3D‐morphology reconstruction of nanoscale phase‐separation in polymer memory blends

In many organic electronic devices functionality is achieved by blending two or more materials, typically polymers or molecules, with distinctly different optical or electrical properties in a single film. The local scale morphology of such blends is vital for the device performance. Here, a simple approach to study the full 3D morphology of phase‐separated blends, taking advantage of the possibility to selectively dissolve the different components is introduced. This method is applied in combination with AFM to investigate a blend of a semiconducting and ferroelectric polymer typically used as active layer in organic ferroelectric resistive switches. It is found that the blend consists of a ferroelectric matrix with three types of embedded semiconductor domains and a thin wetting layer at the bottom electrode. Statistical analysis of the obtained images excludes the presence of a fourth type of domains. The criteria for the applicability of the presented technique are discussed. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part B: Polym. Phys. 2015 , 53, 1231–1237     

Hopping transport in the space-charge region of p-n structures with InGaN/GaN QWs as a source of excess 1/f noise and efficiency droop in LEDs

Semiconductors - It is shown that the emission efficiency and the 1/f noise level in light-emitting diodes with InGaN/GaN quantum wells correlate with how the differential resistance of a diode...     

Graphene sheet-encased silica/sulfur composite cathode for improved cyclability of lithium-sulfur batteries

Journal of Solid State Electrochemistry - The “shuttle effect” of polysulfides is a serious issue, resulting in a decrease in the life-cycle of lithium-sulfur (Li-S) batteries. To...     

Montmorillonite KSF-Catalyzed Synthesis of 2,2′-(Arylmethylene)bis(3-hydroxy-5,5-dimethylcyclohex-2-en-1-ones) for the Functionalization of MCM-41 Silica Nanoparticles

Russian Journal of Organic Chemistry - A green protocol has been developed for the preparation of 2,2′-(arylmethylene)bis(3-hydroxy-5,5-dimethylcyclohex-2-en-1-ones) following the...     

Determination of the Quadrupole Splitting in Bulk n-GaAs by Warm-Up Spectroscopy

Semiconductors - We found bulk n-GaAs layers grown by liquid phase epitaxy to be irregularly stressed. Deformation created by this stress causes a small but detectable quadrupole splitting of...     

A Dynamic Inertial Weight Strategy in Micro PSO for Swarm Robots

Wireless Personal Communications - A relatively new area of research and development is Swarm Robotics. It is a part of the swarm intelligence field. In the proposed paper, we shall use swarm...     

Anisotropic Elastic-Viscoplastic Properties at Finite Strains of Injection-Moulded Low-Density Polyethylene

Injection-moulding is one of the most common manufacturing processes used for polymers. In many applications, the mechanical properties of the product is of great importance. Injection-moulding of thin-walled polymer products tends to leave the polymer structure in a state where the mechanical properties are anisotropic, due to alignment of polymer chains along the melt flow direction. The anisotropic elastic-viscoplastic properties of low-density polyethylene, that has undergone an injection-moulding process, are therefore examined in the present work. Test specimens were punched out from injection-moulded plates and tested in uniaxial tension. Three in-plane material directions were investigated. Because of the small thickness of the plates, only the in-plane properties could be determined. Tensile tests with both monotonic and cyclic loading were performed, and the local strains on the surface of the test specimens were measured using image analysis. True stress vs. true strain diagrams were constructed, and the material response was evaluated using an elastic-viscoplasticity law. The components of the anisotropic compliance matrix were determined together with the direction-specific plastic hardening parameters.