Controlling domain orientation of liquid crystalline block copolymer in thin films through tuning mesogenic chemical structures

Controlling the macroscopic orientation of nanoscale periodic structures of amphiphilic liquid crystalline block copolymers (LC BCPs) is important to a variety of technical applications (e.g., lithium conducting polymer electrolytes). To study LC BCP domain orientation, a series of LC BCPs containing a poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) block as a conventional hydrophilic coil block and LC blocks containing azobenzene mesogens is designed and synthesized. LC ordering in thin films of the BCP leads to the formation of highly ordered, microphase‐separated nanostructures, with hexagonally arranged PEO cylinders. Substitution on the tail of the azobenzene mesogen is shown to control the orientation of the PEO cylinders. When the substitution on the mesogenic tails is an alkyl chain, the PEO cylinders have a perpendicular orientation to the substrate surface, provided the thin film is above a critical thickness value. In contrast, when the substitution on the mesogenic tails has an ether group the PEO cylinders assemble parallel to the substrate surface regardless of the film thickness value. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part B: Polym. Phys. 2017 , 55, 532–541     

Spin polarization induced by an electric field in the presence of weak localization effects

We evaluate the spin polarization (Edelstein or inverse spin galvanic effect) and the spin Hall current induced by an applied electric field by including the weak localization corrections for a two-dimensional electron gas. We show that the weak localization effects yield logarithmic corrections to both the spin polarization conductivity relating the spin polarization and the electric field and to the spin Hall angle relating the spin and charge currents. The renormalization of both the spin polarization conductivity and the spin Hall angle combine to produce a zero correction to the total spin Hall conductivity as required by an exact identity. Suggestions for the experimental observation of the effect are given.     

Spin frustration-related behavior of mixed spin diamond chain

The magnetization of mixed spin-1/2, 1 Ising diamond chain with antiferromagnetic spin exchange interaction has been investigated by using the Monte Carlo simulation. Magnetization behaviors with different antiferromagnetic interactions are simulated under magnetic field at low temperature. The behaviors are studied in two different cases. In one case the absolute value of the interaction between two spin-1/2 atoms is the largest and in the other case it is not the largest. Multiple plateaus of magnetization M, such as plateaus at M=±1, M=0 and M=±0.566 are obtained. The plateaus at M=±0.566 correspond to two metastable states. The M=0 plateau may disappear at some specific values of spin exchange interactions. The spin configurations were checked when the plateaus appear. The dimmer and trimmer states are found.     

Carbon K‐edge spectra of carbonate minerals

Carbon K‐edge X‐ray spectroscopy has been applied to the study of a wide range of organic samples, from polymers and coals to interstellar dust particles. Identification of carbonaceous materials within these samples is accomplished by the pattern of resonances in the 280–320 eV energy region. Carbonate minerals are often encountered in the study of natural samples, and have been identified by a distinctive resonance at 290.3 eV. Here C K‐edge and Ca L‐edge spectra from a range of carbonate minerals are presented. Although all carbonates exhibit a sharp 290 eV resonance, both the precise position of this resonance and the positions of other resonances vary among minerals. The relative strengths of the different carbonate resonances also vary with crystal orientation to the linearly polarized X‐ray beam. Intriguingly, several carbonate minerals also exhibit a strong 288.6 eV resonance, consistent with the position of a carbonyl resonance rather than carbonate. Calcite and aragonite, although indistinguishable spectrally at the C K‐edge, exhibited significantly different spectra at the Ca L‐edge. The distinctive spectral fingerprints of carbonates provide an identification tool, allowing for the examination of such processes as carbon sequestration in minerals, Mn substitution in marine calcium carbonates (dolomitization) and serpentinization of basalts.     

Spin-dependent transport in a nanopillar non-local spin valve

We investigate the injection of a pure spin current into a non-magnetic Cu wire in a lateral spin valve. We detect the spin accumulation occurring at the interfaces between the magnetic nanopillars and the non-magnetic wire in the non-local geometry. We confirm that the accumulated spins diffuse equally in the Cu wire irrespective of the presence of a charge current. The inversion of the injector and detector magnetic nanopillars does not affect the spin signal, in agreement with analytical predictions for this system.     

Local environment influence on the optical properties of block copolymers containing an epoxy-based azo-prepolymer

The aim of this contribution was the study of the influence of polymer matrix on the photo-induced orientation of azobenzene groups. Notably, an azo-prepolymer bearing hydroxyl groups was selectively confined in self-assembled phases of different block copolymers, randomly-epoxidized polystyrene-b-polybutadiene-b-polystyrene (SBSep) and polystyrene-b-poly-4-vinylpyridine (S4VP). The formation of hydrogen bonds between the azo-prepolymer and poly-4-vinylpyridine block, as well as the effect of the local environment surrounding the azo-prepolymer were investigated by Fourier transform infrared and ultraviolet–visible spectroscopies. In addition, the reversible optical storage properties of the developed materials were also studied. Birefringent properties of the systems based on S4VP were strongly enhanced by intermolecular interactions with the azo-prepolymer. Specifically, the maximum birefringence level attained by a system containing 13 wt% of azobenzene was around 2.3 × 10⁻² and its remaining birefringence was nearly three times higher than that of the neat azo-prepolymer. Furthermore, a morphological analysis of the designed materials was carried out by atomic force microscopy. Taking into account that the control of the microdomains ordering in block copolymer films is of current interest, special attention was focused on the influence of different variables on the arrangement of the block copolymer microdomains.     

Effect of Rough Nanoparticle Orientation on DLVO Energy Interaction

This study investigated the effect of the orientation of rough nanoparticles on Derjaguin and Landau, Verwey and Overbeek (DLVO) energy interaction. Rippled sphere model was used to survey van der Waals attraction energy and repulsive double-layer interaction energy between nanoparticles. The effect of particle size, asperity size, number of asperities, and concentration was studied for different orientations. Spherical coordinates were used to evaluate the effect of changes in orientation under controlled conditions. Surface element integral method was used to calculate DLVO energy interactions between rough particles at specific orientations. The DLVO energy results show that a change in orientation significantly affected the stability of the nanoparticles. The stability of dispersion varied as the contact surface between nanoparticles changed.     

荧光自旋捕获探针的合成及ESR捕获研究

设计合成了具有荧光基团的新型硝酮类自由基捕获探针并对其结构进行了表征.自由基捕获实验结果表明,该探针能实现对超氧阴离子自由基与碳中心自由基的捕获.此外,该自由基捕获探针反应产物的荧光强度与被捕获自由基浓度之间存在相关性,有望建立依据荧光强度分析被捕获自由基浓度的新方法.