Linear polyethylene in a glassy phase: The value of the glass-transition temperature

Raman spectroscopy, x-ray diffraction, and thermal analysis are used to investigate the structure of linear high-density polyethylene rapidly quenched from the melt to cryogenic temperatures. All the results point to the production of a glassy phase which crystallizes when heated above 170 K.     

Glycine-ice nanolayers: morphology and surface energetics

Ultrathin glycine-ice films (nanolayers) have been prepared in ultrahigh vacuum by condensation of H(2)O and glycine at 110 K and 150 K on single crystalline Al(2)O(3) surfaces and have been investigated by temperature programed thermal desorption, x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and work function measurements. Various layer architectures have been considered, including glycine-on-ice, ice-on-glycine, and mixed glycine-ice nanolayers. Low coverages of adsorbed glycine molecules on amorphous ice surfaces suppress the amorphous-to-crystalline phase transition in the temperature range 140-160 K in near-surface regions and consequently lead to a lower desorption temperature of H(2)O molecules than from pure ice layers. Thicker glycine overlayers on ice provide a kinetic restriction to H(2)O desorption from the underlying ice layers until the glycine molecules become mobile and develop pathways for water desorption at higher temperature (>170 K). Ice overlayers do not wet glycine film surfaces, but the glycine molecules on ice are sufficiently immobile at 110 K, so that continuous glycine overlayers form. In mixed glycine-ice nanolayers the glycine phase displays hydrophobic behavior and a phase separation takes place, with the accumulation of glycine near the surfaces of the films.     

Synchrotron x-ray photoemission study of soft x-ray processed ultrathin glycine-water ice films

Ultrathin glycine-water ice films have been prepared in ultrahigh vacuum by condensation of H(2)O and glycine at 90 K on single crystalline alumina surfaces and processed by soft x-ray (610 eV) exposure for up to 60 min. The physicochemical changes in the films were monitored using synchrotron x-ray photoemission spectroscopy. Two films with different amounts of H(2)O have been considered in order to evaluate the influence of the water ice content on the radiation-induced effects. The analysis of C1s, N1s, and O1s spectral regions together with the changes in the valence band spectra indicates that amino acid degradation occurs fast mainly via decarboxylation and deamination of pristine molecules. Enrichment of the x-ray exposed surfaces with fragments with carbon atoms without strong electronegative substituents (C-C and C-H) is documented as well. In the thinner glycine-water ice film (six layers of glycine + six layers of water) the 3D ice suffers strongly from the x-rays and is largely removed from the sample. The rate of photodecomposition of glycine in this film is about 30% higher than for glycine in the thicker film (6 layers of glycine + 60 layers of water). The photoemission results suggest that the destruction of amino acid molecules is caused by the direct interaction with the radiation and that no chemical attack of glycine by the species released by water radiolysis is detected.     

Radiation effects in water ice: a near-edge x-ray absorption fine structure study

The changes in the structure and composition of vapor-deposited ice films irradiated at 20 K with soft x-ray photons (3-900 eV) and their subsequent evolution with temperatures between 20 and 150 K have been investigated by near-edge x-ray absorption fine structure spectroscopy (NEXAFS) at the oxygen K edge. We observe the hydroxyl OH, the atomic oxygen O, and the hydroperoxyl HO(2) radicals, as well as the oxygen O(2) and hydrogen peroxide H(2)O(2) molecules in irradiated porous amorphous solid water (p-ASW) and crystalline (I(cryst)) ice films. The evolution of their concentrations with the temperature indicates that HO(2), O(2), and H(2)O(2) result from a simple step reaction fuelled by OH, where O(2) is a product of HO(2) and HO(2) a product of H(2)O(2). The local order of ice is also modified, whatever the initial structure is. The crystalline ice I(cryst) becomes amorphous. The high-density amorphous phase (I(a)h) of ice is observed after irradiation of the p-ASW film, whose initial structure is the normal low-density form of the amorphous ice (I(a)l). The phase I(a)h is thus peculiar to irradiated ice and does not exist in the as-deposited ice films. A new "very high density" amorphous phase-we call I(a)vh-is obtained after warming at 50 K the irradiated p-ASW ice. This phase is stable up to 90 K and partially transforms into crystalline ice at 150 K.     

