Kinetic study of an epoxy system badge (n=0)/1, 2 dch modified with an epoxy reactive diluent

The curing reaction of an epoxy system consisting of a diglycidyl ether of bisphenol A (n=0) and 1, 2 diaminecyclohexane (DCH) with an epoxy reactive diluent vinylcyclohexane dioxide was studied by temperature modulated differential scanning calorimetry (TMDSC). The models proposed by Kamal and by Horie et al. were employed in the kinetic study. From these studies reaction orders, rate constants, and activation energies were determined. The technique of TMDSC allows to include in the kinetic study the effect of diffusion by means of the mobility factor, calculated from the curves of the complex heat capacity registered during the curing isothermal experiments. The results were compared to those obtained for the same system employing the reaction rate data. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Study of the influence of isomerism on the curing properties of the epoxy system DGEBA (n=0)/1,2 DCH by DEA and MDSC

Summary Modulated differential scanning calorimetry (MDSC) and dielectric analysis (DEA) have been used to characterize the cure process of the system diglycidyl ether of bisphenol A (DGEBA(n=0)/1,2 diaminocyclohexane (1,2 DCH). The trans isomer and a mixture cis/trans(30-70% respectively) of 1,2 DCH were used to find their different behaviour. The study allowed to check the influence of the cisisomer on the thermoset curing process. Gelation times were obtained through the equation proposed by Johari and vitrification times from the point of inflection of the complex calorific capacity modulus.     

Mechanical and thermal properties of (Ag/C nanocable)/epoxy resin composites

A novel Ag/C nanocable and epoxy resin composite was obtained by compounding Ag/C nanocables and epoxy resin. The nanocable is composed of a nanowire (core) wrapped with one or more outer layers (shell). Scanning electron microscopy images proved that the nanocables consisted of a silver nanowire core and a carbon outer shell. The Ag/C nanocables were modified by hyperbranched poly (amine ester) to improve their mechanical properties for further application. We separately compounded raw and modified Ag/C nanocables with epoxy resin, and then tested the thermal performance, tensile properties, and fracture morphology of each composite. We found that the tensile strengths of the two composite systems were enhanced by the epoxy resin, with the modified (Ag/C)/epoxy resin composite system improving more significantly. Differential scanning calorimeter (DSC) results showed that the glass transition temperature of the unmodified (Ag/C)/epoxy resin composite is increased when the Ag/C nanocable is filled, while that of the modified system slightly decreased. Fracture morphology results showed that both (Ag/C)/epoxy composite systems featured increased toughness. The modified Ag/C nanocables had better compatibility with the epoxy resin. The relationship between the properties and microstructure of the composites were discussed in detail to explain the mechanism behind the observed changes in material properties.     

Gas-phase stability of cluster ions SF m + (SF6) n with m = 0–5 and n = 1–3

The gas-phase stabilities of cluster ions SF⁺_m (SF₆)_n with m = 0−5 were determined by using a high pressure mass spectrometer. The bond energies of SF⁺_m (SF₆)₁ were found to be less than 10 kcal/mol and to decrease with m = 0 → 5. There appear to be rather large gaps in the bond energies between n = 1 and 2 for the clusters SF⁺_m (SF₆)_n with m = 0−4. The structures of SF⁺₅, SF⁺ (SF₆)₁, SF⁺₃ (SF₆)₁, and SF⁺₅ (SF₆)₁ were investigated by ab initio molecular orbital calculations. For SF⁺₅, the D_3h geometry is found to be most stable andC_4v is a transition state of the Berry pseudorotation. For the ion-molecule complexes, the “on-top hat” models were found to be the most stable structures.     

Theoretical study of the electronic structure and stability of titanium dioxide clusters (TiO2)n with n = 1-9

