This study elucidates the complex morphology and the related spectroscopic response of poly(vinylidene fluoride-co-trifluoroethylene) copolymer, with 80% molar VDF content, namely P(VDF-TrFE) (80/20).

Aligned polymer nanofibres are prepared by means of the electrospinning of a chlorobenzene solution containing regioregular poly(3-hexyltiophene -2,5-diyl), P3HT, and poly(ethylene oxide), PEO. The PEO scaffold is easily dissolved with acetonitrile, leaving pure P3HT fibres, which do not show structural modification. Polymer fibres, either with or without the PEO supporting polymer, are effectively doped by exposure to iodine vapours. Doping is monitored following the changes in the doping-induced vibrational bands (IRAVs) observed in the infrared spectra and by means of Raman spectroscopy. Molecular orientation inside the fibres has been assessed by means of IR experiments in polarised light, clearly demonstrating that electrospinning induces the orientation of the polymer chains along the fibre axis as well as of the defects introduced by doping. This work illustrates a case study that contributes to the fundamental knowledge of the vibrational properties of the doping-induced defects—charged polarons—of P3HT. Moreover, it provides experimental protocols for a thorough spectroscopic characterisation of the P3HT nanofibres, and of doped conjugated polymers in general, opening the way for the control of the material structure when the doped polymer is confined in a one-dimensional architecture.

Innovative nanostructured materials offer the possibility of enhancing the tribological performance of traditional materials like graphite and molybdenum disulfide (MoS2). In this study, the scratch resistance of two different copper powders, dendritic and spherical, and their composites with traditional MoS2, nanometric MoS2, and graphene nanoplatelets was investigated. Metal powder metallurgy was employed to produce composite materials with 5 wt% and 10 wt% of each solid lubricant. A ball milling step was employed to grind and mix the matrix copper powder with the lubricants. The use of a cold press combined with the sintering in inert atmosphere at 550 °C limited the oxidation of the copper and the degradation of the solid lubricants. The so-produced materials were characterized through a variety of techniques such as micro-indentation hardness, electrical resistivity, contact angle wettability, X-ray diffraction, Raman scattering, and scanning electron microscopy. Moreover, micro-scratch tests were performed on both pure copper and composite materials for comparing the apparent scratch hardness and friction coefficients. The scratches were examined with confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM), to identify the evolution of the damage mechanisms during the formation of the groove. The results highlighted the important difference between the dendritic and spherical copper powders and demonstrated a way to improve wear behavior thanks to the use of nanometric powders as solid lubricants.

In this study, we describe a host–guest system consisting of a push–pull dye, the 4-amino-4′-nitroazobenzene (Disperse Orange 3, DO3 ), mixed with the copolymer poly(vinylidene fluoride-co-trifluoroethylene) [ P(VDF-TrFE) ] as a potential candidate for nonlinear optics (NLO) applications. We developed electrospun nanofibers of the polymer/dye blend, showing a highly anisotropic molecular structure, where DO3 molecules are mostly oriented parallel to the polymer chain, running in the fiber axis direction. The technique opens a way for obtaining non-centrosymmetric ordering of the NLO chromophore without requiring further poling. The supramolecular architecture is deeply investigated through infrared vibrational spectroscopy, which allows detecting a new phase involving DO3 molecules linked together by strong directional H-bonds. Electron microscopies highlight peculiar nanofiber morphologies with a preferred localization of DO3 at the surface layers.

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