Composite Silica Particles Using a Mixture of Organosilane Monomers

Composite silica particles were synthesized by a two-step (acid-base) process in an aqueous solution with a mixture of organoalkoxysilane monomers. The two-step process separates the hydrolysis and condensation procedures to easily control condensation rate. In this study, the silane monomers used were phenyltrimethoxysilane (PTMS), vinyltrimethoxysilane (VTMS), methyltrimethoxysilane (MTMS), and tetraethyl-orthosilicate (TEOS). The physical properties of the resultant composite particles were investigated with the change in the molar ratio of monomers. The size of the particles increased with increasing the molar ratio of R_aSi(OR)₃/R_bSi(OR)₃ or R_aSi(OR)₃/TEOS (R_a: phenyl; R_b: vinyl, methyl).     

Effect of photoinitiator on photopolymerization of inorganic–organic hybrid polymers (ORMOCER®)

Inorganic–organic hybrid polymers have been developed and tested for evaluation in optical and electrical applications. Although hybrid inorganic–organic polymers can be synthesized by sol–gel chemistry at first, the physical properties of hybrid inorganic–organic polymers are changed during thin film-making processes, that is, photocuring and thermal curing. To investigate the effect of photoinitiator on the material properties during processing, a model system containing methacrylic groups as organically polymerizable units was selected. The conversion of CC double bond of methacrylic groups depending on some kinds of photoinitiator quantities was characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. It was confirmed to correlate the degree of CC double bond conversion with the refractive indices. Thermodynamically, the enthalpy of the photopolymerization of hybrid polymer was investigated by UV–DSC. UV–DSC spectra showed the exothermic nature of photopolymerization of ORMOCER® to be in dependence of photoinitiator quantities. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 42: 1979–1986, 2004     

Synthesis and characterization of soluble polyimides containing trifluoromethyl groups in their backbone

A series of polyimides were synthesized from 2,2‐Bis(3,4‐dicarboxyphenyl)hexafluoropropane, 2,2‐bis(3‐amino‐4‐hydroxyphenyl)‐hexafluoropropane, and 4,4′‐oxydianiline by chemical imidization. The effects of the diamine ratios on the properties of the films were evaluated through the study of their thermal, electrical, and morphological properties. All the polymers exhibited better solubility in most of the organic solvents and hence were easily processable. Polyimides with more 2,2‐bis(3‐amino‐4‐hydroxyphenyl)‐hexafluoropropane exhibited better solubility and a low refractive index, which is highly desired for microelectronic applications. The dielectric constant and birefringence were strongly dependent on the fluorine content. With an increase in the fluorine substitution, both the dielectric constant and birefringence decreased. All the polymers exhibited high thermal stability (>400 °C). The absence of crystalline melting in differential scanning calorimetry and broad wide‐angle X‐ray diffraction patterns revealed the amorphous nature of the polymers, which was due to the presence of bulky CF₃ groups and hinged ether linkages of the diamine component. The residual stress values decreased with an increase in the 4,4′‐oxydianiline content, and the results were in agreement with the dielectric constant. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 42: 4303–4312, 2004     

Thermal behavior of metallodendrimers possessing bis(terpyridinyl)Ru(II) connectivity and different surface functionality

A series of metallodendrimers, assembled by means of bis(terpyridinyl)Ru^(II) connectivity on poly(propylene imine) dendrimer scaffolds, with homogeneous or heterogeneous surfaces, were prepared. Differential scanning calorimetry and thermogravimetric analysis were used to determine their thermal behavior, glass‐transition temperatures, and the decomposition kinetics and temperatures; no synergy effects for these properties were observed for the heterogeneously surfaced constructs in contrast to the corresponding homogeneously coated materials, which exhibited different values depending on their surface functionalities. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 42: 1487–1495, 2004     

Distributions of major-to-ultratrace elements among the particulate and dissolved fractions in natural water as studied by ICP-AES and ICP-MS after sequential fractionation.

In order to elucidate the distributions of the elements among the particulate and dissolved fractions in pond water, major-to-ultratrace elements in different sizes of particles as well as in the filtrate passed through the 0.05 microm filter were determined by inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry (ICP-AES) and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). The different sizes of particle samples (ca. 100-300 microg each) were collected on the membrane filters with pore sizes of 10, 3.0, 1.2, 0.4, 0.2 and 0.05 microm, respectively, by sequential fractionation. As a result, about 40 elements in different sizes of particles could be determined by ICP-AES and ICP-MS, after acid digestion using HNO3/HF/HClO4. Then, the fractional distribution factors of major-to-ultratrace elements among the particulate and dissolved fractions were estimated from the analytical results. The total contents of Al, Fe, Ti, REEs (rare earth elements), Bi, Pb and Ag in the particulate fractions (larger than 0.05 microm) were more than 80-90%, while those of Ca, Sr, Cs, W, Ba, Mn and Co in the dissolved fraction, which corresponded to the filtrate passed through the 0.05 microm membrane filter, were more than 80%. It was further found that the fractional distributions of Cu and Zn in the dissolved fraction were ca. 50%. In addition, the enrichment factors (EFs) of the elements in the particulate fractions with particle sizes of 3.0-10 microm and 0.05-0.2 microm were estimated to elucidate their geochemical characteristics in natural water.     

