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The mechanical properties of organic molecular solids have progressed well beyond simple brittle fracture to encompass a broad spectrum of unique behaviors: flexibility in one- and two-dimensions, twisting, bending and even jumping. Design models are under construction to help navigate property expression through crystal engineering, though no clear consensus is available on how structural and energetic (interaction anisotropy) factors combine to generate a specific mechanical response. Subtle differences in intermolecular strength or spatial organization have significant impact on material mechanics, and while diffraction and computational data have been instrumental to recent success, a need has developed for new tools that better quantify the interaction anisotropy. Herein we introduce a unique application of powder Brillouin light scattering (p-BLS) to assess the elastic anisotropy of molecular solids. We hypothesize that the width of the longitudinal frequency distribution directly correlates with a material's elastic anisotropy. We introduce a new characteristic frequency (νL,peak) and define our elastic anisotropy index (EAI) as the ratio of νL,max/νL,peak. This EAI is validated against a library of 24 molecular solids with experimentally determined stiffness tensors (Cij) used to calculate previously reported EAIs. Using energy frameworks and sound velocity polar plots, the elastic anisotropy from p-BLS is extended as an experimental window into the interaction anisotropy in organic molecular solids. We conclude with an application of p-BLS to mechanically responsive solids – 3,4-dichlorophenol and 4-bromo-3-chlorophenol – to discriminate elastic flexibility and plastic bending from the perspective of interaction anisotropy.

The mechanical properties of submicron particles offer a unique design space for advanced drug-delivery particle engineering. However, the recognition of this potential is limited by a poor consensus about both the specificity and sensitivity of mechanosensitive endocytosis over a broad particle stiffness range. In this report, our model series of polystyrene-co-poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (pS-co-NIPAM) microgels have been prepared with a nominally constant monomer composition (50 mol % styrene and 50 mol % NIPAM) with varied bis-acrylamide cross-linking densities to introduce a tuned spectrum of particle mechanics without significant variation in particle size and surface charge. While previous mechanosensitive studies use particles with moduli ranging from 15 kPa to 20 MPa, the pS-co-NIPAM particles have Young’s moduli (E) ranging from 300 to 700 MPa, which is drastically stiffer than these previous studies as well as pure pNIPAM. Despite this elevated stiffness, particle uptake in RAW264.7 murine macro...

The 1:1 caffeine (CAF) and 3-nitrobenzoic acid (NBA) cocrystal (CAF:NBA) displays polymorphism. Each polymorph shares the same docking synthon that connects individual CAF and NBA molecules within the asymmetric unit; however, the extended intermolecular interactions are significantly different between the two polymorphic modifications. These alternative interaction topologies translate to distinct structural motifs, mechanical properties, and compaction performance. To assist our molecular interpretation of the structure-mechanics-performance relationships for these cocrystal polymorphs, we combine powder Brillouin light scattering (p-BLS) to determine the mechanical properties with energy frameworks calculations to identify potentially available slip systems that may facilitate plastic deformation. The previously reported Form 1 for CAF:NBA adopts a 2D-layered crystal structure with a conventional 3.4 Å layer-to-layer separation distance. For Form 2, a columnar structure of 1D-tapes is displayed with CAF:NBA dimers running parallel to the (110) crystallographic direction. Consistent with the layered crystal structure, the shear modulus for Form 1 is significantly reduced relative to Form 2, and moreover, our p-BLS spectra for Form 1 clearly display the presence of low-velocity shear modes, which support the expectation of a low-energy slip system available for facile plastic deformation. Our energy frameworks calculations confirm that Form 1 displays a favorable slip system for plastic deformation. Combining our experimental and computational data indicates that the structural organization in Form 1 of CAF:NBA improves the compressibility and plasticity of the material, and from our tabletability studies, each of these contributions confers superior tableting performance to that of Form 1. Overall, mechanical and energy framework data permit a clear interpretation of the functional performance of polymorphic solids. This could serve as a robust screening approach for early pharmaceutical solid form selection and development.

