Thermal relaxation in poled non-linear optical sidechain polymers: Influence of annealing

The influence of different annealing treatments has been investigated on the stability of the Electro-Optic coefficient in a poled DANS (4-dimethylamino-4′-nitrostilbene) sidechain polymer, which was poled near its T_g-onset of 140°C. The annealing treatments and the EO relaxation experiments were performed at 120°C. The EO stability can be significantly increased both by an annealing treatment after poling and by annealing before poling. This latter effect is concluded from the reduction of the EO relaxation rates in successive relaxation cycles performed in the same polymer sample - completely depoled and repoled in between the cycles. The effect from the different annealing treatments on the time-dependence of the EO relaxation process is different and is analyzed in terms of a Debye-like model with a single, time-dependent Debye relaxation time r(t)=r_i+C. t³. The time-dependence of r and the observed effects from annealing are attributed to the parallel relaxation process of physical ageing.     

Nuclear relaxation and molecular motion of 1,3,5-trifluorobenzene-d3 in liquid solutions

The ²D and ¹⁹F spin-lattice relaxation times of 1,3,5-trifluorobenzene-d₃ in 0.15 mol fraction solutions in various solvents have been measured over the temperature range 270–400 K. The relationship between the reorientational correlation times, τ_θ, and the angular momentum correlation times, τ_J, obtained from the nuclear relaxation data has been compared with the theoretical relationships predicted by the J-diffusion limit of the extended diffusion (EDJ) model and the Fokker-Planck-Langevin (FPL) model for symmetric top molecules. It was found that the rotational motion of 1,3,5-trifluorobenzene-d₃ in most solutions was better described by the FPL model with frictional anisotropy τ₆/τ_· in the range 1–2. (τ₆ and τ_· are the correlation times for the angular velocity components along the axes parallel and perpendicular to the molecular symmetry axis.) The viscosity and temperature dependence of τ_θ has been analyzed in terms of a modified Debye equation and values for the anisotropic interaction parameter, κ, in each solvent are reported. The variation in κ with solvent is attributed mainly to the variation in the dipole moment of the solvent molecules. The frictional anisotropy (τ₆/τ_·) is found to decrease as κ increases. This is interpreted in terms of the effects of molecular shape and electrostatic interactions between CF bond dipole moment and solvent dipole moments.     

Stimulated echo NMR spectra and their use for heteronuclear two-dimensional shift correlation

NMR spectra are obtained from Fourier transformation of the latter part of a Hahn stimulated echo. The sequence is 90°-τ_a-90°-τ_b-90°-τ_a-digitize versus τ₂. This is demonstrated for transfer RNA in H₂O using the semiselective J ® pulse (90°-τ_p-90°), developed by Plateau and Gueron in place of each 90° pulse. 2D correlation between ¹³N and protons is obtained by applying a 90°-τ₁-90° ¹⁵N sequence during τ_b and ¹⁵N decoupling while digitizing. The second Fourier transform is performed with respect to τ₁ after discarding the imaginary parts of the first transform, to obtain a real 2D map. Such a 2D spectrum has been obtained for 5 mM¹⁵NH₄Cl and several other small molecules. The sequence should be useful for studies of ¹⁵N labeled macromolecules.     

Physical aging studies in epoxy resins. I. Kinetics of the enthalpy relaxation process in a fully cured epoxy resin

