Light‐Driven Crawling of Molecular Crystals by Phase‐Dependent Transient Elastic Lattice Deformation

The light‐driven crawling of a molecular crystal that can form three phases, (α, β, and γ) is presented. Laser irradiation of the molecular crystal can generate phase‐dependent transient elastic lattice deformation. The resulting elastic lattice deformation that follows scanning irradiation of a laser can actuate the different phases of molecular crystal to move with different velocity and direction. Because the γ phase has a large Young's modulus (ca. 26 GPa), a force of 0.1 μN can be generated under one laser spot. The generated force is sufficient to actuate the γ‐formed molecular crystals in a wide dimensional range to move longitudinally at a velocity of about 60 μm min^?1, which is two orders of magnitude faster than the α and β phases.     

Laser Induced Transient Structures in a 150 nm Gold Crystal

The evolution of transient structures induced in gold crystals by irradiation with 400 nm, 100 fs laser pulses has been measured by means of time resolved x‐ray diffraction. The data show that the photon/electron interaction generates a hot electron wave on a 150 nm Au crystal, which is responsible for a “blast force” that generates an intense shock wave that alters the lattice structure as it propagates, with sound velocity, through the bulk of the crystal. This mechanical force is developed within 1‐2 ps after the laser pulse interacts with the gold surface electrons. Other major effects that have contributed to the strain in the lattice have also been evaluated.     

Interplay between shear flow and elastic deformations in liquid crystals

We study shear flow in liquid crystal cells with elastic deformations using a lattice Boltzmann scheme that solves the full, three-dimensional Beris-Edwards equations of hydrodynamics. We consider first twisted and hybrid aligned nematic cells, in which the deformation is imposed by conflicting anchoring at the boundaries. We find that backflow renders the velocity profile non Newtonian, and that the director profile divides into two regions characterized by different director orientations. We next consider a cholesteric liquid crystal, in which a twist deformation is naturally present. We confirm the presence of secondary flow for small shear rates, and are able to follow the dynamical pathway of shear-induced unwinding, for higher shear rates. Finally, we analyze how the coupling between shear and elastic deformation can affect shear banding in an initially isotropic phase. We find that for a nematic liquid crystal, elastic distortions may cause an asymmetry in the dynamics of band formation, whereas for a cholesteric, shear can induce twist in an initially isotropic sample.     

Mechanical Effects of Elastic Crystals Driven by Natural Sunlight and Force

Flexible crystals that can capture solar energy and convert it into mechanical energy are promising for a wide range of applications such as information storage and actuators, but obtaining them remains a challenge. Herein, an elastic crystal of a barbiturate derivative was found to be an excellent candidate, demonstrating plastic bending behavior under natural sunlight irradiation. ¹H NMR and high-resolution mass spectrum data of microcrystals before and after light irradiation demonstrated that light-induced [2+2] cycloaddition was the driving force for the photomechanical effects. Interestingly, the crystals retained elastic bending even after light irradiation. This is the first report of flexible crystals that can be driven by natural sunlight and that have both photomechanical properties and elasticity. Furthermore, regulation of the passive light output direction of the crystals and transport of objects by applying mechanical forces and light was demonstrated.     

The influence of anharmonic and magnetic interactions on lattice dynamics of α and β phases of solid oxygen

The lattice dynamics of the ordered phases of solid oxygen have been studied. The anharmonic shifts for the librational excitations have been calculated. The comparison of harmonic and anharmonic results has shown that anharmonic effects in, solid oxygen are very important. An analysis of the influence of the magnetic ordering in the antiferromagnetic α phase suggest that magnetic interactions and elastic deformation of the crystal unit cell can compensate each other and lead to the accidental degeneration of the A_s and B_s librational energies in the α phase.     

Hydrogen cycling induced diffraction peak broadening in C14 and C15 Laves phases

The diffraction peak broadening induced by hydrogen absorption-desorption cycling has been analyzed in four different Laves phase compounds with the C14 and C15 structures. The broadening is due to strain most probably originating from dislocations generated at the interface between the α and β hydride phases in connection with the cell volume difference between the two phases. It has been shown that it is strongly compound dependent. In the case of the C14 structure, the broadening is large and isotropic, and the latter can be related to the isotropy of the elastic constants of the metallic phase. The broadening is less for the compounds with the C15 structure, which can be related to a possibly softer lattice. Better ageing properties after long-term cycling are predicted for this crystal structure.     