Drug product performance is polymorph specific, and it is imperative that solid phase stability be monitored throughout the manufacturing process to ensure final product quality and performance. PXRD remains the gold standard for polymorph identification, but due to a growing interest in continuous manufacturing, a need has emerged for alternative process analytical technologies (PATs) that can provide fast, reliable, and non-destructive polymorph discrimination amenable to in situ process monitoring. Herein we demonstrate an original application of powder Brillouin light scattering (p-BLS) for the discrimination of polymorphic molecular solids. We hypothesize that the anisotropic sound velocities directly reflect the strength and orientation of the intermolecular forces in molecular solids. Redistributing these forces upon polymorphic conversion should thus clearly be reflected in the sound frequency distributions obtained by p-BLS. To test this hypothesis, three model compounds - resorcinol, sulfamerazine and furosemide - were selected. Distinct, polymorph-specific, acoustic frequency distributions were observed, and these p-BLS spectra were interpreted using a hydrogen-bond analysis and energy frameworks calculated from CrystalExplorer. In conclusion, this study clearly demonstrates that the sound frequencies measured in p-BLS are sensitive to the interaction forces in molecular solids, and p-BLS is a novel optical technique capable of reliably discriminating polymorphs. Extending this study further, we fully expect that many pharmaceutically relevant processes - e.g., hydrate formation, co-crystallization, or amorphous instability - could potentially be monitored using p-BLS.

Aggregated amyloid beta (Aβ) is widely reported to cause neuronal dystrophy and toxicity through multiple pathways: oxidative stress, disrupting calcium homeostasis, and cytoskeletal dysregulation. The neuro-cytoskeleton is a dynamic structure that reorganizes to maintain cell homeostasis in response to varying soluble and physical cues presented from the extracellular matrix (ECM). Due this relationship between cell health and the ECM, we hypothesize that amyloid toxicity may be directly influenced by physical changes to the ECM (stiffness and dimensionality) through mechanosensitive pathways, and while previous studies demonstrated that Aβ can distort focal adhesion signaling with pathological consequences, these studies do not address the physical contribution from a physiologically relevant matrix. To test our hypothesis that physical cues can adjust Aβ toxicity, SH-SY5Y human neuroblastoma and primary human cortical neurons were plated on soft and stiff, 2D polyacrylamide matrices or suspended in 3D collagen gels. Each cell culture was exposed to escalating concentrations of oligomeric or fibrillated Aβ(1-42) with MTS viability and lactate dehydrogenase toxicity assessed. Actin restructuring was further monitored in live cells by atomic force microscopy nanoindentation, and our results demonstrate that increasing either matrix stiffness or exposure to oligomeric Aβ promotes F-actin polymerization and cell stiffening, while mature Aβ fibrils yielded no apparent cell stiffening and minor toxicity. Moreover, the rounded, softer mechanical phenotype displayed by cells plated onto a compliant matrix also demonstrated a resilience to oligomeric Aβ as noted by a significant recovery of viability when compared to same-dosed cells plated on traditional tissue culture plastic. This recovery was reproduced pharmacologically through inhibiting actin polymerization with cytochalasin D prior to Aβ exposure. These studies indicate that the cell-ECM interface can modify amyloid toxicity in neurons and the matrix-mediated pathways that promote this protection may offer unique targets in amyloid pathologies like Alzheimer's disease.

Drug-drug cocrystals (DDC) represent a unique subset of pharmaceutical materials offering distinct advantages in combination therapies, pharmacokinetics, and patient compliance. However, their structure-function relationships are rarely reported despite its central importance in successful medicine. A material-sparing approach consisting of a molecular and structural perspective is reported to evaluate tabletability of a model DDC, metformin:salicylic acid, relative to its components: metformin HCl (MET) and sodium salicylate (SAL). MET alone displayed a very poor tabletability, which could be attributed to its isotropic and stiff interaction topology. SAL displayed a highly anisotropic interaction topology with layers of strongly hydrogen-bonded salicylate molecules promoting deformation and tabletability. This is also confirmed by its low moduli. DDC yielded intermediate stiffness and elastic anisotropy material with an improved plastic flow and overall better tabletability. Overall, DDC is a promising therapeutic class requiring the physical-mechanical evaluation to assure their processability to enjoy their therapeutic advantages.

