Cast-extruded syndiotactic polypropylene films: preliminary structural and mechanical results

Syndiotactic polypropylene (sPP) was cast-extruded with a laboratory single screw extruder, obtaining a crystalline and still highly transparent film. The structural studies showed that the film crystallized at room temperature in the disordered helical form I, containing a fraction of a mesophase with the chains in trans-planar conformation. X-ray patterns, taken either along the extrusion direction (MD) or along the orthogonal directions (TD and ND), indicated a low orientation of the c axis parallel to the machine direction (MD) and a partial orientation of the a axis along the transverse direction (TD). Mechanical properties performed in either direction showed a very similar behaviour, but a different strain at the breaking point. The mechanical parameters were derived in both directions.     

Elastic Behaviour of Oriented Syndiotactic Poly(propylene)

A syndiotactic poly(propylene) film (sPP), quenched from the melt at 0°C, was drawn at room temperature up to a draw ratio of λ = 6. The fibre was analysed under tension by X‐ray analysis and FTIR spectroscopy, showing the presence of the oriented crystalline form III described by Chatani, with the chains in trans‐planar conformation. Then it was unhooked, undergoing a large shrinkage, and reaching a length corresponding to a draw ratio of λ = 3.8. X‐ray and FTIR analysis showed that in the relaxed fibre, a conformational transition from the trans‐planar to the helical form occurred. The relaxed fibre was again submitted to increasing extensions up to λ = 6, step by step, and the elastic behaviour was analysed through the Mullins' curve and hysteresis cycles. It showed good elastic properties, which appear to be closely correlated to the conformational transition between helical and trans‐planar forms.     

Influence of water on the physical aging of poly(ethylene terephtalate)

Physical aging in polyethylene terephtalate (PET) has been studied on samples well characterized in terms of aging history and their content of water. This allows us to better understand the role played by water in the complex phenomenology of the physical aging in a hygroscopic material as PET. No appreciable changes in the thermal behavior in the sample aged in water at room temperature for one month were noted, while substantial changes were observed in samples aged in more severe conditions like 50°C under vacuum and 50°C in water for one month. The results are consistent with the formation of small regions in which segments of chains are closely packed.     

Resonant ionic bonding and high TC superconductivity

The implications of an electronic coupling model in high T_C superconductors of YBCO are discussed in which the pairing mechanism is based upon the ionic bonding. Specifically,the bonding reaction Cu + O [rlhar2] Cu^-- resonates at a frequency of I/2π ; in the CuO planes, where I = 0.4 eV is the ionic bonding energy. We formulate an Hamiltonian which allows for the reduction of the total energy by I each time two holes or two electrons form a pair. The total energy consists of kinetic energy calculable from band theory, and the ionic bonding energy proportional to I. We calculate (i) the effective Ginzburg-Landau free energy for all T < T_c, (ii) the energy gap, (iii) the anisotropic London penetration depths, and (iv) the anisotropic coherence lengths. General agreement is found between our calculations and experimental data.     

Drawing and dynamic-mechanical behavior of syndiotactic polystyrene an introduction

The drawing behavior of syndiotactic polystyrene was analyzed at different temperatures. Amorphous films were used and, depending on drawing temperature, strain-induced or thermal-induced cold crystallization was observed. This phenomenon, when present, greatly affects the drawing behavior. The dynamic-mechanical behavior of drawn samples was analyzed, and the obtained results indicate that the glass transition is affected by drawing, and that the effect depends drastically on the drawing temperature. Particularly interesting is the dynamic behavior at high temperature where the elastic modulus is weakly affected by temperature also near the melting point.     

Log-Sobolev inequalities for semi-direct product operators and applications

In this paper, we prove some type of logarithmic Sobolev inequalities (with parameters) for operators in semi-direct product forms (see Sect. 1 for a precise definition). This generalizes the tensorization procedure for this type of inequalities and allows to deal with some operators with varying coefficients. We provide many examples of applications and obtain ultracontractive bounds for some of these operators by using appropriate Hardy’s type inequalities necessary for our method. This theory is developed in the setting of carré du champ with diffusion property.     

Synthesis and characterization of gold nanoparticles stabilized by palladium(II) phosphine thiol

This work is focused on the synthesis of innovative hybrids made by linking gold nanoparticles to protected organometallic Pd(II) thiolate. The organometallic protected Pd(II) thiolate, i.e. trans-thioacetate-ethynylphenyl-bis(tributylphosphine)palladium(II) has been synthesized, in situ deprotected and linked to Au nanoparticles. In this way new hybrid, with a direct link between Pd(II) and Au nanoparticles through a single S bridge, has been isolated. The combination of the organometallic Pd(II) thiol with gold nanoparticles allows the enhancement and tailoring of electronic and optical properties of the new organic-inorganic nano-compound. Single-crystal gold nanoparticles, uniform in shape and size were obtained by applying a modified two-phase method (improved Brust-Schiffrin reaction). In addition, the chemical environment of the Au nanoparticles was investigated and a covalent bonding between Au nanoparticles and the organometallic thiols was observed.