Recrystallization of water in a non-water-soluble polymer examined by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy: poly(2-methoxyethylacrylate) with low water content

Crystallization of water during heating, the so-called "recrystallization of water", in poly(2-methoxyethylacrylate) (PMEA) was investigated by temperature-variable Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. Recrystallization in a polymer-water system is generally understood to be a phase transition from glassy water (condensed water) to crystalline water. However, infrared spectral changes of the PMEA-water system with low water content indicated that the formation of ice I h during heating occurred by a vapor deposition process rather than by a crystallization process.     

Liquid-like relaxation in hyperquenched water at < or = 140 K

Micrometre-sized water droplets were hyperquenched on a solid substrate held at selected temperatures between 150 and 77 K. These samples were characterized by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and X-ray diffraction. 140 K is the upper temperature limit to obtain mainly amorphous samples on deposition within 16-37 min. DSC scans of glassy water prepared at 140 K exhibit on heating an endothermic step assignable to glass --> liquid transition, with an onset temperature (T(g)) of 136 +/- 2 K on heating at 30 K min(-1). For T(g) of approximately 136 K, water relaxes during deposition at 140 K for 16 min, moving towards metastable equilibrium. The apparent increase in heat capacity (deltaC(p)) depends, for a given rate of heating, on the rate of prior cooling, and a so-called overshoot develops. 140 K deposits cooled at a rate of 5, 2 or 0.2 K min(-1) show on subsequent reheating at a rate of 30 K min(-1) deltaC(p) values of 0.7, 1.1 and 1.7 J K(-1) mol(-1). This is consistent with liquid-like relaxation at 140 K, and it indicates that different limiting structures are obtained. When these 140 K deposits are in addition annealed at 130 K for 90 min, after slow-cooling at 5, 2 or 0.2 K min(-1), their deltaC(p) values on subsequent reheating are similar to those of hyperquenched glassy water (HGW) deposits made at 77 K and annealed at 130 K. Thus, the previous deltaC(p) value of 1.6 J K(-1) mol(-1) obtained with glassy water samples annealed at 130 K (A. Hallbrucker, E. Mayer and G. P. Johari, Philos. Mag. B, 1989, 60, 179) must be an upper-bound limit because it contains a contribution from an overshoot. The T(g) value of 140 K deposits, which had relaxed during deposition towards metastable equilibrium, is within experimental error the same as that of 140 K deposits annealed in addition at 130 K. This contradicts Yue and Angell's (Y. Yue and C. Angell, Nature, 2004, 427, 717) claim for assigning the endothermic step to a sub-T(g) peak or a "shadow" T(g). Our new data further support the proposed fragile-to-strong transition on cooling liquid water from ambient temperature into the deeply supercooled and glassy state. We also describe in detail experimental aspects to obtain HGW specimens, show the ultrastructure of the deposits using electron microscopy, and discuss the mechanism of our hyperquenching method.     

High-pressure x-ray diffraction and Raman spectroscopy of ice VIII

In situ high-pressure/low-temperature synchrotron x-ray diffraction and optical Raman spectroscopy were used to examine the structural properties, equation of state, and vibrational dynamics of ice VIII. The x-ray measurements show that the pressure-volume relations remain smooth up to 23 GPa at 80 K. Although there is no evidence for structural changes to at least 14 GPa, the unit-cell axial ratio ca undergoes changes at 10-14 GPa. Raman measurements carried out at 80 K show that the nu(Tz)A(1g)+nuT(x,y)E(g) lattice modes for the Raman spectra of ice VIII in the lower-frequency regions (50-800 cm(-1)) disappear at around 10 GPa, and then a new peak of approximately 150 cm(-1) appears at 14 GPa. The combined data provide evidence for a transition beginning near 10 GPa. The results are consistent with recent synchrotron far-IR measurements and theoretical calculations. The decompressed phase recovered at ambient pressure transforms to low-density amorphous ice when heated to approximately 125 K.     

A calorimetric study on the low temperature dynamics of doped ice V and its reversible phase transition to hydrogen ordered ice XIII