The electronic structure and the stability of both neutral and singly charged (TiO2)n clusters with n = 1-9 have been investigated using the density functional B3LYP/LANL2DZ method. The lowest-lying singlet clusters tend to form some compact structures with one or two terminal Ti-O bonds, which are about 1.4-2.5 eV more stable than the corresponding triplet structures. For the lowest-lying structures, strong infrared absorption lines at 988-1020 cm(-1) due to terminal Ti-O bonds and below 930 cm(-1) due to Ti-O-Ti bridging bonds may be observed, with some characteristic lines at 530-760 cm(-1) due to 3-fold coordinated O-atoms that are comparable with the spectra of rutile and anatase bulk. The holes and excited electrons within triplet structures tend to be localized on the least coordinated O- and Ti-atoms, respectively, with some exceptions possibly due to the electron-hole interaction. The extra electrons within (TiO2)n- clusters and the holes within (TiO2)n+ clusters show a clearer preference of location on the least coordinated Ti- and O-atoms, respectively. For the lowest-lying (TiO2)n clusters, the cluster formation energy per TiO2 unit and the electron affinity tend to increase whereas the ionization potential tends to decrease with the cluster size n. On the other hand, the singlet-triplet and HOMO-LUMO gaps represent the lower and upper limits of the TiO2 bulk band gaps, respectively. The theoretical results agree well with the available experimental data and may be helpful for understanding the chemistry of small (TiO2)n clusters.     

Structures and spectra of Na(NH3) n=1,2

Geometric structures and the energies for the ground and several excited electronic states of a sodium atom bound with one or two ammonia molecules are presented. All self consistent field (SCF) calculations are performed with extended basis sets. Geometry optimization and one electron properties have been performed within the SCF approximation. Excited states have been calculated with the multi-configuration SCF (MCSCF) technique. This system may be viewed as a precursor to solvation in a macroscopic system. The excited state calculations provide important information for spectroscopic studies of these complexes.     

Responses and thermal conductivity measurements of multi-wall carbon nanotube (MWNT)/epoxy composites

In the present study, the MWNT/epoxy composites are prepared with three weight percentages (0.0, 0.3, and 0.5%) of multiwall carbon nanotube (MWNT). The temporal response of multi-wall carbon nanotube (MWNT)/epoxy composite with different wt% of multi-wall carbon nanotube (MWNT) is measured by experiment. Also, a cavity-type measuring system is designed to experimentally measure the surface temperatures and obtain the thermal conductivity of these composites at different heating rates. It is found that the responses of the 0.3 and 0.5% weight percentage of multi-wall carbon nanotube (MWNT)/epoxy composites are found to be about 25 and 47.8%, respectively, faster than that of the pure epoxy resin. Both the responding characteristics and the variation trends of the measured surface temperatures of these composites can be well predicted by the lumped-heat capacity model. Besides, the higher the weight percentage (wt%) of multi-wall carbon nanotube (MWNT) in the composite, the larger is the thermal conductivity. Relative to the pure epoxy, the thermal conductivities for the composites with 0.3 and 0.5% of multi-wall carbon nanotube (MWNT) increase by 15.9 and 44.9%, respectively. For the weight percentages studied, the thermal conductivity of these composites is found to increase mildly at low heating rates; however, it remains nearly constant at high heating rates.     

Kinetics of curing and thermal degradation of hyperbranched epoxy (HTDE)/diglycidyl ether of bisphenol-A epoxy hybrid resin

Hyperbranched epoxy resin (HTDE) has relatively low viscosity and high molecular mass and holds great promise as a functional additive for enhancing the strength and toughness of thermosetting resins. In this work, the curing and thermal degradation kinetics of HTDE/diglycidyl ether of bisphenol-A epoxy (DGEBA) hybrid resin were studied in detail using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and thermogravimetric analysis (TG) techniques by Coats–Redfern model. The effect of molecular mass or generation and content of HTME on the activation energy, reaction order, and curing time were discussed; the results indicated that HTDE could accelerate the curing speed and reduce the activation energy and reaction order of the curing reaction.     

Miscibility and thermal stability of poly(vinyl alcohol)/chitosan mixtures

The miscibility and the thermal behaviour of chitosan acetate (ChA) with poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) have been investigated by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA). Chitosan is blended with poly(vinyl alcohol) in acetic acid solution and this solution is cast to prepare the blend film. From thermal curves the thermal transitions: T_g, T_m and characteristic temperatures of decomposition: T_di, T_max have been determined and compared. The influence of the degree of PVA hydrolysis on the thermal properties of blend systems has been discussed.Based upon the observation on the DSC analysis, the melting point of PVA is decreased when the amount of ChA in the blend film is increased. Though some broadening of the transition curves could be noticed (DSC, TGA and DMA), the obtained results suggest that in the solid ChA/PVA blends the components are poorly miscible. Only PVA sample with relatively low DH = 88% and hence low degree of crystallinity shows partial miscibility with ChA of relatively low molecular weight.     

