Theoretical and experimental investigation of the linear optical response of YBa2Cu4O8 The relevance of LDA calculations

We report results of ellipsometric measurements of the dielectric tensor of YBa₂Cu₄O₈ as well as calculations employing density functional theory in the local density approximation (LDA). For the computation of the one-electron eigenvalues and states the linear-muffin-tin-orbital method (LMTO) was used. Measured and calculated results show good agreement. In particular, the calculation predicts different band structures for YBa₂Cu₃O₇ and YBa₂Cu₄O₈ in the vicinity of the Fermi energy which lead to significant differences in the optical spectra. One such difference is a region of small ε₂ in the near infrared which is a fingerprint of the high (relative to the top of the highest fully occupied band) Fermi energy as compared to the situation in YBa₂Cu₃O₇. Our experimental results confirm the theoretical findings.     

Rod–coil block copolymers: An iterative synthetic approach via living free-radical procedures

A modular approach has been developed for the synthesis of rod–coil block copolymers involving the initial preparation of a macroinitiator based on the rod block followed by the growth of the coil segment with living free-radical procedures. The key feature of this strategy is the utilization of an alkoxyamine group from the beginning of the synthesis, which serves as a solubilizing group and ensures that each rod block contains a single initiating fragment. Using this approach permits block copolymers based on insoluble biphenyl ester oligomers to be conveniently prepared with coil segments that range from styrenes to acrylates to 1,3-dienes. The tendency of the rod segments to crystallize is strongly dependent on the weight fraction of the rod segment and the chemical nature of the coil segment. Rod–coil molecules containing at least 25–35 wt % polystyrene or poly(n-butyl acrylate) coil segments show a two-dimensional hexagonal arrangement of rod aggregates, as characterized by transmission electron microscopy and small-angle X-ray scattering. Polyisoprene block copolymers exhibit a lamellar microstructure with short rigid domains in which the rod units lie in an interdigitated smectic C arrangement. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 41: 3640–3656, 2003     

Polymerization of acrylamide initiated by peroxomonosulphate and metal ion catalysis

The kinetics of polymerization of acrylamide initiated by potassium peroxomonosulphate, in the presence and absence of Ag⁺, were studied. Rates of polymerization and oxone disappearance were followed. From the rate law for the polymerization, a mechanism has been proposed.     

In situ UV-visible spectroelectrochemical studies on the copolymerization of diphenylamine with ortho-methoxy aniline

UV-visible spectroelectrochemical studies on copolymerization of diphenylamine (DPA) with ortho-methoxy aniline (OMA) were carried out for different feed ratios of DPA and OMA using indium tin oxide (ITO)-coated glass as working electrode. The UV-visible spectra show clear dependencies on the molar feed composition of DPA or OMA used in electropolymerization. Derivative cyclic voltabsorptogram (DCVA) was deduced at the wavelengths corresponding to the absorption by the intermediate species and used to confirm the intermediates generated during the electropolymerization. The composition of DPA and OMA in the copolymer for the copolymers synthesized with different molar feed ratios of DPA and OMA was determined by UV-visible spectroscopy. Reactivity ratios of DPA and OMA were deduced by using Fineman-Ross and Kelen-Tudos methods and correlated with spectroelectrochemical results.     

Sizes and interfacial free energies of crystallites formed from fractionated linear polyethylene

Replicas of fracture surfaces of fractions of linear polyethylene, which were crystallized at elevated temperatures for extended time periods, were examined by electron microscopy. Striated. lamella-type crystallites were observed for all molecular weights over the range 3.2 × 10³?5.7 × 10⁵. In agreement with Anderson's previous report, for molecular weights of 12,000 or less, the crystallite thicknesses were comparable to the extended chain length. As the molecular weight increased above this level, however, the crystallite sizes increased only slightly and hence at high molecular weights were very much smaller than the extended chain length. From the measured melting temperatures, crystallite interfacial free energies were calculated from the theory for the melting of finite size crystals comprised of chains of finite length. The crystallite interfacial free energy was found to increase with molecular weight. Based on these results, a crystallization process is outlined which allows for the formation of either extended chain crystallites, or crystallites whose size is much smaller than the extended chain length without any change in nucleation mechanism or arbitrary adjustment in growth mechanism with molecular weight.     

