Category

Characteristic dimension

(Natural) polymersApplicationCharacteristic dimensionCharacterizationCompositesCustomer publicationsMaterialNanoparticles & colloidsParticle interactionsParticle size and size distributionPolymer researchSAXSShapeSizeTechnique

Effects of Hairy Nanoparticles on Polymer Crystallization Kinetics

Jimenez, Andrew M.; Krauskopf, Alejandro A.; Pérez-Camargo, Ricardo A.; Zhao, Dan; Pribyl, Julia; Jestin, Jacques; Benicewicz, Brian C.; Müller, Alejandro J.; Kumar, Sanat K.

We previously showed that nanoparticles (NPs) could be ordered into structures by using the growth rate of polymer crystals as the control variable. In particular, for slow enough spherulitic growth fronts, the NPs grafted with amorphous polymer chains are selectively moved into the interlamellar, interfibrillar, and interspherulitic zones of a…
12 March 2021
(Natural) polymersApplicationCharacteristic dimensionCharacterizationCustomer publicationsMaterialPolymer researchTechniqueWAXS

A facile approach to thermomechanically enhanced fatty acid-containing bioplastics using metal–ligand coordination

Lamm, Meghan E.; Song, Lingzhi; Wang, Zhongkai; Lamm, Benjamin; Fu, Lin; Tang, Chuanbing

Biomass-based polymers show promise for the mitigation of environmental issues associated with petroleum-derived commodity polymers; however, due to poor entanglement, many of these polymers typically lack mechanical strength and toughness. Herein, we report a facile approach to utilizing metal–ligand coordination to create physical crosslinking, and thus chain entanglements for plant…
12 March 2021
ApplicationCharacteristic dimensionCharacterizationCustomer publicationsLipidsMaterialProteins & DNA/RNASAXSSizeStructural biologyTechnique

Ultrastructural modeling of small angle scattering from photosynthetic membranes

Jakubauskas, Dainius; Kowalewska, Lucja; Sokolova, Anna V.; Garvey, Christopher J.; Mortensen, Kell; Jensen, Poul Erik; Kirkensgaard, Jacob J. K.

The last decade has seen a range of studies using non-invasive neutron and X-ray techniques to probe the ultrastructure of a variety of photosynthetic membrane systems. A common denominator in this work is the lack of an explicitly formulated underlying structural model, ultimately leading to ambiguity in the data interpretation.…
12 March 2021
(Natural) polymersApplicationCharacteristic dimensionCharacterizationCompositesCustomer publicationsMaterialOrientation analysisPolymer researchSAXSTechnique

Nanofiller Dispersion, Morphology, Mechanical Behavior, and Electrical Properties of Nanostructured Styrene-Butadiene-Based Triblock Copolymer/CNT Composites

Staudinger, Ulrike; Satapathy, Bhabani K.; Jehnichen, Dieter

A nanostructured linear triblock copolymer based on styrene and butadiene with lamellar morphology is filled with multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) of up to 1 wt% by melt compounding. This study deals with the dispersability of the MWCNTs within the nanostructured matrix and its consequent impact on block copolymer (BCP) morphology,…
12 March 2021
(Natural) polymersApplicationCharacteristic dimensionCharacterizationCustomer publicationsLiquid crystalsMaterialPhase analysisPolymer researchSAXSTechnique

Tough Ordered Mesoporous Elastomeric Biomaterials Formed at Ambient Conditions

Rajasekharan, Anand K.; Gyllensten, Christoffer; Blomstrand, Edvin; Liebi, Marianne; Andersson, Martin

Synthetic dry elastomers are randomly cross-linked polymeric networks with isotropic and unordered higher-level structural features. However, their growing use as soft-tissue biomaterials has demanded the need for an ordered and anisotropic nano-micro (or) mesoarchitecture, which is crucial for imparting specific properties such as hierarchical toughening, anisotropic mechanics, sustained drug…
12 March 2021
ApplicationCharacteristic dimensionCharacterizationCustomer publicationsMaterialPorous materialRenewable energySAXSTechnique

Bromomethylation of high-surface area carbons as a versatile synthon: adjusting the electrode–electrolyte interface in lithium–sulfur batteries

Fretz, Samuel J.; Lyons, Christopher T.; Levin, Ella; Chidsey, Christopher E. D.; Palmqvist, Anders E. C.; Stack, T. Daniel P.

