Dielectric properties of a hydrogen-bonded liquid-crystalline side-chain polymer

The dielectric properties of a hydrogen-bonded side-chain liquid-crystalline polysiloxane have been examined over wide ranges of frequency and temperature. This polymer has a side-chain mesogenic moiety consisting of a benzoic acid and a stilbazole. The observed dielectric loss curves contain a component from dipole reorientation of the hydrogen-bonded mesogenic group. It has been found to be possible that, using electrical and thermal treatments, such a polymer built through hydrogen bonding can align homeotropically.     

The dynamic properties of plasticized epoxies over a wide frequency range

Summary The dynamic mechanical properties of a class of plasticized epoxies were investigated over a wide temperature range by means of a Rheovibron Viscoelastometer. Master curves for storage and loss moduli were produced by means of the frequency-temperature superposition principle, as well as for relaxation modulus by a conversion formula. The effect of plasticizer percentage on the said parameters, as well as the loss peaks, corresponding to and relaxations was investigated.     

Molecular dynamics and macroscopic alignment properties of thermotropic liquid-crystalline side chain polymers as studied by dielectric relaxation spectroscopy

Abstract

It is shown that dielectric relaxation spectroscopy provides a convenient means of studying the anisotropic reorientational dynamics of the mesogenic head groups in thermotropic liquid-crystalline side chain polymers. Their alignment behaviour in directing a.c. electric fields of different amplitudes and frequencies is examined, and samples having a macroscopic alignment which is fully homeotropic, fully planar or any desired intermediate alignment have been prepared. The nature and extent of alignment in such samples has been determined by dielectric spectroscopy. In addition both the temperature and pressure variations of the average dielectric relaxation times for certain relaxation processes have been determined and a bulk alignment phenomenon in the absence of a directing electric field is reported.     

Ion selectivity, transport properties and dynamics of amphotericin B channels studied over a wide range of acidity changes

Amphotericin B (AmB) is an antifungal antibiotic which, despite the severe side effects, is still used for the treatment of systemic fungal infections. Herein we studied the influence of pH upon the selectivity and the transport properties of AmB channels inserted in reconstituted, ergosterol-containing zwitterionic lipid membranes. Our electrophysiology experiments carried out on single and multiple AmB channels prove that at pH 2.8 these channels are anion selective, whereas at neutral and alkaline pH's (pH 7 and pH 11) they become cation selective. We attribute this to the pH-dependent ionization state of the carboxyl and amino groups present at the mouth of AmB molecules. Surprisingly, our data reveal that the single-molecule ionic conductance of AmB channels varies in a non-monotonic fashion with pH changes, which we attribute to the pH-dependent variation of the surface and dipole membrane potential. We demonstrate that when added only from one side of the membrane, in symmetrical salt solutions across the membrane and low pH values, AmB channels display a strong rectifying behavior, and their insertion is strongly favored when positive potentials are present on the side of their addition.     

Transport properties of a side-chain liquid-crystalline polymer. Poly(4-acryloyloxy biphenyl)

The transport properties of a side-chain liquid-crystalline polymer forming a smectic A phase have been investigated using dichloromethane as a permeant. Samples differing in the isotropization enthaoly were analyzed. A. Correlation between this thermal parameter and sorption has been found, while the diffusion coefficient is substantially the same in all samples. The results obtained can be explained in terms of a biphasis model in which a disordered permeable phase is present within the liquid-crystalline phase, which is impermeable to the diffusant molecules.     

Centroid molecular dynamics approach to the transport properties of liquid para-hydrogen over the wide temperature range

Fundamental transport properties of liquid para-hydrogen (p-H(2)), i.e., diffusion coefficients, thermal conductivity, shear viscosity, and bulk viscosity, have been evaluated by means of the path integral centroid molecular dynamics (CMD) calculations. These transport properties have been obtained over the wide temperature range, 14-32 K. Calculated values of the diffusion coefficients and the shear viscosity are in good agreement with the experimental values at all the investigated temperatures. Although a relatively large deviation is found for the thermal conductivity, the calculated values are less than three times the amount of the experimental values at any temperature. On the other hand, the classical molecular dynamics has led all the transport properties to much larger deviation. For the bulk viscosity of liquid p-H(2), which was never known from experiments, the present CMD has given a clear temperature dependence. In addition, from the comparison based on the principle of corresponding states, it has been shown that the marked deviation of the transport properties of liquid p-H(2) from the feature which is expected from the molecular parameters is due to the quantum effect.     

Adsorption dynamics over a wide range of breakthrough concentrations

Conclusions A simple method is proposed for carrying out analytical calculations on adsorption dynamics; by its use one can make allowance for longitudinal effects in determining coefficients of external mass transfer and internal diffusion, and dynamic bed activities.Translated from Izvestiya Akademii Nauk SSSR, Seriya Khimicheskaya, No. 1, pp. 56–62, January, 1981.     

