NEW MATERIALS DERIVED FROM POLY(4-HYDROXYSTYRENE) AS LITHIUM BATTERY CELL COMPONENTS

A new class of polyethers has been prepared by the Mitsunobu coupling of poly(4-vinyl phenol), P4VP, with low molecular weight poly(ethylene glycol)methyl ether. These comb-like polymers, having ca. 20–30% residual phenols, were characterized by IR, DSC, and TGA. Results of thermal analysis on the polymers suggest thermal stability to at least 300°C and a glass transition temperature in the range ?30 to ?40°C. Complexes with LiPF₆ gave conductivities of ca. 1 × 10^?5 S/cm at room temperature. The polymers were blended with plasticized poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) to prepare porous films and subsequently infiltrated with lithium salts and ethylene and ethyl methyl carbonate. Ionic conductivities of these hybrid films were measured from ?20°C to 40°C. Conductivities as high as 2.4 × 10^?3 S/cm are observed at room temperature. The electrochemical stability of hybrid materials was studied by cyclic voltammetry.     

Improving ferro- and piezo- electric properties of hydrogenized poly(vinylidene fluoride-trifluoroethylene) films by annealing at elevated temperatures

After annealing the solution cast P(VDF-TrFE) films at elevated temperatures, which were synthesized via a full hydrogenation process from P(VDF-CTFE) with a composition of VDF/TrFE = 80/20(mol%), a series of P(VDF-TrFE) films were fabricated in present work. The crystalline and ferroelectric phases of the films were carefully characterized and their dielectric, ferroelectric and piezoelectric properties were systematically investigated. The improved crystalline and ferroelectric phases in the films induced by annealing at elevated temperatures are responsible for the significant improved electric properties of the films. The optimized annealing temperature is found to be 130 °C and the best performance including the highest dielectric constant of 12.5 at 1 kHz, the largest maximum polarization of 11.21 μC/cm~2 and remnant polarization of 7.22 μC/cm~2, the lowest coercive electric field of 56 MV/m, and the highest piezoelectric coefficient of -25 pC/N is observed.     

Structure and voltage tunable dielectric properties of sol–gel derived Bi1.5MgNb1.5O7 thin films

Bi_1.5MgNb_1.5O₇ (BMN) thin films were fabricated on Au/Ti/SiO₂/Si(100) substrates using a sol?Cgel spin coating process. Thermo decomposition of the BMN precursor gel was discussed. The structures, morphologies, dielectric properties and voltage tunable dielectric properties were investigated. The deposited films showed a cubic pyrochlore structure after annealing at 550?°C or higher temperatures. With the annealing temperature increased from 500 to 800?°C, the root-mean-square surface roughness of the films increased from 0.6 to 6.8?nm. Additional phase, MgNb₂O₆, emerged after annealing at 800?°C due to the volatilization of Bi element. The dielectric properties and tunability of the films were annealing temperature dependent. BMN thin films annealed at 750?°C had a high dielectric constant of 135 and low dielectric loss of 0.002 at 1?MHz. The high tunability of 31.3?% and figure of merit of 156.5 were obtained under an applied electric field of 1?MV/cm at room temperature.     

Low temperature preparation and electric properties of highly (100)-oriented Pb<Subscript>0.8</Subscript> La<Subscript>0.1</Subscript>Ca<Subscript>0.1</Subscript>Ti<Subscript>0.975</Subscript>O<Subscript>3</Subscript> thin films prepared by a sol–gel route

Highly (100)-oriented Pb_0.8La_0.1Ca_0.1Ti_0.975O₃ (PLCT) thin films deposited on Pt/Ti/SiO₂/Si substrate were successfully achieved by a sol–gel route. The influence of annealing temperature on microstructures and electric properties was investigated; it was found that the PLCT film could be crystallized only at 450 °C. When the annealing temperature increased to 500 °C, the PLCT film exhibited highly (100)-oriented, which also possessed higher remnant polarization Pr (27 μC/cm²) and better pyroelectric figure of merit (F _d = 205 μC/m²k) at room temperature. It was also found too high annealing temperature (625 °C) could lead to recrystallization of film, and the small grains caused by recrystallization could make polarization reversal difficult and disturbed the preferred crystal growth in film, which was not benefit to obtain enhanced electric properties.     

