Multiarm star triblock terpolymers via sequential double click reactions

Multiarm star triblock terpolymers were obtained by using two different click reactions sequentially: Cu(I) catalyzed azide–alkyne and Diels–Alder. The synthetic strategy is described as follows: (poly(methyl methacrylate))_n‐(polystyrene)_m‐poly(divinyl benzene)) ((PMMA)_n‐(PS)_m‐polyDVB) multiarm star diblock copolymer was first obtained from an azide–alkyne click reaction of (alkyne‐PS)_m‐polyDVB multiarm star polymer with α‐anthracene‐ω‐azide PMMA (anth‐PMMA‐N₃), followed by a Diels–Alder click reaction of the anthracene groups at the star periphery with α‐maleimide poly (tert‐butyl acrylate) (PtBA‐MI) or α‐maleimide poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG‐MI) leading to target (PtBA)_k‐(PMMA)_n‐(PS)_m‐polyDVB and (PEG)_p‐(PMMA)_n‐(PS)_m‐polyDVB multiarm star triblock terpolymers. The hydrodynamic diameter of individual multiarm star triblock terpolymers were measured by dynamic light scattering (DLS) to be ～24–27 nm in consistent with the atomic force microscopy (AFM) images on silicon substrates. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 48: 1557–1564, 2010     

Optical characterization of polycarbonate: Influence of additives on optical properties

In laser transmission welding of thermoplastics the optical properties of the joining parts determine the quality of the welding result. Especially, the scattering of laser radiation in the transparent welding part has an impact on weld seam properties. This scattering is caused by additives. For polycarbonate (PC) with different additives the transmittance, the reflectance and the collimated transmittance are measured with a UV‐VIS‐NIR spectrometer. From this data, the optical properties, such as scattering coefficient, absorption coefficient, and anisotropy factor are calculated. The calculations are made with the aid of the four‐flux model of radiation transport in the diffusive approximation. The results show that the additives have a significant influence on the scattering coefficient. For most additives under consideration the scattering is forward directed, which means that most of the radiation is transmitted into the absorbing welding part. However, the power density distribution of the transmitted radiation may differ significantly from PC without additives. So, the weld seam may also differ due to different additives. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 48: 451–455, 2010     

A proof of Price's Law on Schwarzschild black hole manifolds for all angular momenta

Price's Law states that linear perturbations of a Schwarzschild black hole fall off as t−2?−3 for t→∞ provided the initial data decay sufficiently fast at spatial infinity. Moreover, if the perturbations are initially static (i.e., their time derivative is zero), then the decay is predicted to be t−2?−4. We give a proof of t−2?−2 decay for general data in the form of weighted L¹ to L^∞ bounds for solutions of the Regge–Wheeler equation. For initially static perturbations we obtain t−2?−3. The proof is based on an integral representation of the solution which follows from self-adjoint spectral theory. We apply two different perturbative arguments in order to construct the corresponding spectral measure and the decay bounds are obtained by appropriate oscillatory integral estimates.     

Partial identification of the potential from phase shifts

We consider the three-dimensional inverse scattering with fixed energy in the spherically symmetrical case. We give a characterization of the sequences of phase shifts for two potentials which can be different only in a ball of radius a. In other words we study how the large distance interaction influences the asymptotical behavior of the phase shifts. We also characterize the tail of the potential by the growth order of the scattering amplitude F(t) for large t.     

Regiospecific oxidation of an alkyl group of aromatic amine to carbonyl group by DDQ in aq.medium

The regiospecific oxidation of alkyl group of both sterically hindered and unhindered aromatic amine to corresponding carbonyl compound was done in aq. medium by using DDQ. The optimized reaction protocol was found to be most simple, high yielding and novel method for oxidation of alkyl group of aromatic amine in to its carbonyl compound.     

Recent results from HERA

After the end of data taking in 2007, the experiments H1 and ZEUS have entered into an intense phase of data analysis. Recent results of this effort on neutral (NC) and charged current (CC) cross sections at high Q2, the longitudinal structure function Fl, inclusive diffraction, heavy flavour production and on searches for glueballs are presented. Also shown are results of a combined analysis on inclusive NC and CC cross sections performed by H1 and ZEUS using HERA-I data.     

