Water sorption by poly(tetrahydrofurfuril methacrylate)'s

Polymers consisting of poly(heterocyclic methacrylate)s are considered as potential materials for clinical applications such as drug delivery and cartilage repair. Much of the success of these systems has been attributed to the complex nature of their water sorption properties. Dielectric permittivity is very sensitive to water sorption. Dielectric relaxation spectroscopy studies have been carried out on two heterocyclic poly(methacrylate)s: poly(tetrahydrofurfuryl methacrylate) (PTHFMA) and poly(3‐methyl tetrahydrofurfuryl methacrylate) (P3MTHFMA). The isochrones representing the dielectric losses show in both cases high conductivity at low frequencies and high temperatures. In PTHFMA two conductive processes are observed, which can be associated to the existence of two types of water sorption. These effects have been analyzed and were removed from the dielectric spectra by using classical empirical equations. Both polymers show ostensible α‐relaxation centered in the vicinity of 350 K at 10⁰ Hz. This relaxation was analyzed by means of the empirical Havriliak‐Negami equation. Reminiscent β‐relaxation could also exist. Both polymers present well defined γ and δ subglass absorptions at approximately 120 K, 160 K for PTHFMA and 125 K, 163 K for P3MTHFMA, at 10⁰ Hz, associated to local intramolecular relaxations in side groups. These relaxations were analyzed using semiempirical symmetric model. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 46: 109–120, 2008     

Polystyrene fluorescence spectra. Molecular weight dependence in different solvents

The emission spectra from polystyrene samples of molecular weights ranging from 500 to 612,000 were measured in solvents of different thermodynamic character. The excimer to monomeric emission ratio depends upon the polymer molecular weight but is independent of the solvent. The molecular weight dependence is explained in terms of a distribution of the excimer traps among the macromolecules.     

Photoluminescence of biphenyl-containing polymers

Poly(4-vinylbiphenyl) and copolymers of methyl methacrylate and 4-vinylbiphenyl show both monomeric (λ_max = 325 nm) and excimer (λ_max = 380 nm) fluorescence. The quantum yield of excimer emission increases and the monomeric emission decreases with increase in the fraction of vinylbiphenyl units in the copolymer. The decrease of the monomeric emission is closely related to a decrease in singlet lifetime. These results are interpreted in terms of a kinetic controlled excimer formation. Comparison of the emission in the homo and copolymers with that of the dimeric model compound shows that excimer formation in the polymer strongly depends upon the possibility of energy migration along sequences of vinylbiphenyl units. This conclusion is considered as of particular relevance due to the change in geometry of the biphenyl unit upon excitation.     

Parametric amplifiers driven by two pump waves with dissimilar frequencies

Parametric amplifiers driven by two pump waves are studied numerically. For typical parameters, one can design an amplifier that produces uniform gain over a range of wavelengths that extends at least 33 nm on either side of the average pump wavelength.     

Stopping Rules for the Stochastic Nested Partitions Method

We have recently developed a global optimization methodology for solving combinatorial problems with either deterministic or stochastic performance functions. This method, the Nested Partitions (NP) method has been shown to generate a Markov chain and with probability one to converge to a global optimum. In this paper, we study the rate of convergence of the method through the use of Markov Chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) methods, and use this to derive stopping rules that can be applied during simulation-based optimization. A numerical example serves to illustrate the feasibility of our approach.     

Versatile Sugar Derivatives for the Synthesis of Potential Degradable Hydrophilic‐Hydrophobic Polyurethanes and Polyureas

Biodegradable polymers obtained from renewable natural sources are currently receiving increasing attention because they are an alternative to the traditional petroleum‐based plastics. In the present communication we describe the synthesis of the diol monomers 2,3,4‐tri‐O‐benzyl‐L‐arabinitol (ABnOH) and 2,3,4‐tri‐O‐benzylxylitol (XBnOH), and the diamino monomers 1,5‐diamino‐1,5‐dideoxy‐2,3,4‐tri‐O‐benzyl‐L‐arabinitol (ABnNH ₂ ) and 1,5‐diamino‐1,5‐dideoxy‐2,3,4‐tri‐O‐benzylxylitol (XBnNH ₂ ), which can be used in the preparation of new potentially biodegradable sugar‐based polymers. As an example, we describe the synthesis and characterization of a polyurethane [PU‐(ABnOH‐HMDI)] and a polyurea [PUR‐(ABnNH₂‐HMDI)] by poly addition reaction of ABnOH and ABnNH ₂ with 1,6‐hexamethylene diisocyanate.      

Poly(itaconates) monolayers behavior at the air/water interface. Study at different surface concentration

Polymer monolayers spread at the air/water interface were obtained for: poly(monooctyl itaconate) (PMOI), poly(monodecyl itaconate) (PMDI), poly(monododecyl itaconate) (PMDoI), poly(monobenzyl itaconate) (PMBzI), poly(methyldodecyl itaconate) (PMeDoI) and the alternating copolymer (monooctyl itaconate-alt-maleic anhydride) (MOI-alt-MA). By monolayer compression at constant temperature, the respective Langmuir isotherms for these polymers were obtained. For all polymers the zero-pressure limiting area per repeating unit (ru) Ao, and the collapse pressure π_c were determined. At low surface polymer concentrations, the monolayers characterization was carried out according to the surface pressure expressed as a function of the surface concentration. The behavior observed was described by the virial expansion development. At the semidilute region, the surface pressure variation was expressed in terms of the scaling laws as a power function of the surface concentration.     

Pre´paration chimique et structure cristalline de l'iodate d'argent AgIO3

A new chemical preparation of silver iodate AgIO₃ is given. The crystal structure has been determined by single-crystal X-ray diffraction methods and refined to a finalR value of 0.051 for 1280 independent reflections. The unit cell is orthorhombic witha = 7.265(2), b = 15.17(4), c = 5.786(2)A?,Z = 8. The space group isPbc2₁. IO₃ groups and AgO₆ octaedra form a compact bidimensional framework perpendicular to theb axis.