Electrical conductivity of poly(vinylidene fluoride)/polyaniline blends under oscillatory and steady shear conditions

Blends of poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) and polyaniline (PAni) were prepared through melt blending in a batch mixer. The morphology, rheological behavior and electrical conductivity were investigated through transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and combined electro-rheological measurements. Through TEM analysis, it was possible to observe that all blends showed typical phase separation with the presence of conductive polymer aggregates. Deformations imposed during a strain sweep caused, not only disturbance of the linear viscoelastic behavior, but also changes in electrical conductivity. The oscillatory shear altered the morphology, breaking the PAni domains into smaller ones. This effect increases the distance between them and, consequently, resulted in a decrease of the electrical conductivity. The measurements under quiescent conditions and steady shear proved that the disturbance in morphology for PVDF/PAni system is non-recoverable. Through combined electrical and rheological measurements, it was possible to achieve good correlation between the electrical and flow behavior of PVDF/PAni blends.     

Synthesis of Pure Silica MWW Zeolite in Fluoride Medium by Using an Imidazolium-Based Long Dication

As the spacer length in 1,2-dimethylimidazolium-based dications increases beyond a specific point (six methylene units), they fail in structure-directing towards STW zeolites in any synthetic conditions. These dications can instead produce, under fluoride concentrated conditions, either *BEA [in the case of the eight-methylene-unit structure-directing agent (SDA)] or MWW (ten methylene units) zeolites. For any length of the dication, the default zeolite (MTW) is a relatively dense zeolite containing a unidimensional channel, whereas the zeolite demanding most specificity (STW, *BEA or MWW) is more porous, affording a larger concentration of the dication to be occluded. This work provides the first reported fluoride synthesis of pure silica MWW zeolites. Charge balance of the organic dications in this zeolite was achieved by combining “structural” silanolates, regular “connectivity defects” and occluded fluoride. Molecular mechanics calculations showed a perfect fit of the decamethylenebis(dimethylimidazolium) dication in the sinusoidal intralayer pore system of MWW. The calculations showed also that the dication is able to stabilize the interlayer space without disturbing the hydrogen-bonding system that holds the layers together in the as-made material. The ¹⁹F magic-angle spinning (MAS) NMR presented two distinct resonances at −71 and −83 ppm, which, on the basis of DFT calculations, we tentatively assigned to fluoride occluded in [4⁶6²] and [4¹5²6²] cages of the MWW structure, respectively. The same DFT study determines a different chemical shift of one methyl ¹³C nuclear magnetic resonance according to the imidazolium ring residing in the sinusoidal channels or in the large cup cavities, thus explaining an experimentally observed splitting of that resonance.     

Reactions of Bromine Fluoride Dioxide,BrO2F,for the Generation of the Mixed‐Valent Bromine Oxygen Cations Br3O4+ and Br3O6+

A reliable synthesis of unstable and highly reactive BrO₂F is reported. This compound can be converted into BrO₂⁺SbF₆^?, BrO₂⁺AsF₆^?_, and BrO₂⁺AsF₆^??2 BrO₂F. The latter decomposes into mixed‐valent Br₃O₄?Br₂⁺AsF₆^? with five‐, three‐, one‐, and zero‐valent bromine. BrO₂⁺ H(SO₃CF₃)₂^? is formed with HSO₃CF₃. Excess BrO₂F yields mixed‐valent Br₃O₆⁺OSO₃CF₃^? with five‐ and three‐valent bromine. Reactions of BrO₂F and MoF₅ in SO₂ClF or CH₂ClF result in Cl₂BrO₆⁺Mo₃O₃F₁₃^?. The reaction of BrO₂F with (CF₃CO)₂O and NO₂ produces O₂Br‐O‐CO‐CF₃ and the known NO₂⁺Br(ONO₂)₂^?. All of these compounds are thermodynamically unstable.     

Broadband dielectric characterization of piezoelectric poly(vinylidene fluoride)thin films between 278 K and 308 K

This work describes the dielectric properties of piezoelectric poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) thin films in the frequency and temperature ranges relevant for usual applications. We measured the isothermal dielectric relaxation spectra of commercial piezoelectric PVDF thin films between 10 Hz to 10 MHz, at several temperatures from 278 K to 308 K. Measurements were made for samples in mechanically free and clamped conditions, in the direction of the poling field (perpendicular to the film). We found that the imaginary part of the dielectric relaxation spectra of free and clamped PVDF samples is dominated by a peak, above 100 kHz, that can be characterized by a Havriliak-Negami function. The characteristic time follows an Arrhenius dependence on temperature. Moreover, the spectra of the free PVDF samples show two additional peaks at low frequencies which are associated with mechanical relaxation processes. Our results are important for the characterization of piezoelectric PVDF, particularly after the stretching and poling processes in thin films, and for the design and characterization of a broad range of ultrasonic transducers.     