Effect of annealing on the ferroelectric behavior of nylon - 11 and nylon - 7

We have discovered recently that melt-quenched and cold-drawn Nylon - 11 films exhibit very clear ferroelectric hysteresis behavior. In the present study, a remanent polarization as high as 86 mC/m² has been found in Nylon - 7 samples; this is significantly higher than that usually observed in poly (vinylidene fluoride) films. The effect of annealing on the electric displacement versus electric field characteristics of both Nylon - 11 and Nylon - 7 films have been studied and show an increased coercive field (62 to 115 MV/m for Nylon - 11 and 79 to 97 MV/m for Nylon - 7) and a decreased remanent polarization (51 to 17.3 mC/m² for Nylon - 11 and 86 to 70.5 mC/m² for Nylon - 7) with increasing annealing temperature from 25 to 145°C.     

Preparation and some properties of nylon-4,2

An attempt was made to produce a new short-chain alphatic polyamide nylon-4,2. This polyoxamide can be prepared by polycondensation of tetramethylene diamine and diethyl oxalate. A high molecular weight polymer (η_inh = 1.9 from 0.5% solutions in 96% sulphuric acid) has been obtained by employing a two-step polycondensation method; the precondensation was carried out in solution at low temperatures (20–140°C) and the postcondensation in the solid state at high temperatures (250–300°C). The effect of solvent composition and reaction temperature on the prepolymerization and the effect of reaction time and temperature on the postcondensation was studied. We also investigated the influence of moisture during washing, storing, and the solid-state reaction on the polymerizability by the postcondensation. Nylon-4,2 is soluble only in highly polar solvents such as trifluoroacetic acid (TFA), dichloroacetic acid, and 96% sulphuric acid. Films were cast from TFA. With these films we studied the IR spectrum, WAXS pattern, water absorption, and melting behavior. Nylon-4,2 was found to melt at 388–392°C, has a crystallinity of 70%, and a low water absorption (3.1% at 50% RH). The glass transition temperature of the dry sample was found to be at ～120°C and for the wet sample at ?15°C.     

Piezoelectricity in oriented films of poly(γ-benzyl-L-glutamate)

Oriented films of poly(γ-benzyl L -glutamate) (PBLG) were prepared by two methods. Films of PBLG cast from chloroform solutions were elongated by rolling at 70°C. A solution of PBLG in methylene bromide was placed in a magnetic field of about 7000 gauss and the solvent was slowly evaporated for a few days until an oriented film was obtained. The real and imaginary components of the complex piezoelectric strainconstant d₂₅^* = d₂₅′ ? jd₂₅″ were determined over the temperature range from ?180°C to +180°C at a frequency of 20 Hz. The constants showed dispersions at about 20°C and about 100°C, where dynamic viscoelastic dispersions were also observed. Degree of crystallinity X_c and degree of orientation II_a of crystallites were determined from x-ray diffraction diagrams. The product X_cII_α and the value of d₂₅′ at room temperature were found to be linearly related, and both showed a maximum at an elongation ratio of 1.5 (the ratio of the final to initial length) for roll-oriented films and at an initial solution concentration of 15% by weight for magnetically oriented films. The largest values of d₂₅′ were approximately 2 × 10^?12 and 4 × 10^?12 coulomb/newton, respectively, at room temperature.     

Structure and multiferroic properties of Bi<Subscript>5</Subscript>FeTi<Subscript>3</Subscript>O<Subscript>15</Subscript> thin films prepared by the sol–gel method

The Bi₅FeTi₃O₁₅ (BFTO) films of layered structure have been fabricated on Pt/Ti/SiO₂/Si substrates by the sol–gel method. The thermal decomposition behaviors of precursor powder were examined using thermo-gravimetric and differential scanning calorimeters analysis. The optimal heat treatment process for BFTO films were determined to be low-temperature drying at 200 °C for 4 min and high-temperature drying at 350 °C for 5 min followed by annealing at 740 °C for 60 min, which led to the formation of compact films with uniform grains of ~300 nm. The structural, surface topography, ferroelectric and magnetic properties of the films were investigated. The remnant polarization (2P _r) of BFTO thin films under an applied electric field of ~550 kV/cm are determined to be 67.5 μC/cm² . Meanwhile, the weak ferromagnetic properties of the BFTO films were observed at room temperature.     

