The Moebius topology (twisted, single-sided strip) is intriguing because of its structural elegance and distinct properties. Here we report the generation of block copolymer Moebius strips via a fast self-assembly of chiral block copolymer polystyrene-block-poly(D-lactide acid) (PS-b-PDLA) in tetrahydrofuran/water mixed solvents. The Moebius strip is formed by morphological evolution from…
sergio.rodrigues@xenocs.com27 January 2020
The current study investigated differences of ?-zein protein contents and starch granule characteristics between raw and steam flaked corns and their influences on ruminal starch hydrolyzing bacteria (SHB) attached to corn grain. Two types of raw (Corn1 and Corn2) and their steam-flaked products (SFCorn1 and SFCorn2) were applied to explore…
sergio.rodrigues@xenocs.com27 January 2020
We report on ultrasmall zinc oxide single-crystalline nanoparticles of narrow size distribution and long-term colloidal stability. These oleate-stabilized nanoparticles were synthesized using microwave-assisted synthesis for 5 min, corresponding to a 99% decrease in synthesis time, when compared to the conventional synthesis method. It was observed that the average particle radius…
sergio.rodrigues@xenocs.com27 January 2020
Light-driven soft actuators with adaptive shape changes, diverse geometric morphing, and reversible macroscopic movements have gained ever-increasing interest owing to their diverse applications ranging from biomedical to aerospace devices. Herein, presented is a near-infrared (NIR) light-stimulated actuator based on cis-1,4 polybutadiene-polyethylene semicrystalline copolymer. In the system, a
sergio.rodrigues@xenocs.com27 January 2020
In the current work, we study the photoluminescence and anisotropic structure of PEDOT which is obtained in the presence of ions that perturb the water structure (ions in Hofmeister series). The water content in PEDOT has been confirmed by TGA and DSC measurements. The weight loss and heat flux together…
sergio.rodrigues@xenocs.com27 January 2020
Hydrogels of conducting polymers provide an electrical interface with biological tissues for sensing and stimulation, but currently have compromised mechanical and electrical properties. Here, the authors show a simple method to achieve pure PEDOT:PSS hydrogels that exhibit superior mechanical and electrical properties, stability, and tunable
sergio.rodrigues@xenocs.com27 January 2020
Two coordination polymers of the type Co(BPDC)(N-ox), with BPDC being 4,4?-biphenyldicarboxylate and N-ox being pyridine N-oxide (PNO) or isoquinoline N-oxide (IQNO), have been synthesized and characterized. The compounds feature 2D and 3D metalorganic networks that encapsulate Co(II)-based chains in a rigid superstructure. The dc and ac magnetic properties of these…
sergio.rodrigues@xenocs.com27 January 2020
A significant challenge in the rational design of organic thermoelectric materials is to realize simultaneously high electrical conductivity and high induced-voltage in response to a thermal gradient, which is represented by the Seebeck coefficient. Conventional wisdom posits that the polymer alone dictates thermoelectric efficiency. Herein, we show that doping …
sergio.rodrigues@xenocs.com27 January 2020
Polymerized ionic liquids (PolyILs) are promising materials for applications in electrochemical devices spanning from fuel cells to capacitors and batteries. In principle, PolyILs have a competitive advantage over traditional electrolytes in being single ion conductors and thus enabling a transference number close to unity. Despite this perceived advantage, surprisingly low…
sergio.rodrigues@xenocs.com27 January 2020
An exploratory microwave-assisted synthesis of a promising proton-conducting, DielsAlder poly(phenylene) is reported and comprehensively compared against a traditional, thermal polymerization approach. A 24-fold reduction in reaction time is achieved by microwave synthesis. Characterization of polymers prepared by microwave-assisted synthesis vs. the thermal approach reveals little difference in
sergio.rodrigues@xenocs.com27 January 2020