Manipulating interfacial polymer structures through mixed surfactant adsorption and complexation

The effects of a nonionic alcohol ethoxylate surfactant, C(13)E(7), on the interactions between PVP and SDS both in the bulk and at the silica nanoparticle interface are studied by photon correlation spectroscopy, solvent relaxation NMR, SANS, and optical reflectometry. Our results confirmed that, in the absence of SDS, C(13)E(7) and PVP are noninteracting, while SDS interacts strongly both with PVP and C(13)E(7) . Studying interfacial interactions showed that the interfacial interactions of PVP with silica can be manipulated by varying the amounts of SDS and C(13)E(7) present. Upon SDS addition, the adsorbed layer thickness of PVP on silica increases due to Coulombic repulsion between micelles in the polymer layer. When C(13)E(7) is progressively added to the system, it forms mixed micelles with the complexed SDS, reducing the total charge per micelle and thus reducing the repulsion between micelle and the silica surface that would otherwise cause the PVP to desorb. This causes the amount of adsorbed polymer to increase with C(13)E(7) addition for the systems containing SDS, demonstrating that addition of C(13)E(7) hinders the SDS-mediated desorption of an adsorbed PVP layer.     

Electrolyte Effects on Charge Transport Behavior of [Os(bpy)2(PVP)10Cl]Cl and [Ru(bpy)2(PVP)10Cl]Cl Redox Polymers in Ultra‐Thin Films of Polyions

Metallopolymer films have important applications in electrochemical catalysis. The alternate electrostatic layer‐by‐layer method was used to assemble films of [Ru(bpy)₂(PVP)₁₀Cl]Cl (denoted as ClRu‐PVP) and [Os(bpy)₂(PVP)₁₀Cl]Cl (ClOs‐PVP) metallopolymers onto pyrolytic graphite electrodes. Film thickness estimated by quartz crystal microbalance was 6–8 nm. The effects of pH, electrolyte species and concentration on the electrochemical properties of these electroactive polymers were studied using cyclic voltammetry (CV). Behavior in various electrolytes was compared. Also the mass changes within the ultra‐thin film during redox of Os^2+/3+ were characterized by in situ electrochemical quartz crystal microbalance (EQCM). The results indicate rapid reversible electron transfer, and show that both ClRu‐PVP and ClOs‐PVP have compact surface structures while ClOs‐PVP is a little denser than ClRu‐PVP. Although hydrogen ions do not participate in the chemical reaction of either film, the movement of Na⁺ cation and water accompanies the redox process of ClOs‐PVP films.     

Untersuchungen zur Physisorption und Chemisorption von Wasser auf Zinkoxid-Oberflächen

The investigation of different zinc oxide samples by means of thermogravimetry and infrared spectroscopy has shown that the surface of the samples is covered by an approximately monoatomic layer of hydroxide groups. Furthermore, varying amounts of carbonate groups are found which are due to the presence of zinc hydroxide carbonate II [Zn₅(OH)₆(CO₃)₂]. Below relative water vapour pressures of p/p₀ = 0.2 (25°C), two hydrogen bridges connect one physisorbed water molecule with two chemisorbed surface hydroxide groups. In addition, about the same amount of water is physically adsorbed between vapour pressures of p/p₀ 0.2 and 0.8. At still higher relative humidity, a multimolecular layer is built up which reaches a thickness of about 200 water molecules at p/p₀ = 1.0. All samples show in the v-OH region of the IR. spectrum a broad absorption with four bands, A, B, C, and D. The position of the bands and the change of their intensities when rising the temperature of the samples up to 600°C indicate that both bands of longer wave lengths, C and D, arise from physically adsorbed water molecules, while the bands A and B are due to hydroxide groups located on the crystallographic faces (0001) and (0001 ), respectively.     

Fraction of H-bonded segments of N-ethylpyrrolidone,oligomeric and polymeric vinylpyrrolidone adsorbed from CHCl3 on silica measured by IR spectrometry

The adsorption of N-ethylpyrrolidone (NEP), oligomeric and polymeric vinylpyrrolidone (OVP, PVP) on silica (Aerosil 200) from CHCl₃ solution is investigated by IR spectrometry. The influence of the annealing temperature of the silica on the adsorbed amount and on the fraction of adhered segments was studied. The dependences of the amount adsorbed on solution concentration result for NEP in a Langmuir isotherm for OVP and PVP in high affinity isotherms. The fraction of adhered H-bridged carbonyl groups determined by compensation procedures, the fraction of surface SiOH groups occupied and the multiple interaction quotientQ show different dependences on the amount adsorbed for the measured adsorptives, indicating different interactions of the monomeric segments with the surface groups. This behaviour is explained by comparing the amount adsorbed in saturation with monolayer capacities, surface concentration of SiOH groups and frequency shifts. A splitting of the band of the bound carbonyl groups in a double peak was observed with OVP and PVP, referring to an additional interaction of polymer segments neighboured to specifically bound segments.Herrn Professor Dr. Robert Kerber zum 60. Geburtstag gewidmet.     

