Thermally reversible light scattering films based on the melting/crystallization of organic crystals dispersed in an epoxy matrix

Films that can be reversibly switched from opaque to transparent states by varying temperature (TRLS films), have potential applications in thermal sensors, optical devices, recording media, etc. A dispersion of organic crystals in a thermoset may be used for these purposes provided that at temperatures higher than the melting point there is a matching of refractive indices of both phases. A model system consisting on a dispersion of diphenyl (DP) crystals in an epoxy matrix based on diglycidyl ether of bisphenol A and m-xylylenediamine, was analyzed as a possible TRLS film encapsulated between transparent covers to avoid sublimation of DP. To obtain a uniform dispersion of DP-rich domains in the epoxy matrix by polymerization-induced phase separation, it was necessary to add 5 wt% of polystyrene (PS) to the initial formulation. Phase separation induced by polymerization at 80 °C led to a dispersion of PS/DP domains in the epoxy matrix due to the low compatibility of PS with the epoxy and its high compatibility with DP. Crystallization and melting processes were confined to the interior of dispersed domains leading to an excellent reproducibility of the optical properties of TRLS films in the course of successive heating-cooling cycles.     

Dealkylation ofpara-nitrophenyldimethyl thiophosphate in micellar and liquid-crystalline media of then-decylammonium chloride-n-decylamine-water system

The kinetics of decomposition of p-nitrophenyldimethyl thiophosphate (1) were investigated spectrophotometrically in the n-decylammonium chloride-n-decylamine-water system (DAC-DA-H₂O), in which micellar or lamellar liquid-crystalline phases are formed as a function of the concentration of components. It was shown that1 is dealkylated in both phases. An increase in the surface charge density of associates decreases the rate of dealkylation. The activation energy in the lamellar phase is significantly higher than in the micellar phase.A. E. Arbuzov Institute of Organic and Physical Chemistry, Kazan' Scientific Center, Russian Academy of Sciences, 420083 Kazan'. Translated from Izvestiya Akademii Nauk, Seriya Khimicheskaya, No. 5, pp. 1042–1048, May, 1992.     

Preparation of holographic gratings of liquid crystals dispersed in polyurethane acrylates under controlled reaction conditions.

Transmission gratings of holographic polymer-dispersed liquid crystals (HPDLC) are prepared under controlled reaction conditions by adding various amounts of chain-transfer agent (CTA). The resulting films have a higher gel content with lower cross-link density, less dark reaction, less grating shrinkage with much smoother LC/polymer interfaces, smaller induction period, and fast saturation of diffraction efficiency, which shows a maximum of 95 % with 1 % CTA. An optimum LC content of 35 % is verified on the basis of morphology and reaction kinetics.     

Molecular aggregation in the ternary system deca glycerol dioleate/heptane/water

The phase diagram for the ternary system deca glycerol dioleate(DGD)/heptane/water was established at 25 °C. In this phase diagram it was seen that the reverse micellar solution phase extends in its area until the water content reaches 35–45 wt%, at which a liquid crystalline phase begins to appear. On the basis of the experimental results of specific conductivity, viscosity, etc. for the samples containing a definite amount of DGD (0,1 M), and varying relative amounts of heptane and water, the mechanism of the transition of reverse micellar structures to liquid crystalline phase is discussed.     

Luminescence Properties of Tb-Doped Yttrium Disilicate Prepared by the Sol–Gel Method

A sol–gel method for the synthesis of nanosized powders of yttrium disilicate doped with Tb^{3 +} is presented. The influence of grain size and annealing temperature on the structure and luminescence properties of the materials obtained has been investigated. The preparation of glass-ceramic composite has been also described. The effect of incorporating the nanocrystals into sol–gel silica glasses on their physicochemical properties has been shown and discussed. A lack of influence of the annealing above 1300°C on the lifetimes measured for the nanocrystals embedded in the glass, as compared to the Y₂Si₂O₇:Tb^{3 +} powders, has been observed.     

Banana-shaped molecules peculiarly oriented in a magnetic field: (2)H NMR spectroscopy and quantum mechanical calculations.

The orientational properties of the banana-shaped liquid crystal 4-chloro-1,3-phenylenebis{4-[4'-(10-undecenyloxy)]benzoyloxy} benzoate (ClPbis11BB) are reported in the nematic phase under the effect of an external magnetic field. A new hypothesis, which states that the central ring of the aromatic core is oriented perpendicularly to the external magnetic field, is proposed. In support of this hypothesis, a series of studies based on (2)H NMR spectroscopy, both in the bulk and in solution, are discussed. (2)H NMR measurements on three selectively deuterium-labelled isotopomers are presented, together with DFT results from B3LYP/cc-pvDz calculations performed on the aromatic core. The rather flat shape of the investigated intramolecular energy surface allows for several different conformations to be populated, the computed magnetic susceptibilities of which are consistent with the proposed hypothesis of peculiar orientation of banana-shaped molecules. Moreover, the orientation of the magnetic susceptibility tensor is shown to be strongly dependent on the internal conformation of the banana-shaped molecules.     

Effect of the composition of nickel-containing composites based on stabilised zirconia on catalytic activity in methane steam conversion

A study was carried out on the composition and nature of the stabilizing additive on the activity of nickel-containing composites based on zirconia in the methane steam conversion. The methane conversions were 91–99% on Ni/ZrO₂(Y, Sc, Ce) at 700–800 °C.     

Comparative studies of static dipole polarizabilities of ionic crystals on the basis of different self-consistent potentials

The static dipole polarizabilities, ^D , have been studied for the ions O^2–, F^–, Na⁺, Mg²⁺, Cl^–, K⁺ and Ca²⁺ in the crystals NaF, KF, NaCl, KC1, MgO and CaO. The starting zero-order wave functions have been generated using various exchange- and exchange-correlation potentials in order to study the effect of these potentials on ^D . The direct contribution to the dipole polarizability, _o ^D , has been determined by the uncoupled Hartree-Fock method. Self-consistency effects have been included by the geometric approximation. The crystal potential is incorporated using the Watson sphere model. Good agreement between theoretical and experimental results are found for those self-consistent potentials which exclude self-interaction.