A Universal Blown Film Apparatus for in Situ X-ray Measurements

A setup of blown film machine combined with in situ synchrotron radiation X-ray diffraction measurements and infrared temperature testing is reported to study the structure evolution of polymers during film blowing.Two homemade auto-lifters are constructed and placed under the blown machine at each end of the beamline platform which move up and down with a speed of 0.05 mm/s bearing the 200 kg weight machine.Therefore,structure development and temperature changes as a function of position on the film bubble can be obtained.The blown film machine is customized to be conveniently installed with precise servo motors and can adjust the processing parameters in a wide range.Meanwhile,the air ring has been redesigned in order to track the structure information of the film bubble immediately after the melt being extruded out from the die exit.Polyethylene (PE) is selected as a model system to verify the feasibility of the apparatus and the in situ experimental techniques.Combining structure information provided by the WAXD and SAXS and the actual temperature obtained from the infrared probe,a full roadmap of structure development during film blowing is constructed and it is helpful to explore the molecular mechanism of structure evolution behind the film blowing processing,which is expected to lead to a better understanding of the physics in polymer processing.     

A real-time WAXS and SAXS study of the structural evolution of LLDPE bubble

The structural evolution during the linear low-density polyethylene (LLDPE) film blowing has been studied with a combination of home-made blown film apparatus and in situ WAXS and SAXS measurements. Analyzing the evolution of orientation parameters and crystallinity of the bubble shows that the blown film process can be divided into four regions. Distinctly different features of LLDPE bubble are observed in first three regions: (a) lower orientation parameters during the blown film process, (b) higher crystallinity is required to form a deformable crystalline crosslinked network, and (c) the weaker stretching effect and the difficulty of reaching equilibrium when the crystal network deforms. These results should provide a basis for understanding the poor blown film stability of LLDPE. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part B: Polym. Phys. 2018 , 56, 1404–1412     

<Emphasis Type="Italic">In Situ</Emphasis> Synchrotron Radiation Techniques: Watching Deformation-induced Structural Evolutions of Polymers

Synchrotron radiation (SR) provides highly brilliant light with tunable wavelength from hard X-ray to far infrared, on which scattering, spectroscopy and imaging techniques with high time and spatial resolutions have been developed for in situ study on biological system and materials like polymer. With examples on flow-induced crystallization of polymer, deformation of nanoparticle filler network in rubber composite and necking propagation in tensile stretch, current work attempts to demonstrate the advantages of in situ synchrotron radiation X-ray scattering, X-ray nano-CT and infrared imaging in the study of deformation-induced multi-scale structural evolutions of polymers. With time resolution up to sub-ms, synchrotron radiation is expected to play a great role in understanding non-equilibrium polymer physics under processing and service conditions, while high-throughput characterization platform based on synchrotron radiation opens the possibility to establish polymer Materials Genome database in processing parameter space within reasonable time, which can serve as the roadmap for industrial polymer processing and accelerate material innovation.     

Towards the optimization of carbon nanotube properties via <Emphasis Type="Italic">in situ</Emphasis> and <Emphasis Type="Italic">ex situ</Emphasis> studies of the growth mechanism

The synthesis conditions of multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) indirectly determine their application potential through the decisive role in the characteristics of individual tubes: diameter distribution, structure and defectiveness of graphene walls, the amount of metal impurities and amorphous carbon. In the present work, we have studied the influence of the catalyst composition and synthesis conditions on the diameter distribution and the structure of nanotube walls. We have observed the influence of the particle size for MWCNT synthesis (i.e. size effect) on catalytic activity by ex situ and in situ techniques: in situ X-ray diffraction on synchrotron radiation (SRXRD), gas chromatography, and ex situ transmission electron microscopy. The data obtained by in situ SRXRD are in agreement with the results collected using laboratory tubular fix-bed catalytic reactor allowing thereby extending the applicability of the approach. For the first time we have shown the increase of the fraction of graphene walls in the total MWCNT diameter with time.     