Preparation of glycopolymer‐coated magnetite nanoparticles for hyperthermia treatment

In this article, magnetite nanoparticles (MNPs) coated with glycopolymer bearing glucose moieties were designed with optimal structural, colloidal, and magnetic properties for biomedical applications. MNPs with an average size of 17 ± 2 nm were synthesized by thermal decomposition process and then their surfaces were modified with active vinyl groups. Two different monomers were immobilized onto the surfaces: dopamine methacrylamide, a monomer with properties inspired on mussels adhesive capacity, or unprotected glycomonomer, 2‐{[(D ‐glucosamin‐2N‐yl)carbonyl]‐oxy}ethyl methacrylate. Afterward, the glycomonomer were polymerized at the interface of both vinyl functionalized MNPs by conventional radical polymerization. The resultant hybrid NPs were water dispersible presenting good stability in aqueous solution for long time periods. Moreover, the high density of carbohydrates at the surface of the magnetic NPs could confer targeting properties to the system as demonstrated by studies of their binding interactions with lectins, where the binding activity is higher as the glycopolymer content augments. The magnetic and magneto‐thermal properties of the synthesized hybrid NPs were evaluated. The magnetization curves reveal superparamagnetic features at 300 K, with high values of saturation magnetization. Furthermore, the hybrid glycoparticles show suitable heat dissipation power when exposed to alternating magnetic field conditions. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem, 2012     

Characterization of the mesostructure of HDPE under “in situ” uniaxial tensile test by incoherent polarized steady‐light transport

This study presents quantitative results related to in situ investigation of the microstructural evolutions of high‐density polyethylene with deformation. These results were obtained thanks to a novel technique (IPSLT) based on the polarized light scattering transport phenomenon. The heterogeneities produced during whitening of the polymer bulk are characterized at the mesoscale level (from hundred of nanometers to a few micrometers). The technique is described as well as the identified parameters it provides, namely: the average size of the scatterers, the anisotropy developed in the medium, and the light transport length, representative of both the volume fraction and size of the heterogeneities. Results obtained during video‐controlled tensile experiments confirm those obtained previously with X‐ray microtomography. They put forward the role of morphological transformations of the amorphous/crystalline phases (especially regarding the creation of fibrillar assemblies) rather than the cavitation phenomenon. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys, 2012     

Scanning X-ray interferometry and the silicon lattice parameter: towards relative uncertainty?

In order to reduce measurement uncertainty of the (220) lattice spacing of silicon to a few parts per 10⁹, a combined X-ray and optical interferometer capable of millimeter scans is being tested. A new series of measurements confirmed the value obtained with our previous set-up, and the bounds of measurement uncertainty were investigated. The article supplements the analysis of the error budget and provides a safer footing for the monocrystalline silicon lattice parameter value. Received 13 August 1998     

Crystallization and chain conformation of semicrystalline and amorphous polymer blends studied by wide‐angle and small‐angle scattering

We examine the crystallization and chain conformation behavior of semicrystalline poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) and amorphous poly(vinyl acetate) (PVAc) mixtures with wide‐angle X‐ray diffraction (WAXD), small‐angle X‐ray scattering (SAXS), and small‐angle neutron scattering (SANS) experiments. For blends with PEO weight fractions (wt_PEO) greater than or equal to 0.3, below the melting point of PEO, the WAXD patterns reveal that crystalline PEO belongs to the monoclinic system. The unit‐cell parameters are independent of wt_PEO. However, the bulk crystallinity determined from WAXD decreases as wt_PEO decreases. The scattered intensities from SAXS experiments show that the systems form an ordered crystalline/amorphous lamellar structure. In a combination of WAXD and SAXS analysis, the related morphological parameters are assigned correctly. With the addition of amorphous PVAc, both the average amorphous layer thickness and long spacing increase, whereas the average crystalline layer thickness decreases. We find that a two‐phase analysis of the correlation function from SAXS, in which the scattering invariant is linearly proportional to the volume fraction of lamellar stacks, describes quantitatively the crystallization behavior of PEO in the presence of PVAc. When wt_PEO is close to 1, the samples are fully spaced‐filled with lamellar stacks. As wt_PEO decreases from 1.0 to 0.3, more PVAc chains are excluded from the interlamellar region into the interfibrillar region. The fraction outside the lamellar stacks, which is completely occupied with PVAc chains, increases from 0 to 58%. Because the radius of gyration of PVAc with a random‐coil configuration determined from SANS is smaller than the average amorphous layer thickness from SAXS, we believe that the amorphous PVAc chains still persist with a random‐coil configuration even when the blends form an ordered structure. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 39: 2705–2715, 2001