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Composites containing 4-n-octyl-4?-cyanobiphenyl (8CB) either confined to nanopores of molecular sieves with very large pores or coating silica nanoparticles of aerosil type at high silica-to-8CB ratios are investigated by IR spectroscopy. Band shape analysis was performed in wavenumber regions in which the peaks due to CN stretching, CH stretching and CH out-of-plane vibrations appear. Some of molecules confined to molecular sieves show spectroscopic features characteristic to a bulk-like 8CB matter located in the centre of the pores or in the inter-grain space. Other features of the IR spectra are due to 8CB molecules located in the surface layer, mostly forming hydrogen bonds between their CN groups and surface OH groups. Another part of the 8CB molecules in the surface layer may also interact by ? electrons of the aromatic rings. Hydrogen bonding is less hindered for the molecules of the surface layers onto aerosil particles than inside pores of the molecular sieves. Comparison is also made with the case of composites based on molecular sieves with small pores.
Thermal analysis measurements were applied to study the behavior of composite systems containing a nematic liquid crystal (LC), 4-n-octyl-4?-cyanobiphenyl (8CB) and aerosil particles. The silica density ?s (g of silica per 1 cm3 of LC) was varied from 0.20 to 12 g/cm3 in order to approach the monomolecular structure of the surface layer. Thus, thermogravimetric (TG) measurements were performed to get information on the LC content of the samples. Moreover, they allowed an unusual application, to characterize the interaction of 8CB molecules with aerosil surface because the corresponding curves show multistep processes the temperatures of which depend on the silica density. Differential thermal analysis (DTA) also indicates several processes. Some of them, mostly due to desorption, are endothermal. Other processes are exothermal, and these are assigned to chemical transformations. The sample with silica density of 12 g/cm3 has no endothermal desorption peak at low temperatures, and has the highest shift for the DTA peaks. It was supposed that its surface layer has a monomolecular structure. For representative samples, TGDTA studies were supported by FTIR investigations. Thus conventional TGDTA techniques have provided new tools to characterize the nanocomposites. Differential scanning calorimetry gives the behavior of the phase transitions. Samples with low silica density exhibit a depression of the phase transition temperatures characteristic for the bulk 8CB while those with high silica densities do not show any phase transitions.
The molecular dynamics of a side-chain polymer liquid crystal with a poly(methyl acrylate) backbone and a (p-alkoxy-phenyl)-benzoate mesogenic group have been studied in the unaligned state as a function of temperature and pressure using dielectric spectroscopy. Polarizing optical microscopy, differential scanning calorimetry, and pressure-volume-temperature (PVT) measurements revealed three transition temperatures separating four phases (glass, smectic, nematic, and isotropic). Different dynamic processes have been identified reflecting librational modes (? process), local relaxation of the mesogenic group (? process), the segmental mode (? process) associated with the dynamic glass transition, and a slower process (? process) reflecting the side-chain dynamics within the liquid crystal order. Pressure exerts a stronger influence on the ? as compared to the ? process. Starting from the nematic phase, pressure was found to induce the nematic-to-smectic transformation. The associated dynamic changes were in excellent agreement with the PVT results implying that the dynamics are directly coupled to the thermodynamic state. Pressure was found to enhance the stability of the smectic order within the P-T phase diagram.
The glassy dynamics of poly(propylene glycol) (PPG) and poly(dimethyl siloxane) (PDMS) confined to a nanoporous host system revealed by dielectric spectroscopy, temperature-modulated DSC and neutron scattering is compared. For both systems the relaxation rates estimated from dielectric spectroscopy and temperature-modulated DSC agree quantitatively indicating that both experiments sense the glass transition. For PPG the segmental dynamics is determined by a counterbalance of adsorption and confinement effect. The former results form an interaction of the confined macromolecules with the internal surfaces. A confinement effect originates from an inherent length scale on which the underlying molecular motions take place. The increment of the specific-heat capacity at the glass transition vanishes at a finite length scale of 1.8 nm. Both results support the conception that a characteristic length scale is relevant for glassy dynamics. For PDMS only a confinement effect is observed which is much stronger than that for PPG. Down to a pore size of 7.5 nm, the temperature dependence of the relaxation times follows the Vogel-Fulcher-Tammann dependence. At a pore size of 5 nm this changes to an Arrhenius-like behaviour with a low activation energy. At the same pore size vanishes for PDMS. Quasielastic neutron scattering experiments reveal that also the diffusive character of the relevant molecular motions --found to be characteristic above the glass transition-- seems to disappear at this length scale. These results gives further strong support that the glass transition has to be characterised by an inherent length scale of the relevant molecular motions.
