Polymerization-induced phase separation in polyether-sulfone modified epoxy resin systems: effect of curing reaction mechanism

Polyethersulfone (PES)-modified epoxy systems with stepwise reaction were studied throughout the entire curing process by using optical microscopes, time-resolved light scattering (TRLS), and a rheolometry instrument compared with that of chainwise polymerization. The results suggested that the phase separation process is mainly controlled by the diffusion of epoxy oligomers for stepwise mechanism system and by that of epoxy monomers for chainwise mechanism system. In case of high PES content (SPES-20%) light-scattering results showed a viscoelastic phase separation and the characteristic relaxation time of phase separation can be described well by the WLF equation. However, in the case of low PES content (SPES-14%) secondary phase separation phenomenon was observed by Optical Microscope and further demonstrated by rheological study.     

Mechanism study and molecular design in controlled/“living” radical polymerization

This tutorial review summarizes recent progress in the research field of controlled/“living” radical polymerization (CLRP) from Soochow University. The present paper gives a broad overview of the mechanism study and molecular design in CLRP. The mechanism study in CLRP aided by microwave, initiated by γ-radiation at low temperature, mediated by iron, in reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) polymerization and the mechanism transfer between different CLRP processes are reviewed and summarized. The molecular design in CLRP, especially in RAFT polymerization for mechanism study, and in achieving tailor-made functional polymers is studied and discussed in the later part.     

Vapor-liquid equilibrium properties for confined binary mixtures involving CO2, CH4, and N2 from Gibbs ensemble Monte Carlo simulations

The effects of solid-fluid interactions on the vapor-liquid phase diagram,coexistence density,relative volatility and vaporization enthalpy have been investigated for confined binary systems of CO 2-CH 4,CO 2-N 2 and CH 4-N 2.The Gibbs ensemble Monte Carlo(GEMC) simulation results indicate that the confinement and the solid-fluid interaction have significant influences on the vapor-liquid equilibrium properties.The confinement and the strength of the solid-fluid interaction make the p-x i phase diagram move to higher pressure regions.They also make the two-phase region become narrower for each binary mixture.The strength of the solid-fluid interactions can cause increases in the coexistence liquid and vapor densities,and cause the decrease of the relative volatility and the vaporization enthalpy for the systems studied.As the pore width is decreased,the two-phase region of the binary mixture becomes narrower.     

Polymer solar cells with an inverted device configuration using polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane-[60]fullerene dyad as a novel electron acceptor

A polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane-[60]fullerene (POSS-C60) dyad was designed and used as a novel electron acceptor for bulk heterojunction (BHJ) polymer solar cells (PSCs) with an inverted device configuration. The studies of time-resolved photoinduced absorption of the pristine thin film of poly[(4,4’-bis(2-ethylhexyl)dithieno[3,2-b:2’,3’-d]silole)-2,6-diyl-alt-(4,7-bis (2-thienyl)-2,1,3-benzothiadiazole)-5,5’-diyl] (SiPCPDTBT) and the composite thin film of SiPCPDTBT:POSS-C60 indicated efficient electron transfer from SiPCPDTBT to POSS-C60 with inhibited back-transfer. BHJ PSCs made by SiPCPDTBT mixed with POSS-C60 yielded the power conversion efficiencies (PCEs) of 1.50%. Under the same operational conditions, PCEs observed from BHJ PSCs made by SiPCPDTBT mixed with [6,6]-phenyl-C61-butyric acid methyl ester were 0.92%. These results demonstrated that POSS-C60 is a potentially good electron acceptor for inverted BHJ PSCs.     

受限狭缝中CO_2-CH_4体系的汽液相平衡性质

受限条件下CO2-CH4体系的相平衡性质对化工工艺过程的设计具有非常重要的意义.采用Gibbs系综Monte Carlo模拟,对220K下CO2-CH4体系在主体相和受限狭缝中的相平衡性质进行了系统地研究.通过主体相模拟与实验结果比较,验证了流体分子势能参数的合理性;通过改变狭缝壁面原子的能量参数,研究了受限环境对CO2-CH4体系汽液相平衡性质的影响.与主体相相比,在硬壁狭缝中,CO2-CH4体系的露点压力增加,泡点压力降低,压力-组成相图变窄,且体系更容易达到超临界状态;在吸引狭缝中,随壁面原子能量参数的增大,CO2-CH4体系的压力-组成相图上移,临界点处CH4的摩尔分数减小,相图变窄.在体系汽液相总组成相同情况下,硬壁狭缝内体系的汽液相密度均比主体相中小;随壁面原子能量参数增大,气相密度变大、液相密度在CH4的摩尔分数较小时变大而当CH4的摩尔分数达到一定值后反而减小.在体系汽液相总组成相同时,受限环境下的汽化热比主体相的汽化热小且随壁面吸引势的增强越来越小;在主体相和硬壁狭缝中体系的汽化热随CH4含量的增加单调减小,而当壁面势能参数较大时汽化热随CH4含量增加先增大后减小.