Copolymerization of N‐vinylcaprolactam and glycidyl methacrylate: Reactivity ratio and composition control

Free‐radical copolymerizations of N‐vinylcaprolactam (VCL) and glycidyl methacrylate (GMA) were investigated to synthesize temperature‐responsive reactive copolymers with minimized compositional heterogeneity. The average copolymer composition was determined by Fourier transform infrared and nuclear magnetic resonance techniques. The reactivity ratios for VCL and GMA were found to be 0.0365 ± 0.0009 and 6.44 ± 0.36 by the Fineman–Ross method and 0.039 ± 0.006 and 6.75 ± 0.29 by the Kelen–Tudos method, respectively. When prepared by batch polymerization, VCL–GMA copolymers had a highly heterogeneous composition and fractions of different solubilities in water. The use of a gradual feeding technique, which included the sequential addition of more reactive GMA monomer into the reaction, yielded copolymers with much more homogeneous composition. The produced copolymers with 0.9 and 0.11 fractional GMA contents preserved their temperature‐responsive properties and precipitated from aqueous solutions when the temperature exceeded 31 °C. The GMA units in the VCL–GMA copolymers were capable of reacting with amino end‐functionalized poly(ethylene oxide) at room temperature to produce poly(N‐vinylcaprolactam)–poly(ethylene oxide) graft copolymers. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 44: 183–191, 2006     

Double‐hydrophilic block copolymer for encapsulation and two‐way pH change‐induced release of metalloporphyrins

A double hydrophilic block copolymer composed of poly(acrylic acid) (PAA) and poly(4‐vinyl pyridine) (P4VP) was obtained through hydrolysis of diblock copolymer of poly(tert‐butyl acrylate) (PtBA) and P4VP synthesized using atom transfer radical polymerization. Water‐soluble micelles with PAA core and P4VP corona were observed at low (acidic) pH, while micelles with P4VP core and PAA corona were formed at high (basic) pH. Two metalloporphyrins, zinc tetraphenylporphyrin (ZnTPP) and cobalt tetraphenylporphyrin (CoTPP), were used as model compounds to investigate the encapsulation of hydrophobic molecules by both types of micelles. UV–vis spectroscopic measurements indicate that micelles with P4VP core are able to entrap more ZnTPP and CoTPP as a result of the axial coordination between the transition metals and the pyridine groups. The study found that metalloporphyrins encapsulated by the micelles with PAA core could be released on pH increase, while those entrapped by the micelles with P4VP core could be released on pH decrease. This behavior originates from the two‐way pH change‐induced disruption of PAA‐b‐P4VP micelles. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 44: 1734–1744, 2006     

Meshless simulation of equilibrium swelling/deswelling of pH‐sensitive hydrogels

Hydrogels have been widely used in microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) and Bio‐MEMS devices. In this article, the equilibrium swelling/deswelling of the pH‐stimulus cylindrical hydrogel in the microchannel is studied and simulated by the meshless method. The multi‐field coupling model, called multi‐effect‐coupling pH‐stimulus (MECpH) model, is presented and used to describe the chemical field, electric field, and the mechanical field involved in the problem. The partial differential equations (PDEs) describing these three fields are either nonlinear or coupled together. This multi‐field coupling and high nonlinear characteristics produce difficulties for the conventional numerical methods (e.g., the finite element method or the finite difference method), so an alternative—meshless method is developed to discretize the PDEs, and the efficient iteration technique is adopted to solve the nonlinear problem. The computational results for the swelling/deswelling diameter of the hydrogel under the different pH values are firstly compared with experimental results, and they have a good agreement. The influences of other parameters on the mechanical properties of the hydrogel are also investigated in detail. It is shown that the multi‐field coupling model and the developed meshless method are efficient, stable, and accurate for simulation of the properties of the stimuli‐sensitive hydrogel. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 44: 326–337, 2006     

