Thermodesorption of LB-multilayers of metal stearates

Thermodesorption of stearate multilayers containing different metal ions was investigated by Interference-enhanced Reflection (IeR) and Nomarsky microscopy. Heating of samples in air leads to desorption of stearyl chains and to formation of metal oxide clusters. A new approach to build controlled structures was made by preparing a surface with neighbouring hydrophobic and hydrophilic areas. It is shown that arranging inorganic particles in a predetermined way is possible.     

New amphiphilic terphenyl liquid crystals for the preparation of highly ordered ultrathin films

Four new amphiphilic liquid crystals have been synthesized, in which terphenyl was used as the mesogenic unit. In order to enable the formation of Langmuir Monolayers at the air/water-interface, the molecules were equipped with slightly polar headgroups such as esters or a carboxylic acid group. All compounds can be transferred onto solid substrates. In addition, it is possible to prepare freely suspended films of at least one compound in the temperature range of the smectic phases. The phases of the different states, bulk, monolayer, freely suspended film, and Langmuir-Blodgett multilayers have been investigated by means of monolayer isotherms, optical textures, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and small angle X-ray scattering.     

Properties of polymer blends and triblock copolymers obtained by neutron scattering

Static and dynamic scattering properties of polymer blends and block copolymers are examined within the random phase approximation (RPA). A self-consistent theoretical scheme for a simultaneous analysis of elastic and quasielastic scattering data is presented. The case of a triblock copolymer made of an ordinary central block and two deuterated lateral blocks in a matrix of deuterated homopolymers is considered in detail. The theoretical predictions of the RPA are compared with the experimental data obtained by elastic neutron scattering experiments using mixtures of deuterated poly(dimethylsiloxane) homopolymers and copolymers made of three blocks of approximately equal sizes. The lateral blocks are deuterated poly(dimethylsiloxane) and the central one is an ordinary poly(dimethylsiloxane). A good agreement is found in the whole range of wavevectors covered by the experiments. An extension of the RPA to the analysis of the dynamical scattering data for the same systems is put forward. It is shown how the time relaxations of the bare response functions obtained from the single chain dynamics are used to extract the intermediate scattering function characterizing the system of interacting chains. © 1996 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

The use of carbon black-supported sulfuric acid to initiate the cationic polymerization of cyclic ketene acetals

Stable polymers were made by the cationically initiated 1,2-polymerization of cyclic ketene acetals employing heterogeneous, activated carbon-supported sulfuric acid catalysts. A methodology has been established for the preparation of the carbon black of different acidic strengths. By adjusting either the acid strength or the amount of carbon black used, cyclic ketene acetals with different activities can be polymerized efficiently to form stable high molecular weight polymers. This methodology will be a useful tool for polymerization, copolymerization, and studies of the relative reactivities of the cyclic ketene acetals. The polymer structures were determined by FTIR, ¹³C-NMR, and ¹H-NMR studies. © 1996 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Interlaboratory Study to Improve the Quality Control of Methylmercury Determination in Sediment

The results are presented of an interlaboratory study on methylmercury (MeHg) in sediment carried out by a group of European laboratories within the framework of a project managed by the EC Standards, Measurements and Testing Programme (formerly BCR). The aim of this exercise was to evaluate the performance of current methods used for MeHg determination in sediment in order to improve the state-of-the-art prior to the certification of a candidate reference material. The paper describes the organization of the interlaboratory study, the preparation of the sediment material used, the techniques evaluated and the results obtained by the participating laboratories. The outcome of the collaborative project showed that certification could be contemplated, providing that certain analytical techniques were optimized, especially with regard to extraction methods.     

Chemistry of organic eutectics: Phenanthrene — benzoic acid and phenanthrene — cinnamic acid systems

Solid-liquid equilibrium data for binary systems of phenanthrene with benzoic acid and cinnamic acid, expressed in the form of temperature-composition curves, show the formation of a simple eutectic in each case. Linear velocity of crystallisation (v), studied by capillary method at different undercoolings (ΔT), suggests the applicability of Hillig-Turnbull equation, v = u(ΔT) ⁿ, where u and n are constants depending on the nature of solidification. Data on heats of fusion of pure components and eutectics, determined by the DTA method, infer appreciable interaction among the components in the eutectic melts. To highlight the nature of interactions among the components forming the eutectic melt, the excess thermodynamic functions such as h^E, s^E, and g^E were computed. Microscopic studies reveal that the structure of eutectic is different from those of the parent components. Infrared spectra, recorded in the region, 4000 —625 cm⁻¹, indicate weak interactions among the components in the eutectic.     

Oxide-free etching of (100) InP surfaces

We report several combinations of chemical preparation procedures for selective cleaning of InP (100) surfaces in connection with storage procedures. A complex of analytical methods was used to get information about the surface state, the morphology, and the perfection of the surface. Using a standard etch procedure developed by KURTH et al. a post-deoxidation by small concentrated HF or HNO₃ is sufficient to get oxide-free, clean InP (100) surfaces even after a storage in methanol for some hours.