The physical aging of an epoxy resin based on diglycidyl ether of bisphenol-A cured by a hardener derived from phthalic anhydride has been studied by differential scanning calorimetry. The isothermal curing of the epoxy resin was carried out in one step at 130°C for 8 h, obtaining a fully cured resin whose glass transition was at 98.9°C. Samples were aged at temperatures between 50 and 100°C for periods of time from 15 min to a maximum of 1680 h. The extent of physical aging has been measured by the area of the endothermic peak which appears below and within the glass transition region. The enthalpy relaxation was found to increase gradually with aging time to a limiting value where structural equilibrium is reached. However, this structural equilibrium was reached experimentally only at an aging temperature of T_g-10°C. The kinetics of enthalpy relaxation was analysed in terms of the effective relaxation time τ_eff. The rate of relaxation of the system given by 1/τ_eff decreases as the system approaches equilibrium, as the enthalpy relaxation tends to its limiting value. Single phenomenological approaches were applied to enthalpy relaxation data. Assuming a separate dependence of temperature and structure on τ, three characteristic parameters of the enthalpic relaxation process were obtained (In A = ?333, E_H = 1020 kJ/mol, C = 2.1 g/J). Comparisons with experimental data show some discrepancies at aging temperatures of 50 and 60°C, where sub-T_g peaks appears. These discrepancies probably arise from the fact that the model assumes a single relaxation time. A better fit to aging data was obtained when a Williams-Watts function was applied. The values of the nonexponential parameter β were slightly dependent on temperature, and the characteristic time was found to decrease with temperature. © 1994 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Ab initio studies of structural features not easily amenable to experiment. 42. Molecular geometries and conformational analysis of methylbutanoate

Conformational energy profiles were calculated for τ₁, the C? C? C?O torsion, and τ₂, the C? C? C? C torsion, of methyl butanoate, using Pulay's ab initio gradient procedure at the 4-21G level with geometry optimization at each point. In addition, the structures of seven conformations were fully relaxed, including the energy minima (τ₁, τ₂) = (0, ?60), (0, 180), (120, 180), (120, ?60), and the maxima (0, 0), (180, 180), and (60, ?60). The calculated geometries confirm the previously formulated rule that, in saturated hydrocarbons, a C? H bond trans to a C? C bond (C? H_s) is consistently shorter than a C? H bond (C? H_a) trans to another C? H bond. Specifically, for X? C(α) (? O)? C(β)? C(γ)? C(δ) systems, the following rules can be formulated, incorporating results from previous studies of butanal, butanoic acid, and 2-pentanone: (1) C(δ)? H_s < C(δ)? H_a in all the conformers in which the δ-methyl group is remote from the ester group; whereas, in all the conformers in which nonbonded interactions are possible between the C(δ)-methyl and the ester groups, the bonding pattern is affected by a C? H ?O?C interaction. (2) In the most stable conformers, (0, 60), C(β)? H_a < C(β)? H_s, and C(γ)? H_a < C(γ)? H_s, regardless of X. (3) The average C? C bonds in the τ₂ = 180° conformers are consistently shorter than those with τ₂ = 60° (compared at τ₁ constant). In the most stable conformations (τ₁ = 0°, τ₂ = 60° or 180°), the bonding sequence is consistently C(α)? C(β) < C(β)? C(γ) < C(γ)? C(δ); whereas, when τ₁ = 120°, C(α)? C(β) < C(β)? C(γ) > C(γ)? C(δ).     

13C spin relaxation studies of the basic pancreatic trypsin inhibitor

The longitudinal ¹³C spin relaxation times T₁ and the ¹³C{¹H} nuclear Overhauser enhancement were measured in a concentrated aqueous solution of the basic pancreatic trypsin inhibitor. The correlation time for overall rotational motions of the basic pancreatic trypsin inhibitor molecules was found to be τ_R ≈ 2 × 10^?8 s. In connection with previous ¹H n.m.r. studies of intramolecular motions of the aromatics, we were particularly interested in the correlation times τ_G for intramolecular segmental motions of the aromatic rings. The present experiments revealed no manifestation of intramolecular motions of the aromatics, indicating that τ_G ? 2 × 10^?8 s for the aromatic ring carbon atoms. On the other hand, rapid segmental motions were evidenced for the peripheral carbon atoms of aliphatic amino acid sidechains. Comparison of the ¹H and ¹³C n.m.r. data on the basic pancreatic trypsin inhibitor indicates that the time scale of high resolution ¹H n.m.r. at high fields may in many instances be more appropriate for studies of the molecular dynamics in globular proteins than the time scale of spin relaxation measurements.     

