TY - CONF A1 - Schönhals, Andreas T1 - Gas transport properties of polymeric nanocomposites based on polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxanes T2 - Meeting America Chemical Society CY - Boston, MA, USA DA - 2007-07-19 PY - 2007 AN - OPUS4-15354 LA - deu AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Schönhals, Andreas T1 - Structure property relationship of polymeric nanocomposites based on polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxanes T2 - Jahrestagung der Deutschen Physikalischen Gesellschaft, AK Chemische Physik/Polymerphysik CY - Regensburg, Germany DA - 2007-03-26 PY - 2007 AN - OPUS4-14591 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Schönhals, Andreas T1 - Structure property relationships of different polymer based nanocomposites as investigated by dielectric spectroscopy and gas transport measurements T2 - European Polymer Congress 2007 CY - Portorož, Slovenia DA - 2007-07-02 PY - 2007 AN - OPUS4-14952 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Hao, Ning A1 - Böhning, Martin A1 - Schönhals, Andreas T1 - Structure Property Relationships of Polymeric Nanocomposites based on Polyhedral Oligomeric Silsesquioxanes PY - 2007 SN - 0743-0515 VL - 97 SP - 789 EP - 790 PB - Division of Polymeric Materials Science and Engineering, American Chemical Society CY - Washington, DC AN - OPUS4-15848 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - GEN A1 - Böhning, Martin A1 - Goering, Harald A1 - Hao, Ning A1 - Mach, Reinhard A1 - Schönhals, Andreas ED - Cassidy, P. T1 - Polycarbonate/SiC nanocomposites - Influence of nanoparticle dispersion on molecular mobility and gas transport T2 - 7th International Symposium on Polymers for Advanced Technologies CY - Fort Lauderdale, FL, USA DA - 2005-09-21 KW - Nanocomposites KW - Nanoparticles KW - Polycarbonates KW - Dielectric properties KW - Gas permeation PY - 2005 VL - 16 IS - 2-3 SP - 262 EP - 268 PB - Wiley CY - Chichester AN - OPUS4-7062 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Böhning, Martin A1 - Tidjani, Adams A1 - Wald, Oliver A1 - Turky, Gamal A1 - Goering, Harald A1 - Brzezinka, Klaus-Werner A1 - Schartel, Bernhard A1 - Schönhals, Andreas T1 - Polypropylene/Clay Nanocomposites - Gas Transport Characteristics and Molecular Mobility T2 - Polydays 2002 CY - Berlin, Germany DA - 2002-09-30 PY - 2002 SP - 1(?) EP - 2(?) AN - OPUS4-2038 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Schönhals, Andreas T1 - Polycarbonate/SiC Nanocomposites - Influence of Nanoparticle Dispersion on Molecular Mobility and Gas Transport T2 - 7th International Symposium Polymers for Advanced Technologies CY - Fort Lauderdale, FL, USA DA - 2003-09-21 PY - 2003 AN - OPUS4-4650 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Schönhals, Andreas T1 - Polycarbonate/SiC Nanocomposites - Influence of Nanoparticle Dispersion on Molecular mobility and Gas Transport T2 - 7th International Symposium Polymers for Advanced Technologies CY - Fort Lauderdale, FL, USA DA - 2003-09-21 PY - 2003 AN - OPUS4-4665 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Schönhals, Andreas T1 - Gas Transport and Dielectric Relaxation in Polymer Based Nanocomposite Systems T2 - Vortrag Universität Lyon CY - Lyon, France DA - 2003-04-04 PY - 2003 AN - OPUS4-4060 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Schönhals, Andreas T1 - Gas transport and dielectric relaxation in polymer based nanocomposite systems T2 - Vortrag Universität Lyon CY - Lyon, France DA - 2003-04-04 PY - 2003 AN - OPUS4-4112 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Schönhals, Andreas T1 - Structure property relationships of different polymer based nanocomposites T2 - Frühjahrstagung der Deutschen Physikalischen Ges. / AKF, Condensed Matter CY - Dresden, Germany DA - 2006-03-26 PY - 2006 AN - OPUS4-11370 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Schönhals, Andreas T1 - Structure-property relationsship of polymer based nanocomposites with polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxanes as nanofillers T2 - Polydays 2006 CY - Berlin, Germany DA - 2006-10-04 PY - 2006 AN - OPUS4-13638 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Böhning, Martin A1 - Hao, Ning A1 - Schönhals, Andreas T1 - Gas transport and molecular mobility in polymer/POSS nanocomposites PY - 2006 DO - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.desal.2006.03.127 SN - 0011-9164 VL - 200 IS - 1-3 SP - 142 EP - 143 PB - Elsevier CY - Amsterdam AN - OPUS4-13707 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Hao, N. A1 - Böhning, Martin A1 - Schönhals, Andreas T1 - CO2 gas transport properties of nanocomposites based on polyhedral oligomeric phenethyl-silsesquioxanes and poly(bisphenol A carbonate) N2 - Polymer-based nanocomposites were prepared by solution blending of polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane with phenethyl substituents (PhenethylPOSS) into poly(bisphenol A carbonate) (PBAC). First investigations focused on structure, morphology and dynamics, addressed mainly by dielectric relaxation spectroscopy are substantially extended in this study by the investigation of the CO2 gas transport behavior of these materials, i.e., permeation experiments using the time-lag technique as well as gravimetric gas sorption measurements. The nanocomposite materials were prepared with nanofiller contents ranging from 0 to about 40 wt % by solution blending and films of about 50-100 µm thickness were cast from this solution and used for the investigation of gas transport properties after drying and annealing. From the time-lag measurements the permeability and an effective diffusion coefficient for CO2 is obtained in dependence of POSS concentration and temperature. As main results, both, the permeability and the diffusivity, increase whereas the solubility decreases with increasing POSS concentration. These findings are discussed in the framework of a microphase separated morphology of the nanocomposite systems for POSS concentrations greater than a value cPOSScrit of ca. 7 wt % consisting of a polycarbonate-rich matrix and POSS-rich domains which are surrounded by an interfacial layer. The experimental solubility data suggest that the POSS-rich domains are more or less impermeable for CO2. On the basis of this assumption a quantitative model is provided to correct the solubility data for the phase separated morphology. Moreover the importance of the interfacial layer between the POSS particles or its domains for the properties of nanocomposites especially for the gas transport behavior is addressed by analyzing the sorption isotherms. Also, for the first time results from gas transport measurements and dielectric spectroscopy were quantitatively related to each other by taking the activation energies of CO2 diffusion and of the dielectric β-relaxation into consideration. The obtained clear correlation indicates that the CO2 gas transport is due to localized molecular fluctuations. As a further result, the diffusion coefficient obtained from time-lag and gas sorption measurements is in good agreement with respect to both their absolute values and in their concentration dependence. PY - 2010 DO - https://doi.org/10.1021/ma101463m SN - 0024-9297 SN - 1520-5835 VL - 43 IS - 22 SP - 9417 EP - 9425 PB - American Chemical Society CY - Washington, DC AN - OPUS4-22378 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Böhning, Martin A1 - Hao, Ning A1 - Schönhals, Andreas T1 - Correlation of activation energies of gas diffusivity and local matrix mobility in polycarbonate/POSS nanocomposites N2 - According to basic phenomenological models describing the solution-diffusion based mechanism of penetrant diffusion in dense polymers, a connection between the diffusive transport of gas molecules in a polymeric matrix and the molecular mobility of that matrix on a certain length scale is, in principle, established for a long time. However, experimental data directly showing this correlation are rare. The investigation of a series of nanocomposites based on a polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane (POSS) and a polycarbonate matrix allows a systematic change of the molecular mobility on a local length scale (β-relaxation) and of the corresponding activation energy EA, both determined by broadband dielectric spectroscopy. Independently, activation energies of penetrant diffusion (ED) of these nanocomposites were determined for N2, O2, CO2, and CH4 and a clear linear correlation between the two activation energies was established for the first time. KW - Broadband dielectric spectroscopy KW - Diffusion KW - Dielectric properties KW - Gas permeation KW - Molecular mobility KW - Nanocomposites KW - Polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane (POSS) KW - Relaxation KW - Beta-relaxation PY - 2013 UR - http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/polb.23381/full DO - https://doi.org/10.1002/polb.23381 SN - 0887-6266 SN - 1099-0488 VL - 51 IS - 22 SP - 1593 EP - 1597 PB - Wiley CY - Hoboken, NJ AN - OPUS4-29284 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Schönhals, Andreas T1 - Vibrational density of states and molecular mobility in a polymer with intrinsic microporosity PIM-1 as revealed by inelastic neutron scattering N2 - Polymers with intrinsic microporosity are promising candidates for the active separation layer in gas separation membranes. Here, by means of inelastic neutron scattering, the vibrational density of states (VDOS) and the molecular mobility were investigated for PIM-1, the prototypical polymer with intrinsic microporosity. The results are compared to data measured for a more conventional high-performance polyimide used in gas separation membranes (Matrimid). The measured data show the characteristic low frequency excess contribution to the VDOS above the Debye sound wave level, generally known as the Boson peak in glass-forming materials. In comparison to the Boson peak of Matrimid, that of PIM-1 is shifted to lower frequencies. This shift is discussed considering the microporous, sponge-like structure of PIM-1 as providing a higher compressibility at the molecular scale than for conventional polymers. Elastic fixed window scans were measured on a neutron backscattering spectrometer to have an overview about the molecular dynamics at a time scale of ca. 1 ns. The temperature dependence of the estimated mean squared displacement shows a step-like increase in the temperature range from 100 K to 250 K indicating the onset of some molecular mobility. The nature of this motional process was analyzed in detail by quasielastic neutron scattering where the data are discussed with regard to both the q- and the temperature dependence. T2 - QENS/WINWS 2018 CY - Hong Kong, China DA - 17.07.2018 KW - Polymers with intrinic microporosity KW - Quasielastic neutron scattering PY - 2018 AN - OPUS4-45534 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Konnertz, Nora A1 - Böhning, Martin A1 - Schönhals, Andreas T1 - Dielectric investigations of nanocomposites based on matrimid and polyhedral oligomeric phenethyl-silsesquioxanes (POSS) N2 - Matrimid and Matrimid/PhenethylPOSS nanocomposites films were prepared by solution casting. They can be considered as potential membrane materials for gas separation. Theire dielectric properties were investigated using Broadband Dielectric Spectroscopy (BDS) in combination with standard techniques. Matrimid shows one relaxation process assigned as beta*-relaxation and a conductivity contribution. The relaxation process has a high activation energy of 99 kJ/mol. Thus this process is supposed to be of cooperative nature due to a π-π stacking of the phenyl rings of Matrimid. The influence of the thermal history on Matrimid was analyzed with BDS as well where an annealing effect is found. The Matrimid/PhenethylPOSS nanocomposites show up to a concentration of about 4 wt% PhenethylPOSS a miscibility on a molecular level. For higher concentrations a phase separated structure was indicated. The conductivity of both systems is explained by π-π stacking of the phenyl rings which enhances charge transport. KW - Matrimid KW - POSS KW - Nanocomposites KW - Broadband dielectric spectroscopy PY - 2016 DO - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.polymer.2016.02.060 SN - 0032-3861 VL - 90 SP - 89 EP - 101 PB - Elsevier Science AN - OPUS4-35616 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Konnertz, Nora A1 - Ding, Yi A1 - Harrison, W.J. A1 - Budd, P.M. A1 - Schönhals, Andreas A1 - Böhning, Martin T1 - Molecular mobility and gas transport properties of nanocomposites based on PIM-1 and polyhedral oligomeric phenethyl-silsesquioxanes (POSS) N2 - Polymers with intrinsic microporosity (PIMs) are of great interest in the field of gas separation membranes. Already the first synthesized PIM-1 shows extraordinary permeability and selectivity. Unfortunately, PIM-1 is susceptible to physical aging and thus gradually loses its outstanding properties. In this study a polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane with phenethyl substituents (PhenethylPOSS) was used as a nanofiller (0–40 wt%) in the PIM-1 matrix to potentially improve the gas transport properties and prevent physical aging. The molecular mobility of the solution-cast nanocomposite films was analyzed by Broadband Dielectric Spectroscopy (BDS). Furthermore, gas permeability was determined with the time lag method (0–20 bar upstream pressure) at 35 °C for N2, O2, CH4 and CO2. KW - Broadband Dielectric Spectroscopy KW - Gas separation KW - Gas permeation KW - Polymers of intrinsic microporosity KW - Nanocomposite KW - POSS KW - PIM-1 PY - 2017 DO - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.memsci.2017.02.007 SN - 0376-7388 SN - 1873-3123 VL - 529 SP - 274 EP - 285 PB - Elsevier B.V. CY - Amsterdam AN - OPUS4-39169 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Kolmangadi, Mohamed A. A1 - Zhuoqing, L. A1 - Smales, Glen Jacob A1 - Pauw, Brian Richard A1 - Wuckert, E. A1 - Raab, A. A1 - Laschat, S. A1 - Huber, P. A1 - Schönhals, Andreas T1 - Confinement-suppressed phase transition and dynamic self-assembly of ionic superdiscs in ordered nanochannels: Implication for nanoscale applications N2 - Ionic Liquid Crystals are ionic liquids that exhibit liquid crystalline mesomorphism together with ionic conductivity. As known confined liquid crystal mesophases can show an anomalous dynamics and phase behavior. Investigations considering the factors controlling the macroscopic properties of ILCs in confinement are scare in the literature. This study reports the molecular mobility, and the phase transition behavior of a guanidinium based columnar ILC confined in the nanopores of self-ordered anodic aluminum oxide membranes of various pore diameters (25 – 180 nm) using Broadband Dielectric Spectroscopy (BDS), calorimetry and X-ray scattering. It is aimed to reveal in which way the pore size as well as the pore surface wettability (hydrophobic or hydrophilic) alters the molecular dynamics, and phase transition behavior for this system. These properties are crucial for applications. The DSC investigations reveal: (i) the phase transition temperature for the transition from the plastic crystalline to the crystalline-liquid state has non-monotonic dependence versus the inverse pore diameter and (ii) the transition from the liquid crystalline to the isotropic phase is suppressed for all nanoconfined samples. This transition suppressed in the thermal signal was evidenced by BDS and X-ray scattering. It is discussed as a continuous phase transition taking place in the pores instead of a discontinuous first order transition as observed for the bulk. BDS investigations show different relaxation processes for the bulk and the nanoconfined ILC. Molecular origins for various relaxation processes are discussed and suggested. It is further shown that the self-assembly of this ILC is dynamic in nature which might apply for other ILCs too. The obtained results will have implications for the nanoscale applications of ionic liquid crystals. KW - Ionic Liquid Crystals PY - 2023 DO - https://doi.org/10.1021/acsanm.3c02473 VL - 6 IS - 17 SP - 15673 EP - 15684 PB - ACS AN - OPUS4-58210 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Omar, Hassan A1 - Smales, Glen Jacob A1 - Henning, S. A1 - Li, Z. A1 - Wang, D.