Dielectric spectroscopy in the frequency range from 10-2 to 106 Hz and in the temperature range from 190 to 440 K is employed to study the effect of azobenzene concentration on the dielectric relaxation processes of an amorphous comb-like copolymethacrylate. Four concentrations (x=29, 45.5, 54, and 74.5 mol%) of photochromic group 4-amino-azobenzene were investigated, where as comonomer a methacrylate unit having a derivative of benzanilide in the side group is used. Two prominent processes, the ?-relaxation at low temperatures which is related to rotational fluctuations of the mesogenic unit around its long axes and the dynamic glass transition (?-relaxation, segmental dynamics) at higher temperatures are observed for all azobenzene concentrations. In addition in between the ?- and the ?-relaxation a ??-process is observed for the polymers with the two lowest azobenzene concentrations, which seems to be related to the azobenzene unit. The dependence of the dielectric strength and the relaxation rate of the relaxation processes on the azobenzene concentration is discussed and interpreted in a simple phenomenological model, where also data obtained by semi empirical quantum chemical calculations are used.
This work presents some results obtained by confining octylcyanobiphenyl (8CB) to the pores of two SBA-15 type host materials: a silica SBA-15 (pores of 10.2 nm) and an aluminum containing AlSBA-15 (pores of 7.5 nm). The LC molecules were loaded inside the pores from a solution in acetone, in a percentage higher than 70% from the maximum possible loading. It was observed that the 8CB molecules confined to molecular sieves may preserve the phase transitions characteristic for the bulk LC provided that the confining pores are sufficiently large, as offered by SBA materials. However, present guest-host interactions play an important role in these phase transitions. Such a behavior is at variance with the 8CB confined to Controlled Porous Glass with the same pore dimensions, for which the bulk-like phase transitions can be always observed.
Molecular dynamics of 4n-octylcyanobiphenyl confined to nanoporous molecular sieves of SBA-type
(2002)
Unusual relaxation behavior of water inside the sodalite cages of faujasite-type molecular sieves
(2002)
Dielectric spectroscopy and temperature-modulated differential scanning calorimetry are employed to study the molecular dynamics of oligomeric poly(propylene glycol) (PPG) melts of different molecular weights confined to nanoporous glasses (pore sizes 2.5, 5.0, 7.5 and 20 nm). Moreover, the results obtained for the polymers are compared with those for the corresponding monomer. The experimental results are discussed in the framework of the interplay of confinement and adsorption effects. For large pore sizes (> 5 nm) a speeding up of the molecular dynamics is observed (the confinement effect), whereas for small pore sizes (< 5 nm) a slowing down of the segmental fluctuations is found (the adsorption effect). In addition, a minimal length scale for the glass transition of 1.6 nm is estimated for PPG confined in nanoporous glasses. This supports the idea that the molecular motions responsible for the glassy dynamics must be describable by a characteristic length scale.
Polarized Raman scattering investigations are carried out to investigate the conformations of the macromolecules inside the pores. These experiments show that the confined polymer chains are locally stretched. This effect increases with decreasing pore size.
Polymers synthesized with plasma techniques are very interesting materials for electronic, optic, and bio compatible applications. Thin films of plasma polymers shows a good adhesion to metals, glass, or other polymers. But the supramolecular structure, the durability, and the chemical and mechanical behavior of these polymers is poorly understood. Therefore dielectric investigations are carried out to study the dynamic behavior of the plasma polymers. As polymer system allyl alcohol/alkene is chosen to get polymers with a defined concentration of hydroxyl groups. The dielectric investigations shows several relaxation processes and a dependency of the dielectric parameters from the ratio of allyl alcohol in the polymer is observed. This results indicated that the alkene monomers were assembled continuous into the polymer matrix.
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.