Alzheimer's disease (AD), the most common neurodegenerative disorder, is characterized by the extracellular deposition of dense amyloid beta plaques. Emerging evidence suggests that the production of these plaques is initiated by the intracellular uptake and lysosomal preconcentration of the amyloid-beta (Aβ) peptide. All previous endocytosis studies assess Aβ uptake with cells plated on traditional tissue culture plastic; however, brain tissue is distinctly soft with a low-kPa stiffness. Use of an ultrastiff plastic/glass substrate prompts a mechanosensitive response (increased cell spreading, cell stiffness, and membrane tension) that potentially distorts a cell's endocytic behavior from that observed in vivo or in a more physiologically relevant mechanical environment. Our studies demonstrate substrate stiffness significantly modifies the behavior of undifferentiated SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma, where cells plated on soft (∼1 kPa) substrates display a rounded morphology, decreased actin polymerization, reduced adhesion (decreased β

A contribution of crystal structure, mechanical moduli, and macroscopic compression properties of flufenamic acid (FFA) and its cocrystal with nicotinamide (NIC) was evaluated to predict their compaction performance. The FFA:NIC cocrystal formation was confirmed using differential scanning calorimetry, powder X-ray diffraction, and Fourier transform infrared. FFA:NIC compaction performance was compared with its coformers. Attachment energies (Eatt) with lowest absolute energy slip planes were calculated from reported crystal structures. Powder Brillouin light scattering was used to measure the mechanical moduli, while macroscopic compression performance was evaluated with “in-die” Heckel and compression energy descriptors. The absolute Eatt were found in the following ascending order: NIC < FFA:NIC < FFA. These materials can be arranged with their increased stiffness as FFA < FFA:NIC < NIC based on their elastic moduli. A relatively soft and elastic FFA showed highest compressibility but poor tabletabilit...

The acoustic frequency distributions, mechanical moduli, and crystal structures for theophylline (THY) and three cocrystals are combined to illustrate how supramolecular organization and interaction topology contribute to the compaction performance of molecular solids. A novel solid form of THY, a cocrystal with 4-fluoro-3-nitrobenzoic acid (FNBA), is reported. This material adopts a 2d-layered structure and has superior tabletability relative to THY. The improved plasticity for THY–FNBA was further corroborated by Heckel analysis with THY–FNBA displaying a reduced yield pressure (Py) relative to theophylline. The performance of THY–FNBA was further compared to a structurally similar theophylline cocrystal with acetaminophen (THY–APAP). Despite structural similarity, their relative compaction performance was distinct. Powder Brillouin light scattering (p-BLS) was used as an experimental measure of the interaction topologies of these materials, and through this approach, the interlayer interaction strength...

Strong hydrogen-bonding interactions are predictably leveraged for local molecular docking; however, weak intermolecular interactions are being increasingly recognized as pivotal governors of extended, supramolecular assembly. In this report, a series of nitrobenzoic acids (NBA) – m-nitrobenzoic acid (3-NBA), p-nitrobenzoic acid (4-NBA), 4-methyl-3-NBA (Me-NBA), 4-chloro-3-NBA (Cl-NBA) and 4-bromo-3-NBA (Br-NBA) – are utilized to systematically adjust weak C–H⋯O (nitro) and C–H⋯O (carboxyl) bonding interactions and discriminate their influence on the crystal structure, aggregate elasticity and compaction performance. The expected carboxylic acid dimer persists across the entire NBA series; however, alternative organization of C–H⋯O interactions yields distinct 1-d tapes. The acoustic frequency distributions obtained from powder Brillouin light scattering (BLS) spectra provide supportive interpretation of the strength and anisotropy of the reorganized intermolecular interactions. Aggregate Young's moduli displayed a narrow range from 13.5 GPa for Br-NBA to 9.8 GPa for 3-NBA. However, the maximum longitudinal moduli (Mmax), calculated from the high-frequency cutoff, revealed significant differences in the strength of intermolecular interactions along the 1-d tapes. For 3-NBA, the extended organization of several co-linear C–H⋯O (nitro) interactions yielded an Mmax of 42.0 GPa, while the remaining NBA materials displayed an Mmax near 25 GPa. From powder compaction studies, the tabletability rank order was observed as: 3-NBA > 4-NBA > Me-NBA ≈ Br-NBA ≈ Cl-NBA; however, none of the materials achieved a tensile strength greater than 1 MPa. Overall, even minor redistribution of weak intermolecular interactions significantly modifies supramolecular assembly in NBA and detailing the specific contribution of these weak forces is required for substantive structure–performance correlation.