-Y. A1 - Schönhals, Andreas A1 - Szymoniak, Paulina T1 - Calorimetric and Dielectric Investigations of Epoxy-Based Nanocomposites with Halloysite Nanotubes as Nanofillers N2 - Epoxy nanocomposites are promising materials for industrial applications (i.e., aerospace, marine and automotive industry) due to their extraordinary mechanical and thermal properties. Here, the effect of hollow halloysite nanotubes (HNT) on an epoxy matrix (Ep) was the focus of the study. The structure and molecular mobility of the nanocomposites were investigated using a combination of X-ray scattering, calorimetry (differential (DSC) and fast scanning calorimetry (FSC)) and dielectric spectroscopy. Additionally, the effect of surface modification of HNT (polydopamine (PDA) and Fe(OH)3 nanodots) was considered. For Ep/HNT, the glass transition temperature (Tg) is was de-creased due to a nanoparticle-related decrease of the crosslinking density. For the modified system, Ep/m-HNT, the surface modification resulted in enhanced filler–matrix interactions leading to higher Tg values than the pure epoxy in some cases. For Ep/m-HNT, the amount of interface formed between the nanoparticles and the matrix ranged from 5% to 15%. Through BDS measurements, localized fluctuations were detected as a β- and γ-relaxation, related to rotational fluctuations of phenyl rings and local reorientations of unreacted components. A combination of calorimetry and BDS dielectric spectroscopy revealed a dynamic and structural heterogeneity of the matrix, as confirmed by two glassy dynamics in both systems, related to regions with different crosslinking densities. KW - Rigid amorphous fraction KW - Epoxy nanocomposites KW - Halloysite nanotubes KW - X-ray scattering KW - Differential scanning calorimetry KW - Broadband dielectric spectroscopy KW - Flash DSC PY - 2021 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-526668 DO - https://doi.org/10.3390/polym13101634 VL - 13 IS - 10 SP - 1634 PB - MDPI AN - OPUS4-52666 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Turky, Gamal A1 - Wolff, Dietmar A1 - Schönhals, Andreas T1 - Confinement effects on the molecular dynamics of liquid-crystalline polymethacrylates - a broadband dielectric spectroscopy study N2 - The molecular dynamics of liquid-crystalline polymethacrylates with biphenyl in the side group forming a highly ordered smectic E phase at low temperatures is investigated by dielectric spectroscopy (DS). Although no glass transition is found by DSC, DS detects a relaxation in the smectic E phase resembling to glassy dynamics. The temperature dependence of its relaxation rate is Arrhenius like at low temperatures, which changes to a VFT law at higher temperatures. Such a behavior is found to be characteristic for glassy dynamics in confining space. It is discussed, considering the structure of the polymers as nanobiphasic consisting of liquid-crystalline layers while the backbones fill the interlayer space. A comparison is made to polymethacrylates having phenyl benzoate as mesogen. KW - Dielectric properties KW - Dynamics in confining space KW - Liquid-crystalline polymers KW - Molecular dynamics PY - 2012 DO - https://doi.org/10.1002/macp.201200361 SN - 1022-1352 SN - 1521-3935 VL - 213 IS - 22 SP - 2420 EP - 2431 PB - Wiley-VCH Verl. CY - Weinheim AN - OPUS4-27129 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Yildirim, Arda A1 - Haug, T. C. V. A1 - Fröba, M. A1 - Huber, P. A1 - Schönhals, Andreas T1 - Molecular fluctuations in mixed-metal MOF-74: influence of the metal composition N2 - A selected series of metal–organic frameworks M-MOF-74 (M = Mg, Co, Ni) and mixed metal MM-MOF-74 (Mg/Co or Mg/Ni) with different compositions of metal atoms have been prepared and further investigated by broadband dielectric spectroscopy (BDS) in a wide temperature range. The dielectric spectra show at least two relaxation processes. Process-A is observed only for the Ni-containing MOFs and is attributed to localized fluctuations of the metal oxide corners. Relaxation processes-B and -C are observed for all prepared MOFs, except that process-B is not observed for Ni-MOF-74. Large-angle fluctuations such as free rotations of the linkers can be excluded due to the structure of MOF-74, but small-angle fluctuations such as torsions are possible. According to numerical simulations carried out for MOF-74, process-B can be attributed to inward and outward fluctuations of the linkers relative to the pore center. Process-C is related to small-angle rotational fluctuations of the linker together with co-rotations of the metal nodes. The latter interpretation is supported by the dependence of the activation energy of the relaxation rate of process-C on the metal composition of the MOFs, which is discussed in terms of the bond lengths between the metal atoms and the linker which decrease in the sequence Mg, Co and Ni. KW - Metal Organic Frameworks PY - 2025 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-639378 DO - https://doi.org/10.1039/d5ra05357a SN - 2046-2069 VL - 15 IS - 35 SP - 29109 EP - 29118 PB - Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC) AN - OPUS4-63937 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Kolmangadi, Mohamed A. A1 - Raab, A. R. A1 - Szymoniak, Paulina A1 - Li, Z. A1 - Huber, P. A1 - Laschat, S. A1 - Schönhals, Andreas T1 - Molecular mobility and electrical conductivity of amino acid-based (DOPA) ionic liquid crystals in the bulk state and nanoconfinement N2 - This study explores the molecular mobility, phase behavior, and electrical conductivity of dihydroxyphenylalanine-based ionic liquid crystals (DOPAn, with alkyl side chains n = 12, 14, 16) featuring cyclic guanidiniumchloride headgroups, in both bulk and nanoconfined states. Using broadband dielectric spectroscopy, differential scanning calorimetry, and fast scanning calorimetry, the research uncovers a complex interplay between molecular structure, self-assembly, and molecular mobility. In bulk, DOPAn shows a phase sequence from plastic crystalline to hexagonal columnar and isotropic phases, driven by superdisc formation and columnar organization. Multiple relaxation processes are identified: localized side-chain dynamics (γ-relaxation), ionic headgroup or core motions (α1-relaxation), and cooperative alkyl domain fluctuations (α2-relaxation). Conductivity decreases with increasing side chain length. Under nanoconfinement in anodic aluminum oxide membranes, phase behavior changes: the Colh–Iso transition is suppressed, and a new α3-relaxation appears, linked to dynamics in an adsorbed interfacial layer. DC conductivity drops by up to four orders of magnitude due to confinement effects, altered molecular orientation, and phase transitions—especially the emergence of a nematic-like state in DOPA16. These findings highlight the importance of molecular design, pore geometry, and surface chemistry in tuning ionic liquid crystal properties for advanced applications in nanofluidics, ion transport, and responsive materials. KW - Ionic Liquid Crystals PY - 2025 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-639657 DO - https://doi.org/10.1039/d5cp02406d SN - 1463-9084 SP - 1 EP - 17 PB - Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC) AN - OPUS4-63965 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Emamverdi, Farnaz A1 - Huang, J. A1 - Mosane Razavi, Negar A1 - Bojdys, M. J. A1 - Forster, A. B. A1 - Budd, P. M. A1 - Böhning, Martin A1 - Schönhals, Andreas T1 - Molecular Mobility and Gas Transport Properties of Mixed Matrix Membranes Based on PIM‑1 and a Phosphinine Containing Covalent Organic Framework N2 - Polymers with intrinsic microporosity (PIMs) are gaining attention as gas separation membranes. Nevertheless, they face limitations due to pronounced physical aging. In this study a covalent organic framework containing λ5-phosphinine moieties, CPSF-EtO were incorporated as a nanofiller (concentration range 0-10 wt%) into a PIM-1 matrix forming dense films with a thickness of ca. 100 μm. The aim of the investigation was to investigate possible enhancements of gas transport properties and mitigating effects on physical aging. The incorporation of the nanofiller occurred on aggregate level with domains up to 100 nm as observed by T-SEM and confirmed by X-ray scattering. Moreover, the X-ray data show that the structure of the microporous network of the PIM-1 matrix is changed by the nanofiller. As the molecular mobility is fundamental for gas transport as well as for physical aging, the study includes dielectric investigations of pure PIM-1 and PIM-1/CPSF-EtO mixed matrix membranes to establish a correlation between the molecular mobility and the gas transport properties. Using the time-lag method the gas permeability and the permselectivity were determined for N2, O2, CH4 and CO2 for samples with variation in filler content. A significant increase in the permeability of CH4 and CO2 (50 % increase compared to pure PIM-1) was observed for a concentration of 5 wt% of the nanofiller. Furthermore, the most pronounced change in the permselectivity was found for the gas pair CO2/N2 at a filler concentration of 7 wt%. KW - Polymers of Intrinsic Microporosity KW - Nanocomposites PY - 2024 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-595031 DO - https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.macromol.3c02419 SN - 0024-9297 VL - 57 IS - 4 SP - 1829 EP - 1845 PB - ACS Publications AN - OPUS4-59503 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Emamverdi, Farnaz A1 - Huang, J. A1 - Szymoniak, Paulina A1 - Bojdys, M. J. A1 - Böhning, Martin A1 - Schönhals, Andreas T1 - Structure and molecular mobility of phosphinine-based covalent organic frameworks – glass transition of amorphous COFs N2 - Two-dimensional covalent organic frameworks (COFs) based on phosphinine and thiophene building blocks have been synthesized with two different side groups. The materials are denoted as CPSF-MeO and CPSF-EtO where CxxF correspond to the covalent framework, whereas P and S are related to heteroatoms phosphorous and sulfur. MeO and EtO indicate the substituents, i.e. methoxy and ethoxy. Their morphologies were studied by scanning electron microcopy and X-ray scattering. The absence of crystalline reflexes in the X-ray pattern reveal that both materials are amorphous and can be considered as glasses. Furthermore, N2 adsorption measurements indicate substantial Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) surface area values pointing to the formation of three-dimensional pores by stacking of the aromatic 2D layer. An analysis of the porosity of both COFs showed a mean radius of the pores to be of ca. 4 nm, consistent with their chemical structure. The COFs form nanoparticles with a radius of around 100 nm. The thermal behavior of the COFs was further investigated by fast scanning calorimetry. These investigations showed that both COFs undergo a glass transition. The glass transition temperature of CPSF-EtO is found to be ca. 100 K higher than that for CPSF-MeO. This large difference in the glass transition is discussed to be due to a change in the interaction of the COF sheets induced by the longer ethoxy group. It might be assumed that for CPSF-EtO more individual COF sheets assemble to larger stacks than for CPSF-MeO. This agrees with the much larger surface area value found for CPSF-EtO compared to CPSF-MeO. To corroborate the results obtained be fast scanning calorimetry dielectric measurements were conducted which confirm the occurrence of a dynamic glass transition. The estimated temperature dependence of the relaxation rates of the dielectric relaxation and their absolute values agrees well with the data obtained by fast scanning calorimetry. Considering the fragility approach to the glass transition, it was further found that CPSF-MeO is a fragile glass former whereas CPSF-EtO behaves as a strong glass forming material. This difference in the fragility points also to distinct differences in the interaction between the 2D COF molecules in both materials. KW - Covalent Organic frameworks PY - 2024 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-596770 DO - https://doi.org/10.1039/d3ma01123b SP - 1 EP - 10 PB - Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC) AN - OPUS4-59677 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Zorn, R. A1 - Lohstroh, W. A1 - Zamponi, M. A1 - Harrison, W. A1 - Budd, P. A1 - Böhning, Martin A1 - Schönhals, Andreas T1 - Molecular mobility of a polymer of intrinsic microporosity revealed by quasielastic neutron scattering N2 - Quasielastic neutron scattering by employing a combination of time-of-flight and backscattering techniques is carried out to explore the molecular mobility of a polymer of intrinsic microporosity (PIM-1) at microscopic time scales in comparison with a high-performance polyimide. Molecular fluctuations can change the structure of the temporary network of micropores and open or close pathways for gas molecules. Therefore, the investigation might help to understand the selectivity of PIMs in gas separation processes. The performed neutron scattering experiments provide evidence for a low-temperature relaxation process, which was assigned to methyl group rotation. This methyl group rotation was analyzed in terms of jump diffusion in a three-fold potential. The analysis results in a fraction of methyl groups which are immobilized. For PIM-1 it was found that the fraction of immobilized methyl groups decreases with increasing temperature up to 350 K. At higher temperatures the number of immobilized methyl group increases gain due to an underlying relaxation process. This motional process on a somewhat larger length scale might lead to a reversible structural rearrangement which partially hinders the strongly localized methyl group rotation. In addition, it was found that the activation energy for the methyl group rotation for PIM-1 and the polyimide is significantly higher than for conventional polymers. KW - Polymer of intrinsic microporosity KW - Quasielastic neutron scattering PY - 2020 DO - https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.macromol.0c00963 SN - 0024-9297 SN - 1520-5835 VL - 53 IS - 15 SP - 6731 EP - 6739 PB - American Chemical Society CY - Washington, DC AN - OPUS4-51147 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Kolmangadi, Mohamed Aejaz A1 - Szymoniak, Paulina A1 - Smales, Glen Jacob A1 - Alentiev, D. A1 - Bermeshev, M. A1 - Böhning, Martin A1 - Schönhals, Andreas T1 - Molecular Dynamics of Janus Polynorbornenes: Glass Transitions and Nanophase Separation N2 - For the first time, dielectric and calorimetric investigations of an homologous series of Janus polynorbornenes with rigid main backbones and flexible -Si(OR)3 side groups, of differing length alkyl chains (R = Propyl, Butyl, Hexyl, Octyl, Decyl) is reported. Generally, this class of polymers has some potential for applications in the field of gas separation membranes. Two dielectrically active processes are observed at low temperatures, denoted as β- and α- relaxation. The former can be assigned to localized fluctuations, whilst the latter is related to the glassy dynamics of the flexible -Si(OR)3 side groups, creating a nanophase separation in both the alkyl chain rich and backbone rich domains. This is confirmed through temperature modulated DSC measurements and X-ray scattering experiments. The glass transition temperatures of the backbone rich domains, which are beyond or near to their degradation temperatures in terms of conventional DSC, are determined for the first time using Fast Scanning Calorimetry employing both fast heating and cooling rates. This is complimented with scattering experiments that show how the size of the alkyl chain rich domains increases with chain length. Alongside these results, a significant conductivity contribution was observed for all poly(tricyclononenes) with -Si(OR)3 side groups, which is interpreted in terms of a percolation model. KW - Polynorbornenes KW - Broadband Dielectric Spectrscopy KW - Advanced calorimetry PY - 2020 DO - https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.macromol.0c01450 VL - 53 IS - 17 SP - 7410 EP - 7419 PB - ACS AN - OPUS4-51196 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Schönhals, Andreas A1 - Szymoniak, Paulina A1 - Kolmangadi, Mohamed Aejaz A1 - Böhning, Martin A1 - Zamponi, M. A1 - Frick, B. A1 - Appel, M. A1 - Günther, G. A1 - Russina, M. A1 - Alentiev, D. A1 - Bermeshev, M. A1 - Zorn, R. T1 - Microscopic dynamics of highly permeable super glassy polynorbornenes revealed by quasielastic neutron scattering N2 - The molecular dynamics of addition-type poly(tricyclononenes) with Si-substituted bulky side groups has been investigated by a combination of neutron time-of-flight and neutron backscattering spectroscopy methods on a time scale from 0.1 ps to ca. 3 ns. The investigated poly(tricyclononenes) PTCNSi1 and PTCNSi2g both bear a high microporosity which makes them promising candidates for active separation layers for gas separation membranes. At least for larger gas molecules it is assumed that the pathways for diffusion require an enlargement of pre-existing micropores in terms of an activated zone. A low temperature relaxation process was found for both polymers by the performed neutron scattering experiments. This process was assigned to the methyl group rotation. It was analysed in terms of a jump diffusion in a three-fold potential. The analysis of the dependence of the elastic incoherent structure factor on the scattering vector yields the number of methyl groups which might be immobilized. For PTCNSi1 (3 methyl groups in the monomeric unit) it was found that all methyl groups take part in the methyl group rotation whereas for PTCNSi2g (6 methyl groups in monomeric unit) a considerable number of methyl groups are blocked in their rotation. This immobilization of methyl groups is due to the sterically demanding arrangement of the methyl groups in PTCNSi2g. This conclusion is further supported by the result that the activation energy for the methyl group rotation is three times higher for PTCNSi2g than that of PTCNSi1. KW - Highly permeably polynorbornenes KW - Polymers of intrinsic microporosity KW - Gas separation membranes KW - Quasielastic neutron scattering PY - 2021 DO - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.memsci.2021.119972 SN - 0376-7388 VL - 642 PB - Elesevier B.V. AN - OPUS4-53508 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Kolmangadi, Mohamed Aejaz A1 - Szymoniak, Paulina A1 - Smales, Glen Jacob A1 - Bermeshev, M. A1 - Schönhals, Andreas A1 - Böhning, Martin T1 - Molecular mobility of polynorbornenes with trimethylsiloxysilyl side groups: Influence of the polymerization mechanism N2 - We report dielectric and calorimetric studies on metathesis and addition-type polytricyclononenes, both based on the same monomer bearing three pendant OSiMe3 groups. For the addition-type polymer, dielectric spectroscopy reveals a β*-process related to the microporosity, whereas for its metathesis counterpart, the segmental dynamics manifests as an α-process related to a glass transition. Besides active dielectric processes, a significant conductivity contribution is detected for both samples which for the microporous additiontype polymer is three orders of magnitude greater than for the metathesis polymer. The broadband dielectric spectroscopy is complemented by detailed calorimetric investigations, comprising DSC, FSC, and TMDSC. The calorimetric methods detected the glass transition for the metathesis polymer in agreement with the observed dielectric α-process. Furthermore, the already reported gas transport properties for both polymers are compared, setting them in correlation with the observed molecular mobility and conductivity behavior. The discussed results reflect significant differences in molecular mobility of the two polymers affecting the appearance of microporosity which strongly determines the gas transport properties. KW - Microporous polymers KW - Molecular mobility KW - Electrical conductivity KW - Membrane polymers KW - Gas separation PY - 2022 DO - https://doi.org/10.22079/JMSR.2021.538060.1495 SN - 2476-5406 VL - 8 IS - 3 SP - 1 EP - 9 PB - Membrane Processes Research Laboratory (MPRL) CY - Tehran AN - OPUS4-54303 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Zorn, R. A1 - Szymoniak, Paulina A1 - Kolmangadi, Mohamed Aejaz A1 - Wolf, M. A1 - Alentiev, D. A1 - Bermeshev, M. A1 - Böhning, Martin A1 - Schönhals, Andreas T1 - Low frequency vibrational density of state of highly permeable super glassy polynorbornenes – The Boson peak N2 - Inelastic incoherent neutron time-of flight scattering was employed to measure the low frequency density of states for a series of addition polynorbornenes with bulky side groups. The rigid main chain in combination with the bulky side groups give rise to a microporosity of these polymers in the solid state. The microporosity characterized by the BET surfaces area varies systematically in the considered series. Such materials have some possible application as active separation layer in gas separation membranes. All investigated materials show excess contributions to the Debye type density of states characteristic for glasses known as Boson peak. The maximum position of the Boson peak shifts to lower frequency values with increasing microporosity. Data for PIM-1 and Matrimid included for comparison are in good agreement to this dependency. This result supports the sound wave interpretation of the Boson peak. KW - Polynorbornes KW - Neutron Scattering PY - 2020 DO - https://doi.org/10.1039/d0cp03360j SN - 1463-9076 VL - 22 IS - 33 SP - 18381 EP - 18387 PB - Royal Chemical Society AN - OPUS4-51165 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Schönhals, Andreas T1 - Physical investigations on Super glassy Polymers having possible applications in gas Separation Membranes N2 - The properties of polymers of intrinsic microporosity were investigated by fast scanning calorimetry, dielectric spectroscopy and neutron scattering T2 - University of Pennsylvania CY - Online meeting DA - 25.01.2021 KW - Polymer of intrisic microporosity PY - 2021 AN - OPUS4-52065 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Schönhals, Andreas T1 - Inelastic neutron scattering as a tool to investigate  polymers of intrinsic microporosity for green membrane processes and electronic applications N2 - Polymers with intrinsic microporosity are promising candidates for the active separation layer in green gas separation membranes and as active materials for electronic applicatons. Here, by means of inelastic neutron scattering, the vibrational density of states (VDOS) and the molecular mobility were investigated for PIM-1, the prototypical polymer with intrinsic microporosity. The results are compared to data measured for a more conventional high-performance polyimide used in gas separation membranes (Matrimid). The measured data show the characteristic low frequency excess contribution to the VDOS above the Debye sound wave level, generally known as the Boson peak in glass-forming materials. In comparison to the Boson peak of Matrimid, that of PIM-1 is shifted to lower frequencies. This shift is discussed considering the microporous, sponge-like structure of PIM-1 as providing a higher compressibility at the molecular scale than for conventional polymers. Elastic fixed window scans were measured on a neutron backscattering spectrometer to have an overview about the molecular dynamics at a time scale of ca. 1 ns. The temperature dependence of the estimated mean squared displacement shows a step-like increase in the temperature range from 100 K to 250 K indicating the onset of some molecular mobility. The nature of this motional process was analysed in detail by quasielastic neutron scattering combining Time-of-Flight and backscattering where the data are discussed with regard to both the q- and the temperature dependence. T2 - Symposium on Large Scale Facilities CY - Berlin, Germany DA - 09.03.2020 KW - Polymer membranen PY - 2020 AN - OPUS4-50546 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - GEN A1 - Böhning, Martin A1 - Goering, Harald A1 - Hao, Ning A1 - Schönhals, Andreas T1 - Polymer-based Nanocomposites - Particle Dispersion and Physical Properties T2 - Nanofair 2005 CY - Dresden, Germany DA - 2005-11-29 KW - Polymerbasierte Nanokomposite PY - 2005 SN - 3-18-091920-5 N1 - Serientitel: VDI-Berichte – Series title: VDI-Berichte IS - 1920 SP - 263 EP - 267 PB - VDI-Verl. CY - Düsseldorf AN - OPUS4-11589 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Kamoun, E. A1 - Afifi, K. A1 - Szymoniak, Paulina A1 - Schönhals, Andreas A1 - Fahmy, Alaa T1 - Structure-property relationship of cross-linked chitosan-ethyl cellulose membranes N2 - Intensive research is focused on creating cost-effective, high-performance polyelectrolyte membranes (PEMs) for electrochemical devices designed to generate and/or store electrical energy. On the other hand, biopolymer materials have been utilized in a wide range of applications across medical and engineering fields, as well as in the textile and energy sectors. Therefore, in this study, chemically cross-linked chito-san/ethyl cellulose-citric acid (CS-EC-CA) membranes were prepared by a casting technique. The structure-property relationship of CS-EC/CA has been discussed based on the molar ratio of CS. The structural properties of the resultant membrane were characterized using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and scanning electron microscopy, thermal stability was assessed using thermogravimetric analysis. Moreover, the ion exchange capacity (IEC) and water uptake of the membrane were studied. FTIR analysis revealed a significant broadening of absorption peaks in the range of 3200–3500 cm-1 , corresponding to -OH groups, presence of CA. A new peak at 1725 cm-1 confirmed the formation of chemical linkages between CA and CS-EC. The results of the thermal analysis revealed that a thermally stable membrane was obtained when it was chemically cross-linked compared to non-cross-linked membranes. The IEC values of the modified membranes were enhanced significantly, increasing from 0.08 mmol/g for pure CS to 0.5 mmol/g for CS (50%) and 0.8 mmol/g for CS (50%) cross-linked withCA. Furthermore, the cross-linked membranes demonstrated the lowest water and ethanol uptake values, emphasizing their suitability for fuel cell applications. KW - Polyelectrolyte membranes PY - 2025 DO - https://doi.org/10.1063/5.0279022 SN - 1089-7666 VL - 37 IS - 8 SP - 1 EP - 11 PB - AIP Publishing AN - OPUS4-63890 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Böhning, Martin A1 - Tidjani, Adams A1 - Wald, Oliver A1 - Brzezinka, Klaus-Werner A1 - Turky, Gamal A1 - Goering, Harald A1 - Schartel, Bernhard A1 - Schönhals, Andreas T1 - Dielectric and gas transport properties of polypropylene-clay nanocomposites T2 - Frühjahrstagung des Arbeitskreises Festkörperphysik bei der DPG CY - Regensburg, Germany DA - 2002-03-11 PY - 2002 SN - 0420-0195 SN - 0372-5448 SN - 0343-9216 IS - CPP 5.4 SP - 425 CY - Bad Honnef AN - OPUS4-2036 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Schönhals, Andreas T1 - Molecular Mobility and Gas Transport of Polymer Based Nanocomposites T2 - International Seminar on Nanomaterials -Experiments and Simulations - Festseminar anläßlich des 80. Geburtstages von Prof. M. Kryszewski, ehemaliges Mitglied des Präsidium der Polnischen Akademie der Wissenschaften. Eingeladener Vortrag CY - Lodz, Poland DA - 2005-04-15 PY - 2005 AN - OPUS4-7311 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Schönhals, Andreas T1 - Conductivity and Gas Sorption Properties of Carbon Nanotube / Polycarbonate Nanocomposites T2 - Frühjahrstagung der Deutschen Physikalischen Gesellschaft (DPG) CY - Berlin, Germany DA - 2005-03-04 PY - 2005 AN - OPUS4-7129 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Konnertz, Nora A1 - Ding, Yi A1 - Harrison, W.J. A1 - Budd, P.M. A1 - Schönhals, Andreas A1 - Böhning, Martin T1 - Molecular mobility of the high performance membrane polymer PIM-1 as investigated by dielectric spectroscopy N2 - The increasing demand for energy efficient separation processes fosters the development of new high performance polymers as selective separation layers for membranes. PIM-1 is the archetypal representative of the class of polymers of intrinsic microporosity (PIM) which are considered most promising in this sector, especially for gas separations. Since their introduction, PIMs stimulated a vast amount of research in this field and meanwhile evolved to the state of the art in membrane technology for gas separation. The major obstacle for extending the practical membrane application is their strong tendency to physical aging. For the first time, investigations by broadband dielectric spectroscopy (BDS) addressing molecular dynamics and conductivity in PIM 1 are presented. As chain packing during film formation from the casting solution and physical aging are key factors determining the separation performance of PIMs as membrane materials, characterization of the molecular mobility in such materials as revealed by BDS will provide valuable information for further development and optimization. KW - PIM-1 KW - BDS broadband dielectric spectroscopy KW - Relaxation KW - Membrane PY - 2016 DO - https://doi.org/10.1021/acsmacrolett.6b00209 SN - 2161-1653 VL - 5 IS - 4 SP - 528 EP - 532 PB - ACS American Chemical Society CY - Washington, DC, USA AN - OPUS4-35798 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Konnertz, Nora A1 - Böhning, Martin A1 - Schönhals, Andreas A1 - Ding, Yi T1 - Molecular mobility and gas transport properties of PIM-1 and nano composites based on PIM-1 and phenethylPOSS N2 - Polymers with intrinsic microporosity are of highly interest in the field of gas separation membranes. Especially the first synthesized PIM-1 shows extraordinary permeabilities and selectivities. Unfortunately, PIM-1 tends to physical aging and loses its good properties. Physical aging is related to the molecular mobility of PIM-1 which was here investigated by broadband dielectric spectroscopy (BDS). Besides the studies on pure PIM-1 a polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane with phenethyl substituents (PhenethylPOSS) was used as nanofiller (0 - 40 wt-%) in the PIM-1 matrix to improve the gas transport properties and prevent physical aging. The molecular mobility of the solution casted nano composite films was analyzed by BDS as well. Furthermore, gas transport properties were determined with the time lag method (0 - 20 bar) in a temperature range of 35°C to 65°C with N2, O2, CH4 and CO2. T2 - 80. Jahrestagung der DPG und DPG-Frühjahrstagung CY - Regensburg, Germany DA - 06.03.2016 KW - PIM-1 PY - 2016 AN - OPUS4-35541 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Zorn, R. A1 - Yin, Huajie A1 - Lohstroh, W. A1 - Harrison, W. A1 - Budd, P.M. A1 - Pauw, Brian Richard A1 - Böhning, Martin A1 - Schönhals, Andreas T1 - Anomalies in the low frequency vibrational density of states for a polymer with intrinsic microporosity - the Boson peak of PIM-1 N2 - Polymers with intrinsic microporosity are promising candidates for the active separation layer in gas separation membranes. Here, the vibrational density of states (VDOS) for PIM-1, the prototypical polymer with intrinsic microporosity, is investigated by means of inelastic neutron scattering. The results are compared to data measured for a more conventional high-performance polyimide used in gas separation membranes (Matrimid). The measured data show the characteristic low frequency excess contribution to VDOS above the Debye sound wave level, generally known as the Boson peak in glass-forming materials. In comparison to the Boson peak of Matrimid, that of PIM-1 is shifted to lower frequencies. This shift is discussed considering the microporous, sponge-like structure of PIM-1 as providing a higher compressibility at the molecular scale than for conventional polymers. For an annealed PIM-1 sample, the Boson peak shifts to higher frequencies in comparison to the un-annealed sample. These changes in the VDOS of the annealed PIM-1 sample are related to changes in the microporous structure as confirmed by X-ray scattering. KW - Polymers KW - Boson peak KW - Neutron scattering KW - Physical