A tutorial review on cellular as well as nanoporous carbides covering their structure, synthesis and potential applications. Especially new carbide materials with a hierarchical pore structure are in focus. As a central theme silicon carbide based materials are picked out, but also titanium, tungsten and boron carbides, as well as carbide-derived carbons, are part of this review. / Dieser Beitrag ist mit Zustimmung des Rechteinhabers aufgrund einer (DFG-geförderten) Allianz- bzw. Nationallizenz frei zugänglich.

A tutorial review on cellular as well as nanoporous carbides covering their structure, synthesis and potential applications. Especially new carbide materials with a hierarchical pore structure are in focus. As a central theme silicon carbide based materials are picked out, but also titanium, tungsten and boron carbides, as well as carbide-derived carbons, are part of this review. / Dieser Beitrag ist mit Zustimmung des Rechteinhabers aufgrund einer (DFG-geförderten) Allianz- bzw. Nationallizenz frei zugänglich.

Actuellement, il existe deux types de peintures anti-salissures marines sur le marché : - Les Self-Polishing Coatings (SPC), revêtements auto-polissants à base de liants polymères hydrolysables, efficaces par relargage de biocides dans le milieu marin mais toxiques pour l’environnement ; - Les Fouling Release Coatings (FRC), revêtements hydrophobes à base de silicone, sans biocides, qui limitent la force d’adhésion des salissures mais ne sont pas efficaces en mode statique.L’objectif de cette étude est d’élaborer des peintures anti-salissures marines hybrides FRC/SPC. Pour ce faire, des polymères diblocs à la fois hydrolysables et présentant une faible énergie de surface ont été synthétisés et caractérisés puis utilisés en tant que liants dans la formulation de peintures anti-salissures marines.Le procédé de polymérisation RAFT a été employé afin de synthétiser des polymères avec une architecture et une masse molaire contrôlée. Deux approches ont été abordées :- Des polymères ont été synthétisés à base de monomères de faible énergie de surface et hydrolysables (le méthacrylate de (heptaméthyl-trisiloxy)diméthylsilyle et le méthacrylate de bis(triméthylsilyloxy)méthylsilyle) avec un co-monomère méthacrylate de méthyle ou méthacrylate de butyle. Il a notamment pu être montré que les copolymères de structure dibloc présentent une énergie de surface plus faible que les copolymères statistiques.- Des polymères ont été synthétisés à partir de monomères hydrolysables tel que le méthacrylate de tert-butyldiméthylsilyle et de monomères de faible énergie de surface tel que le méthacrylate de poly(diméthyl-siloxane).Les propriétés d’érosion (type SPC) et d’énergie de surface (type FRC) ont été étudiées pour les liants seuls et les peintures formulées, avant et pendant leur immersion en eau de mer artificielle. L’efficacité anti-salissures marines des peintures formulées a été évaluée lors de leur immersion in-situ en Mer Méditerranée. / Two main types of antifouling coatings are present on the market: - The Self-Polishing Coatings (SPC): they are based on hydrolysable polymer binders and their antifouling efficiency relies on the release of biocides in the marine surrounding. Unfortunately, they are toxic for the marine environment- The Fouling Release Coatings (FRC): these hydrophobic silicone-based coatings limit the adhesion strength of fouling organisms and are biocide-free. Nevertheless, they are not efficient during idle periods.The aim of this study is to develop FRC/SPC hybrid antifouling coatings. Thus, diblock polymers both hydrolysable and with a low surface energy have been synthesized and characterized, then used as binders for the formulation of antifouling coatings.Polymerization by the RAFT process has been used to synthesize well-architectured polymers with controlled molecular weights. Two different approaches have been considered:- Polymers have been synthesized from low surface energy and hydrolysable monomers ((heptamethyl-trisiloxy)dimethylsilyl methacrylate and bis(trimethylsilyloxy)methylsilyl methacrylate) and a co-monomer of methyl or butyl methacrylate. It has been demonstrated that the diblock copolymers exhibit a lower surface energy than the statistical copolymers.- Polymers have been synthesized from hydrolysable monomers (tert-butyldimethylsilyl methacrylate) and low surface energy monomers (poly(dimethylsiloxane) methacrylate).The erosion properties (SPC-type) and the hydrophobicity (FRC-type) have been studied for both the binders and the formulated coatings, before and during their immersion in artificial seawater. The antifouling efficiency of the formulated coatings has been evaluated during their in-situ immersion in the Mediterranean Sea.