The unconventional tabletability of the indomethacin polymorphs – α and γ – are investigated from a topological and mechanical perspective using powder Brillouin light scattering (p-BLS) to identify the specific structure-performance relationship in these materials. Indomethacin (γ-form) was purchased and used to prepare the α polymorph. Powder X-ray diffraction was used to confirm phase identity, while p-BLS was used to obtain the mechanical properties. Energy frameworks were determined with Crystal Explorer to visualize the interaction topologies. Using a Carver press and a stress-strain analyzer, the tableting performance of each polymorph was determined. Polymorph-specific acoustic frequency distributions were observed with distinct, zero-porosity, aggregate elastic moduli determined. The p-BLS spectra for α-indomethacin display a population of low-velocity shear modes, indicating a direction of facilitated shear. This improves slip-mediated plasticity and tabletability. Our p-BLS spectra experimentally indicates that a low-energy slip system is available to α-indomethacin which supports ours and previous energy framework calculations. Despite a 2d-layered crystal motif favorable for shear deformation, the γ-form displays a higher shear modulus that is supported by our hydrogen-bonding analysis of γ-indomethacin. Our experimental, mechanical data is consistent with the predicted interaction topologies and these two inputs combined permit a comprehensive, molecular understanding of polymorph-specific tabletability.

The increasing appearance of engineered nanomaterials in broad biomedical and industrial sectors poses an escalating health concern from unintended exposure with unknown consequences. Routine in vitro assessments of nanomaterial toxicity are a vital component to addressing these mounting health concerns; however, despite the known role of cell-cell and cell-matrix contacts in governing cell survival, these physical interactions are generally ignored. Herein, we demonstrate that exposure to amorphous silica particles destabilizes mitochondrial membrane potential, stimulates reactive oxygen species (ROS) production and promotes cytotoxicity in SH-SY5Y human neuroblastoma through mechanisms that are potently matrix dependent, with SH-SY5Y cells plated on the softest matrix displaying a near complete recovery in viability compared to dose-matched cells plated on tissue-culture plastic. Cells on the softest matrix (3 kPa) further displayed a 50% reduction in ROS production and preserved mitochondrial membrane potential. The actin cytoskeleton is mechanosensitive and closely related to ROS production. SH-SY5Y cells exposed to a 100 μg/mL dose of 50 nm silica particles displayed distinct cytoskeletal aberrations and a 70% increase in cell stiffness. Overall, this study establishes that the mechanical environment can significantly impact silica nanoparticle toxicity in SH-SY5Y cells. The mechanobiochemical mechanisms behind this regulation, which are initiated at the cell-matrix interface to adjust cytoskeletal structure and intracellular tension, demand specific attention for a comprehensive understanding of nanotoxicity.

In this report caffeine (CAF) co-crystallization with a fluoro-nitrobenzoic acid (F-NBA) yields a new solid form with superior tableting performance. A primary N···H–O synthon connects the basic nitrogen of CAF with the carboxylic acid of F-NBA to result in a layered structure with supportive CH3···O interactions. Over the entire compaction pressure range of nominally 50–300 MPa, the co-crystal displayed improved tensile strength relative to the individual co-formers that demonstrated tensile strengths consistently below 2 MPa. Qualitatively we interpret this tableting improvement for the co-crystal a result of increased plasticity manifested from the layered co-crystal structure, an observation consistent with previous co-crystal studies on modified material mechanics that suggest facile slip plane activation supports improved tableting. Powder Brillouin light scattering (BLS) is further introduced as a novel tool to rapidly evaluate elastic anisotropy to complement our structural interpretation of table...

High-pressure synchrotron x-ray diffraction and vibrational spectroscopy (infrared absorption and Raman) in a diamond-anvil cell have been performed for polyethylene samples at pressures up to ∼10 GPa. These two techniques yield complementary information on the inter- and intra-molecular bonds and how they change as a function of volume. Three different samples of polyethylene were examined, including a high-density polyethylene, an ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene, and a crosslinked polyethylene. The diffraction peaks for the common orthorhombic Pnam phase continuously decreases in intensity as the pressure is increased and become unobservable at high pressure, while those for a monoclinic A2/m impurity phase initially present in all three samples remain relatively constant in intensity. The monoclinic A2/m phase has two chains per unit cell, as does the ambient pressure orthorhombic Pnam phase, which is consistent with the lack of a change in the vibrational mode splitting patterns as pressure is increased and the monoclinic phase becomes dominant. In addition, the pressure-induced correlation splitting of the infrared active C–H stretching vibrational modes has been observed for the first time.

