A Semiconductor Laser of the Visible Range as an Exciting Source of Raman Scattering

A possibility of application of semiconductor lasers of the visible range as exciting sources for Raman spectroscopy is studied. An experimental set-up for measuring Raman spectra of polycrystalline dielectrics and broad-gap semiconductors excited by a semiconductor laser with a wavelength of 640 nm was created. The conditions under which the spectral width of the lasing line of a semiconductor laser was within 10^-3 cm^-1 in the continuous mode with a power of 10 mW are realized. The characteristics of various types of exciting sources used in Raman spectroscopy are compared. The results of studies of the characteristic Raman spectra excited with a semiconductor laser in polycrystalline sulfur are presented.     

Sulfonated poly(aryl ether ketone)s containing naphthalene moieties obtained by direct copolymerization as novel polymers for proton exchange membranes

A series of sulfonated poly(aryl ether ketone)s (SPAEKs) were prepared by aromatic nucleophilic polycondensation of 2,6‐dihydroxynaphthalene with 5,5′‐carbonyl‐bis(2‐fluorobenzenesulfonate) and 4,4′‐difluorobenzophenone. The structure and degree of sulfonation (DS) of the SPAEKs were characterized using ¹H NMR spectroscopy. The experimentally observed DS values were close to the expected values derived from the starting material ratios. The thermal stabilities of the SPAEKs were characterized by thermogravimetric analysis, which showed that in acid and sodium salt forms they were thermally stable in air up to about 240 and 380 °C, respectively. Transparent membranes cast from the directly polymerized SPAEKs exhibited good mechanical properties in both dry and hydrated states. The dependence of water uptake and of membrane swelling on the DS at different temperatures was studied. SPAEK membranes with a DS from 0.72 to 1.60 maintained adequate mechanical properties after immersion in water at 80 °C for 24 h. The proton conductivity of SPAEK membranes with different degrees of sulfonation was measured as a function of temperature. The proton conductivity of the SPAEK films increased with increased DS, and the highest room temperature conductivity (4.2 × 10^?2 S/cm) was recorded for a SPAEK membrane with a DS of 1.60, which further increased to 1.1 × 10^?1 S/cm at 80 °C. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 42: 2866–2876, 2004     

UV‐ignited frontal polymerization of an epoxy resin

By combining frontal polymerization and radical‐induced cationic polymerization, it was possible to cure thick samples of an epoxy monomer bleached by UV light. The effect of the relative amounts of cationic photoinitiator and radical initiator was thoroughly investigated and was related to the front's velocity and its maximum temperature. The materials obtained were characterized by quantitative conversion also in the deeper layers, not reached by UV light. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 42: 2066–2072, 2004     

New functionalized polyesters to achieve controlled architectures

Following our continued interest in the production of bioerodible and biodegradable functional polymers for biomedical applications, we synthesized and characterized new unsaturated polyesters. The presence of functional groups in the polymer backbone provided sites for chemical modification, and through a variation in the structure, the physical properties, such as the hydrophilicity and solubility, could be affected. With 1,1-di-n-butyl-stanna-2,7-dioxacyclo-4-heptene as the initiator in the ring-opening polymerization of polyesters, a new set of functionalized polyesters was created. The polymerization of ϵ-caprolactone resulted in poly(ϵ-caprolactone) with a double bond incorporated into the structure. The polymers were obtained in a controlled manner with low molecular dispersities. The double bond was previously incorporated into L -lactide polymers, and the two reactions were compared in this study. The conversion of ϵ-caprolactone, with a degree of polymerization of 50, was completed within 140 min, whereas for L -lactide, only a 45% conversion took place in the same period of time. The dispersities were somewhat higher with ϵ-caprolactone because of the higher reaction rate and, therefore, lower selectivity. The incorporated CC double bond in the polyesters provided a variety of opportunities for further modifications. In this case, the double bond of the L -lactide macromonomers was oxidized into epoxides. Epoxidation was carried out with m-chloroperoxybenzoic acid as a chemical reagent. The conversion of the double bonds into epoxides was completed, and the obtained yields were good (>95%). As a result of the mild reaction conditions, the epoxidation of the double bond was carried out quantitatively without any side reactions. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 42: 444–452, 2004     

Functionalization of polyethylene/silane copolymers in posttreatment reactions

7‐Octenyldimethylphenylsilane was copolymerized with ethylene via Et(Ind)₂ZrCl₂ methylaluminoxane catalyst system without loss of catalyst activity or decrease in molar mass. The comonomer contents in the polymer samples were at a level of 0.15–1.0 mol % and the reactive phenylsilane groups were posttreated to different alcoxy‐ and halosilane groups, for example, Si? F, Si? Cl, Si? OCH₃, and Si? OCH₂CH₃. The posttreatment reactions had no major effect on the molar masses or on the thermal properties (measured with differential scanning calorimetry) of the copolymers. The reaction pathways were nearly independent of the comonomer contents and the reactions reached 70–100% conversions. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 42: 1461–1467, 2004     

New liquid‐crystalline poly(ester amide)s: The role of nitro groups in the phase behavior

