Synthesis, characterization and thermal analysis of polyaniline/ZrO2 composites

Conducting polyaniline-zirconium dioxide (PANI/ZrO₂) composites were synthesized by ‘in situ’ deposition technique in the presence of hydrochloric acid (HCl) as dopant by adding the fine grade powder (average particle size of approximately 20 nm) of ZrO₂ into the polymerization reaction mixture of aniline. The composites obtained were characterized by infrared spectra (IR) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). TG curves and DTG curves of the composites suggest that the thermal degradation process of PANI/ZrO₂ composites proceeds in two-steps and the composites are more thermally stable than that of the pure PANI. The improvement in the thermal stability for the composites is attributed to the interaction between PANI and ZrO₂, which restricts the thermal motion of PANI chains and shields the degradation of PANI in the composites.     

Thermal stability and bond dissociation energy of fluorinated polymers: A critical evaluation

Intrinsic bond dissociation energies (BDEs) of selected fluorinated polymers are critically evaluated. Two distinctive approaches were followed. In the first one, according to Wu and Rodgers [E.-C. Wu, A.S. Rodgers, J. Am. Chem. Soc. 98 (1976) 6112-6115], starting from the gas-phase enthalpy of polymerization we obtained the polymer backbone BDE through appropriate thermodynamic cycles. Revised experimental results indicate that the CC BDEs of all the polymers taken into account fall within a limited energy interval, comparable to the average experimental uncertainty. Central to the second methodology adopted, is a model compound approach. Thanks to the large number of reliable thermodynamic data available in the scientific literature and to simple end-capping rules, C₂ molecules were chosen as suitable models for infinite linear polymers and alternating copolymers between ethylene and fluorinated olefins. For partially fluorinated polymers, like polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF), alternating ethylene-tertrafluoroethylene (ETFE) and alternating ethylene-chlorotrifluoroethylene (ECTFE), the weight loss due to HF and HCl evolution during heating experiments was successfully related to the threshold energy E_o(HX) for 1,2-elimination from chemically activated hydrofluoro and hydrofluorochlorocarbons according to the modified Rice-Rampsberger-Kassel (RRKM) unimolecular theory.     

Polymorphism in mercury(I) selenite(IV): preparation, crystal structures of α-, β-and γ-Hg2SeO3, and thermal behavior of the α- and β-modification

Mercury(I) selenite(IV) is polymorphic and crystallizes at least in three modifications, named α-, β-and γ-Hg₂SeO₃. Polycrystalline β-Hg₂SeO₃ was prepared by precipitation of a concentrated mercurous nitrate solution with selenous acid. Hydrothermal treatment of the colorless β-Hg₂SeO₃ powder in demineralized water at 250°C (10 days) yields light-yellow single crystals of α-Hg₂SeO₃ which show the highest density of the three modifications. Colorless needle-shaped single crystals of β-Hg₂SeO₃ and very few single crystals of γ-Hg₂SeO₃ co-crystallize from strongly diluted Hg₂(NO₃)₂ and H₂SeO₃ solutions and were grown by a diffusion technique. All crystal structures were solved and refined from single crystal diffractometer data sets and are based on Hg₂²⁺ dumbbells and trigonal pyramidal SeO₃²⁻ anions as the main building units. A common structural feature of all modifications is the formation of open channels extending parallel to the shortest crystallographic axis. The non-bonding orbitals of the Se^IV atoms are stereochemically active and protrude into the channels. Upon heating in an open system under N₂ atmosphere, both α- and β-Hg₂SeO₃ decompose in a well-separated three-step mechanism. The first step (T > 250°C) involves disproportionation into elementary mercury and α-HgSeO₃ which at ca. 400°C subsequently transforms into β-HgSeO₃. The second step between T = 400 and 500°C is accompanied by a loss of Hg and SeO₂ and the formation of the basic salt Hg₃SeO₆. In the third step, at temperatures between T = 500° and 600°C, this material decomposes completely. Upon heating in a closed system (sealed silica capillaries), β-Hg₂SeO₃ transforms between 320-340°C into the more dense α-Hg₂SeO₃ which on further heating likewise converts into elementary mercury and β-HgSeO₃.     

载体γ-Al2O3和钐对非晶态NiB合金热稳定性的影响

用化学还原法制备了NiB、NiB/Al2O3和NiBSm/Al2O3三种催化剂，它们都呈非晶结构.用等离子耦合发射光谱仪(ICP)对催化剂组分进行了分析，采用差示扫描量热法（DSC）对三种催化剂进行了热稳定性分析.结果表明，载体的引入使非晶态NiB合金的体相组成中B的含量降低.将非晶态NiB合金负载到γ-Al2O3上,可以明显改善非晶态合金的热稳定性，少量Sm可以进一步提高晶化温度.晶化激活能数据亦表明了载体和Sm对非晶结构具有良好的稳定作用.载体和Sm可能通过不同的作用提高了非晶态合金的热稳定性.     