aging KW - Polymer of intrinsic microporosity PY - 2018 DO - https://doi.org/10.1039/C7CP07141H SN - 1463-9076 SN - 1463-9084 VL - 20 IS - 3 SP - 1355 EP - 1363 PB - The Royal Society of Chemistry AN - OPUS4-43808 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Yin, Huajie A1 - Chua, Y. Z. A1 - Yang, B. A1 - Schick, C. A1 - Harrison, W. A1 - Budd, P. A1 - Böhning, Martin A1 - Schönhals, Andreas T1 - First clear cut experimental evidence for a glass transition in a polymer with intrinsic microporosity: PIM-1 N2 - Polymers with intrinsic microporosity (PIMs) represent a novel, innovative class of materials with great potential in various applications from high-performance gas separation membranes to electronic devices. Here for the first time, for PIM-1, as the archetypal PIM, fast scanning calorimetry provides definitive evidence for a glass transition (Tg=715 K, heating rate 3·10^4 K/s) by decoupling the time-scales responsible for glass transition and decomposition. As the rigid molecular structure of PIM-1 prevents any conformational changes, small-scale bend and flex fluctuations must be considered the origin of its glass transition. This result has strong implications for the fundamental understanding of the glass transition and for the physical aging of PIMs and other complex polymers, both topical problems of materials science. KW - Polymers with intrinsic microporosity KW - Fast Scanning Calorimetry PY - 2018 DO - https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jpclett.8b00422 SN - 1948-7185 VL - 9 IS - 8 SP - 2003 EP - 2008 PB - ACS AN - OPUS4-44683 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Schönhals, Andreas T1 - Molecular mobility and physical aging of polymers with intrinsic microporosity as revealed by dielectric spectroscopy N2 - The dielectric properties of different polymers with intrinsic microporosity are investigated by braodband dielectric spectroscopy. The results are discussed with regard to the structure T2 - Spring Meeting of German Physical Society CY - Berlin, Germany DA - 12.03.2018 KW - Polymers with intrinsic microporosity KW - Gas separation membranes KW - Dielectric spectroscopy PY - 2018 AN - OPUS4-44490 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Famy, A. A1 - Agudo Jácome, Leonardo A1 - Schönhals, Andreas T1 - Effect of Silver Nanoparticles on the Dielectric Properties and the Homogeneity of Plasma Poly(acrylic acid) Thin Films N2 - For the first time, structure−electrochemical relationships of thin films of a plasma-polymerized acrylic acid/carbon dioxide AA/CO2 (75/25%) copolymer modified by implanted silver nanoparticles are discussed. The pulsed plasma polymerization of AA/CO2 was utilized and adjusted to obtain a maximal amount of COOH Groups forming an almost uncross-linked polymer structure. The prepared polymer layer is rinsed by a silver nitrate solution to impregnate Ag+ ions. This step is followed by its reduction of Ag+ with NaBH4 as a chemical route in comparison to the reduction by sunlight as an ecofriendly photoreduction method. The chemical composition and morphology of the topmost surface layer of the AA/CO2 polymer thin film were investigated by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and atomic force microscopy. Moreover, the molecular mobility, conductivity, and thermal stability of the polymer layer were analyzed using broadband dielectric spectroscopy. The dielectric properties of the AA/ CO2 polymer thin film were studied in the presence of Ag+ ions or Ag0. It was found that a cross-linked polymer layer with a smooth surface and high conductivity was obtained in the presence of Ag+/ Ag0. KW - Nanoparticles PY - 2020 DO - https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jpcc.0c06712 SN - 1932-7447 VL - 124 IS - 41 SP - 22817 EP - 22826 PB - ACS AN - OPUS4-51468 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Kolmangadi, Mohamed Aejaz A1 - Smales, Glen Jacob A1 - ZhuoQing, Li A1 - Yildirim, Arda A1 - Wuckert, E. A1 - Eutionnat, S. A1 - Demel, F. A1 - Huber, P A1 - Lasachat, S. A1 - Schönhals, Andreas T1 - Side Chain Length-Dependent Dynamics and Conductivity in Self-Assembled Ion N2 - We study the molecular mobility and electrical conductivity of a homologous series of linear shaped columnar ionic liquid crystals ILCn, (n = 8, 10, 12, 14, 16) using broadband dielectric spectroscopy (BDS), specific heat spectroscopy (SHS), and X-ray scattering. We aim to understand how the alkyl chain length influences the dynamics and electric conductivity in this system. Two dielectrically active relaxation modes are observed, the γ and the αcore process, that correspond to the localized fluctuations of the alkyl chains and cooperative motions of the aromatic core in the columns, respectively. Both the γ relaxation and the αcore process slow down with increasing alkyl chain length. SHS reveals one relaxation process, the αalkyl process that has a similar temperature dependence as that of the αcore process for ILC12, 14, and 16 but shifts to higher temperature for ILC8 and 10. For ILC12, 14, and 16, the absolute values of DC conductivity increase by 4 orders of magnitude at the transition from the plastic crystalline to hexagonal columnar phase. For ILC8 and 10, the DC conductivity behavior is similar to ionic liquids, where the conductivity is coupled with structural relaxation. Small-angle X-ray investigations reveal that both the intercolumnar distance and the disorder coherence length increase with alkyl chain length; conversely, the DC conductivity decreases monotonically. KW - Ionic Liquid Crystals PY - 2022 DO - https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jpcc.2c03023 SN - 1932-7447 VL - 126 IS - 27 SP - 10995 EP - 11006 PB - ACS AN - OPUS4-55194 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Nikitin, D. A1 - Biliak, K. A1 - Protsak, M. A1 - Adejube, B. A1 - Ali-Ogly, S. A1 - Škorvanková, K. A1 - Červenková, V. A1 - Katuta, R. A1 - Tosco, M. A1 - Hanuš, J. A1 - Černochová, Z. A1 - Černoch, P. A1 - Štěpánek, P. A1 - Boiko, O. A1 - Szymoniak, Paulina A1 - Schönhals, Andreas A1 - Faupel, F. A1 - Biedermann, H. A1 - Vahl, A. A1 - Choukourov, A. T1 - Unveiling the Fundamental Principles of Reconfigurable Resistance States in Silver/Poly(ethylene glycol) Nanofluids N2 - Developing novel memristive systems aims to implement key principles of biological neuron assemblies – plasticity, adaptivity, and self-organization – into artificial devices for parallel, energy-efficient computing. Solid-state memristive devices, such as crossbar arrays and percolated nanoparticle (NP) networks, already demonstrate these properties. However, closer similarity to neural networks is expected from liquid-state systems, including polymer melts, which remain largely unexplored. Here, the resistive switching in silver/poly(ethylene glycol) (Ag/PEG) nanofluids, prepared by depositing gas-aggregated Ag NPs into PEGs of varying molecular mass, is investigated. These systems form long-range conductive NP bridges with reconfigurable resistance states in response to an electric field. The zeta-potential of Ag NPs and molecular mobility of PEG determine the prevalence of low resistance (ohmic) state, high resistance states (poor conductance) or intermediate transition states governed by space-charge-limited conduction or electron tunneling. The occurrence of these states is given by the interparticle gaps, which are determined by the conformation of PEG molecules adsorbed on the NPs. It is presented, for the first time, an equivalent circuit model for the Ag/PEG system. These findings pave the way to adopt polymer melts as matrices for neuromorphic engineering and bio-inspired electronics. KW - Nanofluids PY - 2025 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-635351 DO - https://doi.org/10.1002/advs.202505103 VL - 12 SP - 1 EP - 14 PB - Wiley AN - OPUS4-63535 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CHAP A1 - Schönhals, Andreas A1 - Kremer, F. ED - Matyjaszewski, K. ED - Möller, M. T1 - Amorphous polymers N2 - The nature of the amorphous state in polymers is a classical topic in soft matter science with an immediate impact on modern technology. The chapter introduces the central concepts in this field and reviews a wealth of experimental information obtained by structural and dynamic techniques, such as neutron and X-ray scattering, broadband dielectric spectroscopy (BDS), nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), and mechanical and specific heat spectroscopy, among others, covering dimensions between atomic (0.1 nm) to macroscopic (100 nm) length scales and timescales spanning more than 12 orders of magnitude, from picoseconds to seconds and longer. The theoretical models to describe the experimental findings are discussed in detail. Special attention is given to polymers having different architectures such as rings, stars, and block copolymers, and to the dynamics in nanometer thin layers. KW - Block copolymers KW - Chain dynamics KW - Dynamic glass transition KW - Glass transition temperature KW - Long-range order KW - Nanometric thin polymer layers KW - Ring polymers KW - Segmental dynamics KW - Short-range order KW - Star polymers PY - 2012 SN - 978-0-444-53349-4 DO - https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-444-53349-4.00010-8 VL - 1 IS - Chapter 1.08 SP - 201 EP - 226 PB - Elsevier CY - Amsterdam AN - OPUS4-26010 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Ungureanu, F. A1 - Manea, A.S. A1 - Frunza, L. A1 - Frunza, S. A1 - Ganea, C.P. A1 - Cotorobai, F. A1 - Diamandescu, L. A1 - Schönhals, Andreas T1 - Pentylcyanobiphenyl as test molecule for the acid sites of powdered titanium(IV) oxides: sensitivity of core levels to the local structure N2 - Pentylcyanobiphenyl was used successfully as a test molecule to show the acid sites upon some commercial nanoscaled titanium dioxide materials. The surface interactions were investigated in detail using methods sensitive to the surface or to the bulk material, e.g., X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), infrared spectroscopy, and thermal analysis. Different oxidation states of surface Ti ions were revealed. Several species were found: the majority were bonded through the nitrogen lone pair of the cyano group, but bonding to the surface OH groups by benzene π electrons might also appear. The N 1s lines of adsorbed 5CB were able to distinguish between Lewis acid and relatively weak Brønsted acid sites. KW - Infrared spectra KW - Pentylcyanobiphenyl KW - Size dependence KW - Titanium dioxide KW - XPS PY - 2012 DO - https://doi.org/10.1080/15421406.2012.697416 SN - 1542-1406 SN - 0026-8941 VL - 562 IS - 1 SP - 200 EP - 217 PB - Taylor & Francis CY - Philadelphia, PA, USA AN - OPUS4-26397 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Cerclier, C. A1 - Ndao, M. A1 - Busselez, R. A1 - Lefort, R. A1 - Grelet, E. A1 - Huber, P. A1 - Kityk, A.V. A1 - Noirez, L. A1 - Schönhals, Andreas A1 - Morineau, D. T1 - Structure and phase behavior of a discotic columnar liquid crystal confined in nanochannels N2 - The confinement of discotic columnar liquid crystal in nanoporous templates is a promising strategy to design nanofibers with potential applications in organic electronics. However, for many materials, geometric nanoconfinement has been shown to induce significant modifications of the physical properties, such as structure or phase behavior. We address the case of a discotic columnar liquid crystal confined in various templates. The influence of the size, the roughness, and the chemical nature of pores was investigated for a pyrene derivative by small-angle neutron scattering, X-ray diffraction, and calorimetry on a wide range of temperatures. A homeotropic anchoring (face-on orientation of the disk-shape molecules at the interface) is favored in all smooth cylindrical nanochannels of porous alumina while surface roughness of porous silicon promotes more disordered structures. The hexagonal columnar–isotropic phase transition is modified as a result of geometrical constraints and interfacial interactions. PY - 2012 DO - https://doi.org/10.1021/jp303690q SN - 1932-7447 SN - 1089-5639 VL - 116 IS - 35 SP - 18990 EP - 18998 PB - Soc. CY - Washington, DC AN - OPUS4-26827 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Schönhals, Andreas A1 - Frunza, S. A1 - Frunza, L. A1 - Goering, Harald A1 - Sturm, Heinz T1 - On the dynamics of surface layer in octylcyanobiphenyl-aerosil systems N2 - A broadband dielectric study of the dispersions of silica spheres (Aerosil 380) in octylcyanobiphenyl (8CB) with densities between 0.083 and 10 g of silica per 1 cm3 of liquid crystal (LC) is reported. High values of silica densities were achieved for the first time to observe the behaviour of the LC monolayer on the surface of the silica particles. The relaxation characteristic of the bulk LC is noticed especially for the samples with low silica densities. Additionally, a slow relaxation was detected, even at temperatures for which the bulk LC is in the crystalline state. It was assigned to the surface layer of LC molecules. Remarkably, the temperature dependence of the relaxation rates for this slow process shows a behaviour typical for glass-forming liquids. PY - 2001 DO - https://doi.org/10.1209/epl/i2001-00591-8 SN - 0302-072X SN - 0295-5075 SN - 1286-4854 VL - 56 IS - 6 SP - 801 EP - 807 PB - EDP Science CY - Les-Ulis Cedexa, France AN - OPUS4-1572 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Cano Murillo, Natalia A1 - Szymoniak, Paulina A1 - Smales, Glen Jacob A1 - Sturm, Heinz A1 - Schönhals, Andreas T1 - Electrospun nanocomposites fibers of polycarbonate and taurine modified boehmite nanoparticles - What can be learned from structural and thermal investigations N2 - Though the reinforcing properties of inorganic particles in thermosetting nanocomposites, has been exploited, the integration of nanoparticles continues to be challenging in terms of their homogeneous distribution and their manipulation which can contribute to occupational hazards. Due to a second encapsulations of nanoparticles, electrospun nanocomposite fibers containing nanoparticles might be an alternative for overcoming these issues, as the fiber nonwovens contains the nanoparticles allowing for safer manipulation. Here, the morphology, and the thermal properties of electrospun polycarbonate fibers containing taurine modified boehmite nanoparticles (BNP) are investigated by means of small and wide-angle X-ray scattering as well as fast scanning and temperature modulated fast scanning calorimetry for the first time. The latter techniques allow the investigation of the thermal properties of single fibers at heating rates up to 10^4 K s^-1 keeping its structure intact. A quantitative analysis of the scattering data reveals a porous structure of the fibers. The porous structure is quantified regarding the pore volume and the pore size. A constant amount of aggregation is found even for the highly BNP loaded fibers. Thermal analysis on the fibers reveals a rigid amorphous fraction (RAF) where it is known that RAF determinates the properties of a nanocomposite to a large extent. For the fibers RAF amounts up to 40 wt%, which is essential higher compared to equally formulated PC/BNP composite cast films. The RAF in the case of the fibers, is not only due to the presence of particles in the polymer but also due to orientation effects induced by the electrospinning process. KW - Nanocomposite fibers KW - Electrospinning KW - X-ray scattering KW - Fast scanning calorimetry KW - Rigid amorphous fraction PY - 2021 DO - https://doi.org/10.1021/acsapm.1c01265 VL - 3 IS - 12 SP - 6572 EP - 6585 PB - ACS AN - OPUS4-53871 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CHAP A1 - Szymoniak, Paulina A1 - Qu, Xintong A1 - Schönhals, Andreas A1 - Sturm, Heinz ED - Sinapius, M. ED - Ziegmann, G. T1 - Characterization of Polymer Nanocomposites N2 - The complex effect of nanoparticles on an epoxy-based and anhydride cured DGEBA/Boehmite nanocomposite with different particle concentrations is considered in this chapter. A combination of X-ray scattering, calorimetry (fast scanning and temperature modulated calorimetry) and dielectric spectroscopy was employed to