Effects of processing parameters on the mechanical properties of polypropylene random copolymer

The mechanical properties of polypropylene random copolymer (PP-R) with different processing parameters were studied. Special attention is devoted to the investigation of the influence of masterbatch addition on the variation in the mechanical properties of injection moulded PP-R. Tensile, instrumented Charpy impact, Shore D hardness, differential scanning calorimeter (DSC) and Vicat softening temperature (VST) tests were conducted on the test samples containing different colour masterbatches varying from 0.5 to 10 wt%. The observed changes in the mechanical behaviour are explained by the type and level of masterbatch content. The natural UV weathering performance of the PP-R material was studied from the masterbatch type point of view. The effect of processing parameters on material performance was studied on samples which were directly obtained from extruded pipes and on injection moulded samples.

Finally, the effects of storage time on the polymer properties were investigated.     

Chemical, sensory and microbiological changes of gamma irradiated coconut cream powder

A study was carried out to determine optimum decontamination dose for a locally manufactured coconut cream powder. Samples were gamma irradiated (0–15 kGy) and ageing process was achieved using GEER oven at 60 °C for 7 days, which is equivalent to one-year storage at room temperature. Iodine value (IV), ranging from 4.8 to 6.4, was not affected by radiation doses and storage, however peroxide value and thiobarbituric acid (TBA) generally increased with radiation doses. In most samples, peroxide value (meq/kg) reduced after storage, whilst the TBA (mg malonaldehyde/kg), indicator for product quality, slightly increased. The sensory evaluation conducted using 25 taste panellists indicated that scores on odour, creamy taste and overall acceptance for all irradiated samples at more than 5 kGy were significantly lower (P<0.05) than the control. However, the panellists could not detect any significant differences among the irradiation doses (P>0.05). All stored products were significantly different in colour, creamy taste, odour and overall acceptance (P<0.05) when compared to the non-stored non-irradiated control. Microbiological count of the samples prior to irradiation was in the range of 1×10²–1.7×10³ cfu/g with no detection of Salmonella sp. and Escherichia coli. No microbial colonies were detected after irradiation. Based on the TBA and overall sensory acceptance, gamma irradiation of 5 kGy was found to be the optimum dose and lower doses can be considered to decontaminate coconut cream powder.     

Synthesis and characterization of 1,3,4-oxadiazole derivatives containing alkoxy chains with different lengths

The synthesis, optical properties, electrochemical properties, electronic structures and applications in electroluminescent device of three series of 1,3,4-oxadiazole derivatives, 1,4-bis[(4-methylphenyl)-1,3,4-oxadiazolyl]phenylene (OXD₁), 5,5′-di-(4-methyl)-2,2′-p-(2,5-bisalkoxyphenylene)-bis-1,3,4-oxadiazole (OXD_2–n) and 1,4-bis[(4-alkoxyphenyl)-1,3,4-oxadiazolyl]phenylene (OXD_3–n) are reported. The molecular structures of the oxadiazole compounds were confirmed by FT-IR, ¹H NMR spectroscopy and elemental analysis. The optical and electrochemical properties of the compounds were investigated by UV–vis absorption and photoluminescence spectroscopy as well as cyclic voltammetry. The results show that introduction of two alkoxy groups whose electron-donating ability is stronger than that of methyl groups increases the electron density of the conjugated segment of OXD_2–n (with side-on alkoxy substituents) and OXD_3–n (with end-on alkoxy substituents), and thus leads to the absorption maximum bathochromic-shift compared to that of OXD₁. The HOMO and LUMO energy levels of the compounds studied are in the range of −2.78 to −2.89 and −5.75 to −6.20 eV. Calculations on the representative compounds by the Dmol³ package of MS Modeling 3.0 revealed that the increase of energy levels in both OXD_2–n and OXD_3–n was due to the change of the frontier molecular orbital distribution in the central benzene ring. The light-emitting devices have been fabricated using blends of MEH-PPV and these compounds as emissive layers, among which, maximum brightness up to 11810 cd m⁻² (8.5 V) has been observed, which is 40 times brighter than that with MEH-PPV. The result of the devices suggested that oxadiazole derivatives studied function well as electron-transporting materials and can be used in LEDs, and thus to enhance the efficiency of LEDs.     

Intramolecular energy transfer in actinide complexes of 6-methyl-2-(2-pyridyl)-benzimidazole (biz): comparison between Cm and Tb systems

Coordination of the 6-methyl-2-(2-pyridyl)-benzimidazole ligand with actinide and lanthanide species can produce enhanced emission due to increased efficiency of intramolecular energy transfer to metal centers. A comparison between the curium and terbium systems indicates that the position of the ligand's triplet state is critical for the enhanced emission. The energy gap between the ligand's triplet state and the acceptor level in curium is about 1000 cm⁻¹, as compared to a ~600 cm⁻¹ gap in the terbium system. Due to the larger gap, the back transfer with curium is reduced and the radiative yield is significantly higher. The quantum yield for this “sensitized” emission increases to 6.2%, compared to the 0.26% value attained for the metal centered excitation prior to ligand addition. In the terbium case, the smaller donor/acceptor gap enhances back transfer and the energy transfer is less efficient than with the curium system.     

Investigation of the interaction between acridine orange and bovine serum albumin

The results from the measurement of the fluorescence spectrum showing the binding characteristics of acridine orange (AO) and bovine serum albumin (BSA) are reported. It was found that the equilibrium constant k=4848.64 l mol⁻¹, and the number of binding sites n=0.82. Based on the mechanism of the Forster energy transference, the transfer efficiency of energy and distance between the acceptor AO and BSA were found. The interaction between AO and BSA have been verified as consistent with the static quenching procedure and the quenching mechanism is related to the energy transfer.     

