Time resolved velocity map imaging of H-atom elimination from photoexcited imidazole and its methyl substituted derivatives

The photoresistive properties of DNA bases, amino acids and corresponding subunits have received considerable attention through spectroscopic studies in recent years. One photoresistive property implicates the participation of (1)πσ* states, allowing electronically excited states to evolve either back to the electronic ground state or undergo direct dissociation along a heteroatom-hydride (X-H) coordinate. To this effect, time-resolved velocity map imaging (TR-VMI) studies of imidazole (a subunit of both adenine and histidine) and methylated derivatives thereof have been undertaken, with the goal of understanding the effects of increasing molecular complexity, through methylation, on the dynamics following photoexcitation at 200 nm. The results of these measurements clearly show that H-atom elimination along the N-H coordinate results in a bimodal distribution in the total kinetic energy release (TKER) spectra in both imidazole and it's methylated derivatives: 2-methyl, 4-methyl and 2,4-dimethylimidazole. The associated time constants for H-atoms eliminated with both high and low kinetic energies are all less than 500 fs. A noticeable increase in the time constants for the methylated derivatives is also observed. This could be attributed to either: ring methylation hindering in-plane and out-of-plane ring distortions which have been implicated as mediating excited state dynamics of these molecules or; an increase in the density of vibrational states at 200 nm causing an increased sampling of orthogonal modes, as opposed to modes which drive any dynamics that cause subsequent H-atom elimination. The results of these findings once again serve to illustrate the seemingly ubiquitous nature of (1)πσ* states in the photoexcited state dynamics of biomolecules and their subunits.     

Characterization of the surface contamination of deep X‐ray lithography mirrors exposed to synchrotron radiation

In deep X‐ray lithography (DXRL), synchrotron radiation is applied to pattern polymer microstructures. At the Synchrotron Laboratory for Micro and Nano Devices (SyLMAND), Canadian Light Source, a chromium‐coated grazing‐incidence X‐ray double‐mirror system is applied as a tunable low‐pass filter. In a systematic study, the surface conditions of the two mirrors are analyzed to determine the mirror reflectivity for DXRL process optimization, without the need for spectral analysis or surface probing: PMMA resist foils were homogeneously exposed and developed to determine development rates for mirror angles between 6 mrad and 12 mrad as well as for white light in the absence of the mirrors. Development rates cover almost five orders of magnitude for nominal exposure dose (deposited energy per volume) values of 1 kJ cm^?3 to 6 kJ cm^?3. The rates vary from case to case, indicating that the actual mirror reflectivity deviates from that of clean chromium assumed for the experiments. Fitting the mirror‐based development rates to the white‐light case as a reference, reflectivity correction factors are identified, and verified by experimental and numerical results of beam calorimetry. The correction factors are related to possible combinations of a varied chromium density, chromium oxidation and a carbon contamination layer. The best fit for all angles is obtained assuming 7.19 g cm^?3 nominal chromium density, 0.5 nm roughness for all involved layers, and an oxide layer thickness of 25 nm with a carbon top coat of 50 nm to 100 nm. A simulation tool for DXRL exposure parameters was developed to verify that the development rates for all cases do coincide within a small error margin (achieving a reduction of the observed errors by more than two orders of magnitude) if the identified mirror surface conditions are considered when calculating the exposure dose.     

The mass spectra of 1- and 2-alkylbenzotriazoles

The fragmentation patterns of a series of 1- and 2-alkylbenzotriazoles are recorded and interpreted in comparison with available literature data. 1- and 2-Substituted benzotriazoles are readily differentiated on the basis of the relative ease with which a 1-substituted isomer loses nitrogen compared with the corresponding 2-isomer, resulting in generally weak parent ions for the former and strong parent ions for the latter. This loss of nitrogen in the 1-isomer ultimately gives rise to a strong peak at m/z 104, which is small or absent in the 2-isomer. In addition, examination of the intensity and distribution of peaks clustered around m/z 118 reveals that weak signals with a maximum intensity at m/z 117 or 118 are indicative of the 1-isomers, while strong signals with a maximum intensity at 119 or 120 are typical of the 2-isomers. Thus, isomers are distinguished by analysis of mass spectral cracking patterns. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Heteroatom Chem. 8: 459–464, 1997     

Ensemble Effects on Methanol Oxidation to Formaldehyde on Ferric Molybdate Catalysts

The properties of Mo-doped iron oxide are compared with those of the single oxides of Fe and Mo, and with stoichiometric ferric molybdate for the selective oxidation of methanol. It is found that Mo oxide segregates to the surface of the iron oxide at low loadings, while at higher loadings, but below the stoichiometric ratio, presents layers of ferric molybdate at the surface. The relationship between bulk loading and surface Mo is explored, and it is concluded that the reactivity is dominated by ensemble effects. Simple modelling indicates that four or more Fe cation ensembles are required to combust methanol to CO₂, ensembles of two Mo cations are required for selective oxidation to formaldehyde, whereas it seems that isolated single sites of either Fe or Mo produce CO.