紫膜（BR）水溶液共振Raman光谱的温度相关性

本文报道了ＢＲ水溶性Ｒａｍａｎ光谱的温度相关性及吸收光谱变化。讨论了导致光谱变化的热诱导引起的结构变化。     

Slow quenching for a one-dimensional kinetic Ising model: Residual energy and domain growth

A one-dimensional kinetic Ising model with Glauber dynamics subjected to a slow continuous quench to zero temperature is studied. For a rather general class of cooling schemes, described by a time-dependent temperatureT(t), the mean domain sizeL(t) is calculated along with the residual energye _res (r) as a function of the cooling rater. If the attempt frequency =₀ exp(–/kT), entering into the transition rates, is temperature dependent (i.e., the barrier is non-zero), the asymptotic growth ofL(t) is given byL()–L(t)~exp[–/kT(t)]. For this case the residual energy exhibits a power-law behaviore _res(r) ~r ^{/2(1 + )} forr small, where =4J/ andJ is the nearest neighbor coupling constant. For =0 and for certain cooling schemes the residual energy is zero andL(t)~t1/2, independent ofr.     

Γ andX bandgap hydrostatic deformation potentials for epitaxial In0.52Al0.48As on InP(001)

The pressure dependence of the direct and indirect bandgap of epitaxial In_0.52Al_0.48As on InP(001) substrate has been measured using photoluminescence up to 92 kbar hydrostatic pressure. The bandgap changes from Γ toX at an applied pressure of ∼ 43 kbar. Hydrostatic deformation potentials for both the Γ andX bandgaps are deduced, after correcting for the elastic constant (bulk modulus) mismatch between the epilayer and the substrate. For the epilayer we obtain and+(2.81±0.15)eV for the Γ andX bandgaps respectively. From the pressure dependence of the normalized Γ-bandgap photoluminescence intensity a Γ-X lifetime ratio, (τ_Γ/τ _X ), of 4.1×10⁻³ is deduced.     

Reliable evaluation of temperature-independent parameters in correlation of vapour–liquid equilibrium data

A new algorithm/program has been elaborated for simultaneous processing of different sets of vapour–liquid equilibrium data. The program was tested with six binary hexane + isomeric pentanol systems, each of them measured at three different isobaric conditions and one isothermal system of tert-butyl-methyl-ether + 2-methyl-2-propanol measured at three different temperatures. The correlation uses the maximum likelihood method, taking into account real behaviour of vapour phase. The parameters obtained are valid within the whole temperature range of the data, and are consistent in comparison with those obtained from individual correlations of isobars or isotherms. Results are presented for the Wilson and NRTL equations.     

Partial molal heat capacities of aqueous tetraalkylammonium bromides as functions of temperature

Enthalpies of solution have been measured from 5 to 85°C for aqueous tetraethyl- and tetrapropylammonium bromides, and the integral heat method is employed to evaluate for these electrolytes over a wide temperature range. Data taken from the literature have been used to evaluate for aqueous Bu₄NBr over a similar temperature range. These data, along with similar data for Me₄NBr, previously reported, have been used to evaluate absolute ionic heat capacities. While the absolute values agree only qualitatively with two other methods of division, the temperature dependences of the three methods essentially agree up to 65°C. Heat capacities due to structural effects on the solvent, obtained by subtracting the inherent heat capacities of the ions, are extraordinarily positive for all four tetraalkylammonium ions and have negative temperature coefficients, indicating that all four ions, including the tetramethylammonium ion, are structure-making ions.     

Electron microscope study of viscoelastic cationic surfactant systems

Some cationic surfactants such as cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) show a very spectacular viscoelasticity in solution, in even very diluted states, with some aromatic substances added, such as salicylic acid. Formerly, the authors established that the remarkable solution behaviour was the result of the entanglement of such enormously elongated giant micelles, based on recognition of the existence of large aggregates, through direct observation of them as substantial images under the electron microscope.In this report, we further confirm the relation between micelle length and solution viscoelasticity after arbitrarily obtaining different size aggregates by altering the media pH, or by admixing shorter chain length surfactants than CTAB, which alone did not induce viscoelasticity.