AFM study of the adsorption of pyrrole and formation of the polypyrrole film on gold surface

Pyrrole (Py) adsorption and following electropolymerisation processes onto partially atomically flat Au (111) surfaces from aqueous solution of 0.1 M Py plus 0.1 M LiClO₄ have been investigated by non-contact atomic force microscopy. The adsorbed layers were examined, firstly in-situ, in solution of Py plus electrolyte and in pure electrolyte, and secondly ex-situ, in dried condition in air atmosphere. AFM images show clearly that in all cases the surface of the Au (111) electrode is covered with polymolecular adsorbed layer of Py. Electropolymerisation of the adsorbed Py layer causes some typical changes in the nanostructure of the layer: relatively larger nuclei disappear and honeycomb-like structures and ensembles of the middle size nuclei appear.     

In situ FTIR study of the adsorption geometry of bisulfate accepted ions on a platinum electrode

It is shown that a better understanding of the geometry of adsorbed bisulfate species on the surface is gained by monitoring simultaneously more than one vibrational mode of the molecule. We propose that in the double layer region the bisulfate ions are adsorbed via an oxygen atom of its SO₃ unit with the Pt-O-S linkage along the surface normal. In the oxide region the bisulfate ions are adsorbed on the oxygen covered surface of the platinum electrode via the hydrogen atom by hydrogen bonding with the hydrogen bond showing a significant tilt (approximately 60° ).     

Poly(N‐vinylpyrrolidone)‐Decorated Reduced Graphene Oxide with ZnO Grown In Situ as a Cathode Buffer Layer for Polymer Solar Cells

A ZnO@reduced graphene oxide–poly(N‐vinylpyrrolidone) (ZnO@RGO‐PVP) nanocomposite, prepared by in situ growth of ZnO nanoparticles on PVP‐decorated RGO (RGO‐PVP) was developed as a cathode buffer layer for improving the performance of polymer solar cells (PSCs). PVP not only favors homogeneous distribution of the RGO through the strong π–π interactions between graphene and PVP molecules, but also acts as a stabilizer and bridge to control the in situ growth of sol–gel‐derived ZnO nanoparticles on the surface of the graphene. At the same time, RGO provides a conductive connection for independent dispersion of ZnO nanoparticles to form uniform nanoclusters with fewer domain boundaries and surface traps. Moreover, the LUMO level of ZnO is effectively improved by modification with RGO‐PVP. Compared to bare ZnO, a ZnO@RGO‐PVP cathode buffer layer substantially reduces the recombination of carriers, increases the electrical conductivity, and enhances electron extraction. Consequently, the power conversion efficiency of an inverted device based on thieno[3,4‐b]thiophene/benzodithiophene (PTB7):[6,6]‐phenyl C₇₁‐butyric acid methyl ester (PC₇₁BM) with ZnO@RGO‐PVP as cathode buffer layer was greatly improved to 7.5 % with improved long‐term stability. The results reveal that ZnO@RGO‐PVP is universally applicable as a cathode buffer layer for improving the performance of PSCs.     

Nanoscale organization of adsorbed collagen: influence of substrate hydrophobicity and adsorption time

The adsorption of collagen on polystyrene (PS) and polystyrene oxidized by oxygen plasma discharge (PSox) was studied as a function of time using radiolabeling, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and atomic force microscopy (AFM). Radiolabeling and XPS indicated that the initial step of adsorption was faster on PS than on PSox. AFM imaging under water revealed very different supramolecular organization of the adsorbed films depending on time and on the nature of the substrate: PS showed patterns of collagen aggregates at all adsorption times (from 1 min to 24 h); PSox was covered with a smooth layer except at long adsorption times (24 h), for which a mesh of collagen structures was observed. After fast drying, the collagen layer remained continuous and showed a morphology which recalled that observed under water. The mechanical stability of the adsorbed films was assessed under water by scraping with the AFM probe at different loading forces: no perturbations were created on PSox; in contrast, the layer adsorbed on PS was sensitive to scraping, the minimum force required to alter the collagen layer morphology increasing with time. These differences in the film properties were correlated with force measurements upon retraction: multiple adhesion forces were observed with collagen adsorbed on PS samples, whereas such an effect was never observed on PSox. The results show that the amount adsorbed and the organization of the adsorbed film respond differently to the adsorption time and that this is influenced by surface hydrophobicity. The quick initial adsorption on PS, compared to PSox, is thought to leave dangling collagen segments that are responsible for the observed morphology, for adhesion forces, and for lower mechanical resistance of the adsorbed layer.     

