Small-angle neutron scattering studies of dynamics and hierarchical pattern formation in binary mixtures of polymers and small molecules

We present the dynamics of the composition fluctuations and pattern formation of two-component systems in both single-phase and two-phase states as studied by time-resolved small-angle neutron scattering and light scattering. Two-component systems to be covered here include not only dynamically symmetric systems, in which each component has nearly identical self-diffusion coefficients, but also dynamically asymmetric systems, in which each component has different self-diffusion coefficients. We compare the dynamic behaviors of the two systems and illuminate their important differences. The scattering studies presented for dynamically asymmetric systems highlight that stress–diffusion coupling and viscoelastic effects strongly affect the dynamics and pattern formation. For dynamically symmetric systems, we examine the universality existing in both polymer systems and small-molecule systems as well as new features concerning the time evolution of hierarchical structures during phase separation via spinodal decomposition over a wide range of wave numbers (up to four orders of magnitude). For both systems, we emphasize that polymers provide good model systems for studying the dynamics and pattern formation. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 42: 3027–3062, 2004     

Crystal and amorphous orientation behavior of poly(chlorotrifluoroethylene) films in relation to crystalline superstructure

The relationship between the crystalline superstructure of polymer films and molecular orientation was studied in cold-drawn poly(chlorotrifluoroethylene) films by wide-angle x-ray diffraction, birefringence, and depolarized light scattering. By changing crystallization conditions, specimens with almost identical crystallinity but different crystalline superstructures were obtained; i.e., (1) a structure having a random array of crystallites, (2) a superstructure having a rod-like orientation correlation of the chains (a prespherulitic and sheaf-like superstructure), and (3) spherulitic superstructure. Upon stretching of specimens, crystallites initially randomly arranged orient with their chain axes along the stretching direction in accord with simple affine deformation. The amorphous chains also orient along the stretching direction. The orientation behavior of the specimens having the rod-like superstructure is similar to that of the specimens with a random array of crystallites, indicating that the interaction between the crystallites in the superstructure is relatively weak. The molecular orientation behavior of the spherulitic specimens, however, strongly deviates from simple affine deformation owing to strong interaction of the crystallites in the spherulites. The deviation can be interpreted in terms of spherulite deformation and of internal reorientation of chains within deformed spherulites.     

Magnetic phase transition in a heteromolecular hydrogen-bonded complex of nitronylnitroxide radicals

An organic molecular acid-base complex has been synthesized from pyridine-substituted biradical 2 in a triplet (S = 1) ground state and a benzoic acid derivative of monoradical 3 with S = 1/2. The two constituent molecules are bound by an OH-N hydrogen bond in a crystalline solid state. The complex has been found to exhibit an antiferromagnetic phase transition at 5 K. The complex is the first example of a hydrogen-bonded heterospin, heteromolecular complex exhibiting a magnetic phase transition in purely organic molecule-based materials.     

Synthesis and In Vitro Biological Evaluation of Psoralen‐Linked Fullerenes

Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is a widely used medicinal treatment for the cancer therapy that utilizes the combination of a photosensitizer (PS) and light irradiation. In this study, we synthesized two novel C₆₀ fullerene derivatives, compounds 1 and 2 , with a psoralen moiety that can covalently bind to DNA molecules via cross‐linking to pyrimidine under photoirradiation. Along with several fullerene derivatives, the biological properties of several novel compounds have been evaluated. Compounds 1 and 2 , which have been shown to induce the production of hydroxyl radicals using several ROS detecting reagents, induced DNA strand breaks with relatively weak activities in the in vitro detection system using a supercoiled plasmid. However, the psoralen‐bound fullerene with carboxyl groups ( 2 ) only showed genotoxicity in the genotoxicity assay system of the umu test. Compound 2 was also seen to have cytotoxic activities in several cancer cell lines at higher doses compared to water‐soluble fullerenes.     

Magnetic interaction of tri- and di-oxytriphenylamine radical cation FeCl4 salts

The tetrachloroferrates of the 2,2':6',2':6',6-trioxytriphenylamine (TOT.+.FeCl4-) and 2,2':6',2'-dioxytriphenylamine (DOT.+.FeCl4-) radical cations were prepared, and their structures, magnetic properties, and the relationship between them were investigated. The TOT.+ moiety had a highly planar structure and packed as a dimer surrounded by tetrachroferrates, which also formed a dimer structure. The magnetic properties of TOT.+.FeCl4- were characterized by strong (2J/kB=approximately -1.3x10(3) K, H=-2JS1/2.S1/2) and weak (2J/kB=-1.76 K, H=-2JS5/2.S5/2) antiferromagnetic interactions due to the (TOT.+)2 and (FeCl4-)2 structures, respectively. DOT.+ had a twisted form and no dimer formation was observed between the DOT.+'s and FeCl4-'s. Instead, short contacts between the DOT.+ and chlorine atoms and between the DOT.+'s producing a DOT.+ chain were observed. The magnetic properties of DOT.+.FeCl4- were characterized by a 3D magnetic phase transition to an antiferromagnet with TN=approximately 8 K.     