By measuring the complex dielectric function over 15 decades of frequency, the temperature dependence of the mean relaxation time and of the dielectric strength is evaluated for six low-molecular-weight glass-forming liquids and one polymeric melt. For the first time it could be shown that a universal correlation exists between both these quantities with a sharp defined crossover behaviour in the frequency range between 107 Hz and 108 Hz. So two dynamical different regions of the a-relaxation can be distinguished non-ambiguously.
Dielectric spectroscopy and temperature modulated DSC are employed to study the molecular dynamics of oligomeric poly(propylene glycol) (PPG) melts of different molecular weights confined to nanoporous glasses (pore sizes 2.5, 5.0, 7.5 and 20 nm). Moreover the results obtained for the polymer are compared with the corresponding monomer. For large pore sizes an acceleration of the segmental dynamics compared to the bulk state is observed which is already known for low molecular-weight glass forming liquids. For smaller pore sizes the molecular dynamics is slower than in the bulk. The observed behavior is nearly independent of the molar mass of the polymer and of the treatment of internal glass surfaces. The experimental results are discussed in the frame of an interplay of confinement and adsorption effects. Moreover a length scale of about 1.6 nm is estimated as a minimal length scale for the cooperativity for the glass transition. In addition to the ?-relaxation the whole chain dynamics (normal mode relaxation) can be measured by dielectric spectroscopy because PPG has a dipole component parallel to the chain. For virgin internal surfaces the relaxation rate of the normal mode relaxation is shifted dramatically to lower relaxation rates. That can be explained by adsorption effects. For treated surfaces this effect is strongly reduced and it is concluded that also in this case the chain dynamics are influenced by geometric (confinement) effects.
On the mobility of sodium ions and of confined liquid crystals in molecular sieves of faujasite type
(2002)
Broadband dielectric spectroscopy (10-2109 Hz) was employed to study in a rather large temperature interval the molecular dynamics of the composite systems containing a nematic liquid crystal (LC), 4-n-pentyl-4?-cyanobiphenyl, confined to NaY, a zeolite with faujasite structure. Thermal analysis was also performed in order to get information concerning the loading of the zeolite and the possible phase transitions. No phase transitions and no relaxation processes of the LC molecules inside the pores were observed. But remarkably, in the presence of these molecules the dielectric behavior of the faujasite host changes due to modifications appeared in the mobility of Na+ ions.
Dielectric spectroscopy has been used to study poly(ethylene naphthalene 2,6 dicarboxylate) (PEN) samples of different morphologies obtained by thermally treating bi-axially stretched PEN films. Neat and thermally treated samples of PEN films have been characterised by differential scanning calorimetry in order to measure the glass transition and melting temperatures as well as the degrees of crystallinity. Dielectric analysis has allowed the observation of the evolution of molecular relaxation phenomena with morphology changes and has revealed three relaxation processes: ?-, ?*- and ?-relaxation (increasing temperature). The ?-relaxation is associated with local motions of ester and the ?*-relaxation with partially cooperative motions of naphthalene groups. The latter has been shown to be related to the morphology of the materials under study. The ?-relaxation associated to the glass transition of PEN corresponds to cooperative motions induced by conformational rearrangements of the main chain and depends also on the morphology of the PEN films. Dielectric relaxation behaviours were compared using the activation energies calculated from Arrhenius equation formalism for the two sub-glass processes. VogelFulcherTammann fits were performed on the ?-relaxation. Our important contribution for the bi-axially stretched PEN films study is related to the assignment of the ?*-relaxation that can be attributed to naphthalene aggregates.
Unusual relaxation behavior of water inside the sodalite cages of faujasite-type molecular sieves
(2002)
Broad-band dielectric spectroscopy (10-2 to 109 Hz) is applied to investigate the molecular dynamics of NaY, a zeolite of faujasite structure. A dc conductivity contribution and three relaxation processes were revealed in the dielectric spectra. The relaxation process in the high-frequency range ascribed to orientational fluctuations of water molecules inside the sodalite cages is studied in detail. As a main result it is found that its mean relaxation time has an unusual saddle-like temperature dependence, which obeys neither an Arrhenius nor a Vogel-Fulcher-Tammann law. A quantitative description was given on the basis of a model recently developed by Feldman et al. (J. Phys. Chem. B 2001, 105, 1845) to analyze the dynamics of water confined in nanoporous glasses. Reasonable values for the activation energies of orientational fluctuations and of defect formation as well as for the defect concentration were obtained.