Elastic properties of the (001) face of xenon crystals

In this work we investigated the elastic properties of the (001) face of xenon crystal. The slabs (twodimensional crystals) defined by (001) planes are generated, their structures are optimized and the slabs thermodynamic functions in excess to the crystal bulk calculated. The calculations are based on the Lennard-Jones 6?12 force field, classical elasticity theory and surface thermodynamics. In this work, the number of planes undergoing relaxation is not a priori constrained but it follows from the minimization of the free energy of the slabs and of the bulk, in respect to atomic positions. The value of the surface free energy is calculated as a function of the homogeneous strain of the 2D (001) cell measured relatively to the cell of the stable 3D crystal. At 0 K, when strain is not applied, the specific surface free energy is about 0.064 Jm^-2 and decreases by about 6% at 50 K. The surface stress is positive amounting to 0.010 Jm^-2 at 0 K, and it decreases by about 50% at 50 K. We find that the surface stress can be released by a reorganization of the interatomic distances at the crystal surfaces. The surface excess mean value of the slab elastic constants at 0 K is small (0.012 GPa) and it decreases by about 35% at 50 K. The method proposed can be alternative to molecular dynamics simulations in order to assess the excess surface properties of materials having a complex structure.     

KMgF3 及KMgF3∶Eu2+晶体的射线辐照效应

KMgF3∶Eu晶体中Eu3+→Eu2+的转换率在低浓度掺杂时接近100%, 完全转换的饱和掺杂摩尔分数为0.29%. 实验条件下, KMgF3晶体的X射线1 h辐照损伤可在约100 h后恢复; KMgF3∶Eu2+晶体经X射线辐照后, 360 nm锐峰发射强度略有降低. 不同剂量的γ射线辐照, KMgF3晶体热释光曲线的各个温度峰强度变化明显不同, 即使小剂量辐照, 造成的损伤也较难恢复, 如γ射线辐照剂量为103 Gy时, 辐照损伤的恢复时间约需30 d. KMgF3∶Eu2+晶体360 nm锐峰发射强度随γ射线辐照剂量增大而呈线性降低.     

Photo-induced control of bubble domains in chiral–nematic liquid crystal by a violet laser beam

The stable bubble domains generated by mixing 10% of chiral molecules into an azobenzene liquid crystal (LC)-doped nematic host can be optically controlled by a violet laser beam (415 nm). The photon-induced reversible trans–cis photo-isomerisation of azobenzene changes the helical twisting power (HTP) of LC mixtures in which the HTP of cis-azobenzene LC is lower than trans-azobenzene LC. Under the irradiation of an optical field (>20 mW cm^???2), the helical pitch distance, which is inverted proportional to the HTP, increases and the bubble domains disappear. Immediate obstruction of laser light irradiation initiates cholesteric nucleation, merging of domains and the subsequent generation of stably dispersed bubble domains.     

Elastic behavior,birefringence, and swelling of amorphous polyethylene networks

Polyethylene networks were prepared by γ-irradiation of linear polyethylene, both molten and crystalline. The elastic and photoelastic properties of the networks were studied at high temperatures, i.e., in the molten state. The equilibrium swelling was also measured in several solvents. Values of the crosslinking efficiency G of γ-radiation, the molecular, weight M_e between entanglements, the optical anisotropy α of the equivalent random link, and the polymer-solvent interaction parameter μ are deduced. Samples prepared by irradiation in the amorphous state showed markedly non-Gaussian elastic behavior. The presence of a large non-Gaussian term in the optical anisotropy is also deduced. The value of α obtained for swollen samples, which showed substantially Gaussian elastic behavior, was 3.9 × 10^?24 cm.³, about one-half of that obtained for dry samples. It corresponds to an equivalent random link of only about 5 CH₂ units, on the basis of Denbigh's values for bond polarizabilities. The samples prepared by irradiation in the crystalline state showed lower values for α, which also depended upon the degree of crosslinking. This is attributed to the nonrandom chain configurations prevailing at the time of crosslinking. The same samples were found to show more nearly Gaussian elastic behavior, which is attributed to the same cause.     

