In situ study of nanostructure and morphological development during the crystal-mesophase transition of poly(di-n-hexylsilane) and poly(di-n-butylsilane) by X-ray and hot-stage AFM

Nanostructure and morphology and their development of poly(di-n-hexylsilane) (PDHS) and poly(di-n-butylsilane) (PDBS) during the crystal-mesophase transition are investigated using small angle X-ray scattering (SAXS), wide angle X-ray diffraction and hot-stage atomic force microscopy. At room temperature, PDHS consists of stacks of lamellae separated by mesophase layers, which can be well accounted using an ideal two-phase model. During the crystal-mesophase transition, obvious morphological changes are observed due to the marked changes in main chain conformation and intermolecular distances between crystalline phase and mesophase. In contrast to PDHS, the lamellae in PDBS barely show anisotropy in dimensions at room temperature. The nonperiodic structure and rather small electronic density fluctuation in PDBS lead to the much weak SAXS. The nonperiodic structure is preserved during the crystal-mesophase transition because of the similarity of main chain conformation and intermolecular distances between crystalline phase and mesophase.

Synthesis, properties and X-ray crystal structure of a new heteropolyacid supermolecular charge-transfer complex [(VB1)(2)DMFHPMo12O40 center dot 5DMF]

The title complex [(VB1)(2)DMFHPMo12O40.5DMF, VB1 = vitamin B-1 (thiamine chloride), DMF = N,N-dimethylformamide] has been synthesized and characterized by elemental analysis, IR, UV-Vis, electron spin resonance, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and cyclic voltammetry methods. The X-ray crystal structure revealed that there is one independent molecule in the unit cell of the title complex that contains one mixed-valence heteropolyanion, two VB1+ cations and six DMF molecules. The title complex possesses a centrosymmetrical arrangement in the unit cell, with the P atom at the symmetry center of the heteropolyanion and with eight O atoms surrounding the central P atom, such that two sets of PO4 tetrahedra are formed. The PO4 tetrahedra and MoO66-(7-) octahedra are disordered in the heteropolyanion. The bond distances of P-O-a and Mo=O-d are in the ranges 1.57 (4)-1.70 (4) Angstrom and 1.61 (2)-1.67 (2) Angstrom, respectively.

XAFS at Eu-L-3 edge and UV-VUV excited luminescence of europium doped strontium borophosphate prepared in air

The local structure and the valences of europium in SrBPO5:Eu prepared in air were checked by means of XAFS at Eu-L-3 edge. From the EXAFS results, it was discovered that the doped europium atoms were nine-coordinated by oxygen atoms and the distances of bond Eu-O were 2.42 Angstrom in the host. From the XANES data, it was found that the divalent and trivalent europium coexisted in the matrix. The emission spectra excited by VUV or UV exhibited a prominent broad band due to the 4f(6)5d-4f(7) transition of Eu2+ ions, which indicated that the trivalent europium ions were reduced in air in the matrix at high temperature by the defects [V-Sr]" formed by aliovalent substitution between Sr2+ and Eu3+ ions. The VUV excitation spectra in 100-200 nm range showed that the matrix had absorption bands with the maxima at about 130 and 150 nm, respectively.

VUV excited luminescence of europium activated calcium borophosphate prepared in air

XAFS (EXAFS and XANES) at Eu-L-3 edge were used to determine the local structure and the valences of europium in CaBPO5:Eu prepared in air. The results of EXAFS showed that the doped europium atoms were nine-coordinated by oxygen atoms and the distances of bond Eu-O were 2.39 Angstrom in the host lattice. XANES at Eu-L-3 edge exhibited that Eu2+ and Eu3+ coexisted in the matrix. The luminescent spectrum of the material excited by VUV at 147 nm presented a similar spectrum with that excited by f-f transition of Eu2+ at 396 nm and f-d transition of Eu2+ at 312 nm. The broad emission band due to both 4f(6)5d - 4f(7) transition of EU2+ and f - f transition of Eu3+ could be observed in emission spectra, which indicated that the trivalent europium ions were reduced in air in the matrix at high temperature by the defects [V-Cn]" formed by aliovalent substitution between Ca2+ and Eu3+ ions. The UV excitation spectrum showed the typical f-f transition of Eu3+ and f-d transition of Eu2+. The bands with the maxima at about 113 and 158 nm in VUV excitation spectrum were assigned to originate from the absorption of the host lattice.

