Molecular dynamics of poly(ATRIF) homopolymer and poly(AN-co-ATRIF) copolymer investigated by dielectric relaxation spectroscopy

Aiming to develop new dielectric polymers containing CN and F groups with strong dipole moments, a novel copolymer of acrylonitrile (AN) and 2,2,2-trifluoroethyl acrylate (ATRIF) was synthesized in acetonitrile by free radical process as well as the respective homopolymer (poly(ATRIF)). The copolymer’s composition and microstructure were analyzed by FTIR, ¹H and ¹³C NMR spectroscopy and SEC. The molar incorporation of AN determined in the copolymer by NMR was 58 mol%. Thermogravimetric analysis of poly(AN-co-ATRIF) copolymer showed good thermal stability comparatively to the fluorinated homopolymer.Both copolymer, poly(AN-co-ATRIF), and homopolymer, poly(ATRIF), were dielectrically characterized over a frequency range from 10⁻¹ to 10⁶ Hz, and in a temperature range from 223 to 393 K. The dominating relaxation process detected in both materials is the α-relaxation, associated with the dynamic glass transition. A VFTH temperature dependence of the relaxation times (τ) was found for both materials, as characteristic of cooperative processes, from which the respective glass transition temperatures (T_g(τ = 100 s)) were estimated, which differ ∼40 K, the one of the copolymer being higher (307 K) in accordance to the calorimetric analysis. This effect was attributed to a higher stiffness of the backbone in the copolymer originated by the inclusion of the acrylonitrile groups. Both relaxation functions have the same breath of relaxation times allowing constructing a single master curve, indicating similar non-exponential character. A less fragile behavior was found for the copolymer. This was rationalized in a more straightforward way by the free volume approach instead from a correlation between fragility and intermolecular coupling. It was found that in the copolymer the free volume increases at a lower rate with the temperature increase. It was inferred from the VFTH temperature dependence of the dc conductivity and low values of the decoupling index that ion motion is significantly influenced by the dynamics of the α-process.     

A note on ‘sub-Tg relaxation processes in poly(cyclohexylmethacrylate)’

We have critically examined the various relaxation processes occurring in poly(cyclohexylmethacrylate) using dielectric spectroscopy. In addition to the α- and γ-processes found earlier by other workers, we have detected a secondary (β-)process in the temperature range of 293-353 K with an activation energy of about 73 ± 5 kJ/mol.     

Molecular dynamics of amorphous/crystalline polymer blends studied by broadband dielectric spectroscopy

The molecular dynamics of poly(vinyl acetate), PVAc, and poly(hydroxy butyrate), PHB, as an amorphous/crystalline polymer blend has been investigated using broadband dielectric spectroscopy over wide ranges of frequency (10⁻² to 10⁵ Hz), temperature, and blend composition. Two dielectric relaxation processes were detected for pure PHB at high and low frequency ranges at a given constant temperature above the T_g. These two relaxation peaks are related to the α and α′ of the amorphous and rigid amorphous regions in the sample, respectively. The α′-relaxation process was found to be temperature and composition dependent and related to the constrained amorphous region located between adjacent lamellae inside the lamellar stacks. In addition, the α′-relaxation process behaves as a typical glass relaxation process, i.e., originated from the micro-Brownian cooperative reorientation of highly constraints polymeric segments. The α-relaxation process is related to the amorphous regions located between the lamellar crystals stacks. In the PHB/PVAc blends, only one α-relaxation process has been observed for all measured blends located in the temperature ranges between the T_g’s of the pure components. This last finding suggested that the relaxation processes of the two components are coupled together due to the small difference in the T_g’s (ΔT_g = 35 °C) and the favorable thermodynamics interaction between the two polymer components and consequently less dynamic heterogeneity in the blends. The T_g’s of the blends measured by DSC were followed a linear behavior with composition indicating that the two components are miscible over the entire range of composition. The α′-relaxation process was also observed in the blends of rich PHB content up to 30 wt% PHB. The molecular dynamics of α and α′-relaxation processes were found to be greatly influenced by blending, i.e., the dielectric strength, the peak broadness, and the dielectric loss peak maximum were found to be composition dependent. The dielectric measurements also confirmed the slowing down of the crystallization process of PHB in the blends.     

