• Macromolecular Research
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• v.17 no.10
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• pp.807-812
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• 2009

In this work, we focus on the tumbling dynamics of rod-like and semi-flexible polymers in mixed flows, which vary from simple shear to pure rotation. By employing a bead-rod model, the tumbling pathways and periods are examined with a focus on the angular distribution of their orientation. Under the mixed flows, the tumbling dynamics agreed well with earlier studies and confirmed the predicted scaling laws. We found that the angular distribution deviates from that of shear flow as the flow type approaches pure rotation. Finally, we investigated the angular distribution of $\lambda$-DNA in a shear flow and found that the present numerical simulations were in quantitative agreement with the previous experimental data.

• Applied Chemistry for Engineering
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• v.26 no.4
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• pp.445-451
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• 2015

Semi-flexible liquid crystalline polymers containing a mesogenic group and an octamethylene flexible spacer in the main chain were synthesized by solution polycondensation. The mesogenic group in the polymer consists of four aromatic rings connected by ester and ketone, ether, sulfide, methylene, sulfone, or isopropylidene linkage groups. This paper discusses effects of the central linker of the mesogenic group on polymer properties. The structures and properties of synthesized polymers were investigated by $^1H$-NMR, FT-IR, differential scanning calorimeter (DSC), thermogravimetric analyzer (TGA), X-ray diffractometer (XRD), and polarizing optical microscope (POM). Polymers having bent linkage groups exhibited low thermal transition temperatures, narrow mesophase temperature ranges, low liquid crystallinity, and good solubilities in organic solvents, while those having bulky linkage groups were amorphous and exhibited high glass transition temperatures.

• Textile Coloration and Finishing
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• v.20 no.1
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• pp.44-47
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• 2008

Organic semi-conductive materials have characteristics such as the advantages of easy formability, low-cost and diversity along with moderate semi-conductive properties. In this paper, we developed a flexible organic-inorganic hybrid solar cell fiber. First, we made a solar cell on the glass and attached the solar cell on the glass fiber similarly. In the latter case, thermal deposition method was employed in order to effectively apply ITO onto fiber surface. The amount of ITO was controlled by varying the temperature from 25, 150 to $300^{\circ}C$. Optimum result was obtained at $150^{\circ}C$ where maximize the deposition amount without significant decomposition of ITO. Despite of maximum open circuit voltage of 0.39V, the resulting current was quite unstable and weak, limiting realistic applications. It was, however, concluded that the flexible solar cell fiber developed showed a possibility of low-weight application from functional clothing for military to space suit mainly due to flexibility and thus wear ability.

• Proceedings of the Polymer Society of Korea Conference
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• 2006.10a
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• pp.364-364
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• 2006

The rheological properties of Parmax 1200, a new semi-flexible substituted polyphenylene, were investigated. The reported high stiffness of the material was confirmed. The rheological measurements proved that, despite the very high stiffness of the molecules, Parmax showed shear thinning and that, although the viscosity is very high and the melt is highly elastic, the polymer can be extruded in the melt. A worm-like morphology was detected in AFM and TEM. This morphology could explain the reported mechanical and rheological behaviour. The compatibility with flexible chain polymers (e.g. polycarbonate) could also be explained by the worm-like morphology.

• Elastomers and Composites
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• v.44 no.4
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• pp.436-441
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• 2009

Semi flexible polyesters containing aromatic rings and pentamethylene groups in the main chain were synthesized by direct polycondensation reaction. The structures of these polymers were investigated by $^1H$-NMR and FT-IR and the phase transition behavior was characterized with DSC, TGA and crossed polarizing microscope. Inherent viscosities ($\eta_{inh}$) of polymers measured in phenol/p-chlorophenol/1,1,2,2-tetrachloroethane were between 0.46 and 1.30 dL/g. As increasing the linearlity of rigid moieties in polyster, melting transition temperatures ($T_m$) increased and solubilities in organic solvents decreased. P-H, P-mH and P-4H of the polymers formed turbid melts that showed stir-opalescence and nematic phase at the broad anisotropic region, However, P-R, P-C and P-2B did not exhibit any textures related to the liquid crystallinity.

• Elastomers and Composites
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• v.48 no.4
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• pp.306-311
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• 2013

A series of liquid crystalline polyesters containing the 4-chloro benzoate group on the hydroquinone unit of rigid group were synthesized through solution polymerization of 2,5-di(4-chlorobenzoate)hydroquinones and 4,4'-dicarboxy-${\alpha},{\omega}$-diphenoxy alkane. The structure and properties for synthesized polymers were investigated by $^1H$-NMR, FT-IR, DSC, TGA, and POM. As result of investigations, The presence of the methylene group and bulky lateral groups in polymer chain have a great influence on the properties of polymers such as solubilities and thermal transitions. The optical textures of polymers revealed a weak birefringence in the melt and indicated that they form nematic mesophase. All polymers have very narrow mesophase temperature ranges.

• Proceedings of the Korean Biophysical Society Conference
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• 2003.06a
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• pp.67-67
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• 2003

Filamentous actin (F-actin) is a two stranded long helix that performs structural function in eukaryotic cells. F-actin had been assembled from Alexa-labeled G-actin and had been confined in microchannel. The fluctuation of single filaments was observed by fluorescence optical microscopy. We measured Tangent-tangent Correlation Function G(s) (where s is the distance along the contour of the chain), which tells us the confining wall effect of wormlike semi-flexible polymers as well as the flexural rigidity, such as persistence length.

• Polymer(Korea)
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• v.31 no.1
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• pp.37-46
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• 2007

Fully or nearly fully 6- [4- (4'- (nitrophenylazo)phenoxycarbonyl)]pentanoated polysaccharide derivatives were synthesized by reacting cellulose, amylose, chitosan, chitin, alginic acid, pullulan or amylopectin with 6- [4- (4'- (nitrophenylazo)phenoxy) ] pentanoyl chloride (NA6C) and their thermotropic liquid crystalline behaviors were investigated. Like in the case of NA6C, all the polysaccharide derivatives formed monotropic nematic phases, suggesting that the mesophase structure of the polysaccharide derivatives is dertermined by the mesogenic side groups and not by the polysaccharide backbone. This is the first report of polysaccharide derivatives, except cellulose derivative, that form thermotropic nematic phases. The thermal stability and degree of order of the nematic phases observed for poly saccharide derivatives were significantly different from those reported for the polymers in which the azobenzene groups are attached to flexible or rigid backbones through flexible spacers. The results were discussed in terms of the difference in the arrangement of the main and side chains and the flexibility of the main chain.

• Korea-Australia Rheology Journal
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• v.14 no.4
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• pp.189-201
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• 2002

The interaction between hydrophobically modified hydroxyethyl cellulose (hmHEC), containing approximately 1 wt% side-alkyl chains of $C_{16}$, and an anionic sodium dodecyl sulphate (SDS) surfactant was investigated. For a semi-dilute solution of 0.5 wt% hmHEC, the previously observed behaviour of a maximum in solution viscosity at intermediate SDS concentrations, followed by a drop at higher SDS concentrations, until above the cmc of surfactant when the solution resembles that of the unsubstituted polymer, was confirmed. Additionally, a two-phase region containing a hydrogel phase and a water-like supernatant was found at low SDS concentrations up to 0.2 wt%, a concentration which is akin to the critical association concentration, cac, of SDS in the presence of hmHEC. Above this concentration, SDS molecules bind strongly to form mixed micellar aggregates with the polymer alkyl side-chains, thus strengthening the network junctions, resulting in the observed increase in viscosity and elastic modulus of the solution. The shear behaviour of this polymer-surfactant complex during steady and step stress experiments was examined In great detail. Between SDS concentrations of 0.2 and 0.25 wt%, the shear viscosity of the hmHEC-polymer complex network undergoes shear-induced thickening, followed by a two-stage shear-induced fracture or break-up of the network. The thickening is thought to be due to structural rearrangement, causing the network of flexible polymers to expand, enabling some polymer hydrophobic groups to be converted from intra- to inter-chain associations. At higher applied stress, a partial local break-up of the network occurs, while at even higher stress, above the critical or network yield stress, a complete fracture of the network into small microgel-like units, Is believed to occur. This second network rupture is progressive with time of shear and no steady state in viscosity was observed even after 300 s. The structure which was reformed after the cessation of shear is found to be significantly different from the original state.