Percolation phenomenon of calcium bis(2-ethylhexyl) sulfosuccinate water-in-oil microemulsions by conductivity and dielectric spectroscopy measurements

The sodium counterion (Na+) of the sodium bis(2-ethylhexyl) sulfosuccinate (AOT) surfactant was exchanged with calcium Ca2+ to investigate the counterion charge effect on the structure of water in normal decane microemulsions. Ohmic conductivity and dielectric permittivity measurements were performed on samples at constant water to surfactant mole ratio [water]/[Ca(AOT)(2)]=26.6. Increasing the volume fraction of the dispersed phase phi, a percolation phenomenon was observed at the constant temperature of 25 degrees C. The percolation threshold was found at phi approximately 15% by Ohmic conductivity and static dielectric permittivity studied as a function of phi, and by the frequency dependence of the complex permittivity. Critical exponents typical of the static percolation mechanism (formation of bicontinuous microemulsions) were found below and above threshold. The comparison of these results obtained for the two different counterions, Ca2+ and Na+, in AOT surfactant water in normal decane microemulsions allows detection of an important difference. The percolation below threshold is dynamic for the sodium-based microemulsions, accounting for the formation of clusters of droplets, whereas calcium-based microemulsions show a static percolation. For this system, the coalescence of droplets begins to occur below threshold at phi approximately 12%.     

Structure of water-in-oil microemulsions of AOT by infrared spectroscopy

Summary The structure of water in water/AOT/n-heptane reverse micelles has been studied as a function of the [H₂O]/[AOT] ratio (W) by using the absorption IR due to O−H stretching modes in the 3800–3000 cm⁻¹ range. The results show that the IR spectra can be expressed as a sum of contributions from bound- and bulk-like water. The fraction of water in the two ?regions? within the water pool was evaluated as a function ofW. The ?bound? water region seems to hold 3.5 water molecules (corresponding to 7 O−H oscillators) per AOT molecule and its formation is nearly complete atW>6. Paper presented at the I International Conference on Scaling Concepts and Complex Fluids, Copanello, Italy, July 4–8, 1994.     

Cluster description of water-in-oil microemulsions near the critical and percolation points

The three-component ionic microemulsion system consisting of AOT/water/decane shows an unusual phase behavior in the vicinity of room temperature. The phase diagram in the temperature-volume fraction (of the dispersed phase) plane exhibits a lower consolute critical point at about 40 degrees centigrades and 10% volume fraction. A percolation line, starting from the vicinity of the critical point, cuts across the plane, extending to high volume fraction side at progressively lower temperatures. In this paper we review the evidence that allows to interpret the phase behavior of our system in terms of interacting spherical droplets. We also investigate the dynamics of droplets, below and approaching the critical point by dynamic light scattering. The first cumulant and time evolution of the droplet density correlation function can be quantitatively calculated by assuming the existence of polydispersed fractal clusters formed by the microemulsion droplets due to attraction. The relaxation phenomena observed in an extensive set of measurements of electrical conductivity and permittivity close to percolation is also reviewed and interpreted through the same cluster-forming mechanism, which reproduces the most relevant features of the frequency-dependent complex dielectric constant of this system. Paper presented at the I International Conference on Scaling Concepts and Complex Fluids, Copanello, Italy, July 4–8, 1994.     

Tuning of photoluminescence in cadmium selenide nanoparticles grown in CTAB based quaternary water-in-oil microemulsions

Cadmium selenide nanoparticles were synthesized in cetyl trimethyl ammonium bromide (CTAB) microemulsion under ambient conditions and were found to be stable for months. The as-grown cadmium selenide nanoparticles exhibit strong room temperature photoluminescence with two emission peaks at 500 and 580 nm. The photo-excitation at wavelength above the exciton absorption peak gives rise to the sole band gap photoluminescence with the maximum at 500 nm whereas, the photo-excitation below the exciton absorption peak, furnishes only the trap state photoluminescence with the maximum at 580 nm. The photo-excitations at wavelengths closer to the exciton absorption peak give rise to both the emission peaks simultaneously. Intensities of these two emission peaks could be clearly tuned by controlling the precursor concentrations and the size of water pool in the microemulsions.     

Tabular electrical conductivity for aluminium

A new Sesame-type table for the electrical conductivity of aluminium is described. The table is based on density functional theory calculations and ranges from 10⁻³ to 1 times solid density (2.7 g/cm³), and from 10⁻² to 10³ eV in temperature. The table is compared with other those of simulations and to experiments and is generally in good agreement. The high-temperature, classical limit of the conductivity is recovered for the highest temperatures and lowest densities. The table is critically evaluated, and directions for improvements are discussed.     