Interrelation between side chain crystallization and dynamic glass transitions in higher poly(n-alkyl methacrylates)

Calorimetric and dielectric results for crystallizable poly(n-alkyl methacrylates) (PnAMA) with C=12, 16 and 18 alkyl carbons per side chain are presented. Degree of crystallization D_cal and melting peak temperature T_M are estimated from conventional DSC measurements. For poly(n-hexadecyl methacrylate) (C=16) the influence of isothermal crystallization is studied by DSC as well as TMDSC. Changes in dielectric relaxation strength Δε and α peak shape during crystallization are investigated. Effects of side chain crystallization on the complex dynamics of PnAMA are discussed. The results are related to the relaxation behavior of lower nanophase-separated PnAMA with two co-existing glass transitions, the conventional glass transition (a or α) and the polyethylene-like glass transition (α_PE) within alkyl nanodomains formed by aggregated alkyl rests. It is shown that amorphous as well as semicrystalline PnAMA can be understood as nanophase-separated polymers with alkyl nanodomains having a typical dimension of 1-2 nm. The results are compared with the predictions of simple morphological pictures for side chain polymers. X-ray scattering data for the amorphous and semicrystalline PnAMA are included in the discussion. Common aspects of nanophase-separated systems in both states as well as differences caused by crystallization are discussed. Indications for the existence of rigid amorphous regions are compiled. Different approaches to explain a similar increase of T_g(α_PE)—the glass temperature of the amorphous alkyl nanodomains—and T_M—the melting temperature of crystalline alkyl nanodomains—with side chain length are considered. Pros and cons of both approaches, based on increasing order within the alkyl nanodomains and confinement effects in nanophase-separated systems, are discussed. Main trends concerning crystallization and cooperative dynamics are compared with those in other systems with self-assembled nanometer confinements like microphase-separated blockcopolymers or semicrystalline main chain polymers.     

Prediction of molecular weight and density of n-alkanes (C6-C44)

Heavy n-alkanes and their mixtures were characterized by high temperature-simulated distillation using gas chromatography with a capillary column. In this work, the atmospheric boiling point is determined by the HT-SimDis GC method. In this study, molecular weights and density of n-alkanes were evaluated with this method by using retention times and normal boiling points as input data. ASTM D2887 calibration mixture containing 17 n-alkanes in the C₆-C₄₄ range were used for qualitative analyses. Retention times (t_R) of n-alkanes were measured with this method. The other input data that normal boiling points (T_b) and molecular weight (M) had been taken in the literature. Experimental densities (at 20 °C) of n-alkanes were obtained from API Research Projects. Empirical molecular weight and density correlations were developed by using the nonlinear and multiple regressions with correlation coefficients. The results of calculations were compared with experimental data. Normal boiling point predictions were obtained as an average absolute deviation of 1.07%. Molecular weight and density results were evaluated as average absolute deviations of 0.68% and 0.21%, respectively.     

Studies of polymer solvation by dielectric relaxation spectroscopy II: Polyethylene glycol in methyl pyrrolidone

Frequency domain dielectric spectroscopy (30 MHz to 72 GHz) is utilized to study solvation in polyethylene glycol (PEG) — methyl pyrrolidone (MPy) mixtures over the whole mixture range at 20 °C, in particular with PEG 200. Further pure PEGs (200 to 400) and butyl glycol (in the pure state and in benzene and n-hexane solution) are considered for comparison to facilitate the assessment of PEG relaxational behavior. It turns out that the PEG-MPy mixtures can be described in terms of a simple solvation model which takes into account only the bulk and the solvating solvent state. The solvation number per repeat unit is about 0.85 in the dilute solution limit. It decreases gradually with increasing PEG concentration in accordance with a solvation equilibrium model.     

