Molecular Length (molecular + length)

Distribution by Scientific Domains


Selected Abstracts


Synthesis and characterization of novel liquid-crystalline copolymers containing thermally stable photochromic groups

JOURNAL OF POLYMER SCIENCE (IN TWO SECTIONS), Issue 10 2007
Jui-Hsiang Liu
Abstract To overcome the defects of the thermal instability of azobenzene, a series of novel photochromic, chiral, liquid-crystalline monomers and polymers were synthesized from (+)-camphor. The copolymerization of the photochromic monomers with comonomers was carried out. The synthesized monomers and polymers were identified with nuclear magnetic resonance, Fourier transform infrared, and elemental analysis. The composition of the copolymers was estimated with elemental analysis. The specific rotation of the chiral compounds and polymers was evaluated. The thermal stability and phases of the polymers during heating and cooling cycles were studied with differential scanning calorimetry and thermogravimetric analysis. The phases of the polymers were identified with polarized optical microscopy textures and X-ray diffraction analysis. The distance between the layers of smectic liquid crystals was estimated from the diffraction angles. Photoisomerization of the configurational E/Z structures was investigated with an ultraviolet,visible spectrophotometer with 300-nm ultraviolet irradiation. The thermal stability of the Z-structural segment in the polymers was confirmed through the heating of the polymer at 70 °C for over 10 h. The photoisomerization and thermal stability of the CC bond in the polymeric materials were demonstrated through a series of novel chiral polymers synthesized in this investigation. Both the polarity of the center part and the molecular length at the ends of the molecules were found to be necessary factors for the formation of liquid-crystalline molecules. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 45: 2026,2037, 2007 [source]


Synthesis of dendrimer,carbon nanotube conjugates

PHYSICA STATUS SOLIDI (A) APPLICATIONS AND MATERIALS SCIENCE, Issue 6 2008
A. García
Abstract We describe the coupling between Carbon Nanotubes (CNTs) and a second-generation cyanophenyl-based dendrimer. The goal of our work is the synthesis of highly functionalized CNTs without provoking damage to the conjugated ,-system. One approach is the attachment of dendrimers with a high density of functional groups to the CNTs. These groups serve as anchor points for further reactions. With this aim, we have carried out a primary modification on CNTs by the use of 1,3 dipolar cycloaddition reaction. We have employed Single Wall Carbon Nanotubes (SWNTs) as well as Multi Wall Carbon Nanotubes (MWNTs) obtaining 238 ,mol and 511 ,mol of pyrrolidine groups per gram, respectively. The amount of amino groups introduced in the system was measured by the Kaiser test as well as thermogravimetric analyses. As a second step, dendrimer incorporation was performed by carbodiimide chemistry. Thermogravimetric Analysis, Raman Spectroscopy and Atomic Force Microscopy characterization techniques are reported for the characterization of the final CNT,dendrimer conjugate. The results show that the dendrimer has been attached covalently to the previously generated amine groups. Morphologically, the attached dendrimer with an estimated theoretical molecular length of 6.4 nm, generates a wrapping of 8 nm thick around the CNTs walls. (© 2008 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim) [source]


Synthesis of rosin-based flexible anhydride-type curing agents and properties of the cured epoxy

POLYMER INTERNATIONAL, Issue 12 2009
Honghua Wang
Abstract BACKGROUND: Although rosin acid derivatives have received attention in polymer synthesis in recent years, to the best of our knowledge, they have rarely been employed as epoxy curing agents. The objective of the study reported here was to synthesize rosin-based flexible anhydride-type curing agents and demonstrate that the flexibility of a cured epoxy resin can be manipulated by selection of rosin-based anhydride-type curing agents with appropriate molecular rigidity/flexibility. RESULTS: Maleopimarate-terminated low molecular weight polycaprolactones (PCLs) were synthesized and studied as anhydride-type curing agents for epoxy curing. The chemical structures of the products were confirmed using 1H NMR spectroscopy and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. Mechanical and thermal properties of the cured epoxy resins were studied. The results indicate that both the epoxy/anhydride equivalent ratio and the molecular weight of PCL diol play important roles in the properties of cured resins. CONCLUSION: Rosin-based anhydride-terminated polyesters could be used as bio-based epoxy curing agents. A broad spectrum of mechanical and thermal properties of the cured epoxy resins can be obtained by varying the molecular length of the polyester segment and the epoxy/curing agent ratio. Copyright © 2009 Society of Chemical Industry [source]