Star-shaped azo-based dipolar chromophores: design, synthesis, matrix compatibility, and electro-optic activity

Three new azo-benzene-based push-pull chromophores with dendritic architecture were synthesized as active materials for electro-optic applications. These chromophores were synthesized in six or seven synthetic steps with an overall yield of around 80% per step and high purity. UV-vis spectroscopy showed significant influence of the transient dipole moment on the observed r(33) values. The chromophores were stable to photochemical oxidation in ambient light and air. The electrical poling conditions were optimized for each chromophore as the T(g) of the composite material varied significantly. The highest EO coefficient achieved was 22-25 pm/V at 1550 nm wavelength. STEM analysis of the blends enabled the correlation of the activity of these large chromophores with the blend morphology. An amorphous polycarbonate host effectively disperses the chromophores in 2-20 nm aggregates in the active materials. However, macrophase separation into 200-500 nm aggregates was observed in a methacrylate host matrix.     

Aqueous polymerization of acrylonitrile by ascorbic acid–peroxodisulfate redox system

The polymerization of acrylonitrile initiated by an ascorbic acid–peroxodisulfate redox system was studied in an aqueous solution at 35°C in the presence of air. Molecular oxygen was found to have no effect on the polymerization reaction. An increase in ionic strength slightly increased the rate. The overall rate of polymerization, R_p, showed a square dependence on [monomer] and a half-order dependence on [peroxodisulfate]. A first-order dependence on [ascorbic acid] at low concentrations (<3.0 × 10^?3 mol L^?1) followed by a decrease in R_p at higher concentrations of ascorbic acid (>3.0 × 10^?3 mol L^?1) was also noted. R_p remained unchanged up to 40°C and showed a decline thereafter. Addition of catalytic amounts of cupric ions decreased the rate whereas ferric ions were found to increase the rate. Added sulfuric acid in the range (6.0?50.0) × 10^?5 mol L^?1 decreased the R_p.     

2,3-Dihydroxypyridine Loaded Amberlite XAD-2 (AXAD-2-DHP): Preparation, Sorption–Desorption Equilibria with Metal Ions, and Applications in Quantitative Metal Ion Enrichment from Water, Milk and Vitamin Samples

2,3-Dihydroxypyridine loaded (via –N=N–linker) Amberlite XAD-2 (AXAD-2-DHP) was prepared and characterized by elemental analyses, TGA and FT-IR spectra. It (1g packed in a column of 1cm diameter; surface area 135.5m²g^–1) was found to be an effective solid phase sorbent for enriching Zn²⁺, Mn²⁺, Ni²⁺, Pb²⁺, Cd²⁺, Cu²⁺, Fe³⁺ and Co²⁺ at pH 3.5 to 7.0 using flow rates between 1.0–5.0mLmin^–1. For desorption (recovery 97.0–99.8%) of the metal ions, 8 to 10mL of 2.0molL^–1 HCl or 1.5molL^–1 HNO₃ at a flow rate of between 2.0 and 4.0mLmin^–1 were found most suitable. The t_1/2 (time for 50% sorption) is between 2 and 10min when a 50mL solution (containing a total amount of metal of 2mg) was equilibrated with 0.5g of resin. Sorption of all metal ions except Pb²⁺ follows the Langmuir model, whereas for Pb the data fits with the Freundlich model. The sorption capacity is between 60.7 (for Cd) and 406.7 (for Cu) µmolg^–1. The resin can withstand an acid concentration of 6molL^–1 and can be reused for thirty cycles of sorption–desorption. The preconcentration factor varies between 100 and 300. For Cd, Ni and Cu the sorption capacity of 2,3-dihydroxypyridine loaded cellulose is lower than that of the present resin. The tolerance limits of electrolytes, humic acid, complexing agents, Ca²⁺ and Mg²⁺ in the enrichment of all metal ions are reported. The limits of detection are 3.88, 5.37, 8.72, 13.88, 4.71, 1.24, 0.59 and 0.30µgL^–1 for Zn²⁺, Mn²⁺, Ni²⁺, Pb²⁺, Cd²⁺, Cu²⁺, Fe³⁺ and Co²⁺, respectively. The calibration curves for flame AAS determination were linear in the ranges 0.018–1.0, 0.067–5.0, 0.2–5.0, 0.9–20, 0.028–2.0, 0.077–5.0, 0.19–10 and 0.1–3.5µgmL^–1, respectively. All the eight metal ions in river and synthetic water samples, Co in vitamin tablets and Zn in milk samples have been quantitatively enriched with Amberlite XAD-2-DHP and determined by flame atomic absorption spectrometry.