Brillouin light scattering (BLS), a technique theoretically described nearly a century back by the French physicist Leon Brillouin in 1922, is a light-scattering method for determining the mechanical properties of materials. This inelastic scattering method is described by the Bragg diffraction of light from a propagating fluctuation in the local dielectric. These fluctuations arise spontaneously from thermally populated sound waves intrinsic to all materials, and thus BLS may be broadly applied to transparent samples of any phase. This review begins with a brief historical overview of the development of BLS, from its theoretical prediction to the current state of the art, and notes specific technological advancements that enabled the development of BLS. Despite the broad utility of BLS, no commercial spectrometer is currently available for purchase, but rather individual components are assembled to suit a specific application. Central to any BLS spectrometer is the interferometer, and its performance characteristics-scanning or non-scanning, multi-passing, and stabilization-are critical considerations for spectrometer design. Consistent with any light-scattering method, the frequency shift is a key observable in BLS, and we summarize the connection of this measurement to evaluate the mechanical properties of materials. With emphasis toward pharmaceutical materials analysis, we introduce the traditional BLS approach for single-crystal elasticity, and this is followed by a discussion of more recent developments in powder BLS. We conclude our review with a perspective on future developments in BLS that may enable BLS as a novel addition to the current catalog of process analytical technologies.

Describing the elastic deformation of single-crystal molecular solids under stress requires a comprehensive determination of the fourth-rank stiffness tensor (Cijkl). Single crystals are, however, rarely utilized in industrial applications, and thus averaging techniques (e.g., the Voigt or Reuss approach) are employed to reduce the Cijkl (or its inverse Sijkl) to polycrystalline aggregate mechanical moduli. With increasing elastic anisotropy, the Voigt and Reuss-averaged aggregate moduli can diverge dramatically and, provided that drug molecules almost exclusively crystallize into low-symmetry space groups, warrants a significant need for accurate aggregate mechanical moduli. This elasticity data, which currently is largely absent for pharmaceutical materials, is expected to aid understanding how materials respond to direct compression and tablet formation. Powder Brillouin light scattering (p-BLS) has recently demonstrated facile access to porosity-independent, aggregate mechanical moduli. In this study, we extend our previous p-BLS model for obtaining mechanical properties and validate our approach against a broad library of molecular solids with diverse intermolecular interaction topologies and with previously determined Cijkl which permits benchmarking our results. Our Young’s and shear moduli determined with p-BLS strongly correlate, with limited bias (i.e., a near 1:1 relation), with the Voigt-averaged Young’s and shear moduli determined using the Cijkl. Through follow-on tabletability studies, we introduce initial classifications of tabletability behavior based on the results of our p-BLS studies and the apparent elastic anisotropy. With further development, this approach represents a robust and novel method to potentially identify materials for optimum tabletability at early developmental stages.

Microgel mechanics are central to the swelling of stimuli-responsive materials and furthermore have recently emerged as a novel design space for tuning the uptake of nanotherapeutics. Despite this importance, the techniques available to assess mechanics, at the sub-micron scale, remain limited. In this report, all mechanical moduli for a series of air-dried, polystyrene-co-poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (pS-co-NIPAM) microgels of varying composition in monomer and crosslinker (N,N'-methylene-bisacrylamide (BIS)) mol% have been determined using Brillouin light scattering (BLS) and AFM nanoindentation. These techniques sample the material through distinct means and provide complementary nanomechanical data. An initial demonstration of this combined approach is used to evaluate size-dependent nanomechanics in pS particles of varying diameter. For the pS-co-NIPAM series, our BLS results demonstrate an increase in Young's (E) and shear moduli with increasing NIPAM and/or BIS mol%, while the Poisson's ratio decreased. The same rank order in E was observed from AFM and the two techniques correlate well. However, at low BIS crosslinking, an inverted particle structure persists and small increases in BIS yield a higher increase in E from AFM relative to BLS, consistent with a higher density at the particle surface. At higher BIS incorporation, the microgel reverts to a typical, dense-core structure and further increasing BIS yields changes to core-particle mechanics reflected in BLS. Lastly, at 75 mol% NIPAM, the microgels displayed a broad volume phase transition and increased crosslinking resulted in a minor, yet unexpected, increase in swelling ratio. This complementary approach offers new insight into nanomechanics critical for microgel design and application.

