Photo-oxidation and ozonization of poly(3-hexylthiophene) thin films as studied by UV/VIS and photoelectron spectroscopy

The kinetics and the mechanisms of degradation of thin P3HT layers have been investigated quantitatively for ozonization and photo-oxidation. Both, decay kinetics and product evolution of the polymer degradation are monitored by in situ UV/VIS and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The degradation pathways of ozonization and photo-oxidation of P3HT turn out to be significantly different. Ozone attacks the thiophene units mainly by direct addition to the double bonds, leading to the loss of UV/VIS absorption, while the aliphatic side chains [1] are hardly affected. During photo-oxidation, the polymer is primarily attacked at the alkyl side chain which leads to the formation of reactive peroxide species. These subsequently cause the oxidation of sulfur and concomitantly the destruction of the thiophene ring, resulting in the loss of absorption. From the kinetics of the blue shift of the optical absorption it is concluded that the polymer is mainly attacked at the terminal thiophene rings the case of photo-oxidation whereas ozone attacks positions more or less randomly distributed along the chain. The rate of photo-oxidation under AM 1.5 conditions is at least one order of magnitude faster than the decomposition of P3HT by ozone.     

Ozonization of electronic conducting polymers, Part III: The action of ozone on poly[3-pentylthiophene] film

Poly[3-penthylthiophene] film was cast from a solution in N-methylpyrrolidone onto a metal substrate. Electrical properties of the metal-semiconductor junction were characterized for pristine and ozone treated polymer. The influence of ozone on the electrical properties of the film was investigated. Ozone causes an increase in the film conductivity, due to the formation of a charge transfer complex. After several months the conductivity of the film dropped significantly below the initial value as a result of oxidative degradation. The morphology changes after ozone treatment were investigated using Scanning Electron Microscopy and Atomic Force Microscopy. Analysis of the microscopy images revealed anisotropic swelling of the polymer after it had been treated with ozone.     

Polymer degradation under ionizing radiation: The role of ozone

Gamma-radiation degradation of poly(butadiene-co-styene) [SBR rubber] and poly(butadiene-co-acrylonitrile) [Buna-n rubber] in the presence of air has been investigated. Using a recently-developed modulus profiling techniques, it is shown that the degradation of these materials is very heterogenous through the sample thickness. There is a broad, paraboloidally-shaped modulus profile through the sample interior, together with a dramatic change in modulus in the surface regions. Mechanistic investigations lead to the conclusion that the radiation-inducted degradatoin of these materials results from two different process: (1) the standard free radical-mediated radiation chemistry, which gives rise to oxidation involving O₂ dissolved in the polymer and which leads to heterogenous oxidation due to oxygen diffusion effects; and (2) ozone chemistry in the surface regions of the samples, which results from attack by O₃ generated by the action of the ionizing radiation on the air atmosphere surrounding the samples. It appears that the intense role which this ozone mechanism can play in radiation-induced oxidative degradation of polymers has not been widely appreciated. This study provides evidence that the simultaneous action of ozone and ionizing radiation can in fact be strongly synergistic in their effect on organic materials     

Effect of ionic liquid 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide on the properties of poly(glycidyl methacrylate) based solid polymer electrolytes

A free standing polymer electrolytes films, containing poly(glycidyl methacrylate) (PGMA) as the polymer host, lithium perchlorate (LiClO₄), and ionic liquid 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl) imide [Bmim][TFSI] as a plasticizer was successfully prepared via the solution casting method. The XRD analysis revealed the amorphous nature of the electrolyte. ATR-FTIR and thermal studies confirmed the interaction and complexation between the polymer host and the ionic liquid. The maximum ionic conductivity of the solid polymer electrolyte was found at 2.56 × 10^–5 S cm^–1 by the addition of 60 wt % [Bmim][TFSI] at room temperature and increased up to 3.19 × 10^–4 S cm^–1 at 373 K, as well as exhibited a transition of temperature dependence of conductivity: Arrhenius-like behavior at low and high temperatures.     