The dielectric and dynamic mechanical behaviour of bi-stretched non-treated and annealed semicrystalline poly(ethylene 2,6-naphthalene dicarboxylate) (PEN) films are studied as a function of different morphologies obtained by thermal treatments at temperatures close to the melting temperature of a semicrystalline film. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) shows that the glass transition temperatures do not change significantly with the thermal treatment for bi-stretched films. However, the melting temperatures and the degree of crystallinity increase with the value of annealing temperature. Both dielectric relaxation spectroscopy (DRS) and dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA) display three relaxation processes. In order of decreasing temperature, can be observed: the ?-relaxation due to the glass transition, the ?*-process assigned to cooperative molecular motions of the naphthalene groups which aggregate and the ?-relaxation due to local fluctuations of the carbonyl groups. The ?-relaxation process shifts to higher temperatures for the 250 and 260 °C treated bi-stretched semicrystalline samples compared to the sample thermally treated at 240 °C according to DRS data but shifts to lower temperatures according to the DMA measurements for the three annealed samples. This discrepency results from the different sensitivity of each methods with regards to the release of orientation. At a fixed frequency the temperature associated to ?*-relaxation is lower for the non-treated bi-stretched semicrystalline samples than for the treated ones using DMA but no difference can be seen in DRS. The associated apparent activation energies are rather high which suggest cooperative motions. It is assumed that the orientation of the samples prevents coupling between the naphthalene groups due to the stretched chain configuration in the amorphous phase. The activation energy for the ?-process given by DRS is independent of the thermal treatment and the value agrees with those found for poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) and amorphous PEN. Evidence of the decrease of orientation in the sample with thermal treatment can be seen via the onset of mobility, both by DRS and DMA. Thus, the orientation induces a greater change of properties compared to the crystalline samples obtained from the thermal treatment of an amorphous sample. Finally, a three phase model is proposed since there is evidence of a rigid amorphous phase present in PEN biaxially stretched samples which was favoured by the dependence of dielectric relaxation strengths on the degree of crystallinity for the ?*- and ?-relaxation.
The effect of a nanometer confinement on the molecular dynamics of poly(methyl phenyl siloxane) (PMPS) was studied by dielectric spectroscopy (DK), temperature modulated DSC (TMDSC) and neutron scattering (NS). DK and TMDSC experiments show that for PMPS in 7.5 nm pores the molecular dynamics is faster than in the bulk which originates from an inherent length scale of the underlying molecular motions. At a pore size of 5 nm the temperature dependence of the relaxations times changes from a Vogel-Fulcher-Tammann like behavior to an Arrhenius one. At the same pore size Dcp vanishes. These results give strong support that the glass transition has to be characterized by an inherent length scale of the relevant molecular motions. Quasielastic neutron scattering experiments reveal a strong change even in the microscopic dynamic.
The retention of chemical structure and functional groups during pulsed plasma polymerization was used for producing adhesion-promoting plasma polymer layers with high concentrations of exclusively one kind of functional groups, such as OH, NH2, or COOH. The maximum content of functional groups was 31 OH using allyl alcohol, 18 NH2 using allylamine, or 24 COOH per 100 C atoms using acrylic acid. To vary the density of functional groups, chemical co-polymerization with ethylene as 'chain-extending' co-monomer, or butadiene as 'chemical crosslinker' was initiated in the pulsed plasma. The composition of these co-polymers was investigated by XPS and IR spectroscopy. The concentrations of functional groups were measured by derivatizing with fluorine-containing reagents and using XPS. A set of plasma parameters was found to be a good compromise between a high number of functional groups and complete insolubility in water, ethanol or THF,which is needed for further chemical processing. Here, these monotype-functionalized surfaces were used in metal-polymer systems as adhesion-promoting interlayers to examine the influence of type and density of functional groups on adhesion. As expected, COOH- and OH-group-terminated interlayers showed maximum peel strengths to evaporated aluminium layers. The adhesion increased linearly with the number of OH groups to a maximum at about 27 OH per 100 C atoms. Higher concentrations of OH groups did not increase the peel strength further.
