Effect of a “Zn Bridge” on the Consecutively Tunable Retention Characteristics of Volatile Random Access Memory Materials

Polyimide memory materials with a donor–acceptor structure based on a charge-transfer mechanism exhibit great potential for next-generation information storage technology due to their outstanding high-temperature resistance and good dimensional and chemical stability. Precisely controlling memory performance by limited chemical decoration is one of core challenges in this field. Most reported work mainly focuses on designing novel and elaborate electron donors or acceptors for the expected memory behavior of polyimides; this takes a lot of time and is not always efficacious. Herein, we report a series of porphyrinated copolyimides coPI−Znx (x=5, 10, 20, 50, 80), where x represents the mole percentage of Zn ion in the central core of the porphyrin. Experimental and theoretical analysis indicate that the Zn ion could play a vital bridge role in promoting the formation and stabilization of a charge-transfer complex by enhancing the hybridization of local and charge transfer (HLCT) excitations of porphyrinated polyimides, endowing coPI−Znx with volatile random access memory performance and continuously tunable retention time. This work could provide one simple strategy to precisely regulate memory performance merely by altering the metal content in porphyrinated polyimides.     

聚甲基丙烯酸甲酯/星形聚乙二醇半互穿聚合物网络的形状记忆性能和分子机理

采用非共价复合方法,设计并合成了具有星形结构的聚甲基丙烯酸甲酯/星形聚乙二醇半互穿聚合物网络(PMMA/SPEG)和聚甲基丙烯酸甲酯/线性聚乙二醇半互穿聚合物网络(PMMA/LPEG).研究了PEG分子量对PMMA/SPEG和PMMA/LPEG的热性能、机械性能、动态机械性能和形状记忆性能的影响.结果表明,与PMMA/LPEG相比,星形结构的嵌入显著提高了PMMA/SPEG复合物的机械性能、形状回复率和回复速度.采用Edwards管道模型理论对其形状记忆效应的分子机理进行了阐释,利用材料的应力松弛特性对机理分析进行了验证.     

Stress-Strain Behavior of Shape Memory Polymers by 1WE Method: Application to Tecoflex®

Thermomechanical cycles including programming, cooling, unloading and heating to trigger the 1WE were examined for a shape memory polymer (SMP), Tecoflex® (TFX EG-72D). Cycles were performed at 60°C with 50% and 225% strains and the recovery time of 10 min. Strains evolving with time were estimated during the thermomechanical treatments for the total 44 cycles using 50% strains and the total 50 cycles using 225% strains. Recovery ratios for 50% strains and 225% were also estimated. It turns out that programming, cooling, unloading and heating to trigger the 1WE causes an increase of irreversible strain and is associated with a corresponding decrease of the intensity of the 1WE in particular during the first thermomechanical cycles. In parallel scanning electron microscopic study using secondary electron imaging shows a very slight wavy surface structure evolved during cycling.     

Monocyclic rod-type liquid crystals; 2,5-dialkanoyloxytropones and 5-alkanoyloxy-2-alkoxytropones

Two kinds of monocyclic troponoid mesogens, 2,5-dialkanoyloxytropones (4) and 5-alkanoyloxy2-alkoxytropones (5), were prepared. The former showed monotropic smectic A phases and the virtual isotropic liquid-smectic A transitions of the latter were determined by extrapolation of results in a binary phase diagram. Comparing the mesogenic properties between the tropones 4 and the 2-alkanoyloxy-5-alkoxytropones (1), the alkanoyloxy group at C-5 enhances both the melting points and the transition temperatures of the smectic A phases. From the comparison between 5 and 1, the alkanoyloxy group at C-2 lowers the melting points.     

Physically cross‐linked networks of POSS‐capped poly(acrylate amide)s: Synthesis,morphologies, and shape memory behavior

In this work, we synthesized a novel organic–inorganic semitelechelic polymer from polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane (POSS) and poly(acrylate amide) (PAA) via reversible addition‐fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) polymerization. The organic–inorganic semitelechelic polymers have been characterized by means of nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, thermal gravimetric analysis, and dynamic mechanical thermal analysis. It was found that capping POSS groups to the single ends of PAA chains caused a series of significant changes in the morphologies and thermomechanical properties of the polymer. The organic–inorganic semitelechelics were microphase‐separated; the POSS microdomains were formed via the POSS–POSS interactions. In a selective solvent (e.g., methanol), the organic–inorganic semitelechelics can be self‐assembled into the micelle‐like nanoobjects. Compared to plain PAA, the POSS‐capped PAAs significantly displayed improved surface hydrophobicity as evidenced by the measurements of static contact angles and surface atomic force microscopy. More importantly, the organic–inorganic semitelechelics displayed typical shape memory properties, which was in marked contrast to plain PAA. The shape memory behavior is attributable to the formation of the physically cross‐linked networks from the combination of the POSS–POSS interactions with the intermolecular hydrogen‐bonding interactions in the organic–inorganic semitelechelics. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part B: Polym. Phys. 2017 , 55, 587–600     

Nonvolatile write‐once read‐many‐times memory behaviors of polyimides containing tetraphenyl fluorene core and the pendant triphenylamine or carbazole moieties

To better understand the structure–property relationships, two novel aromatic diamines containing tetraphenyl fluorene (TPF) moiety through triphenylamine (TPA) unit and carbazole (Cz) unit modification are designed and synthesized, respectively. Four thermally stable and excellent solubility polyimides are prepared and characterized. The excellent film‐formation ability and thin film stability are investigated by X‐ray diffraction (XRD) and atom force microscopy (AFM) measurements, respectively. The memory devices are fabricated, PIs films with low water uptakes sandwiched between indium‐tin oxide (ITO) ground electrode and Al top electrode, and exhibit nonvolatile write‐once read‐many‐times (WORM) memory behaviors with low threshold voltages, due to increasing the retention time through regulating the energy level. The current conduction mechanisms of all devices are linearly fitted by theoretical conduction model. Molecular simulations are used to demonstrate switching mechanism and the memory effects. The experimental results provide a sight for the design‐adjustable switching voltage of memory devices. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2018 , 56, 1630–1644     

Shape memory induced structural evolution of high performance copolyimides

In this work, two kinds of high temperature shape memory copolyimides were prepared and the shape memory cycles induced structural evolution of macromolecular chains was investigated in detail. The glass transition temperature (T_g) of poly(benzoxazole‐co‐imide) (PI1) and poly(benzimidazole‐co‐imide) (PI2) are 280 °C and 355 °C, respectively. The results show that PI1 could keep stable macromolecular chain structure under shape memory cycles and exhibit outstanding shape memory performance (R_f > 98%, R_r > 97%) under different stretch condition. Whereas, shape memory cycles induced orientation with more ordered macromolecular chains packing is formed for PI2 after several thermal mechanical cycles, which strongly affect physical crosslinking points, thermal mechanical properties as well as shape memory behaviors. The study on macroscopic property and microscopic structure evolution will promote a better understanding of the shape memory effect of polyimides and accelerate development of high performance polyimides for shape memory applications. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2016 , 54, 3858–3867