Viscosities of dilute polymer solutions in nematic liquids

A nematic fluid is characterized by five friction coefficients. When dilute polymer coils are added to the fluid, all these coefficients are modified. Three Miesowicz viscosities (measured under an aligning magnetic field) and two coupling coefficients between orientation and flow are discussed. In our calculation, elastic dumbbells are used to model the flexible polymer chains. The results are written in terms of two size parameters R_∥ and R_⊥ and two chain friction coefficients λ_∥ and λ_⊥ (the label ∥ refers to a direction parallel to the nematic axis). This could be compared to other experiments (such as translational diffusion) which measure λ_∥ and _⊥ directly. They may give useful estimates of coil conformation in nematic solvents.     

Transitions between the B2 phase and more usual smectic phases in binary systems of banana-shaped with calamitic mesogens

Deuterium NMR spectroscopy is used to study a ring-deuteriated chiral liquid crystal 4-(2-methylbutyl)oxycarbonylphenyl 4-(10-undecenyloxy)benzoate. The quadrupolar and proton-deuteron dipolar splittings, and deuteron quadrupolar and Zeeman spin-lattice relaxation times were measured as a function of temperature in the smectic A phase at two different Larmor frequencies. The derived spectral densities of motion at different temperatures were analysed simultaneously using a rotational diffusion model which also includes internal ring rotations. Motional parameters (D _⊥, D _∥, D _R) and order parameter tensors (S_zz , S_xx -S_yy ) were obtained. Although the present data seem insufficient to draw a definitive conclusion, we believe that it is possible for this particular chiral molecule to have D_⊥ >D_∥ , which is different from non-chiral rod-like liquid crystals.     

Chain orientation and anisotropies in optical and dielectric properties in thin films of stiff polyimides

Thin films of poly(p-phenylene biphenyltetracarboximide) (BPDA-PDA), prepared by thermal imidization of the precursor poly(amic acid) on substrates, have been investigated by optical waveguide, ultraviolet-visible (UV-VIS), infrared (IR), and dielectric spectroscopies. The polyimide films exhibit an extraordinarily large anisotropy in the refractive indices with the in-plane index n_∥ = 1.806 and the out-of-plane index n_⊥ = 1.589 at 1064 nm wavelength. No discernible effect of the film thickness on this optical anisotropy is found between films of ca. 2.1 and ca. 7.8 μm thickness. This large birefringence is attributed to the preferential orientation of the biphenyltetracarboximide moieties with their planes parallel to the film surface, coupled with the strong preference of BPDA-PDA chains to align along the film plane. The frequency dispersion of the in-plane refractive index n_∥ is consistent with the results calculated by the Lorentz–Lorenz equation from the UV-visible spectrum exhibiting several absorption bands in the 170–500 nm region. The contribution from the IR absorption in the range 7000–400 cm,^?1 computed by the Spitzer-Kleinmann dispersion relations from the measured spectra, adds ca. 0.046 to the in-plane refractive index n_∥. Tilt-angle–dependent polarized IR results indicate nearly the same increase for the out-of-plane index n_⊥. Application of the Maxwell relation then leads to the out-of-plane dielectric constant ε^⊥ ? 2.7 at 1.2 × 10¹³ Hz, as compared with the measured value of ca. 3.0 at 10⁶ Hz. Assuming this small difference to remain the same for the in-plane dielectric constants ε_∥, we obtain a very large anisotropy in the dielectric properties of these polyimide films with the estimated in-plane dielectric constant ε_∥ ? 3.4 at 1.2 × 10¹³ Hz, and ε_∥ ? 3.7 at 10⁶ Hz. © 1992 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Oscillatory shear‐induced alignment of ketjen black conductive particles in polylactic acid and its effect on the electrical anisotropy

This study aligned Ketjen black (KB) particles along one preferred direction in a polylactic acid (PLA) matrix using an oscillatory shear flow and investigated the effect of aligned KB on the electrical anisotropy. Under the oscillatory shear, the KB particles are aligned along the flow direction in the PLA matrix, resulting in an oriented conductive network. When the concentration of KB is in the range of 0.88–1.56 vol %, the electrical volume resistivity along the flow direction (ρ_∥) decreases to ～3 × 10⁴ Ω m and that perpendicular to the flow direction (ρ_⊥) remains at ～1 × 10¹⁰ Ω m, showing an extremely large electrical anisotropy, and the ρ_⊥/ρ_∥ value is 3–4 orders of magnitude higher than that of previously reported carbon‐nanotube‐based electrical anisotropic composites. This strong anisotropy is attributed to the preferential alignment of KB particles with lower percolation threshold for conductive path along the flow direction. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part B: Polym. Phys. 2016 , 54, 369–373     

Diffusion of Rod-Like Polypeptides in the Liquid Crystalline and Isotropic Phases as Studied by High Field-Gradient NMR Spectroscopy