Studies on plant extracellular calmodulin by lanthanide luminescence probe

Plant extracellular calmodulin (CaM) has been purified from cauliflower and identified with NAD kinase(NADK) activation and inhibition effect of CaM antagonist W7, Tb-3.1 fluorescence titration showed that extracellular CaM contained four metal-binding sites, The excitation spectrum and emission specturm indicated that extracellular CaM contained one tyrosine residue which could transfer energy to bound Tb3+. Based on Forster type nonradiative energy transfer theory, the distances of Tyr-->sites III, IV have been determined, these are 1. 104 nm(Tyr --> III, site) and 1. 056 nm(Tyr --> N, site). By studing the effect of CaM antagonist W7 and CaM antibody on Tb3+-sensitized fluorescence, it was found that the binding sites of W7 and antibody were located on the c-terminal part of plant extracellular CaM which contains domain III and domain IV.

A novel epitaxy of isotactic polypropylene (alpha phase) on PTFE and organic substrates

Isotactic polypropylene in its a modification (alpha iPP) crystallises epitaxially on polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) and several hemiacids or salts of substituted benzoic acids via a novel contact plane, namely (110): so far, the only known contact plane involved in alpha iPP homo- and hetero-epitaxies was (010). In spite of its complicated architecture (alternation of antichiral helices with different azimuthal settings), the (110)(alpha iPP) contact plane displays well defined, if not prominent, rows of methyl side chains parallel to the crystallographic (112) direction (at 57 degrees to the c-axis) and approximate to 5.5 Angstrom apart. The matching contact planes of the substrates display linear gratings made of rows of e.g. chlorine atoms or PTFE chains with similar approximate to 5.5 Angstrom inter-row or interchain distances. Various morphologies are observed in iPP thin films crystallised at different cooling rates in the presence of PTFE; they can be analysed in terms of a succession and interplay of successive epitaxies: initial alpha iPP/PTFE heteroepitaxy, followed by alpha iPP/alpha iPP and gamma iPP/alpha iPP homoepitaxies. (C) 1999 Published by Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.

Monte Carlo simulation of phase behavior of polymer blends with special interactions

Full Paper: The phase, behavior of A-B-random copolymer/C-homopolymer, blends with special interaction was studied by a. Monte, Carlo simulation in two dimensions. The interaction between I segment A and segment C was repulsive, whereas it was attractive between segment B and segment C. The simulation results showed that the blend became two large co-continuous phase domains at lower segment-B component compositions, indicating that the blend showed spinodal decomposition. With an increase of the segment-B component, the miscibility between the copolymer,and the polymer was gradually improved up to being miscible. In addition, it was found that segment B tended to move to the surface of the copolymer phase in the case of a lower component of segment B. On the other hand, if was observed that the average, end-to-end distances ((h) over bar) for both copolymer and polymer changed slowly with increasing segment-B component of the copolymer up to 40%, thereafter they increased considerably with increasing segment B component. Moreover, it was found that the (h) over bar of the copolymer was obviously shorter than that of the homopolymer for the segment-B composition, region from 0% to 80%. Finally, a, phase diagram showing I phase and - II phase regions under the condition of constant-temperature is presented.

Isochiral form II of syndiotactic polypropylene produced by epitaxial crystallization

Epitaxial crystallization of syndiotactic polypropylene (sPP) on 2-quinoxalinol (2-Quin) yields, in the lower part of the crystallization range, the less common and metastable form II based on the packing of isochiral helices, rather than the stable antichiral form I. The contact plane is (110)(II). Form II exits only as a thin layer (< 50 nm) near the substrate surface. During further growth away from the surface, a transition takes place to the disordered form I, observed in "conventional" thin film growth. The epitaxial relationship rests only partly on dimensional matching with the chain axis repeat distance (which would be valid for both forms I and II) and on interchain distances. Whereas a better dimensional match would be achieved with form I, selection of the isochiral form II results from better correspondence of the surface topographies of the deposit (110)(II) sPP and substrate 2-Quin (001) contact faces.

Synthesis and crystal structure of (1,3-(Bu2C5H3)-Bu-t)(2)Sm(mu-Cl)(2)Li(THF)(2)

Anhydrous SmCl3 reacts with two equal of Li(1-3-(Bu2C5H3)-Bu-t) to give a complex (1,3-(Bu2C5H3)-Bu-t)(2) Sm(mu -Cl)(2)Li(THF)(2) (C34H58Cl2LiO2Sm, M-r = 726.99), monoclinic, space group P2(1)/n, a = 10.615(2), b = 21.037(4), c = 17.166(3) Angstrom, beta = 93.60(3)degrees, V = 3825.7 (13) Angstrom (3), Z = 4, D-c = 1.262 Mg/m(3), mu = 1.699 mm(-1) and F(000) = 1508, final R = 0.0387 and wR = 0.0741 for 5320 observed[I greater than or equal to2 sigma (I)] reflections. The average Sm - C distance is 2.73 Angstrom. Sm - Cl1 and Sm - Cl2 distances are 2.719 (2) and 2. 697 (2) Angstrom, respectively. Two 1, 3-(Bu2C5H3)-Bu-t-ring centroids and two mu (2)-bridging chloride atoms around Sm atom form a distorted tetrahedron.