Photocatalytic Crystalline and Amorphous TiO2 Nanotubes Prepared by Electrospinning and Atomic Layer Deposition

In this work core/shell composite polymer/TiO₂ nanofibers and from those TiO₂ nanotubes were prepared. First, poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) and poly(vinylpyrrolidone) (PVP) fibers were synthetized by electrospinning. They were covered with a 100 nm thick amorphous TiO₂ layer by atomic layer deposition at 50 °C. Later the polymer core was removed by two different methods: dissolution and annealing. In the case of dissolution in water, the as-prepared TiO₂ nanotubes remained amorphous, while when annealing was used to remove the polymers, the TiO₂ crystallized in anatase form. Due to this, the properties of amorphous and crystalline TiO₂ nanotubes with exactly the same structure and morphology could be compared. The samples were investigated by SEM-EDX, ATR-IR, UV-Vis, XRD and TG/DTA-MS. Finally, the photocatalytic properties of the TiO₂ nanotubes were studied by decomposing methyl-orange dye under UV light. According to the results, crystalline anatase TiO₂ nanotubes reached the photocatalytic performance of P25, while amorphous TiO₂ nanotubes had observable photocatalytic activity.     

ESCA study of fractional monolayer quantities of chemisorbed gases on tungsten

X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (ESCA) has been used in a study of CO and O₂ chemisorbed on a polycrystalline tungsten sample. Working under ultra-high vacuum conditions, the surface was cleaned and then covered with known monolayer and fractional monolayer quantities of adsorbed CO and O₂. The O(ls) and C(ls) spectral features were detected, and the influence of an adsorbed layer on the tungsten spectral features was determined. A chemical shift of 3.4 eV in the O(ls) line from chemisorbed CO is related to the different modes of bonding of CO to tungsten. A model calculation of the photoelectron yields expected from an adsorbed monolayer is in good agreement with the experimental results.     

Interaction of poly(vinylpyrrolidone) with cationic and nonionic surfactants in aqueous solution studied by <Superscript>1</Superscript>H NMR

Aqueous solutions of surfactant at various concentrations with 0.2% poly(vinylpyrrolidone) (PVP) were studied by ¹H NMR methods, including relaxation time and self-diffusion coefficient measurements and two-dimensional nuclear Overhauser enhancement spectroscopy. Two surfactants were concerned: cationic cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) and nonionic Triton X-100 (TX-100). In the presence of 0.2% PVP, the variation of the T ₂ values of CTAB protons is similar to that in the absence of PVP. Relaxation times of PVP protons are not significantly affected by the increasing concentration of CTAB. This indicates that no interaction between PVP and CTAB could be detected. However, in the presence of 0.2% PVP, TX-100 micelles are formed at a concentration lower than its normal critical micellization concentration. According to the results of relaxation time measurement of water protons, the presence of 0.2% PVP also induces the contraction of the hydrophilic layer of the TX-100 micelle. This indicates some interaction between PVP and TX-100, but the mechanism of this interaction needs further investigation.     

Studies of the rate of water evaporation through adsorption layers using drop shape analysis tensiometry

With modified measuring procedure and measuring cell design in the drop profile tensiometer PAT, it became possible to study the rate of water evaporation through adsorbed or spread surface layers. This method was employed to measure the rate of water evaporation from drops covered by adsorbed layers of some proteins and surfactants, in particular n-dodecanol. It was shown that the formation of dense (double or condensed) adsorbed layers of protein and the formation of 2D-condensed n-dodecanol layer decrease the water evaporation rate by 20-25% as compared with pure water. At the same time, the adsorbed layers of ordinary surfactants (sodium dodecyl sulfate and nonionic ethoxylated surfactant C(14)EO(8)) do not affect the water evaporation rate remarkably.     