In this lecture the measurements and analyses of the isotropic and anisotropic diffusion coefficients(D) of rod-like polypeptide such as poly(γ-L-glutamate)(PLG) with n-alkyl side chains, of which the main chain takes the α-helical conformation, as a function of the main chain length in the thermotropic and lyotropic liquid crystalline phases over a wide range of temperatures from 30 to 80°C by means of pulse high field-gradient spin echo ¹H NMR method have been introduced. In the anisotropic diffusion, the D_∥ value in direction parallel to the α-helical chain axis is found to be much larger than the D_⊥ value in direction perpendicular to the α-helical chain axis. The diffusion process is followed by the Kirkwood theory. Further, it is described that the diffusion in the nematic liquid crystalline phase is much slower than that in the isotropic phase.     

Electrical conductivity and dielectric constant measurements of liquid crystal–gold nanoparticle composites

The behaviour of the anisotropic electrical conductivity of liquid crystal–gold nanoparticle (LC‐GNP) composites consisting of a commercially available room temperature nematic compound doped with alkylthiol‐capped GNPs has been investigated. The nematic–isotropic transition of the composite decreases nearly linearly with increasing X, the concentration of GNP (in weight %) at a rate of about 1°C /weight %. The inclusion of GNPs increases the electrical conductivity of the system with the value increasing by more than two orders of magnitude for X = 5%. However, the anisotropy in conductivity, defined as the ratio of the conductivity along (σ_∥) and orthogonal (σ_⊥) to the director shows a much smaller but definite decrease as X increases.     

Dielectric anisotropy in the nematic phase of 8PCH as a function of temperature and pressure

The dielectric permittivity components, ε_∥ and ε_⊥, in the nematic phase of 8PCH (trans-4-n-octyl(4-cyanophenyl)cyclohexane) were measured at 1 atm as a function of temperature (T), and at two temperatures as a function of pressure (p). A close similarity of the temperature and pressure behaviours of the dielectric anisotropy, δε = ε_∥ - ε_⊥, was established. It is argued that p and T are equivalent quantities in the formation of the nematic state. The well known Maier and Meier equations describe the dielectric parameters under both p = constant and T = constant conditions fairly well.     

Thermal conductivity of oriented crystalline polymers

Thermal conductivities of six oriented semicrystalline polymers which range from 0.37 to 0.63 in crystallinity and 1 to 5 in draw ratio λ (up to about 15 for two polymers) have been measured between 100 and 340 K. It was found that for increasing λ the conductivity K_∥ (along the draw direction n?) increases rapidly while K_⊥ (normal to n?) decreases slightly; K_∥ also increases with temperature, but K_⊥ shows no simple pattern in temperature dependence. These general features can be reproduced reasonably well at low draw ratio (λ < 5) by the modified Maxwell model, and the discrepancy in details may be attributed to the fact that the model does not take into account the possible anisotropy of the amorphous phase of the oriented polymers. At high draw ratio the intercrystalline bridge effect becomes important, and one must resort to the Takayanagi model, but the lack of corroborating x-ray data has rendered a detailed comparison impossible.     

Angular dependence of 1H-NMR and 2H-NMR spectra of water absorbed in cellulose film

¹H-NMR and ²H-NMR spectra of water (H₂O and D₂O) absorbed in Visking cellulose tubing have been observed as a function of the angle Θ between the film surface and the magnetic field. ¹H-NMR spectra show broad lines, and the chemical shift and the linewidth depend on Θ. From the angular dependence of the chemical shift, the anisotropic volume diamagnetic susceptibilities of the film are determined, i.e., χ_∥ in the direction longitudinal to the tubing (stretched direction) is 0.43 ppm, and χ_⊥ in the transverse direction is 0.57 ppm. The different values of χ_∥ and χ_⊥ afford an evidence of the anisotropy of the film. ²H-NMR spectra of D₂O absorbed in the film show quadrupole splitting which also depends on Θ. The angular dependences of the linewidth (¹H-NMR) and the quadrupole splitting (²H-NMR) indicate that the H? H axes of the water molecules have a tendency to orient in the direction longitudinal to the film surface.     