Doped ice V samples made from solutions containing 0.01 M HCl (DCl), HF (DF), or KOH (KOD) in H(2)O (D(2)O) were slow-cooled from 250 to 77 K at 0.5 GPa. The effect of the dopant on the hydrogen disorder --> order transition and formation of hydrogen ordered ice XIII was studied by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) with samples recovered at 77 K. DSC scans of acid-doped samples are consistent with a reversible ice XIII <--> ice V phase transition at ambient pressure, showing an endothermic peak on heating due to the hydrogen ordered ice XIII --> disordered ice V phase transition, and an exothermic peak on subsequent cooling due to the ice V --> ice XIII phase transition. The equilibrium temperature (T(o)) for the ice V <--> ice XIII phase transition is 112 K for both HCl doped H(2)O and DCl doped D(2)O. From the maximal enthalpy change of 250 J mol(-1) on the ice XIII --> ice V phase transition and T(o) of 112 K, the change in configurational entropy for the ice XIII --> ice V transition is calculated as 2.23 J mol(-1) K(-1) which is 66% of the Pauling entropy. For HCl, the most effective dopant, the influence of HCl concentration on the formation of ice XIII was determined: on decreasing the concentration of HCl from 0.01 to 0.001 M, its effectiveness is only slightly lowered. However, further HCl decrease to 0.0001 M drastically lowered its effectiveness. HF (DF) doping is less effective in inducing formation of ice XIII than HCl (DCl) doping. On heating at a rate of 5 K min(-1), kinetic unfreezing starts in pure ice V at approximately 132 K, whereas in acid doped ice XIII it starts at about 105 K due to acceleration of reorientation of water molecules. KOH doping does not lead to formation of hydrogen ordered ice XIII, a result which is consistent with our powder neutron diffraction study (C. G. Salzmann, P. G. Radaelli, A. Hallbrucker, E. Mayer, J. L. Finney, Science, 2006, 311, 1758). We further conjecture whether or not ice XIII has a stable region in the water/ice phase diagram, and on a metastable triple point where ice XIII, ice V and ice II are in equilibrium.     

Phase behavior and elastic properties of a slightly crosslinked liquid crystalline main-chain polymer

A liquid crystalline main-chain polymer was slightly crosslinked by a reaction with, -difunctionalized oligo-siloxanes. Crosslinking does not disturb the liquid crystalline phases, which are identified by x-ray measurements as smecticB and smecticA phases. Measurements of the elastic properties of the crosslinked sample show rubber-like elasticity, even in the liquid crystalline phases. A difference of 7 K was found between cooling and heating for the smecticA/isotropic transition from DSC and mechanical measurements.     

Transformation of ice in aqueous KCl solution to a high-pressure, low-temperature phase

The changes in in situ Raman spectra of ice in aqueous KCl solution have been measured as a function of pressure at liquid nitrogen temperature (77 K). The ice that is formed abruptly transforms to a crystalline phase at 800 MPa. It has a spectrum close to that of ice VII′ to which high density amorphous (hda) ice transforms at about 4 GPa. This behavior contrasts with that of the ice in aqueous LiCl solution, which transforms to an amorphous phase at 500 MPa, as in the case of pressure-induced amorphization of ice I_h to hda.     

Irving-Williams order in the framework of connectivity index ³χv enables simultaneous prediction of stability constants of bivalent transition metal complexes

Logarithms of stability constants, log K? and log β?, of the first transition series metal mono- and bis-complexes with any of four aliphatic amino acids (glycine, alanine, valine and leucine) decrease monotonously with third order valence connectivity index, 3χv, from Cu2+ to Mn2+. While stability of the complexes with the same metal is linearly dependent on 3χv, stability constants of Mn2+, Fe2+, Co2+, and Ni2+complexes with the same ligand show a quadratic dependence on 3χv. As Cu2+ complexes deviate significantly from quadratic functions, models for the simultaneous estimation of the stability constants, yielding r = 0.999 (S.E. = 0.05) and r = 0.998 (S.E. = 0.11), for log K? and log β?, respectively, were developed only for Mn2+, Fe2+, Co2+, and Ni2+ complexes with amino acids.     

An ice phase of lowest thermal conductivity

On pressurizing at temperatures near 130 K, hexagonal and cubic ices transform implosively at 0.8-1 GPa. The phase produced on transformation has the lowest thermal conductivity among the known crystalline ices and its value decreases on increase in temperature. An ice phase of similar thermal conductivity is produced also when high-density amorphous ice kept at 1 GPa transforms on slow heating when the temperature reaches approximately 155 K. These unusual formation conditions, the density and its distinguished thermal conductivity, all indicate that a distinct crystal phase of ice has been produced.     

