Search results for "PROB"
showing 10 items of 8859 documents
Micropolarity and Order in the Reverse Micelles of L62 and L64 Pluronic Copolymers, As Studied by Molecular Probe Techniques
1998
The reverse micelles of triblock copolymers poly(ethylene oxide)-block-poly(propylene oxide)-block-poly(ethylene oxide) EO6PO36EO6 (Pluronic L62) and EO13PO30EO13 (Pluronic L64) in ternary (copolymer/o-xylene/water) and binary (copolymer/water) systems with different water contents were evidenced and investigated by fluorescence, absorption, and spin probe techniques. The spectral parameters of the polarity sensitive probes, 1-anilinonaphthalene-8-sulfonic acid (ANS), dansylhexadecylamine (Dansyl), pyrenesulfonic acid (PSA), 4-nitropyridine N-oxide (NP) and 4-(N,N‘-dimethyl-N-alkyl)ammonium 2,2‘,6,6‘-tetramethylpiperidine-1-oxyl iodide (CAT n), were related to the local hydration and polari…
Light induced charging of polymer functionalized nanorods.
2010
ZnO nanorods were functionalized with new block copolymers containing a hole transporting moiety in one block and a dye and an anchor system in the second block. After functionalization, the ZnO nanorods are well dispersible in organic media and the fluorescence of the dye is quenched. Kelvin probe force microscopy was used to measure changes in electrical potential between the ZnO nanorod and the polymeric corona. Upon light irradiation, potential changes on the order of some tens of millivolts were observed on individual structures. This effect is attributed to light-induced charge separation between the ZnO nanorod and its hole transporting polymeric corona.
Forces Between Solid Surfaces Across Polymer Melts as Revealed by Atomic Force Microscopy
2007
Forces between solid surfaces across polymer melts are poorly understood despite their fundamental importance and their relevance for making composite materials. Such force measurements reveal information on the structure of polymers at surfaces and of confined polymers. Experiments with the atomic force microscope and polyisoprene (PI) confirmed theoretical predictions that no long‐range force should be present in thermodynamic equilibrium. In poly(dimethyl siloxane) (PDMS) repulsive forces are observed at high molar mass. We attribute this to the formation of an immobilized layer caused by a slow release of adsorbed segments enhanced by entanglement. In low molar mass PDMS attractive forc…
Tunable dynamic hydrophobic attachment of guest molecules in amphiphilic core–shell polymers
2016
In this study, synthesis and dynamic properties of amphiphilic core–shell polymers are reported as monitored through their interaction with small amphiphilic molecules. Brush-like structures are formed with a hydrophobic core surrounded by a hydrophilic shell utilizing controlled radical addition–fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) polymerization of macromonomers consisting of linear polyglycerol chains attached to alkylene methacrylate. Continuous wave electron paramagnetic resonance (CW EPR) spectroscopy is employed to study how the amphiphilic, paramagnetic spin probe 16-DSA (16-doxyl stearic acid) interacts with polymers of different alkylene chain lengths in their hydrophobic cores and…
Reduction of the glass transition temperature in polymer films: A molecular-dynamics study
2001
We present results of molecular dynamics (MD) simulations for a non-entangled polymer melt confined between two completely smooth and repulsive walls, interacting with inner particles via the potential $U_{\rm wall}\myeq (\sigma/z)^9$, where $z \myeq |z_{\rm particle}-z_{\rm wall}|$ and $\sigma$ is (roughly) the monomer diameter. The influence of this confinement on the dynamic behavior of the melt is studied for various film thicknesses (wall-to-wall separations) $D$, ranging from about 3 to about 14 times the bulk radius of gyration. A comparison of the mean-square displacements in the film and in the bulk shows an acceleration of the dynamics due to the presence of the walls. %Consistent…
SPM and TOF-SIMS investigation of the physical and chemical modification induced by tip writing of self-assembled monolayers
2003
Abstract The nanoelectrochemical modification of alkyl self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) obtained on hydrogenated silicon surfaces via radical-initiated reactions of 1-octadecene has been investigated. Scanning Probe Microscopy (SPM) showed that the modification of the organic layer occurs by applying either positive or negative biases to the tip at a threshold of about ±5 V. When the bias absolute value was ≤6 V, the height of the monolayer was only faintly modified, whereas a consistent increase in tip/sample friction force was observed, in agreement with the formation of hydrophilic moieties at the organic surface. In addition to the increase of friction, bias absolute values larger than …
Confinement-induced screening of hydrodynamic interactions and spinodal decomposition: Multiscale simulations of colloid-polymer mixtures
2012
Phase separation kinetics of a colloid-polymer mixture confined between two planar repulsive walls is studied by a multiscale simulation approach. Colloids and polymers are described by particles interacting with continuous potentials suitable for molecular-dynamics simulation, while hydrodynamic interactions mediated by solvent particles are accounted for by the multiparticle collision dynamics method. Varying the distance D between the walls and the character of the boundary conditions, the interplay of structure formation parallel and perpendicular to the walls is studied, and the effect of hydrodynamics on the growth of domain size ld(t) with time t is elucidated. Only for slip boundary…
Electron-relaxation-mode interaction in BaTiO3:Nb.
1992
Dielectric relaxation was previously reported in ${\mathrm{BaTiO}}_{3}$ and ${\mathrm{BaTiO}}_{3}$:Fe single crystals at radio frequencies [M. Maglione et al., Phys. Rev. B 40, 11 441 (1989)]. We have measured the dielectric dispersion in four ${\mathrm{BaTiO}}_{3}$:Nb samples (${\mathit{x}}_{\mathrm{Nb}}$0.3 at. %) as a function of frequency (10f${10}^{9}$ Hz) and temperature (20T450 K). The electronic conductivity of ${\mathrm{BaTiO}}_{3}$:Nb enhances drastically the relaxation step at all temperatures. In the rhombohedral phase of ${\mathrm{BaTiO}}_{3}$:Nb (T180 K), an unusual slowing down of the relaxation motion is measured. The relaxation time increases to more than ${10}^{\mathrm{\en…
How Structure-Related Collapse Mechanisms Determine Nanoscale Inhomogeneities in Thermoresponsive Polymers
2012
Continuous wave electron paramagnetic resonance (CW EPR) spectroscopy on the amphiphilic spin probe TEMPO in solutions of selectively chosen functional, thermoresponsive poly(propylene oxide) (PPO)- and poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO)-based copolymers of both linear and branched structure is used to elucidate their host–guest interactions and inverse phase transitions. Three different fundamental types of host–guest interactions between probes and polymers could be correlated to the phase transition mechanisms (supported by MD simulations), evidencing that these proceed via nanoscale inhomogeneities of the polymers. Because of their ability to host small amphiphilic guest molecules, thermorespon…
Hydrodynamic mechanisms of spinodal decomposition in confined colloid-polymer mixtures: A multiparticle collision dynamics study
2013
A multiscale model for a colloid-polymer mixture is developed. The colloids are described as point particles interacting with each other and with the polymers with strongly repulsive potentials, while polymers interact with each other with a softer potential. The fluid in the suspension is taken into account by the multiparticle collision dynamics method (MPC). Considering a slit geometry where the suspension is confined between parallel repulsive walls, different possibilities for the hydrodynamic boundary conditions (b.c.) at the walls (slip versus stick) are treated. Quenching experiments are considered, where the system volume is suddenly reduced (keeping the density of the solvent flui…