Ce travail a pour objectif principal la modification de la surface de nanoparticules de polymères par de nouveaux copolymères amphiphiles et biocompatibles, possédant différentes architectures. Les copolymères considérés dans cette étude sont composés d'une chaine hydrophile de poly(oxyde d'éthylène) (POE) et d'une chaîne hydrophobe à base de poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL).<br />A partir d'un POE coiffé par une unité ε-caprolactone et par un groupement méthoxy à ses extrémités α et ω, respectivement, (γPOE.CL), des copolymères amphiphiles greffés, PCL-g-POE, et un copolymère ternaire possédant une architecture en étoile ont été synthétisés. Des copolymères diblocs, POE-b-PCL, ont également été préparés. <br />Les copolymères diblocs et greffés de POE et PCL, tensioactifs, ont été utilisés pour stabiliser et modifier la surface de nanoparticles polymères (NP), vecteurs potentiels pour la délivrance de principes actifs. L'effet des propriétés des copolymères (architecture, composition et quantité) sur la formation et la structure des nanoparticules, a été examiné. De plus, l'activation du complément, c.-à.-d. la furtivité des nanoparticules, en fonction de la composition et de l'architecture du copolymère utilisé a été étudiée.<br />Un autre défi relevé dans ce travail est la fonctionnalisation de la surface de nanoparticules pas des motifs mannose afin de cibler des cellules dendritiques. A cet effet, des dérivés du mannose ont été fixés de manière covalente à l'extrémité de la poly(ε-caprolactone) et de copolymères diblocs POE-b-PCL. Ces derniers ont été utilisés avec succès pour modifier la surface de nanoparticules de polylactide.

Interfacial features of polymers are a complex, fascinating topic, and industrially very important. There is clearly a need to understand interactions between polymer layers as they can be used for controlling surface properties, colloidal stability and lubrication. The aim of my Ph.D study was to investigate fundamental phenomena of polymers at interfaces, covering adsorption, interactions between polymer layers and surfactants, surface forces and friction between adsorbed layers. A branched brush layer with high water content was formed on silica surfaces by a diblock copolymer, (METAC)m-b-(PEO45MEMA)n, via physisorption. The adsorption properties were determined using several complementary methods. Interactions between pre-adsorbed branched brush layers and the anionic surfactant SDS were investigated as well. Surface forces and friction between polymer layers in aqueous media were investigated by employing the Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) colloidal probe technique. Friction forces between the surfaces coated by (METAC)m-b-(PEO45MEMA)n in water are characterized by a low friction coefficient. Further, the layers remain intact under high load and shear, and no destruction of the layer was noted even under the highest pressure employed, about 50 MPa. Interactions between polymer layers formed by a temperature responsive diblock copolymer, PIPOZ60-b-PAMPTMA17 (phase transition temperature of 46.1 °C), was investigated in the temperature interval 25-50 °C by using the AFM colloidal probe technique. Friction between the layers increases with increasing temperature (25-45 °C), while at 50 °C friction was found to be slightly lower than that at 45 °C. We suggest that this is due to decreased energy dissipation caused by PIPOZ chains crystallizing in water above the phase transition temperature. The structure of 1,2-dipalmitoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (DPPC) bilayers was determined by X-ray reflectometry. Surface forces and friction between DPPC bilayer-coated silica surfaces were measured utilizing the AFM colloidal probe technique. Our study showed that DPPC bilayers are able to provide low friction forces both in the gel (below ≈ 41°C) and in the liquid crystalline state (above ≈ 41°C). However, the load bearing capacity is lower in the gel state. This is attributed to a higher rigidity and lower self-healing capacity of the DPPC bilayer in the gel state. Friction forces in single asperity contact acting between a micro-patterned silicon surface and an AFM tip was measured in air. We found that both nanoscale surface heterogeneities and the µm-sized depressions affect friction forces, and considerable reproducible variations were found along a particular scan line. Nevertheless, Amontons’ first rule described average friction forces reasonably well. Amontons’ third rule and Euler’s rule were found to be less applicable to our system. / <p>QC 20141209</p>