Structures and Properties of NbOF3 and TaOF3 — with a Remark to the O/F Ordering in the SnF4 Type Structure

Powder samples of NbOF₃ und TaOF₃ were prepared by heating mixtures of NbO₂F and NbF₅ or TaO₂F and TaF₅, respectively, in the corresponding stoichiometric ratio in platinum crucibles under argon atmosphere (180—220 °C). Both oxide fluorides are coulourless with a slight greyish tinge. They are sensitive to moisture and decompose in air at room temperature within hours. Both, NbOF₃ and TaOF₃ crystallize as a variant of the SnF₄ type structure, space group I4/mmm. The structures have been refined from X‐ray powder diffraction data using the Rietveld method (a = 3.9675(1) Å, c = 8.4033(1) Å, R_B = 3.60 %, R_p = 4.58 % for NbOF₃ and a = 3.9448(1) Å, c = 8.4860(1) Å, R_B = 2.07 %, R_p = 2.44 % for TaOF₃). Characteristic building units are sheets of corner sharing MX₆ octahedra which are stacked via van der Waals interactions to a three dimensional framework. The occupancy of the two crystallographic sites for the anions by O and F is discussed on the basis of structure refinements, bond order summations, IR and NMR data and calculations of the Madelung parts of the lattice energy.     

The effect of high pressure on the ion pair equilibrium constant of alkali metal fluorides: A spectrophotometric study

Bromophenol blue indicator was used in UV-visible spectrophotometric measurements to study ion association constants of alkali metal fluorides. The equilibrium constants for the ion pair formation of the alkali metal fluorides were determined as a function of ionic strength at one atmosphere pressure and 25°C. The effect of pressure on these association constants was measured at a constant total ionic strength of 1.0 mol-kg^–1 over a pressure range of 1 to 2000 atmospheres at 25°C. The pressure dependences of the stoichiometric association constants of the alkali metal fluorides are given by: lnK _LiF ^* =0.77–2.47×10^–4P–2.12×10^–8P²; lnK _NaF ^* =0.53–1.08×10^–4P–1.66×10^–8P²; lnK _KF ^* =0.24–4.41×10^–5P–7.15×10^–8P²; lnK _RbF ^* =–0.17–8.65×10^–5P–4.51×10^–8P²; and lnK _CsF ^* = –0.37–1.14×10^–4P–6.82×10^–8P², where P is the pressure in atmospheres. The stoichiometric molar volume and compressibility changes for ion pair formation of the alkali metal fluorides were evaluated from the pressure dependence of K _MF ^* data. The thermodynamic association constants were also calculated making use of activity coefficient data from the Pitzer equations. The partial molal volume and compressibility changes for ion pair formation of each alkali metal fluoride are reported.     

Carbene Complexes of Pnictogen Pentafluorides and Boron Trifluoride

Summary.  Synthesis, characterization, and solid state X-ray crystallographic structures for 12-Pn-6 complexes derived from carbene 4,5-dichloro-1,3-dimesitylimidazol-2-ylidene and phosphorus, arsenic, or antimony pentafluoride are reported. The adducts show octahedral geometries at the pnictogen centers with C-Pn bond distances of 189.8 (P), 199.9 (As), and 217.5 (Sb) pm. The structures are those of internal zwitterions with imidazolium ion character in the heterocyclic ring and a pentafluoropnictanide anion bonded to C². Adducts of BF₃ with 1,3-dimesitylimidazol-2-ylidene and 4,5-dichloro-1,3-dimesitylimidazol-2-ylidene are also reported for comparison. Although the reactivity of chlorinated and non-chlorinated carbenes varies considerably, the spectroscopic and structural properties of analogous adducts are remarkably similar. Received September 6, 1999. Accepted (revised) October 20, 1999     

The effect of pressure on the dissociation constant of hydrofluoric acid and the association constant of the NaF ion pair at 25°C

The effect of pressure on the dissociation constant of hydrofluoric acid was determined by using the indicator technique at 25°C at an ionic strength of 0.1m over a pressure range of 1 to 2000 atm. A value of 3.14 for pK _a ^* at I =0 was obtained by extrapolation to zero ionic strength at 1 atm. The pressure dependence yielded a partial molar volume change of –9.6 cm³-mol^–1 and a compressibility change of — 35×10^–3 cm³-mol^–1 –atm^–1 for the dissociation. The dependence of ionic strength on the association constant K _A ^* of NaF was studied at 25°C and 1 atm. Extrapolation to I=0 yielded a pK _A ^* of –0.78. The pressure dependence of K _A ^* gave a change of volume of 3.26 cm³-mol^–1 and a change in compressibility of 6×10^–3 cm³-mol^–1-atm^–1 for the formation of the ion pair.     

CONTRIBUTION OF MACROSCOPIC DIMENSION EFFECT TO PIEZOELFCTRICITY IN POLYVINYLIDENE FLUORIDE

In this paper, we have studied the piezoelectricity in the poled uniaxially drawn polyvinylidene fluoride. The piezoelectric constants d_(31), d_(32), d_(33)~αand Young's moduli 1/s_11 and 1/s_(22) have been determined as a function of the remanent polarization Pr. The piezoelectric constants of the samples show a strong in-plane anisotropy. Such an anisotropy is mostly attributable to different Poisson's ratio. It is found that the piezoelectric activity mainly arises from macroscopic dimensional change.