Effect of temperature on the surface free energy of amorphous carbon films

Diamond-like carbon (DLC) and tetrahedral amorphous carbon (ta-C) have attracted much attention recently for biomedical and antifouling applications due to their excellent biocompatibility and inherent nonstick properties. It has been demonstrated that the solid surface free energy is a dominant factor in cellular or fouling adhesion. However, few data for the surface free energy of DLC and ta-C coatings at temperatures in the range 37-95 degrees C are available. In this study DLC and ta-C coatings on stainless steel 304 sheets were prepared using an unbalanced magnetron sputtering system and a filtered cathodic vacuum arc system, respectively. The contact angles of water, diiodomethane and ethylene glycol on the coated surfaces at temperatures in the range 20-95 degrees C were measured using a Dataphysics OCA-20 contact angle analyzer. The surface free energy of the coatings and their components (e.g., dispersion, polar or acid/base portions) were calculated using various methods. The experimental results showed that the total surface free energy and dispersive surface free energy of the ta-C coatings, DLC coatings, stainless steel 304 and titanium decreased with increasing surface temperature, while the acid-base SFE component increased with increasing temperature.     

Morphology controls of the melt blending in a novel highly crosslinked bismaleimide system

A novel bismaleimide of 2,2-bis[4-(4-maleimidophenoxy)phenyl]propane (BMIP) with a broad working-temperature-range for the melt blending was successfully synthesized. BMIP possesses a considerably broad working-temperature-range from 75 °C to 250 °C, prior to undergoing cure reactions to form a highly crosslinked network. The morphology types of cured BMIP/clay hybrids can be controlled by varying the shearing temperatures and the contents of the clay. The conditions necessary for achieving an exfoliated or an intercalated BMIP/clay hybrid were thoroughly investigated via X-ray diffractometry, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). All the uncured samples prepared at different shearing temperatures and with an adequate amount of MMT-C (above 3 phr) exhibited an intercalated form of morphology. However, the crosslinking reactions for specified samples prepared at relatively elevated shearing temperatures (above 120 °C) and with a relatively low content of clay (below 15 phr) resulted in morphology changes from the intercalated form to the exfoliated form of morphology. There exists an isotropically mechanical property for the cured matrix of the exfoliated hybrids whereas there exists an anisotropically mechanical property for the cured matrix of the intercalated hybrids.     

Synthesis, crystal structure, and properties of MnNCN, the first carbodiimide of a magnetic transition metal

Synthesis, single-crystal structure determination, and magnetic properties are reported for manganese carbodiimide, MnNCN. The presumably unstable but inert phase adopts the trigonal system (R3m) with a = 3.3583(4) A, c = 14.347(2) A, V = 140.13(3) A3, and Z = 3. Divalent manganese is octahedrally coordinated by nitrogen atoms at 2.26 A, and the NCN(2-) unit adopts the linear [N=C=N](2-) carbodiimide shape with two C=N double bonds of 1.23 A. MnNCN contains high-spin Mn(II) with five unpaired electrons and behaves like an antiferromagnet with an ordering temperature below 30 K.