Barothermal Diels-Alder functionalization of multi-walled carbon nanotubes

Abstract

Multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) have an ordered geometric structure, large specific surface area, prominent electrical conductivity, and unique mechanical properties. They are nontoxic and can be used in biomedicine. Physical and surface chemical characteristics of MWCNTs should be tuned to that required to improve certain properties and obtain a variety of functional materials. We modified the MWNTs by using the barothermal Diels-Alder reaction with dienophiles, p-benzoquinone, fumaronitrile, and maleimide, to address this issue. The prepared MWCNTs were studied by SEM-EDX, nitrogen adsorption porometry, ATR FTIR, and thermal analysis. Results showed that both separate and conjugated C?=?C bonds at the edge and outer/inner surface of walls could react with dienophiles. The grafted groups are separated by the temperature on weak (low-temperature) and strong (high-temperature) chemisorbed forms; they are detached at temperatures below and above 350?°C, correspondingly. Thermal analysis shows that up to 5% of the carbon atoms are involved in the [4?+?2] cycloaddition. The high-temperature forms of the grafted groups under extreme heating can be involved in the retro-Diels-Alder reaction that breaks six-membered rings, producing a dienophile.     

Photochemical activities of polymers with aurone fragment

ABSTRACT

In this work we report preliminary results obtained for methacrylic polymers incorporating aurone side-group as photochemical active molecule. The aurone polymers were obtained by a three-step synthetic approach: (2Z)-6-hydroxy-2-(4-R-benzyliden)-1-benzofuran-3(2H)-ones were synthesized by using condensation reation of 6-hydroxybenzofuran-3-one with benzaldehydes; then methacrylate monomers were synthesized by reaction the alcohols with methacryloyl chloride; and the polymers were synthesized by free radical polymerization. Polymers were characterized by ¹HNMR spectroscopy and DSC techniques. Their physicochemical properties are determined by absorption, fluorescence excitation and emission spectroscopies.     

Collapse of Poly(methacrylic acid) Hydrogels in Response to Simultaneous Stimulation by an Electric Field and Complex Formation

Complex formation of poly(methacrylic acid) hydrogels with linear poly(ethylene glycol) has been studied at different pH values and in the presence of an electric field. The fastest contraction of the gel samples was observed under simultaneous action of electric field and complex formation.

Dependence of the volume ratio V/V₀ of PMAA sample on time: Sample in the absence of an electric field immersed in 0.1 M PEG solution at (1) pH 8.2, (2) at pH 5.1, and in the presence of an electric field (3) in water and (4) 0.1 M PEG solution at pH 5.1.     

Low temperature phase transition in ZnSe doped with nickel

Neutron diffraction and ultrasonic experiments as well as measurements of heat conductivity in ZnSe and Zn_1−xNi_xSe (x=0.0025) semiconductors have been carried out. As a result, a structural transition induced by Ni impurity has been found at      

Polarization switching in heterophase nanostructures: PLZT relaxor ceramics

The polarization switching is experimentally investigated in hot-pressed PLZT-x/65/35 ceramics with a lanthanum content from 5 to 12 at. %. The specific features in the temperature dependence of the polarization switching in a heterophase state are interpreted by analyzing the change in the switched charge measured over wide ranges of fields and temperatures. Particular emphasis is placed on the role of depolarization fields induced by interphase boundaries. A model of the evolution of polydomain nanostructures with a change in the temperature and in the response to an external field is considered. It is assumed that the low-temperature dielectric anomaly and the temperature hysteresis are associated with the loss of stability of a large-scale domain structure and its transformation into a nanodomain state.     

Frozen shell approximation violation in negative ion formation from halogenated benzenes via dissociative attachment

A series of benzene derivatives (R(1)C(6)H(4)R(2)) has been studied by means of electron capture negative ion mass spectrometry (ECNI-MS), and PM3 quantum chemical calculations. The dissociation channel M(-.) --> Hal(-) + (M - Hal). is analysed from the point of view of symmetry conservation. Generally, a symmetry ban on dissociation may be avoided in at least two ways: (i) out-of-plane vibrations of the halogen atom in the molecular negative ion (MNI), mixing pi- and sigma-states of the anion; (ii) symmetrical in-plane vibration of the C-Hal bond, changing the order of the empty levels in the MNI with subsequent radiationless conversion into a sigma-state. Our analysis shows that neither of them provides a satisfactory explanation of the ECNI mass spectra for chlorobenzene, if one retains the usual assumption that an additional electron goes into the LUMO of the neutral molecule. Thus, it may be concluded that in this case electron capture causes a significant perturbation of the energy ordering of vacant orbitals, thus making the frozen shell approximation inapplicable. Copyright 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Review of recent scientific publications in the field of polymer mechanics

The results of research in polymer mechanics carried out by the authors or with their direct participation during the last 5 years are briefly reviewed. The following questions are covered: theory and methods of solution of problems of polymer mechanics, statistical methods in polymer mechanics, the experimental investigation of the properties of polymeric materials, and the reflection of the theory and methods of polymer mechanics in the textbooks.