Improvement of permanent memory effect in PDLC films using TX-100 as an additive

A number of polymer dispersed liquid crystal (PDLC) films based on dimethacrylate monomers were synthesised by polymer-induced phase separation (PIPS) using polyethylene glycol p-(1,1,3,3-tetramethylbutyl)-phenyl ether (TX-100) as an additive up to total solution weight of 10% aiming to modify the initial anchorage force of the liquid crystal (LC) molecules to the polymeric matrix. The effects of the addition of this additive to the PDLC films were studied resorting to electro-optical studies. Using a fitting model, several parameters were correlated such as the permanent memory effect (PME), the voltage required to achieve 90% of maximum transmittance (E90), the average elastic constant (K) and the rotational viscosity of the director (γ). The use of TX-100 results on an increase on the PME and γ, and decrease on the E90 and K.     

The Structure of the Elusive Simplest Dipeptide Gly-Gly

Among the hundreds of peptide compounds for which conformations have been determined by using different spectroscopic techniques, the structure of the simplest dipeptide glycylglycine (Gly-Gly) is conspicuously absent. Herein, for the first time, solid samples of Gly-Gly have been vaporized by laser ablation and three different structures have been revealed in a supersonic expansion by Fourier transform microwave spectroscopy. The intramolecular hydrogen bonding interactions that stabilize the observed forms have been established based on the ¹⁴N nuclear quadrupole hyperfine structure. We have illustrated how conformer interconversion distorts the equilibrium conformational distribution, giving rise to missing conformers in the conformational landscape.     

Structural deformation monitored by vibrational properties and orbital modeling in (Pb,Sm)TiO3 systems

Pb_1−xSm_xTiO₃ (PST) powders with x varying from 0 to 0.1 were obtained by the polymeric precursor method, a soft chemical route. The vibrational properties relating tetragonal to pseudo-cubic phase transition were studied by Raman spectroscopy. The results obtained showed that the phase transition is extremely dependent upon the samarium content and presents a diffuse behavior. Monitoring of the oxygen 2p and titanium 3d orbitals was performed by the periodic mechanical quantum method, revealing the changes that occur with the distribution and contribution of the hybrid orbitals due to the samarium influence.     

Direct evidence for block-by-block growth in high-temperature superconductor ultrathin films

Charge neutrality and stoichiometry impose severe restrictions on the mechanisms of epitaxial growth of complex oxides. The fundamental question arises of what is the minimum growth unit when sample thickness is reduced beyond the size of the unit cell. We have investigated the growth mechanism of YBa2Cu3O7 cuprate superconductor, using a consistent approach based on the growth of noninteger numbers of YBa2Cu3O7 layers in YBa(2)Cu(3)O(7)/PrBa(2)Cu3O7 superlattices. Ex situ chemical and structural analysis evidence a 2D block-by-block mechanism in which the minimum growth units are complete unit cell blocks, growing coherently over large lateral distances.     

Magnetic properties of Co nanoparticles in zirconia matrix

Granular films composed of nanometric Co particles embedded in an insulating ZrO₂ matrix were prepared by pulsed laser deposition in a wide range of Co volume concentrations (0.06<x_v<0.42). High-resolution electron microscopy (HREM) shows very sharp interfaces between the crystalline particles and the amorphous matrix, with no evidence of intermixing. The mean particles size and width of the distribution determined by fitting the low-field magnetic susceptibility and magnetization curves in the paramagnetic regime to a distribution of Langevin functions are in agreement with the parameters extracted from direct TEM observations. Ferromagnetic correlations between Co particles are evident in the field-cooled state when increasing Co concentration. The effective anisotropy constant estimated from magnetic measurements is about two orders of magnitude larger than the bulk value, and decreases as particle size increases.     

Stereoregular poly‐O‐methyl [m,n]‐polyurethanes derived from D‐mannitol

Novel linear carbohydrate‐derived [m,n]‐polyurethanes are successfully prepared using D ‐mannitol as renewable and low cost starting material. The key comonomer, 1,6‐di‐O‐phenylcarbonyl‐2,3,4,5‐tetra‐O‐methyl‐D ‐mannitol is polymerized with a diamine synthesized from D ‐mannitol or with alkylenediamines. These polymerization reactions afford, respectively, a [6,6]‐polyurethane entirely based on a carbohydrate derivative or [m,n]‐polyurethanes constituted by a poly‐O‐methyl substituted unit alternating with a polymethylene chain. All these polymers are stereoregular, as result of the C₂ axis of symmetry of mannitol. The optically active polyurethanes are characterized by standard methods (FTIR, RMN, GPC, TGA, and DSC). Thus, GPC analysis reveals weight‐average molecular weights between 18,000 and 25,000 Da. Thermal studies (DSC) indicate that the polymers obtained are amorphous materials with T_g values dependent on the structure and chain length of the diamine constituent. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem, 2013     

A new processing method of CaZn2(OH)6·2H2O powders: Photoluminescence and growth mechanism

In this communication, we report on the formation of calcium hexahydroxodizincate dehydrate, CaZn₂(OH)₆·2H₂O (CZO) powders under microwave-hydrothermal (MH) conditions. These powders were analyzed by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Field-emission gum scanning electron microscopy (FEG-SEM), ultraviolet-visible (UV-vis) absorption spectroscopy and photoluminescence (PL) measurements. XRD patterns confirmed that the pure CZO phase was obtained after MH processing performed at 130 °C for 2 h. FEG-SEM micrographs indicated that the morphological modifications as well as the growth of CZO microparticles are governed by Ostwald-ripening and coalescence mechanisms. UV-vis spectra showed that this material have an indirect optical band gap. The pure CZO powders exhibited an yellow PL emission when excited by 350 nm wavelength at room temperature.     

A kinetic study of the decomposition of N-bromoserine

This article reports the kinetics of the decomposition of N-bromoserine formed rapidly by bromation of serine by BrO^?. The main decomposition products are glycolaldehyde, ammonia, carbon dioxide, and bromide ions at pH < 11.5, and β-hydroxypyruvic acid, ammonia, and bromide ions at pH > 11.5. The reaction is of order one with respect to N-bromoserine, and is independent of ionic strength and excess serine. The rate constant increases with increasing pH at pH > 11 and with decreasing pH at pH < 8, and over the range pH 8–11 has the constant value 1.67 × 10^?3 s^?1 at 298 K.     

A manganese(II) coordination polymer with a 3D porous structure: Synthesis,structure, and spectroscopic and magnetic behaviour

A manganese(II) complex with N,N′-bis(carboxymethyl)dithiooxamide (H₄GLYDTO), [Mn(H₂GLYDTO)(H₂O)₂]_n, has been synthesized and characterized by elemental analysis and thermogravimetric analysis, as well as by infrared, electronic and EPR spectroscopy and magnetic susceptibility measurements. The crystal and molecular structure of this complex was determined by single-crystal X-ray structure analysis. The compound shows a 3D porous framework with alternate left- and right-handed helical channels where the manganese(II) ions have an octahedral environment. Variable temperature magnetic measurements reveal the existence of very weak antiferromagnetic interactions through the syn-anti carboxylate bridge, with an exchange parameter of J/k = −0.12 K.