The first part of this study concerns the aqueous phase behavior of mixtures of diglycerol monooleate (DGMO) and glycerol dioleate (GDO) examined by X-ray diffraction (XRD). The ternary phase diagram displays a multitude of liquid crystalline phases (polymorphism). With increasing GDO content the following phase sequence was observed: lamellar (L(alpha)); two reversed bicontinuous cubic phases (Q(230) and Q(224)); reversed hexagonal (H(II)); the reversed micellar (L(2)) phase. The second part deals with the preparation and characterization of aqueous dispersions of the reversed hexagonal phase in the presence of the nonionic triblock copolymer Pluronic F127. Submicrometer-sized monocrystalline H(II) phase particles were obtained, as evidenced by cryo-transmission electron microscopy (cryo-TEM), laser diffraction, and XRD, by use of a simple and reproducible preparation method including a heat-treatment step. Moreover, the particle size distributions of the H(II) phase nanoparticle dispersions were narrow as determined by laser diffraction measurements. Using XRD, we show that the polymeric stabilizer is depleted from the core of the hexagonal particles and preferentially located at the surface. It is concluded that the preferential distribution of stabilizing agents at particle surfaces is a prerequisite for the formation of structurally well-defined and kinetically stable H(II) phase particles (Hexosome).

SiO 2 colloid crystal infilled with BaTiO3 was synthesized by a process of self-assembly in combination of a sol–gel technique. It is found that infilling of the fully crystallized BaTiO3 into the colloid assembly can enhance the photonic band gap significantly. In the vicinity of the ferroelectric phase transition point of BaTiO3 (100–150 °C), the photonic band gap of the assembly exhibits a strong temperature dependence. At the Curie point, the band gap has a 20 nm redshift, and the optical transmittance reaches its minimum. Such a temperature-tuning effect in the photonic band gap should be of high interest in device applications.

No abstract

No abstract

ZnS:Mn has been in-filled in photonic crystals of submicron polymer spheres. The effect of the photonic band gap on the photoluminescence (PL) properties of ZnS:Mn has been investigated. Because of the overlap of the transmission dip of the photonic crystal and the photoluminescence band of ZnS:Mn, both suppression and enhancement in the PL of the phosphor have been observed. A strong dependence of the fluorescence lifetime on the emission wavelength in the range of the stop band has been found. This strong dependence is believed to arise from the very low photon density of state within the stop band of the ZnS:Mn in-filled photonic crystal as result of a high dielectric contrast between ZnS:Mn and the polystyrene spheres.

No abstract

No abstract

Cu-doped ZnS nanocrystals were prepared in an inverse microemulsion at room temperature as well as under a hydrothermal condition. X-ray diffraction analysis showed that the diameter of the Cu-doped ZnS nanocrystals particles was about 9 nm. These particles showed a strong photoluminescence intensity and a broad emission band from 490 to 530 nm. The half-width of emission was about 60 nm. Cu-doped ZnS nanocrystals/polymethylmethacrylate composite as a light-emitting layer was used to fabricate a single layer structure electroluminescent device which had low turn on voltage (less than 5 V). The green light of electroluminescence was observed at room temperature. The electroluminescence and photoluminescence spectra were nearly identical at room temperature.