A determination of the rate and heat of evaporation by measuring the radius variations of a metal tip

A new material loss technique for the experimental determination of the free evaporation rate of a metal is presented. This technique is based on the study of tip profile changes. The tip radius variation is a consequence of the simultaneous action of free evaporation and surface self-diffusion. The rate of free evaporation is related to the tip radius evolution, so the vapor pressure and heat of evaporation can be determined by measuring in situ the radius changes with time. The method permits an easy control of the cleanliness of the surface by field electron microscopy, and should enable one to study the influence of adsorption on evaporation. The method is tested with molybdenum tips. The variation of the radius of the tips, heated in ultra-high vacuum, is determined by field electron and scanning microscope measurements. Vapor pressures and heat of evaporation values obtained are in agreement with values obtained by other techniques.     

Electrokinetic investigation of surfactant adsorption

Fuerstenau [D.W. Fuerstenau, in: M.L. Hair (Ed.), Dekker, New York, 1971, p. 143] has already discussed the role of hydrocarbon chain of surfactants, the effect of alkyl chain length, chain structure and the pH of the solution on the adsorption process of surfactants. Later Kosmulski [M. Kosmulski, Chemical Properties of Material Surfaces, Surfactant Science Series, vol. 102, Dekker, New York, Basel, 2001] included the effect of surfactant concentration, equilibration time, temperature and electrolyte in his approaches. Certainly, the character of the head groups of the surfactant and the properties of the adsorbent surface are the basis for the adsorption process. Different surfactants and adsorbents cause different adsorption mechanisms described firstly by Rosen [M.J. Rosen, Surfactants and Interfacial Phenomena, second ed., Wiley, New York, 1989]. These adsorption mechanisms and their influencing factors were studied by electrokinetic investigations. Here only changes of the charges at the surfaces could be detected. To control the results of electrokinetic investigations they were compared with results from ellipsometric measurements. In the case of surfactant adsorption the chain length was vitally important. It could be shown by the adsorption of alkyl trimethyl ammonium bromides onto polymer films spin coated at wafer surfaces. The influence of the chain length depending on surface properties of the polymer film was studied. Streaming potential measurements were applied for these investigations. The obtained results enabled us to calculate the molar cohesive free energy per mol of CH2-group in the alkaline chain of the surfactant if all other specific adsorption effects were neglected.     

Janus discs

We describe the synthesis and the solution properties of sheet- and disclike Janus particles, containing an inner crosslinked polybutadiene (PB) layer and two different outer sides of polystyrene (PS) and poly(tert-butyl methacrylate) (PtBMA). The structures formed upon adsorption of the flat Janus particles onto solid substrates as well as in THF solution are investigated. The Janus discs are obtained in a template-assisted synthetic pathway followed by sonication. Selectively crosslinking the lamellar PB domains in a well-ordered lamellar microphase-separated bulk morphology of PS-block-PB-block-PtBMA (SBT) block terpolymers leads to the conservation of the compartmentalization of the two outer blocks. Sonication of the crosslinked block terpolymer templates renders soluble sheet- and disclike Janus particles, the size of which can be tuned from the micrometer range down to the nanometer scale. Small-angle X-ray scattering, transmission electron microscopy, dynamic light scattering, scanning force microscopy, and scanning electron microscopy are used to characterize the template-assisted synthetic process and the solution properties. Cryogenic transmission electron microscopy in THF and TEM of particles, embedded into a photo-crosslinkable silicon oil, indicate a supramolecular aggregation behavior of the Janus discs in concentrated solutions. Pendant drop tensiometry demonstrates that Janus sheets and discs can be used to stabilize liquid-liquid interfaces, rendering these materials interesting for future applications.     

Stable isotopic studies of earthworm feeding ecology in tropical ecosystems of Puerto Rico

Feeding strategies of earthworms and their influence on soil processes are often inferred from morphological, behavioral and physiological traits. We used (13)C and (15)N natural abundance in earthworms, soils and plants to explore patterns of resource utilization by different species of earthworms in three tropical ecosystems in Puerto Rico. In a high altitude dwarf forest, native earthworms Trigaster longissimus and Estherella sp. showed less (15)N enrichment ((15)N = 3-6 per thousand) than exotic Pontoscolex corethrurus ((15)N =7-9 per thousand) indicating different food sources or stronger isotopic discrimination by the latter. Conversely, in a lower altitude tabonuco forest, Estherella sp. and P. corethrurus overlapped completely in (15)N enrichment ((15)N = 6-9 per thousand), suggesting the potential for interspecific competition for N resources. A tabonuco forest converted to pasture contained only P. corethrurus which were less enriched in (15)N than those in the forest sites, but more highly enriched in (13)C suggesting assimilation of C from the predominant C(4) grass. These results support the utility of stable isotopes to delineate resource partitioning and potential competitive interactions among earthworm species. Copyright 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Nonaqueous Emulsion Polycondensation Enabled by a Self-Assembled Cage-like Surfactant

Nonaqueous emulsions are crucial for a range of applications based on water-sensitive systems such as controlled polymerizations requiring anhydrous reaction conditions and the stabilization of readily hydrolyzable reagents or pharmacologically active components. However, defined molecular surfactants to stabilize such nonaqueous emulsions are scarce. We introduce a self-assembled coordination cage, decorated with cholesterol functionalities, to serve as a molecular surfactant for various oil-in-oil emulsions of immiscible organic solvents. While the positively charged cage forms the amphiphile's polar moiety, the non-polar cholesterol appendices can bend in a common direction to stabilize the emulsion. Templated by the droplets, polycondensation reactions were carried out to produce microstructured polyurethane and polyurea materials of different particle sizes and morphologies. Further, the amphiphilic cage can encapsulate a guest molecule and the resulting host-guest assembly was also examined as a surfactant. In addition, the aggregation behavior of the amphiphilic cage in an aqueous medium was examined.     

Self-assembly of poly(ionic liquid)s: polymerization, mesostructure formation, and directional alignment in one step

This paper reports on the highly ordered and tunable inner structure of poly(ionic liquid) nanoparticles, which formed spontaneously by precipitation polymerization from water. Without added stabilizer, these "latexes" are much smaller (20-40 nm in diameter) than usual polymer latexes and exhibit either multilamellar or unilamellar vesicular morphology, depending on the tail length of the quaternizing alkyl chains. The simplicity in the synthesis and composition and the high complexity of the ordered structures that resemble liposomes expand the classical profile of homopolymer self-assembly. In addition, unidirectional superassembly to a nanoworm mesostructure is found at elevated concentrations, indicating that the ionic liquid liposomes are apt to integrate into further hierarchical assembly schemes.     

Nanoparticle Distribution in Three‐Layer Polymer–Nanoparticle Composite Films: Comparison of Experiment and Theory

The distribution of hydrophobic nanoparticles deposited on a hydrophilic polymer film is investigated by scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and atomic force microscopy before and after spin‐coating a polymer solution on the particle film and drying it at room temperature. Various polymers and solvents are used. To reach equilibrium, all investigated systems are annealed additionally above the glass transition temperature (T_g) of the polymers. The compatibility of the interacting components is estimated by calculating their surface energy, solubility, and mutual interaction parameters. The experimental results show a redistribution of the particles on both interfaces of the polymer film. This corresponds to the calculated immiscibility of particles and polymers. The distribution of the nanoparticles at the interfaces is related mainly to the vapor pressure of the solvent, that is, kinetic effects during spin‐coating. Only minor contributions result from surface energy, solubility, and interaction parameters.