Phase-equilibrium and cellulose-coagulation kinetics for cellulose solutions in <Emphasis Type="Italic">N</Emphasis>-methylmorpholine-<Emphasis Type="Italic">N</Emphasis>-oxide

The dissolution of cellulose in N-methylmorpholine-N-oxide monohydrate and the dissolution of N-methylmorpholine-N-oxide monohydrate in water have been studied via optical interferometry. A part of the phase diagram for the cellulose/N-methylmorpholine-N-oxide system has been constructed. The phase diagram is characterized by crystalline equilibrium, hysteresis of the melting temperatures of the solvents, and a region of anisotropy. Optical interferometry has been used for the first time to study the kinetics of cellulose coagulation during the interaction of cellulose solutions in N-methylmorpholine-N-oxide with water and water solutions of N-methylmorpholine-N-oxide. Information on the values of interdiffusion coefficients and the morphologies of the resulting cellulose films has been obtained. The possibility to use optical interferometry to analyze the interaction of a solution with the coagulating agent in the case of cellulose fiber and film formation has been demonstrated. The influences of temperature, the nature of the coagulating agent, and the cellulose content on the kinetics of the process and morphologies of the formed films have been shown. The use of N-methylmorpholine-N-oxide as a part of the coagulation system decreases the rate of interdiffusion of solutions, thereby resulting in a more uniform and dense morphology of cellulose films. Increased temperature causes diffusion acceleration, thereby leading to the formation of an anisotropic morphology of the cellulose films.     

Preparation of starch-<Emphasis Type="Italic">g</Emphasis>-PMMA,starch-<Emphasis Type="Italic">g</Emphasis>-P(MMA/BMA) and starch-<Emphasis Type="Italic">g</Emphasis>-P(MMA/MA) nanoparticles and their reinforcing effect on natural rubber by latex blending: a comparative study

Nanoparticles including starch-graft-methylmethacrylate, starch-graft-(methylmethacrylate/methyl acrylate), starch-graft-(methyl methacrylate/butyl methacrylate) were synthesized via emulsifier-free emulsion polymerization and were blended with natural rubber latex at various mass ratios. Chemical structure of graft copolymers was confirmed by Fourier transform infrared. Transmission electron microscopy demonstrated the core-shell structures of the nanoparticles distributed uniformly around the natural rubble particles. The tensile strength of blend films was significantly enhanced by addition of graft copolymers. Besides, scanning electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy showed the blend film had smooth surface.     

Conductive polymer nanocomposites containing <Emphasis Type="Italic">in situ</Emphasis> ultra-fine metal particles

A conductive polymeric composite containing in situ ultra-fine metal particles is prepared by melt blending. Incorporation of elastomeric nano-particles and carbon nanotubes hinders the coalescing of metal particles and causes a shift to the breakup direction in the breakup/coalescence equilibrium of metal particles. The prime metal particles (about 26 μm) are in situ converted into the ultra-fine metal particles (UFMP, about 932 nm). The network of carbon nanotubes has been improved due to in situ ultra-fine metal particles and the percolation threshold of the composite with 1.96 vol% UFMP is only 0.25 vol% carbon nanotubes.     

Physical properties and processing conditions correlations of the ldpe/lldpe tubular blown films

Experiments are carried out to verify a theory developed to correlate the strain history of the polymer during film blowing to the ultimate physical properties of the film. The theory predicts that the amount of strain put into the film once it starts to freeze, defined as strain in the amorphous region and the plastic strain, has a dominant effect on the film properties. Two grades of low and linear low density polyethylene, experimental resins supplied by Mobil chemical company, were used to produce the blown film yielding a 1.25 mil film at the for all experimental runs. Film surface and bulk temperatures, along the machine direction and around the bubble, were measured using the infra-red techniques to identify the points where film starts to crystallize. A video digitization technique was used to measure the bubble kinematics. Film properties were measured using standard ASTM methods. The results indicate a correlation between the amount of strain and a measure of stress with ultimate physical properties of the blown film. This principle leads to the correlation of both the machine and transverse film properties on the same surface. The results obtained can potentially be exploited by designing the blown-film equipment and processing conditions such that optimal bubble stretching produces desired film properties.     

