Mg-Al-Fe-containing layered hydroxides

Magnesium-aluminum-iron layered hydroxides with hydrotalcite-like structure have been synthesized, and their chemical composition and crystal lattice parameters have been elucidated. Thermal decomposition of the iron-containing layered hydroxides has been studied by X-ray diffraction, thermogravimetry, and IR spectroscopy; the decomposition starts with loss of interlayer water, followed by dehydroxylation of metal hydroxide layers and decomposition of anions at higher temperature. Onset of the both decomposition stages has been shifted to lower temperature with increasing iron fraction in the sample. Magnesium-aluminum-iron hydroxides restore their structure after annealing and subsequent rehydration.     

The Formation and Structural and Phase Transformations of Aluminum Hydroxy Species in Hydrothermal Synthesis under Conditions of Homogeneous Precipitation from Sulfate Solution

By X-ray powder diffraction analysis, Raman spectroscopy, scanning and transmission electron microscopy, and low-temperature nitrogen adsorption method, it was studied how the temperature of hydrothermal synthesis affects the phase composition of precursor species and the structure and morphology of alumina obtained under conditions of low-temperature hydrothermal synthesis at 90–130°C in the system 0.5Al₂(SO₄)₃ · 18H₂O∥0.2C₁₆H₃₃(CH₃)₃NBr∥5i-PrOH∥85H₂O∥2CO(NH₂)₂. It was found that, at T_HTS = 90–110°C, alumina microspheres with globular structure form from X-ray amorphous hydrated alumina with an admixture of NH₄Al₃(SO₄)₂(OH)₆. It was shown that needle-like alumina particles with slitlike pores form from NH₄Al(OH)₂CO₃ obtained at T_HTS = 110–120°C. At T_HTS = 130°C, under conditions of the formation of γ-AlOOH, alumina spherulites constituted by needle-like particles with block–layer structure form. It was determined that the temperature range of the formation of metastable crystalline modifications of alumina is controlled by the phase composition of hydrothermal synthesis products.     

Poly[3,3-bis(azidomethyl)oxetane]–2,4-dinitro-2,4-diazapentane

Constructing phase diagrams for the mixtures of semicrystalline polymers and low molecular mass substances by DSC can meet with difficulties in the case of slow polymer crystallization. A problem of this kind is encountered for high-energy compositions poly[3,3-bis(azidomethyl)oxetane] (PBAMO)–2,4-dinitro-2,4-diazapentane (DNAP). In this study, the experimental phase diagram PBAMO–DNAP is constructed by an optical method, which makes it possible to visualize structural transformations. The kinetic studies by DSC and XRD reveal that 30–50 days of storing a homogenized PBAMO–DNAP mixture at room temperature are needed to attain stationary values of the crystallinity degree and heat of fusion. Even after that, the DSC method cannot deliver a solubility curve of DNAP in PBAMO, which is naturally generated by the optical method. This curve separates a domain of physical gels, effectively crosslinked by polymer crystallites and swollen with the plasticizer molecules, from a two-phase domain, in which the above gel reaches osmotic equilibrium with the pure plasticizer. It is also shown that the melting temperature of DNAP drops with growing the PBAMO content in the mixture, which is consistent with a decrease in the mean size of plasticizer crystals formed in polymer pores during the previous cooling.     

Thermal oxidative destruction of complexes of heterocyclic N-oxides with Zn(II)tetra-phenylporphyrin

Thermogravimetry, differential thermal analysis and differential scanning calorimetry were applied for investigation of molecular complexes of heterocyclic N-oxide with zinc(II)tetraphenylporphyrin. The kinetic characteristics of the process of the thermal oxidative destruction for individual compounds and their molecular complexes have been calculated. The obtained results indicate that the complex formation of ZnTPhP with heteroaromatic N-oxides leads to an increase of the thermal stability both the metalloporphyrin and the ligands. It has been shown that the stability of the molecular complexes of ZnTPhP with heteroaromatic N-oxides depends on basicity of the coordinated ligand.     

"Fatal adsorption" of brushlike macromolecules: high sensitivity of C-C bond cleavage rates to substrate surface energy

Adsorption-induced degradation of brushlike macromolecules was monitored through molecular imaging by atomic force microscopy. The rate constant for C-C bond cleavage was shown to be extremely sensitive to the substrate surface energy. A few percent increase in the surface energy from 69.2 to 71.2 mN/m led to an order of magnitude increase of the scission rate. The absolute values of the rupture forces ranging from 2.57 to 2.47 nN are in agreement with previously calculated and measured values for stretching surface-tethered molecules.     