Diffusion of camphorquinone in uniaxially drawn polycarbonate films

Employing the laser-induced holographic grating relaxation technique, we have measured tracer diffusion coefficients of a phtochromous dye, camphorquinone, in uniaxially drawn polycarbonate films as a function of stretch ratio. Anisotropy in the tracer diffusion coefficient has been observed with D_∥ greater than D_⟂ by at least a factor of 4 for the film stretched to the stretch ratio δ = 2.3. The diffusion coefficient along the direction of stretch D_∥ increases significantly with increasing δ, whereas D_⟂ decreases slightly with increasing δ. The stretch ratio dependence of D_∥ and D_⟂ is interpreted according to a modified free volume theory. The strain rate and stretch temperature dependence of the anisotropic tracer diffusion coefficient has also been investigated. © 1992 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Ionic impurities in nematic liquid crystal displays

This paper shows that the dielectric anisotropy of conductivity in cells composed of nematic liquid crystal E7 (NLC-E7) is related to the fact that the diffusion constant (D) is greater in a cell with homeotropic alignment than in one with homogeneous alignment (D _∥ > D _⊥). This behaviour can be understood by the study of the dielectric properties of the NLC based on the ionic hopping behaviour and on the analysis of the electrical conductivity in relation to the voltage applied.     

On the refractive indexes and birefringence of nylon 6 yarns as a function of draw ratio and strain

A systematic study of the dispersion curves of the refractive indexes of nylon 6 yarns was made. The parameters were the draw ratio and strain. The measurements show that the dispersions of the refractive indexes n_∥ and n_⊥, parallel and perpendicular to the fiber axis, are equal, independently of draw ratio and strain. The average dispersion equals n_F ? n_C = 109 × 10^?4. Consequently, the birefringence is, within experimental accuracy, independent of the wavelength. The refractive indexes and the birefringence show a change in trend at 10–12% strain. This point corresponds to the yield strain in the stress–strain diagrams. The inference is that beyond the yield point the overall molecular orientation must increase less strongly with strain than before. An analysis shows that the Lorentz–Lorenz relation holds for the average refractive index n? = ? (n_∥ + 2n_⊥). So the change in n? versus draw ratio is mainly due to the change in density. By applying the Lorentz–Lorenz relation to the change of n? on straining, a value of Poisson's ratio (μ) could be derived. The average value found for nylon 6 yarns was μ = 0.48, which means that the density hardly changes with strain.     

Ionic conductivity of conjugated water-soluble rigid-rod polymers

Poly[(1,7-dihydrobenzo[1,2-d:4,5-d′] diimidazole-2,6-diyl)-2-(2-sulfo)-p-phenylene], a conjugated rigid-rod polymer, was derivatized with pendants of propane-sulfonated ionomers. The derivatized rigid-rod polymer was soluble in aprotic solvents as well as in water for isotropic solutions that were processed into isotropic films. Direct-current electrical conductivity σ of the films was measured using the four-probe technique. Room-temperature σ as high as 2.9 × 10^?4S/cm was achieved on pristine isotropic films without using dopants. When the rigid-rod polymer concentration exceeded 25 wt %, the isotropic solution could be transformed into a liquid-crystalline solution that allowed deformations to be applied to produce anisotropic films. Significant increase in σ was obtained in a sheared film along both the parallel direction (∥) and the transverse direction (⊥) with a σ_∥/σ_⊥ = 5. Additionally, enhanced σ was realized in films heat-treated at about 100°C, in the derivatized polymer with higher molecular weight from dialysis, and in substituting the sulfonated ion Na⁺ by H⁺ in the pendants of the polymers. Constant-voltage measurements were applied to the polymers to monitor the σ stability for ascertaining the nature of the conductivity. No electronic contribution in σ was detected. Instead, a monotonically decreasing σ was consistently observed indicative of ionic conductivity. © 1993 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

A five-coordinate copper(II) perchlorate complex with tris(N-methylbenzimidazol-2-ylmethyl)amine and salicylate

A five-coordinate copper(II) complex with the tripod ligand tris(N-methylbenzimidazol-2-ylmethyl)amine (Mentb) and salicylate, with the composition [Cu(Mentb) (salicylate)](ClO₄) · 2DMF, was synthesized and characterized by elemental and thermal analyses, electrical conductivity, IR and UV-Vis spectral measurements. The crystal structure of the complex has been determined by single-crystal X-ray diffraction. The Cu(II) is five-coordinate with four N atoms from the Mentb ligand and an O atom of the monodentate salicylate ligand. The N₄O donors are in a distorted trigonal-bipyramid geometry. Cyclic voltammograms indicate a quasireversible Cu²⁺/Cu⁺ couple. The X-band EPR spectrum of the complex confirms the trigonal-bipyramidal structure with g_∥ < g _⊥ and a very small value of A_∥ (41 × 10^?4 cm^?1).     