Rheology of polystyrene solutions around the coil overlapping concentration: A phenomenological description of stresses in simple shear flow

Linear viscoelasticity behavior is described with the sum of two terms for polystyrene solutions in tricresyl phosphate around the coil overlapping concentration (K. Osaki, T. Inoue, & T. Uematsu, J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 2001, 39, 211). One is a Rouse–Zimm (RZ) term represented by the Zimm theory with arbitrarily chosen values of the hydrodynamic interaction parameter and the longest relaxation time (τ_RZ). The other (the L term) consists of a relaxation mode with a single relaxation time (τ_L > τ_RZ) and a high‐frequency limiting modulus proportional to the square of the concentration. In this study, we describe the viscosity (η) and first normal stress coefficient (Ψ₁) in steady shear with simple formulas. The stress due to the L term is assumed to be given by a Kaye, Bernstein, Kearsley, and Zapas (K‐BKZ) equation with the damping function h(γ) = (1 + 0.2γ²)^?1/2, where γ is the magnitude of shear. Contributions to η and Ψ₁ from the RZ term are derived from the RZ model, in which the relaxation time in steady flow is given by τ_st = τ + (τ_RZ ? τ)/(1 + 0.35τ_RZ γ˙) instead of τ_RZ. Here, γ˙ is the rate of shear, and τ is the τ_RZ value at the infinite dilution limit. η and Ψ₁ at various concentrations for two polystyrene samples (with molecular weights of 2890 and 8420 kg mol^?1) are well described with parameters derived from dynamic viscoelasticity. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 40: 1038–1045, 2002     

Interpretation of differences in temperature and pressure dependences of density and concentration fluctuations in amorphous poly(phenylmethyl siloxane)

Differences in the temperature and pressure dependences of the relaxation times of a slow diffusional process and the α structural relaxation pose an interesting problem. This feature, observed by dynamic light scattering in amorphous poly(phenylmethyl siloxane), is related to another basic feature of lack of thermorheological simplicity discovered by Plazek in polystyrene, poly(vinyl acetate), and amorphous polypropylene. A quantitative explanation based on the predictions of a general coupling theory of relaxations has been found. The coupling theory also predicts the Kohlrausch fractional exponential time correlation function exp[?(tτ^*)^1?n] at long times, as observed by photon correlation spectroscopy, and crossover to an exponential time dependence exp–(t/τ₀) at short times, as frequently assumed in Brillouin scattering. An additional relation between τ^* and τ₀ predicted by the theory is confirmed also by the experimental data.     

Contributions of side groups to the water diffusion in cured epoxy resins (2) study on physical aging

Novolac epoxy resins cured with novolac resin, novolac acetate resin, novolac butyrate resin, and novolac phenylacetate resin named as EP, EPA, EPB, and EPP, respectively, were prepared. Their physical aging behavior at a T_g‐30 °C (30 °C below glass‐transition temperature) was examined by positron annihilation lifetime spectroscopy and differential scanning calorimetry. The ortho‐positronium annihilation lifetime τ₃ variation extent of EP is less apparent than that of the other three esterified samples during physical aging. The time dependence of ops intensity I₃ agreed with the Kohlrausch‐Williams‐Watts (KWW) equation. The relaxation time (τ₀) and nonexponential parameter were calculated. The free volume and enthalpy relaxation rate characterized by the reciprocal of τ₀ and ?ΔH/?logt, respectively, exhibit the same order—EPP > EPB > EPA > EP. These results suggest that the extend and rate of relaxation are not only related to the frozen free volume produced by quenching but also significantly influenced by segmental mobility of the network that attributed to the side‐group flexibility and their interaction with networks. This work also supports the fact that side‐group flexibility and the free‐volume fraction and distribution act in concert to control the water‐diffusion behavior in epoxy networks. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 41: 1135–1142, 2003     

Investigation of relaxation processes in linear polyethylene in the 10−9 sec region by means of high-resolution neutron spectroscopy

