Behavior of zirconium in the ZrOW(100) system at high temperature, studied by ISS, AES and work-function measurements

The behavior of zirconium atoms at the W(100) surface associated with oxygen adsorption at different sample temperatures has been studied by Auger electron spectroscopy (AES), ion scattering spectroscopy (ISS), and the relative change of the work function (Δф) measured by the onset of the secondary electron energy distribution. The results have revealed: (i) adsorption of zirconium onto the W(100) surface followed by the elevation of the sample temperature up to 1710 K in an oxygen partial pressure of 2.7 × 10⁻⁴ induces complete diffusion of zirconium atoms into the W(100) substrate; (ii) further exposure of oxygen induces co-existence of oxygen and tungsten on the surface at 1710 K, resulting in a work function of 4.37 eV; (iii) keeping the sample temperature at 1710 K, simple evacuation of the system has resulted in surface segregation of zirconium atoms to the surface to form a zirconium atomic layer on the top-most surface, reducing the work function to 2.7 eV. The results have revealed that this specific behavior of zirconium atoms at high temperature assures, with very good reproducibility, the highly stable performance and long service life of Zr---O/W(100)-emitters in practical use, even in a low vacuum of 10⁻⁶ Pa.     

The synthesis and reaction of N-sulfenyl heterocycles: development of effective sulfenylating reagents

Various N-sulfenyl heterocycles were synthesized by transamination of sulfenamides using a chlorine gas-free method. The N-sulfenyl heterocycles behaved as sulfenylating reagents of anilines; N-sulfenylbenzimidazoles were the most effective.     

Self-assembled lipid nanotube hosts: The dimension control for encapsulation of nanometer-scale guest substances

Supramolecular nanotube hosts with precisely controlled inner or outer diameters have been synthesized by self-assembly of unsymmetrical bolaamphiphilic monomers or glucopyranosylamide lipids, respectively. Time-resolved fluorescent measurement using 8-anilinonaphthalene-1-sulfonate (ANS) as a probe revealed that the water confined in a cardanyl-β-D -glucopyranoside lipid nanotube has relatively lower solvent polarity corresponding to that of propanol than bulk water. Extensively developed hydrogen bond networks also characterize the confined water in comparison to the case in bulk water. Encapsulation ability of the glucopyranosylamide lipid nanotube has been examined by filling the lyophilized LNTs with gold or silver nanoparticles, ferritin, or magnetic crystals. Filling the unsymmetrical bolaamphiphile nanotube possessing positively charged inner surfaces with negatively charged polymer beads or ferritin proved to be successful without depending on capillary action. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 44: 5137–5152, 2006     

Pressure and temperature effects on the excess deuteron and proton conductance

The limiting molar conductances ° of deuterium chloride DCl in D₂O were determined as a function of pressure and temperature in order to examine the proton-jump mechanism in detail. The excess deuteron conductances °_E(D ⁺), as estimated by the equation [°_E(D ⁺) = °(DCl/D ₂ O) – °(KCl/D ₂ O)], increases with an increase in the pressure and temperature as well as the excess proton conductance [°_E(H ⁺) = °(HCl/H ₂ O) – °(KCl/H ₂ O)]. The isotope effect on the excess conductances, however, depends on the pressure and temperature contrary to the model proposed by Conway et al.: °_E(H ⁺)/°_E(D ⁺) decreases with increasing pressure and temperature. The magnitude of the decrease with pressure becomes more prominent at lower temperature. These results are discussed in terms of the pre-rotation of adjacent water molecules, the bending of hydrogen bonds with pressure, and the difference in strength of hydrogen bonds between D₂O and H₂O.