This new functionalization method consists of the deposition of very thin plasma polymer layers (20 to 100 nm) of functional group bearing monomers in pulsed plasma. With allylalcohol, a maximum of 30 OH groups per 100 C atoms was measured with a selectivity of about 90% and a significant stability at long-time exposure to air. Allylamine was used to produce primary amino groups, with a maximum of 18 NH2 groups per 100 C atoms. Side reactions were observed during the storage in air, such as oxidation of the amino groups. Carboxylic groups could be produced using acrylic acid with a maximum concentration of 24 COOH groups per 100 C atoms. The most prominent side reaction was the decarbonylation/ decarboxylation of the acid group during plasma deposition.___TAGSTART___BR___TAGEND___ The variation of the density of functional groups using the pulsed-plasma polymerization of functional-group-bearing monomers was possible by the chemically-initiated radical copolymerization with either a chain-extending monomer, such as ethylene, or a cross linker, such as butadiene, in plasma. The density of functional groups could be adjusted continuously (0 to 30 OH, 0 to 18 NH2 and 0 to 24 COOH groups per 100 C atoms).___TAGSTART___BR___TAGEND___ The successful application of these densely functionalized polymer surfaces for producing biocompatible surfaces and for use in metalpolymer composites is proposed.
The glassy dynamics of poly(propylene glycol) (PPG) and poly(methyl phenyl siloxane) (PMPS) confined to nanoporous glasses (pore sizes 2.520 nm) investigated by dielectric spectroscopy, temperature modulated DSC and neutron scattering is compared. For both systems the relaxation rates estimated from dielectric spectroscopy and temperature modulated DSC agree quantitatively indicating that both experiments sense the glass transition.
For PPG the glassy dynamics in nanopores is determined by a counterbalance of an adsorption and a confinement effect where the temperature dependence of the relaxation times obeys the Vogel/Fulcher/Tammann (VFT-) equation. The former effect results from an interaction of the confined macromolecules with the internal surfaces which in general slows down the molecular dynamics. A confinement effect leads to an acceleration of the segmental dynamics compared to the bulk state and points to an inherent length scale on which the glassy dynamics takes place. The step of the specific heat capacity Deltacp at the glass transition vanishes at a finite length scale of 1.8 nm. This result supports further the conception that a characteristic length scale is relevant for glassy dynamics.
For PMPS down to a pore size of 7.5 nm the temperature dependence of the relaxation times follows the VFT-dependence and a confinement effect is observed like for PPG. At a pore size of 5 nm this changes to an Arrhenius-like behavior with a low activation energy. At the same pore size Deltacp vanishes for PMPS. This points to a dramatic change in the character of molecular motions responsible for glassy dynamics and supports further the relevance of a characteristic length scale on which it takes place.
Quasielastic neutron scattering experiments on PMPS reveal that the microscopic dynamics characterized by the mean square displacement depends on confinement above the glass transition. The diffusive character of the relevant molecular motions seems to disappear at a length scale of about 1.6 nm.
Self-Diffusion of Poly(Propylene Glycol) Confined to Nanoporous Glasses by Pulsed Field Gradient NMR
(2004)
The Behaviour of Polymers Confined to Nanoporous Glasses Investigated by Relaxation Experiment
(2004)
Polymere in nanoporösen Gläsern: Was können wir von Relaxations- und Streuexperimenten lernen?
(2003)
The molecular dynamics of 4-n-octyl-4'-cyanobiphenyl (8CB) confined to the nanopores of new SBA-type molecular sieves was investigated in a wide temperature range using broadband dielectric spectroscopy (10-2109 Hz). One molecular sieve has a hexagonal structure of the pores while the other is a cellular nanoporous material. To explore the extent of surface interaction effects a high and a low filling degree were considered.
For the molecular sieves with a high filling degree two relaxation regions were observed: a bulk-like relaxation process related to molecules, which behave as mesophase, located in the centre of the pores. The second relaxation process has a much lower relaxation rate than the former and is assigned to molecules located in a surface layer. The temperature dependence of its relaxation rates follows the VogelFulcherTammann law, characteristic for glassy dynamics.