characterize the structure, vitrification kinetics and the molecular dynamics of the nanocomposites. Firstly, the unfilled polymer was found to be intrinsically heterogeneous, showing regions with different crosslinking density, indicated by two separate dynamic glass transitions. Moreover, the glass transition temperature decreases with increasing nanoparticle concentration, as a result of changes in the crosslinking density. In addition, it was shown that the incorporation of nanoparticles can result in simultaneous increase in the number of mobile segments for low nanoparticle concentrations and on the other hand, for higher loading degrees the number of mobile segments decreases, due to the formation of an immobilized interphase. KW - Rigid amorphous fraction KW - Epoxy nanocomposites KW - X-ray scattering KW - Differential scanning calorimetry KW - Broadband dielectric spectroscopy KW - Flash DSC PY - 2021 DO - https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-68523-2_4 SP - 55 EP - 77 PB - Springer Nature AN - OPUS4-52698 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Fahmy, A. A1 - Mix, Renate A1 - Schönhals, Andreas A1 - Friedrich, Jörg Florian T1 - Structure of plasma-deposited copolymer films prepared from acrylic acid and styrene: Part I dependence on the duty cycle N2 - Copolymers of acrylic acid and styrene (AA/S) were prepared by pulsed plasma deposition and their structures were studied in dependence on the duty cycle (DC) for a fixed composition of 1:1. As a result, low values of DC doses preserve the structure of monomers in the plasma deposited polymers while high DC leads to a higher degree of fragmentation and a loss in regular structure. Regarding plasma copolymerisation as a feasible method to finish surfaces with a definite number of functional groups it is necessary to characterize both, the chemical nature and the physical properties of the deposited layer. Therefore, a combination of different methods was employed for the characterization of thin plasma copolymer films (FTIR, dielectric spectroscopy, differential scanning calorimetry, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS)). Special attention was paid on the unambiguous identification of COOH groups at the surface after derivatization with trifluoroethanol by XPS and in the volume by FTIR. The glass transition temperature of the copolymer system is lower than that for the both plasma deposited homopolymers and increases with the DC in difference to plasma deposited poly(acrylic acid). The dielectric measurements showed that the plasma deposited films were not thermally stable and underwent an undesired post-plasma chemical reaction. The results obtained by dielectric spectroscopy are discussed in detail in comparison with the data from FTIR and XPS measurements. KW - Plasmapolymerisation KW - Copolymerisation KW - Acrylic acid–styrene copolymer KW - Dynamic mobility KW - Plasma copolymerisation KW - Surface functionalization KW - Thin film properties PY - 2012 DO - https://doi.org/10.1002/ppap.201100117 SN - 1612-8850 SN - 1612-8869 VL - 9 IS - 3 SP - 273 EP - 284 PB - Wiley-VCH Verl. CY - Weinheim AN - OPUS4-25654 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Elert, Anna Maria A1 - Chen, Yong-Cin A1 - Smales, Glen Jacob A1 - Topolniak, Ievgeniia A1 - Sturm, Heinz A1 - Schönhals, Andreas A1 - Szymoniak, Paulina T1 - Effects of the charge density of nanopapers based on carboxymethylated cellulose nanofibrils investigated by complementary techniques N2 - Cellulose nanofibrils (CNFs) with different charge densities were prepared and investigated by a combination of different complementary techniques sensitive to the structure and molecular dynamics of the system. The morphology of the materials was investigated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X-ray scattering (SAXS/WAXS). The latter measurements were quantitatively analyzed yielding to molecular parameters in dependence of the charge density like the diameter of the fibrils, the distance between the fibrils, and the dimension of bundles of nanofibrils, including pores. The influence of water on the properties and the charge density is studied by thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and broadband dielectric spectroscopy. The TGA measurements reveal two mass loss processes. The one at lower temperatures was related to the loss of water, and the second process at higher temperatures was related to the chemical decomposition. The resulting char yield could be correlated to the distance between the microfibrils. The DSC investigation for hydrated CNFs revealed three glass transitions due to the cellulose segments surrounded by water molecules in different states. In the second heating scan, only one broad glass transition is observed. The dielectric spectra reveal two relaxation processes. At low temperatures or higher frequencies, the β-relaxation is observed, which is assigned to localized fluctuation of the glycosidic linkage. At higher temperatures and lower frequencies, the α-relaxation takes places. This relaxation is due to cooperative fluctuations in the cellulose segments. Both processes were quantitatively analyzed. The obtained parameters such as the relaxation rates were related to both the morphological data, the charge density, and the content of water for the first time. KW - Cellulose nanofibrils PY - 2024 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-600528 DO - https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1021/acsomega.4c00255 SN - 2470-1343 VL - 9 SP - 20152 EP - 20166 PB - ACS AN - OPUS4-60052 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Yin, Huajie A1 - Chapala, P. A1 - Bermeshev, M. A1 - Pauw, Brian Richard A1 - Schönhals, Andreas A1 - Böhning, Martin T1 - Influence of Trimethylsilyl Side Groups on the Molecular Mobility and Charge Transport in Highly Permeable Glassy Polynorbornenes N2 - Superglassy polymers with a large fractional free volume have emerged as novel materials with a broad range of applications, especially in the field of membrane separations. Highly permeable addition-type substituted polynorbornenes with high thermal resistance and chemical stability are among the most promising materials. The major obstacle for extending the practical membrane application is their strong tendency to physical aging, leading to a partial decline in their superior transport performance over time. In the present study, broadband dielectric spectroscopy with complementary X-ray scattering techniques were employed to reveal changes in microporous structure, molecular mobility, and conductivity by systematic comparison of two polynorbornenes with different numbers of trimethylsilyl side groups. Their response upon heating (aging) was compared in terms of structure, dynamics, and charge transport behavior. Furthermore, a detailed analysis of the observed Maxwell−Wagner−Sillars polarization at internal interfaces provides unique information about the microporous structure in the solid films. The knowledge obtained from the experiments will guide and unlock potential in synthesizing addition-type polynorbornenes with versatile properties. KW - Dielectric spectroscopy KW - Molecular mobility KW - Electrical conductivity KW - Gas separation membranes PY - 2019 DO - https://doi.org/10.1021/acsapm.9b00092 SN - 2637-6105 VL - 1 IS - 4 SP - 844 EP - 855 PB - ACS CY - Washington DC AN - OPUS4-47838 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Yin, Huajie A1 - B, Yang A1 - Chua, Y. Z. A1 - Szymoniak, Paulina A1 - Carta, M A1 - Malpass-Evans, R A1 - McKeown, N A1 - Harrison, W A1 - Budd, P A1 - Schick, C A1 - Böhning, Martin A1 - Schönhals, Andreas T1 - Effect of backbone rigidity on the glass transition of polymers of in-trinsic microporosity probed by fast scanning calorimetry N2 - Polymers of Intrinsic Microporosity (PIMs) of high performance have developed as materials with a wide application range in gas separation and other energy-related fields. Further optimization and long-term behavior of devices with PIMs require an understanding of the structure-property relationships including physical aging. In this context the glass transi-tion plays a central role, but with conventional thermal analysis a glass transition is usually not detectable for PIMs be-fore their thermal decomposition. Fast scanning calorimetry provides evidence of the glass transition for a series of PIMs, as the time scales responsible for thermal degradation and for the glass transition are decoupled by employing ultrafast heating rates of tens of thousands K s-1. The investigated PIMs were chosen considering the chain rigidity. The estimated glass transition temperatures follow the order of the rigidity of the backbone of the PIMs. KW - Polymers of intrinsic microporosity KW - Fast scanning calormetry PY - 2019 DO - https://doi.org/10.1021/acsmacrolett.9b00482 SN - 2161-1653 VL - 8 IS - 8 SP - 1022 EP - 1028 PB - ACS Publications AN - OPUS4-48617 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Schönhals, Andreas T1 - Vibrational density of states and molecular mobility in a polymer with intrinsic microporosity PIM-1 as revealed by inelastic neutron scattering N2 - Polymers with intrinsic microporosity are promising candidates for the active separation layer in gas separation membranes. Here, by means of inelastic neutron scattering, the vibrational density of states (VDOS) and the molecular mobility were investigated for PIM-1, the prototypical polymer with intrinsic microporosity. The results are compared to data measured for a more conventional high-performance polyimide used in gas separation membranes (Matrimid). The measured data show the characteristic low frequency excess contribution to the VDOS above the Debye sound wave level, generally known as the Boson peak in glass-forming materials. In comparison to the Boson peak of Matrimid, that of PIM-1 is shifted to lower frequencies. This shift is discussed considering the microporous, sponge-like structure of PIM-1 as providing a higher compressibility at the molecular scale than for conventional polymers. Elastic fixed window scans were measured on a neutron backscattering spectrometer to have an overview about the molecular dynamics at a time scale of ca. 1 ns. The temperature dependence of the estimated mean squared displacement shows a step-like increase in the temperature range from 100 K to 250 K indicating the onset of some molecular mobility. The nature of this motional process was analyzed in detail by quasielastic neutron scattering combining Time-of-Flight and backscattering where the data are discussed with regard to both the q- and the temperature dependence. T2 - 7. European Conference on Neutron Scattering 2019 CY - Saint Petersburg, Russia DA - 30.06.2019 KW - Neutron Scattering KW - Polymer of intrinsic microporosity PY - 2019 AN - OPUS4-48421 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Yildirim, Arda A1 - Sentker, K. A1 - Smales, Glen Jacob A1 - Pauw, Brian Richard A1 - Huber, P. A1 - Schönhals, Andreas T1 - Collective orientational order and phase behavior of a discotic liquid crystal under nanoscale confinement N2 - The phase behavior and molecular ordering of hexakishexyloxy triphenylene (HAT6) DLC under cylindrical nanoconfinement is studied utilizing differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and dielectric spectroscopy (DS), where cylindrical nanoconfinement is established through embedding HAT6 into the nanopores of anodic aluminum oxide membranes (AAO), and a silica membrane with pore diameters ranging from 161 nm down to 12 nm. Both unmodified and modified pore walls were considered, and in the latter case the pore walls of AAO membranes were chemical treated with n octadecylphosphonic acid (ODPA) resulting in the formation of a 2.2 nm thick layer of grafted alkyl chains. Phase transition enthalpies decrease with decreasing pore size, indicating that a large proportion of the HAT6 molecules within the pores has a disordered structure, which increases with decreasing pore size for both pore walls. In the case of the ODPA modification the amount of ordered HAT6 is increased compared to the unmodified case. The pore size dependencies of the phase transition temperatures were approximated using the Gibbs Thomson equation, where the estimated surface tension is dependent on the molecular ordering of HAT6 molecules within the pores and upon their surface. DS was employed to investigate the molecular ordering of HAT6 within the nanopores. These investigations revealed that with a pore size of around 38 nm, for the samples with the unmodified pore walls, the molecular ordering changes from planar axial to homeotropic radial. However, the planar axial configuration, which is suitable for electronic applications, can be successfully preserved through ODPA modification for most of the pore sizes. KW - Discotic Liquid Crystals KW - Nanoconfinement PY - 2019 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-475222 DO - https://doi.org/10.1039/c8na00308d SN - 2516-0230 VL - 1 IS - 3 SP - 1104 EP - 1116 PB - RSC AN - OPUS4-47522 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Szymoniak, Paulina A1 - Madkour, Sherif A1 - Schönhals, Andreas T1 - Molecular dynamics of the asymmetric blend PVME/PS revisited by broadband dielectric and specific heat spectroscopy: Evidence of multiple glassy dynamics N2 - The molecular mobility of the highly asymmetric miscible blend poly(vinyl methyl ether)/polystyrene was investigated by broadband dielectric (frequency range 10^-1 Hz – 10^9 Hz) and specific heat spectroscopy (frequency range 10^1 Hz – 10^4 Hz). The dielectric spectra revealed a complex molecular dynamic behavior, where three different relaxation processes were observed. At temperatures below the glass transition temperature an α´-relaxation was found, with an Arrhenius-like temperature dependence of its relaxation rates. It is assigned to localized fluctuations of the confined PVME segments within a frozen glassy matrix dominated by PS. Above the thermal glass transition temperature two processes with a VFT behavior of their relaxation rates were detected called α1- and α2-relaxation, both originating from PVME dipoles fluctuating in PS-rich environments, however with diverse PS concentrations. The relevant length scales for the processes are assumed to be different, corresponding to the Kuhn segment length for the former relaxation and to the CRR for the latter one. The observed multiple glassy dynamics result from spatial local compositional heterogeneities on a microscopic level. Additionally, SHS investigations were performed for the first time for this system, proving an existence of a fourth relaxation process (α3-relaxation) due to the cooperative fluctuations of both PS and PVME segments. The separation between the thermal α3- and dielectric α2-relaxation increases dramatically with increasing polystyrene concentration, proving that the thermal response is dominated by PS. KW - Polymer blends KW - Dynamic heterogeneity KW - Broadband dielectric spectroscopy KW - Specific heat spectroscopy PY - 2019 DO - https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.macromol.8b02697 SN - 0024-9297 VL - 52 IS - 4 SP - 1620 EP - 1631 PB - ACS Publications AN - OPUS4-47516 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Gramse, G. A1 - Schönhals, Andreas A1 - Kienberger, F. T1 - Nanoscale dipole dynamics of protein membranes studied by broadband dielectric microscopy N2 - We investigate the nearfield dipole mobility of protein membranes in a wide frequency range from 3 kHz to 10 GHz. The results of our nanoscale dielectric images and spectra of bacteriorhodopsin (bR) reveal Debye relaxations with time constants of τ ∼ 2 ns and τ ∼ 100 ns being characteristic of the Dipole moments of the bR retinal and α-helices, respectively. However, the dipole mobility and therefore the protein biophysical function depend critically on the amount of surface water surrounding the protein, and the characteristic mobility in the secondary structure is only observed for humidity levels <30%. Our results have been achieved by adding the frequency as a second fundamental dimension to quantitative dielectric microscopy. The key