HeLi^n^+(n=0, 1)簇合物的稳定性和垂直激发态光谱

本文用ab initio研究了簇合物HeLi^n^+(n=0, 1)的几何构型和成键性质。在MP2(FULL)/6-31G**, 水平优化所得LeLi^+的平衡键长为0.2062nm, 与实验值0.205nm十分吻合。比较了HeLi^+(X^1∑^+和a^3∑^+), HeLi(X^2∑^+和a^4II)以及HLi(X^1∑^+)的稳定性, 计算了HeLi^+基态的相关能, 势能曲线和垂直激发态光谱。计算采用了6-31G**, 6-311G**,6-311G(2df, 2pd), 6-311G(3df, 2pd)和6-311+G(3df, 2pd)基组; 采用的方法包括MP2(FULL), MP4, MCSCF, MRSDCI, CCD和ST4CCD。计算表明, 同价HeLi^n^+中激发态的离解能均远比基态的大, 其中HeLi^+(a^3∑^+)的离解能最高(60.49kj/mol),说明激发态是稳定束缚态。HeLi^+基态比等电子体HLi分子基态的稳定性小得多。HeLi^+由A^1∑^+到B^1II的垂直跃迁(3σ→1π)振子强度较大而垂直跃迁能较小。     

Dinuclear Bis(1,2-diaryl-1,2-ethylenedithiolato)iron complexes: [FeIII2(L)4]n (n = 2-, 1-, 0, 1+)

The electronic structures of four members of the electron-transfer series [Fe2(1L)4]n (n = 2-, 1-, 0, 1+) have been elucidated in some detail by electronic absorption, IR, X-band electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR), and M?ssbauer spectroscopies where (1L)(2-) represents the ligand 1,2-bis(4-tert-butylphenyl)-1,2-ethylenedithiolate(2-) and (1L*)- is its pi-radical monoanion. It is conclusively shown that all redox processes are ligand-centered and that high-valent iron(IV) is not accessible. The following complexes have been synthesized: [FeIII2(1L*)2(1L)2]0 (1), [FeIII2(2L*)2(2L)2].2CH2Cl2 (1') where (2L)(2-) is 1,2-bis(p-tolyl)-1,2-ethylenedithiolate(2-) and (2L*)- represents its pi-radical monoanion, [Cp2Co][FeIII2(1L*))(1L)3].4(toluene).0.5Et2O (2), and [Cp2Co]2[FeIII2(1L)4].2(toluene) (3). The crystal structures of 1' and 2 have been determined by single-crystal X-ray crystallography at 100 K. The ground states of complexes have been determined by temperature-dependent magnetic susceptibility measurements and EPR spectroscopy: 1' and 1 are diamagnetic (S(t) = 0); 2 (S(t) = 1/2); 3 (S(t) = 0); the monocation [Fe(III)2(1L*)3(1L)]+ possesses an S(t) = 1/2 ground state (S(t) = total spin ground state of dinuclear species). All species contain pairs of intermediate-spin ferric ions (S(Fe) = 3/2), which are strongly antiferromagnetically coupled (H = -2JS(1).S(2), where S1 = S2 = 3/2 and J = approximately -250 cm(-1)).     

Crystallization behavior and thermal stability of poly(trimethylene terephthalate)/clay nanocomposites

Poly(trimethylene terephthalate) (PTT)/montmorillonite (MMT) nanocomposites were prepared by the solution intercalation method. Two different kinds of clay were organomodified with an intercalation agent of cetyltrimetylammonium chloride (CMC). X‐ray diffraction (XRD) indicated that the layers of MMT were intercalated by CMC, and interlayer spacing was a function of the cationic exchange capacity of clay. The XRD studies demonstrated that the interlayer spacing of organoclay in the nanocomposites depends on the amount of organoclay. From the results of differential scanning calorimetric analysis, it was found that clay behaves as a nucleating agent and enhances the crystallization rate of PTT. The maximum enhancement of the crystallization rate for the nanocomposites was observed in nanocomposites containing about 1 wt % organoclay with a range of 1–15 wt %. From thermogravimetric analysis, we found that the thermal stability of the nanocomposites was enhanced by the addition of 1–10 wt % organoclay. According to transmission electron microscopy, the organoclay particle was highly dispersed in the PTT matrix without a large agglomeration of particles for a low organoclay content (5 wt %). However, an agglomerated structure did form in the PTT matrix at a 15 wt % organoclay content. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 41: 2902–2910, 2003     