Studies on plant calmodulin and its interaction with antagonist W-7 by Ln(3+) luminescence probes

Plant calmodulin (CaM) has been extracted from cauliflower, and the purified CaM has been identified with the activation of NAD kinase (NADK) and the inhibition effect of CaM antagonist W-7. CaM's intrinsic fluorescence and Tb3+ fluorescence showed that there was one tyrosine residue and four metal-binding sites in cauliflower CaM. Based on Forster-type nonradiative energy theory, the distances of Tyr --> site III, IV have been determined, and these are 1.23 nm (Tyr --> site III ) and 1.18 nm(Tyr --> site IV). The Eu3+ and Tb3+ fluorescence probes showed that the combination of CaM with W-7 resulted in significant change on CaM's conformation, but did not affect coordination environment of metal-binding sites.

(NH4)(2)Na-3(V3W3O19).12H(2)O

(NH4)(2)Na-3(V3W3O19).12H(2)O, diammonium trisodium nonadecaoxo(tritungsto)trivanadate dodecahydrate, is a mixed V/W salt in which each site has an approximately equal population of V and W atoms. The centrosymmetric polyanion consists of six (V/W)O-6 edge-sharing distorted octahedra and has a well established structure. Each of the three Na+ cations is surrounded by six water molecules in a distorted octahedron. The (V/W)-O distances are between 1.644(14) and 2.2885 (10) Angstrom.

[Ni(C10H8N2)(3)](2)[V4O12].11H(2)O

The crystal structure of the title compound, bis[tris(2,2'-bipyridyl-N,N')nickel(II)] cyclo-tetravanadate undecahydrate, contains a centrosymmetric [V4O12](4-) anion, which has an eight-membered ring structure formed by four VO4 tetrahedra sharing vertices, and two complex cations containing octahedrally-coordinated Ni-II ions. The anion and coordinated Ni-II ions are isolated and make up anion and cation layers, respectively. The Ni-N distances range from 2.077(3) to 2.112(2)Angstrom and the V-O distances range from 1.621(2) to 1.803(2)Angstrom.

(NH4)(3)[PMo12O40]center dot 21H(2)O

The determination of the crystal structure of the title compound, triammonium hexatriacontaoxo(tetraoxophosphato)dodecamolybdate(3-) henicosahydrate, shows that the polyanion has a pseudo-Keggin structure with m (3) over bar m symmetry. The central PO4 group is disordered with P-O distances of 1.55 (3) Angstrom. The Mo-O distances range from 1.617 (14) to 2.414 (14) Angstrom.

Syntheses of indenyl lanthanide derivatives and the molecular structures of [(C9H7)(2)PrCl(THF)](2) and [(C9H7)(3)La(THF)]

The reaction of anhydrous PrCl3 with Na(C9H7) in 1.2 mole ratio in THF gives [(C9H7)(2)PrCl(THF)](2)1. 1 crystallized in monoclinic system, space group P2(1)/c with a = 7.808(2), b = 17.796(6), c = 14.070(4) Angstrom, beta = 93.97(2)degrees, V= 1950.3(9) Angstrom(3), Dcalcd = 1.63 g/cm(3) and Z = 2. Each Pr ion is surrounded by two indenyl, two Cl and one THF in a roughly trigonal bipyramid arrangement with average Pr-C(ring) and Pr-Cl distances of 2.81 and 2.84 Angstrom. The reaction of LaCl3 with Na(C9H7) in 1:3 mole ratio gives (C9H7)(3)LaTHF 2, which crystallizes in the monoclinic space group P2(1)/a with unit cell constants a = 21.871(8), b = 10.585(3), c = 23.652(7) Angstrom,beta = 114.62(2)degrees, V = 4977.9 Angstrom(3) and Z = 8. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science S.A.

An eta(6)-toluene complex of neodymium: [Nd(eta(6)-C6H5CH3)(AlCl4)(3)]

The Nd-III ion in hexa-mu-chloro-1:2 kappa(2)Cl;1:3 kappa(2)Cl;1:4 kappa(2)Cl-hexachloro-2 kappa(2)Cl,3 kappa(2)Cl,4 kappa(2)Cl- [1 (eta(6))- toluene] trialuminiumneodymium has distorted pentagonal bipyramidal coordination geometry. Five Cl atoms form the equatorial plane, and the toluene ring and the sixth Cl atom occupy the apical sites. The average Nd-C(eta(6)) and Nd-Cl distances are 2.926 (5) and 2.857 (1) Angstrom, respectively.