Preparation of poly(2‐anilinoethanol) containing azobenzene group under electrical field and its liquid crystalline properties investigation

In this project, 2‐[N‐ethyl‐N‐[4‐[(4′‐nitrophenyl)azo]‐phenyl]amino]ethanol (Disperse Red‐I) was prepared by adding of (N‐ethyl‐2‐anilinoethanol) with the salt diazonium p‐nitroaniline. The main mesogenic liquid crystalline (LC) 2‐[N‐ethyl‐N‐[4‐[4′‐nitrophenyl)azo]‐phenyl]amino]ethyl‐3‐chloro propionate (Disperse Red‐II) was synthesized by reaction of disperse Red I and 3‐chloropropanoeic acid at the alkaline condition. Then 2‐anilinoethyl‐3‐chloropropionate‐{2‐[ethyl[4‐[(4′‐nitrophenyl)azo]phenyl]amino] ethanol}, (2AECP‐Red‐I) was prepared via reaction of disperse red‐II and 2‐anilinoethanol. On the other hand, poly 2‐anilinoethyl‐3‐chloropropionate‐{2‐[ethyl[4‐[(4′‐nitrophenyl)azo]phenyl]amino]ethanol} and poly(2AECP‐Red‐I) have been synthesized by polymerization of 2AECP‐Red‐I in two separate schemes. These include polymerization in the absence of electric field (EF) and polymerization under different EFs. A comparison of the results reveals that the polymer produced under electric field is more linear, regular in shape with high electrical conductivity, as well as good LC behavior with semectic texture. The resulted monomer and poly(2AECP‐Red‐I) are characterized by using Fourier transform infrared and ultraviolet–visible and were studied by thermogravimetric analysis and differential scanning calorimetry. Scanning electron microscopy images supported the formation of poly(2AECP‐Red‐I) and showed morphology feature and homogeneous structure on poly(2AECP‐Red‐I). Electrical conductivity of poly(2AECP‐Red‐I) has been studied by four‐point probe method. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Solid-state synthesis of poly(3',4'-dimethoxy-2,2':5',2"- terthiophene): comparison with poly(terthiophene) and poly(3',4'-ethylenedioxy-2,2':5',2"- terthiophene)

A new terthiophene monomer: 3',4'-dimethoxy-2,2':5',2"-terthiophene (TMT) was synthesized and characterized by 1H-NMR, 13C-NMR and FTIR. The solid-state oxidative polymerizations of TMT were performed in various ratios of oxidant (FeCl?) to monomer (TMT). The resulting polymers were characterized by 1H-NMR, FTIR, UV-vis-NIR, GPC, X-ray diffraction, CV, as well as TGA and conductivity measurements. The structure and properties of poly (TMT) were compared with those of polyterthiophene [poly(TT)] and poly (3',4'-ethylenedioxy-2,2':5',2"-terthiophene) [poly(TET)] prepared under the same polymerization conditions. After comparative analysis with poly(TT) and poly(TET), the effects of the dimethoxy substituent and FeCl? on the structural and physicochemical properties of the poly(TMT)s were discussed in depth. The comparison suggested that the dimethoxy-substituted polymer did not display higher crystallinity, thermal stability, conductivity and electrochemical activity than ethylenedioxy substituted one. The results also showed that the effect of FeCl? on poly(TMT) was similar that seen with the poly(TT), in which the oxidation degree, electrochemical activity and conductivity increased steadily with increasing [FeCl?/[TT] ratio. Furthermore, the poly(TMT) and poly(TT) are mostly made up of dimers with a small amount of higher molecular weight components.     

Aging and thermal degradation of poly(N-methylaniline)

The conductivity aging and thermal stability of poly(N-methylaniline) are reported. Poly(N-methylaniline) doped with chloride ion was electrochemically synthesized. The conductivity data obtained in the temperature range between 118 and 483 K are analysed by Arrhenius and Mott models to elucidate the conduction mechanism. The thermal degradation of both doped and dedoped samples of poly(N-methylaniline) in air and nitrogen atmosphere has been followed using thermogravimetric and differential thermal analysis techniques. The polymer is heat-aged at various temperatures and the aged samples are analysed by FT-IR, SEM and XRD. The thermogravimetric data are further analysed by three different methods: Horowitz and Metzger [Anal. Chem. 35 (1963) 1464], Coats and Redfern [Nature 201 (1964) 68], Chan et al. [Synth. Met. 31 (1989) 95] to evaluate the energy of activation. The applicability of the three methods for the evaluation of kinetic parameters is discussed.     

