The conformational evolution of elongated polymer solutions tailors the polarization of light-emission from organic nanofibers

Polymer fibers are currently exploited in tremendously important technologies. Their innovative properties are mainly determined by the behavior of the polymer macromolecules under the elongation induced by external mechanical or electrostatic forces, characterizing the fiber drawing process. Although enhanced physical properties were observed in polymer fibers produced under strong stretching conditions, studies of the process-induced nanoscale organization of the polymer molecules are not available, and most of fiber properties are still obtained on an empirical basis. Here we reveal the orientational properties of semiflexible polymers in electrospun nanofibers, which allow the polarization properties of active fibers to be finely controlled. Modeling and simulations of the conformational evolution of the polymer chains during electrostatic elongation of semidilute solutions demonstrate that the molecules stretch almost fully within less than 1 mm from jet start, increasing polymer axial orientation at the jet center. The nanoscale mapping of the local dichroism of individual fibers by polarized near-field optical microscopy unveils for the first time the presence of an internal spatial variation of the molecular order, namely the presence of a core with axially aligned molecules and a sheath with almost radially oriented molecules. These results allow important and specific fiber properties to be manipulated and tailored, as here demonstrated for the polarization of emitted light.Comment: 45 pages, 10 figures, Macromolecules (2014

Aggregation-Induced Emission of Tetraphenylethylene in Styrene-Based Polymers

In the present work, the preparation of different styrene-based polymer films containing small amounts of TPE and the evaluation of their photoluminescent behaviour is reported. When TPE is dispersed in a poor solvent or in a glassy PS matrix, the arrested intramolecular rotations of its aryls favour the strong emission of light centred at about 455-460 nm. Conversely, TPE fluorescence significantly weakens to a faint signal when good solvents or viscous but not glassy polymer matrices are used. Near-field optical microscopy correlates the fluorescence behaviour with the different matrix morphologies. These results should be able to be used for developing a new tool for polymer traceability

Metal micro drilling combining high power femtosecond laser and trepanning head

Trepanning heads are well known to be efficient in high aspect drilling and to provide a precise control of the hole geometry. Secondly, femtosecond lasers enable to minimize the heat effects and the recast layer on sidewalls but are typically used on thin sheet. The combination of both present a high potential for industrial applications such as injector or cooling holes where the bore sidewall topology has a major influence on the dynamics of the gas flow. In this paper we present results using this combination. The effect of pulse energy, repetition rate and revolution speed of the head on both geometry and roughness are discussed. The quality of the sidewall is checked by roughness measurement and by metallographic analysis (SEM; chemical etching, micro hardness)

Low-Energy Ions from Laser-Cooled Atoms

We report the features of an ion source based on two-color photoionization of a laser-cooled cesium beam outsourced from a pyramidal magneto-optical trap. The ion source operates in continuous or pulsed mode. At acceleration voltages below 300 V, it delivers some ten ions per bunch with a relative energy spread ΔUrms/U≃0.032, as measured through the retarding field-energy-analyzer approach. Space-charge effects are negligible thanks to the low ion density attained in the interaction volume. The performances of the ion beam in a configuration using focused laser beams are extrapolated on the basis of the experimental results. Calculations demonstrate that our low-energy and low-current ion beam can be attractive for the development of emerging technologies requiring the delivery of a small amount of charge, down to the single-ion level and its eventual focusing in the 10-nm range

Processing and structural properties of random oriented lead lanthanum zirconate titanate thin films

Polycrystalline lead lanthanum zirconate titanate (PLZT) thin films have been prepared by a polymeric chemical route to understand the mechanisms of phase transformations and map the microstructure and elastic properties at the nanoscale in these films. X-ray diffraction, atomic force microscopy (AFM) and ultrasonic force microscopy (UFM) have been used as investigative tools. On one side, PLZT films with mixed-phase show that the pyrochlore phase crystallizes predominantly in the bottom film-electrode interface while a pure perovskite phase crystallizes in top film surface. On the contrary, pyrochlore-free PLZT films show a non-uniform microstrain and crystallite size along the film thickness with a heterogeneous complex grainy structure leading to different elastic properties at nanoscale

Near-field surface plasmon field enhancement induced by rippled surfaces

The occurrence of plasmon resonances on metallic nanometer-scale structures is an intrinsically nanoscale phenomenon, given that the two resonance conditions (i.e., negative dielectric permittivity and large free-space wavelength in comparison with system dimensions) are realized at the same time on the nanoscale. Resonances on surface metallic nanostructures are often experimentally found by probing the structures under investigation with radiation of various frequencies following a trial-and-error method. A general technique for the tuning of these resonances is highly desirable. In this paper we address the issue of the role of local surface patterns in the tuning of these resonances as a function of wavelength and electric field polarization. The effect of nanoscale roughness on the surface plasmon polaritons of randomly patterned gold films is numerically investigated. The field enhancement and relation to specific roughness patterns is analyzed, producing many different realizations of rippled surfaces. We demonstrate that irregular patterns act as metal–dielectric–metal local nanogaps (cavities) for the resonant plasmonic field. In turn, the numerical results are compared to experimental data obtained via aperture scanning near-field optical microscopy