Results are presented of neutron incoherent scattering experiments on isotropic linear polyethylene samples of high (80%) and low (48%) crystallinity in the temperature range between ?180°C and +85°C for values of the scattering vector between 0.29 Å^?1 and 1.81 Å^?1 obtained with a high resolution backscattering spectrometer (Δ?ω = 0.25 ? 1.0 μeV) and between 0.57 Å^?1 and 2.4 Å^?1 with a time-of-flight spectrometer (Δ?ω = 420 μeV). From a comparison of the results on these samples one concludes that relaxation takes place predominantly in the noncrystalline regions. This motion cannot be adequately accounted for by any of the existing models for the γ-process. Therefore, a more liquidlike motion is suggested. Diffusion of shorter chain segments has also been ruled out since it is too slow to be observed. A simplified model of protonic jumps between equidistant sites located on the periphery of a circle of radius 2.5 Å reproduces the experimental results well. For the average time between successive CH₂-group reorientations one obtains τ₁ = τ₀ exp(E_actRT) with τ₀ = (2.0 ± 1.5) × 10^?13 sec and E_act = (4.5 ± 1.0) kcal/mole. The values join up well with those for the γ-process observed by NMR. It has been concluded that 60–90% of the protons in the noncrystalline regions participate in this motion.     

Rotational correlation times of adenosine 5′-monophosphate in solution as deduced from 1H and 13C spin-lattice relaxation times

Rotational correlation times (τ_T) of the 5′-AMP molecule deduced from spin-lattice relaxation times (T₁) of different protons in the molecule agree fairly well with each other in the temperature range of 3.5–74°C. The same is true with τ_T values deduced from ¹³CT₁ values. These results indicate that the internal motions are slow as compared to the overall rotation of the 5′-AMP molecule.     

Time-resolved fluorescence depolarization studies of rotational relaxation in viscous media

Rotational relaxation times (τ_roi) were measured for xanthene dyes in several n-alcohols, ethylene glycol and glycerol by following the fluorescence depolarization using a single photon counting technique. Additional studies were made of the fluidity of the hydrocarbon micellar interior using pyrene derivatives as fluorescent probes. While the correlation between τ_roi and viscosity for the smaller n-alcohols is good, as anticipated by the models of Stokes—Einstein—Debye and later Perrin, a saturation in this correlation is observed in more viscous systems in accordance with recent molecular dynamics calculations. The influence of molecular structure on both viscosity and rotational relaxation times is also discussed. Pyrene, 1-pyrene suphonic acid and 1-pyrene butyeric acid exhibit rapid reorientation τ_roi ? 10^?9 s, in glycerol and micellar systems.     

Electrical Behavior of the Insulator Class-E around Glass Transition: Experimental and Numerical Analyses

Currents flowing through semicrystalline polyethylene terephthalate (PET) film were measured over the temperature range 60°–100°C in electric fields from 24 × 10⁶ to 72 × 10⁶ V/m. A study of the influence of these external stresses on the electrical behavior of PET, at glass transition phase, permitted interpreting its response in terms of dipolar relaxation and movements of free charges. The simulation of the charging current around the glass transition temperature using a model consisting of the presence of bipolar carriers and one kind of permanent dipole with relaxation time τ allowed reproducing the experimental behavior. From this numerical calculation, space dependence of charge densities and field can be determined in order to explain the electrical behavior of current, which depends on parameters such as injection coefficient A _i , relaxation time τ, and mobility μ.     

Dynamic light scattering from bulk poly(n-hexylmethacrylate) near and above the glass transition

Photon correlation spectra of polarized scattered light from poly(n-hexylmethacrylate) PHMA (M_w = 1.6·10⁵, T_g = ?5°C) have been studied in the temperature range of ?2–25°C. The experimental time correlation functions over the time range 10^?6?10² s were represented by the Kohlrausch-Williams-Watts (KWW) function exp{?(t/τ)^β} with a virtually temperature-independent distribution parameter β = 0.27 ± 0.02. The observed relaxation functions were also analyzed in terms of a continuous distribution of retardation times L(τ) by means of a direct inverse Laplace transformation. The computed L(τ) distributions reveal a broad single peak structure in agreement with the results of the single KWW fit. The temperature dependence of τ is very similar to that of the shift factors obtained from measurements of the shear modulus and the stress relaxation modulus in the glass-rubber region. Conversely, the values of τ compare well with those extracted from the experimental dielectric loss peaks consistently represented in the time domain by the KWW function. These findings suggest that the slow density fluctuations in bulk PHMA are associated with the primary glass-rubber or α-relaxation, which, however, displays an unusual low apparent Arrhenius activation energy and a rather low β value. PHMA exhibits significant dynamic light scattering with correlation times faster than 10^?6 s near T_g. © 1992 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Piezoelectric properties of oriented films of poly(γ-methyl D-glutamate)

