Pyroelectricity and Spontaneous Polarization in [111] Oriented 0.955 Pb（Zn1/3Nb2/3）O3-0.045PbTiO3 Single Crystals

We report that the measurements of the pyroelectric current of the pre-poled [111]-oriented 0.955 Pb（Zn1/3Nb2/3） O3-0.045 PbTiO3 （PZN-4.5%PT） single crystals can shed some light on the phase transition and spontaneous polarization characters of this material in a similar way to measures of remanent polarization and dielectric properties. The pyroelectric current is measured and the corresponding spontaneous polarization is calculated as a function of temperature with various poling fields added during cooling the sample from 200℃ to room temperature. Critical electric field of 0.061 k V/cm is found to be essential to induce the intermediate ferroelectric orthorhombic phase between the ferroelectric rhombohedral and tetragonal phases. Below the critical field, the polarization increases almost linearly with the increase of poling field. At the critical field, the polarization at 30OC increases abruptly from 14μC/cm^2 for a poling field of O.06kV/cm to 29.5μC/cm^2 for a poling field of 0.061 kV/cm, and afterwards, increases slowly and saturates to 31 μC/cm^2 for poling fields beyond 0.55 kV/cm.     

Two-Frequency Brillouin Fiber Laser Based on Bragg Grating Fabry-Perot Cavity

A novel and simple two-frequency Brillouin fiber laser is presented. It is based on a fiber Fabry-Perot cavity with fiber Bragg gratings as reflectors. The model of stimulated Brillouin scattering in fiber grating-based Fabry-Perot resonator is investigated. The laser allows conversion efficiency of close to 100% and suppresses the higher-order Stokes waves. The theoretical prediction is presented and the experimental demonstration is realized.     

Fast Si magic-angle-spinning NMR acquisitions by RAPT-CP Al → Si polarization transfer

Using enhancement of the ²⁷Al central-transition magnetization by applying RAPT prior to ²⁷Al → ²⁹Si cross-polarization, we demonstrate fast acquisition of ²⁹Si one-dimensional MAS and two-dimensional ²⁷Al–²⁹Si HETCOR spectra on a new sialon phase Ba₂Al₃Si₉N₁₃O₅.     

Novel,biodegradable, functional poly(ester‐carbonate)s by copolymerization of trans‐4‐hydroxy‐L‐proline with cyclic carbonate bearing a pendent carboxylic group

Water‐soluble poly(ester‐carbonate) having pendent amino and carboxylic groups on the main‐chain carbon is reported for the first time. This article describes the melt ring‐opening/condensation reaction of trans‐4‐hydroxy‐N‐benzyloxycarbonyl‐L ‐proline (N‐CBz‐Hpr) with 5‐methyl‐5‐benzyloxycarbonyl‐1,3‐dioxan‐2‐one (MBC) at a wide range of molar fractions. The influence of reaction conditions such as catalyst concentration, polymerization time, and temperature on the number average molecular weight (M_n) and molecular weight distribution (M_w/M_n) of the copolymers was investigated. The polymerizations were carried out in bulk at 110 °C with 3 wt % stannous octoate as a catalyst for 16 h. The poly(ester‐carbonate)s obtained were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, ¹H NMR, differential scanning calorimetry, and gel permeation chromatography. The copolymers synthesized exhibited moderate molecular weights (M_n = 6000–14,700 g mol^?1) with reasonable molecular weight distributions (M_w/M_n = 1.11–2.23). The values of the glass‐transition temperature (T_g) of the copolymers depended on the molar fractions of cyclic carbonate. When the MBC content decreased from 76 to 12 mol %, the T_g increased from 16 to 48 °C. The relationship between the poly(N‐CBz‐Hpr‐co‐MBC) T_g and the compositions was in approximation with the Fox equation. In vitro degradation of these poly(N‐CBz‐Hpr‐co‐MBC)s was evaluated from weight‐loss measurements and the change of M_n and M_w/M_n. Debenzylation of 3 by catalytic hydrogenation led to the corresponding linear poly(ester‐carbonate), 4 , with pendent amino and carboxylic groups. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 42: 2303–2312, 2004     

Combined effects of clay modifications and compatibilizers on the formation and physical properties of melt‐mixed polypropylene/clay nanocomposites

The melt mixing technique was used to prepare various polypropylene (PP)‐based (nano)composites. Two commercial organoclays (denoted 20A and 30B) served as the fillers for the PP matrix, and two different maleated (so‐called) compatibilizers (denoted PP‐MA and SMA) were employed as the third component. The results from X‐ray diffraction (XRD) and transmission electron microscope (TEM) experiments revealed that 190 °C was an adequate temperature for preparing the nanocomposites. Nanocomposites were achieved only if specific pairs of organoclay and compatibilizer were simultaneously incorporated in the PP matrix. For example, PP/20A(5 wt %)/PP‐MA(10 wt %) and PP/30B(5 wt %)/SMA(5 wt %) composites exhibited nanoscaled dispersion of 20A or 30B in the PP matrix. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) results indicated that the organoclays served as nucleation agents for the PP matrix. Generally, their nucleation effectiveness increased with the addition of compatibilizers. The thermal stability enhancement of PP after adding 20A was confirmed with thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). The enhancement became more evident as a suitable compatibilizer was further added. However, for the 30B‐included composites, thermal stability enhancement was not evident. The dynamic mechanical properties (i.e., storage modulus and loss modulus) of PP increased as the nanocomposites were formed; the properties increment corresponded to the organoclay dispersion status in the matrix. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 42: 4139–4150, 2004     