For samples with a low filling degree only one relaxation process due to the surface layer was observed. Moreover, especially at the temperatures lower than the melting point of bulk 8CB, its relaxation rate is situated between the characteristic frequencies of the two relaxation processes observed for the pores with a high filling degree. This behaviour gives a measure of the extension of the influence of the wall on the neighbouring 8CB molecules. In addition, the differences revealed by the molecule dynamics inside the two types of nanoporous materials are related to both surface interactions and geometrical constraints.
Inelastic neutron scattering for investigating the dynamics of confined glass-forming liquids
(2005)
Inelastic neutron scattering was employed over recent years to investigate the influence of spatial confinement on the dynamics of glass-forming systems. We review the common phenomena observed by neutron scattering in such different confining hosts like porous glasses, molecular sieves, clays or free standing polymer films, which impose a spatial limitation to the motion of small organic molecules, oligomers or polymers. Near the glass transition temperature the mean squared displacements of the confined molecules show clear deviations from the bulk behavior. The observed increase or decrease of the mean squared displacements confirms the high relevance of the interface interaction near walls of confining media without excluding additional real confinement effects. We show a new comparison of the mean squared displacement for PDMS and PMPS in bulk and in different type of restricting geometries, which evidence a weak influence of the restricting geometry on the local methyl group motion, but a strong influence on the glass transition dynamics, if wall interactions are taken into account. Strong wall interaction is also supported by the intermediate scattering function, measured either by combining neutron backscattering and time-of-flight experiments to cover 3 decades in time from ns to ps or by neutron spin echo, which reveal above Tg an increasing elastic fraction with decreasing pore size and a slowing down of the dynamics. Furthermore we show that a reduction of modes below the Boson peak frequency is a more general feature of confined glass-forming systems.
The thermal behaviors of amorphous PEN films uniaxially stretched above and below Tg have been characterized by Temperature Modulated DSC. When drawing is performed above Tg, the degree of crystallinity and the glass transition temperature Tg increase with increasing drawing ratio. PEN samples stretched below Tg are more crystalline than when stretched above Tg. Moreover the cold crystallization phenomenon disappears with drawing as a result of the mechanically induced crystallization. Broadband dielectric spectroscopy has also been used to study the influence of the orientation on the molecular mobility of PEN to gain insight into the microscopic origin of the relaxation processes in the transverse direction i.e. when the electric field is perpendicular to the stretching direction. Dielectric relaxation phenomena are thus discussed as a function of the microstructure (orientation, crystallinity). The α-relaxation dynamics associated with the glass transition are largely slowed down by the drawing process and the relaxation strength decreases. This can be related to a transformation of the amorphous phase into (i) crystalline, (ii) rigid amorphous fraction (RAF) and/or constrained amorphous phase with lower molecular mobility due to the crystallization induced by the orientation process. In contrast, the dynamics of the ß*-relaxation are apparently increased and the activation energy for the uniaxially stretched samples decreases compared to the unstretched isotropic amorphous state. If the ß*-relaxation is assigned to the presence of naphthalene aggregates, this leads to the conclusion that stretching is structurally altering the naphthalene aggregates (creation of defective aggregates that induces a higher molecular mobility) or orientation is selecting the faster motions active for ß*. The ß-relaxation which corresponds to more local motions implying reorientation of the ester groups seems to be broad and composed of two components as in the case of PET: the ß1- and ß2-relaxations. While the high frequency ß1-component relaxation strength is increasing significantly with the deformation below Tg, that of the ß2-process is more related to the presence of water.