Macromolecular dynamics of sulfonated poly(styrene-b-ethylene-ran-butylene-b-styrene) block copolymers by broadband dielectric spectroscopy

Macromolecular dynamics of sulfonated poly(styrene-b-ethylene-ran-butylene-b-styrene) (sSEBS) triblock copolymers were investigated using broadband dielectric spectroscopy (BDS). Two main relaxations corresponding to the glass transitions in the EB and S block phases were identified and their temperature dependences were VFT-like. T_g for the S block phase shifted to higher temperature due to restrictions on chain mobility caused by hydrogen bonded SO₃H groups. While the EB block phase T_g appeared to remain constant with degree of sulfonation in DMA experiments, it shifted somewhat upward in BDS spectra. A low temperature relaxation beneath the glass transition of the EB block phase was attributed to short range chain motions. The Kramers–Krönig integral transformation was used to calculate conductivity-free loss permittivity spectra from real permittivity spectra to enhance true relaxation peaks. A loss permittivity peak tentatively assigned to relaxation of internal S-EB interfacial polarization was seen at temperatures above the S block phase glass transition, and the temperature dependence of this relaxation was VFT-like. The fragilities of the EB and S block domains in sulfonated SEBS decreased after sulfonation. The temperature dependence of the dc conduction contribution to sSEBS loss spectra also followed VFT-like behavior and S block segmental relaxation time correlated well with conductivity according to the fractional Debye–Stokes–Einstein equation.     

Confinement and surface effects on the molecular dynamics of a nematic mixture investigated by dielectric relaxation spectroscopy

Broadband dielectric spectroscopy (10(-2)-10(9) Hz) was employed to investigate the molecular dynamics of the liquid crystalline mixture E7 confined in both untreated and lecithin-treated 20 nm Anopore membranes. Because E7 does not crystallize, it was possible to cover a temperature range of more than 200 K, providing an exhaustive dielectric characterization of a liquid crystal confined to Anopore membranes for the first time. In the nematic state, the tumbling (alpha-) and the delta-relaxation are observed, also under confinement conditions. The analysis of their relative intensities give that the orientation of the E7 molecules is preferentially axial in untreated but opposite radial in lecithin-treated pores. The radial alignment of the liquid crystals in the modified membrane is understood as a tail-to-tail conformation of E7 molecules imposed by the adsorbed lecithin molecules. The relaxation rate of the alpha-process is enhanced for E7 confined in native Anopore compared with the bulk and E7 in treated pores. This is interpreted as resulting from a less dense molecular packing of E7 in the middle of the pore compared to the bulk. In both untreated and treated membranes, the relaxation rate of the delta-process is higher than in the bulk, and the values of the respective Vogel-Fulcher-Tammann temperatures depend on the actual surface treatment. Additionally, a surface process, due to molecular fluctuations of molecules within an adsorbed layer at the pore wall, was detected.     

Effect of inorganic phase on polymeric relaxation dynamics in PMMA/silica hybrids studied by dielectric analysis

Dielectric relaxation spectroscopy was used to investigate the effect of the inorganic phase on the polymeric relaxation dynamics in PMMA/silica hybrids synthesized in situ via sol-gel processes. It was found that the large-scale molecular motions of PMMA were influenced by the addition of silica, inducing longer mean relaxation times, more heterogeneous relaxing environments and the higher activation energy. Explanations based on hydrogen-bond interactions between two phases and a fraction of entrapped chain segments in silica networks were proposed to understand the influence of the silica.     

Observation of multiple phase transitions in some even n-alkanes using a high resolution and super-sensitive DSC

The phase transitions of even n-alkanes, n-C₃₄H₇₀, n-C₃₆H₇₄, n-C₄₀H₈₂ and n-C₄₂H₈₆ with high purity have been measured using a high resolution and super-sensitive DSC. A new transition in the low temperature phase was observed in all the samples in the heating run. The surface freezing phenomenon was observed by thermal measurement for the first time in all the samples both in the heating and in the cooling run. The difference of the thermal behaviors between the heating and cooling run was also observed in all the samples.     

Pervaporation of dichloromethane from multicomponent aqueous systems containing n-butanol and sodium chloride

In this paper, pervaporation (PV) of dichloromethane (DCM) from binary and multicomponent systems at different feed concentrations and temperatures using a commercial hydrophobic membrane CMX-GF-010-D (CELFA AG, Switzerland) is reported. Coupling effects are studied by permeating DCM/n-butanol/water ternary mixtures. The effect of sodium chloride on the process performance is also evaluated by PV of ternary DCM/sodium chloride/water and quaternary DCM/n-butanol/sodium chloride/water mixtures. PV performance was evaluated by permeate flux and enrichment factor. Further, permeance was calculated for pure water, DCM/water and DCM/n-butanol/water systems at 40 °C.     