STUDY ON THE POLYMER ELECTROLYTES OF(PMA/PEG)n:LiClO_4 SYSTEM

Lithium ion conducting polymer electrolyteswere prepared by blending poly(methyl acrylate)[PMA]with poly(ethylene glycol)[PEG]and coordinating themwith LiC10_4.The highest conductivity was above1×10~(-6)S/cm at room temperature.     

Effect of compatibilizig agent on the properties of polylactide and polylactide based composite during ozone exposure

Compatibilizers belong to the most important internal factors which influence the degradation process of polymer matrix. For this reason in the current study, polylactide (L), polylactide with 5% of poly(ε-caprolactone) (LK) as compatibilizing agent and samples with 5%wt. of montmorillonite (MMT) (LS5 and LS5K respectively) before and after various time of ozone exposure have been analyzed. The results from infrared spectroscopy, gel permeation chromatography, atomic force microscopy, differential scanning calorimetry and thermogravimetric analysis have been presented. It has been established that microstructural changes during ozone exposure of the samples with the presence of compatibilizer increase in relation to the samples comprising PLA and PLA filled with montmorillonite. Moreover it has been determined that the introduction of poly(ε-caprolactone) into pure polymer as well as into PLA-montmorillonite material accelerates ozone-induced degradation, although it does not change the mechanism of the degradation process.     

Electrophysical properties of polymers based on Ni(II) complexes

Thin-layer organometallic films synthesized from the monomer [NiSalen] have been studied. The presence of the oxidized and reduced forms of a redox polymer has been established by cyclic voltammetry and electronic absorption spectroscopy. The temperature-frequency dispersion of dielectric characteristics has been discovered, and the possible mechanisms of relaxation polarization in poly[NiSalen] on solid supports have been considered. Based on the temperature-frequency dependences of conductivity, the energy of the thermal activation of electrical conductivity is determined. The feasibility of the hopping mechanism of charge transfer in the polymer under study is discussed.     

Synthesis of 2- and 4-Nitropyrimidines and 2-Nitro-sym-triazines by ozonization of hydroxyamino and nitroso derivatives

The action of ozone on aryl(methyl)-substituted 2- and 4-hydroxyamino- or -nitrosopyrimidines in chloroform gave 2- and 4-nitropyrimidines. The unambiguous character of the process depends on the molar ratio of the substrate and ozone; the side formation of azoxy-, chloro-, and hydroxypyrimidines is possible. 2-Nitro-sym-triazines were obtained by ozonization of substituted 2-hydroxyamino-sym-triazines.See [1, 2] for our preliminary communications.Deceased.Translated from Khimiya Geterotsiklicheskikh Soedinenii, No. 5, pp. 657–661, May, 1990.     

Electrochemical characteristics of the blended polymer electrolytes containing lithium salts

Blend-based polymer electrolytes composed of poly(ethylene oxide), poly(oligo[oxyethylene]oxysebacoyl), and lithium salts have been prepared. These polymer electrolytes have been investigated in terms of ionic conductivity, transport number, and interfacial characteristics of the lithium electrode in contact with the polymer electrolyte. The influences of the blend composition, the salt used, and its concentration on the electrochemical behavior were studied. © 1996 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Molecular dynamics simulation of polymer electrolytes based on poly(ethylene oxide) and ionic liquids. II. Dynamical properties