Morphology and surface States of colloidal probucol nanoparticles evaluated by atomic force microscopy

Morphology and surface states of colloidal probucol nanoparticles after dispersion of probucol/polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP)/sodium dodecyl sulphate (SDS) ternary ground mixture into water were investigated by atomic force microscopy (AFM). The observed particles had core-shell structure, i.e. drug nanocrystals were covered with PVP and SDS complex. The AFM phase image and the force curve analyses indicated that probucol nanoparticles with PVP K17 showed layer structure, compared to those with PVPK12. The structural difference was explainable in terms of the molecular states of PVP-SDS complex on the particle surface. These findings support not only the mechanism of drug nanoparticle formation but also the in vivo absorption results with the almost same particle size of ca. 40 nm.     

Activation of Water in Titanium Dioxide Photocatalysis by Formation of Surface Hydrogen Bonds: An In Situ IR Spectroscopy Study

The hole‐driving oxidation of titanium‐coordinated water molecules on the surface of TiO₂ is both thermodynamically and kinetically unfavorable. By avoiding the direct coordinative adsorption of water molecules to the surface Ti sites, the water can be activated to realize its oxidation. When TiO₂ surface is covered by the H‐bonding acceptor F, the first‐layer water adsorption mode is switched from Ti coordination to a dual H‐bonding adsorption on adjacent surface F sites. Detailed in situ IR spectroscopy and isotope‐labeling studies reveal that the adsorbed water molecules by dual H‐bonding can be oxidized to O₂ even in the absence of any electron scavengers. Combined with theoretical calculations, it is proposed that the formation of the dual H‐bonding structure can not only enable the hole transfer to the water molecules thermodynamically, but also facilitate kinetically the cleavage of O? H bonds by proton‐coupled electron transfer process during water oxidation.     

A comparison between polysulfone,zirconia and organo-mineral membranes for use in ultrafiltration

In this paper, representative polymeric (a PSf/PVP membrane), ceramic (a ZrO₂ membrane) and organo-mineral (a ZrO₂/PSf membrane) ultrafiltration membranes, all in the tubular configuration, are being compared for their basic membrane properties, and for the typical ultrafiltration application of protein recovery of cheese whey. These three different membranes with a quite similar pore size (the cut-off values for each of the three membranes were comprised between 25 000 and 50 000 Dalton) showed pure water permeability coefficients between 135 and 1250 l/h m² bar. The highest pure water flux was found for the organo-mineral membrane, the lowest for the polymeric membrane. By FESEM analysis of the top-surfaces (skin) of both the PSf/PVP and the ZrO₂/PSf membrane a strong difference in surface-porosity was found. These results were claimed to partially explain the difference in pure water flux. From SEM pictures of the cross-section of the ZrO₂/PSf membrane it could also be seen that the skin layer thickness is smaller, at these places where particles are present near the skin-surface, compared to the rest of the membrane as well as to the skin of the PSf/PVP membrane. These latter observations were also used to further explain the flux difference between the PSf/PVP and the ZrO₂/PSf membrane.     

Adsorption characteristics of polyvinylpyrrolidone at solid-liquid interface

Summary Adsorption studies of polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) on the surface of colloidal silicas, Aerosil 300 and Aerosil R-972 are reported. The adsorption isotherms of PVP at the hydrophilic silica/aqueous solution interface were greater than that at the hydrophobic silica R-972. The PVP adsorption shows that the amount adsorbed decreases with the concentration.The isotherms contain a minimum when water is used as the solvent. The minimum disappears when Na₂SO₄ 0.55 M is used as the solvent. The PVP adsorption behavior could be due to a different adsorption rate of the various molecular species of the fractions. The orientation of macromolecules adsorbed on the surface would depend on the polymer-solvent interaction in solution. The adsorption would be governed by the surface structural characteristics and would be a function of the molecular weight of the polymer depending on the macromoleculer orientation within the interface.

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Zusammenfassung Es wird über Adsorption von Polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) an der Oberfläche der Kieselgele Aerosil 300 and Aerosil R-972 berichtet. Die Adsorptionsisothermen von PVP auf der hydrophilen Kieselgel/Wasserlösungs-Grenzphase erwiesen sich als größer als die auf dem hydrophoben Kieselgel R-972. Die adsorbierte Menge nimmt mit der Konzentration ab. Die Isothermen zeigen ein Minimum, wenn Wasser als Lösungsmittel benutzt wird. Das Minimum verschwindet, wenn eine 0.55M wäßrige Natriumsulphat-Lösung verwendet wird. Das Adsorptionsverhalten des PVP könnte auf einer verschiedenen Adsorptionsgeschwindigkeit für die verschiedenen molekularen Spezies in den Fraktionen beruhen. Die Orientierung von den an der Oberfläche adsorbierten Makromolekülen würde von der Wechselwirkung zwischen Polymer und Lösungsmittel in der Lösung abhängen. Die Adsorption wurde von den strukturellen Eigenschaften der Oberfläche beherrscht werden und eine Funktion des Molekulargewichtes des Polymers sein, abhängig von der Orientierung der Makromoleküle in der Grenzphase.