The room temperature stability of 3,3'-diamino-4,4'-azoxyfurazan (DAAF) has been investigated using synchrotron far-infrared, mid-infrared, Raman spectroscopy, and synchrotron X-ray diffraction (XRD) up to 20 GPa. The as-loaded DAAF samples exhibited subtle pressure-induced ordering phenomena (associated with positional disorder of the azoxy "O" atom) resulting in doubling of the a-axis, to form a superlattice similar to the low-temperature polymorph. Neither high pressure synchrotron XRD, nor high pressure infrared or Raman spectroscopies indicated the presence of structural phase transitions up to 20 GPa. Compression was accommodated in the unit cell by a reduction of the c-axis between the planar DAAF layers, distortion of the β-angle of the monoclinic lattice, and an increase in intermolecular hydrogen bonding. Changes in the ring and -NH2 deformation modes and increased intermolecular hydrogen bonding interactions with compression suggest molecular reorganizations and electronic transitions at ∼ 5 GPa and ∼ 10 GPa that are accompanied by a shifting of the absorption band edge into the visible. A fourth-order Birch-Murnaghan fit to the room temperature isotherm afforded an estimate of the zero-pressure isothermal bulk modulus, K0 = 12.4 ± 0.6 GPa and its pressure derivative K0' = 7.7 ± 0.3.

The tableting performance for p-aminobenzoic acid (PABA) and a series of its benzoate esters with increasing alkyl chain length (methyl-, ethyl-, and n-butyl) was determined over a broad range of compaction pressures. The crystalline structure of methyl benzoate (Me-PABA) exhibits no slip systems and does not form viable compacts under any compaction pressure. The ethyl (Et-PABA) and n-butyl (Bu-PABA) esters each have a similar, corrugated-layer structure that displays a prominent slip plane and improves material plasticity at low compaction pressure. The compact tensile strength for Et-PABA is superior to that for Bu-PABA; however, neither material achieved a tensile strength greater than 2 MPa over the compression range studied. Complementary studies with powder Brillouin light scattering (BLS) show the maxima of the shear wave, acoustic frequency distribution red shift in an order consistent with both the observed tabletability and attachment energy calculations. Moreover, zero-porosity aggregate elastic moduli are determined for each material using the average acoustic frequency obtained from specific characteristics of the powder BLS spectra. The Young's moduli for Et- and Bu-PABA is significantly reduced relative to PABA and Me-PABA, and this reduction is further evident in tablet compressibility plots. PABA, however, is distinct with high elastic isotropy as interpreted from the narrow and well-defined powder BLS frequency distributions for both the shear and compressional acoustic modes. The acoustic isotropy is consistent with the quasi-isotropic distribution of hydrogen bonding for PABA. At low compaction pressure, PABA tablets display the lowest tensile strength of the series; however, above a compaction pressure of ca. 70 MPa PABA tablet tensile strength continues to increase while that for Et- and Bu-PABA plateaus. PABA displays lower plasticity relative to either ester, and this is consistent with its crystalline structure and high yield pressure determined from in-die Heckel analysis. Overall the complementary approach of using both structural and the acoustic inputs uniquely provided from powder BLS is anticipated to expand our comprehension of the structure-mechanics relationship and its role in tableting performance.

Using powder X-ray diffraction in conjunction with a diamond anvil cell (DAC), the unit cell volume of triamino-trinitrobenzene (TATB) has been measured from ambient pressure to 13 GPa. The resultant isotherm is compared with previous theoretical (Byrd and Rice and Pastine and Bernecker) and experimental (Olinger and Cady) works. While all reports are consistent to approximately 2 GPa, our measurements reveal a slightly stiffer TATB material than reported by Olinger and Cady and an intermediate compressibility compared with the isotherms predicted by the two theoretical works. Analysis of the room temperature isotherm using the semi-empirical, Murnaghan, Birch-Murnaghan, and Vinet equations of state (EOS) provided a determination of the isothermal bulk modulus (K{sub 0}) and its pressure-derivative (K{sub 0}') for TATB. From these fits to our P-V isotherm, from ambient pressure to 8 GPa, the average results for the zero-pressure bulk modulus and its pressure derivative were found to be 14.7 GPa and 10.1, respectively. For comparison to shock experiments on pressed TATB powder and its plastic-bonded formulation PBX 9502 (95% TATB, 5% Kel-F 800), the isotherm was transformed to the pseudo-velocity U{sub s}-u{sub p} plane using the Rankine-Hugoniot jump conditions. This analysis provides an extrapolated bulk sound speed, c{sub 0}=1.70more » km s{sup -1}, for TATB and its agreement with a previous determination (c{sub 0}=1.43 km s{sup -1}) is discussed. Furthermore, our P-V and corresponding U{sub s}-u{sub p} curves reveal a subtle cusp at approximately 8 GPa. This cusp is discussed in relation to similar observations made for the aromatic hydrocarbons anthracene, benzene and toluene, graphite, and trinitrotoluene (TNT).« less

