Study of temperature transitions in solid poly(oxymethylene) by thermal analysis methods

Poly(oxymethylene)s with different molecular mass and chemical structure were studied using DSC, dynamic mechanical relaxation, thermomechanical analysis, and thermogravimetry.Molecular mobilities of two types were found in the amorphous phase of poly(oxymethylene). Unconstrained chains of poly(oxymethylene) soften at –70°C and then amorphous chains with different restraints from the crystalline phase are successively activated in a wide temperature interval.Dedicated to Professor Bernhard Wunderlich on the occasion of his 65th birthdayThis work has been supported by DuPont Company     

Quantum chemical study of several monocyclic complex β‐lactam C‐3, C‐4, and N‐derivatives,and β‐ring model molecules

A quantum chemical study of several complex monocyclic 4‐benzoyl‐4‐phenyl‐β‐lactam derivatives was carried out using cyclobutane, azetidine, 2‐azetidinone, 1‐methyl‐2‐azetidinone, and 3‐methyl‐2‐azetidinone as model compounds. The optimum geometry was obtained for the different conformations. The planarity of the ring was discussed in terms of the influence of the substituents on the amide resonance. To better analyze the amide resonance and the activity of the β‐lactam ring, a vibrational study was also carried out. To examine the influence of solvent polarity on the carbonyl bands, the Fourier transform–infrared (FT‐IR) spectra of the β‐lactam monocyclic derivatives were recorded in CCl₄, C₆H₆, and CHCl₃ solutions. The normal vibrations of the β‐lactam ring in the model compounds were characterized and used in the analysis of the β‐ring of more complex derivatives. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Quantum Chem, 2002     

Preparation and characterization of poly(propylene carbonate)/montmorillonite nanocomposites by solution intercalation

Poly(propylene carbonate) (PPC) is a new biodegradable aliphatic polycarbonate. However, the poor thermal stability and low glass transition temperatures (T_g) have limited its applications. To improve the thermal properties of PPC, organophilic montmorillonite (OMMT) was mixed with PPC by a solution intercalation method to produce nanocomposites. An intercalated-and-flocculated structure of PPC/OMMT nanocomposites was confirmed by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The thermal and mechanical properties of PPC/OMMT nanocomposites were investigated by thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA), differential scanning calorimetric (DSC), and electronic tensile tester. Due to the nanometer-sized dispersion of layered silicate in polymer matrix, PPC/OMMT nanocomposites exhibit improved thermal and mechanical properties than pure PPC. When the OMMT content is 4 wt%, the PPC/OMMT nanocomposite shows the best thermal and mechanical properties. These results indicate that nanocomposition is an efficient and convenient method to improve the properties of PPC.     

Perfectly alternating segmented polyimide-polydimethyl siloxane copolymers via transimidization

New strategies for the synthesis of perfectly alternating segmented polyimide-polydimethyl siloxane copolymers were developed by utilizing a transimidization method. Imide oligomers endcapped with 2-aminopyrimidine were reacted with aminopropyl terminated (dimethyl siloxane) oligomers to afford perfectly alternating segmented imide siloxane copolymers. The polymerization was conducted in solvents such as chlorobenzene and chlorofrom. High molecular weight, fully imidized perfectly alternating segmented imide siloxane copolymers were obtained within 2 h at temperatures of 60-110°C. The mechanism of the reaction was further elucidated via model compounds and NMR characterization. The block copolymers exhibited two T_gs due to the microphase separation of the polyimide and polysiloxane phases. The T_g of the polyimide phase was a function of the length of the polyimide block. However, partial phase mixing was also evident from the DSC results on the imide siloxane copolymers prepared with low molecular weight polyimide segments. Thermooxidative stability and tensile properties of the perfectly alternating segmented imide siloxane copolymers were found to be principally dependent on the amount of poly (dimethyl siloxane) incorporated in the copolymer and did not correlate with the poly (dimethyl siloxane) or polyimide block lengths. The stress-strain behavior of both solvent cast films or molded films is also reported. © 1994 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

The assessment of compliance with legal limits. Part 2. How to consider both type I and type II errors when working in the concentration domain

Considering the uncertainty of measurement when assessing compliance with reference values given in compositional specifications and statutory limits is still a controversial matter. In theory, assessing compliance requires considering both type I (false positive) and type II (false negative) errors. The more the concentration of the analyte in the sample under investigation is close to the allowed concentration limit, the more critical it is to consider both types of errors. This paper describes how this could be done. The matter is discussed in the light of the most recent literature information.     