Dielectric spectroscopy in combination with temperature modulated differential scanning calorimetry and quasielastic/inelastic neutron scattering are employed to investigate the molecular (glassy) dynamics of poly(dimethyl siloxane) (PDMS) and poly(methyl phenyl siloxane) (PMPS) confined to random nanoporous glasses with nominal pore sizes between 2.5 nm and 20 nm. Inside the pores PDMS and PMPS have faster molecular dynamics than in the bulk state. Down to a pore size of 7.5 nm the temperature dependence of the relaxation times (or rates) obeys the Vogel/Fulcher/Tammann (VFT) equation where the data obtained from dielectric and thermal spectroscopy agree quantitatively. At a pore size of 5 nm this VFT-like temperature dependence changes to an Arrhenius behavior. At the same confining length scale the increment of the specific heat capacity at Tg normalized to the weight of the confined polymer vanishes. The results indicate that a minimal length scale seems to be relevant for glassy dynamics in both polymers although the estimated length scale of about 5 nm seems to a bit too large in comparison to other experimental results and theoretical approaches. Neutron scattering is employed to investigate methyl group reorientation and the fast segmental dynamics of both polymers in confinement. Although the methyl group rotation is a localized process these experiments show that a part of the methyl groups is immobilized by the confinement whereas the effects for PDMS are much more pronounced than for PMPS. With regard to the segmental dynamics, neutron scattering reveals a big difference in the behavior of both polymers. Whereas the data obtained for PMPS are in accord with a boundary layer formed at the surfaces of the nanopores, for PDMS a considerable amount of elastic scattering is observed. To explain this result it is assumed that some structure formation of PDMS takes place in the nanopores, although the thermal data show no crystallization or melting effects.
The Behaviour of Polymers confined to Nanoporous Glasses investigated by Relaxation Experiments
(2004)
The rotational molecular dynamics of water confined to nanoporous molecular sieves of a regular hexagonal (SBA-15) and of a foamlike pore structure was studied by dielectric spectroscopy in the frequency range from 10-2 to 109 Hz and in a broad temperature interval. Two relaxation processes were observed: the process at lower frequencies is related to water molecules forming a layer, which is strongly adsorbed at the pore surface, whereas the relaxation process at higher frequencies is assigned to fluctuations of water molecules situated close to the center of the pore. The relaxation times of the low-frequency process for both materials and of the high-frequency process for the SBA-15 material have an unusual saddlelike temperature dependence, reported here for the first time. To describe this temperature dependence, a model developed for water confined to nanoporous glasses by Ryabov et al. [J. Phys. Chem. B 2001, 105, 1845] was applied, which considers two competing effects. The characteristic features of these two competing processes were compared with those reported for other porous systems.
A series of amorphous photochromic homo- and copolymethacrylates with an azobenzene moiety in the side group is investigated systematically by optical and dielectric spectroscopy. The aliphatic ester component of the comonomer unit and the concentration of the azobenzene groups within the copolymer are varied. The kinetics and the temperature dependence of the E/Z (trans/cis) photoisomerization and of the thermal Z/E (cis/trans) isomerization is studied for spin-coated films of the polymers. To understand the polarity of the polymeric materials as well as the matrix dependence of the reactions and of the photoinduced reorientation processes in the steady state molecular dynamics is investigated by dielectric spectroscopy. A variety of relaxation processes is observed: a γ-relaxation at low temperatures followed by a β-, an α-, and a δ-process. Additionally at room temperature a new -relaxation is detected for polymers containing azobenzene moieties. The temperature dependence of the reaction rate of the thermal Z/E isomerization process measured by optical spectroscopy seems to correlate with the values of the β'-process. A correspondence between dielectric and photochemical behavior is discussed.
Temperature modulated DSC (TMDSC) in the frequency range from 10-3 Hz to 3.4 10-2 Hz and dielectric spectroscopy in the frequency range from 10-2 Hz to 106 Hz is employed to analyze the temperature dependence of the relaxation rates of the - and of the -relaxation of a liquid crystalline polymethacrylate having a derivative of (p-alkoxy-phenyl)-benzoate as mesogenic unit in the side group. Especially the molecular assignment of the -relaxation was discussed controversial in the literature up to now. By applying a temperature derivative method it was found that the temperature dependencies of the relaxation rates of the dielectric -relaxation and of the dynamic glass transition measured by TMDSC can be described by Vogel/Fulcher/Tammann laws with the same Vogel temperature. Therefore it is argued that the dielectric -relaxation of liquid crystalline polymers is rather due to the dynamic glass transition related to the segmental dynamics of the backbone than to the transverse dipole component of the mesogenic unit.