Temperature-dependent <Emphasis Type="Italic">β</Emphasis>-crystal growth in isotactic polypropylene with <Emphasis Type="Italic">β</Emphasis>-nucleating agent after shear flow

In our current work, the effect of the shear temperature on the growth of β-crystal in isotactic polypropylene (iPP) with β-nucleating agent is investigated by means of in situ two-dimensional wide-angle X-ray diffraction (2D-WAXD). At low shear temperatures, the formed shear-induced oriented precursors are hard to relax back to random coiled state due to the weak mobility of molecular chains. Therefore, plenty of oriented α-crystals are induced by shear-induced oriented precursors, while β-crystal is greatly depressed. As the shear temperature increases, oriented β-crystal gradually increases along with the decrease of α-crystal. It is deduced that the shear temperature at which the content of β-crystal increases to the (maximum) value found in quiescent crystallization is almost the same as that at which the accelerating effect of flow on crystallization kinetics is completely erased. Our work manifests its significance in regulating β-crystal and thus in the structure and property manipulation of iPP.     

Structure and Reactivity of Bicyclo[2.2.1]hept-2-ene-<Emphasis Type="Italic">endo</Emphasis>-5,<Emphasis Type="Italic">endo</Emphasis>-6-dicarboxylic (endic) Acid Hydrazide

Establishing of the structure of hydrazinolysis product obtained from bicyclo[2.2.1]hept-2-ene-endo-5, endo-6-dicarboxylic (endic) acid was performed by preparation of the compound under alternative conditions followed by comparison of the characteristics and spectral parameters of the resulting substances, and also by quantum-chemical calculations by the density functional method of the chemical shifts in ¹H and ¹³C NMR spectra of different reaction products. The X-ray diffraction analysis of the hydrazide was also carried out. The compound obtained was assigned a structure of N-aminobicyclo[2.2.1] hept-2-ene-endo-5,endo-6-dicarboximide. The products were prepared by its reactions with arylsulfonyl chlorides, benzoyl chlorides, m-tolyl and p-toluene-sulfonyl isocyanates, phenyl isothiocyanate, with o-nitrobenzaldehyde, and oxiranes (1,2-epoxycyclohexane and 2,3-epoxypropylcarbazole). The aromatic sulfonamides, carboxamides, and ureas were epoxidized by performic acid obtained in situ from the formic acid and hydrogen peroxide. Products of [3+2]-cycloaddition of aryl azides to the strained double bond in the N-aminobicyclo[2.2.1] hept-2-ene-endo-5,endo-6-dicarboximide and its derivatives. The structures of compounds obtained were confirmed by their IR, 1H and 13C NMR spectra.     

WO<Subscript>3</Subscript> films prepared by thermal oxidation of magnetron-sputtered tungsten: Synthesis and properties

X-ray powder diffraction shows that a monoclinic WO_2.90 film is formed during the thermal oxidation of 200-nm-thick magnetron-sputtered metallic tungsten on quartz substrates at T = 793 K. Temperature elevation to T = 840 K yields orthorhombic WO₃ with preferred (001) orientation. Adsorption spectroscopy shows that these films have high transparency (～90%) in the wavelength range 450–900 nm, and interference is observed in the transparency range. Two types of transitions are discovered: indirect transitions with the energies E _gi = 2.77 and 2.41 eV and direct transitions with the energies E _gd = 5.49 and 4.82 eV for the oxide films formed at 793 and 840 K, respectively. The tendency toward the increase in the transition energy with increasing annealing temperature proves that the crystallinity and order of the film improve.     

Synthesis of <Emphasis Type="Italic">P,N</Emphasis>-protected phosphinic pseudoprolylglycine block

The phosphine block N-Cbz-Pro-ψ[P(O)(OAd)CH₂]-GlyOH has been synthesized for subsequent peptide assembly. A procedure has been proposed for the preparation of phosphorus prolylglycine isostere by three-center two-component amide version of the Kabachnik–Fields reaction. A combination of amide and carbonyl fragments in the molecule of 4-N-Cbz-aminobutyraldehyde makes it possible to accomplish cyclization with generation in situ of a cyclic pyrrolidine Schiff base, followed by Arbuzov phosphorylation of the latter with diacetyl 2-(ethoxycarbonyl)ethyl phosphonite generated in situ.     

