The influence of compression conditions on the peculiarities of self-propagating exothermal reaction in Al–Ni powder reactive materials

The paper deals with the effect of the compression conditions on the propagation front velocity of exothermal reaction and the specific heat release in Al–Ni powder reactive materials with mean particle sizes of 70–110 nm. It was shown that the velocity increases from 2.7 to 8 cm s^?1 and comes to saturation with the lowering of the porosity (η) from 0.91 to 0.34, while the dependence of the specific heat release has its maximum for η?=?0.5. The results of the X-ray diffraction analysis obtained in situ during the sample heating suggest that the sequence of phase transformations in the system does not depend on the porosity. In all cases, first in the temperature range of ~?500–540 °C the NiAl compound is formed. With the further heating up to ~?640 °C, the Ni₃Al, Ni₂Al₃ and NiAl₃ compounds are additionally formed. The calculation of kinetic parameters was performed using the obtained curves of the differential scanning calorimetry: activation energy, pre-exponential factor and reaction model. The comparison of the calculated results and the scanning electron microscopy data has shown that such behavior of the Al–Ni system with the porosity lowering occurs due to the growth of the transformation degree and is associated with the presence in the final powder mixture of mutually non-contacting Al and Ni agglomerates with the dimensions of over 10 μm.     

Electrochemical properties of outer-sphere associates of bipyridyl and sepulchrate metal complexes with (thia)calix[4]arenes

The electrochemical one-electron reduction (oxidation) of bipyridyl metal complexes ([Co(bipy)₃]³⁺, [Cr(bipy)₃]³⁺, [Fe(bipy)₃]²⁺, [Ru(bipy)₃]²⁺ (as well as Co(III) sepulcrate)) with water-soluble (thia)calix[4]arenes has been studied by means of cyclic voltammetry. It has been shown that [M(bipy)₃]^3+/2+ bind to (thia)calix[4]arenes via sulfonate groups of the upper rim. Oxidized forms bind stronger than reduced ones leading to reduction (oxidation) of half-wave cathodic shift. The effect of predominant stabilization of oxidized forms of metal complexes for carboxylated calix[4]arene is stronger than for thiacalix[4]arene (ΔΔG₀?=???7.8?÷???12.5 and ??3.7 kJ/mol, respectively). The redox-switchable outer-sphere binding of Co(III) sepulchrate via lower rim of carboxylated calix[4]arene has been revealed using cyclic voltammetry. The binding constants of outer-sphere associates based on calix[4]arenes and unstable metal complexes ([Co(sep)]²⁺, [Ru(bipy)₃]³⁺, [Co(bipy)₃]²⁺) have been calculated for the first time using ¹H NMR titration and cyclic voltammetry data.

Graphical abstract

Open image in new window

     

Comparative ONIOM modeling of 1,3-butadiene polymerization using Nd(III) and Gd(III) Ziegler–Natta catalyst systems

On the base of structural and thermodynamic data using modern methods of quantum chemistry, a comparative theoretical study of the elementary acts of initiation and growth of a polymer chain during the polymerization of 1,3-butadiene was carried out. Ziegler–Natta catalysts based on Nd(III) and Gd(III) were used as polymerization initiators. It was shown that the higher stereospecificity of the action of gadolinium catalytic complexes in comparison with neodymium complexes is due to the increased stability of the anti-form of the π-allylic terminal structure of the growing polymer chain, and the reduced activity is due to the higher activation energy of the processes of initiation and chain growth.     

Unusual electro-optical behaviour of the nematic polyacrylate

ABSTRACT

High sensitivity of liquid crystals to the electric field makes them highly demanded and widely used in different applications. Despite the large number of the electro-optical research on the low-molar-mass liquid crystals electro-optics of the liquid crystalline (LC) polymers is much less studied. Herein, the comparative electro-optical behaviour of two nematic comb-shaped polyacrylates with phenylbenzoate mesogenic side groups was studied in detail. These two polyacrylates have completely the same structure of polymer backbone and spacer length but different in the direction of the ester group in the phenylbenzoate fragments. It was found that this difference predetermines their completely opposite electro-optical properties.

The influence of the electric field of different strength and frequency on the orientation of the mesogenic groups of these polymers is studied. It is shown that application of the electric field at temperatures above the glass transition temperature (~25°C) induces reorientation of the mesogenic groups along or perpendicular to the electric field direction depending in its turn on the ester group direction. For one of the polyacrylates an unusual textural transition is found; during cooling of the polymer sample under applied field at definite temperature a sharp change in the mesogen’s orientation from homeotropic to planar one is found. This electro-optical phenomenon is observed for the first time and probably associated with sharp change in sign of anisotropy of dielectric permittivity from positive (at high temperatures) to negative one (at lower temperatures). Kinetics of the electro-optical switching at different temperatures, influence of the molar masses of the polymer and frequency of the applied AC field on electro-optical behaviour of the polymers are studied. The possibility of the fixation of the electroinduced homeotropic alignment of the mesogenic groups by photopolymerisation of the diacrylate dissolved in the polymer is demonstrated.     

Molecular and conformational properties of comb-like polymers with ionically bound side chains studied in organic solvent

Conformational and dynamo-optical properties of a homologous series of poly(cetyltrimethylammonium 2-acrylamido-2-methylpropane sulfonates) with molecular masses ranging from 80 to 700?kDa were studied in chloroform solutions by viscometry, dynamic light scattering, sedimentation, and flow birefringence. The Mark–Kuhn–Houwink Equations for this polymer in chloroform were obtained; the values of hydrodynamic diameter and the Kuhn segment length as well as the value of intrinsic anisotropy of polarizability of the monomer unit were defined.