Molecular alignment and field-induced reorientation in a twisted nematic liquid crystal pi-cell

A twisted nematic pi-cell has been studied by optical transmission measurement, polarized Fourier-transform infrared (pFTIR) absorption spectroscopy, and Raman spectroscopy. Our pFTIR results suggest that the LC molecules undergo a restricted rotation about the molecular long axis. The rise and decay times of the optical response were found to be 6 ms and 1.6 ms, respectively. The switching dynamics of the twisted pi-cell was also studied using time-resolved Raman spectroscopy. A normal mode associated with the C-H out-of-plane wag on the LC core was found to be enhanced after the electric field was switched off. Our data show that LC molecules in the twisted pi-cell do not rotate like a rigid molecule during the field-induced reorientation process. The methods employed in this study have yielded valuable information about LC alignment and field-induced reorientation with respect to functional group specificity.     

Synthesis of aminomethyl and amino analogs of 5-benzylacyclouridine and 5-benzyloxybenzylacyclouridine

Amino analogs of BAU (5-benzylacyclouridine) and BBAU (5-benzyloxybenzylacyclouridine) and their 2′-hydroxymethyl derivatives were synthesized for evaluation as inhibitors of uridine phosphorylase and hence potential cancer chemotherapeutic agents. Both aminomethyl analogs were found to be potent inhibitors of this enzyme and good potentiators of the anti-tumor action of FUdR.     

A kinetic study of the air oxidation of pyrogallol and purpurogallin

Pyrogallol (1,2.3-benzentriol, 1 ) reacts with dioxygen in weakly alkaline solutions to form purpurogallin (2,3,4,6-tetrahydroxy-5H-benzocycloheptene-5-one, 2 ) which then reacts to form purpurogalloquinone ( 3 ) which then decays to a product absorbing at 440 nm. The formation of 3 requires 1.5 mol O₂ per mol 1 , and 1.0 mol per mol 2 . No O₂ is consumed during the decay of 3 , and this reaction, being insensitive to O₂ concentrations and the presence of both superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase, does not appear to be an oxidation. The first-order rate of decay of 3 decreases with increasing pH. 1 and 3 react at pH 9.0 with a second-order rate constant of ca. 100 M^?1 s^?1. SOD inhibits the oxidation of 1 and 2 . Slight and variable apparent inhibition of the oxidation of 2 and 3 by SOD may be due to trace impurities in 2 , but not contamination by 1 . The peak concentration of 3 is attained more rapidly during the oxidation of 1 than during the oxidation of 2 . A kinetic scheme based on parallel oxidation of 1 by dioxygen and superoxide, and it which the semiquinone of 1 oxidizes 2 , is partially successful in simulating the observed kinetic behavior.     

Fabrication of optical reflectors by using of elastomer with self-organized undulations

Back-surface diffusive reflectors have been widely applied in many optical systems to promote the efficiency used in system. In this work, we propose a novel way to fabricate a soft diffusive reflector by using of silicone (polydimethylsiloxane, PDMS). High-reflectance substrates were first fabricated by mixing nanoscaled TiO₂ powders with PDMS polymers, and then microscale wave-like undulations were spontaneously developed after the substrates were dipped into H₂SO₄/HNO₃ solutions. After optical examination, a TiO₂/PDMS plate comprising microscale undulations, which can surely serve as a reflector, could reflect and diffuse light effectively. Besides, all fabrication processes can be executed in the ambient environment and at low temperature. This proposed method has a potential for mass production in the future.     

Eisen, Stahl

Ohne Zusammenfassung     

Flow Injection Analysis of Aluminum Chlorohydrate in Antiperspirant Deodorants Using a Built‐in Three‐in‐one Screen‐Printed Silver Electrode

A screen‐printed silver strip with a built‐in three‐in‐one electrode (SPAgE) configuration of Ag‐working, Ag‐counter and Ag/Ag_xO (silver oxides) pseudoreference electrodes has been developed for sensitive and selective electrochemical flow injection analysis (FIA) of aluminum chlorohydrate (ACH) present in antiperspirants, through the free Cl^? ion liberated from ACH in aqueous medium, as a redox signal at Ag‐working electrode in pH 6 phosphate buffer solution (PBS). The solution phase and instrumental parameters were systematically optimized. The calibration graph was linear in the window 1–200 ppm concentration of ACH and the lowest detection limit (S/N=3) was 295 ppb with a slope of 0.0989 μA/ppm and regression coefficient of 0.998. Calculated relative standard deviation (RSD) values for the detection of 5 and 50 ppm ACH by this method are 2.21 % and 2.16 %, respectively. Four different antiperspirant deodorants real samples with and without ACH content were successfully analyzed and the detected values obtained were found to be in good agreement with the product labeled values.     

Angle-independent plasmonic infrared band-stop reflective filter based on the Ag/SiO₂/Ag T-shaped array

A plasmonic infrared (IR) filter assisted by localized surface plasmon polaritons (LSPPs) in a Ag/SiO?/Ag T-shaped array was theoretically and experimentally investigated. By using a Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectrometer, an angle-independent LSPP resonant mode caused by a Fabry-Pérot resonance in the structure was observed in agreement with the prediction from the rigorous coupled-wave analysis (RCWA) simulation. The resonant wavelength of the mode can also be controlled by modifying the geometry of the T-shaped structure. Such LSPP property can be used as an IR reflection-type band-stop filter with a single spectral bandwidth and an ultrahigh immunity to incident angles.     

Thermal degradation kinetics of biodegradable poly(3‐hydroxybutyrate)/layered double hydroxide nanocomposites

The thermal degradation behaviors of biodegradable poly(3‐hydroxybutyrate) (PHB) and PHB/poly(ethylene glycol) phosphonates (PEOPAs)‐modified layered double hydroxide (PMLDH) nanocomposites have been investigated using thermogravimetric analysis. Effects of PMLDH contents on the isothermal degradation kinetics of PHB were explored. These experimental results show that the degradation kinetics of PHB/PMLDH nanocomposites is the chain‐scission process of cyclic β‐elimination reaction with the following autocatalytic reactions, which is very similar to that of pure PHB matrix. Further calculated data based on the autocatalytic model can fit very well with the experimental data. The E_a value of PHB/PMLDH nanocomposites is increased as the content of PMLDH increases. This can be attributed to the incorporation of more PMLDH loading to PHB induced a decrease in the degradation rate and an increase in the residual weight for PHB/PMLDH nanocomposites. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 46: 1207–1213, 2008