Electron microscopy of crystalline structure in thermotropic random copolymers

Author(s):  
Afzana Anwer ◽  
S. Eilidh Bedford ◽  
Richard J. Spontak ◽  
Alan H. Windle

Random copolyesters composed of wholly aromatic monomers such as p-oxybenzoate (B) and 2,6-oxynaphthoate (N) are known to exhibit liquid crystalline characteristics at elevated temperatures and over a broad composition range. Previous studies employing techniques such as X-ray diffractometry (XRD) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) have conclusively proven that these thermotropic copolymers can possess a significant crystalline fraction, depending on molecular characteristics and processing history, despite the fact that the copolymer chains possess random intramolecular sequencing. Consequently, the nature of the crystalline structure that develops when these materials are processed in their mesophases and subsequently annealed has recently received considerable attention. A model that has been consistent with all experimental observations involves the Non-Periodic Layer (NPL) crystallite, which occurs when identical monomer sequences enter into register between adjacent chains. The objective of this work is to employ electron microscopy to identify and characterize these crystallites.

Author(s):  
C. J. Buchko ◽  
P. M. Wilson ◽  
Z. Xu ◽  
J. Zhang ◽  
S. Lee ◽  
...  

The synthesis of well-defined organic molecules with unique geometries opens new opportunities for understanding and controlling the organization of condensed matter. Here, we study dendrimers and macrocycles which are synthesized from rigid phenyl-acetylene spacer units, Both units are solubilized by the presence of tertiary butyl groups located at the periphery of the molecule. These hydrocarbon materials form crystalline and liquid crystalline phases which have been studied by differential scanning calorimetry, hot stage optical microscopy, and wide-angle x-ray scattering (WAXS).The precisely defined architecture of these molecules makes it possible to investigate systematic variations in chemical architecture on the nature of microstructural organization. Here we report on the transmission electron microscopy (TEM), selected area electron diffraction (SAED), and high resolution electron microscopy (HREM) studies of crystalline thin films formed by deposition of these materials onto carbon substrates from dilute solution. Electron microscopy is very attractive for gaining structural information on new molecules due to the scarcity of material to grow single crystals suitable for conventional crystallography.


2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Shafiq Ishak ◽  
Soumen Mandal ◽  
Han-Seung Lee ◽  
Jitendra Kumar Singh

AbstractLauric acid (LA) has been recommended as economic, eco-friendly, and commercially viable materials to be used as phase change materials (PCMs). Nevertheless, there is lack of optimized parameters to produce microencapsulated PCMs with good performance. In this study, different amounts of LA have been chosen as core materials while tetraethyl orthosilicate (TEOS) as the precursor solution to form silicon dioxide (SiO2) shell. The pH of precursor solution was kept at 2.5 for all composition of microencapsulated LA. The synthesized microencapsulated LA/SiO2 has been characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-Ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and Transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The SEM and TEM confirm the microencapsulation of LA with SiO2. Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) revealed better thermal stability of microencapsulated LA/SiO2 compared to pure LA. PCM with 50% LA i.e. LAPC-6 exhibited the highest encapsulation efficiency (96.50%) and encapsulation ratio (96.15%) through Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) as well as good thermal reliability even after 30th cycle of heating and cooling process.


e-Polymers ◽  
2010 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Shahram Mehdipour-Ataei ◽  
Leila Akbarian-Feizi

AbstractA diamine monomer containing ester, amide and ether functional groups was prepared and its polymerization reaction with different diisocyanates to give main chain poly(ester amide ether urea)s was investigated. The monomer was synthesized via reaction of terephthaloyl chloride with 4-hydroxybenzoic acid and subsequent reaction of the resulted diacid with 1,8-diamino-3,6-dioxaoctane. The polymers were characterized by FT-IR and 1H-NMR spectroscopic method and elemental analysis. The resulting polymers exhibited excellent solubility in polar solvents. Crystallinity of the resulted polymers was evaluated by wide-angle X-ray diffraction (WXRD) method, and they exhibited semi-crystalline patterns. The glass transition temperatures (Tg) of the polymers determined by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and dynamic mechanical thermal analysis (DMTA) were in the range of 88-112 °C. The temperatures for 10% weight loss (T10) from their thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) curves were found to be in the range of 297-312 °C in air. Also the prepared polyureas showed liquid crystalline character.


2021 ◽  
pp. 095400832110055
Author(s):  
Yang Wang ◽  
Yuhui Zhang ◽  
Yuhan Xu ◽  
Xiucai Liu ◽  
Weihong Guo

The super-tough bio-based nylon was prepared by melt extrusion. In order to improve the compatibility between bio-based nylon and elastomer, the elastomer POE was grafted with maleic anhydride. Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and Thermogravimetric Analysis (TGA) were used to study the compatibility and micro-distribution between super-tough bio-based nylon and toughened elastomers. The results of mechanical strength experiments show that the 20% content of POE-g-MAH has the best toughening effect. After toughening, the toughness of the super-tough nylon was significantly improved. The notched impact strength was 88 kJ/m2 increasing by 1700%, which was in line with the industrial super-tough nylon. X-ray Diffraction (XRD) and Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC) were used to study the crystallization behavior of bio-based PA56, and the effect of bio-based PA56 with high crystallinity on mechanical properties was analyzed from the microstructure.