On the α relaxation of the constrained amorphous phase in poly(ethylene)

The idea of coexistence of two different amorphous fractions in semi-crystalline poly(ethylene) (PE) is taken into consideration. Differential scanning calorimetry, dynamic mechanical thermal analysis and positron annihilation were used to study the effect of supermolecular structure on the glass transition associated with ‘semi-ordered’ amorphous phase. The arrangement of chains, located in this phase, is forced internally by the presence of crystalline domains. Influence of drawing, irradiation and annealing on thermodynamic and structural parameters was investigated. In a series of experiments the correlation between the glass transition, the α relaxation and the free volume of a semi-crystalline system was found. In order to better describe the relaxation, existence of two types of amorphous fractions was assumed. The relaxations are treated as a long-scale motion of macromolecule segments located into the ‘semi-ordered’ amorphous regions, or into the ‘real’ amorphous regions, and are labelled as α_c and α_g, respectively. The magnitudes of the loss peaks were quite sensitive to the free volume, which was found to increase by drawing and decrease by irradiation. Two different DSC traces were recorded for both glass transitions.     

The effects of urea and n-propanol on collagen denaturation: using DSC, circular dicroism and viscosity

The effect of urea and n-propanol on circular dichroism (CD) and viscosity of purified type1 collagen solution at various temperatures and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) of rat-tail tendon (RTT) collagen fibre have been studied. CD reveals a spectrum with a positive peak at around 220 nm and a negative peak at 200 nm characteristics of collagen triple helix. The molar ellipticity decreases as the concentration of urea increases up to particular concentration (collagen solution treated with 265 μM of urea) and after that it increases (collagen solution treated with 500 μM of urea). There is a linear decrease in molar ellipticity as the concentration of n-propanol increases. Denaturation temperature of urea and n-propanol treated with purified collagen solution has been studied using viscosity method. Additives such as urea and n-propanol decrease the thermal stability of collagen triple helix in solution and in RTT collagen fibre. Thermal helix to coil transition of urea and n-propanol treated collagen depends on the degree of hydration and the concentration of these additives. Thermodynamic parameters such as the peak temperature, enthalpy of activation, and energy of activation for collagen-gelatin transition for native, urea and n-propanol treated RTT collagen fibre has been calculated using DSC. The change in the thermodynamic parameters has been observed for native, urea and n-propanol treated RTT collagen fibres. The experimental results show that the change in the water structure, dehydration and desolvation induced by different additives such as urea and n-propanol on RTT may vary with the type of denaturation.     

Supramolecular interaction of cucurbit[n]urils and coptisine by spectrofluorimetry and its analytical application

The supramolecular interaction of a homologous series of cucurbit[n]uril (CB[n], n = 5, 6, 7, 8) hosts and coptisine (COP) was studied by spectrofluorimetry. All of the CB[n]s were found to react with COP to form 1:1 host-guest stable complexes and the fluorescence intensity of the complexes was greatly enhanced. The apparent association constants of the complexes were 1.44 × 10⁴, 1.28 × 10⁴, 1.86 × 10⁴ and 1.26 × 10⁴ L mol⁻¹ for CB[5], CB[6], CB[7] and CB[8], respectively. In addition, CB[5] and CB[7] exhibited a higher fluorescence signal than CB[6] and CB[8]. The fluorescence intensity of the complex with CB[7] was enhanced 70-fold compared to that of the studied drug itself. Based on the significant enhancement of fluorescence intensity of supramolecular complex, a simple, rapid, highly sensitive, and selective spectrofluorimetric method was developed for the determination of COP in aqueous solution in the presence of CB[7]. At the optimum reaction conditions, a linear relationship was obtained in the range from 0.05 to 1700 ng mL⁻¹ with a detection limit of 0.012 ng mL⁻¹. The proposed method was successfully applied for the determination of the drug in urine and serum samples.     

