淬火和退火对称三嵌段共聚物薄膜形貌和结构的Monte Carlo模拟

嵌段共聚物薄膜淬火形貌与初始化时嵌段共聚物熔体的状态相关,淬火得到的有序形貌有时存在缺陷,而退火则可以消除这些缺陷形成更规整的层状结构,且退火得到的嵌段共聚物分子的均方回转半径等都小于淬火得到的.与淬火比较,退火使高分子链充分松弛,增加了薄膜中有利于提高材料物理力学性能的桥键含量.不同于受限自由表面间的对称二嵌段共聚物首先在表面区域形成有序结构,三嵌段共聚物则在薄膜内部先形成有序的层状结构.     

嵌段共聚物组成对薄膜形貌影响的多体耗散粒子动力学研究

利用多体耗散粒子动力学(Multibody Dissipative Particle Dynamics, Multibody DPD)方法研究了在溶剂蒸发条件下, 嵌段共聚物在表面自组装形成薄膜的过程, 分别考虑了两嵌段共聚物和三嵌段共聚物及不同组成对薄膜形貌的影响. 模拟得到了无序状薄膜和层状薄膜, 并计算了这些薄膜的序参量和薄膜厚度随时间的演化. 结果表明, 嵌段共聚物的组成对薄膜厚度几乎没有影响, 当某种组分的链段很短时, 只能形成序参量较小的无序薄膜, 相反, 则可以得到序参量较大的层状薄膜.     

环形对称两嵌段共聚物在薄膜中自组装行为的计算机模拟

采用Monte Carlo模拟方法考察了AB环形对称两嵌段共聚物受限在薄膜中的自组装行为。模拟结果表明,AB环形对称两嵌段共聚物在薄膜中自组装形成的层状结构的取向依赖于薄膜表面的选择性或膜厚。当薄膜表面无选择性或具有强选择性时,体系中层状结构的取向分别为垂直和平行于薄膜表面;当薄膜表面选择性较弱时,随着膜厚的增加层状结构的取向会发生由垂直向平行于薄膜表面的转变。这些模拟结果与文献报道中线形体系十分一致。然而值得注意的是,当薄膜表面的选择性适中时,环形体系中形成了一种在线形体系中未被观察到的具有波浪形层状结构的新颖有序结构。通过对该结构相互作用焓密度与链构象的分析发现,该结构是一种稳定态结构。此外,通过对比相同参数下环形体系与线形体系的层状结构发现,环形体系层状结构的特征尺寸明显小于线形体系。上述模拟结果表明相对于与其分子量相同的线形嵌段共聚物,环形嵌段共聚物由于其特殊的几何结构能够形成新颖的或具有更小特征尺寸的微相分离结构,而控制特征尺寸,尤其是获得尽可能小的特征尺寸,对于制备具有更小纳米结构和更高集成度的微电子器件具有重要意义。     

双刚性共轭嵌段共聚物体系的自组装

棒杆-棒杆(rod-rod)共轭嵌段共聚物体系是近几年发展起来的一类新型共轭聚合物材料,由于其特有的电学活性以及通过自组装实现纳米尺度结构可控等特性正逐渐成为人们研究的热点.构筑单元的刚性棒状结构使得rod-rod共轭嵌段共聚物体系倾向于自组装形成囊泡或层状结构等低曲率聚集体.本文总结了近年来关于rod-rod共轭嵌段共聚物体系自组装行为的研究,分别介绍了溶液中以及薄膜状态下双刚性共轭嵌段共聚物体系的自组装行为,在此基础上进一步讨论了rod-rod共轭嵌段共聚物薄膜结构与性能的关系.     

聚合物受限结晶的研究进展

随着纳米材料研究的迅速发展,聚合物由于其分子固有的纳米尺度结构,无论作为纳米器件或在模板应用方面都受到广泛瞩目.在微纳领域的应用中,特定受限环境下,结晶聚合物的结晶行为也因此受到广泛关注.本文从均聚物(及无规共聚物)和半晶型嵌段聚合物两方面总结了近年来聚合物受限结晶领域的研究进展.对于均聚物和无规共聚物,人们主要关注其在薄膜、超薄膜条件下的受限结晶性能,关注点为随着膜厚减小而引入的空间效应和界面效应对聚合物结晶性能的影响.而对于半晶型嵌段共聚物受限结晶的研究则多从本体出发,来研究纳米相分离与结晶的竞争过程、纳米相分离区域对于可结晶嵌段结晶生长的几何限制(空间效应)以及嵌段连接点(结晶嵌段的末端)对于结晶嵌段结晶行为的影响.     