Optical anisotropy of polymeric films measured by waveguide propagation mode determination

Extruded thin films of a liquid-crystalline charge-conjugated rigid-rod polymer poly(p-phenylenebenzobisthiazole), PBT, and a semicrystalline thermoplastic polyethylene-terephthalate (Mylar) were fabricated and examined for film thickness, refractive index, and linear attenuation coefficient. Optical waveguide modes were successfully induced on the polymeric films using a prism coupler at λ = 633 and 1300 nm. Highly consistent thickness values were obtained for the polymeric films. In addition, the anisotropic nature of the optical properties was determined using TE and TM propagation modes. A refractive index as high as 2.3 was observed on PBT film. The refractive index data suggested that the PBT and Mylar films were optically anisotropic with refractive indices n? (out-of-plane) invariably smaller than n∥ (in-plane). Large anisotropy was also discovered in the linear attenuation coefficient α, with α_∥/α_? ≈ 50 for the Mylar films. Complementary polarimetric and spectroscopic interference measurements were also applied to investigate the optical anisotropy of the extruded polymeric films. © 1992 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Carbon-13 spin–lattice relaxation in some polyfluoroaromatic compounds

Carbon-13 chemical shifts, spin-lattice relaxation times and nuclear Overhauser enhancement factors are reported for five polyfluoroaromatic compounds at 28°C. In all cases the relaxation of the fluorine bearing carbon is predominantly dipolar. Effective correlation times are smaller than those of the analogous benzene derivatives by a factor of 3–4, in qualitative agreement with predictions from the Stokes–Einstein diffusion theory. The T₁ values for the para-carbon of monosubstituted fluorobenzenes is clearly shorter than the T₁ values for the ortho- and meta-carbons. This phenomenon was traced to anisotropic tumbling, and D∥ and D⊥ diffusion coefficients were computed using Woessner's equations for molecules assumed to behave like symmetric rotors about their C₂ in-plane principal symmetry axis. Equal tumbling ratios, D∥/D⊥, were found in this way for toluene and perfluorotoluene.     

Physico‐Chemical Studies on Cu(II) Complexes of Acrylate Chelating Polymers

Abstract

Metal chelating polymers containing amide and carboxylic groups were prepared by gamma‐radiation polymerization of acrylic acid (AA) monomers in the presence of polyacrylamide (PAM). The resins obtained were loaded by copper ions and characterized by FT‐IR spectroscopy, electron spin resonance (ESR), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), and differential scanning calorimetery (DSC). The IR spectra indicated a lower frequencies shift in the carbonyl bands due to copper ion chelation with carbonyl groups in the polymer resins. Also, the IR spectra reveal a splitting in the band at 3600–3200?cm^?1 that due to the coordination of the NH and OH groups with copper ions. The ESR spectrum was anisotropic with hyperfine structure having the following values 2.3808 and 2.07218 for g _∥ and g _⊥, respectively. These spectra for copper ions have square planar coordination with two nitrogen and two oxygen atoms. TGA and DSC studies show that radiation crosslinking and complexation with copper ion increase the thermal stability of PAM–AA resins. Meanwhile, resin complexes with copper ion showed a higher thermal stability than pure resin. The increase in thermal stability may be correlated with the metal ions coordination with NH and OH groups; this coordination prevents the splitting of ammonia and water molecules. Also, the metal ions providing a coordination crosslink between polymer chains could increase thermal stability.     

Synthesis and crystal structure of a copper(II) complex of the tripodal tetradentate ligand tris(2-benzimidazolylmethyl)amine

A mononuclear copper complex [Cu(NTB)Cl]Cl·3CH₃CH₂OH (1) (NTB?=?tris(2-benzimidazolylmethyl)amine) was synthesized and its structure was determined by single crystal X-ray diffraction. In this complex, copper(II) is five-coordinate with NTB serving as a neutral tetradentate ligand. Three tertiary nitrogen atoms of benzimidazole groups of NTB formed the base of the trigonal bipyramidal geometry. One axial position was occupied by the apical nitrogen atom of NTB and the other was occupied by chloride. The ESR spectrum of complex 1 in ethanol at 101?K was recorded and the well-defined ESR parameters (g _∥?=?2.02, g _⊥ =?2.16 and A _∥ ^?=?109?G) indicated that the Cu(II) has a distorted trigonal-bipyramidal environment, in good agreement with crystal structure determination for complex 1.     

Angular dependent linewidths of ESR spin probes in oriented smectic systems. An application to oriented lecithin—cholesterol multibilayers

A theory, based on the diffusion model of molecular reorientation extended with an orienting potential, is developed for the angular dependence of the ESR linewidths of symmetrical top radicals in oriented smectic liquid crystals. The theoretical results have been compared with linewidth data obtained with the cholestane spin label in oriented multibilayers of equimolar quantities of dipalmitoyl lecithin and cholesterol. For the determiination of the linewidths, the ESR spectra were fitted to a line shape function, which includes unresolved proton hyperfine interactions.From the comparison of theory and experiment the rotational diffusion tensor and order parameter S can be found, giving D_⊥ = 3.4 × 10⁶ s^?1, D|/D_⊥ = 40 and S = 0.86 at 49°C. The high value of D|/D_⊥ indicates a strong anisotropic motion of the cholestane spin label. The order parameter found is in good agreement with the order parameter calculated from the angular dependence of the ESR line positions.