Interpretation of the polyelectrolyte and antipolyelectrolyte effects of poly(N‐vinylimidazole‐co‐sodium styrenesulfonate) hydrogels

Hydrogels of N‐vinylimidazole (VI) and sodium styrenesulfonate (SSS) were synthesized in aqueous solution by radical crosslinking copolymerization with N,N′‐methylene‐bis(acrylamide) as crosslinker. Swelling in several saline solutions was measured for hydrogel samples synthesized with different comonomer concentrations (C_T = 10, 25, or 40%) and with SSS mole fractions covering a broad range (f_SSS = 0–0.7), while the crosslinker ratio was 2 wt % in all cases. The degree of swelling in aqueous solution with a specific ionic strength (μ), plotted versus the SSS composition of the feed, shows a minimum for any set of samples synthesized with a fixed C_T. The dependence of swelling on μ shows both polyelectrolyte (f_SSS beyond the minimum) and antipolyelectrolyte behaviors (in the low f_SSS limit). It was found that the nonGaussian factor of the crosslinking density and the polymer‐solvent interaction parameter increase with f_SSS for any C_T. Moreover, in the low f_SSS limit, the osmotic swelling pressure is governed not only by the ionic contribution, but also by the polymer‐solvent mixing and, the concentration of mobile counterions inside the gel is not proportional to the net fixed charge but to the addition of cationic and anionic side groups, what discards the formation of ionic pairs. The antipolyelectrolyte effect is interpreted as due to the increasing protonation of VI as μ goes up. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 45: 1683–1693, 2007     

A Self-Similar Dynamics in Viscous Spheres

We study the evolution of radiating and viscous fluid spheres assuming an additional homothetic symmetry on the spherically symmetric space-time. We match a very simple solution to the symmetry equations with the exterior one (Vaidya). We then obtain a system of two ordinary differential equations which rule the dynamics, and find a self-similar collapse which is shear-free and with a barotropic equation of state. Considering a huge set of initial self-similar dynamics states, we work out a model with an acceptable physical behavior.     

Compact coaxial driver for small-size Z-pinch

The presented one-capacitor pinch driver, designed as a compact coaxial structure (including spark-gap and discharge section) consistent with the capacitor output, generates a current of 200 kA with 700 ns quarter-period, suitable for studying the optimization of Z-pinch radiative characteristics. The driver is described, measurements of its parameters summarized, and relations to our previous and future activities briefly reviewed.This work was supported in part by the Grant Agency of the Czech Republic under contract No. 202/93/1023.     

A supraconvergent scheme for the Korteweg-de Vries equation

Summary A finite-difference method for the integration of the Korteweg-de Vries equation on irregular grids is analyzed. Under periodic boundary conditions, the method is shown to be supraconvergent in the sense that, though being inconsistent, it is second order convergent. However, such a convergence only takes place on grids with an odd number of points per period. When a grid with an even number of points is used, the inconsistency of the method leads to divergence. Numerical results backing the analysis are presented.     

Multiple-scattering-theory analysis of XANES spectra of SO2 adsorbed on Cu(100)

The sulphur K-edge x-ray absorption spectra of SO₂ multilayer and of SO₂ submonolayer adsorbed on Cu(100) are analysed. It is found that the dominant spectral features are of a molecular origin. The results support earlier findings that the SO₂ molecule stands perpendicular to the surface. Use of non-selfconsistent potentials does not lead to a good quantitative agreement between theory and experiment.     

[VS_4Cu_6(Py)_8I_3]的合成和晶体结构

在(NH4)3VS4/CuI/Py反应体系中合成了新化合物 [VS4Cu6(Py)8I3]并测定其晶体结构。该化合物(C40H40N8Cu6I3S4V)属正交晶系, 空间群为Fdd2, 晶胞参数为: a = 29.924(6), b = 13.475(3), c = 25.853(5) , V = 10425(4) ?, Dc = 2.006 g/cm3, Mr = 1573.92, Z = 8, (MoK) = 4.546 mm-1, F(000) = 6048。结构由直接法解出, 用全矩阵最小二乘法修正, 最终偏离因子R = 0.023, wR = 0.069。簇合物分子是由6个带端基配体的Cu沿着四面体单元VS4的6条SS边配位而成, 6个Cu排列成了1个八面体, V基本位于八面体的中心, 整个分子具有C2对称性。     

Shape preservation regions for six-dimensional spaces

We analyze the critical length for design purposes of six-dimensional spaces invariant under translations and reflections containing the functions 1, cos t and sin t. These spaces also contain the first degree polynomials as well as trigonometric and/or hyperbolic functions. We identify the spaces whose critical length for design purposes is greater than 2π and find its maximum 4π. By a change of variables, two biparametric families of spaces arise. We call shape preservation region to the set of admissible parameters in order that the space has shape preserving representations for curves. We describe the shape preserving regions for both families. To our friend Mariano Gasca on occasion of his 60th birthday Research partially supported by the Spanish Research Grant MTM2006-03388, by Gobierno de Aragón and Fondo Social Europeo.     

Lagrangian Duality in Set-Valued Optimization

In this paper, we study optimization problems where the objective function and the binding constraints are set-valued maps and the solutions are defined by means of set-relations among all the images sets (Kuroiwa, D. in Takahashi, W., Tanaka, T. (eds.) Nonlinear analysis and convex analysis, pp. 221–228, 1999). We introduce a new dual problem, establish some duality theorems and obtain a Lagrangian multiplier rule of nonlinear type under convexity assumptions. A necessary condition and a sufficient condition for the existence of saddle points are given. The authors thank the two referees for valuable comments and suggestions on early versions of the paper. The research of the first author was partially supported by Ministerio de Educación y Ciencia (Spain) Project MTM2006-02629 and by Junta de Castilla y León (Spain) Project VA027B06.     

Temperature modulated DSC study of the kinetics of free radical isothermal network polymerization

Temperature modulated differential scanning calorimetry (TMDSC) is used to study the kinetics of the free radical isothermal polymerization of triethyleneglycol dimethacrylate (TEGDMA). Azo-bis-isobutironitrile was used as initiator. The polymerization’s temperature is lower than the final glass transition temperature of the polymer network. The measurement of the average heat flow released and the heat capacity during the reaction allows identifying the different stages of the reaction. The presence of double peaks in the heat flow is ascribed to the autoacceleration. The influence of temperature, measuring conditions and oxygen are described. Vitrification is detected by the drop in heat capacity. It occurs at increasing conversion rates for increasing temperatures. After vitrification, the diffusion-controlled reaction continues.