各种离子对血卟啉与牛血清白蛋白相互结合反应的影响研究

应用荧光法研究了水溶液体系中血卟啉与牛血清白蛋白分了间相互结合反应，其结合常数ＫＡ＝２．２×１０＾４，结合位置数为１．依据Ｆｏｒｓｔｅｒ非辐射能量转移机理，探讨了血卟啉与牛血清白蛋白相互结合时，其给体－受体间距离和能量转移效率，进一步研究了各种离子与牛血清白蛋白的结合反应，其结合淬灭能力大小顺序为Ｃｒ（Ⅵ）〉Ｆｅ＾３＋〉Ｃｕ＾２＋〉ＮＯ２〉Ｂｒ＾－，并探讨不同阴，阳离子及血卟啉与牛血清白蛋白间相互     

POLYMER NETWORK-POLY(ETHYLENE GLYCOL)COMPLEXES WITH SHAPE MEMORY EFFECT

The complexes of poly(methacrylic acid-co-methyl methacrylate) network with poly(ethylene glycol) stabilized byhydrogen bonds were prepared. By introducing the poly(ethylene glycol), a large difference in storage modulus below andabove the glass transition temperature occurred and the complexes exhibited shape memory behaviors. The morphology ofcomplexes was studied by using DSC, WAXD, and DMA. The results indicate that the fixed phase of this kind of novelshape memory materials is the network, and the reversible phase is the amorphous state of PEG:PMAA complex phase. Theshape recoverability almost reaches 100%. This type of complexes can be regarded as a novel shape memory network.     

Determination of trace levels of mercury in water samples based on room temperature phosphorescence energy transfer

A novel method has been developed for the sensitive determination of mercury in aqueous media by room temperature phosphorescence (RTP). The measurement principle is based on the energy transfer (ET) from a phosphor molecule (acting as a donor) to a Hg-sensitive dye (acceptor). To our acknowledgment this is the first RTP method for mercury measurement developed so far. α-Bromonaphthalene (BrN) was selected as the phosphorescent donor molecule (BrN can produce significant RTP emission in aqueous media in a β-cyclodextrin rigid microenvironment without deoxygenation).The absorption spectrum of the complex formed between mercury and the dithizone dye possesses a desirable spectral overlap with the RTP emission spectrum of the donor (BrN), giving rise to a nonradiative ET from the phosphor molecules to the mercury complex. An increase in the concentration of Hg(II) causes an increase on the concentration of the dithizone complex (acceptor) with the subsequent increase of the absorbance and, therefore, resulting in a decrease of the RTP emission. Both, RTP intensities and triplet lifetimes of the BrN decreased with increases on the Hg(II) concentration.Possible interferences present in natural waters, including different cations and anions, which could affect the analytical response, were evaluated and the analytical performance characteristics investigated. The use of phosphorescence measurements (low background noise signals) resulted in an improvement on the sensitivity of the Hg(II) detection higher than five times as compared to the molecular absorption spectrophotometric method for Hg(II) detection based on dithizone as Hg-indicator. A detection limit (D.L.) of 14 ng ml⁻¹ of Hg(II) was obtained by RTP with a precision of ±4.8% for five replicates of 300 ng ml⁻¹ of Hg(II). The usefulness of the method was successfully evaluated by the determination of Hg(II) in spiked natural water samples.     

High-Resolution Infrared Synchrotron Investigation of (HCN)2 and a Semi-Experimental Determination of the Dissociation Energy D0

The high-resolution infrared absorption spectrum of the donor bending fundamental band ν of the homodimer (HCN)₂ has been collected by long-path static gas-phase Fourier transform spectroscopy at 207 K employing the highly brilliant 2.75 GeV electron storage ring source at Synchrotron SOLEIL. The rovibrational structure of the ν transition has the typical appearance of a perpendicular type band associated with a Σ–Π transition for a linear polyatomic molecule. The total number of 100 assigned transitions are fitted employing a standard semi-rigid linear molecule Hamiltonian, providing the band origin ν₀ of 779.05182(50) cm⁻¹ together with spectroscopic parameters for the degenerate excited state. This band origin, blue-shifted by 67.15 cm⁻¹ relative to the HCN monomer, provides the final significant contribution to the change of intra-molecular vibrational zero-point energy upon HCN dimerization. The combination with the vibrational zero-point energy contribution determined recently for the class of large-amplitude inter-molecular fundamental transitions then enables a complete determination of the total change of vibrational zero-point energy of 3.35±0.30 kJ mol⁻¹. The new spectroscopic findings together with previously reported benchmark CCSDT(Q)/CBS electronic energies [Hoobler et al. ChemPhysChem. 19 , 3257–3265 (2018)] provide the best semi-experimental estimate of 16.48±0.30 kJ mol⁻¹ for the dissociation energy D₀ of this prototypical homodimer.     

Calculation of the thermondynamic values of alkylthiazoles from the Kovats retention indices on the basis of the non-linear additivity principle

Summary Retention indices and their energy equivalents were determined for ten alkylthiazoles analysed on the stationary phases Apiezon L, Triton X-305 and Carbowax 1000. It was found that the energy contributions of identical alkyl groups to the partial molar free energy of sorption of a molecule are not equivalent. Smaller energy contribututions are due to the α-position of alkyl groups with respect to the heteroatoms in the thiazole ring (α-effect). This effect was most pronounced for 2-alkylthiazoles. Higher sorption energies were found for dimethylthiazoles with two methylgroups in a vicinal position. The retention indices were predicted for ten other di- and tri-substituted methyl, ethyl and propyl thiazoles on the basis of the so-called α- and ortho-effects. The predicted values are in good agreement with the experimentally determined values. Dedicated to Prof. Dr. E. sz. Kováts (Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne) on the occasion of his sixtieth birthday.