Multicomponent Synthesis of 4-Alkyl(Aryl,Hetaryl)-2-alkoxycarbonyl(aroyl,carbamoyl)- 3,6-diamino-5-cyanothieno[2,3-<Emphasis Type="Italic">b</Emphasis>]pyridines

The condensation of malononitrile with hydrogen sulfide and aldehydes in the presence of triethylamine in ethanol at room temperature afforded 4-alkyl(aryl, hetaryl)-2,6-diamino-3,5-dicyano-4H-thiopyrans. Treatment of the latter in situ with alkali in DMF, followed by addition of an alkylating agent, led to the formation of 4-alkyl(aryl, hetaryl)-2-alkoxycarbonyl(aroyl, carbamoyl)-3,6-diamino-5-cyanothieno[2,3-b]- pyridines.     

Organic-inorganic hybrid perovskite (C<Subscript>6</Subscript>H<Subscript>5</Subscript>(CH<Subscript>2</Subscript>)<Subscript>2</Subscript>NH<Subscript>3</Subscript>)<Subscript>2</Subscript>CdCl<Subscript>4</Subscript>: Synthesis,structural and thermal properties

The present research work reports the study on crystal structure, vibrational spectroscopy and thermal analysis of organic-inorganic hybrid compound (C₆H₅(CH₂)₂NH₃)₂CdCl₄. Single crystals of bis(phenethylammonium)tetrachlorocadmate (C₆H₅(CH₂)₂NH₃)₂CdCl₄ (PEA–Cd) were obtained by diffusion at room temperature. This compound crystallizes in the orthorhombic space group C2cb with unit cell parameters a = 7.4444(2) Å, b = 38.8965(3) Å, c = 7.3737(2) Å and Z = 4. Single crystal structure has been solved and refined to R = 0.036 and wR = 0.092. The structure consists of an extended [CdCl₄]^2– network and two [C₆H₅(CH₂)₂NH₃]⁺ cations to form a two-dimensional perovskite system. The infrared (IR) spectrum of the title compound was recorded at room temperature. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) was used to investigate the phase transition; this compound exhibits a reversible single solid-solid phase transition.     

Internal rotation potential functions of the acryloyl chloride molecule in the ground (<Emphasis Type="Italic">S</Emphasis><Subscript>0</Subscript>) and excited (<Emphasis Type="Italic">S</Emphasis><Subscript>1</Subscript>) electronic states

The internal rotation potential function of the acryloyl chloride molecule in the S ₀ and S ₁ electronic states was reproduced using systems of torsional vibration levels obtained for its trans and cis isomers by analyzing the vibrational structure of the UV spectrum of the molecule. The kinematic factor F in the S ₀ ground state was calculated including geometric parameter relaxation as a function of internal rotation angle. The torsional potential parameters in the S ₀ state obtained in this work were substantially different from those determined from the infrared Fourier-transform spectrum ignoring the resonance perturbation of the level with v = 3. The form of the internal rotation potential function and the higher stability of the trans isomer (the main isomer) were substantiated by high-level quantum-mechanical calculations.     

Structure of valence band in cluster model for cytochrome-<Emphasis Type="Italic">c</Emphasis>-oxidase active centers

The electron structure of cluster model for active centers of cytochrome-c-oxidase has been calculated by DFT (PBE) method in 6-31G basis. The cluster model was constructed on the basis of experimental PDB-structure and included 1105 hemoprotein atoms. The valence band ceiling of cytochromeoxidase active centers is shown to be formed by the atoms of carbon and nitrogen from porphyrin ring of cytochrome heme a₃ and atoms of carbon and nitrogen from imidazol moieties of histidine connected with Cu atom in cytochrome a₃. D-orbitals of Cu and Fe atoms from heme a₃ and d-orbital of Fe atom from heme a contribute mainly to the orbital group. A conclusion is made that the catalytic activity of the structure is determined by these two types of orbitals. Cu d-orbitals of cytochrome a are substantially low in energy. It is suggested that Cu atoms of cytochrome a shift the chemical potential of d-orbitals belonging to the active center that results in their easier electron accepting and releasing. This can be a decisive factor in the electron transport process.     

