Glass transitions in hydrogen-bonded polymer complexes

Mutual precipitates of poly (N, N-dimethyl acrylamide) and poly (4-hydroxystyrene) were collected from dioxane, methanol, or acetone. The glass transition (T_g) temperatures of the precipitates are higher than the weight-average values. Clear films cast from dimethylformamide solutions have lower T_g values. Complexation also occurred between poly (ethyl oxazoline) and poly (4-hydroxystyrene) in dioxane and between poly (vinyl pyrrolidone) and poly (4-hydroxystyrene) in methanol. Again, the glass transition temperatures of the precipitates are higher than the values for the blend films. The ΔC_p values associated with the glass transitions of the complexes are smaller than those of the blends having the same compositions. Negative excess heat capacities of mixing have been observed for several precipitates.     

A numerical study of an unsteady laminar flow in a doubly constricted 3D vessel

Unsteady flow dynamics in doubly constricted 3D vessels have been investigated under pulsatile flow conditions for a full cycle of period T. The coupled non‐linear partial differential equations governing the mass and momentum of a viscous incompressible fluid has been numerically analyzed by a time accurate Finite Volume Scheme in an implicit Euler time marching setting. Roe's flux difference splitting of non‐linear terms and the pseudo‐compressibility technique employed in the current numerical scheme makes it robust both in space and time. Computational experiments are carried out to assess the influence of Reynolds' number and the spacing between two mild constrictions on the pressure drop across the constrictions. The study reveals that the pressure drop across a series of mild constrictions can get physiologically critical and is also found to be sensitive both to the spacing between the constrictions and the oscillatory nature of the inflow profile. The flow separation zone on the downstream constriction is seen to detach from the diverging wall of the constriction leading to vortex shedding with 3D features earlier than that on the wall in the spacing between the two constrictions. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Structural and optical characterization of the propolis films

We have performed structural and optical characterizations of the propolis (an organic entity of biological nature) films grown on various non-organic substrates. The films were grown from a propolis melt or a propolis alcohol solution. The crystal structure has been observed in the films precipitated from the solution onto substrates such as an amorphous glass and sapphire or semiconductor indium monoselenide. For any growth method, the propolis film is a semiconductor with the bandgap of 3.07 eV at 300 K that is confirmed by a maximum in photoluminescence spectra at 2.86 eV. We argue that propolis films might be used in various optoelectronic device applications.     

Investigation of MFTIR infrared spectra of peat waxes with sorbed cationic surfactants

Journal of Applied Spectroscopy -     

Comparison of short range interactions in nematic liquid crystals A 2H-NMR study of 5CB-d19 as a solute

Previous studies using dideuterium as a solute have demonstrated the importance for orientation of the interaction between the solute molecular quadrupole moment and the average electric field gradient present in liquid crystals. With the aim of learning about additional orientational mechanisms, we have studied the temperature dependence of the ²H-NMR spectra of the liquid crystal 5CB-d₁₉ as the solute in three liquid crystal mixtures: 55 wt % 1132/EBBA, 56·5 wt % 1132/EBBA and 70 wt % 5CB/EBBA. In these mixtures, the contribution from the environment to the average electric field gradient at the ²H nucleus of dideuterium is zero. The spectra of 5CB-d₁₉ in the mixtures 55 wt % 1132/EBBA and 56·5 wt % 1132/EBBA are equivalent, but are different from those in 70 wt % 5CB/EBBA. The spectra of 5CB in 55 wt % 1132/EBBA and 70 wt % 5CB/EBBA are analysed using two different models for the short range potential, and param eters of the models are used to compare the potentials in the different mixtures. For a given spectral splitting of the chain C₁ deuteron, the reduced short range potential is the same in all three mixtures studied. The spectral differences observed are a consequence of different nematic-isotropic phase transition temperatures combined with the effect of trans/gauche-isomerization in the hydrocarbon chain.     

Liquid crystalline hexa-amides and side chain polysiloxanes of azacrown [18]-N6

The hexa-4-dodecyloxybenzoyl derivative 1 of azacrown [18]-N₆ was originally reported to have a 'tubular' mesophase on the basis of its large central ring and 6-fold symmetry. Starting in the mesophase, annealing of 1 under a cover slip results in formation of a new crystalline phase that melts directly to an isotropic liquid at the temperature previously observed for the mesophase to isotropic transition. Thus the phase behaviour of 1 is kinetically controlled. The analogous hexa-3,4-bisdodecyloxybenzoyl derivative 2 of azacrown [18]-N₆ has no kinetic limitations to its phase changes and has an enantiotropic columnar liquid crystalline phase. We have synthesized side chain copolysiloxanes with a (CH₂)₁₁ spacer and 75-84 per cent by weight of the same 4-dodecyloxybenzoyl-[18]-N₆ mesogen. The polysiloxanes also display a liquid crystalline phase.     

Manifestation of biquadratic coupling in the smectic C* phase soft mode dielectric response

The soft mode dielectric response of three ferroelectric chiral smectic C* substances is studied in the vicinity of the smectic C*-smectic A* phase transition. For some substances the soft mode dielectric strength exhibits a pronounced anomaly in the C* phase just below the phase transition. We show how this anomaly can be systematically correlated with a corresponding anomaly in the experimentally determined ratio of spontaneous polarization over tilt. By comparing the experimental results with the theoretical predictions of an extended Landau model, we demonstrate how the crossover behaviour of the system can be interpreted as being the consequence of the presence of a biquadratic coupling between tilt and polarization in the Landau free-energy of the system.     

Determination of Structure Corrections using Geodetic VLBI Observations of Fiducial Extragalactic Radio Sources

We present the further development of the mathematical technique for calculating the structure corrections using VLBI images of fiducial extragalactic radio sources entering the celestial reference frame. In contrast to techniques described in the literature, the proposed approach can be applied to arbitrary images rather than to images which can be represented by a few Gaussian or delta functions. This is especially topical in view of the appearance of new sophisticated and high-precision image-reconstruction techniques different from the conventional CLEAN procedure or model fitting. The calculation efficiency of the structure corrections is ensured by using the algorithm of fast Fourier transform. We apply the proposed method to analyze a sufficiently representative sample of 36 fiducial extragalactic sources entering the celestial reference frame and illustrate its use for four sources, 1357+769, 0229+131, 2201+315, and 2200+420, each of them belonging to one of the four structure-index classes.