The electrical conductivity of chloride melts

The interrelationship between electrical conductivity, molar volume and enthalpy of mixing was studied for molten chlorides and their mixtures. The dependence of electrical conductivity and activation energy on the molar volume is different for various groups of salts. The dependence of specific conductivity on molar volume obtained for molten alkali chlorides was found to be similar to other chloride salts. The specific conductivity of binary mixtures that lack strong chemical interactions between the components can also be described by the proposed empirical equation. The enthalpy of mixing should be taken into consideration for these chemical interactions.     

Ultraviolet-laser-induced permanent electrical conductivity in polyimide

When polyimide (Kapton) is irradiated by a krypton fluoride (KrF) laser, an increase of the electrical conductivity of up to 16 orders of magnitude is observed. In the high conduction regime, the resistivity is about 0.1 cm, the current voltage characteristic is ohmic and the contacts of gold and silver with the irradiated conducting polymer are also ohmic. The conduction mechanism is phonon-assisted variable range hopping, evident from the observed temperature and electric field dependence of the resistivity at low conductivities. The laser-induced conductivity depends on the ambient atmosphere during irradiation. Transmission spectroscopy in the visible region and infrared Fourier transform spectroscopy have been used to characterize the material. A thermal mechanism is proposed for the formation of conducting polyimide, by excimer-laser irradiation.     

Static electrical conductivity of a doped semiconductor

This paper evaluates corrections to the static electrical conductivity of a nondegenerate semiconductor, doped with dopants of one type, taking into account the interaction of the charge carriers both with a random field and with lattice oscillations. The results obtained may be generated to the case of an arbitrary random field.Translated from Izvestiya Vysshikh Uchebnykh Zavedenii, Fizika, Vol. 16, No. 7, pp. 14–21, July, 1974.The author wishes to express his profound indebtedness to V. L. Bonch-Bruevich for proposing this topic.     

Sintering and electrical conductivity of gadolinia-doped ceria

Bulk specimens of Ce_0.9Gd_0.1O_2-δ prepared with powders within a range of specific surface area were sintered in oxidizing, inert, and reducing atmospheres. The aim of this work is to investigate the effects of the sintering atmosphere on the microstructure and grain and grain boundary conductivities of the solid electrolyte. The lattice parameter determined by Rietveld refinement is 0.5420(1) nm, and the microstrain was found negligible in the powder materials. Specimens sintered in the Ar/4 % H₂ mixture display larger average grain sizes independent on the particle size of the starting powders. The grain and grain boundary conductivities of specimens sintered under reducing atmosphere are remarkably lower than those sintered under oxidizing and inert atmospheres. The activation energy (～0.90 eV) for total electrical conductivity remains unchanged with both the initial particle size and the sintering atmosphere.     

High electrical conductivity of trotyl detonation products

A new measurement scheme makes it possible to study the conductivity of detonation products of condensed explosives with a time resolution of about 10 ns. Experiments with cast trotyl show that conduction under detonation is a complex phenomenon associated with the chemical reaction zone and the expansion of the reaction products. The time variation of the electrical conductivity has a sharp peak (≈250 Ω⁻¹ cm⁻¹) and a plateau (≈35 Ω⁻¹ cm⁻¹). The peak corresponds to the highest conductivity value that has been ever observed for the products of chemical explosive detonation. The results support the validity of the contact method for measuring the detonation conductivity of trotyl.     

Sources of electrical conductivity in SnO2

SnO2 is widely used as a transparent conductor and sensor material. Better understanding and control of its conductivity would enhance its performance in existing applications and enable new ones, such as in light emitters. Using density functional theory, we show that the conventional attribution of n-type conductivity to intrinsic point defects is incorrect. Unintentional incorporation of hydrogen provides a consistent explanation of experimental observations. Most importantly, we find that SnO2 offers excellent prospects for p-type doping by incorporation of acceptors on the Sn site. Specific strategies for optimizing acceptor incorporation are presented.     

F掺杂的BN纳米管及电导特性

利用一种新颖的催化生长方法,在生长BN纳米管的过程中直接引入F原子,获得了均匀F掺杂的BN纳米管.高分辨透射电子显微镜研究表明,构成BN纳米管的六元环由于F掺杂而被严重扭曲,纳米管壁由一些高度卷曲的连续片层构成.电学性质测量表明,相对于无掺杂的BN纳米管而言,F掺杂BN纳米管的电导显著增加.