elements for the success of this advanced technique are the employed heterodyne detection scheme, the broadband electrical signal source, a high frequency optimized cabling, development of calibration procedures and precise finite element modelling. Our study demonstrates the exciting possibilities of broadband dielectric microscopy for the investigation of dynamic processes in cell bioelectricity at the individual molecular level. Furthermore, the technique may shed light on local dynamic processes in related materials science applications like semiconductor Research or nano-electronics. KW - Broadband dielectric microscopy PY - 2019 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-475230 DO - https://doi.org/10.1039/c8nr05880f SN - 2040-3372 VL - 11 IS - 10 SP - 4303 EP - 4309 PB - RSC AN - OPUS4-47523 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Szymoniak, Paulina A1 - Schönhals, Andreas T1 - Broadband dielectric spectroscopy on miscible polymer blends in the bulk and in nanometer thick films - Comparison of the different confinement situations N2 - Broadband dielectric spectroscopy in the frequency range from 10-1 to 109 Hz is employed to revisit the segmental dynamics of the miscible blend system poly(vinyl methyl ether)/polystyrene (PVME/PS) in dependence on the composition firstly in the bulk state. Here especially the case of high polystyrene concentrations is considered. It is important to note that only the molecular dynamics of PVME segments as affected by PS is observed because the dipole moment of polystyrene is negligible. Three relaxation processes are found which are due to fluctuations of differently constrained or confined PVME segments. The degree of the confinement of PVME segments due to PS is discussed in dependence on the composition. Further a spatial confinement is considered by investigating thin films of the PVME/PS blend where the film thickness was varied from 100 nm down to 5 nm. Two concentrations of PVME/PS (50/50 wt% and 25/75 wt%) are investigated. To measure nanometer thick films a novel electrode system based on nanostructured electrodes was employed. Nanostructured electrodes can be considered as a cut-edge technology in dielectric spectroscopy. The relaxation spectra of the films showed multiple processes which are discussed in dependence on the film thickness. T2 - Spring Meeting of the American Physical Scociety CY - Boston, Ma, USA DA - 03.03.2019 KW - Polymer blends PY - 2019 AN - OPUS4-47518 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Nikitin, D. A1 - Madkour, Sherif A1 - Pleskunov, P A1 - Tafiichuk, R A1 - Shelemin, A A1 - Hanus, J A1 - Gordeev, I A1 - Sysolyatina, E A1 - Ermolaeva, S A1 - Titov, V A1 - Schönhals, Andreas A1 - Choukourov, A T1 - Cu nanoparticles constrain segmental dynamics of crosslinked polyethers: a trade -off between non-fouling and antibacterial properties N2 - Copper has a strong bactericidal effect against multi-drug resistant pathogens and polyethers are known for their resistance to biofilm formation. Herein, we combined Cu nanoparticles (NPs) and a polyether Plasma polymer in the form of nanocomposite thin films and studied whether both effects can be coupled. Cu NPs were produced by magnetron sputtering via the aggregation in a cool buffer gas whereasolyether layers were synthesized by Plasma-Assisted Vapor Phase Deposition with poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) used as a precursor. In situ specific heat spectroscopy and XPS analysis revealed the formation of a modified polymer layer around the NPs which propagates on the scale of a few nanometers from the Cu NP/polymer interface and then transforms into a bulk polymer phase. The chemical composition of the modified layer is found to be ether-deficient due to the catalytic influence of copper whereas the bulk polymer Phase exhibits the chemical composition close to the original PEO. Two cooperative glass transition phenomena are revealed that belong to the modified polymer layer and the bulk phase. The former is characterized by constrained mobility of polymer segments which manifests itself via a 30 K increase of dynamic glass transition temperature. Furthermore, the modified layer is characterized by the heterogeneous structure which results in higher fragility of this layer as compared to the bulk phase. The Cu NPs/polyether thin films exhibit reduced Protein adsorption; however, the constrained segmental dynamics leads to the Deterioration of the non-fouling properties for ultra-thin polyether coatings. The films are found to have a bactericidal effect against multi-drug resistant Gram-positive Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus and Gram-negative Pseudomonas aeruginosa. KW - Nanocomposites KW - Specific heat spectroscopy PY - 2019 DO - https://doi.org/10.1039/c8sm02413h VL - 15 IS - 13 SP - 2884 EP - 2896 PB - RSC AN - OPUS4-47765 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Gawek, Marcel A1 - Madkour, Sherif A1 - Szymoniak, Paulina A1 - Radnik, Jörg A1 - Schönhals, Andreas T1 - Energy Dependent XPS Measurements on Thin Films of a Poly(vinyl methyl ether)/Polystyrene Blend in Dependence on Film Thickness – Concentration Profile on a Nanometer Resolution to Understand the Behavior of Nanofilms N2 - The composition of the surface layer in dependence from the distance of the polymer/air interface in thin films with thicknesses below 100 nm of miscible polymer blends in a spatial region of a few nanometers is not investigated completely. Here, thin films of the blend poly vinyl methyl ether) (PVME)/polystyrene (PS) with a composition of 25/75 wt% are investigated by Energy Resolved X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (ER-XPS) at a synchrotron storage ring using excitation energies lower than 1 keV. By changing the energy of the photons the information depth is varied in the range from ca. 1 nm to 10 nm. Therefore, the PVME concentration could be estimated in dependence from the distance of the polymer/air interface for film thicknesses below 100 nm. Firstly, as expected for increasing information depth the PVME concentration decreases. Secondly, it was found that the PVME concentration at the surface has a complicated dependence on the film thickness. It increases with decreasing film thickness until 30 nm where a maximum is reached. For smaller film thicknesses the PVME concentration decreases. A simplified layer model is used to calculate the effective PVME concentration in the different spatial regions of the surface layer. KW - Energy dependent XPS KW - Soft X-ray KW - Thin films PY - 2021 DO - https://doi.org/10.1039/d1sm00656h VL - 17 IS - 29 SP - 6985 EP - 6994 PB - The Royal Chemical Society AN - OPUS4-53039 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Madkour, Sherif A1 - Szymoniak, Paulina A1 - Radnik, Jörg A1 - Schönhals, Andreas T1 - Unraveling the Dynamics of Nanoscopically Confined PVME in Thin Films of a Miscible PVME/PS Blend N2 - Broadband dielectric spectroscopy (BDS) was employed to investigate the glassy dynamics of thin films (7−200 nm) of a poly(vinyl methyl ether) (PVME)/polystyrene (PS) blend (50:50 wt %). For BDS measurements, nanostructured capacitors (NSCs) were employed, where films are allowed a free surface. This method was applied for film thicknesses up to 36 nm. For thicker films, samples were prepared between crossed electrode capacitors (CECs). The relaxation spectra of the films showed multiple processes. The first process was assigned to the α-relaxation of a bulklike layer. For films measured by NSCs, the rates of α-relaxation were higher compared to those of the bulk blend. This behavior was related to the PVME-rich free surface layer at the polymer/air interface. The second process was observed for all films measured by CECs (process X) and the 36 nm film measured by NSCs (process X2). This process was assigned to fluctuations of constraint PVME segments by PS. Its activation energy was found to be thickness-dependent because of the evidenced thickness dependency of the compositional heterogeneity. Finally, a third process with an activated temperature dependence was observed for all films measured by NSCs (process X1). It resembled the molecular fluctuations in an adsorbed layer found for thin films of pure PVME, and thus, it is assigned accordingly. This process undergoes an extra confinement because of frozen adsorbed PS segments at the polymer/substrate interface. To our knowledge, this is the first example where confinement-induced changes were observed by BDS for blend thin films KW - Thin Films KW - Broadband Dielectric Spectroscopy PY - 2017 DO - https://doi.org/10.1021/acsami.7b10572 SN - 1944-8244 VL - 9 IS - 42 SP - 37289 EP - 37299 PB - ACS Publications AN - OPUS4-42652 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - GEN A1 - Schönhals, Andreas ED - Zorn, R. T1 - Quasi-elastic scattering of high free volume polymers by neutron time-of-flight spectroscopy N2 - Neutron backscattering experiments have been carried out on a polymer of intrinsic microporosity KW - Polymers of Intrinsic Microporosity PY - 2019 SP - 1 EP - 2 CY - Garching AN - OPUS4-49852 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Schönhals, Andreas T1 - Combining Broadband Dielectric Spectroscopy with advanced calorimetry to reveal the multiple glass transitions in discotic liquid crystals N2 - Broadband dielectric spectroscopy and advanced calorimetry were combined to investigate the molecular dynamics of discotic liquid crystals T2 - Flash DSC Conference CY - Zurich, Switzerland DA - 24.11.2019 KW - Discotic Liquid Crystals PY - 2019 AN - OPUS4-49879 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Frunza, S. A1 - Frunza, L. A1 - Ganea, C. P. A1 - Zgura, I. A1 - Schönhals, Andreas T1 - Density of adsorbed surface species for cyanophemyl benzoates confined to Aerosil 380: Development of the evaluating algorithm for Attachment by two types of bonds N2 - We found previously how to estimate the density of the adsorbed surface species in the case of the molecules interacting to the oxide support surface by one type of bond. Here this algorithm is developed for the case of the molecules which can be bonded to the support surface by two types of bonds. The adsorption assumptions are similar to those considered in the case of only one type of bond. The calculation is exemplified for some composites of cyanophenyl alkylbenzoates (CPnBs) (n is the number of carbon atoms in the alkyl chain) interacting with Aerosil A380. The interaction takes place by hydrogen bonding between the –OH groups or the support and the functional groups of the CPnB molecules. The estimated values of the total surface density of CPnBs agree well with those found for the composites containing related but simpler molecules. KW - Surface species PY - 2019 SN - 1223-7027 VL - 81 IS - 4 SP - 232 EP - 236 PB - University Politehnica of Bucharest CY - Bucharest AN - OPUS4-49615 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Schönhals, Andreas T1 - Growth Kinetics and molecular mobility of irreversibly adsorbed layers in thin Polymer films investigated by Nanosized relaxation spectroscopy and complimentary methods N2 - In well-annealed thin polymer films, with non-repulsive polymer/substrate interactions, an irreversibly adsorbed layer is expected to from. These adsorbed layers have shown greate potential for technological applications. However, their growth kinetics and molecular dynamics are still not fully understood. This is partly due to the hard accessibility of these layers in thin films. Here, the irreversibly adsorbed layers of homopolymer thin films are revealed by solvent-leaching experiments. First, the growth kinetics of these layers is investigated as a function of annealing time, annealing temperature, leaching time and the original filme thickness. The film thickness, topography and the quality of the adsorbed layer is controlled by Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM). Secondly, the molecular mobility of the adsorbed layer is investigated by Broadband Dielectric Spectroscopy (BDS). A recently developed nanostructured capacitor arrangement is employed to measure the layer with a free surface. The results are quantitatively compared and discussed with respect to recently published work. T2 - Polymers on the nanoscale CY - Princeton, New Jersey, USA DA - 31.10.2019 KW - Thin polymer films PY - 2019 AN - OPUS4-49559 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Schönhals, Andreas T1 - Multiple glass transitions in dipole functionalized discotic liquid crystals N2 - A selected series of dipole functionalized triphenylene-based discotic liquid crystals (DLCs) was synthesized and investigated in a systematic way to reveal the phase behavior and molecular dynamics. The later point is of particular importance to understand the charge transport in such systems which is the key property for their applications such as organic field effect transistors, solar cells or as nanowires in molecular electronics, and also to tune the properties of DLCs. The mesomorphic properties were studied by polarizing optical microscopy, X-ray diffraction, and differential scanning calorimetry, which were compared to the corresponding unfunctionalized DLC. The molecular dynamics were investigated by a combination of state-of-the-art broadband dielectric spectroscopy (BDS) and advanced calorimetry such as fast scanning calorimetry (FSC) and specific heat spectroscopy (SHS). Besides localized fluctuations, surprisingly multiple glassy dynamics were detected for all materials for the first time. Glassy dynamics were proven for both processes unambiguously due to the extraordinary broad frequency range covered. The α1-process is attributed to fluctuations of the alky chains in the intercolumnar space because a polyethylene-like glassy dynamics is observed. This corresponds to a glass transition in a confined three-dimensional space. The α2-process found at temperatures lower than α1-process, is assigned to the fluctuation of translational in plane movements of the triphenylene core inside distorted columns. This can be considered as a glass transition of a one-dimensional fluid. Therefore, obtained results are of general importance to understand the glass transition, which is an unsolved problem of condensed matter science. T2 - Workshop on dynamics in dissordered materials CY - Dortmund, Germany DA - 25.08.2019 KW - Discotic Liquid Crystals PY - 2019 AN - OPUS4-48778 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Schönhals, Andreas T1 - Vibrational density of states and molecular mobility in a polymer with intrinsic microporosity PIM-1 as revealed by inelastic neutron scattering N2 - Polymers with intrinsic microporosity are promising candidates for the active separation layer in gas separation membranes. Here, by means of inelastic neutron scattering, the vibrational density of states (VDOS) and the molecular mobility were investigated for PIM-1, the prototypical polymer with intrinsic microporosity. The results are compared to data measured for a more conventional high-performance polyimide used in gas separation membranes (Matrimid). The measured data show the characteristic low frequency excess contribution to the VDOS above the Debye sound wave level, generally known as the Boson peak in glass-forming materials. In comparison to the Boson peak of Matrimid, that of PIM-1 is shifted to lower frequencies. This shift is discussed considering the microporous, sponge-like structure of PIM-1 as providing a higher compressibility at the molecular scale than for conventional polymers. Elastic fixed window scans were measured on a neutron backscattering spectrometer to have an overview about the molecular dynamics at a time scale of ca. 1 ns. The temperature dependence of the estimated mean squared displacement shows a step-like increase in the temperature range from 100 K to 250 K indicating the onset of some molecular mobility. The nature of this motional process was analyzed in detail by quasielastic neutron scattering combining Time-of-Flight and backscattering where the data are discussed with regard to both the q- and the temperature dependence. T2 - JCNS Workshop for Neutron Scattering CY - Tutzing at Munich, Germany DA - 07.10.2019 KW - Polymers of Intrinsic Microporosity KW - Neutron Scattering PY - 2019 AN - OPUS4-49271 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Yildirim, Arda A1 - Bühlmeyer, A. A1 - Hayash, S A1 - Haenle, J. C. A1 - Sentker, K. A1 - Krause, Christina A1 - Huber, Patrick A1 - Laschat, Sabine A1 - Schönhals, Andreas T1 - Multiple glassy dynamics in dipole functionalized triphenylene-based discotic liquid crystals revealed by broadband dielectric spectroscopy and advanced calorimetry – assessment of the molecular origin N2 - A selected series of dipole functionalized triphenylene-based discotic liquid crystals (DLCs) was synthesized and investigated in a systematic way to reveal the phase behavior and molecular dynamics. The later point is of particular importance to understand the charge transport in such systems which is the key property for their applications such as organic field-effect transistors, solar cells or as nanowires in molecular electronics, and also to tune the properties of DLCs. The mesomorphic properties were studied by polarizing optical microscopy, X-ray diffraction, and differential scanning calorimetry, which were compared to the corresponding unfunctionalized DLC. The molecular dynamics were investigated by a combination of state-of-the-art broadband dielectric spectroscopy (BDS) and advanced calorimetry such as fast scanning calorimetry (FSC) and specific heat spectroscopy (SHS). Besides localized fluctuations, surprisingly multiple glassy dynamics were detected for all materials for the first time. Glassy dynamics were proven for both processes unambiguously due to the extraordinary broad frequency range covered. The a1-process is attributed to fluctuations of the alky chains in the intercolumnar space because a polyethylene-like glassy dynamics is observed. This corresponds to a glass transition in a confined three-dimensional space. The a2-process found at temperatures lower than a1-process, is assigned to small scale rotational and/or translational in plane fluctuations of the triphenylene core inside distorted columns. This can be considered as a glass transition in a one-dimensional fluid. Therefore, obtained results are of general importance to understand the glass transition, which is an unsolved problem of condensed matter science. KW - Discotic Liquid Crystals KW - Broadband dielectric spectroscopy KW - Flash DSC KW - Specific heat spectroscopy PY - 2019 DO - https://doi.org/10.1039/c9cp03499d SN - 1463-9076 VL - 21 IS - 33 SP - 18265 EP - 18277 PB - RSC AN - OPUS4-48739 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Leng, Jing A1 - Szymoniak, Paulina A1 - Kang, N.-J. A1 - Wang, D-Y A1 - Wurm, A. A1 - Schick, C. A1 - Schönhals, Andreas T1 - Influence of interfaces on the crystallization behavior and the rigid amorphous phase of poly(l-lactide)-based nanocomposites with different layered doubled hydroxides as nanofiller N2 - Based on the three-phase model of semi-crystalline polymers, we determined all phase fractions of the NiAl-LDH/PLLA nanocomposites in dependence on the concentration of the nanofiller. Moreover, the rigid amorphous fraction (RAF) was separated into the RAFcrystal and the RAFfiller unbiasedly. A detailed comparison to the related nanocomposite system MgAl-LDH/PLLA was made considering that Mg and Ni have different atomic weights. As a first result is was found that NiAl-LDH/PLLA displays a higher crystallization rate compared to MgAl-LDH/PLLA, which is related to the different morphologies of the two nanocomposite systems. For both systems RAFcrystal increases with increasing concentration of the nanofiller. This means in the case of the nanocomposite not each crystal produces the same amount of RAF, as often assumed. Also, RAFfiller increases with the concentration for both systems but in a different way. This is discussed considering again the different morphologies of both nanocomposites. KW - Polymer-based nanocomposites KW - Temperature modulated differential scanning calorimetry PY - 2019 DO - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.polymer.2019.121929 VL - 184 SP - 121929 PB - Elesevier Ltd. AN - OPUS4-49557 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Szymoniak, Paulina A1 - Gawek, Marcel A1 - Madkour, S. A1 - Schönhals, Andreas T1 - Confinement and localization effects revealed for thin films of the miscible blend Poly(vinyl methyl ether) / Polystyrene with a composition of 25/75 wt% N2 - Thin films (200-7nm) of the asymmetric polymer blend poly(vinyl methyl ether) (PVME)/polystyrene (PS) (25/75wt%) were investigated by broadband dielectric spectroscopy (BDS). Thicker samples ([Formula: see text]37 nm) were measured by crossed electrode capacitors (CEC), where the film is capped between Al-electrodes. For thinner films ([Formula: see text]37 nm) nanostructured capacitors (NSC) were employed, allowing one free surface in the film. The dielectric spectra of the thick films showed three relaxation processes ( [Formula: see text] -, [Formula: see text] - and [Formula: see text] -relaxation), like the bulk, related to PVME fluctuations in local spatial regions with different PS concentrations. The thickness dependence of the [Formula: see text] -process for films measured by CECs proved a spatially heterogeneous structure across the film with a PS-adsorption at the Al-electrodes. On the contrary, for the films measured by NSCs a PVME segregation at the free surface was found, resulting in faster dynamics, compared to the CECs. Moreover, for the thinnest films ([Formula: see text]26 nm) an additional relaxation process was detected. It was assigned to restricted fluctuations of PVME segments within the loosely bounded part of the adsorbed layer, proving that for NSCs a PVME enrichment takes place also at the polymer/substrate interface. KW - Thin polymer films KW - Broadband dielectric spectroscopy PY - 2019 DO - https://doi.org/10.1140/epje/i2019-11870-3 SN - 1292-895X VL - 42 IS - 8 SP - 101, 1 EP - 11 PB - Springer AN - OPUS4-48651 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Frunza, S. A1 - Ganea, C. P. A1 - Zgura, I. A1 - Frunza, L. A1 - Schönhals, Andreas T1 - Molecular dynamics in bulk and surface species of cyanophenyl alkyl benzoates with 2, 3 and 7 carbon atoms in the alkyl chain: comparison in the whole homologous series N2 - Molecular mobility of cyanophenyl alkylbenzoates (CPnBs) (n = 2, 3, 7 – number of carbon atoms in the alkyl chain) in the bulk and in composites with aerosil A380 is investigated by broadband dielectric spectroscopy, while thermal analysis and infrared spectroscopy were applied to characterise the molecular species. The work completes preliminary results obtained for the members with n = 4 … 6. An interaction by hydrogen bonding, between aerosil surface – OH groups and – CN or ester groups of the CPnB molecules takes place. It slows down the relaxation process as observed for related composites in comparison to the pure materials. The existence of two types of bonding might be the reason that Vogel temperature for the relaxation process in the surface layer does not show the odd-even effect. Temperature dependence of the relaxation rates for composites shows a crossover behaviour from a high to a low temperature regime. Moreover, the temperature dependence of the dielectric strength is unusual. As the loading degree is similar, comparison of the dielectric, spectroscopic and thermal data obtained here and with the results obtained for the composites with n = 4 … 6 can be directly done. Increasing the number of the members of the homologous series confirms and hardens the preliminary conclusions. KW - Liquid crystals PY - 2019 DO - https://doi.org/10.1080/02678292.2019.1687768 SP - 1 EP - 10 PB - Taylor & Francis AN - OPUS4-49924 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Sentker, K. A1 - Yildirim, Arda A1 - Lippmann, M. A1 - Zantop, A. W. A1 - Bertram, F. A1 - Hofmann, T. A1 - Seeck, O. H. A1 - Kityk, A. A1 - Mazza, M. G. A1 - Schönhals, Andreas A1 - Huber, P. T1 - Self-assembly of liquid crystals in nanoporous solids for adaptive photonic metamaterials N2 - Nanoporous media exhibit structures significantly smaller than the wavelengths of visible light and can thus act as photonic metamaterials. Their optical functionality is not determined by the properties of the base materials, but rather by tailored, multiscale structures, in terms of precise pore shape, geometry, and orientation. Embedding liquid crystals in pore space provides additional opportunities to control light–matter interactions at the single-pore, meta-atomic scale. Here, we present temperature-dependent 3D reciprocal space mapping using synchrotron-based X-ray diffraction in combination with high-Resolution birefringence experiments on disk-like mesogens (HAT6) imbibed in self-ordered arrays of parallel cylindrical pores 17 to 160 nm across in monolithic anodic aluminium oxide (AAO). In agreement with Monte Carlo computer simulations we observe a remarkably rich self-assembly behaviour, unknown from the bulk state. It encompasses transitions between the isotropic liquid state and discotic stacking in linear columns as well as circular concentric ring formation perpendicular and parallel to the pore axis. These textural transitions underpin an optical birefringence functionality, tuneable in magnitude and in sign from positive to negative via pore size, pore surface-grafting and temperature. Our study demonstrates that the advent of large-scale, self-organised nanoporosity in monolithic solids along with confinement-controllable phase behaviour of liquid-crystalline matter at the single-pore scale provides a reliable and accessible tool to design materials with adjustable optical anisotropy, and thus offers versatile pathways to finetune polarisation-dependent light propagation speeds in materials. Such a tailorability is at the core of the emerging field of transformative optics, allowing, e.g., adjustable light absorbers and extremely thin metalenses. KW - Discotic Liquid Crystals PY - 2019 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-499601 DO - https://doi.org/10.1039/c9nr07143a SP - 1 EP - 14 PB - RSC Royal Society of Chemistry AN - OPUS4-49960 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Gawek, Marcel A1 - Omar, Hassan A1 - Szymoniak, Paulina A1 - Schönhals, Andreas T1 - Growth kinetics of the adsorbed layer of poly(2-vinylpyridine) - An indirect observation of desorption of polymers from substrates N2 - The growth kinetics of the adsorbed layer of poly(2-vinylpiridine) on silicon oxide is studied using a leaching technique which is based on the Guiselin brushes approach. The adsorbed layer is grown from a 200 nm thick P2VP film for several annealing time periods at different annealing temperatures. Then the film is solvent-leached, and the height of the remaining adsorbed layer is measured by atomic force microscopy. At the lowest annealing temperature only a linear growth regime is observed, followed by a plateau. Here, the molecular mobility of segments is too low to allow for a logarithmic growth. At higher annealing temperatures, both linear and logarithmic growth regimes are observed, followed by a plateau. At even higher annealing temperatures, the growth kinetics of the adsorbed layer changes. A linear growth followed by logarithmic growth kinetics is observed for short annealing time periods. For longer annealing time periods, an upturn of the growth kinetics is observed. At the highest annealing temperature, only a logarithmic growth regime is found. The change in the growth kinetics is discussed by an alteration in the structure of the adsorbed layer. Moreover, the interaction between the polymer segments and the substrate becomes weaker due to both enthalpic and entropic effects. Therefore, at high annealing temperatures the polymer segments might more easily desorb from the substrate. KW - Ultra thin polymer films PY - 2023 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-575423 DO - https://doi.org/10.1039/d3sm00129f SN - 1744-683X SN - 1744-6848 VL - 19 IS - 21 SP - 3975 EP - 3982 PB - Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC) CY - London AN - OPUS4-57542 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Ramanujam, Maalolan A1 - Wachtendorf, Volker A1 - Purohit, Purv A1 - Mix, Renate A1 - Schönhals, Andreas A1 - Friedrich, Jörg Florian T1 - A detailed dielectric relaxation spectroscopy study of artificial UV weathered low density polyethylene N2 - Artificial weathering of LDPE under dry conditions (<10% of relative humidity) by UV radiation was monitored by dielectric spectroscopy. For an apolar polymer like LDPE, dielectric study yields Information about the change in structure and dynamics of the system. The fluctuations of the polar groups which are generated as a result of photooxidation such as carbonyl groups can be monitored as characteristic relaxation processes like the αc or β mode. The dielectric loss characterized by typical dielectric parameters like the activation energy and dielectric strength are strongly dependent upon changes induced by photooxidation in the amorphous and crystalline domains. This paper discusses in detail how the foil reached its mechanical disintegration. It was found that initial stages of weathering induce chain scission and/or crosslinking in the amorphous domains of the polymer and the motional processes in the crystalline regions are not affected. After this induction period, an increase in the degree of crystallization was observed by employing differential calorimetry. The increasing crystallinity is considered as one of the reasons for embrittlement which finally leads to the complete loss of the structural integrity. KW - Artificial weathering KW - UV radiation KW - Dielectric relaxation KW - LDPE PY - 2012 DO - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tca.2011.12.003 SN - 0040-6031 SN - 1872-762X VL - 530 SP - 73 EP - 78 PB - Elsevier CY - Amsterdam AN - OPUS4-25547 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - BOOK A1 - Schönhals, Andreas A1 - Szymoniak, Paulina T1 - Dynamics of Composite Materials N2 - Historically, to tune the properties of a polymer or more general soft matter systems by a second phase is not a new concept and dates back to the 40s of the last century. Beside some successes, the improvement of the properties remained somehow limited. The expectations of the enhancement of the properties of composites changed by the developments of Toyota Central research in the 1990s. It was shown that the incorporation of 5 vol% exfoliated layers of a clay system into a polymer leads to a strong improvement of the mechanical and thermal properties. This discovery stimulated a broad research interest of both fundamental and applied character. Today, polymer-based nanocomposites have reached a billion-dollar global market. The corresponding applications span from components for transportation, commodity plastics with enhanced barrier and/or flame retardancy characteristics, to polymers with electrical properties for shielding, electronics, sensors, and solar cells as well as to live science. Important fields are filled rubbers, reinforced thermoplastics, or thermosets for automotive, aircraft/space and marine industries, but also membranes for separation processes as well as barrier layers, just to mention a few. For a variety of applications, the molecular mobility in nanocomposites is of great importance. This concerns the molecular mobility needed to form a percolating filler network in rubbers used in tires or in composites employed in electric shielding applications. In general, it is also essential for processing polymer-based nanocomposites. Furthermore, separation processes in composite materials for membranes require a certain molecular mobility. This also concern nanodielectrics used in electrical applications or sensors where the mobility of charge carriers can be related to the fluctuations of molecular groups etc. Finally, the molecular mobility can be taken as probe for structure on a molecular scale. Broadband dielectric spectroscopy is a powerful tool to investigate the molecular mobility in polymer systems. It is due to the extremely