Three-dimensional configurations of organic/inorganic hybrid nanostructural blocks (I). A quantum mechanical investigation for ladder-like structure of vinylsilsesquioxane

Silsesquioxanes (SSO) or polyhedral oligomericsilsesquioxanes (POSS) are generally prepared frommolecular precursors using the hydrolytic condensa-tion of trialkoxysilane, RSi(OR')3. They are organic/inorganic hybrid nanostructural blocks with theircomplete general formula Tn(T = RSiO1.5, n = 1,2, …), and the incomplete generic formula is Tn-(OH)x(OR')y[x, y = 0, 1, 2, …, T= RSiO1.5 ?(x+y)/2n][1,2].Each VSSO, possessing a certain structural formulaand molecular weight, may h…     

Quantum-mechanical exploration of the properties of the sugar rings

Theab initio SCF method is used for computing the main electronic properties of the ribose unit of the nucleic acids. The present study is devoted to the ribose in the C₃-endo,gg conformation. The properties investigated include the distribution of the electronic charges, the electrostatic molecular potential around the four oxygens of the unit, the hydration and the Na⁺ binding schemes studied in the supermolecule approximation. The possibilities of through-water binding of the cation to the sugar are also explored. The predictions of the computation in particular with regard to cation binding to the ribose ring are correlated with recent experimental results.     

分子力场进展

分子力学（简称ＭＭ）是近年来化学家常用的一种计算方法。与量子力学从头计算和半经验方法相比，用分子力学处理大分子可以大大节省计算时间，而且，在大多数情况下，用分子力学方法计算得到的分子几何构型参数与实验值之间的差值可在实验误差范围之内。所以，分子力学是研究生物化学体系的有效和可行的手段。分子力学的核心是分子力场。本文介绍了分子力场的量子力学背景、分子力场和光谱力场之间的关系。分子力场的一般形式、分力     

Methacrylate modified clays and their polystyrene and poly(methyl methacrylate) nanocomposites

Two methacrylate‐modified clays have been prepared and used to produce nanocomposites of polystyrene and poly(methyl methacrylate) by in situ polymerization. These nanocomposites have been characterized by X‐ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), cone calorimetry and the evaluation of mechanical properties. When the clay contains only a single methacrylate unit, the styrene system is exfoliated but methacrylate is intercalated. When two methacrylate units are present on the cation of the clay, both systems are exfoliated. TGA data show that the thermal stability of all the nanocomposites is improved, as expected. The relationships between the fire properties and nanostructure of the nanocomposites are complicated, as shown by cone calorimetry. The conclusions that one may reach using cone calorimetry do not completely agree with those from XRD and TEM. The evaluation of mechanical properties shows an increase in Young's modulus for all nanocomposites along with a decrease in elongation; tensile strength is decreased for methacrylate nanocomposites but increased for styrenics systems. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Effects of structural imperfections on the dynamic mechanical response of main-chain smectic elastomers

We examine the influence of structural imperfections on mechanical damping in polydomain smectic main-chain liquid crystalline elastomers (MCLCE) subjected to small strain oscillatory shear. The mechanical loss factor tan δ = G″(ω)/G′(ω) exhibits a strong maximum (tan δ ≈ 1.0) near the smectic-isotropic (clearing) transition. “Optimal” elastomers that exhibit minimal equilibrium swelling in a good solvent are compared with highly swelling “imperfect elastomers” that contain higher concentrations of structural imperfections such as pendant chains. For the imperfect elastomers, tan δ is markedly enhanced in the isotropic state because of relaxation of pendant chains and other imperfections. However, within the smectic state, the magnitude of tan δ and its temperature dependence are similar for optimal and imperfect elastomers at ω = 1 Hz. The prominent loss peak near the clearing transition arises from segment-level relaxations that are insensitive to the details of chain connectivity. Smectic MCLCE can be tailored for applications as vibration-damping materials by manipulating the clearing transition temperature through the backbone structure or by deliberate introduction of structural imperfections such as pendant chains. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 45: 3267–3276, 2007