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A new method to produce SEM cross sections was used to analyze coated and creased samples. It was found that the binder surrounded the smaller particles leaving the large pores around the larger pigment particles. Consequently, cracks would propagate next to the large particles, and at least one crack area also showed a clear pigment surface, indicating an adhesive failure between the binder and the pigment particles. GCC and clay showed different cracking directions. GCC-based coatings showed cracks that had been initiated at the surface of the coating layer and then went through the thickness direction of the coating layer. The clay-based coatings on the other hand showed cracks that could be initiated anywhere in the thickness direction in the coating layer and then continued at an angle in the thickness direction. The cracking behaviour of the clay based coatings was probably due to anisotropic mechanical properties combined with shear stresses or out-of-plane tensile stresses during creasing.

The replication of amphiphilic systems within an inorganic silica matrix allows the study of the fundamental properties of mesostructural changes, that is, kinetic and structural parameters. Herein we report a detailed study of the transition between cubic bicontinuous mesostructure with space groups Ia$\bar 3$d and Pn$\bar 3$m symmetry, which are associated with the minimal G and D surfaces, respectively. The transition may be induced through micellar swelling of the anionic amphiphilic surfactant N-lauroyl alanine by trimethylbenzene. Rich kinetic behaviour is observed and has been exploited to prepare particles with biphasic structures. Transmission electron microscopy evidence indicates that there is epitaxial growth from one mesostructure to the other involving the [111] and [110] orientations of the Ia$\bar 3$d and Pn$\bar 3$m symmetry structures, respectively. From kinetic studies, we show that the formation of the Ia$\bar 3$d mesophase is preceded by a hexagonal phase (plane group p6mm) and an epitaxial relationship has been observed involving the sixfold or $\bar 3$ axis orientations of both structures. Our data suggests that the Pn$\bar 3$m mesostructure is kinetically stable at low temperatures whereas the Ia$\bar 3$d mesostructure is the more stable structure after prolonged periods of hydrothermal treatment. We present evidence from transmission electron microscopy and small-angle X-ray diffractograms and also electron crystallography modelling of the unit cells at particular points in the structural change.

Four novel metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) composed of 1,3,6,8-tetrakis(4-carboxyphenyl)pyrene (TBAPy4-) or 1,2,4,5-tetrakis(4-carboxlatephenyl)benzene (TCPB4-) linkers with gallium (Ga) or vanadium (V) were synthesized in this work. 3D electron diffraction patterns combined with high-resolution electron microscopy images were employed to investigate the structure of these MOFs. All four MOFs were highly porous with specific Langmuir surface area ranging from ~900 to over ~1800 m2 g-1. The MOFs also showed high uptake of greenhouse gas and especially selective towards SF6 (110 cm3 cm-3, 293 K 1 bar) and CO2 over N2 (or CH4). Sorption kinetics were investigated in detail and the MOF with the highest gas uptake had pore channels with diameters of approx. 9.1 13.6 and 6.5 13.7 in dimension. These Ga- and V-MOFs are potentially interesting candidate sorbents for greenhouse gas capture and separation applications, especially for the separation of SF6 and CO2 from N2, which are relevant in the electronics and chemical industry, respectively.