Spectroscopic analysis of electrically polarized polyacrylonitrile

Electrically polarized and unpolarized films of polyacrylonitrile (PAN) have been investigated by both infrared attenuated total reflection (ATR) and thermally stimulated discharge (TSD). ATR analysis of PAN films has been aimed at explaining the molecular origin of thermally stimulated currents, and consequently that of phenomena contributing to electrical polarization in this material. Preferred orientation of nitrile dipoles along the thickness direction (applied electric field direction) has been detected by ATR in both polarized and unpolarized films. It is suggested that dipolar alignment in unpolarized solvent-cast films could result from internal electric fields associated with space charges. The observed orientational anisotropy is found to disappear gradually as films (both polarized and unpolarized) are heated from ambient temperature to 100°C and rotational motion in the backbone is thermally activated. TSD currents observed in this thermal range are thus associated with randomization of molecular dipoles. TSD currents observed above 100°C are suggested to originate from drift of space charges, since both an isotropic orientation of dipoles and onset of considerable diffusion are detected by ATR in this temperature range. PAN films polarized by high-intensity electric fields (5 × 10⁵Vcm^?1, as opposed to 5 × 10⁴Vcm^?1) are found to retain orientational anisotropy above 100°C, and this is believed to be associated with a structural rearrangement induced by electrical polarization.     

Structural and electrical characterisation of betaine-type,organic, molecular,thin evaporated films and LB multilayers

The structure and electrical properties of highly polar indandione-1,3 pyridinium betaine (IPB) derivatives have been studied in vacuum-evaporated thin films and Langmuir-Blodgett (LB) multilayer assemblies. Phase transitions induced by temperature and/or electric field have been observed in LB films of an amphiphilic derivative of IPB.The LB films of IPB, obtained at room temperature, form a Y-like structure which melts at about 50 °C to produce spherical domains, having Z-like structure, which remain stable up to 110 °C. Similar phase transitions can be induced by an electric field with ε ≥ 2 × 10⁵ V cm⁻¹ at room temperature. In the new Z-like phase of the IPB LB films, the electrical conductivity increases by some five or six orders of magnitude and the activation energy of dark conductivity decreases from 0.18 ± 0.03 eV to practically zero.The vacuum-evaporated IPB films yield low electrical conductivity (σ = 10⁻¹⁵–10⁻¹⁶S cm⁻¹), whereas in the LB multilayers a notable anisotropy of conductivity is observed. In case of coplanar cells the conductivity increases to σ = 10⁻⁸S cm⁻¹. In sandwich-type LB samples the conductivity value is similar to that of the vacuum-evaporated polycrystalline thin films.     

Nylon 6 structure in solid state as studied by high-resolution 13C-NMR spectroscopy

High resolution ¹³C-NMR spectra of nylon 6 samples crystallized under various conditions and of a drawn sample were measured at room temperature by the cross polarization/magic angle spinning (CP/MAS) and pulse saturation transfer/magic angle spinning techniques. Additionally, ¹³C-NMR spectra of the drawn sample were measured at temperatures from 20 to 100°C by the CP/MAS technique and at 20 and 100°C by the low-power decoupling/magic angle spinning technique. The nylon 6 structure in the solid-state is discussed on the basis of these results. The solid-state ¹³C chemical shift data are used for reference in a study of conformation in solution.     

Crystal forms and ferroelectric properties of poly(vinylidene fluoride)/polyamide 11 blends prepared by high‐shear processing

Nanostructured poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF)/polyamide 11 (PA11) blends have been melt‐processed using a high‐shear extruder. Uniaxially oriented blended films were fabricated by hot rolling to prepare ferroelectic films. The effects of rolling temperature and draw ratio on the crystal forms of both PVDF and PA 11 were investigated by means of Fourier transform infrared spectra (FTIR) and wide‐angle X‐ray diffraction (WAXD). It was shown that hot rolling in the range of 25–110 °C results in the crystal form transformation from the nonpolar α‐form into the polar β‐form for PVDF. The content and orientation function of β‐crystallites are strongly dependent upon the rolling temperature and the draw ratio. The highest content of well‐oriented β‐crystallites was achieved with a draw ratio of 4.0 upon rolling at 80 °C. At the same time, the content of the α‐form of PA11 in the blend was also found to decrease by hot rolling. The ferroelectric properties (D‐E hysteresis) of the oriented blended films were measured. The remanent polarization of the PVDF/PA11 = 90/10 blend is as high as 91 mC/m², which is about 1.2 times higher than that of pure PVDF. The D‐E hysteresis curves and the temperature dependence of the piezoelectric stress coefficients of the high‐shear‐processed sample suggested that the formation of nano‐dispersed structures resulted in the improvement of the remanent polarization and thermal characteristics at a temperature higher than 80 °C. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 45: 2707–2714, 2007     