Liquid crystalline phase transitions in hexakis(4-(4'-heptyloxy)biphenoxy)cyclotriphosphazene

Hexakis(4-(4'-heptyloxy)biphenoxy)cyclotriphosphazene (HHCP) was synthesized from hexachlorocyclotriphosphazene and 4-heptyloxy-4'-hydroxybiphenyl. The mesogenicity of HHCP was studied by DSC, FTIR spectroscopy and polarizing microscopy. Enantiotropic smectic C and nematic phases were observed between 450 and 455 K and 455 and 456 K, respectively, on heating, and between 456 and 455 K (nematic) and 455 and 440 K (smectic C) on cooling from the isotropic liquid phase. The introduction of the heptyloxybiphenoxy groups as side chains into cyclotriphosphazene has generated the liquid crystalline phase. FTIR spectroscopy showed that the P=N and P-O-(C) stretching vibrations converted to lower frequencies from 1224 to 1210 cm^-1 and from 920 to 910cm^-1, respectively, at the crystalline (C)-S_c phase transition. This result suggests that the state of the cyclotriphosphazene ring dramatically changes near the C-S_c phase transition.     

DSC studies on thermally induced structural transformation of hydrogen-bonded amphoteric molecular assemblage

Summary Thermally induced structural transformation of fibrous hydrogen-bonded molecular assemblage formed from an amphoteric pyridinecarboxylic acid of 6-[2-propyl- 4-(4-pyridylazo)phenoxy]hexanoic acid (C5PR) was studied using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), differential thermal analysis (DTA), and thermogravimetry (TG). The organized fibrous morphology formed in an aqueous solution was stable at temperatures below 150°C. The ordered crystalline solid phase (K1) of the original fibrous material altered to a disordered crystalline solid phase (K2) at 150°C and subsequently to an isotropic phase (I) at 172°C. In the isotropic state, the C5PR molecule was slowly decomposed by decarboxylation. Once the molecular assemblage was subjected to the mesophase by heating, another ordered crystalline solid phase (K3) appeared reversibly at 17°C. The heat budget analyses by DSC indicated that a conformational entropy change such as the side-chain propyl group and the main-chain pentamethylene unit in the hydrogen-bonded molecular assemblage took place between the two ordered crystalline solid phases K1 and K3.     

Quinaldine: Accessing two crystalline polymorphs via the supercooled liquid

Quinaldine (2-methyl quinoline) is a liquid at room temperature, which can be supercooled to reach finally the glassy state. By heating the glass above the glass transition temperature T(g) = 180 K the sample performs two subsequent transitions into, likewise, dielectrically active phases. Thus, the reorientational relaxations of these phases as well as the kinetics of the phase transitions can be tracked in a highly resolved way by dielectric spectroscopy. X-ray diffraction analysis clearly shows two structurally different crystalline phases in addition to the supercooled liquid. Calorimetric measurements support the notion of first order phase transitions, occurring irreversibly in the supercooled regime, and suggest that the intermediate crystalline phase is metastable, too. Analyzing the quite distinct dielectric relaxation strengths, we discuss the possible nature of the two crystalline phases. Additionally, a very similar behavior to quinaldine is observed for 3-methyl quinoline, indicating a broad field of polymorphism among the quinoline derivatives.     

Direct crystallization of silicate–phosphate glasses of NaCaPO4–SiO2 system

The subject of the study was silicate–phosphate glasses of NaCaPO₄–SiO₂ system which are precursors of glass–crystalline materials. Glass–crystalline materials of NaCaPO₄–SiO₂ system obtained via crystallization of glasses belong to a group of the so-called bioactive materials. In order to obtain glass–crystalline materials with pre-established parameters, it is necessary to conduct crystallization of glasses at specific conditions. In order to design direct crystallization process properly, it is necessary to know the structure and microstructure of the glassy precursor. Microscopic investigation showed that liquation takes place in all the studied glasses. Based on DSC examinations, it has been found out that crystallization of the glasses of NaCaPO₄–SiO₂ system is a multistep process. The presence of several clearly separated exothermic peaks in DSC curves of investigated glasses makes it possible to crystallize only the separated phase with the matrix remaining amorphous or vice versa. Conducted detailed X-ray and spectroscopic studies of the materials obtained by heating in a gradient furnace (in the temperature specified on the basis of DSC) showed that separated phase and matrix crystallizes separately. Therefore, bioactive glass–crystalline materials can be obtained due to the existence of the phase separation phenomenon and pre-established sizes of the crystalline phase.     