[pt] O presente estudo investiga a estrutura e a potencial aplicação de nanopartículas formadas por copolímeros que possuem um bloco neutro e outro bloco aniônico combinados a um surfactante catiônico. Em água, os blocos aniônicos se complexam eletrostaticamente às micelas de surfactante, interconectando-as e formando um núcleo concentrado, que pode até apresentar estrutura líquido-cristalina. Os blocos neutros são hidrofílicos e por isso formam uma casca que estabiliza as nanopartículas em água. Devido à formação do núcleo concentrado de micelas, espera-se que estas nanopartículas sejam capazes de incorporar uma maior quantidade de moléculas hidrofóbicas em comparação a micelas de surfactante puro na mesma concentração. Os resultados indicam que quanto mais longo é o bloco aniônico, mais alta é a incorporação das moléculas hidrofóbicas. Por outro lado, o bloco neutro tem um papel importante para aumentar a estabilidade das nanopartículas em meio aquoso. A incorporação de moléculas hidrofóbicas no núcleo das nanopartículas causa alterações na organização das micelas, levando à formação de diferentes estruturas líquido-cristalinas ou a alterações nas distâncias de correlação. Com base nas propriedades das nanopartículas, foi proposta uma formulação aquosa capaz de incorporar uma quantidade significativa de um filtro solar orgânico. Com os resultados obtidos para esta formulação, foi possível demonstrar sua eficácia em evitar a degradação de cabelos por irradiação ultravioleta, o que torna este sistema um candidato de alto potencial para aplicação na indústria de cosméticos. / [en] The present study investigates the structure and potential application of core-shell nanoparticles formed by block copolymers (consisted of an anionic and a neutral blocks) and a cationic surfactant. In water, the anionic blocks electrostatically complex to the surfactant micelles, interconnecting them and forming a concentrated nucleus, which may form even liquid-crystalline structures. Because the neutral blocks are hydrophilic, they form a shell which stabilizes the nanoparticles in water. The concentrated nuclei of micelles are expected to uptake a higher amount of hydrophobic molecules than the regular micelles of pure surfactant in the same concentration. The longer is the anionic block forming the nucleus, the higher is the uptake of hydrophobic substances. On the other hand, the neutral block plays a key role to increase nanoparticle stability in aqueous medium. The uptake of hydrophobic molecules increased the ordering of the micelles in the nucleus, leading either to the formation of different liquid-crystalline structures or to variations in the correlation distances. Taking these results in to account, we proposed an aqueous formulation with a considerable uptake capacity of an organic sunscreen. The results obtained for this formulation demonstrate its efficacy to avoid hair degradation by ultraviolet radiation exposition, which make this system a potential candidate for applications in the cosmetic industry.

Crosslinkable and pH-sensitive amphiphilic block copolymers are promising candidates to establish pH-stable and permeable vesicles for synthetic biology. Here, we report the fabrication of crosslinked and pH-stable polymersomes as swellable vesicles for the pH-dependent loading and release of small dye molecules. / Dieser Beitrag ist mit Zustimmung des Rechteinhabers aufgrund einer (DFG-geförderten) Allianz- bzw. Nationallizenz frei zugänglich.