聚苯乙烯-聚甲基丙烯酸甲酯两嵌段共聚物薄膜在丙酮蒸汽退火下的形貌演化

用敲击模式原子力显微镜研究了聚苯乙烯-聚甲基丙烯酸甲酯(PS-b-PMMA)两嵌段共聚物薄膜形貌在丙酮蒸汽退火下随时间的演化过程.对于对称的嵌段共聚物薄膜(fPS≈fPMMA,fPS为PS-b-PMMA中PS的体积分数,fPMMA为PMMA的体积分数),通过控制膜厚和平衡态时相周期的比值可以使不同分子量的嵌段共聚物薄膜都实现由蠕虫状结构到孔洞再到条纹的形貌演化过程;对于非对称的嵌段共聚物薄膜,发现当聚苯乙烯组分含量较少(25%,36%)时,薄膜的形貌由无序态分别转变为规则排列的小球和直接转变为条纹结构;而当聚苯乙烯组分含量较多(70%)时,薄膜的形貌则由无序态转变为较平整的表面结构.我们对不同形貌的形成机理进行了详细的讨论.     

表面图案诱导两嵌段共聚物形成穿孔层状结构的模拟

利用耗散粒子动力学方法研究了两嵌段共聚物在表面圆形图案诱导下的相行为.通过调节圆形诱导图案的半径和嵌段共聚物薄膜的厚度,体系出现了非常丰富的穿孔层状相结构(PLS).经过区分将这些结构分为4类,并用PLS-Ⅰ,PLS-Ⅱ,PLS-Ⅲ,PLS-Ⅳ表示.绘制了这些结构与圆形图案半径和薄膜厚度关系的相图,并分析了这些结构出现的原因和规律,为设计和发展嵌段共聚物功能薄膜材料提供理论支持.     

嵌段共聚物薄膜中条纹形态的螺旋结构

利用溶液滴膜的方法在云母表面制备聚苯乙烯-聚异戊二烯-聚苯乙烯(SIS)三嵌段共聚物薄膜, 用原子力显微镜(AFM)观察其表面形态. 发现共聚物经微相分离, 在薄膜中形成平行于表面的条纹形态, 相周期约(38±5) nm, 并且观察到条纹环绕形成的螺旋图案, 图案尺寸超过1 μm. 在螺旋中心某一组分形成闭合端, 而其它区域条状相沿螺旋切线方向平行排列. 嵌段共聚物溶液成膜过程中, 螺旋图案的产生是由于微相分离过程耦合流体力学相互作用产生的不稳定性所导致.     

图案化两亲性刚-柔嵌段共聚物薄膜的耗散粒子动力学模拟

运用耗散粒子动力学模拟,研究了两亲性刚-柔嵌段共聚物在平面基板上的自组装,考察了溶剂选择性和基板形状对自组装形貌的影响。结果表明,共聚物可以在基板表面形成多种图案(如条纹图案),其中疏水刚性链段有序排列形成条纹的内核,亲水柔性链段形成外壳。当溶剂对柔性链段亲和性较好且对刚性链段亲和性较差时可以得到具有条纹图案的薄膜。此外,共聚物可以在不同形状的基板上形成与基板具有相似拓扑结构的条纹图案。     

外加气流法制备微相结构有序的PS-b-PEO嵌段共聚物薄膜

采用原子转移自由基聚合(ATRP)的方法合成了聚苯乙烯-聚环氧乙烷(PS-b-PEO)嵌段共聚物,并利用核磁共振波谱(1H-NMR)、傅里叶变换红外光谱(FTIR)以及凝胶渗透色谱法(GPC)对聚合物进行了表征.利用外加气流法制备了具有不同形貌的嵌段共聚物薄膜,并讨论聚合物分子组成、气流温度、气流速度以及不同基底对薄膜表面形貌以及内部结构的影响.当嵌段共聚物中聚苯乙烯嵌段的质量分数为83%~85%,气流温度为30~50℃,气流速度3~5 m/s时,有利于形成表面垂直柱状微相分离结构.当硅基底的接触角小于90°时,在合适的外加气流场作用下可以形成薄膜的表层和底层垂直有序而薄膜内部无序的非对称结构.     

