Flinders Microscopy and Microanalysis

Inverse vulcanization is a copolymerization of elemental sulfur and alkenes that provides unique materials with high sulfur content (typically ≥50% sulfur by mass). These polymers contain a dynamic and reactive polysulfide network that creates many opportunities for processing, assembly, and repair that are not possible with traditional plastics, rubbers and thermosets. In this study, we demonstrate that two surfaces of these sulfur polymers can be chemically joined at room temperature through a phosphine or amine-catalyzed exchange of the S-S bonds in the polymer. When the nucleophile is pyridine or triethylamine, we show that S-S metathesis only occurs at room temperature for a sulfur rank > 2-an important discovery for the design of polymers made by inverse vulcanization. This mechanistic understanding of the S-S metathesis was further supported with small molecule crossover experiments in addition to computational studies. Applications of this chemistry in latent adhesives, additive manufacturing, polymer repair, and recycling are also presented.

A simple, low-cost method of preparing photocatalytic TiO₂ thin films using RF plasma has been developed, offering known elemental composition, homogenous depositions, and easily modifiable crystallinity and surface properties.

A polymer made from equal masses of sulfur and canola oil was carbonised at 600 °C for 30 minutes. The resulting material exhibited improved uptake of mercury from water compared to the polymer. The carbonisation could also be done after using the polymer to clean up oil spills, which suprisingly improved mercury uptake to levels rivaling commercial carbons.

layer reduced through sputtering and also partial oxidation of the Ru clusters.

substrates were achieved through the development of a Pulsed Nozzle Cluster Deposition (PNCD) technique under high vacuum conditions. This method offers the deposition of pre-prepared, solvated clusters directly onto substrates in a vacuum without the potential for contamination from the atmosphere. AFM and TEM were used to investigate the rate of gold cluster deposition as a function of cluster solution concentration and the number of pulses, with pulse number showing the most effective control of the final deposition conditions. TEM and XPS were used to determine that the clusters retained their unique properties through the deposition process. Methanol solvent deposited in the PNCD process has been shown to be removable through post-deposition treatments. A physical model describing the vapour behaviour and solvent evaporation in a vacuum is also developed and presented.