A model is developed that describes temperature and pressure dependence of dielectric relaxation, ionic conductivity, and viscosity of glass-forming liquids near the glass transition temperature. The expressions for ionic conductivity are compared with experimental results for two polymer electrolytes. Those for dielectric relaxation are compared with data for poly(propylene oxide) and poly(vin...

The size, shape and distribution of different phases in thermoplastic polyolefin (TPO) blends and composites are critical to the properties of the materials, but can be difficult to characterise. Here we report the combination of heavy metal staining and focused ion beam - scanning electron microscopy (FIB-SEM) to reveal the three-dimensional (3D) structure of an elastomer-modified poly(propyle...

The synthesis of two-dimensional double metal cyanide complexes of the formula Co(H2O)2[M(CN)4].4H2O (M=Ni, Pd or Pt) and the X-ray crystal structure of Co(H2O)2[Pd(CN)4].4H2O are presented. The anhydrous forms of these complexes were found to be effective catalyst precursors for the homopolymerization of propylene oxide as well as the random copolymerization of propylene oxide and carbon dioxi...

A study of converting chemically modified wood into thermoplastic materials was undertaken to develop a new technology platform for the effective utilization of wood-based lignocellulosic materials. Highly substituted benzoylated spruce thermomechanical pulp (TMP) and lauroylated spruce TMP were used as components for thermoplastic composites of poly(styrene) and poly(propylene). Scanning elect...

This paper reviews biodegradable synthetic polymers focusing on their potential in tissue engineering applications. The major classes of polymers are briefly discussed with regard to synthesis, properties and biodegradability, and known degradation modes and products are indicated based on studies reported in the literature. A vast majority of biodegradable polymers studied belongs to the polye...

A fifth-generation poly(propylene imine) dendrimer decorated with palmitoyland azobenzene-containing alkyl groups forms giant vesicles in aqueous solutions with diameters from 50 nm up to 20 μm and a multilaminar onion-like structure. Dense and ordered arrangement of the azobenzene chromophores in the bilayer structure leads to fluorescence with λmax= 600 nm. The fluorescence intensity can be i...