Numerical simulation of deformation behavior of droplet in gas under the electric field and flow field coupling

The water droplets in the process of electrostatic coalescence are important when studying electrohydrodynamics. In the present study, the electric field and flow field are coupled through the phase field method based on the Cahn–Hilliard formulation. A numerical simulation model of single droplet deformation under the coupling field was established. It simulated the deformation behavior of the movement of a droplet in the continuous phase and took the impact of droplet deformation into consideration which is affected by two-phase flow velocity, electric field strength, the droplet diameter, and the interfacial tension. The results indicated that under the single action of the flow field, when the flow velocity was lower, the droplet diameter was greater as was the droplet deformation degree. When the flow velocity was increased, the droplet deformation degree of a small-diameter droplet was at its maximum size, the large-diameter droplet had a smaller deformation degree, and the middle-diameter droplet was at a minimum deformation degree. When the flow velocity was further increased, the droplet diameter was smaller, and the droplet deformation degree was greater. Under the coupled effect of the electric field and flow field, the two-phase flow velocity and the electric field strength were greater, and the degree of droplet deformation was greater. While the droplet diameter and interfacial tension were smaller, the degree of droplet deformation was greater. Droplet deformation degree increased along with the two-phase flow velocity. The research results provided a theoretical basis for gas–liquid separation with electrostatic coalescence technology.     

Numerical simulation of droplet coalescence behavior in gas phase under the coupling of electric field and flow field

The coalescence behavior of droplets in an electric field belongs to the important research contents of electrohydrodynamics. Based on the phase field method of the Cahn–Hilliard equation, the electric field and the flow field are coupled to establish the numerical model of twin droplet coalescence in a coupled field. The effects of flow rate, electric field strength, droplet diameter, and interfacial tension on the coalescence behavior of droplets during the coalescence process were investigated. The results show that the dynamic behavior of the droplets is divided into coalescence, after coalescence rupture, and no coalescence under the coupling of electric field and flow field. The proper increase of the electric field strength will accelerate the coalescence of the droplets, and the high electric field strength causes the droplets to burst after coalescence. Excessive flow rates make droplets less prone to coalescence. Under the coupling field, the larger the droplet interface tension, the smaller the droplet diameter, the smaller the flow rate, and the shorter the droplet coalescence time. The results provide a theoretical basis for the application of electrostatic coalescence in gas–liquid separation technology.     

A method to study the electric field distribution on sample surfaces in atom probe analysis

We report the development of a nondestructive method to estimate the electric field (EF) distribution on a nano-sized sample surface in atom probe (AP) analysis. The simulated EF distribution on an ideal hemisphere indicates that the largest EF exists on the geometrical top of the ideal hemisphere and that EF decreases as the emitting area getting away from the sample apex. To estimate the EF distribution on a real sample surface, the sample apex is determined via comparing the field ion microscopy (FIM) signal intensity of {113} planes on the symmetrical sample surface. A series of contour maps showing the intensity of the evaporated ions (eg, H⁺) was obtained by applying various EFs on the sample surface. A plot of relative EFs with respect to the emitting angle can thus be extracted.     

Laser field induced charge transfer: Para-nitroaniline coupled to a quantum mechanical radiation field

Summary We present a preliminary model for describing a solvated intramolecular charge transfer reaction coupled to a quantum mechanical radiation field. Actual calculations of energies and couplings were performed with a recently developed self-consistent reaction field response method. The representation of dressed molecular states is used for calculating state populations for various laser fields. The state populations are sensitive to the properties of the laser field.     

ForConX: A forcefield conversion tool based on XML

The force field conversion from one MD program to another one is exhausting and error‐prone. Although single conversion tools from one MD program to another exist not every combination and both directions of conversion are available for the favorite MD programs Amber , Charmm , Dl‐ Poly , Gromacs , and Lammps . We present here a general tool for the force field conversion on the basis of an XML document. The force field is converted to and from this XML structure facilitating the implementation of new MD programs for the conversion. Furthermore, the XML structure is human readable and can be manipulated before continuing the conversion. We report, as testcases, the conversions of topologies for acetonitrile, dimethylformamide, and 1‐ethyl‐3‐methylimidazolium trifluoromethanesulfonate comprising also Urey–Bradley and Ryckaert–Bellemans potentials. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Automatic molecular structure perception for the universal force field

The Universal Force Field (UFF) is a classical force field applicable to almost all atom types of the periodic table. Such a flexibility makes this force field a potential good candidate for simulations involving a large spectrum of systems and, indeed, UFF has been applied to various families of molecules. Unfortunately, initializing UFF, that is, performing molecular structure perception to determine which parameters should be used to compute the UFF energy and forces, appears to be a difficult problem. Although many perception methods exist, they mostly focus on organic molecules, and are thus not well‐adapted to the diversity of systems potentially considered with UFF. In this article, we propose an automatic perception method for initializing UFF that includes the identification of the system's connectivity, the assignment of bond orders as well as UFF atom types. This perception scheme is proposed as a self‐contained UFF implementation integrated in a new module for the SAMSON software platform for computational nanoscience ( http://www.samson-connect.net ). We validate both the automatic perception method and the UFF implementation on a series of benchmarks.     