Thermal degradation studies of alkyl-imidazolium salts and their application in nanocomposites

Increasing the thermal stability of organically-modified layered silicates is one of the key points in the successful technical application of polymer-layered silicate nanocomposites on the industrial scale. To circumvent the detrimental effect of the lower thermal stability of alkyl ammonium-treated montmorillonite, a series of alkyl-imidazolium molten salts were prepared and characterized by elemental analysis, thermogravimetry (TGA) and thermal desorption mass spectroscopy (TDMS). The effect of counter ion, alkyl chain length and structural isomerism on the thermal stability of the imidazolium salts was investigated. Alkyl-imidazolium-treated montmorillonite clays were prepared by ion exchange of the imidazolium salts with Na-montmorillonite. These organically-modified clays were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), TDMS and thermogravimetry coupled with Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (TGA-FTIR), and compared to the conventional quaternary alkyl ammonium montmorillonite. Results indicate that the counter ion has an effect on the thermal stability of the imidazolium salts, and that imidazolium salts with PF₆⁻, N(SO₂CF₃)₂⁻ and BF₄⁻ anions are thermally more stable than the halide salts. A relationship was observed between the chain length of the alkyl group and the thermo-oxidative stability; as the chain length increased from propyl, butyl, decyl, hexadecyl, octadecyl to eicosyl, the stability decreased. The results also show that the imidazolium-treated montmorillonite has greater thermal stability compared to the imidazolium halide. Analysis of the decomposition products by FTIR provides an insight about the decomposition products which are water, carbon dioxide and hydrocarbons.     

An investigation of the properties of poly(dimethylsiloxane)-bioinspired silica hybrids

Elastomers typically require the incorporation of reinforcing fillers in order to improve their mechanical properties. For commercial silicone systems silica and titania are typically used as fillers. Fumed and precipitated silica are made on an industrial scale for many applications; however, we have shown recently that biological and synthetic macromolecules can generate new silica structures using a bioinspired route. Herein we have incorporated bioinspired silica fillers into poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) elastomers and investigated their mechanical, morphological and thermal properties as a function of filler loading. The equilibrium stress-strain characteristics of the PDMS-bioinspired silica hybrids were determined as a function of bioinspired filler loading and the Mooney-Rivlin constants (2C₁ and 2C₂) were calculated. The thermal characteristics, in particular glass transition temperatures (T_g) and melting points (T_m), of the PDMS-bioinspired silica hybrids were characterized using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). The thermal stability of these hybrid materials were investigated using thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). The morphology of the samples was characterized using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and the filler dispersion was characterized using ultra small angle X-ray scattering (USAXS) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Although spherical silica particles were used here, we have demonstrated elsewhere that this bioinspired synthetic route also enables highly asymmetric silica structures to be prepared such as fibres and sheets. This methodology therefore offers the interesting possibility of preparing new hybrid systems where the properties are highly anisotropic.     

The comparison of thermal stability of some hydrofluoroethers and hydrofluoropolyethers

The thermal stability of representative hydrofluoropolyether (HFPE) and hydrofluoroether (HFE) compounds has been evaluated. The observed stability order appears to be correlated with the nature of the hydrogenated chain ends; in particular, molecules having fully hydrogenated chain ends (OCH₃ and OC₂H₅) show a significantly lower stability compared with the OCF₂H terminated compounds. The main degradation products suggest, however, that the same primary reaction is responsible for the decomposition of all the compounds examined; this reaction involves the fragmentation of the R_fOC_xH_yF_z bond with fluorine transfer between the two carbon atoms close to the oxygen, leading to the formation of a hydrofluorocarbon C_xH_yF_(z+1) and an acyl fluoride or a ketone.     

A density functional theory study of the gas-phase elimination reactions of 4-arylideneimino-1,2,4-triazol-3(2H )-ones and their 3(2H )-thione analogues

Theoretical studies on the thermolysis in the gas phase of 4-arylideneimino-1,2,4-triazol-3(2H)-ones and 4-arylideneimino-1,2,4-triazol-3(2H)-thiones were carried out using density functional theory methods, at the B3LYP/6-31G(d) and B3LYP/6-311+G(2d,p) levels of theory. The proposed reaction mechanism occurs in one step, leading to the formation of 3-hydroxy-(2H)-1,2,4-triazole or 3-mercapto-(2H)-1,2,4-triazole and a 4-substituted benzonitrile, via a six-membered cyclic transition state. The progress of the reactions was followed by means of the Wiberg bond indices. The results indicate that the transition states have character intermediate between reactants and products, and the calculated synchronicities show that the reactions are slightly asynchronous, in the case of triazolones, and show a higher asynchronicity in the case of triazolthiones. The bond-breaking processes are slightly more advanced than the bond-forming ones, indicating a small bond deficiency in the transition states. Kinetic and activation parameters for the reactions studied have been calculated and compared with available experimental data.From the Proceedings of the 28th Congreso deQuímicos Teóricos de Expresión Latina (QUITEL 2002)     

Determination of Utratrace Silver Using Surfactant As Sensitizer by Catalytic Near Field Laser Thermal Lens Spectrometry

Thermal lens spectrometry (TLS) is an excellent tool for trace analysis1. TLS allows the detection of absorbances of 10-7～10-8, concentration of ≈ 10-11 mol稬-1 and the analysis of 10-15 L volumes with ≈10-2 absorbing molecules2. Kinetic analysis is playing an increasingly important part in modern analytical chemistry. Therefore, TLS shows much promise in combination with kinetic analysis. However, there are few data on TLS applications in kinetic analysis method so far3～4. A ne…