High‐molar‐mass polypropene with tunable elastic properties by hafnocene/borate catalysts

Elastic polypropene has gained growing industrial and academic interest as a thermoplastic elastomer. In this study, “rac”‐ and “meso”‐dimethylsilyl(3‐benzylindenyl)(2‐methylindenyl)hafnium dichloride complexes (Hfr and Hfm, respectively), activated with [NHMe₂Ph][B(C₆F₅)₄]/triisobutyl aluminum, were used in propene polymerization. Using these catalyst systems, we obtained polymers with high molar masses, up to 550 kg/mol, and moderate isotacticities between 34 and 52%. By varying the polymerization conditions, we could modify the polymer microstructure and molar mass. ¹³C NMR was used to calculate the polymer pentad sequence distributions. The crystalline parts of the polymers were analyzed with the differential scanning calorimetry successive self‐nucleation and annealing (SSA) technique. The SSA thermograms revealed that Hfr produced polypropene with a more uniform lamellar structure than Hfm. The mechanical properties were tested with dynamic mechanical analysis creep‐recovery tests. In the series, the polymers with the lowest isotacticities and therefore lowest crystallinities showed the best elastic properties. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 44: 4743–4751, 2006     

Arbitrage without borrowing or short selling?

We show that a trader, who starts with no initial wealth and is not allowed to borrow money or short sell assets, is theoretically able to attain positive wealth by continuous trading, provided that she has perfect foresight of future asset prices, given by a continuous semimartingale. Such an arbitrage strategy can be constructed as a process of finite variation that satisfies a seemingly innocuous self-financing condition, formulated using a pathwise Riemann–Stieltjes integral. Our result exemplifies the potential intricacies of formulating economically meaningful self-financing conditions in continuous time, when one leaves the conventional arbitrage-free framework.     

A novel method to prepare water dispersible poly(benzimidazobenzophenanthroline) (BBL) by partial substitution of chain ends with poly(ethylene oxide)

Poly(benzimidazobenzophenanthroline) (BBL) was prepared according to literature method and modified with poly(ethylene oxide) in a one pot synthesis. After precipitation in aqueous sodium carbonate solution and subsequent purification, aqueous dispersions were prepared by ultrasonication. Particle sizes in the dispersions ranged from few tens of nanometers to several micrometers and most of the particles had sizes of 50–250 nm. Further studies indicated that the colloidal stability is a combined result of steric stabilization caused by excluded volume interactions of PEO chains on particle surface and electrostatic stabilization by the dissociated carboxylic acid groups on the particle surface. The product could be processed into uniform films 20–30 nm in thickness by spin coating onto gold-plated silicon substrates having aminethiol monolayer as the top most layer.     

Fluctuating lattice-Boltzmann model for complex fluids

We develop and test numerically a lattice-Boltzmann (LB) model for nonideal fluids that incorporates thermal fluctuations. The fluid model is a momentum-conserving thermostat, for which we demonstrate how the temperature can be made equal at all length scales present in the system by having noise both locally in the stress tensor and by shaking the whole system in accord with the local temperature. The validity of the model is extended to a broad range of sound velocities. Our model features a consistent coupling scheme between the fluid and solid molecular dynamics objects, allowing us to use the LB fluid as a heat bath for solutes evolving in time without external Langevin noise added to the solute. This property expands the applicability of LB models to dense, strongly correlated systems with thermal fluctuations and potentially nonideal equations of state. Tests on the fluid itself and on static and dynamic properties of a coarse-grained polymer chain under strong hydrodynamic interactions are used to benchmark the model. The model produces results for single-chain diffusion that are in quantitative agreement with theory.     

Hydrophobicity within the three-dimensional Mercedes-Benz model: potential of mean force

We use the three-dimensional Mercedes-Benz model for water and Monte Carlo simulations to study the structure and thermodynamics of the hydrophobic interaction. Radial distribution functions are used to classify different cases of the interaction, namely, contact configurations, solvent separated configurations, and desolvation configurations. The temperature dependence of these cases is shown to be in qualitative agreement with atomistic models of water. In particular, while the energy for the formation of contact configurations is favored by entropy, its strengthening with increasing temperature is accounted for by enthalpy. This is consistent with our simulated heat capacity. An important feature of the model is that it can be used to account for well-converged thermodynamics quantities, e.g., the heat capacity of transfer. Microscopic mechanisms for the temperature dependence of the hydrophobic interaction are discussed at the molecular level based on the conceptual simplicity of the model.     

A dissociative fluorescence enhancement technique for one-step time-resolved immunoassays

The limitation of current dissociative fluorescence enhancement techniques is that the lanthanide chelate structures used as molecular probes are not stable enough in one-step assays with high concentrations of complexones or metal ions in the reaction mixture since these substances interfere with lanthanide chelate conjugated to the detector molecule. Lanthanide chelates of diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid (DTPA) are extremely stable, and we used EuDTPA derivatives conjugated to antibodies as tracers in one-step immunoassays containing high concentrations of complexones or metal ions. Enhancement solutions based on different β-diketones were developed and tested for their fluorescence-enhancing capability in immunoassays with EuDTPA-labelled antibodies. Characteristics tested were fluorescence intensity, analytical sensitivity, kinetics of complex formation and signal stability. Formation of fluorescent complexes is fast (5 min) in the presented enhancement solution with EuDTPA probes withstanding strong complexones (ethylenediaminetetra acetate (EDTA) up to 100 mM) or metal ions (up to 200 μM) in the reaction mixture, the signal is intensive, stable for 4 h and the analytical sensitivity with Eu is 40 fmol/L, Tb 130 fmol/L, Sm 2.1 pmol/L and Dy 8.5 pmol/L. With the improved fluorescence enhancement technique, EDTA and citrate plasma samples as well as samples containing relatively high concentrations of metal ions can be analysed using a one-step immunoassay format also at elevated temperatures. It facilitates four-plexing, is based on one chelate structure for detector molecule labelling and is suitable for immunoassays due to the wide dynamic range and the analytical sensitivity.     