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.     

The H+NO recombination reaction over a wide temperature range

Rate coefficients of the title reaction have been measured in a high‐temperature photochemistry (HTP) reactor using Ar as the bath gas. H atoms were generated by flash photolysis of NH₃ and their relative concentrations were monitored by resonance fluorescence. The data are best fitted by k(295–905 K) = 6.5 × 10^?34 (T/K)^0.206 exp(780K T) cm⁶ molecule^?2 s^?1, with ±2σ precision values varying from 16 to 36% and corresponding suggested accuracy levels of 29–42%. Using a literature value for the relative collision efficiencies of N₂ and Ar indicates that for N₂ as the third body the above rate coefficient expression should be multiplied by 1.6. This leads to good agreement with two recent near 1000 K measurements. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Chem Kinet 35: 374–380, 2003     

Additive estimates of the thermodynamic properties of triene hydrocarbons over a wide temperature range

An increment method for calculating the thermodynamic properties of aliphatic triene hydrocarbons is suggested. The method is based on substituting procedures and additive inclusion of 1,4-and 1,5-carbon-carbon intramolecular interactions. Parameter values for estimating the enthalpies of formation of gaseous alkatrienes at 298.15 K were found. A procedure for determining the thermodynamic properties of conjugated alkatrienes at arbitrary temperatures was developed. This procedure is based on the additive determination of the coefficients of polynomials that describe the temperature dependences of properties. The parameters for determining the isobaric heat capacities, entropies, and reduced enthalpies and Gibbs energies of conjugated triene hydrocarbons in the gas phase were found. Calculations reproduce experimental data with accuracy at the level of measurement errors. A thermodynamic analysis of the rearrangements of 2,6-dimethyloctatrienes (alloocimene isomers) was performed. The compositions of equilibrium mixtures of 14 aliphatic terpenes were determined at five gas phase temperatures from 298.15 to 1000 K.     

Molecular dynamics of a liquid-crystalline polymer with laterally fixed mesogenic side groups

Abstract

The long range molecular dynamical behaviour of liquid-crystalline side chain polymers with the mesogenic groups linked laterally to the backbone have been studied by using dielectric relaxation spectroscopy over a broad temperature and frequency range. The samples were oriented homeotropically and homogenously by electric and magnetic fields and the relaxations were recorded during alignment and with the fully aligned samples. By fitting the data to theoretical relaxation curves, accurate relaxation parameters could be determined, allowing us to perform a comparison with end-fixed liquid-crystalline side chain polymers on the one hand and with low molecular weight liquid crystals on the other. The relaxation in homeotropic alignment for the laterally fixed compound has more analogies in some aspects, for example, the relaxation time distribution, with low molecular weight liquid crystals than with the corresponding end-fixed compounds, though the activation energy is very large (241 kJ/mol). We relate this to the length of the rigid mesogenic unit and the resulting stronger repulsion by the neighbouring side chains during reorientation. In homogeneous alignment the relaxation is very broad and also has a large activation energy. Different molecular processes are related to this relaxation regime. The relationship between the different relaxation processes and the molecular structure is discussed.     

The unimolecular dissociation of 3,4-dihydro-2H-pyran over a wide temperature range

The thermal decomposition of 3,4-dihydro-2H-pyran (DHP, C₅H₈O) has been investigated by two methods: in shock waves with the laser-schlieren technique using mixtures of 5 and 10% DHP in krypton over 900–1500 K, 110–560 torr; in a flow tube having a reaction pressure 0.5 torr above atmospheric using the decomposition of allylethyl ether as an internal standard, and covering 663–773 K. The retro-Diels-Alder dissociation to the stable acrolein and ethylene is the dominant channel for all conditions. Precise rate constants (rms deviation of 10%) were obtained for this process over the indicated temperature ranges. Unimolecular falloff is evident in the shock-tube results, and RRKM calculations also predict a slight falloff at the lower temperatures. These RRKM calculations use a routine vibration model transition state and agree closely with the high-temperature data when 〈ΔE〉_down is a fixed 400 cm^?1. Arrhenius expressions for k_∞ derived from the two measurements are in close accord and also consistent with most previous studies of this reaction. © 1995 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Dielectric constants of fluid mixtures over a wide range of temperature and density

A new expression is presented for estimating the dielectric constant of a fluid mixture as a function of temperature, density and composition. The estimated dielectric constants (and their derivatives) are required for phase-equilibrium calculations, based on an equation of state, for systems containing electrolytes and nonelectrolytes. The new expression holds for the entire range of fluid densities, from zero to liquid-like densities. Mixing of components is performed on a volume-fraction basis at constant temperature and constant reduced density. For polar components where data are not available at the temperature and/or reduced density of interest, the well-characterized behavior of water is used to extrapolate the available pure-component data. The importance of using the correct density of the mixture is shown. Using one adjustable parameter for each nonideal binary subsystem, predicted results can be significantly improved.     