The dynamic piezoelectric stress constant e^*₂₅ of drawn films of poly(γ-methyl D -glutamate) (PMDG) cast from solutions in α-helix-promoting solvents 1,2-dichloroethane (DCE) and chloroform and from the nonhelicogenic solvent dichloroacetic acid (DCA) was measured from ?180°C to 200°C at 110 Hz. The drawn and annealed films cast from chloroform show a small peak for the real part of piezoelectric stress constant ?e′₂₅ in the temperature range of the mechanical α₂-crystalline relaxation, which is caused by the distortion motion of the backbone chain of the α-helix. On the other hand, drawn films cast from DCE show the peak of the real part of the piezoelectric stress constant, whose magnitude decreases in the range of the mechanical α₁-crystalline relaxation or the β-relaxation processes, which were previously ascribed, respectively, to mutual slipping of α-helices and to the micro-Brownian motion of disordered regions. Also, ?e′₂₅ becomes virtually zero near 180°C where the α₂-relaxation is located. These results suggest that the polarization change induced by applied strain is caused by distortion of the backbone chains in the α-helix. Near 0°C, the temperature range of the side-chain mechanical relaxation, ?e′₂₅ exhibits a marked peak both for films cast from chloroform and from DCE. The maximum value of ?e′₂₅ and the orientation function of the α-helix axis are linearly related and extrapolation of ?e′_25,max to unit orientation function gives 1.3 × 10⁴ cgs esu which corresponds to 2.4 Debye per residue. This value corresponds reasonably to the value of 3.71 Debye for the permanent dipole moment of NHCO bond if the correction for crystallinity is made. This result also indicates the piezoelectric properties of PMDG arise from distortion of the backbone chain of the α-helix induced by applied strain.     

Can the Theoretical Fitting of the Proton‐Nuclear‐Magnetic‐Relaxation‐Dispersion (Proton NMRD) Curves of Paramagnetic Complexes Be Improved by Independent Measurement of Their Self‐Diffusion Coefficients?

The self‐diffusion (D_c) coefficients of various lanthanum(III) diamagnetic analogues of open‐chain and macrocyclic complexes of gadolinium used as MRI contrast agents were determined in dilute aqueous solutions (3–31 mM ) by pulsed‐field‐gradient (PFG) high‐resolution ¹H‐NMR spectroscopy. The self‐diffusion coefficient of H₂O (D_w) was obtained for the same samples to derive the relative diffusion constant, a parameter involved in the outersphere paramagnetic‐relaxation mechanism. The results agree with an averaged relative diffusion constant of 2.5 (±0.1)×10^?9 and of 3.3 (±0.1)×10^?9 m² s^?1 at 25 and 37°, respectively, for 'small' contrast agents (M_r 500–750 g/mol), and with the value of bulk H₂O (2.2×10^?9 and 2.9×10^?9 m² s^?1 at 25° and at 37°, respectively) for larger complexes. The use of the measured values of D_c for the theoretical fitting of proton NMRD curves of gadolinium complexes shows that the rotational correlation times (τ_R) are very close to those already reported. However, differences in the electronic relaxation time (τ_SO) at very low field and in the correlation time (τ_V) related to electronic relaxation were found.     

