Coupled-channel optical calculation for positron—lithium scattering

Positron scattering with atomic lithium is investigated by using a coupled-channel optical method.The ionization continuum and positronium formation channels are taken into account via a complex equivalent-local optical potential.The positronium formation cross sections and the ionization cross sections,as well as the total scattering cross sections,are reported at energies above 3 eV and compared with available experimental and theoretical data.     

First-principles investigation on the elastic stability and thermodynamic properties of Ti2SC

Using Vanderbilt-type plane-wave ultrasoft pseudopotentials within the generalized gradient approximation（GGA） in the frame of density functional theory（DFT）,we have investigated the crystal structures,elastic,and thermodynamic properties for Ti2SC under high temperature and high pressure.The calculated pressure dependence of the lattice volume is in excellent agreement with the experimental results.The calculated structural parameter of the Ti atom experienced a subtle increase with applied pressures and the increase suspended under higher pressures.The elastic constants calculations demonstrated that the crystal lattice is still stable up to 200 GPa.Investigations on the elastic properties show that the c axis is stiffer than the a axis,which is consistent with the larger longitudinal elastic constants（C 33,C 11） relative to transverse ones（C 44,C 12,C 13）.Study on Poisson＇s ratio confirmed that the higher ionic or weaker covalent contribution in intra-atomic bonding for Ti2SC should be assumed and the nature of ionic increased with pressure.The ratio（B/G） of bulk（B） and shear（G） moduli as well as B/C 44 demonstrated the brittleness of Ti2SC at ambient conditions and the brittleness decreased with pressure.Moreover,the isothermal and adiabatic bulk moduli displayed opposite temperature dependence under different pressures.Again,we observed that the Debye temperature and Gru篓neisen parameter show weak temperature dependence relative to the thermal expansion coefficient,entropy,and heat capacity,from which the pressure effects are clearly seen.     

Evacuation assistants: An extended model for determining effective locations and optimal numbers

The present research presents an extended evacuation field model for simulating crowd emergency evacuation processes under the control of evacuation assistants. Furthermore, a communication field for describing the escape information transmission process and its effect on evacuees is introduced. The effective locations and optimal numbers of evacuation assistants as generated through the model are proposed in an effort to verify as well as enhance existing models. Results show the following. (1) Locating evacuation assistants near exits reduces the time delay for pre-evacuation. (2) There is an optimal number of evacuation assistants for achieving evacuation efficiency; having excessive numbers of evacuation assistants does not improve the evacuation efficiency, and they may result in evacuation time delay and hinder the evacuation efficiency. (3) As the number of evacuees increases, the number of evacuation assistants needed decreases.     

Fine tuning the assembly and gel behaviors of PEGylated polypeptide conjugates by the copolymerization of l‐alanine and γ‐benzyl‐l‐glutamate N‐carboxyanhydrides

Tuning the secondary structure of polypeptide is an effective strategy to modulate the assembly behaviors of polypeptide‐based copolymers. In this study, ring‐opening polymerization of l ‐alanine (Ala) and γ‐benzyl‐l ‐glutamate (BLG) N‐carboxyanhydrides was adopted using mPEG‐NH₂ as the initiator to prepare mPEG‐poly(l ‐alanine‐co‐γ‐benzyl‐l ‐glutamate) (PEAB) copolymers with various Ala to BLG ratios. ¹H NMR spectra and GPC test confirmed their well‐defined chemical structures. FT‐IR spectra indicated that at the powder state, all copolymers adopted both β‐sheet and α‐helical conformations. With the content of PBLG increased, the crystallization temperature and melting points of PEAB copolymers first rose then fell indicated by DSC curves. The self‐assembly of PEAB copolymers in dilute aqueous solution studied by DLS, TEM and circular dichroism spectra showed that PEAB copolymers self‐assembled into nanostructures with diverse morphologies and sizes due to distinct polypeptide conformations. Rheological analysis indicated that the alteration of the polypeptide composition can effectively modulate the modulus of PEAB assemblies in concentrated solutions. In all, copolymerization of two hydrophobic amino acid N‐carboxyanhydrides into the polypeptide block maybe an effective approach for modulating the assembly properties of PEGylated polypeptide. Besides, nanosilver‐encapsulated PEA or PEAB hydrogel showed promising antibacterial effect against Staphylococcus aureus and Bacillus subtillis. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2017 , 55, 1512–1523     

Comb‐shaped guanidinium functionalized poly(ether sulfone)s for anion exchange membranes: Effects of the spacer types and lengths

