Immiscibility,upper critical solution temperature,and miscibility in blends of poly(vinyl ether)s with polyacrylics: Effects of pendant groups

Various phase behavior of blends of poly(vinyl ether)s with homologous acrylic polymers (polymethacrylates or polyacrylates) were examined using differential scanning calorimetry, optical microscopy (OM), and Fourier‐transformed infrared spectroscopy. Effects of varying the pendant groups of either of constituent polymers on the phase behavior of the blends were analyzed. A series of interestingly different phase behavior in the blends has been revealed in that as the pendant group in the acrylic polymer series gets longer, polymethacrylate/poly(vinyl methyl ether) (PVME) blends exhibit immiscibility, upper critical solution temperature (UCST), and miscibility, respectively. This study found that the true phase behavior of poly(propyl methacrylate)/PVME [and poly(isopropyl methacrylate)/PVME)] blend systems, though immiscible at ambient, actually displayed a rare UCST upon heating to higher temperatures. Similarly, as the methyl pendant group in PVE is lengthened to ethyl (i.e., PVME replaced by PVEE), phase behavior of its blends with series of polymethacrylates or polyacrylates changes correspondingly. Analyses and quantitative comparisons on four series of blends of PVE/acrylic polymer were performed to thoroughly understand the effects of pendant groups in either polyethers (PVE's) or acrylic polymers on the phase behavior of the blends of these two constituents. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 45: 1521–1534, 2007     

Preparation of (CdO)1−x(PbO)x and (CdS)1−x(PbS)x thin films by spray pyrolysis technique and their characterization

Mixed thin films of (CdO)_1−x(PbO)_x and (CdS)_1−x(PbS)_x (x=0.25) were prepared on glass substrates by spray pyrolysis technique for various substrate temperatures 300, 320 and 340 °C. Structural and optical properties were studied. XRD studies reveal the formation of mixed films. The substrate temperature of 340 °C seems to be critical for the formation of CdO-PbO mixed films. It is observed that (CdS)_1−x(PbS)_x mixed films were formed at all the three substrate temperatures. The direct band gap value of (CdO)_1−x(PbO)_x and (CdS)_1−x(PbS)_x mixed films is about 2.6 and 2.37 eV, respectively.     

Electroanalytical properties of membranes based on metal-polyethoxylate-tetraphenylborate compounds

Cationic functions of selective electrodes based on tetraphenylborate salts of polyethoxylate complexes of Pb(II), Ba(II), Ca(II), Cd(II), and Zn(II) (M-PEO-TPB) are studied in solutions of these metal cations and polyethoxylates. It is shown that the linearity range of the electrode response, detection limit, and the slope of the electrode function are governed by the stoichiometry of reaction, stability, and solubility of complex [M-PEO]²⁺ cations in water. Lead-selective electrodes based on a Pb(II)-PEO-TPB compound exhibit the best parameters. The behavior of these electrodes in polyethoxylate solutions is studied and their performance characteristics (response time, potential drift, service life) are determined.     

Identification and quantitative determination of some inorganic lanthanide compounds by diffuse reflectance spectroscopy

Diffuse reflectance spectroscopy in the UV, visible, and near-IR regions is found to allow the detection and identification of lanthanide oxides, fluorides, sulfides, and sulfofluorides without decomposing and dissolving samples. A nondestructive method for the detection and quantitative determination of more than 1 wt % of Eu(II) in the corresponding fluorides is proposed.     

Vibronic and electric properties of semiconductor structures based on butyl-substituted mono-and triphthalocyanine containing erbium ions

The Raman spectra have been obtained and the temperature dependence of the conductivity of organic semiconductor structures based on butyl-substituted erbium monophthalocyanine and erbium triphthalocyanine has been studied. It has been found experimentally that the activation energy decreases dramatically and the Raman spectra exhibits four new peaks in the region of large Raman shifts as the molecular structure of the samples becomes more complicated.     

Optical reflectance of blue bronze crystals near the Peierls transition

We report on the reflectance of blue bronze crystals in the visible frequency range as a function of temperature. The observed large oscillations in the reflectance at all wavelengths at temperatures near the Peierls transition are interpreted as interference effects stemming from a surface layer. It is found that the surface layer, which appears to be tied to fluctuations, can be as much as 1.6 microns thick.     

Dynamics of a CW single-mode Nd:YAG laser with a Cs2 narrow-band saturable absorber

We present the results of experiments with a CW single-mode Nd:YAG laser, tunable in the vicinity of 1064 nm, with an intracavity narrow-band Cs ₂ vapor saturable absorber. It is shown that the laser dynamics is determined by both the pump level and detuning of the laser frequency from the absorption-line center.