Behavior and surface energies of polybenzoxazines formed by polymerization with argon,oxygen, and hydrogen plasmas

Polybenzoxazine (PBZZ) thin films can be fabricated by the plasma‐polymerization technique with, as the energy source, plasmas of argon, oxygen, or hydrogen atoms and ions. When benzoxazine (BZZ) films are polymerized through the use of high‐energy argon atoms, electronegative oxygen atoms, or excited hydrogen atoms, the PBZZ films that form possess different properties and morphologies in their surfaces. High‐energy argon atoms provide a thermodynamic factor to initiate the ring‐opening polymerization of BZZ and result in the polymer surface having a grid‐like structure. The ring‐opening polymerization of the BZZ film that is initiated by cationic species such as oxygen atoms in plasma, is propagated around nodule structures to form the PBZZ. The excited hydrogen atom plasma initiates both polymerization and decomposition reactions simultaneously in the BZZ film and results in the formation of a porous structure on the PBZZ surface. We evaluated the surface energies of the PBZZ films polymerized by the action of these three plasmas by measuring the contact angles of diiodomethane and water droplets. The surface roughness of the films range from 0.5 to 26 nm, depending on the type of carrier gas and the plasma‐polymerization time. By estimating changes in thickness, we found that the PBZZ film synthesized by the oxygen plasma‐polymerization process undergoes the slowest rate of etching in CF₄ plasma. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 42: 4063–4074, 2004     

Study on the Superhydrophilicity of the SiO2-TiO2 Thin Films Prepared by Sol-Gel Method at Room Temperature

Nanoscale SiO₂-TiO₂ composite thin films with the thickness of about 100 nm were prepared by sol-gel method at room temperature in air. The chemical states of the elements on the surface and near the surface were measured by XPS. The results showed that the Ti on/near the surface of the thin films existed not only as TiO₂ but also as Ti₂O₃. Part of the TiO₂ was changed to Ti₂O₃ after UV irradiation. The crystalline structure of the TiO₂ in the SiO₂-TiO₂ thin films was anatase with the crystallite size of 14–20 nm. It was found that the thin film prepared at room temperature in air has good superhydrophilic property and has strong adherence to the substrate.     

Fluorescent-based single-strand conformation polymorphism/heteroduplex capillary electrophoretic mutation analysis of the P53 gene.

Fluorescent-based single-strand conformation polymorphism (F-SSCP) analysis with capillary electrophoresis (CE) is the most common method for the detection of mutation because of its high sensitivity and resolution. In this study, we prepared an inexpensive linear polyacrylamide (LPA), and successfully applied it to CE-SSCP analysis and tandem CE-SSCP/heteroduplex analysis (HA) of the P53 gene on an ABI capillary genetic analyzer. A comparison of the sieving capabilities of a homemade LPA and commercial polydimethylacrylamide (PDMA) demonstrates that the homemade LPA has a higher resolution, a shorter analysis time, and is more suitable for tandem SSCP/HA than commercial PDMA. To show the usefulness, mutations of P53 gene exon 7 - 8 in 37 tumor samples were investigated by using homemade LPA. The results indicate that 10 mutations were found in 9 of 37 cases; the majority of P53 mutations were missense mutations, and 70% were located in exon 7, which plays an important role in neoplastic progression in human tumorigenesis.     

步进扫描时间分辨光谱及其在太阳电池光电导上的应用

建立傅里叶变换步进扫描时间分辨光电导光谱，并研究太阳电池中与转换效率密切相关的少数载流子寿命.实验选取三种典型的硅太阳电池(单晶硅样品1、多晶硅样品2和多晶硅样品3 )，发现其瞬态光电导的上升和衰退曲线可以分别用两个简单的指数函数描述.由于有复合中心的参与，复合过程中少数载流子的寿命比产生过程中的寿命短.为验证实验结果的可靠性，采用了提取样品少数载流子的体寿命和计算其有效扩散长度两种方法.通过与太阳电池暗伏安特性和负载特性研究相结合，进一步分析和讨论了少数载流子寿命与短路电流、开路电压和转换效率的关系.同时探讨了步进扫描时间分辨光谱实验的其他用途. 关键词： 步进扫描 时间分辨 硅太阳电池 瞬态光电导     

A relaxed model and its homogenization for nematic liquid crystals in composite materials

We analyse a model for equilibrium configurations of composite systems of nematic liquid crystal with polymer inclusions, in the presence of an external magnetic field. We assume that the system has a periodic structure, and consider the relaxed problem on the unit length constraint of the nematic director field. The relaxation of the Oseen–Frank energy functional is carried out by including bulk as well as surface energy penalty terms, rendering the problem fully non‐linear. We employ two‐scale convergence methods to obtain effective configurations of the system, as the size of the polymeric inclusions tends to zero. We discuss the minimizers of the effective energies for, both, the constrained as well as the unconstrained models. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.