A series of poly(ether sulfone)‐based anion exchange membranes (AEMs), tethering with guanidinium side chains with different spacers, were synthesized via azide‐alkyne cycloaddition, deprotection, and the subsequent ion exchange reactions. The designed polymer structures were verified by the ¹H NMR spectra. Because of the appropriate water uptake and formation of interconnected ionic clusters, the GPES‐3C with propyl spacer showed higher conductivity than the GPES‐1C and GPES‐9C, with methylene and nonyl spacers, respectively. Comparatively, the GPES‐EO AEM with two ethylene oxide (EO) spacers exhibited even higher conductivity, these can be interpreted by interconnectivity of ionic channels and hydrophilicity nature of the EO spacer. Additionally, although the GPES membranes displayed sufficient thermal stability, the chemical stability of as‐prepared materials needs to be much improved for fuel cell applications. Overall, these results demonstrated that the properties of “pendent‐type” AEM can be tuned facilely by the spacer types and lengths. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2017 , 55, 1313–1321     

Immobilization of AIEgens into metal‐organic frameworks: Ligand design,emission behavior,and applications

Aggregation‐induced emission (AIE), in which the luminophores are highly emissive in aggregate state, is one of the most unique photophysical phenomena and has shown interesting applications in many areas. The immobilization of AIE luminogens (AIEgens) into metal‐organic frameworks (MOFs), which are inorganic‐organic hybrid porous materials with tunable and predictable structures, has been investigated over the past few years. These well‐defined porous frameworks cannot only provide an ideal platform for studying the mechanism of AIE phenomenon in solid state, but also show potential applications from sensing to white light‐emitting diodes. In this highlight, we will summarize the recent progress of AIEgens‐based MOFs, including ligand design, emission behavior, and applications. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2017 , 55, 1809–1817     

Developments in antimicrobial polymers

Effective antimicrobial polymers have been attracting more interests because of the low propensity to cause drug-resistant microorganisms. The recent progresses in antimicrobial polymers are updated according to the action approaches, that is, antimicrobial polymers with free mobility or fixed on surfaces, respectively. Free antimicrobial polymers kill pathogens majorly via electrostatic interaction followed by disruption of the cell membranes; strong antimicrobial activity of primary/secondary amines, new chemical units, and peptides without facial amphiphilicity are highlighted; and the dependences on amphiphilicity, topology, and self-assembly profiles are summarized. Antimicrobial polymers fixed on surfaces kill pathogens via interaction with the cell membranes of pathogens via electrostatic or hydrophobic interaction; approaches to antimicrobial surfaces based on covalently grafting, anchoring, and bulk-mixing of polymers are summarized; and new designs of sustainable antimicrobial surfaces and hydrogels are highlighted. Deep biology understanding and development strategies of materials are suggested for the future. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2017 , 55, 632–639     

Synthesis and rheological investigation of self‐healable deferoxamine grafted alginate hydrogel

Deferoxamine grafted alginate (SA‐DFA) was successfully synthesized via amidation of sodium alginate with deferoxamine mesylate as determined by H‐NMR and elemental analysis. SA‐DFA with different graft yield was obtained by adjusting the ratio of sodium alginate and deferoxamine mesylate. It was found that aqueous solution of SA‐DFA could form hydrogel spontaneously due to hydrogen bonding interactions, which also endowed the SA‐DFA hydrogel with self‐healing capability. The healing efficiency of SA‐DFA hydrogels ranged from 53.64 to 90.16%. In addition, surface morphologies of SA‐DFA hydrogels before/after self‐healing process were demonstrated by SEM images. We anticipated that such self‐healable alginate hydrogel would be applied in the field of wound healing. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part B: Polym. Phys. 2017 , 55, 856–865     

Dynamical behaviors of nonlinear viscoelastic thick plates with damage

Based on the deformation hypothesis of Timoshenko's plates and the Boltzmann's superposition principles for linear viscoelastic materials, the nonlinear equations governing the dynamical behavior of Timoshenko's viscoelastic thick plates with damage are presented. The Galerkin method is applied to simplify the set of equations. The numerical methods in nonlinear dynamics are used to solve the simplified systems. It could be seen that there are plenty of dynamical properties for dynamical systems formed by this kind of viscoelastic thick plate with damage under a transverse harmonic load. The influences of load, geometry and material parameters on the dynamical behavior of the nonlinear system are investigated in detail. At the same time, the effect of damage on the dynamical behavior of plate is also discussed.