New hydrogen‐bonded liquid‐crystalline poly(ester amide)s (PEA)s were obtained from 1,4‐terephthaloyl[bis‐(3‐nitro‐N‐anthranilic acid)] (5) or 1,4‐terephthaloyl[bis‐(N‐anthranilic acid)] (6), with or without nitro groups, respectively, through the separate condensation of each with hydroquinone or dihydroxynaphthalene. The dicarboxylic monomers were synthesized from 2‐aminobenzoic acid. The phase behavior of the monomers and polymers were studied with differential scanning calorimetry, polarized light microscopy, and wide‐angle X‐ray diffraction methods. Monomer 5, containing nitro groups, exhibited a smectic liquid‐crystalline phase, whereas the texture of monomer 6 without nitro groups appeared to be nematic. The PEAs containing nitro groups exhibited polymorphism (smectic and nematic), whereas those without nitro groups exhibited only one phase transition (a nematic threaded texture). The changes occurring in the phase behavior of the polymers were explained by the introduction of nitro groups. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 42: 1289–1298, 2004     

Shear banding in strained semicrystalline polyamide 6 films as revealed by atomic force microscopy: Role of the amorphous phase

Atomic force microscopy (AFM) has been used to visualize the plastic deformation mechanisms that are responsible for the yielding of semicrystalline polymers of low degree of crystallinity (<50%). Indeed, AFM, if operated in suitable conditions, is able to image both the amorphous and the crystalline phases. Polyamide 6 films have been drawn at temperatures T < 160 °C. Postmortem AFM observations show that, at yield, shear bands nucleate and propagate in the amorphous phase. They cross the crystalline lamellae and run over the whole surface of the sample. By crossing the lamellae, they form nanoblocks of uniform size. Neither the size of the nanoblocks nor the angle between the tensile axis and the shear bands can be explained in terms of crystal plasticity. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 42: 687–701, 2004     

The effect of compatibilization and rheological properties of polystyrene and poly(dimethylsiloxane) on phase structure of polystyrene/poly(dimethylsiloxane) blends

The compatibilization effect of polystyrene (PS)‐poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) diblock copolymer (PS‐b‐PDMS) and the effect of rheological properties of PS and PDMS on phase structure of PS/PDMS blends were investigated using a selective extraction technique and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The dual‐phase continuity of PS/PDMS blends takes place in a wide composition range. The formation and the onset of a cocontinuous phase structure largely depend on blend composition, viscosity ratio of the constituent components, and addition of diblock copolymers. The width of the concentration region of the cocontinuous structure is narrowed with increasing the viscosity ratio of the blends and in the presence of the small amount diblock copolymers. Quiescent annealing shifts the onset values of continuity. The experimental results are compared with the volume fraction of phase inversion calculated with various theoretical models, but none of the models can account quantitatively for the observed data. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 42: 898–913, 2004     

Dielectric relaxation analysis of starch oligomers and polymers with respect to their chain length

Starch belongs to the polyglucan group. This type of polysaccharide shows a broad β-relaxation process in dielectric spectra at low temperatures, which has its molecular origin in orientational motions of sugar rings via glucosidic linkages. This chain dynamic was investigated for α(1,4)-linked starch oligomers with well-defined chain lengths of 2, 3, 4, 6, and 7 anhydroglucose units (AGUs) and for α(1,4)-polyglucans with average degrees of polymerization of 5, 10, 56, 70, and so forth (up to 3000; calculated from the mean molecular weight). The activation energy (E_a) of the segmental chain motion was lowest for dimeric maltose (E_a = 49.4 ± 1.3 kJ/mol), and this was followed by passage through a maximum at a degree of polymerization of 6 (E_a = 60.8 ± 1.8 kJ/mol). Subsequently, E_a leveled off at a value of about 52 ± 1.5 kJ/mol for chains containing more than 100 repeating units. The results were compared with the values of cellulose-like oligomers and polymers bearing a β(1,4)-linkage. Interestingly, the shape of the E_a dependency on the chain length of the molecules was qualitatively the same for both systems, whereas quantitatively the starch-like substances generally showed higher E_a values. Additionally, and for comparison, three cyclodextrins were measured by dielectric relaxation spectroscopy. The ringlike molecules, with 6, 7, and 8 α(1,4)-linked AGUs, showed moderately different types of dielectric spectra. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 42: 188–197, 2004     

Heterochain model for simultaneous long‐chain branching and crosslinking. III. Multicomponent polymerization

The matrix formula developed in the context of heterochain theory, M?_w = M?_wp + WF ( I ? M )^?1 S , was applied to describe the molecular weight development during free‐radical multicomponent polymerization. All of the required probabilistic parameters are expressed in terms of the kinetic‐rate constants and the various concentrations associated with them. In free‐radical polymerization, the number of heterochain types, N, needs to be extrapolated to infinity, and such extrapolation is conducted with only three different N values. This matrix formula can be used as a benchmark test if other approximate approaches can give reasonable estimates of the weight‐average molecular weights. The moment equations with the average pseudo‐kinetic‐rate constants for branching and crosslinking reactions may provide poor estimates when the copolymer composition drift during polymerization is very significant. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 42: 2801–2812, 2004