Chamber with modifiable inner width for performing transversal alternating field electrophoresis in variable numbers of minigels

We present a transversal alternating field electrophoresis chamber that allows modifiable inner widths to accommodate low- or high-throughput formats, with 7.8 cm opposite electrode separation and 30.4 cm electrode length. Removable slotted sheets divide the chamber into four smaller compartments, each one supporting a minigel of 3.85 cm in length and 7.1 cm in width. Replacements of slotted sheets with solid dielectric blocks with the sizes and shapes of compartments permit to occlude chamber compartments, changing from 4 to 1 the numbers of minigels per run, from 88 to 13 the maximum numbers of samples, and from 1688 to 422 mL the volume of buffer poured into the chamber. Saccharomyces cerevisiae chromosomes gave its characteristic DNA band pattern in all compartments, whereas migrations of DNA molecules are not affected by the occlusion of compartments.     

Electric-Field-Induced Organic Transformations

Experiments showed that the existence of electric fields in non-redox processes may alter the catalytic activity, rate enhancement, and selection of organic reactions. It is expected that the interaction between electric fields and chemical reactions will create new avenues for producing materials with desired properties in several chemical disciplines, including synthetic organic chemistry, catalysis, nanotechnology, membrane technology, and enzyme catalysis. Specifically, in this review, we discuss the elegant experimental investigations carried out using the scanning tunneling microscope, the interfacial electric field, and designed local electric fields. The results of these studies are remarkable, leading to new information on the function of electric fields in controlling chemical reactivity and selectivity in different reactions and offering a glimpse of the great potential of electrostatic fields. This article not only presents the core concepts of field-induced chemical transformations but also illustrates the potential use of electric field catalysis in chemistry and other fields.     

The coupling symbols and algebrae of subducible,octahedrally projected ligand field eigenvectors

The 3 symbols required for the application of the Wigner-Eckart theorem to strong ligand field matrix elements are derived for complex basis functions quantized on the C ₄ ^Z , C ₃ ^XYZ , C ₂ ^Z and C ₂ ^XY axes of an octahedron. This scheme provides a standardized analysis technique for the matrix elements of subgroups in each of the four physically significant chains of the double group O _h ^* . This standardization yields the minimum necessary number of ligand field parameters in any subgroup and makes possible the direct comparability of equivalent parameters in different symmetries. A unique numerical labelling for both representations and complex components on each axis provides both a simple component selection rule algebra and numerical phase factors governing permutation and conjugation of the 3 symbols.     

Preparation and characterization of silver colloids with different morphologies under ultrasonic field

In the ultrasonic field, stable silver colloids were produced by the reduction of AgNO₃ with the protection of PVP using KBH₄ or N₂H₄·H₂O as reductant. The main factors affecting the morphology of silver nanoparticles, such as distribution of the ultrasonic field, ultrasonic time, ultrasonic power, and the species of reductant, were studied. The silver colloids were identified by TEM and spectrophotometry. The results indicate that the factors such as distribution of the ultrasonic field, ultrasonic time, ultrasonic power, and the species of reductant have a great impact on the morphology of the silver nanoparticles. The size of the silver nanoparticles decreases with the ultrasonic power and ultrasonic time increasing. Ag nanoparticles prepared in standing wave field preferentially grow in a certain direction, which is propitious for forming hexagonal-and spherical-like silver nanoparticles. Monodispersed spherical silver nanoparticles are easily synthesized in the diffusion field. The stability of silver colloid becomes improved by ultrasonic treatment. For example, precipitate is not found after several weeks for the silver colloid prepared with an ultrasonic treatment time of 180 min. The silver nanoparticles prepared without ultrasonic treatment are large spherical-like and hexagonal. Well-dispersed spherical silver particles with a mean size of about 20 nm have been prepared under ultrasonic treatment. Spherical, spherical-like, and hexagonal silver nanoparticles can be obtained by changing the reductants. __________ Translated from Journal of Tianjin University, 2006, 39(1) (in Chinese)