The single-crystal polarized Raman spectra for cyclotetramethylenetetranitramine, /3-polymorph (/3-HMX), are reported over the region of 10 to 3150 cm -1 . While the agreement with previous Raman studies is quite good, a consistent interpretation of the Raman spectra is provided through assignment of fundamental modes, overtones, and combination bands. This affords the first assignment of all six Raman-active optical phonons of β-HMX. It was found that three Ag symmetry librations are accidentally degenerate with three Bg optical phonons. The importance of these phonons for coupling with doorway Raman-active modes of β-HMX is discussed in relation to proposed vibrational mechanisms for the initiation of detonation.

Acoustic properties of the fluorinated copolymer Kel F-800 were determined with Brillouin spectroscopy up to pressures of 85 GPa at 300 K. This research addresses outstanding issues in high-pressure polymer behavior, as to date the acoustic properties and equation of state of any polymer have not been determined above 20 GPa. We observed both longitudinal and transverse modes in all pressure domains, allowing us to calculate the C(11) and C(12) moduli, bulk, shear, and Young's moduli, and the density of Kel F-800 as a function of pressure. We found the behavior of the polymer with respect to all parameters to change drastically with pressure. As a result, we find that the data are best understood when split into two pressure regimes. At low pressures (less than ∼5 GPa), analysis of the room temperature isotherm with a semi-empirical equation of state yielded a zero-pressure bulk modulus K(o) and its derivative K(0) (') of 12.8 ± 0.8 GPa and 9.6 ± 0.7, respectively. The same analysis for the higher pressure data yielded values for K(o) and K(0) (') of 34.9 ± 1.7 GPa and 5.1 ± 0.1, respectively. We discuss this significant difference in behavior with reference to the concept of effective free volume collapse.

Static high pressure diamond anvil cell experiments were performed on three polycrystalline Zr samples having varying interstitial impurity concentrations. Systematic increase in transition pressure with the increase in the amount of interstitial impurities is observed for the martensitic α →ω structural phase transition in Zr. Significant room temperature crystal grain growth is also observed for the two highest purity samples at the α →ω transition. In the case of the lowest purity sample interstitial impurities obstruct the α →ω transition, while possibly helping impede grain growth-even as the sample is heated to 1279 K.

By scattering from a variety of acoustic phonons, a complete stiffness tensor has been determined for crystalline beta-HMX. The results are compared with recent experimental and theoretical determinations of the elastic constants and bulk modulus. Reasons for disagreement are discussed in terms of experimental limitations and anharmonic effects. The observed ordering of stiffness constants, C(11) (18.4 GPa), C(22) (14.4 GPa), and C(33) (12.4 GPa), is qualitatively associated with physical phenomena including cleavage planes, patterns in crystal growth, and molecular packing. This interpretation is further corroborated by the linear compressibilities plotted in three crystallographic planes. The Voigt-Reuss-Hill bulk and shear moduli were found to be 9.9 and 3.7 GPa, respectively. The elasticity of beta-HMX is also discussed in relation to proposed mechanisms for the initiation of detonation.

The acoustic properties and their pressure dependence have been determined to 18.5 GPa for nearly amorphous poly(chlorotrifluoroethylene-co-vinylidene fluoride) (Kel-F 800) using high-pressureBrillouin scattering. At all measuredpressures, both longitudinal and transverse acoustic modes were observed allowing for calculation of the pressure-volume isotherm for this predominantly amorphous material. Analysis of the room temperature isotherm using semi-empirical equation of state fitting forms to 5.5 GPa yielded a zero-pressure bulk modulus,Ko , and pressure derivative, Ko ′, of 2.8 GPa and 30.6, respectively, which are consistent with the results from dilatometry measurements at very low pressures. Furthermore, the C11 and C12 elastic moduli for the isotropic polymer were determined at each pressure interval and, subsequently, examined to provide the pressure dependence of the bulk, shear, and Young’s moduli. These results are discussed in relation to polymer mechanics at pressures far exceeding those of previous, static compression experiments.

