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     

Study of ferromagnetism–superconductivity interactions in Co/Nb multilayers

We investigate Co/Nb multilayers to explore the spontaneous π-phase shift between the superconducting (SC) layers, which is attributed for causing the non-monotonic change of the SC transition temperature (T_c) with the ferromagnetic (FM) layer thickness (t_FM) in several FM/SC multilayered systems. The issue of interfacial roughness is also explored by growing Co/Nb multilayers at various sputtering pressures. Transport measurements show a non-monotonic dependence of T_c on t_FM, and this dependence is insensitive to the structural variation present in the samples, as measured by X-ray scattering.     

Synergistic effect between 4-(2-pyridylazo) resorcin and chloride ion on the corrosion of cold rolled steel in 0.5 M sulfuric acid

The corrosion inhibition of 1-(2-pyridylazo)-2-naphthol (PAR) on the corrosion of cold rolled steel in 0.5 M sulfuric acid (H₂SO₄) was studied using weight loss method and potentiodynamic polarization method. Results obtained revealed that together with chloride ion, PAR is an effective corrosion inhibitor for steel corrosion in sulfuric acid. It was found that for steel corrosion inhibition in the presence of single PAR in sulfuric acid the Temkin adsorption isotherm may be used to explain the adsorption phenomenon. For the mixture of PAR and NaCl used as corrosion inhibitor, however, the Langmuir adsorption isotherm can be used to satisfactorily elucidate the adsorption of mixture of PAR and NaCl. Potentiodynamic polarization studies showed that single PAR mainly acts as a cathodic inhibitor for the corrosion of steel in 0.5 M sulfuric acid. The mixture of PAR and chloride ion, however, acts as a mixed type inhibitor that mainly inhibits cathodic reaction of the steel corrosion in sulfuric acid. By means of electrochemical polarization tests, a desorption potential at ca. −370 mV was observed for the adsorption of mixture of PAR and chloride ion, when potential reaches this value, adsorbed inhibitor molecule heavily departs from the steel surface. For the mixture of PAR and chloride ion, thermodynamic parameters such as adsorption heat, adsorption entropy and adsorption free energy were obtained from experimental data of the temperature studies of the inhibition process at four temperatures ranging from 30 to 45 °C, the kinetic data such as apparent activation energies and pre-exponential factors at different concentrations of the inhibitor were calculated, and the effect of the apparent activation energies and pre-exponential factors on the corrosion rates of cold rolled steel was discussed. The most suitable range of inhibitor concentration was discussed. The inhibitive action was satisfactorily explained by using both thermodynamic and kinetic models. Synergism between chloride ion and PAR was proposed. The results obtained from weight loss and potentiodynamic polarization were in good agreement.     

The Micro-Theory of Ultra-Short Pulse Propagating in Nonlinear Fiber

The modified quantum nonlinear Schrodinger equation of ultra-short pulse propagating in fiber is derived using dispersion relation and the Hamiltonian of the transmission system. The derived equation is solved with linearization approximation, and modulation instability is analyzed. The equation is also solved with Hartree approximation. The results indicate that pulse power, loss and self-steeping effect change the critical frequency, the maximum gain and the gain spectrum range, but the third order dispersion has no effect on modulation instability. The expectation value of optical field is average of a set of modified classical solitons, and higher order terms change the amplitude, pulse position and phase of soliton.     

伴有边界摄动的三阶拟线性向量微分方程边值问题的奇摄动

本文研究伴有边界摄动的三阶拟线性向量微分方程边值问题的奇摄动,在适当的假设下,利用对角化技巧和不动点原理证明了摄动问题解的存在唯一性并给出解的任意阶的一致有效的渐近展开式和余项的估计。     

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.