Tuning of the nitronyl nitroxide radical magnetic and electronic properties by inclusion in cucurbit[n]urils

A nitronyl nitroxide, 2-(benzimidazolyl)-4,4,5,5,-tetramethylimidazolidinyl-3-oxide-1-oxy, 1 and its imino nitroxide analog 2, have been included in cucurbit[n]urils, CBn (n = 7,8), as their hydrochlorides and neutral compounds as well. The hydrochlorides form soluble 1:1 complexes. In the solid state the paramagnetic centers are well isolated and magnetic interactions are cancelled out in contrast to what is observed for the pure nitroxides. The two inclusion complexes involving 1 were characterized by X-ray crystallography. When they were heated in the solid state, one observed a clean conversion of the nitronyl nitroxide guest, 1, into its analog 2.     

Thermodynamic study of the n-octane-1-pentanol-sodium dodecyl sulfate solutions in water

The thermodynamic properties, PVTx (T_S, P_S, ρ_S), (∂P/∂T)_VX, and C_VVTx, of three microemulsions (water + n-octane + sodium dodecylsulfate + 1-pentanol) with composition of solution-1: 0.0777 (H₂O):0.6997 (n-C₈H₁₈):0.0777 (SDS):0.1449 (1-C₅H₁₁OH) mass fraction; solution-2: 0.6220 (H₂O):0.1555 (n-C₈H₁₈):0.0777 (SDS):0.1448 (1-C₅H₁₁OH) mass fraction; and solution-3: 0.2720 (H₂O):0.5054 (n-C₈H₁₈):0.0777 (SDS):0.1449 (1-C₅H₁₁OH) mass fraction were measured. Sodium dodecylsulfate (SDS) was used as an ionic surfactant, 1-pentanol used as stabilizer (cosurfactant), and n-octane as oil component in aqueous solution. A high-temperature, high-pressure, adiabatic, and nearly constant-volume calorimeter supplemented by quasi-static thermogram technique was used for the measurements. Measurements were made at eight densities (isochores) between 475.87 and 919.03 kg m⁻³. The range of temperature was from 275 to 536 K and pressure range was up to 138 bar. Uncertainty of the pressure, density, derivative (∂P/∂T)_VX, and heat capacity measurements are estimated to be 0.25%, 0.02%, 0.12-1.5%, and 2.5%, respectively. Temperatures at liquid-gas phase transition curve, T_S(ρ), for each measured densities (isochores) were determined using a quasi-static thermogram technique. The uncertainty of the phase transition temperature measurements is about ±0.02 K. The effect of temperature, density, and concentration on the heat capacity of the microemulsions is discussed. Along the isochore of 438.40 kg m⁻³ at temperatures above 525.44 K for the first solution the precipitation of the solid phase (SDS) was found.     

Rapid analysis of Radix puerariae by near-infrared spectroscopy

A new, rapid analytical method using near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) was developed to differentiate two species of Radix puerariae (GG), Pueraria lobata (YG) and Pueraria thomsonii (FG), and to determine the contents of puerarin, daidzin and total isoflavonoid in the samples. Five isoflavonoids, puerarin, daidzin, daidzein, genistin and genistein were analyzed simultaneously by high-performance liquid chromatography-diode array detection (HPLC-DAD). The total isoflavonoid content was exploited as critical parameter for successful discrimination of the two species. Scattering effect and baseline shift in the NIR spectra were corrected and the spectral features were enhanced by several pre-processing methods. By using linear discriminant analysis (LDA) and soft independent modeling class analogy (SIMCA), samples were separated successfully into two different clusters corresponding to the two GG species. Furthermore, sensitivity and specificity of the classification models were determined to evaluate the performance. Finally, partial least squares (PLS) regression was used to build the correlation models. The results showed that the correlation coefficients of the prediction models are R = 0.970 for the puerarin, R = 0.939 for daidzin and R = 0.969 for total isoflavonoid. The outcome showed that NIRS can serve as routine screening in the quality control of Chinese herbal medicine (CHM).     

