Category

Orientation analysis

(Natural) polymersApplicationCharacteristic dimensionCharacterizationCustomer publicationsGISAXSMaterialOrientation analysisPolymer researchSelf-assembled materialSurface structure and patternsTechniqueThin films

Morphological Evolution of Poly(solketal methacrylate)-block-polystyrene Copolymers in Thin Films

Yu, Duk Man; Smith, Darren M.; Kim, Hyeyoung; Mapas, Jose Kenneth D.; Rzayev, Javid; Russell, Thomas P.

The morphological evolution of the lamellar microdomains in the thin films of symmetric poly(solketal methacrylate-b-styrene) (PSM-b-PS) copolymers that can be converted into poly(glycerol monomethacrylate-b-styrene) (PGM-b-PS) copolymers through acid hydrolysis reaction was investigated. This simple chemical transformation was performed in the solid state using trifluoroacetic acid vapor,…
27 January 2020
(Natural) polymersApplicationCharacterizationCustomer publicationsMaterialOrientation analysisPolymer researchSAXSTechnique

Improving Processing, Crystallization, and Performance of Poly-l-lactide with an Amide-Based Organic Compound as Both Plasticizer and Nucleating Agent

Leoné, Nils; Roy, Manta; Saidi, Sarah; de Kort, Gijs; Hermida-Merino, Daniel; Wilsens, Carolus H. R. M.

In this work, we report on a novel hydrogen-bonding compound, N,N?-bis(2-hydroxyethyl)terephthalamide (BHET), and its potential as additive in poly-l-lactide (PLA). Although the hydroxyl groups of BHET can participate in transesterification with the PLA matrix, we demonstrate through gel permeation chromatography that extrusion at 200 °C does not result in a…
27 January 2020
(Natural) polymersApplicationCharacteristic dimensionCharacterizationCustomer publicationsMaterialOrientation analysisPolymer researchSAXSTechnique

Mechanism of stress induced crystallization of polyethylene

Yakovlev, Sergey; Fiscus, David; Brant, Pat; Butler, Jeff; Bucknall, David G.; Downing, Kenneth H.

When polymer melt is subjected to stress, molecular chains become aligned along the elongation direction. However, when polyethylene film crystallizes under stress, molecular chains frequently align perpendicular to the elongation direction. In this paper we investigate why this happens. Evaluating metallocene LLDPE film we show that under the stress lamellae…
27 January 2020
(Natural) polymersApplicationCharacteristic dimensionCharacterizationCustomer publicationsMaterialOrientation analysisPhase analysisPolymer researchSAXSTechniqueTensileWAXS

Investigation of Micromechanical Behavior and Voiding of Polyethylene Terephthalate/Polyethylene-stat-methyl Acrylate Blends during Tensile Deformation

Lee, Bongjoon; Onbulak, Sebla; Xu, Yuewen; Topolkaraev, Vasily; McEneany, Ryan; Bates, Frank; Hillmyer, Marc

Micromechanical deformation of polyethylene terephthalate (PET)/ethylene-stat-methyl acrylate copolymer blends was investigated for various MA contents and molar masses of p(E-s-MA). The copolymers were synthesized by ring-opening metathesis polymerization and subsequent hydrogenation. Varying the MA content and molar mass of the copolymer alters the interfacial adhesion between the…
27 January 2020
(Natural) polymersApplicationCharacterizationCrystalline fractionCustomer publicationsMaterialOrientation analysisPhase analysisPolymer researchSAXSTechniqueWAXS

Transparent, Lightweight, and High Strength Polyethylene Films by a Scalable Continuous Extrusion and Solid-State Drawing Process

Lin, Yunyin; Tu, Wei; Verpaalen, Rob C. P.; Zhang, Han; Bastiaansen, Cees W. M.; Peijs, Ton

The continuous production of transparent high strength ultra-drawn high-density polyethylene films or tapes is explored using a cast film extrusion and solid-state drawing line. Two methodologies are explored to achieve such high strength transparent polyethylene films; i) the use of suitable additives like 2-(2H-benzotriazol-2-yl)-4,6-ditertpentylphenol (BZT) and ii) solid-state drawing at…
27 January 2020
(Natural) polymersApplicationCharacterizationCustomer publicationsFractal dimensionGISAXSGIWAXSMaterialOrientation analysisRenewable energySurface structure and patternsTechniqueThin films

Simply planarizing nonfused perylene diimide based acceptors toward promising non-fullerene solar cells

Bian, Gao-Feng; Zhao, Feng; Lau, Tsz-Ki; Sheng, Chun-Qi; Lu, Xinhui; Du, Hui; Zhang, Cheng; Qu, Zhi-Rong; Chen, Hongzheng; Wan, Jun-Hua

This work focuses on developing high-efficiency perylene diimide (PDI)-based small molecular nonfullerene acceptors with a simple synthetic strategy. We reported a new electron acceptor, Py-e-PDI, obtained via cross-coupling four PDI units with a planar pyrene core through ethynyl groups. Although the ring-fusion synthetic procedure was omitted, the large planar core…
25 November 2019
(Natural) polymersApplicationCharacterizationCompositesCustomer publicationsMaterialOrientation analysisPolymer researchSAXSTechnique

High-performance polyurethane nanocomposites based on UPy-modified cellulose nanocrystals

Tian, Donglin; Wang, Fenfen; Yang, Zhijun; Niu, Xiling; Wu, Qiang; Sun, Pingchuan

Densely H-bonding assemblies are the key strategy found by nature to enhance the rupture strength of natural polymers without sacrificing their toughness, such as spider silk, while it still remains a great challenge using such intriguing strategy to prepare high-performance synthesized polymer or biopolymer enhanced polymer nanocomposites. To address this…
25 November 2019
(Natural) polymersApplicationCharacterizationCustomer publicationsFractal dimensionGISAXSGIWAXSMaterialOrientation analysisRenewable energySurface structure and patternsTechniqueThin films

Single-Junction Organic Solar Cell with over 15% Efficiency Using Fused-Ring Acceptor with Electron-Deficient Core

Yuan, Jun; Zhang, Yunqiang; Zhou, Liuyang; Zhang, Guichuan; Yip, Hin-Lap; Lau, Tsz-Ki; Lu, Xinhui; Zhu, Can; Peng, Hongjian; Johnson, Paul A.; Leclerc, Mario; Cao, Yong; Ulanski, Jacek; Li, Yongfang; Zou, Yingping

Summary Recently, non-fullerene n-type organic semiconductors have attracted significant attention as acceptors in organic photovoltaics (OPVs) due to their great potential to realize high-power conversion efficiencies. The rational design of the central fused ring unit of these acceptor molecules is crucial to maximize device performance. Here, we report a new…
25 November 2019
(Natural) polymersApplicationCharacterizationCustomer publicationsFractal dimensionGISAXSGIWAXSMaterialOrientation analysisRenewable energySurface structure and patternsTechniqueThin films

Charge carrier transport and nanomorphology control for efficient non-fullerene organic solar cells

Hu, Hanlin; Deng, Wanyuan; Qin, Minchao; Yin, Hang; Lau, Tsz-Ki; Fong, Patrick W. K.; Ren, Zhiwei; Liang, Qiong; Cui, Li; Wu, Hongbin; Lu, Xinhui; Zhang, Weimin; McCulloch, Iain; Li, Gang

Single junction organic photovoltaic devices (OPVs) have exceeded 15% power conversion efficiency (PCE) with the help of fused ring based low-bandgap non-fullerene acceptors (NFAs). As a major type of NFA, the indacenodithiophene derivative NFA (IDTBR) has been shown to have superior OPV stability with outstanding VOC, but the efficiency is…
25 November 2019
(Natural) polymersApplicationCharacterizationCustomer publicationsGIWAXSMaterialOrientation analysisRenewable energySurface structure and patternsTechniqueThin films

Fused thienobenzene-thienothiophene electron acceptors for organic solar cells

Xu, Ye; Jiang, Haotian; Lau, Tsz-Ki; Zhu, Jingshuai; Wang, Jiayu; Lu, Xinhui; Zhan, Xiaowei; Lin, Yuze

Small molecule ladder-type heteroarenes IHBT-2F is designed and synthesized with strong electron-donating and molecular packing properties, where the central unit, fused thienobenzene-thienothiphene (IHBT), is attached with the strong electron-deficient 2-(5,6-difluoro-3-oxo-2,3-dihydro-1H-inden-1-ylidene)malononitrile (2FIC) as the end group. The counterpart IDBT-2F with…
25 November 2019