Molecular Basis for the Mechanical Response of Sulfa Drug Crystals

Comprehension of the nanomechanical response of crystalline materials requires the understanding of the elastic and plastic deformation mechanisms in terms of the underlying crystal structures. Nanoindentation data were combined with structural and computational inputs to derive a molecular-level understanding of the nanomechanical response in eight prototypical sulfa drug molecular crystals. The magnitude of the modulus, E, was strongly connected to the non-covalent bond features, that is, the bond strength, the relative orientation with the measured crystal facet and their disposition in the crystal lattice. Additional features derived from the current study are the following. Firstly, robust synthons well isolated by weak and dispersive interactions reduce the material stiffness; in contrast, the interweaving of interactions with diverse energetics fortifies the crystal packing. Secondly, mere observation of layered structures with orthogonal distribution of strong and weak interactions is a prerequisite, but inadequate, to attain higher plasticity. Thirdly, interlocked molecular arrangements prevent long-range sliding of molecular planes and, hence, lead to enhanced E values. In a broader perspective, the observations are remarkable in deriving a molecular basis of the mechanical properties of crystalline solids, which can be exploited through crystal engineering for the purposeful design of materials with specific properties.     

Preparation of Various Bonded Phases for HPLC Using Monochlorosilanes

Abstract

Monochlorosilanes have been prepared with yields of about 80% through a catalytic hydrosilylation of terminal olefins. Subsequently, the silanes are chemically bonded to silica to obtain: (i) n-octyldimethylsilyl bonded phases with reproducible surface coverage ranging from 0.8 to 3.5 μmol/m², (ii) propyldimethylsilyl bonded phases with different functional groups at the γ-position, all showing a nearly equal surface coverage of some 3.3 μmol/m², and (iii) n-alkyldimethylsilyl bonded phases with chainlengths ranging from 1 to 22 carbon atoms and with surface coverages ranging from 3.9 μmol/m² for RP-1 to 3.0 μmol/m² for the RP-22 bonded phase. A simplified model based on the pore structure of silica allows an explanation and estimation of the maximum surface coverage as a function of the chainlength of the bonded phase.     

Force constants and many-body electrostatic interactions in two-dimensional colloidal crystal

A model of a two-dimensional colloidal crystal with a hexagonal lattice, the electrostatic interactions in which are described by the nonlinear Poisson-Boltzmann equation, is considered. The calculation procedure for force constants of this crystal is treated in detail. Properties of system symmetry, which make it possible to significantly decrease the volume of calculations and to classify force constants, are analyzed. Numerical data for force constants of a crystal as functions of lattice parameters at different particle sizes are reported. A method that allows us to disclose the presence of many-body interactions in a system by the behavior of force constants at some interval of the values of lattice parameters is proposed. The application of this method to the system under consideration demonstrated that electrostatic interparticle interactions in the system cannot be reduced to simply a pair interaction of any kind; the introduction of many-body potentials is required for the adequate representation of the elastic properties of a crystal.     

Computer simulation study of a nematogenic lattice model based on an elastic energy mapping of the pair potential

Director configurations in a nematic liquid crystal can be determined by minimizing its total elastic free energy, for given elastic constants and specific boundary conditions. In some cases, these configurations have been obtained by numerical procedures where the elastic free energy density plays the same role as the overall potential energy in a standard Metropolis Monte Carlo simulation. The interaction energies or potentials used in these studies are short ranged but, in general, not pairwise additive, unless the three elastic constants are set to a common value, thus reducing the potential to that in the well-known Lebwohl-Lasher lattice model. On the other hand, we can construct, in different ways, a lattice model with pairwise additive interactions, which approximately reproduces the elastic free energy density, where the parameters defining the pair potential are expressed as linear combinations of elastic constants. An anisotropic nematogenic pair interaction of this kind, originally proposed by Gruhn and Hess (T. Gruhn and S. Hess, Z. Naturforsch. A51, 1 (1996)), has recently been investigated by one of us, using a Monte Carlo simulation (S. Romano, Int. J. Mod. Phys. B 12, 2305 (1998)). Here we propose another approximate procedure for the mapping, and study the resulting pair potential model with the aid of Monte Carlo simulations. The behaviour of the nematic phases formed by the two models is compared together with the predictions of molecular field theory and the properties of the Lebwohl-Lasher model.     