Effect of silica content on thermal stability of fumed silica/epoxy composites

Composites of a fumed silica industrial residue and an epoxy resin were prepared and their thermal stability and thermal degradation behaviour were studied by TGA in air. Classical thermal stability parameters, based on the initial decomposition temperature (IDT), temperature of maximum rate of mass loss (T_max) and integral procedure decomposition temperature (IPDT) were calculated before and after subtraction of the filler mass from the TGA curves. Without filler mass subtraction, the thermal stability of the epoxy resin seems to be improved and the mass loss rate was reduced by the addition of fumed silica. Nevertheless, after subtraction of the filler mass, the thermal degradation behaviour of the resin was only slightly affected by the silica content. A possible negative effect of the silica content on the cure was also found.     

Au-2n(n=1,2)催化CO氧化反应机理的理论研究

采用密度泛函理论B3LYP方法研究了金团簇阴离子Au-2和Au-4催化CO氧化反应的详细机理.计算结果表明,O2分子比CO分子更容易吸附剑金团簇上.第二分子CO能有效降低较强O-O键断裂所需能量.CO氧化反应过程需要两个CO分子协同进行.Au-2和Au-4催化CO氧化反应均通过碳酸根中间体进行,活化能分别为0.607和0.658 eV.Au-4和Au-2都能在常温下有效催化CO氧化反应,这些结果与以前的实验和理论研究一致.     

Transition state dynamics of Ar(n).(IHI) (n = 0-20)

Classical trajectory simulations of the dynamics of Ar(n).(IHI) with n = 0-20 are performed to investigate the effects of solvation on the transition state dynamics of the I + HI reaction. Initial conditions for the classical trajectories are sampled from the quantum ground-state phase space distribution for Ar(n).(IHI)-, given by the Wigner distribution function. Neumark and co-workers recently reported a shift of the Ar(n).(IHI)- photoelectron spectra to lower electron kinetic energies when the number of argon atoms was increased from 0 to 15. Analogous shifts are found in the present calculations, and excellent agreement between the experimental and calculated shifts is found. Longer lifetimes of the IHI complex and increasing energy transfer between the hydrogen atom and the argon and iodine atoms are also observed as the number of argon atoms is increased.     

Comparative Study of the Thermal Stability of the Epoxy Systems BADGE n=0/1, 2 DCH and BADGE n=0/1, 2 DCH/CaCO3

The thermal degradation of the epoxy systems diglycidyl ether of bisphenol A (BADGE n=0)/1, 2 diamine cyclohexane (DCH) and diglycidyl ether of bisphenol A (BADGE n=0)/1, 2 diaminecyclohexane (DCH) containing calcium carbonate filler immersed and not immersed in hydrochloric acid have been studied by thermogravimetric analysis in order to compare their decomposition processes and to determine the reaction mechanism of the degradation processes. The value of the activation energies, necessary for this study, were calculated using various integral and differential methods. Analysis of the results suggests that hydrochloric acid does not affect the decomposition of the epoxy network and that the reaction mechanisms produce sigmoidal-type curves for the systems not immersed in HCl and deceleration curves for the same systems immersed. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Structure and stability for (AlN) n + and (AlN) n + (n=1–15) clusters

Using density functional theory (DFT) method with 6-31G* basis set, we have carried out the optimizing calculation of geometry, vibrational frequency and thermodynamical stability for (AlN) _n ⁺ and (AlN) _n ⁺ (n=1–15) clusters. Moreover, their ionic potential (IP) and electron affinity (EA) were discussed. The results show that the electrical charge condition of the cluster has a relatively great impact on the structure of the cluster and with the increase of n, this kind of impact is reduced gradually. There are no Al-Al and N-N bonds in the stable structure of (AlN) _n ⁺ or (AlN) _n ^-, and the Al-N bond is the sole bond type. The magic number regularity of (AlN) _n ⁺ and (AlN) _n ^- is consistent with that for (AlN) _n , indicating that the structure with even n such as 2, 4, 6, ... is more stable. In addition, (AlN₁₀ has the maximal ionization power (9.14 eV) and the minimal electron affinity energy (0.19 eV), which manifests that (AlN)₁₀ is more stable than other clusters.     