The crosslinking kinetic of a thin polymeric layer based on a prepolymer of a phthalic aciddiallylester was studied by real-time dielectric spectroscopy in the frequency range from 10-1 to 105 Hz. With increasing reaction time the real part of the dielectric function ε ´ decreases. The time dependence of ε ´ can be described by a stretched exponential function with a stretching exponent of 0.5. This means that the influence of the chemical reaction on ε ´ cannot be described by a first order kinetic. From the temperature dependence of the characteristic time constant an activation energy of 71 kJ/mol could be estimated for the reaction. From the dielectric loss data the change of the relaxation rate of the dynamic glass transition fpα with the reaction time is obtained. After a temperature dependent induction period fpα decreases very strongly. No plateau value which corresponds to a glass transition in the crosslinked system is obtained for long reaction times.
Dielectric Study of Molecular Mobility in Poly(propylene-graft-maleic anhydride)/Clay Nanocomposites
(2005)
Polymer/clay nanocomposite materials based on poly(propylene-graft-maleic anhydride) (PPgMAH) and two different organophilic modified clays were investigated by dielectric relaxation spectroscopy (DRS). In contrast to ungrafted polypropylene (PP), PPgMAH shows a dielectrically active relaxation process which can be assigned to localized fluctuations of the polar maleic anhydride groups. Its relaxation rate exhibits an unusual temperature dependence, which could be attributed to a redistribution of water molecules in the polymeric matrix. This is confirmed by a combination of Raman spectroscopy and thermogravimetric experiments (TGA) with real-time dielectric measurements under controlled atmospheres. In the nanocomposites this relaxation process is shifted to higher frequencies up to 3 orders of magnitude compared to the unfilled polymer. This indicates a significantly enhanced molecular mobility in the interfacial regions. In the nanocomposite materials a separate high-temperature process due to Maxwell-Wagner-Sillars (MWS) polarization was observed. The time constant of this MWS process can be correlated with characteristic length scales in nanocomposites and therefore provides additional information on dispersion and delamination/exfoliation of clay platelets in these materials. These properties also influence the diffusivity of the water molecules as revealed by real-time dielectric investigations.
In this article, results on the microscopic dynamics of a low-molecular glass former and a polymer confined in nanoporous silica obtained by inelastic neutron scattering are presented. By combining time-of-flight spectroscopy and backscattering spectroscopy we are able to cover a large dynamical range, from the low-frequency vibrations to the relaxation. The most prominent effect was observed on the boson peak in the vibrational spectrum. A strong reduction of the modes at lowest frequencies could be observed in both cases. The main effect on the relaxation is a broadening for the salol system. For the polymeric system a difference of the confinement influence on the methyl-group rotation and the relaxation can be detected from a first qualitative interpretation of the data.
Molecules in nanometre confinement investigated by dieletric spectroscopy and related techniques
(2006)
Broadband dielectric spectroscopy (BDS), specific heat spectroscopy (HCS) and capacitive scanning dilatometry (CSD) are used to study the glass transition and segmental dynamics in thin supported polystyrene (PS) films. Different molecular weights (Mw = 50 kg/mol, Mw = 260 kg/mol, Mw = 1408 kg/mol) and annealing protocols are employed in the study. The segmental dynamics is independent of the film thickness for each Mw in the temperature window of the dielectric measurement. The thermal glass transition temperature, Tg, measured by CSD depends on the film thickness and shows also a dependence on Mw. These observations are explained in terms of the formation of irreversibly adsorbed layer due to chain adsorption on the Al substrates during annealing.
Combined FTIR and dielectric investigation of poly(vinyl acetate) adsorbed on silica particles
(2013)
Samples with different amounts of poly(vinyl acetate) adsorbed on silica particles were prepared in order to study their interfacial interactions and dynamics. The interface of adsorbed polymers to a substrate plays an important role in many applications such as polymer nanocomposites, thin films, and coatings. Characterization of such interfaces is thus of high importance since they were found to differ from bulk properties. Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) is applied to analyze the amounts of polymer adsorbed on silica particles. Broadband dielectric spectroscopy (BDS) is employed in a broad frequency (10–1–106 Hz) and temperature range (178–423 K) in order to probe the polymer/silica interface. Two relaxation processes can be identified for the composites: one corresponding to the bulklike polymer and a second one related to polymer chains close to the silica surface. For the latter the dynamic glass transition is shifted to higher temperature due to reduced mobility. This effect is investigated in dependence on the polymer content. Further investigations are done to obtain information about bound and free carbonyl fractions of poly(vinyl acetate) using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) measurements.
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.