Structural principles of semiconducting Group 14 clathrate frameworks

We have performed a comprehensive theoretical investigation of the structural principles of semiconducting clathrate frameworks composed of the Group 14 elements carbon, silicon, germanium, and tin. We have investigated the basic clathrate frameworks, together with their polytypes, intergrowth clathrate frameworks, and extended frameworks based on larger icosahedral building blocks. Quantum chemical calculations with the PBE0 hybrid density functional method provided a clear overview of the structural trends and electronic properties among the various clathrate frameworks. In agreement with previous experimental and theoretical studies, the clathrate II framework proved to be the energetically most favorable, but novel hexagonal polytypes of clathrate II also proved to be energetically very favorable. In the case of silicon, several of the studied clathrate frameworks possess direct and wide band gaps. The band structure diagrams and simulated powder X-ray patterns of the studied frameworks are provided and systematic preliminary evaluation of guest-occupied frameworks is conducted to shed light on the characteristics of novel, experimentally feasible clathrate compositions.     

Photoswitchable Superabsorbency Based on Nanocellulose Aerogels

Chemical vapor deposition of a thin titanium dioxide (TiO₂) film on lightweight native nanocellulose aerogels offers a novel type of functional material that shows photoswitching between water‐superabsorbent and water‐repellent states. Cellulose nanofibrils (diameters in the range of 5–20 nm) with native crystalline internal structures are topical due to their attractive mechanical properties, and they have become relevant for applications due to the recent progress in the methods of their preparation. Highly porous, nanocellulose aerogels are here first formed by freeze‐drying from the corresponding aqueous gels. Well‐defined, nearly conformal TiO₂ coatings with thicknesses of about 7 nm are prepared by chemical vapor deposition on the aerogel skeleton. Weighing shows that such TiO₂‐coated aerogel specimens essentially do not absorb water upon immersion, which is also evidenced by a high contact angle for water of 140° on the surface. Upon UV illumination, they absorb water 16 times their own weight and show a vanishing contact angle on the surface, allowing them to be denoted as superabsorbents. Recovery of the original absorption and wetting properties occurs upon storage in the dark. That the cellulose nanofibrils spontaneously aggregate into porous sheets of different length scales during freeze‐drying is relevant: in the water‐repellent state they may stabilize air pockets, as evidenced by a high contact angle, in the superabsorbent state they facilitate rapid water‐spreading into the aerogel cavities by capillary effects. The TiO₂‐coated nanocellulose aerogels also show photo‐oxidative decomposition, i.e., photocatalytic activity, which, in combination with the porous structure, is interesting for applications such as water purification. It is expected that the present dynamic, externally controlled, organic/inorganic aerogels will open technically relevant approaches for various applications.     

Advances in Digital Front-End and Software RF Processing:Part I

One of the biggest technology trends in wirelessbroadband, radar, sonar, and broadcasting systems issoftware radio frequency processing and digitalfront-end. This trend encompasses a broad range oftopics, from circuit design and signal processing to systemintegration. It includes digital up-conversion (DUC) and     

Thermal study on electrospun polyvinylpyrrolidone/ammonium metatungstate nanofibers: optimising the annealing conditions for obtaining WO<Subscript>3</Subscript> nanofibers

This article demonstrates how important it is to find the optimal heating conditions when electrospun organic/inorganic composite fibers are annealed to get ceramic nanofibers in appropriate quality (crystal structure, composition, and morphology) and to avoid their disintegration. Polyvinylpyrrolidone [PVP, (C₆H₉NO) _n ] and ammonium metatungstate [AMT, (NH₄)₆[H₂W₁₂O₄₀]·nH₂O] nanofibers were prepared by electrospinning aqueous solutions of PVP and AMT. The as-spun fibers and their annealing were characterized by TG/DTA-MS, XRD, SEM, Raman, and FTIR measurements. The 400–600 nm thick and tens of micrometer long PVP/AMT fibers decomposed thermally in air in four steps, and pure monoclinic WO₃ nanofibers formed between 500 and 600 °C. When a too high heating rate and heating temperature (10 °C min⁻¹, 600 °C) were used, the WO₃ nanofibers completely disintegrated. At lower heating rate but too high temperature (1 °C min⁻¹, 600 °C), the fibers broke into rods. If the heating rate was adequate, but the annealing temperature was too low (1 °C min⁻¹, 500 °C), the nanofiber morphology was excellent, but the sample was less crystalline. When the optimal heating rate and temperature (1 °C min⁻¹, 550 °C) were applied, WO₃ nanofibers with excellent morphology (250 nm thick and tens of micrometer long nanofibers, which consisted of 20–80 nm particles) and crystallinity (monoclinic WO₃) were obtained. The FTIR and Raman measurements confirmed that with these heating parameters the organic matter was effectively removed from the nanofibers and monoclinic WO₃ was present in a highly crystalline and ordered form.