Functionalized reduced graphene oxide/epoxy composites with enhanced mechanical properties and thermal stability

One-pot hydrothermal reduction of graphene oxide (GO) in N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone (NMP) suspension was performed, wherein GO surface were functionalized by free radicals generated from NMP molecules. The NMP functionalized reduced GO (NMPG) nanosheets were then incorporated into epoxy matrix to prepare epoxy composites. The significant improvement of 100 and 240% in fracture toughness (critical intensity factor, K_IC) and fracture energy (critical strain energy release rate, G_IC) achieved from single edge notched bending (SENB) test revealed the excellent toughening ability of NMPG. The improved compatibility and interfacial interaction between the epoxy matrix and NMPG yielded∼28, 19 and 51% improvement in tensile strength, Young's and storage modulus, respectively. Thermal stability of pure epoxy and its composites was determined at 5, 10 and 50% weight loss, which showed 30, 27.5 and 29 °C improvement with 0.2 wt% NMPG loading. The work provides a simple method to prepare graphene-based epoxy composites with improved performance.     

Structure and stability of oxygen adsorption on Si(n) (n = 5-10) clusters

The structures, binding energies, and electronic properties of one oxygen atom (O) and two oxygen atoms (2O) adsorption on silicon clusters Si(n) with n ranging from 5 to 10 are studied systematically by ab initio calculations. Twelve stable structures are obtained, two of which are in agreement with those reported in previous literature and the others are new structures that have not been proposed before. Further investigations on the fragmentations of Si(n)O and Si(n)O2 (n = 5-10) clusters indicate that the pathways Si(n)O --> Si(n-1) + SiO and Si(n)O2 --> Si(n-2) + Si2O2 are most favorable from thermodynamic viewpoint. Among the studied silicon oxide clusters, Si8O, Si9O, Si5O2 and Si8O2 correspond to large adsorption energies of silicon clusters with respect to O or 2O, while Si8O, with the smallest dissociation energy, has a tendency to separate into Si7 + SiO. Using the recently developed quasi-atomic minimal-basis-orbital method, we have also calculated the unsaturated valences of the neutral Si(n) clusters. Our calculation results show that the Si atoms which have the largest unsaturated valences are more attractive to O atom. Placing O atom right around the Si atoms with the largest unsaturated valences usually leads to stable structures of the silicon oxide clusters.     

Two-dimensional laser induced fluorescence spectroscopy of van der Waals complexes: fluorobenzene-Ar(n) (n = 1,2)

The technique of two-dimensional laser induced fluorescence (2D-LIF) spectroscopy has been used to observe the van der Waals complexes fluorobenzene-Ar and fluorobenzene-Ar(2) in the region of their S(1)-S(0) electronic origins. The 2D-LIF spectral images reveal a number of features assigned to the van der Waals vibrations in S(0) and S(1). An advantage of 2D-LIF spectroscopy is that the LIF spectrum associated with a particular species may be extracted from an image. This is illustrated for fluorobenzene-Ar. The S(1) van der Waals modes observed in this spectrum are consistent with previous observations using mass resolved resonance enhanced multiphoton ionisation techniques. For S(0), the two bending modes previously observed using a Raman technique were observed along with three new levels. These agree exceptionally well with ab initio calculations. The Fermi resonance between the stretch and bend overtone has been analysed in both the S(0) and S(1) states, revealing that the coupling is stronger in S(0) than in S(1). For fluorobenzene-Ar(2) the 2D-LIF spectral image reveals the S(0) symmetric stretch van der Waals vibration to be 35.0 cm(-1), closely matching the value predicted based on the fluorobenzene-Ar van der Waals stretch frequency. Rotational band contour analysis has been performed on the fluorobenzene-Ar 0(0)(0) transition to yield a set of S(1) rotational constants A' = 0.05871 ± 0.00014 cm(-1), B' = 0.03803 ± 0.00010 cm(-1), and C' = 0.03103 ± 0.00003 cm(-1). The rotational constants imply that in the S(1) 0(0) level the Ar is on average 3.488 ? from the fluorobenzene centre of mass and displaced from it towards the centre of the ring at an angle of ~6° to the normal. The rotational contour for fluorobenzene-Ar(2) was predicted using rotational constants calculated on the basis of the fluorobenzene-Ar geometry and compared with the experimental contour. The comparison is poor which, while due in part to expected saturation effects, suggests the presence of another band lying beneath the contour.