Influence of size and shape effects on the high-pressure solubility of n-alkanes: Experimental data, correlation and prediction

(Solid + liquid) phase equilibria (SLE) of (n-hexadecane, or n-octadecane + 3-methylpentane, or 2,2-dimethylbutane, or benzene) at very high pressures up to about 1.0 GPa have been investigated at the temperature range from T = (293 to 353) K. The thermostated apparatus for the measurements of transition pressures from the liquid to the solid state in two component isothermal solutions was used. The pressure-temperature-composition relation of the high pressure (solid + liquid) phase equilibria, polynomial based on the general solubility equation at atmospheric pressure was satisfactorily used. Additionally, the SLE of binary systems (n-hexadecane, or n-octadecane + 3-methylpentane, or 2,2-dimethylbutane, or benzene, or n-hexane or cyclohexane) at normal pressure was discussed. The results at high pressures were compared for every system to these at normal pressure. The influence of the size and shape effects on the solubility at 0.1 MPa and high pressure up to 600 MPa was discussed.The main aim of this work was to predict the mixture behaviour using only pure components data and cubic equation of state in the wide range of pressures, far above the pressure range which cubic equations of state are normally applied to. The fluid phase behaviour is described by the corrected SRK-EOS and the van der Waals one fluid mixing rules.     

Study of robustness based on n-way models in the spectrofluorimetric determination of tetracyclines in milk when quenching exists

An important step in the validation of an analytical procedure is the study of its robustness. In the case of spectrofluorimetric determinations, quenching introduces specific problems which are approached in this paper for the particular case of tetracyclines determination in milk. Quenching can be detected with excitation emission matrices (EEM) signals and a three-way Parallel Factor (PARAFAC) decomposition and modelled by means of a four-way PARAFAC decomposition which reproduces the physical model of this effect.The robustness of the method is evaluated by including changes in seven experimental variables: trichloroacetic acid (TCA) volume solution used in the precipitation of milk proteins, revolutions per minute, time and temperature in the centrifugation step, pH and emission-excitation slit width in the fluorimetric analyte determination and the analyst. The robustness analysis is carried out by means of a Plackett-Burman experimental design as it is suggested by European Decision 2002/657/EC (European Decision (EC) No. 2002/657/EC of 12 August 2002, implementing Council Directive 96/23/EC, concerning the performance of analytical methods and the interpretation of results, Off. J.L 221, 17/8/2002, 8). The analyte concentration will be taken as response in the Plackett-Burman experimental design instead of the signal as it is habitual in these cases. Therefore, a three-way Partial Least Squares (3-PLS) calibration models with EEM signal is needed.When an analogous study is carried out for tetracycline (TC) in the absence of chlorotetracycline (CTC) as interferent, univariate calibration is employed, being able to conclude that in the robustness analysis, different factors are significantly active when quenching exists.     

Cl/Cl isotope effects in Rh NMR of [RhCln(H2O)6−n] complex anions in hydrochloric acid solution as a unique ‘NMR finger-print’ for unambiguous speciation

A detailed analysis of the ³⁵Cl/³⁷Cl isotope effects observed in the 19.11 MHz ¹⁰³Rh NMR resonances of [RhCl_n(H₂O)_6−n]³⁻ⁿ complexes (n = 3–6) in acidic solution at 292.1 K, shows that the ‘fine structure’ of each ¹⁰³Rh resonance can be understood in terms of the unique isotopologue and in certain instances the isotopomer distribution in each complex. These ³⁵Cl/³⁷Cl isotope effects in the ¹⁰³Rh NMR resonance of the [Rh^35/37Cl₆]³⁻ species manifest only as a result of the statistically expected ³⁵Cl/³⁷Cl isotopologues, whereas for the aquated species such as for example [Rh^35/37Cl₅(H₂O)]²⁻, cis-[Rh^35/37Cl₄(H₂O)₂]⁻ as well as the mer-[Rh^35/37Cl₃(H₂O)₃] complexes, additional fine-structure due to the various possible isotopomers within each class of isotopologues, is visible. Of interest is the possibility of the direct identification of stereoisomers cis-[RhCl₄(H₂O)₂]⁻, trans-[RhCl₄(H₂O)₂]⁻, fac-[RhCl₃(H₂O)₃] and mer-[RhCl₃(H₂O)₃] based on the ¹⁰³Rh NMR line shape, other than on the basis of their very similar δ(¹⁰³Rh) chemical shift. The ¹⁰³Rh NMR resonance structure thus serves as a novel and unique ‘NMR-fingerprint’ leading to the unambiguous assignment of [RhCl_n(H₂O)_6−n]³⁻ⁿ complexes (n = 3–6), without reliance on accurate δ(¹⁰³Rh) chemical shifts.