Quantum chemistry-based dipole polarizable and nonpolarizable force fields have been developed for 1,3,5-triamino-2,4,6-trinitrobenzene (TATB). Molecular dynamics simulations of TATB crystals were performed for hydrostatic pressures up to 10 GPa at 300 K and for temperatures between 200 and 400 K at atmospheric pressure. The predicted heat of sublimation and room-temperature volumetric hydrostatic compression curve were found to be in good agreement with available experimental data. The hydrostatic compression curves for individual unit cell parameters were found to be in reasonable agreement with those data. The pressure- and temperature-dependent second-order isothermal elastic tensor was determined for temperatures between 200 and 400 K at normal pressure and for pressures up to 10 GPa on the 300 K isotherm. Simulations indicate considerable anisotropy in the mechanical response, with modest softening and significant stiffening of the crystal with increased temperature and pressure, respectively. For most properties the polarizable potential was found to yield better agreement with available experimental properties.

The phase stability and isothermal compression behavior of 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene (TNT) have been established to 26.5 GPa using angle-dispersive x-ray diffraction. P-V isotherms derived from the high-pressure x-ray spectra displayed a slight density hysteresis around 4.0 GPa and a sharp discontinuity at ∼20.0 GPa. The latter transition is ascribed to a monoclinic-to-orthorhombic first-order phase transition in TNT. The conversion of the isothermal P-V data to the shock velocity-particle velocity plane revealed a deviation from linearity at low up, a cusp associated with the phase transition at high up, and general agreement with the wealth of unreacted Hugoniot data on TNT.

The acoustic properties of three polymer elastomers, a cross-linked poly(dimethylsiloxane) (Sylgard 184), a cross-linked terpolymer poly(ethylene-vinyl acetate-vinyl alcohol), and a segmented thermoplastic poly(ester urethane) copolymer (Estane 5703), have been measured from ambient pressure to approximately 12 GPa by using Brillouin scattering in high-pressure diamond anvil cells. The Brillouin-scattering technique is a powerful tool for aiding in the determination of equations of state for a variety of materials, but to date has not been applied to polymers at pressures exceeding a few kilobars. For the three elastomers, both transverse and longitudinal acoustic modes were observed, though the transverse modes were observed only at elevated pressures (0.7 GPa) in all cases. From the Brillouin frequency shifts, longitudinal and transverse sound speeds were calculated, as were the C(11) and C(12) elastic constants, bulk, shear, and Young's moduli, and Poisson's ratios, and their respective pressure dependencies. P-V isotherms were then constructed, and fit to several empirical/semiempirical equations of state to extract the isothermal bulk modulus and its pressure derivative for each material. Finally, the lack of shear waves observed for any polymer at ambient pressure, and the pressure dependency of their appearance is discussed with regard to instrumental and material considerations.

The single-crystal, polarized, Raman spectra for cyclotrimethylene trinitramine (RDX) have been studied at room temperature and pressure over the region of 5–3400cm−1. While the observed Raman bands agree well with a previous Raman study, this work provides a consistent interpretation of the Raman spectra by assignment of fundamental modes, overtones, and combination bands. A total of 56 internal vibrations were observed, 36 of which were labeled as fundamental molecular vibrations. In addition, all 24 lattice optical phonons are identified. All six possible polarizations were probed to obtain the Ag, B1g, B2g, and B3g symmetry modes for both the lattice and molecular modes. Finally, the importance of these phonons for coupling with “doorway” Raman-active modes of RDX is discussed in relation to proposed mechanisms for detonation initiation.

The acoustic phonons of cyclotrimethylene trinitramine (RDX) have been studied using Brillouin scattering. The analysis of the acoustic-phonon velocities allowed determination of the complete stiffness tensor for this energetic material. The results are compared to other recent experimental and theoretical determinations of the RDX elastic constants, bulk moduli, and shear moduli. The observed ordering of elastic constants, C11>C22>C33, is qualitatively associated with a (001) cleavage plane and molecular packing. This interpretation is further corroborated by the linear compressibilities plotted in three crystallographic planes, and a comparison to recent theoretical and experimental hydrostatic compression studies on RDX. Finally, the elasticity of RDX is compared to a recently published report on the beta polymorph of cyclotetramethylene tetranitramine's elasticity, and is related to several proposed mechanisms for detonation initiation.