In Situ Compatibilization of Biopolymer Ternary Blends by Reactive Extrusion with Low-Functionality Epoxy-Based Styrene Acrylic Oligomer

[EN] The present study reports on the use of low-functionality epoxy-based styrene¿acrylic oligomer (ESAO) to compatibilize immiscible ternary blends made of poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate) (PHBV), polylactide (PLA), and poly(butylene adipate-co-terephthalate) (PBAT). The addition during melt processing of low-functionality ESAO at two parts per hundred resin (phr) of biopolymer successfully changed the soften inclusion phase in the blend system to a thinner morphology, yielding biopolymer ternary blends with higher mechanical ductility and also improved oxygen barrier performance. The compatibilization achieved was ascribed to the in situ formation of a newly block terpolymer, i.e. PHBVb- PLA-b-PBAT, which was produced at the blend interface by the reaction of the multiple epoxy groups present in ESAO with the functional terminal groups of the biopolymers. This chemical reaction was mainly linear due to the inherently low functionality of ESAO and the more favorable reactivity of the epoxy groups with the carboxyl groups of the biopolymers, which avoided the formation of highly branched and/or cross-linked structures and thus facilitated the films processability. Therefore, the reactive blending of biopolymers at different mixing ratios with low-functionality ESAO represents a straightforward methodology to prepare sustainable plastics at industrial scale with different physical properties that can be of interest in, for instance, food packaging applications.This research was funded by the EU H2020 project YPACK (Reference number 773872) and by the Spanish Ministry of Science, Innovation, and Universities (MICIU) with project numbers MAT2017-84909-C2-2-R and AGL2015-63855-C2-1-R. L. Quiles-Carrillo wants to thank the Spanish Ministry of Education, Culture, and Sports (MECD) for financial support through his FPU Grant Number FPU15/03812. Torres-Giner also acknowledges the MICIU for his Juan de la Cierva contract (IJCI-2016-29675).Quiles-Carrillo, L.; Montanes, N.; Lagaron, J.; Balart, R.; Torres-Giner, S. (2019). In Situ Compatibilization of Biopolymer Ternary Blends by Reactive Extrusion with Low-Functionality Epoxy-Based Styrene Acrylic Oligomer. 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Red emitting [Ir(C^N)2(N^N)]+ complexes employing bidentate 2,2':6,2''-terpyridine ligands for light-emitting electrochemical cells

2,2′:6′,2′′-Terpyridine (tpy), 4′-(4-HOC6H4)-2,2′:6′,2′′-terpyridine (1), 4′-(4-MeOC6H4)-2,2′:6′,2′′-terpyridine (2), 4′-(4-MeSC6H4)-2,2′:6′,2′′-terpyridine (3), 4′-(4-H2NC6H4)-2,2′:6′,2′′-terpyridine (4) and 4′-(4-pyridyl)-2,2′:6′,2′′-terpyridine (4) act as N^N chelates in complexes of the type [Ir(C^N)2(N^N)][PF6] in which the cyclometallating ligand, C^N, is derived from 2-phenylpyridine (Hppy) or 3,5-dimethyl-1-phenyl-1H-pyrazole (Hdmppz). The single crystal structures of eight complexes have been determined, and in each iridium(III) complex cation, the non-coordinated pyridine ring of the tpy unit is involved in a face-to-face π-stacking interaction with the cyclometallated ring of an adjacent ligand. Solution NMR spectra of the [Ir(ppy)2(N^N)]+ complexes are consistent with the presence of a non-classical hydrogen bond between the non-coordinated N-donor of the tpy domain and a CH unit of one pyridine ring of an adjacent ppy− ligand; the presence of the N⋯HC interaction was confirmed in one of the solid-state structures. The pendant pyridine ring of the coordinated tpy undergoes hindered rotation on the NMR timescale at 295 K. In CH2Cl2, the complexes are orange or red emitters, with λemmax in the range 580 to 642 nm; photoluminescence quantum yields (PLQY) are <10%, and lifetimes range from 54 to 136 ns. N-Methylation of the pendant 4′-(4-pyridyl) group in [Ir(dmppz)2(pytpy)][PF6] essentially quenches the emission. Light-emitting electrochemical cells (LECs) have been fabricated in a thin film configuration; the emission spectra of the LECs are red-shifted with respect to the PL spectra of the corresponding complex in thin film configuration. For the device incorporating [Ir(ppy)2(pytpy)][PF6], the PL to EL red-shift is extremely large and this is indicative of a different emitting state being involved. The most efficient devices used [Ir(ppy)2(1)][PF6], [Ir(ppy)2(2)][PF6] or [Ir(ppy)2(3)][PF6] in the emissive layer; the devices exhibited rapid turn-on times, but showed relatively low efficiencies in accordance with the solid state photoluminescence quantum yields

Tax Reduction Policies of the Productive Sector and Its Impacts on Brazilian Economy

There is a widespread feeling in Brazilian society that tax reform has become necessary. Analysts seek to mitigate the perverse impact of taxation on economic efficiency and competitiveness of the productive sector. In view of this, the objective of this work is to contribute to the discussion about tax reduction in the productive sector through a dynamic stochastic general equilibrium (DSGE) model. To achieve this purpose, two stochastic shocks will be analyzed in the tax rates changes on labor income and capital income. The results suggest that the tax reduction in the first tax is greater than the same effect in the second. In this first shock, there were increases in output, consumption and investment and decreases in public debt and government spending. In the second shock, the poor performance was related to low growth in the capital stock. The results of the tax revenues were similar for the two tax reductions. They showed alignment with the major tax reform proposals for Brazil, a decrease in direct taxes and an increase in indirect taxes