size fractions of granular particles of microcrystalline cellulose. The study demonstrated that the light scattering particle size methods (LD and FBRM) can be used qualitatively to study the attrition that occurs during drying of needle-shaped particles, however, for full quantitative analysis, image analysis is required. The algorithm used in analysis of LD data assumes the scattering particles are spherical regardless of the actual shape of the particles under evaluation. FBRM measures a chord length distribution (CLD) rather than the particle size distribution (PSD), which in the case of needles is weighted towards the needle width rather than their length. Dynamic image analysis allowed evaluation of the particles based on attributes of the needles such as length (e.g. the maximum Feret diameter) or width (e.g. the minimum Feret diameter) and as such, was the most informative of the techniques for the analysis of attrition that occurred during drying.