HYSCORE and Davies ENDOR study of irradiated ultra high molecular weight polyethylene

Ultra high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) has been studied with different magnetic resonance techniques to elicit information on the nature and the location of radicals generated during high energy irradiation. Field swept electron paramagnetic resonance, pulsed Davies electron nuclear double resonance and hyperfine sublevel correlation spectroscopic measurements allowed extracting for the first time the full ¹H hyperfine coupling tensors of the most abundant radical, i.e. a secondary alkyl radical and to ascertain the formation of allyl radicals in the first stages of the irradiation process. The ¹H hyperfine coupling tensors are analogous to those reported for single crystal irradiated polyethylene, suggesting that radicals generated in UHMWPE are located in the crystalline region of the polymer. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Emission and electron/ion analysis of the ablated plume from LiYF4 crystals doped with Tm3+ or Nd3+ ions

We performed temporal as well as frequency-resolved emission spectroscopy of the plasma plume generated in vacuum by 355 nm pulsed laser ablation of a LiYF₄:Tm³⁺ crystal (1% Tm³⁺ concentration) and a LiYF₄:Nd³⁺ crystal (1.5% Nd³⁺ concentration). The plume emission spectrum is very rich in features and shows the elemental lines belonging to all the components of the host lattice, either neutral or ionized. The time-resolved analysis of some emission features is discussed and some stream velocities are derived. A possible model for the time evolution of the plume components is reported. The electronic detection technique was used to detect the onset of the plasma plume and to measure the ablation laser fluence threshold.     

Structural study of α-lactose monohydrate subjected to microwave irradiation

The aim of this work was to investigate the influence of different levels of microwave irradiation on the structure and particle size characteristics of α-lactose monohydrate. The structural study of the samples was carried out by XRD, the presence of lactose polymorphs in the test samples was determined by DSC and the particle size distribution was measured by laser diffraction. The samples subjected to microwave irradiation retained their original X-ray patterns. No significant differences in thermal transition characteristics and particle size were observed. Hence, neither the occurrence of crystalline-amorphous transition resulted by microwave irradiation nor the presence of lactose polymorphs in the test samples can be assumed. The unmodified properties can be attributed to the fact that the water of crystallization is very difficult to remove from the crystal structure and is not free to move during microwave treatment, which results in stability to microwaves.     

Effect of molecular orientation distribution and crystallinity on the measurement of the crystal lattice modulus of nylon 6 by x-ray diffraction

The crystal lattice modulus of nylon 6 (-type) was measured by x-ray diffraction using nylon 6 films drawn up to five times. The measured crystal lattice modulus was 173–175 GPa for all specimens whose crystallinity and the Young's modulus were beyond 46% and 3.75 GPa, respectively. These results indicate that a state of homogenous stress can be achieved. In contrast, the values were scattered for the speciments whose crystallinity and Young's modulus are less than the above values. To study the origin, a numerical calculation of the crystal lattice modulus, as measured by x-ray diffraction, was carried out by considering effects on the orientation factors of molecular chains and crystallinity. In this calculation, a previously introduced model was employed, in which oriented crystalline layers are surrounded by oriented amorphous phases so that the strains of the two phases at the boundary are identical. The theoretical results calculated by the introduced model indicated that the crystal lattice modulus by x-ray diffraction is almost equal to the intrinsic crystal modulus if the morphology of the test specimen can be represented as a series model. In contrast, if a parallel model is more appropriate, the difference between the measured modulus and the intrinsic value can be pronounced. Such morphological dependence was found to be less pronounced with increasing high degree of molecular orientation and crystallinity.     

On the deformation induced order–disorder transitions in the crystalline phase of polyamide 6

The present paper deals with the mechanically induced structural changes in polyamide 6 with initial α or γ crystal phases. By combining Wide Angle X-ray Scattering with FTIR spectroscopy measurements, order–disorder transitions have been clearly evidenced at 70 °C in both cases. The origin of this phenomenon is ascribed to structural defects involved in plastic deformation. By contrast, at 150 °C, no major transformation is revealed in α phase, whereas when starting from γ crystals, a γ−α transition is clearly evidenced. The central role of intracrystalline molecular mobilities is pointed out to account for the observed behaviours as a function of temperature.     

Electro-optic effect,propagation loss,and switching speed in polymers containing nano-sized droplets of liquid crystal

Polymers containing droplets of liquid crystal smaller than 100 nm, which have good transparency and easily form films, were prepared under various conditions to evaluate their potential as electro-optic materials for waveguide-type devices. By varying the liquid crystal concentration and the strength of the UV irradiation causing photo-induced phase separation of the droplets, we were able to control the droplet size and density. We have clarified how the birefringence generated in an applied electric field, switching speed, and optical loss of light propagating in the film depend on droplet size and density. Polymer materials having a large electro-optic effect (δn = 0.001 at 8 V μm^-1), low propagation loss (~2.5 dB cm^-1), and fast response time (~10 μs) have been developed.