Preparation and Characterization of a Sol-Gel Prepared Ferroelectric Sandwich Structure

A novel silicon-based PbTiO₃/Pb(Zr,Ti)O₃/PbTiO₃ (PT/PZT/PT) sandwich structure has been prepared using a sol-gel method. The annealing temperature is greatly reduced compared with those structures without PT layers. Capacitance-voltage (C-V), leakage current-voltage (I-V), polarization-field (P-E), dielectric-frequency response and polarization fatigue of the sandwich structure are examined. The relative dielectric constant, the coercive field and the remanent polarization of the PZT films are measured to be about 900, 18 kV/cm and 16 C/cm² respectively. The current density is less than 5 × 10^–9 A/cm² below 200 kV/cm. The dielectric constant of the structure remains constant at low frequency, and decreases to some degree at high frequency. The retained polarization does not change significantly after 8 × 10⁹ read/write cycles. The PZT films are proved to have very good dielectric and ferroelectric properties. The new PT/PZT/PT sandwich structure can be valuable for memory devices and other applications.     

Synthesis, Crystal Structure Determination, and Physicochemical Study of the Nickel(II) Complex of 4-(Pyridyl-2)-1,2,4-triazole

A new trinuclear nickel(II) complex with 4-(pyridyl-2)-1,2,4-triazole (pytrz), [Ni₃(pytrz)₆(H₂O)₆](NO₃)₆, has been synthesized, and its crystal structure has been determined. The compound was studied by X-ray phase analysis (XRPA), magnetochemical measurements, and electronic and IR spectroscopy.     

Mechanical behaviour of biodegradable agricultural films under real field conditions

The mechanical behaviour of various types of biodegradable materials depends on their chemical composition and additives, the processing characteristics and the application conditions. The environmental conditions during storage and usage of these materials strongly influence their mechanical properties and behaviour. Ageing and degradation during the useful lifetime of biodegradable agricultural films causes losses in the mechanical performance of the material, as measured by monitoring the evolution of some of the critical mechanical properties. Such losses may be comparable to the corresponding losses of the conventional polyethylene agricultural films due to ageing, or they may be more drastic. In the present paper, the overall mechanical and ageing/degradation behaviour of experimental specially designed and manufactured low-tunnel and mulching biodegradable films, exposed to full-scale field conditions is analysed. Selected critical mechanical properties of these films manufactured with different grades of Mater-Bi material and additives, different thickness and processing schemes and exposed to real cultivation conditions in four different locations in Europe are investigated in the laboratory and compared against the corresponding behaviour of conventional agricultural films at various stages of their exposure time.     

Syntheses of macrocyclic bisbibenzyls on solid support

We describe a route for the polymer supported total synthesis of the cyclic bisbibenzyls of the isoplagiochin type found in liverworts. TentaGel^® resins were used as solid support for a sequence involving Suzuki, Wittig and hydrogenation protocols. The polymer linked intermediates could be characterized by HR-MAS NMR. This route is to be extended to the synthesis of small libraries of differently halogenated derivatives.     

Charge transfer complexes and salts of ionenes

A review of the synthesis and properties of ionenes is presented. Particular attention is paid to the electrical and related properties of conductive teteracyano-p-quinodimethane (TCNQ) complex salts of ionenes containing ammonium or sulfonium groups in the main chain and to their chemical stability. The recent work on preparation of such ionenes with inorganic and organic counterions which show interesting linear and nonlinear optical properties is also discussed. It is shown that in the solid state ionenes act as a kind of a matrix fixing, in a chemically controlled way, positions and distribution of different kinds of counterions. Because the reaction of counterion exchange is easy in the case of ionenes it provides a convenient way to prepare a broad class of polyelectrolytes with many different properties.     

Synthesis, crystal structure and magnetic property of a new nickel selenite chloride: Ni5(SeO3)4Cl2

The new nickel selenite chloride, Ni₅(SeO₃)₄Cl₂, was obtained by high-temperature solid state reaction of NiCl₂, Ni₂O₃ and SeO₂ in a 1:2:4 molar ratio at 700 °C in an evacuated quartz tube. Its structure was established by single-crystal X-ray diffraction. Ni₅(SeO₃)₄Cl₂ crystallizes in the triclinic system, space group P-1 (No. 2) with cell parameters of a=8.076(2), b=9.288(2), c=9.376(2) Å, α=101.97(3), β=105.60(3), γ=91.83(3)° and Z=2. All nickel(II) ions in Ni₅(SeO₃)₄Cl₂ are octahedrally coordinated by selenite oxygens or/and chloride anions (([Ni(1)O₅Cl], [Ni(2)O₄Cl₂], [Ni(3)O₅Cl], [Ni(4)O₆] and [Ni(5)O₄Cl]). The structure of the title compound features a condensed three-dimensional (3D) network built by Ni(II) ions interconnected by SeO₃²⁻ anions as well as Cl⁻ anions. Magnetic property measurements show strong antiferromagnetic interaction between nickel(II) ions.     

Dielectric properties of plasma polymerized PVCa and composite PVCa:Au films

Dielectric properties of plasma polymerized PVCa and composite PVCa:Au films had been analyzed in the frequency range from 10 to 10⁵ Hz. In order to explain experimental data obtained the modification of Maxwell-Garnett and Bruggeman self-consistent models for the case of three-component composite has been done. The theoretical analysis performed allows to determine peculiarities of dielectric behavior of a three-component system, as well as to disclose the procedure of evaluation of third-component parameters. Results of this analysis are in agreement with experimental ones.     

Azocalixarenes: Synthesis, Characterization, Complexation, Extraction, Absorption Properties and Thermal Behaviours

Azocalixarenes, which have a conjugated chromophore azo (–N=N–) group in p-positions, are synthesized in “one-pot” procedures in satisfactory yields. Their structures in the solid and solution are elucidated by UV–vis, FT-IR, ¹H and ¹³C NMR spectroscopic methods as well as elemental analysis techniques. Some of them are complexed with metal ions (alkali, alkaline-earth and transition metal ions) under neutral conditions. A wide variety of applications is expected by the functionalization of the side arms. The selective liquid–liquid extraction of various alkali, alkaline-earth and transition metal cations from the aqueous phase to the organic phase is carried out by using azocalixarenes. Furthermore, the synthesized azocalixarenes are utilized for selective extraction of Fe³⁺ cations from the aqueous phase to the organic phase. The effects of varying pH and solvent upon the absorption ability of azocalixarenes substituted with electron-donating and electron-withdrawing groups at their o-, m-, p-positions are examined. The thermal behaviours of azocalixarenes containing upper rim functionalized groups are investigated by means of thermogravimetry (TG), differential thermal analysis (DTA) and differential thermogravimetry (DTG).