Zeolite LTA Nanoparticles Prepared by Laser-Induced Fracture of Zeolite Microcrystals

Zeolite LTA nanoparticles are prepared by laser-induced fragmentation of zeolite LTA microparticles using a pulsed laser. Zeolite nanoparticle formation is attributed to absorption of the laser at impurities or defects within the zeolite microcrystal generating thermoelastic stress that mechanically fractures the microparticle into smaller nanoparticle fragments. Experimentally, it is found that nanoparticles have a wide size and morphology distribution. Large nanoparticles (>200 nm) are typically irregularly shaped crystals of zeolite LTA, whereas small nanoparticles (<50 nm) tend to be spherical, dense, and amorphous, indicative of destruction of the original LTA crystal structure. Results of the fragmentation versus laser parameters show that shorter laser wavelengths are more efficient at producing zeolite nanoparticles, which is explained based on a larger cross section for optical absorption in the zeolite crystal. Increasing the laser energy density irradiating the sample was found to be a trade-off between increasing the amount of fragmentation and increasing the amount of structural damage to the zeolite crystal. It is suggested that in the presence of strongly absorbing defects, plasma formation is induced resulting in dramatically higher temperatures. On the basis of these results it is suggested the optimal laser processing conditions are 355 nm and 10 mJ/pulse laser energy for our LTA samples.     

Dynamic Contact Behavior of a Golf Ball during an Oblique Impact

The oblique impact between a golf ball and a rigid steel target was studied using a high-speed video camera. Video images recorded before and after the impact were used to determine the inbound velocity v _i, rebound velocity v _r, inbound angle θ_i, rebound angle θ_r, and the coefficient of restitution e. The results showed that θ_r and e decreased as v _i increased. The maximum compression ratio η_c, contact time t _c, average angular velocity , and tangential velocity , along the target were determined from images obtained during the impact. The images demonstrated that η_c increased with v _i while t _c decreased. In addition, and increased almost linearly as v _i increased. A rigid body model was used to estimate the final angular velocity ω* and tangential velocity ν_t* at the end of the impact; these results were then compared with experimental data.     

Enhancement of the Curie temperature by isomerization of diarylethene (DAE) for an organic-inorganic hybrid system: Co4(OH)7(DAE)0.5.3H2O

Intercalation of an organic photochromic molecule into layered magnetic systems may provide multifunctional properties such as photomagnetism. To build up a photosensitive multifunctional magnet, an organic-inorganic hybrid system coupled with a photochromic diarylethene anion, 2,2'-dimethyl-3,3'-(perfluorocyclopentene-1,2-diyl)bis(benzo[b]thiophene-6-sulfonate) (DAE), and cobalt LDHs (layered double hydroxides), Co4(OH)7(DAE)0.5.3H2O, was synthesized by the anion exchange reaction between Co2(OH)3(CH3COO).H2O and DAE. In the dark and under UV-irradiated (313 nm) conditions, Co4(OH)7(DAE)0.5.3H2O with open and closed forms of DAE were obtained, respectively. The magnetic susceptibility measurements elucidated ferromagnetic intra- and interlayer interactions and Curie temperatures of TC = 9 and 20 K for cobalt LDHs with the open and closed forms of DAE, respectively. The enhancement of the Curie temperature from 9 to 20 K by substitution of the open form of DAE with the closed form of DAE as an intercalated molecule is attributed to the delocalization of the pi-electrons in the closed form of DAE, which enhances the interlayer magnetic interaction. The enhancement of the interlayer magnetic interaction induced by the delocalization of pi-electrons in intercalated molecules is strongly supported by the fact that the Curie temperature (26.0 K) of cobalt LDHs with (E,E)-2,4-hexadienedioate having a conjugated pi-electron system is enormously higher than that (7.0 K) of the cobalt LDHs with hexanedioate. By UV irradiation at 313 nm, Co4(OH)7(DAE)0.5.3H2O shows the photoisomerization of DAE from the open form to the closed one in the solid state, which leads to the enhancement of Curie temperature.     

Diffusion dynamics of the li atom on amorphous carbon: A direct molecular orbital-molecular dynamics study

Direct molecular orbital-molecular dynamics (MO-MD) calculation was applied to diffusion processes of the Li atom on a model surface of amorphous carbon and compared with the diffusion mechanism of Li+ ion. A carbon sheet composed of C96H24 was used as the model surface. The total energy and energy gradient on the full dimensional potential energy surface of the LiC96H24 system were calculated at each time step in the trajectory calculation. The optimized structure, where the Li atom is located at the center of mass of the model surface, was used as the initial structure at time zero. Simulation temperatures were chosen in the range of 200-1250 K. The dynamics calculations showed that the Li atom vibrates around the initial position below 250 K, and it moves above 300 K. At middle temperature, the Li atom translates freely on the surface. At higher temperature (1000 K), the Li atom moves from the center to edge region of the model surface and is trapped in the edge. The activation energy calculated for the Li atom is larger than that for the Li+ ion. This difference is due to the fact that the Li atom diffuses together with an unpaired electron on the carbon surface. The diffusion mechanism of the Li atom was discussed on the basis of the theoretical results.     

Direct-type catalytic three-component mannich reactions leading to an efficient synthesis of alpha,beta-diamino acid derivatives

[reaction: see text] The first example of the Lewis acid-catalyzed three-component direct-type Mannich reaction of simple aromatic and enolizable aliphatic aldehydes, secondary amines, and glycine derivatives is described. The procedure is highly atom economical and can be performed in a simple one-pot operation under mild conditions to afford a wide variety of synthetically important anti-alpha,beta-diamino ester derivatives in high yields with high diastereoselectivities.     

Efficient pyrrole synthesis using double nucleophilic addition to alpha,beta-unsaturated imines with plural nucleophiles

[reaction: see text] 2,3,5-Trisubstituted pyrroles were prepared in a regioselective manner using the double nucleophilic addition of alpha,alpha-dialkoxy ketene silyl acetals and ketene sily thioacetals or trimethylsilyl cyanide to alpha,beta-unsaturated imines followed by acid-promoted cyclization and oxidation with DDQ. Using this methodology an imidazole glycerol phosphate dehydratase inhibitor (IGPDI) possessing a monopyrrole aldehyde moiety was synthesized.     

Effects of multiple pairs on visibility measurements of entangled photons generated by spontaneous parametric processes

Entangled photon-pair sources based on spontaneous parametric processes are widely used in photonic quantum information experiments. In this paper, we clarify the relationship between average photon-pair number and the visibility of two-photon interference (TPI) using those entanglement sources. We consider sources that generate distinguishable and indistinguishable entangled photon pairs, assuming coincidence measurements that use threshold detectors. We present formulas for the TPI visibility of a polarization entanglement that take account of all the high-order multi-pair emission events. Moreover, we show that the formulas can be approximated with simple functions of the average pair number when the photon collection efficiency is small. As a result, we reveal that an indistinguishable entangled pair provides better visibility than a distinguishable one.     

Study of energy dependence of pion production by proton on copper target near 350 MeV

New measurement of the energy dependence of pion production on a copper target near 350-MeV proton energy has been performed. The E-170 experiment has been carried out at the Ring Cyclotron Facility of the Research Center for Nuclear Physics, Osaka University, Japan. A small enhancement of the low-energy pion production cross section was observed near the incident proton energy of 352 MeV. The text was submitted by the authors in English.