2010 ◽  
Vol 428-429 ◽  
pp. 126-131
Author(s):  
Wei Zhong Lu ◽  
Chun Wei ◽  
Qui Shan Gao

Polymethylene bis(p-hydroxybenzoates) were prepared from methyl p-hydroxybenzoate and different diols by melted transesterification reaction. Three liquid crystalline polyesters were synthesized from terephthaloyl dichloride and polymethylene bis(p-hydroxybenzoates). Its structure, morphology and properties were characterized by Ubbelohde viscometer, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), polarized optical microscopy (POM) with a hot stage, and wide-angle X-ray diffraction (WAXD). Results indicated that the intrinsic viscosities were between 0.088 and 0.210 dL/g. Optical microscopy showed that the TLCP has a highly threaded liquid crystalline texture and a high birefringent schlieren texture character of nematic phase and has wider mesophase temperature ranges for all polyesters. DSC analysis were found that the melting point (Tm), isotropic temperature (Ti) of TLCPs decreased and the temperature range of the liquid crystalline phase became wider with increased number of methylene spacers in the polyester. The WAXD results showed that TLCPs owned two strong diffraction peaks at 2θ near 19° and 23°.


2012 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
pp. 371-378 ◽  
Author(s):  
Katharina C Kress ◽  
Martin Kaller ◽  
Kirill V Axenov ◽  
Stefan Tussetschläger ◽  
Sabine Laschat

4-Cyano-1,1'-biphenyl derivatives bearing ω-hydroxyalkyl substituents were reacted with methyl 3-chloro-3-oxopropionate or cyanoacetic acid, giving liquid-crystalline linear malonates and cyanoacetates. These compounds formed monotropic nematic phases at 62 °C down to ambient temperature upon cooling from the isotropic liquid. The mesomorphic properties were investigated by differential scanning calorimetry, polarizing optical microscopy and X-ray diffraction (WAXS).


2009 ◽  
Vol 24 (1) ◽  
pp. 156-163 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rabkwan Chuealee ◽  
Timothy S. Wiedmann ◽  
Teerapol Srichana

Sodium cholesteryl carbonate ester (SCC) was synthesized, and its phase behavior was studied. The chemical structure was assessed by solid-state infrared spectroscopy based on vibration analysis. The wave number at 1705 and 1276 cm−1 corresponds to a carbonyl carbonate and O–C–O stretching of SCC, respectively. Molecular structure of SCC was further investigated with 1H and 13C NMR spectroscopy. The chemical shift, for the carbonyl carbonate resonance appeared at 155.5 ppm. A molecular mass of SCC was at m/z of 452. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), video-enhanced microscopy (VEM) together with polarized light microscopy, and small-angle x-ray scattering (SAXS) were used to characterize the phase behavior as a function of temperature of SCC. Liquid crystalline phase was formed with SCC. Based on the thermal properties and x-ray diffraction, it appears that SCC forms a structure analogous to the type II monolayer structure observed with cholesterol esters.


1990 ◽  
Vol 45 (7) ◽  
pp. 1084-1090 ◽  
Author(s):  
Klaus Praefcke ◽  
Bernd Kohne ◽  
Andreas Eckert ◽  
Joachim Hempel

Six S,S-dialkyl acetals 2a-f of inosose (1), tripodal in structure, have been synthesized, characterized and investigated by optical microscopy and differential scanning calorimetry (d.s.c.). The four S,S-acetals 2c-f with sufficiently long alkyl chains are thermotropic liquid crystalline; 2 e and 2 f are even dithermomesomorphic. Each of these four inosose derivatives 2c-f exhibits monotropically a most likely cubic mesophase (MI); in addition 2e and 2f show enantiotropically a hexagonal mesophase (Hx) with a non-covalent, supramolecular H-bridge architecture. Whereas the nature of the optically isotropic mesophase MI needs further clarification the stable high temperature mesophase Hx of 2 e and 2 f has been established by a miscibility test using a sugar S,S-dialkyl acetal also tripodal in structure and with a Hx phase proved by X-ray diffraction, but in contrast to 2 with an acyclic hydrophilic part. Similarities of structural features between the Hx-phases of 2e and 2f as well as of other thermotropic and lyotropic liquid crystal systems are discussed briefly.


2021 ◽  
Vol 17 (3) ◽  
pp. 285-294
Author(s):  
Mohamad Azani Abd Khadir Jalani ◽  
Hendrik O. Lintang ◽  
Siew Ling Lee ◽  
Juan Matmin ◽  
Nur Fatiha Ghazalli ◽  
...  

Gold(I) pyrazolate complex ([Au3Pz3]C10TEG) has been widely studied due to its interesting liquid crystalline properties by exhibiting the discotic hexagonal columnar arrangement. Generally, the liquid crystalline properties of the gold complex were confirmed based on their differential scanning calorimetry thermogram and polarized optical microscopy (POM) images. However, there is still no in-depth study on the phase transition in liquid crystals of [Au3Pz3]C10TEG especially on its structural change at variable temperature. In this study, the resulting liquid crystalline properties of [Au3Pz3]C10TEG upon being heated and cooled was extensively demonstrated via variable-temperature POM (VT-POM) and small angle X-ray scattering (VT-SAXS). Based on the VT-POM images, it was indicated that [Au3Pz3]C10TEG displayed a fan-shaped texture for typical arrangements of discotic hexagonal columnar of liquid crystals. Moreover, VT-SAXS results was in good agreement with the VT-POM images as it showed that [Au3Pz3]C10TEG might consist of two types of stacking system, which are ordered and disordered hexagonal discotic arrangements. Likewise, VT-SAXS analysis also demonstrated that hexagonal columnar mesophase of [Au3Pz3]C10TEG could be recovered even after the heating and cooling for two cycles.


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