A fast degrading odd-odd aliphatic polyester-5,7 made by condensation polymerization for biomedical applications.

A fast enzymatic degradable aliphatic all-odd-polyester-5,7, based on 1,7-heptanedioic acid (pimelic acid) and 1,5-pentanediol, was synthesized by polycondensation. The structural characterization of the polyester was done using 1D- and 2D-NMR spectroscopic techniques. The properties of the resulting polyester-like crystallization behavior, enzymatic degradation, thermal stability, etc.

Terahertz imaging: applications and perspectives.

Terahertz (THz) spectroscopy, and especially THz imaging, holds large potential in the field of nondestructive, contact-free testing. The ongoing advances in the development of THz systems, as well as the appearance of the first related commercial products, indicate that large-scale market introduction of THz systems is rapidly approaching. We review selected industrial applications for THz systems, comprising inline monitoring of compounding processes, plastic weld joint inspection, birefringence analysis of fiber-reinforced components, water distribution monitoring in polymers and plants, as well as quality inspection of food products employing both continuous wave and pulsed THz systems.

Terahertz time-domain spectroscopy as a tool to monitor the glass transition in polymers.

We demonstrate the suitability of terahertz time-domain spectroscopy as a non-destructive, contact-free tool to monitor the glass transition in polymers--a core feature of the amorphous phase. Below the glass transition temperature T(g), segmental motions along the polymer chain are frozen due to the lack of free volume between neighboring macromolecules. We show that this transition also reflects in the temperature dependence of the refractive index at terahertz frequencies.