Contraction Process of an Electroactive Actuator Based on a One Microsecond Atomistic Molecular Dynamics Simulation

CHEMISTRY - A EUROPEAN JOURNAL, Issue 9 2007
David Zanuy Dr.
Abstract The contraction process of an electroactive actuator constituted by calix[4]arene units and quaterthiophene segments has been investigated at the microscopic level by using atomistic molecular dynamics simulations in dichloromethane solution using explicit solvent molecules. Results derived from a 1,,s trajectory of the oxidized and deprotonated actuator indicate that the contraction occurs through a non-concerted mechanism in which each actuating units present in the system behave independently. The efficiency of the contraction process can be reduced by the presence of secondary conformational transitions in the calix[4]arene scaffolds. Accordingly, the drastic reduction of the molecular length expected during the contraction process can be limited by such transitions, which involve the rotational isomerism of a phenolate ring. However, such type of conformational transitions does not compromise the actuator power due to its intrinsic capacity to adopt compact molecular arrangements. On the other hand, the rate of the contraction process is influenced by the presence of solvent molecules, which have been found to reduce it by a factor of about 1000. [source]


Systematic Variation of Length Ratio and the Formation of Smectic A and Smectic C Phases

CHEMPHYSCHEM, Issue 10 2010
Nadia Kapernaum
Abstract The phase diagrams of four binary mixtures of chemically similar smectogenic mesogens differing only in molecular length are investigated. In these bidisperse systems the length ratio varies systematically. The phase diagrams show the stabilization of the smectic A and the destabilization of the smectic C phase with increasing length ratio as a general trend. Detailed small-angle X-ray diffraction and electro-optic measurements revealed a decrease in smectic translational order and a continuous reduction of the tilt angle with increasing length difference. These surprising results are of general interest for the understanding of the structure and dynamics of smectic phases. The remarkably strong impact of the length difference on the smectic layer structure and the phase behavior is discussed from a mechanistic point of view taking into account sterical interactions. For the observed structural changes in these bidisperse smectics we propose pronounced out-of-layer fluctuations with increasing length difference as driving force, causing neighboring molecules within nearest layer into a smectic A-like packing. [source]


Molecular Junctions Composed of Oligothiophene Dithiol-Bridged Gold Nanoparticles Exhibiting Photoresponsive Properties

CHEMISTRY - A EUROPEAN JOURNAL, Issue 2 2006
Wei Huang Dr.
Abstract Three oligothiophene dithiols with different numbers of thiophene rings (3, 6 or 9) have been synthesized and characterized. The X-ray single crystal structures of terthiophene 2 and sexithiophene 5 are reported herein to show the exact molecular lengths, and to explain the difference between their UV-visible spectra arising from the different packing modes. These dithiols with different chain lengths were then treated with 2-dodecanethiol-protected active gold nanoparticles (Au-NPs) by means of in situ thiol-to-thiol ligand exchange in the presence of 1,,m gap Au electrodes. Thus the molecular junctions composed of self-assembled films were prepared, in which oligothiophene dithiol-bridged Au-NPs were attached to two electrodes by means of AuS bonded contacts. The morphologies and current,voltage (I,V) characteristics of these films were studied by SEM and AFM approaches, which suggested that the thickness of the films (3,4 layers) varied within the size of one isolated Au-NP and typical distance-dependent semiconductor properties could be observed. Temperature dependent I,V measurements for these molecular junctions were performed in which the films served as active elements in the temperature range 6,300 K; classical Arrhenius plots and subsequent linear fits were carried out to give the activation energies (,E) of devices. Furthermore, preliminary studies on the photoresponsive properties of these devices were explored at 80, 160, and 300 K, respectively. Physical and photochemical mechanisms were used to explain the possible photocurrent generation processes. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report in which oligothiophene dithiols act as bridging units to link Au-NPs, and also the first report about functionalized Au-NPs exhibiting photoresponse properties in the solid state. [source]