Phase transition temperature controllable poly(acrylamide-<Emphasis Type="Italic">co</Emphasis>-acrylic acid) nanocomposite physical hydrogels with high strength

Poly(acrylamide-co-acrylic acid) nanocomposite physical (P(AAm-co-AAc)NCP) hydrogels have been prepared through the in situ free radical solution polymerization based on a “single network, dual cross-linkings” strategy. The P(AAm-co-AAc) NCP hydrogels are composed of nanobrushes of P(AAm-co-AAc) chains grafted on the surface of vinylhybrid silica nanoparticles (VSNPs). In the hydrogel system, the VSNPs act as the “analogous chemical cross-linking points” once the hydrogen bonds formed between the P(AAm-co-AAc) chains of the nanobrushes, thus leading to the fabrication of high-strength P(AAm-co-AAc) NCP hydrogels. Compared with conventional thermosensitive P(AAm-co-AAc) hydrogels, the P(AAm-co-AAc) NCP hydrogels have a broader range of phase transition temperature, which can be adjusted by altering the monomer ratio, the VSNPs concentration, the addition of urea and N,N-dimethylacrylamide (DMAAm). At the same time, the mechanical properties of the P(AAm-co-AAc) NCP hydrogels have been improved significantly by the introduction of VSNPs. Furthermore, both the phase transition and the tensile strength of the P(AAm-co-AAc) NCP hydrogels are largely influenced when Fe³⁺ ions are introduced as the ionic crosslinkers into the hydrogel networks.     

Influence of Synthesis Conditions on the Morphology and Spectral-Luminescent Properties of Films of Organic-Inorganic Perovskite CH<Subscript>3</Subscript>NH<Subscript>3</Subscript>PbI<Subscript>2.98</Subscript>Cl<Subscript>0.02</Subscript>

The influence of the synthesis conditions (rotation speed used for spin-coating deposition of the film, film drying temperature, and the ratio of the PbI₂ and CH₃NH₃I reactants in solutions) on the microstructure, phase composition, and spectral-luminescent properties of films of organic-inorganic perovskite CH₃NH₃PbI_3–xCl _x (x = 0, 0.02) was elucidated.     

Morphology and mechanical properties of blown films of a low‐density polyethylene/linear low‐density polyethylene blend

The morphologies of films blown from a low‐density polyethylene (LDPE), a linear low‐density polyethylene (LLDPE), and their blend have been characterized and compared using transmission electron microscopy, small‐angle X‐ray scattering, infrared dichroism, and thermal shrinkage techniques. The blending has a significant effect on film morphology. Under similar processing conditions, the LLDPE film has a relatively random crystal orientation. The film made from the LDPE/LLDPE blend possesses the highest degree of crystal orientation. However, the LDPE film has the greatest amorphous phase orientation. A mechanism is proposed to account for this unusual phenomenon. Cocrystallization between LDPE and LLDPE occurs in the blowing process of the LDPE and LLDPE blend. The structure–property relationship is also discussed. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 40: 507–518, 2002; DOI 10.1002/polb.10115     

Molecular structure,vibrational spectra and potential energy distribution of protopine using <Emphasis Type="Italic">ab initio</Emphasis> and density functional theory

This work is devoted to theoretical study on molecular structure of protopine. The equilibrium geometry, harmonic vibrational frequencies and infrared intensities were calculated by ab initio Hartree-Fock and density functional B3LYP methods with the 6-31G(d) basis set and were interpreted in terms of potential energy distribution (PED) analysis. The internal coordinates were optimized repeatedly for many times to maximize the PED contributions. A detailed interpretation of the infrared spectra of protopine is reported. The calculations are in agreement with experiment. The thermodynamic functions of the title compound were also performed at HF/6-31G(d) and B3LYP/6-31G(d) level of theory. The FT-IR spectra of protopine were recorded in solid phase.