Search results for "Dispersity"
showing 10 items of 207 documents
Rapid one-pot synthesis of tapered star copolymers via ultra-fast coupling of polystyryllithium chain ends
2019
Highly efficient stoichiometric coupling of sterically hindered polystyryllithium (PS-Li) chain ends was achieved using tetra[3-(chloro-dimethylsilyl)propyl]silane (TCDMSPS) as the linking agent. Based on the disparate reactivities of isoprene (I, rI = 11.0) and styrene (S, rS = 0.049) in the anionic copolymerization in nonpolar media, poly(isoprene0.5-grad-styrene0.5) (P(I0.5-grad-S0.5)) tapered 4-arm star copolymers were synthesized in only two steps. The tapered 4-arm star copolymers (Mtargetedw = 40 to 160 kg mol−1) were synthesized with high star functionalities f (Mw,star/Mw,arm = 3.68–3.98), low dispersity (Đ = 1.06–1.15) and minimal residual precursor content (2–8 wt%), avoiding fra…
Adsorption Active Diblock Copolymers as Universal Agents for Unusual Barrier-Free Transitions in Stimuli-Responsive Brushes
2021
We reconsider a recently proposed design for smart responsive brushes, which is based on a conformational transition in very dilutely embedded block copolymers with a surface active block (Qi et al., Macromolecules 53, 5326, 2020). Under certain conditions, the transition acquires an unusual character: it remains very sharp, but the barrier separating the adsorbed and desorbed states disappears completely. We show that these features are very robust with respect to changing almost all system parameters: the lengths of the inert and active blocks of the minority chain, the brush length, its density, and its polydispersity. The only relevant condition is that the inert block of the minority c…
Artificial neural network based particle size prediction of polymeric nanoparticles.
2017
Particle size of nanoparticles and the respective polydispersity are key factors influencing their biopharmaceutical behavior in a large variety of therapeutic applications. Predicting these attributes would skip many preliminary studies usually required to optimize formulations. The aim was to build a mathematical model capable of predicting the particle size of polymeric nanoparticles produced by a pharmaceutical polymer of choice. Polymer properties controlling the particle size were identified as molecular weight, hydrophobicity and surface activity, and were quantified by measuring polymer viscosity, contact angle and interfacial tension, respectively. A model was built using artificia…
Opaline effect pigments by spray induced self‐assembly on porous substrates
2005
Self‐assembling of opaline materials on porous substrates like paper requires a very fast crystallization, which can be realized with highly monodisperse colloids. This opens the possibility of applying effect pigments to such substrates not by spraying the rather large effect pigments themselves, but by spraying their building blocks, which self‐assemble later on. The feasibility of this approach is presented here for monodisperse polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) spheres. This process tolerates additives used for ink‐jet printing.
Tuning Transition Properties of Stimuli-Responsive Brushes by Polydispersity
2018
Selective Synthesis of Monodisperse CoO Nanooctahedra as Catalysts for Electrochemical Water Oxidation
2020
Thermal decomposition is a promising route for the synthesis of metal oxide nanoparticles because size and morphology can be tuned by minute control of the reaction variables. We synthesized CoO nanooctahedra with diameters of ∼48 nm and a narrow size distribution. Full control over nanoparticle size and morphology could be obtained by controlling the reaction time, surfactant ratio, and reactant concentrations. We show that the particle size does not increase monotonically with time or surfactant concentration but passes through minima or maxima. We unravel the critical role of the surfactants in nucleation and growth and rationalize the observed experimental trends in accordance with simu…
Control of the Properties of Micrometer-Sized Actuators from Liquid Crystalline Elastomers Prepared in a Microfluidic Setup
2010
In this article new results on the preparation of monodisperse particles from a liquid crystalline elastomer in a microfluidic setup are presnted. For this, droplets from a liquid crystalline monomer are prepared in a microfluidic device and polymerized while they are flowing inside a microtube. The particles obtained by this method possess an internal orientation, which gives them actuating properties. When they are heated into the isotropic phase of the liquid crystalline material they show a reversible change in shape whereby they change their length in one direction by almost 100%. It is shown how the variation of experimental parameters during their synthesis impacts the properties of…
Dynamic light scattering by rodlike particles: [4] examination of the vanadium(V)-oxide system
1999
The dynamics of a suspension of rodlike particles has been investigated using dynamic light scattering. The sols investigated in this contribution are not monodisperse by nature and age with time. An evaluation of the first cumulant of the autocorrelation functions as a function of scattering vector is expected to yield the dimensions of the particles. While the data can be excellently fitted by the theoretical expressions for freshly prepared sols, we found that the theoretically expected interrelation of the (three) diffusion coefficients is not reproduced, which prohibits the unequivocal determination of the particle dimensions. Aged sols, on the other hand, cannot be described at all wi…
Hiding in plain view: Colloidal self-assembly from polydisperse populations.
2016
We report small-angle x-ray scattering (SAXS) experiments on aqueous dispersions of colloidal silica with a broad monomodal size distribution (polydispersity 18%, size 8 nm). Over a range of volume fractions the silica particles segregate to build first one, then two distinct sets of colloidal crystals. These dispersions thus demonstrate fractional crystallization and multiple-phase (bcc, Laves AB$_2$, liquid) coexistence. Their remarkable ability to build complex crystal structures from a polydisperse population originates from the intermediate-range nature of interparticle forces, and suggests routes for designing self-assembling colloidal crystals from the bottom-up.
The Impact of Janus Nanoparticles on the Compatibilization of Immiscible Polymer Blends under Technologically Relevant Conditions
2014
Several hundred grams of Janus nanoparticles (d ≈ 40 nm) were synthesized from triblock terpolymers as compatibilizers for blending of technologically relevant polymers, PPE and SAN, on industry-scale extruders. The Janus nanoparticles (JPs) demonstrate superior compatibilization capabilities compared to the corresponding triblock terpolymer, attributed to the combined intrinsic properties, amphiphilicity and the Pickering effect. Straightforward mixing and extrusion protocols yield multiscale blend morphologies with "raspberry-like" structures of JPs-covered PPE phases in a SAN matrix. The JPs densely pack at the blend interface providing the necessary steric repulsion to suppress droplet …