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The investigation of the effects of incorporating various phenolic compounds on the curing of bisphenol A dicyanate (BADCY) revealed that o-(dimethylamino)methylphenol (o-DAMP) was a very effective catalyst, which reduced the final curing temperature to 180 °C. The promoting effect of o-DAMP was due to the presence of a phenolic OH and a (dimethylamino)methyl groups at the ortho-positions of the molecule. The addition of o-DAMP improved the mechanical properties of the cured BADCY resins, and the most balanced properties were obtained when the ratio of OH to OCN was 0.05.
Direct Observation of Cyclic Poly(N-substituted maleimide)s with Broad Size Distributions Synthesized by Anionic Polymerization using an N-Heterocyclic Carbene and Successive Ring Closure Without High Dilutions.
The mechanism of the heat-induced gelation of ovalbumin (OVA) under acidic conditions and the effect of amphiphilic peptide additives on gelation were investigated using dynamic light scattering (DLS) and small-angle neutron scattering (SANS). The molecular morphology and structure probed by DLS and SANS suggest that the heat-induced gelation of OVA solution forms a phase-separated structure. Heating of the solution of OVA and the peptide resulted in effective distribution of the peptide in the matrix of the heat-induced OVA gels and endowed the gel with increased strength.
For the development of wearable and stretchable devices, stretchable and flexible semiconductive materials are desired. To understand the mechanical behavior of structural deformation of polythiophene with disiloxane groups, we performed in situ measurements under stretching using X-ray diffraction of synchrotron radiation and polarized infrared spectroscopy. The behaviors of amorphous region was oriented during the initial deformation, while the orientation of crystallites began after permanent set.
Single- and two-photon holographic recording was investigated in photopolymer material consisting of two types of monomers: acrylamide (BAP) and epoxy (BOPS). Thus a cationic ring-opening polymerization and free-radical polymerization of monomers were initiated simultaneously. The arylsulfonium salt—cationic derivative of thioxanthenonium (CDTX) was chosen as the photoinitiator. The refractive index change n1 and maximum recording rate (dn1/dt)max of holographic gratings were found in two-photon photoinitiation modes depending on the concentration of BAP (the molar fraction of BAP) in photopolymer composition.
The fluorescent carbon nanoparticles were grafted with the copolymers of N-isopropylacrylamide and spiropyran (f-CNP-g-poly(NIPAM-co-SP)), which have dual responses to light and temperature stimuli when they are in an aqueous solution. The blue-green and red fluorescence of the f-CNP-g-poly(NIPAM-co-SP) nanocomposites dissolved in water could be reversibly switched under UV and visible light stimuli. Meanwhile, when the temperature increased from room temperature (20 °C) to 38 °C, the blue-green fluorescence intensity decreased, the red fluorescence intensity increased, and the average hydrodynamic diameter of the f-CNP-g-poly(NIPAM-co-SP) nanocomposites increased due to aggregation.
We investigated the biosynthesis and properties of poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate) (PHBV) produced by Haloferax mediterranei from glucose. Size-exclusion chromatography revealed that PHBV produced by H. mediterranei in flask cultures had a weight-average molecular weight of 4.7 × 106 g/mol, demonstrating production of ultrahigh-molecular-weight (UHMW) PHBV. The UHMW-PHBV (7 mol% 3-hydroxyvalerate, Mw = 4.4 × 106 g/mol) obtained by jar fermenter cultivation was used to produce tenfold cold-drawn films with a tensile strength of 258.7 MPa. This suggests that UHMW-PHBV has a potential for practical, strong films.