X-ray crystal structure, Raman spectroscopy, and Ab initio density functional theory calculations on 1,1,3,3-tetramethylguanidinium bromide

The salt 1,1,3,3-tetramethylguanidinium bromide, [((CH(3))(2)N)(2)C═NH(2)](+)Br(-) or [tmgH]Br, was found to melt at 135(5) °C, forming what may be referred to as a moderate temperature ionic liquid. The chemistry was studied and compared with the corresponding chloride compound. We present X-ray diffraction and Raman evidence to show that also the bromide salt contains dimeric ion pair "molecules" in the crystalline state and probably also in the liquid state. The structure of [tmgH]Br determined at 120(2) K was found to be monoclinic, space group P2(1)/n, with a = 7.2072(14), b = 13.335(3), c = 9.378(2) ?, β =104.31(3)°, Z = 2, based on 11769 reflections, measured from θ = 2.71-28.00° on a small colorless needle crystal. Raman and IR spectra are presented and assigned. When heated, both the chloride and the bromide salts form vapor phases. The Raman spectra of the vapors are surprisingly alike, showing, for example, a characteristic strong band at 2229 cm(-1). This band was interpreted by some of us to show that the [tmgH]Cl gas phase should consist of monomeric ion pair "molecules" held together by a single N-H(+)···Cl(-) hydrogen bond, the stretching vibration of which should be causing the band, based on ab initio molecular orbital density functional theory type calculations. It is not likely that both the bromide and chloride should have identical spectra. As explanation, the formation of 1,1-dimethylcyanamide gas is proposed, by decomposition of [tmgH]X leaving dimethylammonium halogenide (X = Cl, Br). The Raman spectra of all gas phases were quite identical and fitted the calculated spectrum of dimethylcyanamide. It is concluded that monomeric ion pair "molecules" held together by single N-H(+)···X(-) hydrogen bonds probably do not exist in the vapor phase over the solids at about 200-230 °C.     

Polymorph-tuned synthesis of α- and β-Bi2O3 nanowires and determination of their growth direction from polarized Raman single nanowire microscopy

We report polymorph-tuned synthesis of α- and β-Bi(2)O(3) nanowires and their single nanowire micro-Raman study. The single crystalline Bi(2)O(3) nanowires in different phases (α and β) were selectively synthesized by adjusting the heating temperature of Bi precursor in a vapor transport process. No catalyst was employed. Furthermore, at an identical precursor evaporation temperature, α- and β- phase Bi(2)O(3) nanowires were simultaneously synthesized along the temperature gradient at a substrate. The growth direction of α-Bi(2)O(3) nanowires was revealed by polarized Raman single nanowire spectra. For thin β-Bi(2)O(3) nanowires with a very small diameter, the polarized Raman single nanowire spectrum was strongly influenced by the shape effect.     

Liquid crystalline phase transitions in hexakis(4-(4′-heptyloxy)biphenoxy)cyclotriphosphazene

Abstract

Hexakis(4-(4′-heptyloxy)biphenoxy)cyclotriphosphazene (HHCP) was synthesized from hexachlorocyclotriphosphazene and 4-heptyloxy-4′-hydroxybiphenyl. The mesogenicity of HHCP was studied by DSC, FTIR spectroscopy and polarizing microscopy. Enantiotropic smectic C and nematic phases were observed between 450 and 455 K and 455 and 456 K, respectively, on heating, and between 456 and 455 K (nematic) and 455 and 440 K (smectic C) on cooling from the isotropic liquid phase. The introduction of the heptyloxybiphenoxy groups as side chains into cyclotriphosphazene has generated the liquid crystalline phase. FTIR spectroscopy showed that the P=N and P-O-(C) stretching vibrations converted to lower frequencies from 1224 to 1210 cm^?1 and from 920 to 910cm^?1, respectively, at the crystalline (C)-S_c phase transition. This result suggests that the state of the cyclotriphosphazene ring dramatically changes near the C-S_c phase transition.     

Hydrogen molecules trapped in irradiated solid ethanol

Raman spectroscopy of γ-irradiated solid ethanol at 77 K revealed that trapped H₂ is produced mainly by the H atom abstraction at the alkyl group by H radicals which are dissociated from the alkyl group of ethanol. Comparison of the peak wavenumbers and the band widths of H₂ between the glassy and crystalline phases of ethanol suggests that the trapping sites of H₂ in the glassy phase are smaller in the average size and less homogeneous in the size distribution. The molar ratio between ortho- and para-H₂ trapped in irradiated crystalline ethanol is in rough agreement with the thermodynamic equilibrium between 5–120 K, intimating that the ortho-para conversion is allowed under the existence of an electro-magnetic gradient due to paramagnetic radicals.