Cellulose powder and cellulose pellets obtained by pressing the microcrystalline powder were studied using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), differential thermal analysis (DTA), and thermal gravimetry (TG). The TG method enabled the assessment of water content in the investigated samples. The glass phase transition in cellulose was studied using the DSC method, both in heating and cooling runs, in a wide temperature range from -100 to 180°C. It is shown that the DSC cooling runs are more suitable for the glass phase transition visualisation than the heating runs. The discrepancy between glass phase transition temperature T g found using DSC and predictions by Kaelbe's approach are observed for ''dry'' (7 and 5.3% water content) cellulose. This could be explained by strong interactions between cellulose chains appearing when the water concentration decreases. The T g measurements vs. moisture content may be used for cellulose crystallinity index determination.

Field Cycling Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (FC NMR) relaxation studies are reported for three ionic liquids: 1-ethyl-3- methylimidazolium thiocyanate (EMIM-SCN, 220-258 K), 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate (BMIM-BF4, 243-318 K), and 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium hexafluorophosphate (BMIM-PF6, 258-323 K). The dispersion of (1)H spin-lattice relaxation rate R1(ω) is measured in the frequency range of 10 kHz-20 MHz, and the studies are complemented by (19)F spin-lattice relaxation measurements on BMIM-PF6 in the corresponding frequency range. From the (1)H relaxation results self-diffusion coefficients for the cation in EMIM-SCN, BMIM-BF4, and BMIM-PF6 are determined. This is done by performing an analysis considering all relevant intra- and intermolecular relaxation contributions to the (1)H spin-lattice relaxation as well as by benefiting from the universal low-frequency dispersion law characteristic of Fickian diffusion which yields, at low frequencies, a linear dependence of R1 on square root of frequency. From the (19)F relaxation both anion and cation diffusion coefficients are determined for BMIM-PF6. The diffusion coefficients obtained from FC NMR relaxometry are in good agreement with results reported from pulsed- field-gradient NMR. This shows that NMR relaxometry can be considered as an alternative route of determining diffusion coefficients of both cations and anions in ionic liquids.

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X-Ray crystallography, DSC and NMR spectroscopy methods have been used to study the phase transition of D-amphetamine sulfate. The phase transition temperature occurs at about 325 K, and belongs to the discontinuous type with a large temperature hysteresis. A change in the space group is observed from monoclinic P2 1 in the low temperature phase to monoclinic C2 in the high temperature phase. The transformation from phase I to phase II is a result of the ordering of the SO 4 2À groups, allowing a T-shape interaction between D-amphetamine molecules. Proton relaxation rate data obtained for the studied compound have been analysed by assuming two dynamically-inequivalent methyl groups below the phase transition and only one type of ammonium group above the phase transition. The activation energies for the C 3 reorientation of the methyl groups have been determined to be 7.31 and 11.89 kJ mol À1 , whereas for the ammonium group it is 27.29 kJ mol À1 .

This paper reports the interdisciplinary study on molecular dynamics, ionic interactions and electrical conductivity in a quaternary ammonium salt (TMABr) ionogel based on a low molecular weight gelator (LMWG) in a wide range of electrolyte molar concentrations. The thermal scanning conductometry (TSC) was used to investigate the electric properties of the ionogels. The prepared TMABr/HO/LMWG ionogel exhibits better ion transport properties than the dissociated TMA cation in solution. The enhanced ionic conductivity effect (EICE) was observed in the concentration range of the TMABr salt up to 1 M. To investigate the transport properties of the TMA cation and solvent molecules in the gel and sol phase, the NMR diffusiometry method was used. The field-cycling relaxometry method (FFC NMR) was applied to study the local motions of the electrolyte at the surface of the gelator matrix. On the basis of the obtained data, the higher ionic conductivity observed in the gel phase has been related to the microstructure of the gel matrix. The possible explanation for the origin of this effect has been given. The investigated system is a thermally reversible physical gel, all registered data were reproducible upon transforming the sample from gel to sol and back to the gel state, confirming the enhancement effect as a permanent property of the investigated ionogels. Therefore, the EICE has been proposed to be used as an internal sensor to monitor the condition of the ionogel phase, thus making them smart materials.

The relaxation processes in cellulose, methyl cellulose, hydroxypropyl cellulose, and hydroxypropylmethyl cellulose were studied by dielectric spectroscopy. The dielectric spectra for these polysaccharides were measured in the frequency range from 100 Hz to 1 MHz and in the temperature range from 100 to 450 K. The dielectric relaxation data for cellulose, methyl cellulose, hydroxypropylmethyl cellulose were described by Arrhenius and Eyring equations and interpreted as due to a local motion of chain segments via the glucosidic linkages, so-called β-relaxation. The same relaxation process was also determined for the hydroxypropyl cellulose polymer in the temperature range of 240-270 K. At higher temperature in hydroxypropyl cellulose another relaxation mechanism occurs due to the reorientation of the side chain built of a few hydroxypropylene groups. The activation parameters of the observed dielectric relaxation processes were determined.