Dynamical properties of polymer electrolytes based on poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) and ionic liquids of 1-alkyl-3-methylimidazolium cations were calculated by molecular dynamics simulations with previously proposed models [L. T. Costa and M. C. Ribeiro, J. Chem. Phys. 124, 184902 (2006)]. The effect of changing the ionic liquid concentration, temperature, and the 1-alkyl-chain lengths, [1,3-dimethylimidazolium]PF(6) and [1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium]PF(6) ([dmim]PF(6) and [bmim]PF(6)), was investigated. Cation diffusion coefficient is higher than those of anion and oxygen atoms of PEO chains. Ionic mobility in PEO[bmim]PF(6) is higher than in PEO[dmim]PF(6), so that the ionic conductivity kappa of the former is approximately ten times larger than the latter. The ratio between kappa and its estimate from the Nernst-Einstein equation kappa/kappa(NE), which is inversely proportional to the strength of ion pairs, is higher in ionic liquid polymer electrolytes than in polymer electrolytes based on inorganic salts with Li(+) cations. Calculated time correlation functions corroborate previous evidence from the analysis of equilibrium structure that the ion pairs in ionic liquid polymer electrolytes are relatively weak. Structural relaxation at distinct spatial scales is revealed by the calculation of the intermediate scattering function at different wavevectors. These data are reproduced with stretched exponential functions, so that temperature and wavevector dependences of best fit parameters can be compared with corresponding results for polymer electrolytes containing simpler ions.     

Understanding the interactions in acrylic copolymer/1‐butyl‐3‐methylimidazolium chloride from solution rheology

The effects of the type and content of comonomers on the rheological properties of acrylic copolymers in 1‐butyl‐3‐methylimidazolium chloride ([BMIM]Cl) were explored. According to the de Gennes scaling law for solution, comparison of intrinsic viscosity and scaling analysis of the exponent in the specific viscosity‐ and relaxation time‐concentration power law indicated that solution of both polyacrylonitrile (PAN) homo‐polymer and copolymer poly(acrylonitrile‐co‐methyl acrylate) (poly(AN‐co‐MA)) in [BMIM]Cl behave in the same manner as neutral polymer in a θ‐solvent. However, [BMIM]Cl acts as a more good solvent for poly(acrylonitrile‐co‐acrylamide) (poly(AN‐co‐AM)). The dissolution and unique rheological behavior of such solutions have been attributed to the interactions between copolymer chains and [BMIM]Cl. The interactions between nitrile group (?C≡N) and 1‐butyl‐3‐methylimidazolium cation ([BMIM]⁺) should interrupt and break the dipolar‐dipolar interactions of PAN resulting in the subsequent dissolution of the polymer in [BMIM]Cl. Such interactions between ?C≡N and [BMIM]⁺ ion are still dominated by the solvating ability of poly(AN‐co‐MA) in [BMIM]Cl, even though carbonyl group (C=O) in MA repeating unit could coordinate to cation of the ionic liquid. The salvation capacity of [BMIM]Cl for poly(AN‐co‐AM) can be evidently improved due to the extra hydrogen bond interactions between ?NH₂ group of AM and anion of [BMIM]Cl. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Photoinduced charge carrier generation in a poly(3-hexylthiophene) and methanofullerene bulk heterojunction investigated by time-resolved terahertz spectroscopy

We report on the ultrafast photoinduced charge separation processes in varying compositions of poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT) blended with the electron acceptor [6,6]-phenyl-C61-butyric acid methyl ester (PCBM). Through the use of time-resolved terahertz spectroscopy, the time- and frequency-dependent complex photoconductivity is measured for samples with PCBM weight fractions (WPCBM) of 0, 0.2, 0.5, and 0.8. By analysis of the frequency-dependent complex conductivity, both the charge carrier yield and the average charge carrier mobility have been determined analytically and indicate a short (<0.2 nm) carrier mean free path and a suppressed long-range transport that is characteristic of carrier localization. Studies on pure films of P3HT demonstrate that charge carrier generation is an intrinsic feature of the polymer that occurs on the time scale of the excitation light, and this is attributed to the dissociation of bound polaron pairs that reside on adjacent polymer chains due to interchain charge transfer. Both interchain and interfacial charge transfer contribute to the measured photoconductivity from the blended samples; interfacial charge transfer increases as a function of increasing PCBM. The addition of PCBM to the polymer films surprisingly does not dramatically increase the production of charge carriers within the first 2 ps. However, charge carriers in the 0.2 and 0.5 blended films survive to much longer times than those in the P3HT and 0.8 films.     