Phase equilibria and transformations in low-density polyethylene–<Emphasis Type="Italic">p</Emphasis>-xylene system

The state diagram of the low-density polyethylene–p-xylene system that contains the solubility curve of p-xylene in the polymer is first built using the optical method with the involvement of the DSC data. It has been shown that, at 72°C, in a blend with a polymer mass fraction of 0.28, the full amorphization of the polymer proceeds simultaneously with the dissolution of p-xylene in it. Blends with a lower polymer content are also homogenized at the same temperature, although the duration of this process can take several days. In blends with a high polymer content, homogenization occurs at a higher temperature. This process is preceded by the formation of microheterogeneous single-phase gel with network junctions as polymer crystallites and amorphous regions saturated by p-xylene. Cooling of the homogeneous blends to–20°С is not accompanied by the full separation of low- and high-molecular-mass phases; in this case p-xylene not only forms an individual crystalline phase, but also partially crystallizes in amorphous regions of the polymer.     

On the effect of the nature and physical state of a polymer support on the stress-strain characteristics of metallic coatings

A newly proposed microscopic procedure makes it possible to estimate the strength of thin (nano-metric) coatings deposited onto various polymer supports. The strength of the deposited coating is shown to increase dramatically when the thickness of the coating decreases below 15 nm. It was also found that the strength of the coatings is controlled by the physical state of the polymer support. The Interfacial layer formed at the early stages of metal deposition onto the polymer surface is characterized by a higher strength as compared with that of a pure metal deposited onto the above interfacial layer. This observation can be explained by the following reasons: first, the dimensions of metallic grains in the interfacial layer are much smaller than those in a pure metal and, second, the intergrain space in the interfacial layer is filled with polymer matrix. At the same time, both the temperature and the adsorptionally active liquid medium affect polymer partitions in the interfacial composite layer and thus control the overall strength of thin coatings (≤15 nm). In the case of thicker coatings, the strength of the coating gradually decreases independently of the nature and state of the supporting polymer and approaches the strength of the bulk metal.     

D2O–H2O solvent isotope effects on the volumetric properties of aqueous 1,3-dimethyl-2-imidazolidinone between (278.15 and 318.15) K

Densities of dilute solutions of 1,3-dimethyl-2-imiazolidinone in H₂O and D₂O, with the solute mole-fractions ranging up to 0.01, have been measured with an error of 1.5 · 10⁻⁵ g · cm⁻³ at (278.15, 288.15, 298.15, 308.15, 313.15, and 318.15) K and atmospheric pressure using a vibrating-tube densimeter. The partial molar volumes of the dissolved DMI (down to the infinite dilution) and solvent (H₂O or D₂O) as well as the excess molar volumes of the isotopically distinguishable solutions have been calculated. The effects of the solvent isotope substitution, solute concentration and temperature on the volume changes caused by DMI hydration have been considered. The obvious relationship between the D₂O–H₂O solvent isotope effects on the partial molar volume and enthalpy of solution of DMI has been discovered.     

Thermal behavior of quinoline <Emphasis Type="Italic">N</Emphasis>-oxide hydrates and deuterohydrate

Spectral and thermochemical investigation of physicochemical properties of quinoline N-oxide crystallohydrates with H₂O and D₂O is carried out. Quinoline N-oxide is established to form with H₂O a stable dihydrate where two water molecules are energetically not equal. Complete dehydration of quinoline N-oxide occurs when temperature reaches 150°C. With accounting for the obtained thermochenical data, quinoline N-oxide and its mono- and dihydrates are isolated in the individual state and their IR spectra are registered and considered. It is established that at boiling quinoline N-oxide in D₂O proceeds chemical reaction affording isoindoline-1,3-dione (phthalimide). The product is identified by elemental analysis and ¹H NMR and IR spectroscopy. The band assignment in the IR spectra of quinoline N-oxide, phthalimide and of the complex of the latter with D₂O is based on the quantum-chemical DFT calculations.     

Tests of the CBM Rich readout and Daq prototype

The CBM RICH detector is an integral component of the future CBM experiment at FAIR, providing efficient electron identification and pion suppression necessary for the measurement of rare dileptonic probes in heavy ion collisions. An overview of the CBM RICH readout and DAQ system prototype is given, consisting of the PADIWA preamplifier-discriminator board, the TDC-HUB board TRBv3, and DAQ and analysis code in the CbmRoot framework. The laboratory setup built for studying the timing characteristics of the readout chain and the analysis results obtained using the laboratory measurements are presented. The fine time calibration and inter-channel delay correction techniques and their implementation and effect are discussed.