In this thesis detailed investigations of the phase behavior of poly(n-alkyl methacrylate-b-methyl methacrylate) diblock copolymers and its influence on the wettability of the polymer surfaces were carried out. For this investigation two polymethacrylic systems differing only in the alkyl rest of one block: poly(pentyl methacrylate-b-methyl methacrylate) and poly(propyl methacrylate-b-methyl methacrylate) have been chosen in order to prove how this substituent affects the phase behavior of whole system. The PnAlkMA-b-PMMA diblock copolymers in a wide range of molar masses, and with varied block length ratios were synthesized by living anionic polymerization. The syntheses were carried out in tetrahydrofuran (THF), at –78 °C, by using sec-buthyllithium as initiator, in the presence of lithium chloride (LiCl). Under these conditions highly syndiotactic products, rr ~ 0.82, with very narrow molar mass distribution, Mw/Mn ~ 1.1, were obtained. The phase behavior of PnAlkMA-b-PMMA diblock copolymers in bulk was investigated by means of DSC and SAXS measurements. The DSC analysis revealed that the PPMA-b-PMMA with weight fractions of PPMA, fPPMA, from 0.28 up to 0.86 showed two separate Tg’s, indicative of a phase separated system. However, by comparing the Tg’s of the diblock copolymers with the Tg’s of the corresponding homopolymers we found that in a few cases, mostly for samples with the high molar masses, they were slightly shifted. This finding pointed out the existence of two mixed phases, and hence partial miscibility between the both blocks was assumed. The SAXS patterns reflected for most diblock copolymers lamellae morphologies even in the case of very asymmetric composition, for instance with volume fraction of PPMA, 0.86 It was assumed that this behavior is caused by the chemical similarity of both blocks as well as by the differences in their molar volumes. The SAXS findings were further confirmed by the AFM measurements on the cutted “bulk” samples. From the solubility concept of Van Krevelen we obtained that the interaction parameter of PPMA-b-PMMA is rather low, 0.065, compared to the other well-known diblock copolymers. The calculated spinodals are characterized by a high asymmetry. The investigation of the phase behavior of PPMA-b-PMMA in thin films showed that the morphology as well as the topography of the thin films were strongly affected by the film thickness, when the films were prepared from a non-selective solvent (THF) onto silicon wafers. Well-recognizable nanostructures with long-range order were mainly found in thin films of diblock copolymers with high molar masses, above 100,000 g/mol, and with a high amount of PPMA. The lateral domain spacing obtained for these films from AFM corresponded well with that found in bulk. The study of the influence of the thermal as well as vapor annealing on the morphology and topography of the thin films provided additional information about the phase behavior of PPMA-b-PMMA diblock copolymers in thin films. Finally, the wettability of the investigated PPMA-b-PMMA surfaces was established by means of contact angle measurements. The measured contact angles were in most cases even on nicely nanostructured surfaces very similar to the contact angle of PPMA, indicating preferential segregation of PPMA to the film surface. Additional XPS measurements also showed an enrichment of the PPMA at the surface, independent of the morphology observed by AFM, and thereby confirmed the ADSA finding. In the next part of this work, investigations of the phase behavior of PPrMA-b-PMMA diblock copolymers were presented. In the contrary to the previous system the PPrMA-b-PMMA showed mostly a single Tg, which was further found to be depend on the weight fraction of PPrMA, fPPrMA. The SAXS data revealed that the PPrMA-b-PMMA diblock copolymers were phase separated in bulk, however the obtained scattering patterns exhibited mostly broad, not-well discernible higher-order peaks. Nevertheless, it was possible to identify the formed morphologies and depending on the volume fraction of PPrMA, hexagonally packed cylinders and