Electrospinning of ultrafine cellulose acetate fibers: Studies of a new solvent system and deacetylation of ultrafine cellulose acetate fibers

Electrospinning of cellulose acetate (CA) in a new solvent system and the deacetylation of the resulting ultrafine CA fibers were investigated. Ultrafine CA fibers (∼2.3 μm) were successfully prepared via electrospinning of CA in a mixed solvent of acetone/water at water contents of 10–15 wt %, and more ultrafine CA fibers (0.46 μm) were produced under basic pH conditions. Ultrafine cellulose fibers were regenerated from the homogeneous deacetylation of ultrafine CA fibers in KOH/ethanol. It was very rapid and completed within 20 min. The crystal structure, thermal properties, and morphology of ultrafine CA fibers were changed according to the degree of deacetylation, finally to those of pure cellulose, but the nonwoven fibrous mat structure was maintained. The activation energy for the deacetylation of ultrafine CA fibers was 10.3 kcal/mol. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 42: 5–11, 2004     

Desorption behavior of a surfactant in a linear low‐density polyethylene blend at elevated temperatures

The desorption behavior of a surfactant in a linear low‐density polyethylene (LLDPE) blend at elevated temperatures of 50, 70, and 80 °C was studied with Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The composition of the LLDPE blend was 70:30 LLDPE/low‐density polyethylene. Three different specimens (II, III, and IV) were prepared with various compositions of a small molecular penetrant, sorbitan palmitate (SPAN‐40), and a migration controller, poly(ethylene acrylic acid) (EAA), in the LLDPE blend. The calculated diffusion coefficient (D) of SPAN‐40 in specimens II, III, and IV, between 50 and 80 °C, varied from 1.74 × 10^?11 to 6.79 × 10^?11 cm²/s, from 1.10 × 10^?11 to 5.75 × 10^?11 cm²/s, and from 0.58 × 10^?11 to 4.75 × 10^?11 cm²/s, respectively. In addition, the calculated activation energies (E_D) of specimens II, III, and IV, from the plotting of ln D versus 1/T between 50 and 80 °C, were 42.9, 52.7, and 65.6 kJ/mol, respectively. These values were different from those obtained between 25 and 50 °C and were believed to have been influenced by the interference of Tinuvin (a UV stabilizer) at elevated temperatures higher than 50 °C. Although the desorption rate of SPAN‐40 increased with the temperature and decreased with the EAA content, the observed spectral behavior did not depend on the temperature and time. For all specimens stored over 50 °C, the peak at 1739 cm^?1 decreased in a few days and subsequently increased with a peak shift toward 1730 cm^?1. This arose from the carbonyl stretching vibration of Tinuvin, possibly because of oxidation or degradation at elevated temperatures. In addition, the incorporation of EAA into the LLDPE blend suppressed the desorption rate of SPAN‐40 and retarded the appearance of the 1730 cm^?1 peak. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 42: 1114–1126, 2004     

Effects of poly[styrene‐b‐(ethylene‐co‐butylene)‐b‐styrene] on the charge distributions of low‐density polyethylene/polystyrene blends

The effect of the triblock copolymer poly[styrene‐b‐(ethylene‐co‐butylene)‐b‐styrene] (SEBS) on the formation of the space charge of immiscible low‐density polyethylene (LDPE)/polystyrene (PS) blends was investigated. Blends of 70/30 (wt %) LDPE/PS were prepared through melt blending in an internal mixer at a blend temperature of 220 °C. The amount of charge that accumulated in the 70% LDPE/30% PS blends decreased when the SEBS content increased up to 10 wt %. For compatibilized and uncompatibilized blends, no significant change in the degree of crystallinity of LDPE in the blends was observed, and so the effect of crystallization on the space charge distribution could be excluded. Morphological observations showed that the addition of SEBS resulted in a domain size reduction of the dispersed PS phase and better interfacial adhesion between the LDPE and PS phases. The location of SEBS at a domain interface enabled charges to migrate from one phase to the other via the domain interface and, therefore, resulted in a significant decrease in the amount of space charge for the LDPE/PS blends with SEBS. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 42: 2813–2820, 2004     

Fabrication and Characteristics of Sol-Gel Derived Fluorinated Hybrid Material Films

Fluorinated inorganic-organic hybrid materials (HYBRIMER) were successfully prepared from fluoroalkylsilanes (FASs) containing fluoro-alkyl functions and methacryloxypropyltrimethoxysilane (MPTMS) through a sol-gel process. The influence of concentration and fluoro-alkyl chain lengths of FASs on the physical characteristics of the fluorinated HYBRIMER films was examined. Larger fluorine contents lowered the refractive index within a range, which was closely dependent on the fluoro-alkyl chain lengths of FASs. Thermo-optic coefficients (TOC) were negative values, and the values grew with increasing fluorine contents and fluoro-alkyl chain lengths. Also, the thermal stability is enhanced by addition of fluorine in the HYBRIMER.     

一种新颖的用于光腔模式及光束传输模拟的特征向量法

根据有限元法单元划分的思想，提出了一种新颖的模拟光腔模式及光束传输的特征向量法. 该方法的关键之处在于基于衍射积分理论构造了一种新的光束传输矩阵，通过求解特征矩阵方程可一次性得到谐振腔的一系列特征向量，每一列特征向量即代表了腔镜上光场的一个确定模式的振幅及相位分布. 并可采用该方法模拟光场传输到腔内或腔外任意地方的场分布. 该方法将传统方法中大量的迭代过程转化成为本征积分方程特征向量的求解过程，并与初值取值无关，且可一次性求得多个模式分布，从而可方便地分析谐振腔的模式鉴别能力. 特征向量法对圆形镜共焦 关键词： 谐振腔 特征向量法 模式分布