Structure and properties of poly-2,5-distyrylpyrazine

Poly-2,5-distyrylpyrazine (poly-DSP) was investigated by differential thermal analysis (DTA), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), and measurements of dynamic viscoelastic and electrical properties. From DTA and TGA studies it was confirmed that poly-DSP melts at 321°C and depolymerizes rapidly to the monomer at temperatures between 335°C and 345°C in helium. The polymer is affected by oxygen above 200°C. The E′ value from dynamic viscoelasticity measurements on amorphous film is 2 × 10¹¹ dyne/cm² at room temperature. It decrease abruptly in the temperature range 140–150°C; but the net decrease of E′ within this temperature range is relatively small. The electrical properties of amorphous poly-DSP are characterized by a small temperature dependence of the dielectric constant between room temperature and 100°C. The dielectric loss tangent was observed to be small, and the dc conductivity was extremely small. It is concluded that rotation of the phenyl branches in the polymer occurs above ?30°C and the glass transition occurs at about 150°C. These properties are discussed in some detail in relation to the polymer structure.     

Evaluation of piezoelectric poly(vinylidene fluoride) polymers for use in space environments. I. Temperature limitations

Smart materials, such as thin‐film piezoelectric polymers, are interesting for potential applications on Gossamer spacecraft. This investigation aims to predict the performance and long‐term stability of the piezoelectric properties of poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) and its copolymers under conditions simulating the low‐Earth‐orbit environment. To examine the effects of temperature on the piezoelectric properties of PVDF, poly(vinylidenefluoride‐co‐trifluoroethylene), and poly(vinylidenefluoride‐co‐hexafluoropropylene), the d₃₃ piezoelectric coefficients were measured up to 160 °C, and the electric displacement/electric field (D–E) hysteresis loops were measured from ?80 to +110 °C. The room‐temperature d₃₃ coefficient of PVDF homopolymer films, annealed at 50, 80, and 125 °C, dropped rapidly within a few days of thermal exposure and then remained unchanged. In contrast, the TrFE copolymer exhibited greater thermal stability than the homopolymer, with d₃₃ remaining almost unchanged up to 125 °C. The HFP copolymer exhibited poor retention of d₃₃ at temperatures above 80 °C. In situ D–E loop measurements from ?80 to +110 °C showed that the remanent polarization of the TrFE copolymer was more stable than that of the PVDF homopolymer. D–E hysteresis loop and d₃₃ results were also compared with the deflection of the PVDF homopolymer and TrFE copolymer bimorphs tested over a wide temperature range. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 43: 1310‐1320, 2005     

Post-irradiation time effects on the graft of poly(ethylene-alt-tetrafluoroethylene) (ETFE) films for ion exchange membrane application

Grafting of styrene followed by sulfonation onto poly(ethylene-alt-tetrafluoroethylene) (ETFE) was studied for synthesis of ion exchange membranes. Radiation-induced grafting of styrene onto ETFE films was investigated after simultaneous irradiation (in post-irradiation condition) using a ⁶⁰Co source. The ETFE films were irradiated at 20 kGy dose at room temperature and chemical changes were monitored after contact with styrene for grafting. The post-irradiation time was established at 14 days when the films were remained in styrene/toluene 1:1 v/v. After this period the grafting degree was evaluated in the samples. The grafted films were sulfonated using chlorosulfonic acid and 1, 2-dichloroethane 20:80 (v/v) at room temperature for 5 h. The membranes were analyzed by infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), differential scanning calorimeter (DSC), thermogravimetric measurements (TG) and degree of grafting (DOG). The ion exchange capacity (IEC) of membranes was determined by acid–base titration and the values for ETFE membranes were achieved higher than Nafion^® films. Preliminary single cell performance was made using pure H₂ and O₂ as reactants at a cell temperature of 80 °C and atmospheric gas pressure. The fuel cell performance of ETFE films was satisfactory when compared to state-of-art Nafion^® membranes.     

The effect of melt processing conditions on the hydrogen-bonded sheet orientation and polarization of nylon 11 films

It is known that melt-quenched, cold-drawn, and then annealed nylon 11 films possess a particular doubly oriented hydrogen-bonded sheet structure: the hydrogen-bonded sheets being in the plane of the film and the molecular chain direction being in the direction of draw. These films have been shown to be ferroelectric. In order to clarify the role of this special double orientation on polarization mechanisms and, in addition, provide insight into the reasons for this unique orientation, a systematic study was undertaken. Nylon 11 was melted at 210°C in a hot press for different melting times (ranging from 30 s to 20 min) prior to quenching into an ice-water bath. The resulting orientation of the hydrogen-bonded sheet structure in these films was examined using wide-angle X-ray diffraction and FTIR spectroscopy. For undrawn, melt-quenched films with short times in the melt, a degree of preferred orientation of the hydrogen-bonded sheets in the plane of the film was observed. As time in the melt increased, this preferred orientation in the plane decreased. This was also observed for films which were cold drawn before annealing. However, following cold drawing and several cycles of polarization using a maximum field of 150 MV/m at room temperature, the uniaxially drawn films with different times in the melt possessed the same remanent polarization and the same final orientation of the hydrogen-bonded sheets in the film thickness direction. © 1996 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Poly(3-octylthiophene) and polystyrene blends thermally treated as coatings for corrosion protection of stainless steel 304