lamellae were detected. The PPrMA-b-PMMA is characterized by a significantly lower value of the interaction parameter, 0.022, than the PPMA-b-PMMA system. This difference clearly reflects the weakening of the interactions between the components with decrease of the length of the alkyl side chain. The thin films of PPrMA-b-PMMA diblock copolymers appeared mostly smooth and featureless, independent of the film thickness. From the contact angle and XPS measurements we obtained, that unlike the PPMA-b-PMMA, both components were always present on the top of the surface. / In der vorliegenden Arbeit wurden Untersuchungen zum Entmischungsverhalten von Poly(n-alkylmethacrylat-b-methylmethacrylat) Diblockcopolymeren und deren Einfluss auf die Benetzbarkeit der Polymeroberflächen dargestellt. Diese Untersuchungen wurden anhand der Poly(pentylmethacrylat-b-methylmethacrylat) und Poly(propylmethacrylat-b-methylmethacrylat) durchgeführt. Die Diblockcopolymere in einem weiten Molmassenbereich, mit enger Molmassenverteilung, abgestuften Zusammensetzung wurden erfolgreich mittels anionischer Polymerization synthetisiert. Die Synthese erfolgte in THF bei (-78 °C) in Gegenwart von Lithiumchlorid. Als Initiator wurde sec. Butyllithium genutzt. Das Phasenverhalten der Diblockcopolymere im Festkörper wurde mittels DSC und SAXS untersucht. Für die meiste PPMA-b-PMMA Diblockcopolymere wurden mittels DSC zwei getrennte Tg gefunden, die aber im Vergleich zu den Tg von den entsprechenden Homopolymeren leicht verschoben waren. Es wurde also eine partielle Mischbarkeit der Blöcke festgestellt. Mittels SAXS-Untersuchungen wurde für die Mehrzahl der Diblckcopolymere in einem weiten Zusammensetzungsbereich bis zum 0.86 Volumenanteil von PPMA, eine lamellare Anordnung beobachten. Diese Befunde wurden nachfolgend mit AFM–Untersuchungen an dünnen Polymerfolien bestätigt. Das mit der Mean-Filed-Methode berechnete Phasendiagramm zeigte eine Asymmetrie, die durch die Unterschiede in den molaren Volumina des Blöckes verursacht war. Es wurde aber eine gute Übereinstimmung mit der experimentell erhaltenen Daten gefunden. Der berechnete für das System Wechselwirkungsparameter beträgt 0,065. Die AFM-Untersuchungen zum Entmischungsverhalten in dünnen Filmen haben gezeigt, dass die Topographie als auch Morphologie des Films war von der Filmdicke beeinflusst. Die Polymerfilme wurden mittels dipcoating der Si-Wafer präpariert. Dazu wurden Polymerlösungen in THF verwendet. Reguläre Nanostrukturen, deren Abstände mit dem im Festkörper gefundenen sehr gut übereinstimmten, wurden bei den Proben mit höherem Anteil von PPMA erhalten. Es wurden auch der Einfluss der Temperatur und der Dampfbehandlung auf die Morphologie und Topographie des Films untersucht. Die Benetzbarkeit der untersuchte PPMA-b-PMMA Filme wurde mit der Kontaktwinkelmessungen (ADSA) bestimmt. Als Messflüssigkeit wurde Milipore Wasser genutzt. Für die Mehrzahl der Diblockcopolymere wurden Kontaktwinkel im Bereich um 95° ermitteln, unabhängig von der Zusammensetzung der Diblockcopolymere und der vorhandenen Nanostruktur. Dies entspricht dem Kontaktwinkel von PPMA Homopolymer. Die Benetzbarkeit der PPMA-b-PMMA Filme wurde also durch die Oberflächensegregation des Niedrigenergieblocks (PPMA) bestimmt. Dies wurde danach durch zusätzliche XPS Messungen bestätigt. Im Vergleich zu PPMA-b-PMMA, die nachfolgend untersuchte PPrMA-b-PMMA Diblockcopolymere wiesen eine höhere Tendenz zur Mischbarkeit auf. Anhand der DSC–Untersuchungen wurde hier vorübergehend eine Misch-Tg gefunden. Nur bei der Probe mit symmetrischer Zusammensetzung wurden zwei getrennte Tg beobachtet. Die Streukurven von diesem System waren sehr schwach ausgeprägt. Dadurch die Indizierung der vorhandenen Morphologien war nicht eindeutlich. Der berechnete Wechselwirkungsparameter beträgt 0,022. Bei den AFM-Untersuchungen zum Entmischungsverhalten in dünnen PPrMA-b-PMMA Filmen wurden entweder keine oder sehr schwach geordnete Nanostruktur gefunden. Im Gegensatz zu dem vorherigen System, die Benetzbarkeit der PPrMA-b-PMMA Filme war durch die Zusammensetzung der Diblockcopolymere bedingt.