broad frequency and sensitivity range that can be covered by this technique. Information about localized and cooperative molecular fluctuations, polarization effects at interfaces, as well as charge transport processes can be deduced. Therefore, this book focusses on broadband dielectric spectroscopy of composite materials. Moreover, the dielectric studies are accompanied by mechanical spectroscopy, advanced calorimetry, NMR techniques, as well as transmission electron microscopy and X-ray scattering investigations. Besides a brief introduction to (nano)composites, the book aims to address fundamental aspects of the molecular mobility in this innovative group of materials. Selected examples with scientific interest and some cases with high industrial impact were chosen. Due to the breadth of the subject, unfortunately not all topics could be addressed in detail, such as processing for instance. Berlin, Andreas Schönhals July 2021 Paulina Szymoniak KW - Composite materials KW - Nanocomposites PY - 2022 SN - 978-3-030-89722-2 SN - 978-3-030-89723-9 DO - https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-89723-9 VL - 2022 SP - 1 EP - 375 PB - Springer Nature CY - Cham, Switzerland AN - OPUS4-54538 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Fahmy, A. A1 - Anis, B. A1 - Szymoniak, Paulina A1 - Altmann, Korinna A1 - Schönhals, Andreas T1 - Graphene Oxide/Polyvinyl Alcohol–Formaldehyde Composite Loaded by Pb Ions: Structure and Electrochemical Performance N2 - An immobilization of graphene oxide (GO) into a matrix of polyvinyl formaldehyde (PVF) foam as an eco-friendly, low cost, superior, and easily recovered sorbent of Pb ions from an aqueous solution is described. The relationships between the structure and electrochemical properties of PVF/GO composite with implanted Pb ions are discussed for the first time. The number of alcohol groups decreased by 41% and 63% for PVF/GO and the PVF/GO/Pb composite, respectively, compared to pure PVF. This means that chemical bonds are formed between the Pb ions and the PVF/GO composite based on the OH groups. This bond formation causes an increase in the Tg values attributed to the formation of a strong surface complexation between adjacent layers of PVF/GO composite. The conductivity increases by about 2.8 orders of magnitude compared to the values of the PVF/GO/Pb composite compared to the PVF. This means the presence of Pb ions is the main factor for enhancing the conductivity where the conduction mechanism is changed from ionic for PVF to electronic conduction for PVF/GO and PVF/GO/Pb. KW - Graphene oxide KW - Polyvinyl formaldehyde KW - Lead ions KW - Conductivity PY - 2022 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-549588 DO - https://doi.org/10.3390/polym14112303 SN - 2073-4360 VL - 14 IS - 11 SP - 1 EP - 16 PB - MDPI CY - Basel AN - OPUS4-54958 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Raab, A. R. A1 - Grießler, T. R. A1 - Rück, D. A1 - Li, Z. A1 - Zens, A. A1 - Bruckner, J. R. A1 - Huber, P. A1 - Schönhals, Andreas A1 - Szymoniak, Paulina A1 - Laschat, S. T1 - Salt complexation drives liquid crystalline selfassembly in crown ether–amino acid hybrids N2 - Crown ether–amino acid hybrids represent a promising class of amphiphilic molecules combining ion recognition with self-assembly capabilities. Despite extensive studies on their binding properties, the influence of inorganic salt complexation on their liquid crystalline behaviour remains underexplored. Here we synthesized amphiphilic [18]-crown-6 derivatives of L-dihydroxyphenylalanine and tetrahydroisoquinoline analogues, systematically investigating the effects of alkyl chain length and salt type on mesophase formation. Complexation with various salts induced liquid crystalline phases, transitioning from smectic A to columnar hexagonal structures as anion size and alkyl chain length increased. Structural analyses and electron density mapping revealed assembly into charged superdiscs forming columnar stacks with tunable ion channels. Broadband dielectric spectroscopy highlighted differences in molecular mobility and conductivity linked to molecular design. These findings establish salt complexation as a key strategy to control self-assembly and ion transport in crown ether–amino acid hybrids, advancing their potential in responsive soft materials and ion-conductive applications. KW - Ionic liquid crystals PY - 2026 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-655986 DO - https://doi.org/10.1039/d5tc04129e SP - 1 EP - 18 PB - Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC) AN - OPUS4-65598 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Dudziak, Mateusz A1 - Riechers, Birte A1 - Maaß, Robert A1 - Michalchuk, Adam A1 - Schönhals, Andreas A1 - Szymoniak, Paulina T1 - Beyond conventional calorimetry: Unlocking thermal characterization with fast scanning techniques N2 - Fast scanning calorimetry (FSC) has emerged as a transformative technique in thermal analysis, enabling the investigation of rapid and kinetically driven thermal transitions that are inaccessible to conventional differential scanning calorimetry. This review highlights the capabilities enabled by FSC for studying a wide range of materials under extreme thermal conditions, including polymers, pharmaceuticals, metallic glasses, nanocomposites, and hydrogels. By employing ultrafast heating and cooling rates, FSC allows for the suppression of crystallization, resolution of weak transitions, and analysis of thermally labile or size-limited samples. The technique is particularly valuable for probing glass transitions, relaxation phenomena, and phase behavior in systems with complex morphologies or confined geometries. Case studies demonstrate the use of FSC in characterizing vitrification, physical aging, and interfacial dynamics, as well as its application in emerging fields such as additive manufacturing, supramolecular systems, and neuromorphic materials. Together, these examples underscore the role that FSC plays in advancing the understanding of structure-property relationships across diverse material classes. KW - Flash DSC KW - Calorimetry KW - Glass transition PY - 2025 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-647405 DO - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tca.2025.180177 VL - 754 SP - 1 EP - 14 PB - Elsevier B.V. AN - OPUS4-64740 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Linberg, Kevin A1 - Szymoniak, Paulina A1 - Schönhals, Andreas A1 - Emmerling, Franziska A1 - Michalchuk, Adam T1 - The Origin of Delayed Polymorphism in Molecular Crystals Under Mechanochemical Conditions N2 - We show that mechanochemically driven polymorphic transformations can require extremely long induction periods, which can be tuned from hours to days by changing ball milling energy. The robust design and interpretation of ball milling experiments must account for this unexpected kinetics that arises from energetic phenomena unique to the solid state. Detailed thermal analysis, combined with DFT simulations, indicates that these marked induction periods are associated with processes of mechanical activation. Correspondingly, we show that the pre‐activation of reagents can also lead to marked changes in the length of induction periods. Our findings demonstrate a new dimension for exerting control over polymorphic transformations in organic crystals. We expect mechanical activation to have a much broader implication across organic solid‐state mechanochemistry. KW - General Chemistry KW - Catalysis KW - Organic Chemistry PY - 2023 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-589219 DO - https://doi.org/10.1002/chem.202302150 SN - 0947-6539 SP - e202302150 PB - Wiley AN - OPUS4-58921 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Krause, Christina A1 - Szymoniak, Paulina A1 - Lohstroh, W. A1 - Juranyi, F. A1 - Zamponi, M. A1 - Frick, B. A1 - Al-Sabbagh, Dominik A1 - Emmerling, Franziska A1 - Zorn, R. A1 - Schönhals, Andreas T1 - Complex molecular dynamics of symmetric model discotic liquid crystals: Comparison of Hexakis(hepta-alkanoyloxy)triphenylene (HOT6) with Hexakis(hexa-alkyloxy)triphenylene (HAT6) N2 - This study investigates the complex molecular dynamics of discotic liquid crystals (DLCs) by comparing two structurally similar compounds: Hexakis(hepta-alkanoyloxy)triphenylene (HOT6) and Hexakis(hexa-alkyloxy)triphenylene (HAT6) having the same triphenyl core and the same length of the alkyl side chain. The difference of both materials is that the alkyl chain is linked by an oxygen bridge to the triphenylene core for HAT6 and by a ester group for HOT6. Using a combination of broadband dielectric spectroscopy, differential scanning calorimetry, X-ray scattering, and neutron scattering techniques, the research explores the glass transition phenomena and relaxation processes in these materials. HOT6, featuring ester linkages, exhibits distinct dynamic behavior compared to HAT6, including two separate glass transitions indicated by the 1- and 2-relaxation found by dielectric spectroscopy which are assigned to the glassy dynamics of the alkyl side chain in the intercolumnar space and that of the columns, respectively. The study reveals that the ester group in HOT6 leads to increased molecular rigidity and altered packing in the intercolumnar space, as evidenced by X-ray scattering and the vibrational density of states. Neutron scattering confirms localized methyl group rotations and a further relaxation process which relates to the -relaxation revealed by dielectric spectroscopy. The findings contribute to a deeper understanding of glassy dynamics in partially ordered systems and highlight the influence of molecular architecture on relaxation behavior in DLCs. KW - Discotic Liquid Crystals PY - 2026 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-655171 DO - https://doi.org/10.1039/d5sm01247c SN - 1744-6848 SP - 1 EP - 17 PB - Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC) AN - OPUS4-65517 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Fahmy, A. A1 - Saeed, A. A1 - Dawood, U. A1 - Abdelbary, H. A1 - Altmann, Korinna A1 - Schönhals, Andreas T1 - Nano-MnO2/xanthan gum composite films for NO2 gas sensing N2 - Nowadays, sensors based on polymers/nanostructured metal oxide composites have been investigated exten-sively because of their sensitivity to NO2 gas at ambient temperature. In this work, nanocomposite membranes of xanthan gum (XG) with different contents of MnO2 nanoparticles were prepared as a potential NO2 gas sensor operating at room temperature by a simple one-step oxidation-reduction reaction. The structural, morphological, thermal, and electrical properties of the composite membrane were investigated. The FT-IR results confirm the successful preparation of MnO2 through the oxidation of XG by KMnO4 and reveal further the structural changes of the XG/MnO2 nanocomposite upon its exposure to NO2 gas. The capping of the synthesized MnO2 nano-particles by XG, the surface composition of the XG/MnO2 nanocomposite membranes, and the effect of NO2 gas on the surface composition was investigated using the XPS technique. The DC conductivity and dielectric loss of nanocomposites were higher than for neat XG. The conductivities of the nanocomposites XG/MO-4, XG/MO-4/ low NO2, and XG/MO-4/high NO2 composites are half, one, and three orders of magnitude higher than that for pure XG revealing a transition from insulating to conductive properties. The results demonstrated that XG/MnO2 nanocomposite membranes are promising for potential applications in NO2 gas sensing. KW - Gas sensors KW - Membranes KW - Metal oxides KW - Nanocomposites KW - Semiconductors PY - 2022 DO - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.matchemphys.2022.127277 SN - 0254-0584 VL - 296 SP - 1 EP - 14 PB - Elsevier B.V. AN - OPUS4-56769 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Saeed, A. M. A1 - Saied, M. A. A1 - Szymoniak, Paulina A1 - Altmann, Korinna A1 - Schönhals, Andreas A1 - Fahmy, Alaa T1 - High performance novel polyelectrolyte membrane consisting of polyvinyl alcohol-phenylsilanol-polypyrrole N2 - The synthesis of composite membranes based on PVA, PPy, and sulfonated–hydrolyzed TMPS was investigated for application in proton–exchange membrane fuel cells. FT–IR confirmed the hydrolysis of TMPS through the appearance of Si–OH vibrations, disappearance of Si–O–CH3 bands, reduced CH3 stretching intensity (2840 cm− 1), and successful sulfonation of the phenyl ring (1030 cm− 1). XPS verified the introduction of sulfonic acid groups by identifying S2p peaks between 166–170 eV. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) showed an incorporation of PPy and that the membrane morphology altered by silanol leading to an increased surface roughness and inducing phase separation in comparison to pure PVA. The PVA–PPy–Si membrane which did not undergo phase separation demonstrated improved mechanical stability (maximum stress 5.91 MPa), reduced methanol uptake (22%, lower than Nafion’s 30%), and enhanced thermal resistance compared to PVA–PPy and PVA–Si. It also exhibited a high ion–exchange capacity (1.5mmol g− 1, exceeding Nafion® at 0.9mmol g− 1 ) and a proton conductivity of 0.036 S/cm, twice that of Nafion 117. These combined properties identify the PVA–PPy–Si composite as a promising high–performance polyelectrolyte membrane for fuel cell applications. KW - Polyelectrolyte membrane PY - 2026 DO - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apsusc.2026.166495 SN - 1873-5584 VL - 731 SP - 1 EP - 11 PB - Elsevier B.V. AN - OPUS4-65627 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Schönhals, Andreas T1 - Molecular dynamics of liquid-crystalline copolymethacrylates containing cholesterol as mesogenic groups T2 - Fall Meeting American Chemical Society CY - New Orleans, LA, USA DA - 1999-08-22 PY - 1999 AN - OPUS4-11311 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Krause, Christina A1 - Zorn, R. A1 - Emmerling, Franziska A1 - Falkenhagen, Jana A1 - Frick, B. A1 - Huber, P. A1 - Schönhals, Andreas T1 - Vibrational density of states of triphenylene based discotic liquid crystals: dependence on the length of the alkyl chain N2 - The vibrational density of states of a series of homologous triphenylene-based discotic liquid crystals HATn (n = 5, 6, 8, 10, 12) depending on the length of the aliphatic side chain is investigated by means of inelastic neutron scattering. All studied materials have a plastic crystalline phase at low temperatures, followed by a hexagonally ordered liquid crystalline phase at higher temperatures and a quasi isotropic phase at the highest temperatures. The X-ray scattering pattern for the plastic crystalline phase of all materials shows a sharp Bragg reflection corresponding to the intercolumnar distance in the lower q-range and a peak at circa 17 nm-1 related to intracolumnar distances between the cores perpendicular to the columns as well as a broad amorphous halo related to the disordered structure of the methylene groups in the side chains in the higher q-range. The intercolumnar distance increases linearly with increasing chain length for the hexagonal columnar ordered liquid crystalline phase. A similar behaviour is assumed for the plastic crystalline phase. Besides n = 8 all materials under study exhibit a Boson peak. With increasing chain length, the frequency of the Boson peak decreases and its intensity increases. This can be explained by a self-organized confinement model. The peaks for n = 10, 12 are much narrower than for n = 5, 6 which might imply the transformation from a rigid system to a softer one with increasing chain length. Moreover the results can also be discussed in the framework of a transition from an uncorrelated to a correlated disorder with increasing n where n = 8 might be speculatively considered as a transitional state. KW - X-ray scattering KW - Neutron scattering KW - Differential scanning calorimetry PY - 2014 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-304789 DO - https://doi.org/10.1039/c3cp55303e SN - 1463-9076 SN - 1463-9084 VL - 16 IS - 16 SP - 7324 EP - 7333 PB - The Royal Soc. of Chemistry CY - Cambridge AN - OPUS4-30478 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER -