Nanostructured phases analysis methods

We have studied the phase and micellization behavior of a series of model surfactant systems using Monte Carlo simulations on cubic lattices of coordination number z = 26. The phase behavior and thermodynamic properties were studied through the use of histogram reweighting methods, and the nanostructure formation was studied through examination ofthe behavior ofthe osmotic pressure as a function of composition and through analysis of configurations. 

Bulk CdS possesses wurtzite structure ( 4 type) or zincblende structure ( 3 type). Both phases are formed by stacking of close-packed planes of cadmium and sulfur atoms. Hexagonal wurtzite structure can be represented as the periodic sequence AB AB AB... of closed-packed planes. Cubic zincblende is a sequence ABCABC... of closed-packed planes. For both structures the tetrahedral surrounding of both elements, cadmium and sulfur, takes place. According to the available literature data X-ray diffraction patterns of nanostructured CdS films and powders synthesized by different methods have similar features. Analysis of these features shows that the atomic structure of CdS nanoparticles differs from that of the bulk material. 

Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) is one of the very useful microscopic methods for the morphological and structural analysis of materials. Larena et al. classified nanopolymers into three groups (1) self-assembled nanostructures (lamellar, lamellar-within-spherical, lamellar-within-cylinder, lamellar-within-lamellar, cylinder within-lamellar, spherical-within-lamellar, and colloidal particles with block copolymers), (2) non-self-assembled nanostructures (dendrimers, hyperbranched polymers, polymer brushes, nanofibers, nanotubes, nanoparticles, nanospheres, nanocapsules, porous materials, and nano-objects), and (3) number of nanoscale dimensions [uD 1 nD (thin films), 2 nD (nanofibers, nanotubes, nanostructures on polymeric surfaces), and 3 nD (nanospheres, nanocapsules, dendrimers, hyperbranched polymers, self-assembled structures, porous materials, nano-objects)] [153]. Most of the polymer blends are immiscible, thermodynamically incompatible, and exhibit multiphase structures depending on the composition and viscosity ratio. They have two types of phase morphology sea-island structure (one phase are dispersed in the matrix in the form of isolated droplets, rods, or platelets) and co-continuous structure (usually formed in dual blends). 

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