The paper reports the synthesis of new silsesquioxanes with methacrylate and/or vinyl units, obtained by combining the solegel technique with radical polymerization in the presence of 2,20-azobis(2-methylpropionitrile) as initiator and a cationic surfactant, cetyltrimethylammonium bromide. The thermal behaviour was investigated through simultaneous thermogravimetric and differential scanning calorimetry analysis (TG/DSC) coupled on-line with Fourier

The effects on chemical and physical properties of biaxial stretched poly(ethylene terephthalate)(PET) as a result of KrF (24 8 nm) and XeCl (308 nm) laser irradiation were investigated. Below ablation threshold, roughening of the surface was detected, with the formation of periodic surface structures for 308 nm irradiation, while above the ablation threshold, dendrites or granular protuberances superimpose the densely-packed nap structures. The

The research is focused on investigating the relative resistance of a monumental limestone (Repedea from Romania), protected with different siloxane-based polymeric coatings, used in north-eastern part of Romania for the construction of many stone monuments. Three worldwide used siloxane-based polymers, namely Lotexan-N, Silres® BS 290 and Tegosivin HL 100 and a newly designed hybrid nanocomposite containing silsesquioxane units (TMSPMA) were selected

A novel silver/polysulfone nanocomposite membrane was prepared by a convenient ultraviolet irradiation technique, through in situ reduction of silver salt (AgNO3) added to a solution of commercial UDEL polyethersulfone dissolved in N-methyl-2-pyrrolidinone (NMP). The UVreduction of Ag+ to Ag0 nanoparticles was confirmed by means of UV-vis spectroscopy, from aggregation phenomena. The effects of dispersion of silver nanoparticles within polysulfone

The aim of the study was to synthesize and characterize silsesquioxane-based hybrid nanocomposites with self-assembling properties to be used in monumental stone conservation. Through radical polymerization of 3-(trimethoxysilyl)propyl methacrylate, a monomer that contains both methacrylate and silica phases, in the presence of a primary amine surfactant, at different silica precursor:ethanol molar ratios, new types of hybrid nanocomposites, in which

The present study is concerned with the assessment of the relative resistance of a monumental dolomitic limestone (Laspra – Spain) used as building material in stone monuments and submitted to artificial ageing by SO2 dry deposition in the presence of humidity. To investigate the protection efficiency of different polymeric coatings, three commercially available siloxane-based oligomers (Lotexan-N, Silres BS 290 and Tegosivin HL 100) and a newly

The aim of this study was to synthesize and characterize new poly(vinyl alcohol)s (PVAs) hybrid composites with or without a basic drug content, e.g., 2-[4-(2-methylpropyl)phenyl]propanoic acid (ibuprofen), obtained at different pH values. Through sol-gel approach of chloropropyltriethoxysilane with a PVA precursor containing a fluorescent dye (lissamine rhodamine-B sulfonyl chloride), new hybrid materials with porous structures were obtained. Due

The paper reports the first study on hierarchical assemblies (nanofibrillar micelles confined within semi-cylindrical shells) with silsesquioxane and quaternary ammonium units obtained through polymer blending intended for antimicrobial/antifungal stone coatings. The formation of hierarchical structures on solid surfaces is due to the multiple intermolecular ionic interactions, intermolecular Van der Waals and hydrophobic interactions acting among

Among the many aspects of laser ablation, development of conical structures induced by excimer laser radiation on polyimide surfaces has been thoroughly investigated. Because the mechanisms that produce these surface textures are not fully understood, two theories, photochemical bond breaking and thermal reaction, have been introduced. Here we present the first study of ultraviolet laser ablation behavior of thin films made from fluorinated poly(naphthyl-imide)s

One of the chief topics in the photopolymers field is the chemical incorporation of photo-luminescent chromophores on the macromolecular backbone in order to prove unequivocally that such structures can serve as important tools in biology, medicine, chemistry, and not only. Ongoing research in our laboratory involves the synthesis and characterization of novel photopolymers with focus on understanding the intrinsic properties of the probe molecule