聚丙烯酸修饰咔唑的电化学聚合及表征

合成了侧链带有咔唑的N-丙烯酰氧己基咔唑(MACZ),通过自由基聚合得到聚N-丙烯酰氧己基咔唑(PMACZ),在四氢呋喃含10%三氟化硼乙醚与四氟化硼四丁基胺的混合电解质溶液中,直接阳极氧化PMACZ获得自支撑交联网状的聚(聚N-丙烯酰氧己基咔唑)(PPMACZ)薄膜.PPMACZ薄膜具有良好的氧化还原性和热稳定性,电导率为1.34×10-5S·cm-1.1HNMR和红外光谱表明PMACZ二次聚合反应发生在咔唑单元的3,6位上,荧光光谱表明PPMACZ薄膜是一种良好的蓝色发光材料.     

Investigation of ion-bombarded conducting polymer films by scanning electrochemical microscopy (SECM)

Scanning electrochemical microscopy (SECM) was used to investigate the effect of ion bombardment on thin films of the conducting polymers poly[3-ethoxy-thiophene] (PEOT) and poly[ethylenedioxy-thiophene] (PEDT). Bombardment with Ar+-ions converts the topmost 30 nm thick layer to an essentially insulating material. SECM approach curves as well as two dimensional scans prove the existence of regions of different conductivity within the irradiated regions that did not show a significant dependence on ion dosage. PEDT layers patterned by ion bombardment through microscopic masks are investigated as prototypes of miniaturized printed circuit boards that can be formed by galvanic copper deposition onto conducting PEDT. Defects in conducting polymer patterns were analyzed by SECM imaging before any deposition of copper. Appropriate representations of SECM images for the evaluation of this technologically important question are discussed.     

Degradation of lignin by ozone. III. The fate of the carbohydrate matrix during the degradation of spruce protolignin by ozone

Solvent-extracted spruce wood meal was ozonized in 45% aqueous acetic acid at room temperature. The ozone-treated wood meal was then extracted with dilute alkali at 65°C for 1 h. Lignin, α-cellulose, and hemicellulose content and the viscosities of the pulped wood-meal samples were measured as a function of the time of ozonization. Results indicate that although the attack on the wood components by ozone is not selective in this medium cellulose and hemicelluloses are degraded slowly compared with lignin. Lignin degraded approximately four times faster than the carbohydrates. At the fiber liberation point the pulp retained 78% of the original hemicelluloses and about 90% of the α-cellulose compared with 25% of the lignin. The pulp samples obtained during ozonization of the wood meal showed a slow decrease in the average degree of polymerization (DP); the limit reached near 350 was attributed to the inaccessibility of the ordered regions in native cellulose to ozone.     

Gel processing of electrically conductive blends of poly(3-octylthiophene) and ultrahigh molecular weight polyethylene

The mechanical and electrical properties of solution-processed [or gel-spun] blends of poly(3-octylthiophene) and ultrahigh molecular weight polyethylene are discussed. Tensile drawing at elevated temperatures of the phase-separated blends resulted in significant improvements of the mechanical properties, in comparison with those of the neat conducting polymer, with values of the Young's modulus reaching > 40 GPa and tensile strengths in excess of 2 GPa. Doping of the undrawn polyblend fibers with iodine vapor or FeCl₃ resulted in materials of useful levels of electrical conductivity covering the full range of 10^?15 to 10 S/cm. A distinct percolation threshold for electrical conductivity was not observed, even at poly(3-octylthiophene) concentrations as low as 0.5 w/w %; the electrical conductivity of the latter blend, after doping with iodine vapor, was 8 × 10^?8 S/cm.     

Investigation of ion-bombarded conducting polymer films by scanning electrochemical microscopy (SECM)

Scanning electrochemical microscopy (SECM) was used to investigate the effect of ion bombardment on thin films of the conducting polymers poly[3-ethoxy-thiophene] (PEOT) and poly[ethylenedioxy-thiophene] (PEDT). Bombardment with Ar⁺-ions converts the topmost 30 nm thick layer to an essentially insulating material. SECM approach curves as well as two dimensional scans prove the existence of regions of different conductivity within the irradiated regions that did not show a significant dependence on ion dosage. PEDT layers patterned by ion bombardment through microscopic masks are investigated as prototypes of miniaturized printed circuit boards that can be formed by galvanic copper deposition onto conducting PEDT. Defects in conducting polymer patterns were analyzed by SECM imaging before any deposition of copper. Appropriate representations of SECM images for the evaluation of this technologically important question are discussed.