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With 4 figures and 1 table     

Effect of Polyvinylpyrrolidone on the States of Water in Water-in-Oil Microemulsions with Betaine Surfactant

A water-in-oil (w/o) microemulsion was prepared with the zwitterionic surfactant dodecyl betaine (C₁₂BE), n-pentanol (C₅OH), n-heptane (C₇H₁₆) and water. Effects of polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) with different molecular weight on the state of water in w/o microemulsions at a given water/C₁₂BE molar ratio were investigated by FT-IR and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). The experimental results showed that addition of PVP resulted in an increase of the content of the bound water in water pool of a w/o microemulsion, but a decrease of the amount of the bulky water. The higher the molecular weight of PVP, the more bound water; and the less bulk water. The change of the trapped water was not obvious due to the interference of C₅OH.     

Interaction of water with clean and oxygen precovered nickel surfaces

The adsorption of water on a Ni(111) single crystal surface, clean as well as precovered with oxygen, has been investigated with thermal desorption spectroscopy (TDS) and measurements of the adsorption-desorption equilibrium combined with XPS (X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy). The measurements have been carried out with water pressures up to 10^–5 mbar on surfaces, which have been either clean or precovered with oxygen. On the clean Ni(111) surface the first adsorbate layer with a maximum coverage of 0.42 ML (monolayers) has a desorption energy of 52 kJ/mol and a preexponential factor of desorption of 10¹⁶s^–1. A second water layer adsorbs with the desorption energy of the ice multilayer but with first order kinetics. On Ni(111) precovered with chemisorbed oxygen an additional state of molecular, more strongly bound water is found, but no dissociation. For higher oxygen precoverages where NiO islands are formed on the surface, also the water dissociation product OH is found adsorbed. On a sample covered with a closed NiO layer, adsorbed OH and molecular water in an energetically not well-defined state are found. High doses of water on oxygen-precovered Ni(111) induce a slow surface modification leading to water dissociation.     

An XPS and STM study of the size effect in NO adsorption on gold nanoparticles

The effect of the gold particle size, temperature of the model gold catalyst, and NO pressure on the composition of the adsorption layer was studied by in situ XPS and STM methods. Adsorption of nitric oxide was carried out on gold nanoparticles with a mean size of 2?C7 nm prepared on the thin film surface of alumina. In high-vacuum conditions (P _NO ?? 10^?5 Pa), only atomically adsorbed nitrogen is formed on the surface of gold nanoparticles. At about 1 Pa pressure of NO and in the temperature range from 325 to 475 K, atomically adsorbed nitrogen coexists with the N₂O adsorption complex. The surface concentration of the adsorbed species changes with a change in both the mean gold particle size and adsorption temperature. The saturation coverage of the surface with the nitrogen-containing complexes is observed for the sample with a mean size of gold particles of 4 nm. The surface of these samples is mainly covered with atomically adsorbed nitrogen, the saturation coverage of adsorbed nitrogen of about ??0.6 monolayer is attained at T = 473 K. The change in the composition of the adsorption layer with temperature of the catalysts agrees with the literature data on the corresponding temperature dependence of the selectivity of N₂ formation observed in the catalytic reduction of NO with carbon monoxide on the Au/Al₂O₃ catalyst. The dependences of the composition of the adsorption layer on the mean size of Au nanoparticles (size effect) and temperature of the catalyst are explained by the sensitivity of NO adsorption to specific features of the gold surface.     

Adsorption of non-ionic and cationic polymers on silica from their mixed aqueous solutions

The adsorption of polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) and poly(dimethyldiallylammonium chloride) (PDC) on silica from their mixed aqueous solutions has been investigated as a function of PVP concentration in the presence of PDC. The adsorption of PVP is almost unchanged with the feed concentration of PVP, while the adsorption of PDC decreases with increasing PVP concentration, especially at high concentrations of PDC. The conformation of PVP in the adsorbed layer on silica is relatively flat at low concentrations of PDC, but is extended in solution at high concentrations of PDC. The stability of the silica dispersion is low and the ζ potential is relatively small at low concentrations of PDC, whereas a stable dispersion is obtained at high concentrations of PDC and the ζ potential is large. Thus the stability of the dispersion is well correlated with the electrostatic repulsion and steric repulsion forces operating at the particles.