What Factors Determine Hierarchical Structure of Microbial Cellulose – Interplay among Physics,Chemistry and Biology –

A microbial cellulose film (pellicle), prepared by Acetorbactor xylinum, is a supramolecule system, absorbing a huge amount of water (99% by weight). To elucidate the affinity to water, we investigated the hierarchical structure in a pellicle by using ultra-small-angle and small-angle neutron scattering, observing a wide range of length scales from nm to µm. We successfully determined mass fractal dimensions for the amorphous structure, which hierarchically varies local concentration fluctuations, bundle and network, appeared as the length scale increases. On a basis of these findings, we discuss to address a question what factors determine the hierarchy in the microbial cellulose. This is a new topic of soft matter science, regarded as reaction-induced self-assembly in a non-equilibrium open system, therein soft matter physics, biochemistry and cell biology crucially interplay.     

Structure factors of dispersible units of carbon black filler in rubbers

We report the structures of dispersible units, a most fundamental but minimal dispersible structural unit of a carbon black (CB) filler that is formed in two kinds of rubber (polyisoprene and styrene-butadiene random copolymer) matrices under a given processing condition. The results obtained from various small-angle scattering techniques showed that the CB aggregates, as observed after the sonification of a CB/toluene solution, were a spherical shape composed of approximately nine primary CB particles fused together. In the rubber matrices, the aggregates clustered into higher order structures defined in this work as the dispersible units, which are the fundamental structural elements (or the "lower cutoff structures") that build up a higher order mass-fractal structure. Furthermore, we found that the morphology of the dispersible units strongly depended on the rubber matrix, although the mass-fractal dimensions remained unchanged.     

Self-assembly and morphology of gel networks in l,3:2,4-bis-O-(p-methylbenzylidene)-D-sorbitol/n-dibutylphthalate

We investigated the self-assembling structure of the 1,3:2,4-bis-O-(p-methylbenzylidene)-D-sorbitol (PDTS)/n-dibutylphthalate (DBP) system in the parameter space of temperature T and solute concentration Phi(PDTS). Optical microscopic studies revealed that the phase diagram can be divided into four regions. In region I at high T the system is a homogeneous solution. In region II at lower T and low Phi(PDTS), the system still has fluidity but has microgels having spherulitic texture of PDTS crystallites. Regions III and IV at even lower T but higher Phi(PDTS) are in a gel state. In region III, the PDTS forms volume-filling spherulites due to the solid-liquid phase transition of the saturated PDTS solutions. In region IV at the lowest T, both the liquid-liquid phase-separation process and the solid-liquid transition of the PDTS are involved in the self-assembling processes. In this region a bicontinuous phase-separated structure is first formed by liquid-liquid phase separation via spinodal decomposition (SD). The subsequent solid-liquid transition of the PDTS in the PDTS-rich region forms percolating crystalline fibrils rather than spherulites. The formation of the crystalline fibrils pins further growth of the bicontinuous structure via SD.     

(Nitronyl Nitroxide)‐Substituted Trioxytriphenylamine Radical Cation Tetrachlorogallate Salt: A 2p‐Electron‐Based Weak Ferromagnet Composed of a Triplet Diradical Cation

The synthesis and the solid state magnetic properties of (nitronyl nitroxide)‐substituted trioxytriphenylamine radical cation tetrachlorogallate, NNTOT+·GaCl4? , are reported. In the temperature region between 300 and 3 K, the magnetic behavior is characterized by the strong intramolecular ferromagnetic interaction (J/k_B=+400 K) between the radical ( NN ) and the radical cation ( TOT ⁺) and the weak intermolecular antiferromagnetic interaction (J/k_B=?1.9 K) between NNTOT⁺ ions. Below 3 K, a 3D‐type long‐range magnetic ordering into a weak ferromagnet was observed (T_N=2.65 K). The magnetic entropy (S_mag=8.97 J K^?1 mol^?1) obtained by the heat capacity measurement is in good agreement with the theoretical value of R ln3=9.13 J K^?1 mol^?1 based on the S=1 state.