Characterization and electrical properties of polypyrrole/multiwalled carbon nanotube composites synthesized by in situ chemical oxidative polymerization

This study describes the preparation of polypyrrole (PPy)/multiwalled carbon nanotube (MWNT) composites by in situ chemical oxidative polymerization. Various ratios of MWNTs, which served as hard templates, were first dispersed in aqueous solutions with the surfactant cetyltrimethylammonium bromide to form micelle/MWNT templates and overcome the difficulty of MWNTs dispersing into insoluble solutions of pyrrole monomer, and PPy was then synthesized via in situ chemical oxidative polymerization on the surface of the templates. Raman spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), field‐emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), and high‐resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) were used to characterize the structure and morphology of the fabricated composites. Structural analysis using FESEM and HRTEM showed that the PPy/MWNT composites were core (MWNT)–shell (PPy) tubular structures. Raman and FTIR spectra of the composites were almost identical to those of PPy, supporting the idea that MWNTs served as the core in the formation of a coaxial nanostructure for the composites. The conductivities of these PPy/MWNT composites were about 150% higher than those of PPy without MWNTs. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 44: 1413–1418, 2006     

Novel photoswitching dithienylethenes with ferrocene units

Two novel dithienylethenes with ferrocene units were synthesized by Wittig reaction. The structure of 2a has been established by X‐ray diffraction studies. They could reversibly interconvert between two thermally stable forms, an open and a closed one, using light of different wavelengths as triggers. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Retracted: Determination of scutellarin isomer,a predominant metabolite of scutellarin,in human plasma by HPLC/tandem mass spectrometry and its application to a pharmacokinetic study in Chinese healthy volunteers

Retraction: The following article from Biomedical Chromatography, “Determination of scutellarin isomer, a predominant metabolite of scutellarin, in human plasma by HPLC/tandem mass spectrometry and its application to the pharmacokinetic study in Chinese healthy volunteers” by Chun‐hua Xia, Yu‐qing Xiong, and Guang‐ji Wang, published online on 21 June 2007 in Wiley Interscience (www.interscience.wiley.com/journal/bmc), has been retracted at the authors' request.     

Percolation and electrical resistivity in the YBa2Cu3O7−Ag composite system

We have measured the resistivity of the YBa₂Cu₃O₇–Ag composite system with Ag volume fraction,p _Ag ranging from 0–100%. The percolation behavior and the normal-state resistivity are studied. We find a three-dimensional threshold for the Ag matrix occurring atp _Ag 20% and a threshold for the superconducting matrix occurring at 1–p _Ag30%. The electrical resistivity is interpreted in terms of a resistivity model for granular YBa₂Cu₃O₇ proposed by Halbritter et al. [Z. Phys. B —Condensed Matter71, 411 (1988)]. Based on this model, we show that the resistivities between the YBa₂Cu₃O₇ grains and flaws in the grains are greatly diminished in the samples, indicating significantly improved grain growth behavior of the YBa₂Cu₃O₇ phase resulting from the addition of Ag. With the diminishing of the grain boundary resistivities, an intrinsic value for the temperature coefficient of resistivity, (1/gr)(d/dT), can be inferred, which is 3.3×10^–3/K at 300 K. This value is very close to that observed in the Cu–O₂ planes in single crystals and epitaxial films of YBa₂Cu₃O₇.     

The increments of partial sums of a dependent sequence when the moment generating functions do not exist

In the paper, we give the almost sure limiting behaviour of the increments of partial sums of a-mixing sequence when the moment generating functions do not exist. The results obtained are close to those for an independent sequence provided that the mixing coefficients tend to zero rapidly enough.The Project Supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China.     

Polyamide Layer Chromatography. VIII. Preparation of Polyamide Layer on Poly(ethylene terephthalate) Film and its Application to Aromatic Nitro Compounds

Poly(ethylene terephthalate) film was used as supporter for preparation of polyamide layer. The most convenient method of preparation was described. This layer can be cut into any size and its sensitivity is higher than the glass plate supported layer. Twenty aromatic nitro compounds were used to show the behavior of polyester film based polyamide layer.     

Solute absorption into molten polystyrene

The equilibrium volatilities at near infinite dilution of various solutes absorbed in molten polystyrene have been determined by a gas chromatographic technique. This method is much more rapid, although, with the present apparatus, probably less accurate than conventional static techniques. The primary parameters obtained from measurements of retention volumes are the Henry's law constants, from which are derived the weight and volume fraction activity coefficients, the Flory-Huggins interaction parameters, and the heats of dilution and solution. Of the solutes investigated, 2-butanone (MEK) was the least, and benzene the most compatible (highest and lowest volume fraction activity coefficients, respectively) with molten polystyrene. A small, but definite, variation of the activity coefficients with polystyrene molecular weight was observed.     

On the second eigenfunctions of the Laplacian in R2

A conjecture about the nodal line of a second eigenfunction states that the nodal line of a second eigenfunction divides the domain by intersecting with the boundary of transversely, where is a bounded convex domain ofR ². We prove this conjecture provided has a symmetry. Also, we prove the multiplicity of the second eigenvalue is two at most provided is a bounded convex domain ofR ².Supported in part by NSF DMS 84-09447Home Institution: Department of Mathematics, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA