Effect of spacer length on the liquid crystalline property of azobenzene-containing ABA-type triblock copolymers via ATRP

The effect of flexible spacer length on the liquid crystalline property of ABA-type triblock copolymers containing azobenzene groups was investigated. For the study, the monomers, n-[4-(4-ethoxyphenylazo)phenoxy]alkyl methacrylates with varying methylene groups (n = 0, 2, 6) were used to synthesize a series of azobenzene-containing amphiphilic triblock copolymers PAnC–PEG–PAnC by atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP). Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), polarizing optical microscopy (POM), and one-dimensional X-ray diffraction (1D WAXD) have shown that the glass transition temperatures of these copolymers decreased with increasing n, PA0C–PEG–PA0C has no mesophase, while both PA2C–PEG–PA2C and PA6C–PEG–PA6C have a nematic mesophase. These differences derive from the length of spacer groups between the polymer backbone and side-chain LC monomers.

A trial study of vibration-induced effects on the spontaneous potential

Vibrator excitation generates not only reflections and refractions of wave fields on the subsurface interfaces but also electromagnetic waves with different frequencies. In this paper, we address the vibration-induced effects on the spontaneous potential field. The effects of controllable vibration on the spontaneous potential field were studied under real field geologic conditions. Experimental data confirmed that the vibration-induced effects on the spontaneous potential field do exist under field conditions. Monitoring records over a long time interval showed that there exist three information zones in the vibration-induced effects on the spontaneous potential field. These are the signal-varying zone, the extremestable zone, and the relaxation-recovery zone. Combined with different well-site data, it was concluded that the time-varying features of the anomalies in the information zones was closely related to the properties of the subsurface liquid （oil and water）.

Synthesis and characterization of H-type amphiphilic liquid crystalline block copolymers by ATRP

H-type amphiphilic liquid crystalline block copolymers containing azobenzene were synthesized by atom transfer radical polymerization （ATRP）. Macroinitiators prepared by the esterification between poly（ethylene oxide） （PEG） and 2,2-dichloroacetyl chloride were utilized to initiate the polymerization of 6-[4-（4-ethoxyphenylazo）phenoxy]hexyl rnethacrylate （M6C）. The resulting macroinitiators and block copolymers were characterized by ^1H NMR, gel permeation chromatography （GPC）. Polarizing optical microscopy （POM） and differential scanning calorimetry （DSC） preliminarily revealed the liquid crystalline property of these block copolymers. This series of liquid crystalline block copolymers are promising in some areas, such as optical data storage, optical switch, and molecular devices.

ORGANOMETALLIC FERROELECTRIC LIQUID CRYSTALS Ⅰ. LIQUID CRYSTAL PROPERTIES OF ORTHO—PALLADATED BINUCLEAR COMPLEXES OF AZINE, IMINE AND AZO DERIVATIVES

The mesomorphie properties of title complexes are investigated by means of DSC and polarizing microscopy. The mesophase temperature ranges of complexes are wider than that of corresponding organic ligands. The bridging groups of the complexes have profoand effects on the mesomorphic behavior, When the bridging groups are opticallhy active. the compleve show chiral smectic

Draping Behavior of Carbon Non-Crimp Fabrics and Its Effects on Mechanical Performance of the Hemispherical Composites

In order to investigate the draping behavior of non-crimp fabrics（NCFs）, two types of carbon NCFs with tricot-chain stitches or chain stitches were formed on a hemispherical mould via a stretch forming process. The shear angle and forming defects of the fabrics were measured on the hemisphere, under different blank holder forces（BHFs）. The results showed that increasing BHF could enhance the shear angle slightly, reduce the asymmetry for the deformation of the fabrics, and change the main type of the process-induced defects. Besides, compression tests were performed on the corresponding composite components. By analyzing the change of fiber volume fraction and structural parameters of the textile reinforcements, the effects of draping behavior of NCFs on the mechanical performance of the composites were studied. The results reveal that draping process has distinguishable impacts on the mechanical properties of the final components, which is closely related to the stitching pattern of the NCFs.

Molar volume of eutectic solvents as a function of molar composition and temperature

The conventional Rackett model for predicting liquid molar volume has been modified to cater for the effect of molar composition of the Deep Eutectic Solvents(DES). The experimental molar volume data for a group of commonly used DES has been used for optimizing the improved model. The data involved different molar compositions of each DES. The validation of the new model was performed on another set of DESs. The average relative deviation of the model on the training and validation datasets was approximately 0.1% while the Rackett model gave a relative deviation of more than 1.6%. The modified model deals with variations in DES molar composition and temperature in a more consistent way than the original Rackett model which exhibits monotonic performance degradation as temperature moves away from reference conditions. Having the composition of the DES as a model variable enhances the practical utilization of the predicting model in diverse design and process simulation applications.

Statistical mechanics and artificial intelligence to model the thermodynamic properties of pure and mixture of ionic liquids

In this paper, the volumetric properties of pure and mixture of ionic liquids are predicted using the developed statistical mechanical equation of state in different temperatures, pressures and mole fractions. The temperature dependent parameters of the equation of state have been calculated using corresponding state correlation based on only the density at 298.15 K as scaling constants. The obtained mean of deviations of modified equation of state for density of all pure ionic liquids for 1662 data points was 0.25%. In addition, the performance of the artificial neural network(ANN) with principle component analysis(PCA) based on back propagation training with28 neurons in hidden layer for predicting of behavior of binary mixtures of ionic liquids was investigated. The AADs of a collection of 568 data points for all binary systems using the EOS and the ANN at various temperatures and mole fractions are 1.03% and 0.68%, respectively. Moreover, the excess molar volume of all binary mixtures is predicted using obtained densities of EOS and ANN, and the results show that these properties have good agreement with literature.

Electro-optical properties of high birefringence liquid crystal compounds with isothiocyanate and naphthyl group

Liquid crystal（LC） compound with isothiocyanate and naphthyl group is an attractive high birefringence LC material,and can be used in optical devices. In this paper, the electro-optical properties of a series of this type of LC compounds were investigated. The melting points and enthalpy values of these LC compounds were higher than those of corresponding compounds with the phenyl group. These compounds exhibited high birefringence with a maximum value of 0.66. Fluorine substitution in the molecular almost does not affect the birefringence value. When these LC compounds with the naphthyl group were dissolved in a commercial LC mixture, the electro-optical properties depending on temperature were investigated. In the low-temperature region, LC mixtures with the naphthyl-group LC compounds exhibited higher viscosity than pure commercial LCs. In the high-temperature region, viscosity values very closely approached each other. When response performance was investigated, figure-of-merit（FoM） values were measured. The Fo M values of LC mixtures containing LC compounds with naphthyl group were lower than those of reference benzene LCs in the low-temperature region. However, in the high-temperature region, the results were reversed. These isothiocyanate LC compounds with naphthyl group can be applied in special fast-response LC device, particularly the ones used under high-temperature conditions.

An Unexpected Frequency Response of A Piezoelectric Quartz Crystal Sensor to the Density and Viscosity of the Liquid

An unexpected frequency response for a piezoelectric quartz crystal (PQC) sensor to liquid density and viscosity was reported. For a PQC oscillating in a liquid phase, the frequency shifts (?f ) show a wave-shape response to liquid density (ρ) and viscosity (η) in fine structure, if the longitudinal wave effect was not eliminated. This result is different from the well-known linear relationship between of ?f and (ρη)1/2. An oscillating frequency-temperature curve of the sensor was observed and explained.

Bridging the terahertz near-field and far-field observations of liquid crystal based metamaterial absorbers

Metamaterial-based absorbers play a significant role in applications ranging from energy harvesting and thermal emitters to sensors and imaging devices.The middle dielectric layer of conventional metamaterial absorbers has always been solid.Researchers could not detect the near field distribution in this layer or utilize it effectively.Here,we use anisotropic liquid crystal as the dielectric layer to realize electrically fast tunable terahertz metamaterial absorbers.We demonstrate strong,position-dependent terahertz near-field enhancement with sub-wavelength resolution inside the metamaterial absorber.We measure the terahertz far-field absorption as the driving voltage increases.By combining experimental results with liquid crystal simulations,we verify the near-field distribution in the middle layer indirectly and bridge the nearfield and far-field observations.Our work opens new opportunities for creating high-performance,fast,tunable,terahertz metamaterial devices that can be applied in biological imaging and sensing.

Properties of Liquid Nickel along Melting Lines under High Pressure

We report a molecular dynamics study of structural and transport properties of liquid nickel under high pres- sures. Pressure dependencies of pair distribution function and pair correlation entropy along the melting line indicate that the configuration change along melting lines decreases with increasing pressure. The calculated diffusion coefficients and viscosity by using entropy-scaling laws with modified parameters and ideal parameters are compared with those extracted from mean-square displacement or the Stokes-Einstein relation. The results suggest that the entropy-scaling laws hold well for coefficients and viscosity increase moderately with liquid nickel under high-pressure conditions, and the diffusion pressure along melting lines.

Liquid Concentration Sensing Properties of Microfibers with a Nanoscale-Structured Film

A type of compact solution concentration sensor based on a microfiber with a nanoscale-structured film is proposed and demonstrated experimentally. Additional loss at different solution concentrations is calculated by means of the three-dimensional finite-difference time-domain （3D-FDTD） method. The microfiber is fabricated by using the flame-heated scanning technique. Nanoscale-structured film is coated on the microfiber surface, which is assembled as a sensing unit. The sensitivity of this kind of sensor increases with the decreasing diameters of the microfiber. When the diameter of the microfiber is 2 #m, a minimum concentration sensitivity of 1% （under 450s measuring time） is demonstrated in the experiment. Higher sensitivity can be attained when the solution concentration is higher. The sensing properties of this microfiber with the nanoscale-structured film may provide opportunities for new applications in optical sensing devices.

The Sterilization Results of Dense Phase Carbon Dioxide on Liquid Egg White and the Effect on Physicochemical and Functionial Properties

[Objective]The aim was to investigate the sterilization effect of dense phase carbon dioxide（ DPCD） on liquid egg white（ LEW） and the effect on functionial properties and physicochemical properties. [Method]The prepared liquid egg white was subjected to DPCD treatment at 10 MPa,20 MPa and 30 MPa respectively at 30 ℃,the microorganism amount,pH value,dissolubility and surface sulfhydryl were detected after adjusted to 4 ℃. [Result]The results showed that the longer the sterilization time,the more obvious of the sterilization effect at 10 MPa. There was no aerobe was detected at the rest conditions. [Conclusion]The functionial properties and physicochemical properties of liquid egg white were effected by DPCD treatment.

Liquid-FEP-based U-tube triboelectric nanogenerator for harvesting water-wave energy

Harvesting ambient mechanical energy is a key technology for realizing self-powered electronics. With advantages of stability and durabilid, a liquid-solid-based triboelectric nanogenerator （TENG） has recently drawn much attention. However, the impacts of liquid properties on the TENG performance and the related working principle are still unclear. We assembled herein a U-tube TENG based on the liquid-solid mode and applied 11 liquids to study the effects of liquid properties on the TENG output performance. The results confirmed that the key factors influencing the output are polarity, dielectric constant, and affinity to fluorinated ethylene propylene （FEP）. Among the 11 liquids, the pure water-based U-tube TENG exhibited the best output with an open-circuit voltage （Voc） of 81.7 V and a short-circuit current （Isc） of 0.26 μA for the shaking mode （0.5 Hz）, which can further increase to 93.0 V and 0.48 μA, respectively, for the horizontal shifting mode （1.25 Hz）. The U-tube TENG can be utilized as a self-powered concentration sensor （component concentration or metal ion concentration） for an aqueous solution with an accuracy higher than 92%. Finally, an upgraded sandwich-like water-FEP U-tube TENG was applied to harvest water-wave energy, showing a high output with Voc of 350 V, Isc of 1.75 μA, and power density of 2.04 W/m3. We successfully lighted up 60 LEDs and powered a temperature-humidity meter. Given its high output performance, the water-FEP U-tube TENG is a very promising approach for harvesting water-wave energy for self-powered electronics.

On the scale-up criteria for bubble columns

It is generally admitted that experimental data obtained in“laboratory-scale”bubble columns are representative of“industrial-scale”reactors if the well-known three“Wilkinson et al.scale-up criteria”are satisfied:(a)the diameter of the bubble column is larger than 0.15 m,(b)the sparger openings are larger than 1e2mm and(c)the aspect ratio is larger than 5.The aim of this communication is to contribute to the existing discussion.To this end,this communication collects relevant experimental investigation and include new experimental data:in particular,we have experimentally studied the combined effect of the aspect ratio(within the range of 1e15)and the sparger design(considering both“coarse”and“fine”spargers)on the gas holdup in a large-diameter and large-scale gas-liquid bubble column.The bubble column has been operated both in the batch mode and in the counter-current mode.Filtered air has been used as the gaseous phase in all the experiments,while the liquid phase has included deionized water and different aqueous solutions of organic(i.e.,ethanol)and inorganic(i.e.,sodium chloride,NaCl)active agents.It is found that the“Wilkinson et al.scale-up criteria”are valid for the air-water case in the batch mode for“very-coarse”spargers.Conversely,they are no more valid when considering different liquid velocity,and/or aqueous solutions of active agents,and other sparger openings.

Novel manganese(Ⅱ)-based deep eutectic solvents: Synthesis and physical properties analysis

Type IV deep eutectic solvent（DES） involves the formation of metal-based eutectics from metal salts or metal salt hydrate in combination with various hydrogen-bond donors（HBDs） such as urea, ethylene glycol or acetamide. In current study, two distinguished approaches were used to synthesize potential DESs, given as the direct heating and the evaporating methods. Successful synthesized DESs were subjected for physical properties characterization by Fourier Transform Infrared（FTIR） Spectroscopy, thermal stability, viscosity,and conductivity analyses. Five novel manganese（II）-based DESs were successfully synthesized as reported in this study. Data obtained indicated that the Mn Cl2á4H2Oáacetamide DES exhibits the lowest freezing point（27.5℃）, highest thermal stability（193℃ point of dehydration）, lowest viscosity（E = 112.8cP） and the highest conductivity（0.12723 mS/cm）. The findings obtained reveal the characteristics, nature or features of synthesized DESs as potential industrial solvents.

Enhancement of Mechanical Properties of Natural Rubber with Maleic Anhydride Grafted Liquid Polybutadiene Functionalized Graphene Oxide

An effective procedure has been developed to synthesize the functionalized graphene oxide grafted by maleic anhydride grafted liquid polybutadiene（MLPB-GO）. Fourier transform spectroscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy indicate the successful functionalization of GO. The NR/MLPB-GO composites were then prepared by the co-coagulation process. The results show that the mechanical properties of NR/MLPB-GO composites are obviously superior to those of NR/GO composites and neat NR. Compared with neat NR, the tensile strength, modulus at 300% strain and tear strength of NR composite containing 2.12 phr MLPB-GO are significantly increased by 40.5%, 109.1% and 85.0%, respectively. Dynamic mechanical analysis results show that 84% increase in storage modulus and 2.9 K enhancement in the glass transition temperature of the composite have been achieved with the incorporation of 2.12 phr MLPB-GO into NR. The good dispersion of GO and the strong interface interaction in the composites are responsible for the unprecedented reinforcing efficiency of MLPB-GO towards NR.

Influence of oscillator phase on oscillation frequency and sensitivity of an electrode-separated piezoelectric sensor

Theoretical consideration was proposed for the influences of the oscillator phase on the response nature of an electrode-separated piezoelectric sensor (ESPS) to liquid properties and verified experimentally. For the oscillators with different phases, the oscillation frequency of the ESPS may increase, maintain nearly constant or decrease with increasing conductivity in low conductivity solutions. The sensitivity of response to density and viscosity increases slightly with increasing oscillator phase. The response to permittivity depends hardly on the oscillator phase. In addition, the dependence of the oscillation frequency of the ESPS on the supply voltage of the oscillator was explained. The ESPS was used to determine atropine sulfate with a detection limit of 1.6x10(-7) mol/L.