Modern solid-state NMR techniques, combined with X-ray diffraction, revealed the molecular origin of the difference in mechanical properties of self-associated chitosan films. Films cast from acidic aqueous solutions were compared before and after neutralization, and the role of the counterion (acetate vs Cl(-)) was investigated. There is a competition between local structure and long-range ord...

We present evidence that the degree of interchain interactions and morphology in conjugated polymer films can be controlled by altering the chain conformation in the solution from which the film is cast. Light scattering experiments show that the physical size of poly@2-methoxy-5~28-ethyl-hexyloxy!-1,4-phenylene vinylene] ~MEH-PPV! chains can vary by a factor of 2 in different solvents such as ...

An XRF specimen preparation method was developed to quantify the concentration of gallium in plutonium metal while minimizing the risk of contaminating the instrument with radioactive material. To ensure that homogenous specimens are examined, plutonium is dissolved in dilute HCl and HNOJ prior to analysis. In the preliminary work here, non-radioactive aqueous gallium standards were prepared, a...

Recently, the application of ultraviolet (UV) curable monomers to human nails, (also known as UV gel nails) has become a popular decoration technique for women’s nails. However, the unreacted layer, the depletion of residual monomers from the cured UV gel nails, which can cause allergy and asthma, and the increase in temperature during curing process, are major concerns. In this study, the thic...

a title sequence is the beginning and the audience’s first center of attention to the film, in which the film’s title, key production and cast and crew along with some special notions related to the film’s content are introduced through typography. a film title sequence may include live action, animation, music, still images and graphics. with the invention of the cinematograph, in order to ide...

We have prepared and characterized a series of nonfluoro polymer composites with functional carbon additives such as graphite, candle soot and camphor soot which when mixed with EPF (Expanded Polystyrene Foam) matrices increase surface hydrophobicity. Water contact angles of >150° was observed on spin-cast composite film surfaces containing 3% camphor soot particles, compared to 89° in the abse...

Improvement in the water stability and other related functional properties of thin (<50 μm) kafirin protein films was investigated. Thin conventional kafirin films and kafirin microparticle films were prepared by casting in acetic acid solution. Thin kafirin films cast from microparticles were more stable in water than conventional cast kafirin films. Treatment of kafirin microparticles with he...

Static and dynamic polarized and depolarized light scattering characterization of dilute solutions of regioregular poly(3-dodecylthiophene) is described to study intermolecular association as a function of the thermal history of the solutions. It is shown that metastable aggregation obtains under all of the conditions studied, including temperatures as high as 65 °C. Under some conditions, the ...

We report the phase behaviour of polymer/fullerene/solvent ternary mixtures and its consequence for the morphology of the resulting composite thin films. We focus particularly on solutions of polystyrene (PS), C60 fullerene and toluene, which are examined by static and dynamic light scattering, and films obtained from various solution ages and thermal annealing conditions, using atomic force an...

Thin polymeric films are increasingly being utilized in diverse technological applications, and it is crucial to have a reliable method to characterize the stability of these films against dewetting. The parameter space that influences the dewetting of thin polymer films is wide (molecular mass, temperature, film thickness, substrate interaction) and a combinatorial method of investigation is s...