Cooperative chain relaxation in miscible polymer blends

Orientation relaxation of dissimilar chains in the molten miscible blends, poly(methyl methacrylate)/poly(vinylidene fluoride) and poly(methyl methacrylate)/poly(vinylidene fluoride-co-trifluoroethylene), were investigated by measuring (1) the change of infrared dichroic ratio with time after the uniaxial stretching of film specimens, (2) the shear stress relaxation spectrum, and (3) birefringence relaxation in shear. The dissimilar polymers showed an identical time variation of the normalized Hermans orientation function. The blend showed a relaxation spectrum with a single characteristic relaxation time τ_c, depending on the blend composition. The birefringence relaxed monotonically, remaining positive. These results suggest that the dissimilar polymers do not relax independently but cooperatively. This behavior may be induced by a constraint due to the specific interactions between the dissimilar polymers, e.g., weak hydrogen bonding. For the cooperative chain relaxation, a third power relationship was found; τ_c/τ_e vprop; (M/M_e),³ where τ_e and M_e are the relaxation time and molecular weight of entanglement strand, respectively, and M is the number average molecular weight in the blend.     

Dielectric studies of the 4-n-alkyl-4'-thiocyanatobiphenyl (nBT) homologous series (n=2-10) in the isotropic and E phases

Results of the dielectric studies of nine members of the nBT (4-n-alkyl-4'-thiocyanatobiphenyl, n= 2-10) homologous series in the crystal E (E) and isotropic (I) phases are presented. The dependence of the static permittivity ?_s in the isotropic phase, the longitudinal relaxation times τ_is and τ_∥, and the activation enthalpies ΔH _is and ΔH _∥ on the number of carbon atoms in the alkyl chain n are analysed. A considerable increase in the retardation factor g= τ_∥/τ_is with decreasing n is observed. The results are compared with those obtained for similar two-ring homologous series. The parameters characterizing the molecular rotations around the short axis in the E phase (τ_∥ and ΔH _∥) indicate a hardening of this solid-like phase with shortening of the alkyl chain.     

Relaxation spectra of concentrated polystyrene solutions

The relaxation modulus G(t) and the stress decay after cessation of steady shear flow were measured on concentrated solutions of polystyrenes in diethyl phthalate. Ranges of concentration c and molecular weight M of the polymer were from 0.112 to 0.329 g/ml and from 1.23 × 10⁶ to 7.62 × 10⁶, respectively. The relaxation spectrum H(τ) as calculated from G(t) for the solution of very high M was found to be composed of two parts. One, at relatively short times, was a broad distribution (plateau zone) with height proportional to c². The second, at the long-time end, was very sensitive to concentration and gave rise to a maximum in H(τ) for very high concentrations. The behavior of H(τ) at long times was examined quantitatively by evaluating the longest relaxation time τ₁⁰ and the corresponding relaxation strength G₁⁰ from G(t) and from the stress decay function, on the assumption of a discrete distribution of relaxation times at long times. The longest relaxation time was approximately proportional to M^3.5, even at relatively low concentrations where the zero-shear viscosity was not proportional to M^3.5. The strengths of relaxation modes with the longest few relaxation times are proportional to the third power of concentration.     

5‐Ethynyl‐2′‐deoxycytidine: a DNA building block with a `clickable' side chain

The title compound [systematic name: 4‐amino‐1‐(2‐deoxy‐β‐d ‐erythro‐pentofuranosyl)‐5‐ethynylpyrimidin‐2(1H)‐one], C₁₁H₁₃N₃O₄, shows two conformations in the crystalline state. The N‐glycosylic bonds of both conformers adopt similar conformations, with χ = −149.2 (1)° for conformer (I‐1) and −151.4 (1)° for conformer (I‐2), both in the anti range. The sugar residue of (I‐1) shows a C2′‐endo envelope conformation (²E, S‐type), with P = 164.7 (1)° and τ_m = 36.9 (1)°, while (I‐2) shows a major C3′‐exo sugar pucker (C3′‐exo‐C2′‐endo, ₃T², S‐type), with P = 189.2 (1)° and τ_m = 33.3 (1)°. Both conformers participate in the formation of a layered three‐dimensional crystal structure with a chain‐like arrangement of the conformers. The ethynyl groups do not participate in hydrogen bonding, but are arranged in proximal positions.