Molecular dynamics of a biodegradable biomimetic ionomer studied by broadband dielectric spectroscopy

Broadband dielectric spectroscopy was used to investigate the bulk molecular dynamics of a recently developed biodegradable biomimetic ionomer potentially useful for biomedical applications. Isothermal dielectric spectra were gathered for a phosphoryl choline (PC)-functionalized poly(trimethylene carbonate) (PTMC) ionomer and unfunctionalized PTMC at temperatures ranging from 2 to 60 degrees C over a broad frequency range of 10(-3) to 10(6) Hz. Four relaxations were clearly identified, two of which were shown to stem from the PTMC polymer backbone. A detailed analysis showed that the formation of zwitterionic aggregates was responsible for the material's bulk functionality and that bulk conduction processes may provide useful information for assessing the PC ionomer as a candidate for drug delivery applications. Finally, it was concluded that absorbed water concentrates around the aggregates, resulting in an increased mobility of the PC end-groups.     

Determination of nitrogen diffusivities in liquid cyclohexane over a wide temperature range

The diffusivity of nitrogen in liquid cyclohexane has been measured at temperatures from 21 °C to 140 °C and at pressures of 10 – 15 atm, using a high pressure wetted sphere absorber apparatus. The diffusivity increased from 4.0 × 10⁻⁵ cm² s⁻¹ to 2.8 × 10⁻⁴ cm² s⁻¹ over this temperature range.Rippling of the film at the higher flow rates restricted the flow rate range which could be utilized for the diffusivity determinations. The measured absorption rates for flows in which rippling occurred were up to 15% higher on a 20 mm sphere and up to 40% higher on a 30 mm sphere. This limited the suitability of the wetted sphere absorber for this type of work.     

Rate of the retro-Diels-Alder dissociation of 1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine over a wide temperature range

Rate constants for the retro-Diels-Alder dissociation of 1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine, to 1,3-butadiene and methanimine, have been measured over 650–1450 K. To cover this range, three separate techniques were used at three laboratories: laser schlieren and single pulse shock tube methods, and a comparative rate flow system technique. The derived rate constants are extrapolated to the high-pressure limit with an RRKM model parameterized to fit the falloff observed in the laser-schlieren measurements. The resulting high-pressure rate constants show a reduction in activation energy of about 10 kcal/mol, comparing the isoelectronic cyclohexene, but little change in A-factor. There is an apparent increase in activation energy of 4 kcal/mol over the temperature range of these experiments, which is just outside probable error. Such a rise in activation energy is in marked contrast to the drop usually seen in simple bond fission, and may reflect a change from a concerted to a stepwise, biradical mechanism at high temperatures.     

Rheological properties of epoxy oligomers and their mixtures in a wide temperature range

The rheological properties of a series of epoxy-diane and epoxy-novolac oligomers and active diluents were studied in a wide temperature range. The activation energies of their viscous flow in the regions of low and high temperatures were calculated. In a series of active diluents, the efficiency of decreasing viscosity of their mixtures with epoxy oligomers correlates with the glass transition temperature of the diluent.     

Calorimetric studies of poly(ethylene terephthalate) stretching over a wide temperature range

Heat effects and structural transformations in amorphous crystallizable poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) during uniaxial stretching accompanied by neck formation, have been investigated by calorimetric and x-ray methods over a wide range of temperatures and deformation rates. At small deformation (not exceeding 1–2%) and at temperatures below the glass transition temperature of the polymer, PET behaves as an elastic body. Upon stretching at a constant rate, constant heat power is absorbed, heat effects during loading and unloading coincide completely, and no hysteresis is observed. At large deformations (of the order of 50%), cold drawing develops in this temperature range. The internal energy change in cold drawing is zero within experimental error. A periodic heat release during the self-oscillation regime of drawing PET corresponds to periodic changes in stress, in the rate of the neck formation, and in the appearance of the sample. The temperature limits of the region where crystallization resulting from an uniaxial drawing of the polymer is possible, have been determined, and the heat effect of this phase transition has been measured. Orientation crystallization develops only from 70 to 94°C. These limits are insensitive to changes in deformation rate within one decimal order. The structure of PET in this temperature range has been investigated. The heat of phase transition of orientation crystallization of PET has been determined from the relationship between the measured values of the internal energy change during this process and the limiting degree of crystallinity for the stretched samples. This heat proves to be 5.5 ± 0.1 cal/g.