Minimum boundary touching tilings of polyominoes

We study the problem of tiling a polyomino P with as few squares as possible such that every square in the tiling has a non‐empty intersection with the boundary of P . Our main result is an algorithm which given a simply connected polyomino P computes such a tiling of P . We indicate how one can improve the running time of this algorithm for the more restricted row‐column‐convex polyominoes. Finally we show that a related decision problem is in NP for rectangular polyominoes. (© 2006 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Dynamic NMR study of the flexibility of 2-amino-3-aroyl-4,6-diaryl-pyrylium salts

Dynamic NMR investigations of a number of 2-amino-3-aroyl-4,6-diaryl-pyrylium salts were carried out. The barrier to rotation of the partial C, N double bond was determined and proved to be in the range of 62 to 63 kJ/mol. Quantum chemical calculations of bond orders and electron densities of the different atoms in the molecules show the distinct double bond character of the exocyclic C, N bond. This is in agreement with the relatively high barrier to rotation. By quantum chemical ab initio 3-21G calculations, the dynamic behaviour of this kind of compounds was simulated; two pairs (image and mirror image) of ground state conformations, in coincidence with the experiment, were obtained. Received: 10 May 1996 / Revised: 1 July 1996 / Accepted: 4 July 1996     

New polaron effect in magnetooptic phenomena in a quantum well

It is predicted that resonance coupling between two discrete electron energy levels corresponding to different size-quantization quantum numbers and different Landau quantum numbers can occur in a quantum well in a quantizing magnetic field. The resonance coupling is due to the interaction of an electron with LO phonons and results in the formation of polaron states of a new type. It is shown that for a certain value of the magnetic field, which depends on the splitting of the electron size-quantization levels, the absorption peak and the two-phonon resonance Raman scattering peak split into two components, the separation between which is determined by the electron-phonon coupling constant. The resonance coupling between size-quantization levels with the same Landau quantum numbers is also studied. The splitting of the peaks in this case is virtually independent of the magnetic field and can be observed in much weaker fields. The experimental observation of the effect will make it possible to determine the relative position of the electronic levels and the electron-phonon coupling constant. Pis’ma Zh. éksp. Teor. Fiz. 65, No. 7, 511–515 (10 April 1997)     

Metal Complexes with Macrocyclic Ligands. Part XXIX.. Structural and kinetic studies of two isomeric Cu2+ complexes with 1,4-dimethyl-8-[2-(2-pyridyl)ethyl]-1,4,8,11-tetraazacyclotetradecane

The synthesis and complexation properties of 1,4-dimethyl-8-[2-(2-pyridyl)ethyl]-1,4,8,11-tetraazacyclotetra-decane ( 2 ) are described. This ligand forms with Cu²⁺ two complexes, one of which has been characterized by X-ray structure analysis. The structural, spectral, and kinetic studies indicate that the two Cu²⁺ complexes are isomers with the macrocycle in the trans-III and trans-I configuration. The rate of the interconversion of the trans-I isomer to the thermodynamically more stable trans-III species is proportional to [OH^?]. A mechanism for this reaction is proposed.     

Preparing polymer brushes on polytetrafluoroethylene films by free radical polymerization

Films of polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) were exposed to sodium naphthalenide (Na/naphtha) etchant so as to defluorinate the surface for obtaining hydroxyl functionality. Surface-initiators were immobilized on the PTFE films by esterification of 4,4′-azobis(4-cyanopentanoic acid) (ACP) and the hydroxyl groups covalently linked to the surface. Grafting of polymer brushes on the PTFE films was carried out by the surface-initiated free radical polymerization. Homopolymers brushes of methyl methacrylate (MMA) were prepared by free radical polymerization from the azo-functionalized PTFE surface. The chemical composition and topography of the graft-functionalized PTFE surfaces were characterized by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), attenuated total reflectance (ATR) FT-IR spectroscopy and atomic force microscopy (AFM). Water contact angles on PTFE films were reduced by surface grafting of MMA.     

Synthesis and blending behavior of an oligoarylenevinylene. Design towards processable materials for LED applications

A bisstyrenebenzene with improved solubility can be obtained by a lateral phenyl substituent on the phenylene ring. The phenyl substituted bisstyrenebenzene (PBSB) was synthesized by Pd-catalyzed coupling of 2,5-dibromobiphenyl and styrene. PBSB exhibits blue fluorescence in solution. Blends of PBSB and polystyrene or polycarbonate are homogeneous over a wide concentration range of PBSB, based on differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The results were compared with the blending behavior of unsubstituted bisstyrenebenzene.