Investigation of the relationship between hydrogen bonds and macroscopic properties in hybrid core-shell gamma-Fe2O3-P(NIPAM-AAS) microgels.

We investigate in a hybrid material the interactions existing between magnetic nanoparticles of gamma-Fe(2)O(3) and the polymer matrix constituted by core-shell poly(N-isopropylacrylamide-sodium acrylate) microgels. These interactions provoke the shifting of the microgel volume phase transition to higher temperatures when the amount of gamma-Fe(2)O(3) increases. The study was performed using different techniques such as incoherent quasi-elastic neutron scattering (IQNS), infrared spectroscopy (FTIR-ATR), and dynamic light scattering (DLS). Below the low critical solution temperature (LCST) of the polymer, the IQNS data confirm that the presence of inorganic nanoparticles affects the PNIPAM chain motions. Thus, in the swollen state both the mean-square displacement of the polymer segments and the diffusive motion of the polymer chains decrease as the iron oxide content increases. The FTIR-ATR study indicates that the reduction of vibrational and diffusional motions of the polymer chains is due to the formation of hydrogen bonds between the amide groups of the polymer matrix and the OH groups of the magnetic nanoparticles. The creation of this hybrid complex would explain the reduction of the swelling capacity with increasing the iron content in the microgels. Furthermore, this interaction could also explain the shift of the polymer LCST to higher temperatures as due to the extra energy required by the system to break the hydrogen bonds prior to the PNIPAM collapse.

A study on reaction-induced miscibility of poly(trimethylene terephthalate)/polycarbonate blends.

The effect of annealing on the miscibility and phase behavior of Sorona {poly(trimethylene terephthalate), PTT} and bisphenol A polycarbonate (PC) blends was examined. These blends exhibited heterogeneous phase-separated morphology and two well-spaced glass transition temperatures (Tgs) indicating immiscibility. The Sorona/PC blends were thermally annealed at 260 degrees C for different times to induce various extents of transreactions between the two polymers. After annealing at high temperature the original two Tgs of blends were found to merge into one single Tg, exhibiting a homogeneous morphology. It is interesting to note that upon extended annealing the original semicrystalline morphology transformed into an amorphous nature. This is attributed to chemical transreactions between the PTT and PC chain segments as evidenced with FTIR, DSC, DMA, 1H NMR, and WAXS measurements. A new characteristic aryl C-O-C vibration band present at 1070 cm(-1) in the FTIR spectra of the annealed blends indicated the formation of an aromatic polyester structure due to the transreactions between PTT and PC. The sequence structures of the produced copolyesters were determined by a NMR triad analysis, which showed that the randomness increased with time of heating. WAXS analysis confirmed that the PTT/PC blends completely lost their crystallinity when annealed at 260 degrees C for a period of 120 min or longer, indicating the formation of fully random copolyesters. A random copolymer formed as a result of the transreactions between PTT and PC serves as a compatibilizer at the beginning, and upon extended annealing this became the main species of the system which is finally transformed to a homogeneous and amorphous phase.

Switchable photoluminescence of CdTe nanocrystals by temperature-responsive microgels.

In the present study, we report a method for preparing a fluorescent thermosensitive hybrid material based on monodisperse, thermosensitive poly( N-isopropyl acrylamide) (PNIPAM) microgels covered with CdTe nanocrystals of 3.2 nm diameter. The CdTe nanocrystals were covalently immobilized on the surface of PNIPAM microgels. The chemical environment around the CdTe nanocrystals was modified by changing the temperature and inducing the microgel volume-phase transition. This change provoked a steep variation in the nanocrystal photoluminescence (PL) intensity in such a way that when the temperature was under the low critical solution temperature (LCST) of the polymer (36 degrees C) the PL of the nanocrystals was strongly quenched, whereas above the LCST the PL intensity was restored.