The effect of thermal annealing of poly(3-octylthiophene) (P3OT) and polystyrene (PS) blend coatings on the corrosion inhibition of stainless steel in a 0.5 M NaCl solution was investigated. P3OT was synthesized by direct oxidation of the 3-octylthiophene monomer with ferric chloride (FeCl₃) as oxidant. Stainless steel electrodes with mirror finish were coated with P3OT/PS blend by drop-casting technique. In order to study the temperature effect on the function like physical barrier against the corrosive species of P3OT/PS polymeric blend, the coatings were thermally annealed at three different temperatures (55?°C, 80?°C, and 100?°C). The corrosion behavior of P3OT/PS-coated stainless steel was investigated in 0.5 M NaCl at room temperature, by using potentiodynamic polarization curves, linear polarization resistance (LPR), and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. The LPR values indicated that, at 100?°C, P3OT/PS coatings showed a better protection of the 304 stainless steel in 0.5 M NaCl; the corrosion rate diminished in two orders of magnitude with regard to the bare stainless steel. The superficial morphology of the coatings before and after the corrosive environment was researched by atomic force microscopy, optic microscopy, and scanning electronic microscopy. Morphological study showed that the increased temperature benefited the integration of the two polymeric phases, which improved the barrier properties of the coatings. The coating/metal adhesion and the coating thickness were evaluated. The temperature increases the adhesion degree coating/substrate; thus, the coating annealed at 100?°C showed the best adhesion.     

Characterization of the cis/trans Isomerization of Resveratrol by High-Performance Liquid Chromatography

trans-Resveratrol was evaluated in a stability study. Reverse-phase high-performance liquid chromatography with a diode array detector was used for the comparison of stressed and reference samples. Aqueous ethanolic solutions were examined under variable conditions. The following parameters were investigated: the time of storage, exposure to sunlight for up to 30 days, temperature from 5 to 80°C, pH from 2.9 to 10.2, trans-resveratrol concentrations from 0.5 to 100?mg?L^?1, and 3, 10, 20, and 50% ethanol. The cis/trans equilibrium position was significantly influenced by the resveratrol concentration. The trans-resveratrol isomer was stable only at solutions more concentrated than 25?mg?L^?1 that were stable for 30 days in a refrigerator or at room temperature protected from light. Degradation of no more than 10% was observed at temperatures lower than 50°C and pH values lower 7.43.     

Oxygen Diffusion into Polymer-Clay Composite Films as a Function of Clay Content and Temperature

Summary: A simple fluorescence technique is proposed for the measurement of the diffusion coefficient of oxygen into polystyrene-clay composite films as a function of clay content and temperature. The composite films were prepared from a mixture of surfactant-free pyrene-labeled polystyrene latexes and modified Na-montmorillonite clay of various compositions at room temperature. Diffusion measurements were performed with films at room temperature for seven different clay contents (0, 5, 10, 20, 30, 50 and 60 wt.%). The diffusion coefficients of oxygen increased from 7.4 × 10⁻¹⁰ to 26.9 × 10⁻¹⁰ cm²s⁻¹ with increasing clay content. On the other hand, diffusion measurements were performed over a temperature range of 25–70 °C for 0, 5 and 20 wt.% clay content films. The calculated diffusion activation energies decreased from 2.44 to 0.44 kcal/mol with increasing clay content. No clay content and temperature effects were observed on quenching rate constant and mutual diffusion coefficient values. The results showed that the diffusion coefficients are strongly dependent on both the temperature and clay content in the film.     

Temperature variation of piezoelectric moduli in oriented poly(γ-methyl L-glutamate)

The real and imaginary components of the complex piezoelectric strain constant, which relates the polarization to the applied stress, have been determined for elongated films of poly(γ-methyl L -glutamate) over the temperature range ?170°C to +170°C at a frequency of 20 Hz. The variation of the piezoelectric constant with temperature is similar for both α-helical and β-form molecular conformations. The sign of piezoelectric polarization is opposite for L and D polymers. A simple model, representing the piezoelectric crystallites as embedded in nonpiezoelectric amorphous regions, is proposed to account for the piezoelectric temperature dispersion curves.