A two-step procedure for the surface functionalization of carbon materials has been developed. In the first step, mesoporous carbon (CMK3), carbon black (XC-72R Vulcan), and activated carbon (AC) are bromomethylated efficiently under mild conditions using commercially available reagents, resulting in reproducible surface bromine loadings, the concentrations of which correlate to…
12 March 2021
(Natural) polymersApplicationCharacteristic dimensionCharacterizationCustomer publicationsMaterialOtherPolymer researchSAXSTechniqueWAXS

Rheological modifiers based on supramolecular block copolymers: From weak associations to interconnected micelles

Goldansaz, Hadi; Jangizehi, Amir; Nikravan, Goolia; Verkinderen, Olivier; Goderis, Bart; Ghaffarian, Seyed Reza; van Ruymbeke, Evelyne; Ahmadi, Mostafa

The rheological spectra of poly(n-butyl acrylate) in the presence of a series of P(nBA-b-HEMA) rheology modifiers show a two-step relaxation process originating from the PnBA matrix and the self-assemblies. The HEMA segments are further grafted with strong, hydrogen bonding UPy groups, which both magnifies and slows down the relaxation of…
12 March 2021
(Natural) polymersApplicationCharacteristic dimensionCharacterizationCustomer publicationsGIWAXSMaterialRenewable energySurface structure and patternsTechniqueThin films

Large Crystalline Domains and an Enhanced Exciton Diffusion Length Enable Efficient Organic Solar Cells

Zhang, Yiwei; Sajjad, Muhammad T.; Blaszczyk, Oskar; Parnell, Andrew J.; Ruseckas, Arvydas; Serrano, Luis A.; Cooke, Graeme; Samuel, Ifor D. W.

We studied crystallinity and exciton harvesting in bulk heterojunctions of the semiconducting polymer PffBT4T-2OD and electron acceptor PC71BM that are used to make highly efficient organic solar cells. Grazing incidence wide-angle X-ray scattering shows that the size of crystalline domains of PffBT4T-2OD increases to ?18 nm in photovoltaic blends upon…
12 March 2021
(Natural) polymersApplicationCharacteristic dimensionCharacterizationCustomer publicationsGIWAXSMaterialOrientation analysisRenewable energySurface structure and patternsTechniqueThin films

Overcoming the energy loss in asymmetrical non-fullerene acceptor-based polymer solar cells by halogenation of polymer donors

Fan, Qunping; Liu, Tao; Gao, Wei; Xiao, Yiqun; Wu, Jingnan; Su, Wenyan; Guo, Xia; Lu, Xinhui; Yang, Chuluo; Yan, He; Zhang, Maojie; Li, Yongfang

To achieve efficient polymer solar cells (PSCs), it is important to overcome the energy loss (Eloss) from the optical bandgap to the open-circuit voltage (Voc) of the device by properly matching donor/acceptor (D/A) photovoltaic materials. Here, we develop efficient PSCs based on the absorption complementary pairs of halogenated polymer donors…
12 March 2021
(Hydro)gelsApplicationCharacteristic dimensionCharacterizationCosmetics & consumer careCustomer publicationsMaterialSAXSTechnique

The Influence of Structure and Morphology on Ion Permeation Behaviour in Commercial Silicone Hydrogel Contact Lenses

Saez-Martinez, Virginia; Mann, Aisling; Lydon, Fiona; Molock, Frank; Layton, Siân A.; Toolan, Daniel T. W.; Howse, Jonathan R.; Topham, Paul D.; Tighe, Brian J.

The importance of the microstructure on the permeability of silicone hydrogels is widely appreciated but is poorly understood and minimally investigated. In contrast with most conventional hydrogels, the water content and water structuring within silicone hydrogels cannot be solely used to predict their permeability. To ensure comfort and eye health,…
12 March 2021