Non-oxide porous ceramics exhibit many unique and superior properties, such as better high-temperature stability, improved chemical inertness/corrosive resistance, as well as wide band-gap semiconducting behavior, which lead to numerous potential applications in catalysis, high temperature electronic and photonic devices, and micro-electromechanical systems. Currently, most mesoporous non-oxide ceramics (e.g. SiC) are formed by two-step templating methods, which are hard to adjust the pore sizes, and require a harmful etching step or a high temperature treatment to remove the templates. In this dissertation, we report a novel technique for synthesizing hierarchically mesoporous non-oxide SiC ceramic from a block copolymer precursor. The copolymer precursors with vairing block length were synthesized by reversible addition fragmentation chain transfer polymerization. The block copolymers self-assemble into nano-scaled micelles with a core-shell structure in toluene. With different operation processes, hollow SiC nanospheres and bulk mesoporous SiC ceramics were synthesized after the subsequent pyrolysis of precorsur micelles. The resultant SiC ceramics have potential applications in catalysis, solar cells, separation, and purification processes.The polymer synthesis and pyrolysis process will investigated by NMR, FTIR, GPC, TEM, and TGA/DSC. The morphology and structure of synthesised SiC hollow spheres and mesoporous ceramics were analyzed by SEM, TGA/DSC and BET/BJH analysis. Besides forming core shell micelles in selective solvent Toluene, we found that PVSZ-b-PS could also exhibit this property in the air water interface. By inducing the Langmuir-Blodgett deposition, a precursor monolayer with homogeously distributed povinylsilazane particles deposited on silicon wafer synthesized by spreading the diblock copolymer PVSZ-b-PS in the air water interface. After the pyrolysis process, orderly arranging SiC nano particles formed from the polymer precursor monolayer doped on the surface of silicon wafer, which shows great potential as an optoelectronic material. The deposition process and the relationship between compress pressure and monolayer morphology were studies, and the structure of monolayer and SiC dots were investigated by AFM, SEM.

Two diverse projects illustrate the application of various materials characterization techniques to investigate the structure and properties of nanostructured functional materials formed in both bulk as well as in solutions. In the first project, ordered magnetic nanostructures were formed within polymer matrix by novel metallopolymers. The novel metal-functionalized block copolymers (BCPs) enabled the confinement of cobalt metal ions within nanostructured BCP domains, which upon simple heat treatment resulted in room temperature ferromagnetic (RTFM) materials. On the contrary, cobalt functionalized homopolymer having similar chemical structure and higher loading of metal-ion are unstructured and exhibited superparamagnetic (SPM) behavior at room temperature. Based on a series of detailed investigations, using various materials characterization techniques, it was hypothesized that the SPM cobalt particles within BCP microdomains exhibited a collective behavior due to increased dipolar interactions between them under the nanoconfinement of cylindrical domains in BCP, resulting in RTFM behavior. On contrary, the same SPM cobalt particles formed within homopolymer, without any confinement exhibited SPM behavior either due to lack of interactions or random interactions between them. To further support this hypothesis, a series of BCPs were prepared in which the BCP morphology was varied between the cylindrical, lamellar, and inverted cylindrical phases and their magnetic properties were compared. All these BCPs, which are nanostructured, exhibited RTFM behavior, further supporting the proposed hypothesis. Different dimensionality or degree of nanoconfinement in BCP morphologies affected the magnetization reversal processes in these BCPs, yielding different macroscopic magnetic properties. Most strongly constrained cylindrical morphology has shown best magnetic properties (highest coercivity) among other BCP morphologies. Inverted cylindrical morphology, in which a 3-D matrix is confined between the non-magnetic cylinders, had second highest and lamellar morphology with least confinement among BCPs, exhibited lowest coercivity. The proposed hypothesis was further tested by systematically varying the dipolar interactions between the SPM cobalt nanoparticles by reducing the density of cobalt within the cylindrical domains and varying the dimensions of the cylindrical domains (i.e. diameter). A series of novel ferrocene-cobalt containing block copolymers were developed and cobalt density within the cylindrical domains of BCP was varied by changing the chemical composition of the metal functionalized block. Further, the diameter of the cylindrical domains was varied by varying the molecular weight of the cobalt-containing BCPs. These studies allowed us to understand the fundamental correlations between the self-assembled nanostructures and their macroscopic magnetic properties. In the second part of the thesis, a novel amphiphilic block copolymer (ABC), composed of a hydrophilic zwitterionic block and a hydrophobic PS block, was synthesized by ROMP. The formation of zwitterionic vesicles in an ionic liquid, as well as in PBS buffer, was confirmed by TEM and DLS characterization. The dispersion of vesicles within ionic liquid enabled the usage of conventional, room temperature TEM to visualize them in their solution state. This technique of materials characterization could be extended for the visualization of other hydrophilic soft matter.