Complete assignment of the vibrational modes of C60 by inelastic neutron scattering spectroscopy and periodic-DFT

In this paper we exploit the complementarity of inelastic neutron scattering (INS), infrared and Raman spectroscopies with ab initio calculations to generate an updated assignment of the vibrational modes of C(60). We have carried out periodic-DFT calculations of the high temperature face centred cubic phase modelled as the standard structure and also of the low temperature simple cubic phase, the latter for the first time. Our assignment differs from all previous work, however, it is the only one that is able to successfully reproduce the INS spectrum in terms of both transition energies and intensities. In addition to the INS spectrum we are also able to quantitatively simulate the major features of the infrared and Raman spectra in the high temperature phase and the infrared spectrum in the low temperature phase.     

Measuring acetic acid dimer modes by ultrafast time-domain Raman spectroscopy

Acetic acid is capable of forming strong multiple hydrogen bonds and therefore different dimeric H-bonded structures in neat liquid phase and in solutions. The low frequency Raman spectra of acetic acid (neat, in aqueous solution and as a function of temperature) were obtained by ultrafast time and polarization resolved optical Kerr effect (OKE) measurements. Isotropic OKE measurements clearly reveal a specific totally symmetric mode related to the dimeric structure H-bond stretching mode. The effects of isotope substitution, water dilution and temperature on this mode were investigated. These results together with anisotropic OKE measurements and density functional theory calculations for a number of possible dimers provide strong evidence for the cyclic dimer structure being the main structure in liquid phase persisting down to acetic acid concentrations of 10 M. Some information about the dimer structure and concentration dependence was inferred.     

Pre-nucleation dynamics of organic molecule self-assembly investigated by PEEM

Pre-nucleation dynamics, nucleation and templated self-assembly of a conjugated planar aromatic molecule are investigated by photoemission electron microscopy (PEEM). The high resolution of individual molecular layers in PEEM, in combination with a numerical simulation, reveals the dynamic behaviour of molecules during the pre-nucleation deposition period and their temperature dependence. The in situ deposition of p-sexiphenyl (6P) molecules on Cu(110) and Cu(110) 2 × 1-O surfaces in ultrahigh vacuum, when monitored by PEEM in real-time allows (a) layer densities, (b) meta-stable layer filling by 6P molecules, (c) dynamic surface redistributions during layer filling and (d) critical density spontaneous dewetting to be accurately measured. The comparison of 6P deposited on Cu(110) to Cu(110) 2 × 1-O enables temperature dependent 6P nucleation processes on Cu(110) to be elucidated from PEEM. The interplay between energetically stable molecular arrangements and kinetically stabilised arrangements is shown to dominate the pre- and post-nucleation processes. In combination with additional data obtained during post-nucleation deposition times, such as surface diffusion anisotropies and nucleation energies, it is concluded that the pre-requisite for 6P nucleation, in a lying down orientation, is the formation of a double tilted layer with at least one layer being meta-stable.     

Beyond the Butler-Volmer equation. Curved Tafel slopes from steady-state current-voltage curves

We report the discovery and analysis of curved Tafel slopes from the electrochemical reduction of hexamminecobalt(III) under steady-state conditions. In order to confirm the existence of the curvature, random assemblies of carbon microelectrodes (RAM? electrodes) were employed to obtain experimental data over more than three orders of magnitude, without significant double layer charging currents and without ohmic distortion. Since the rate-determining step in the reduction reaction is electron transfer, and no ligand substitution reactions occur on the timescale of experiments, the curvature of the Tafel plot is attributed to the dependence of the symmetry factor on electrode potential.     

A novel lyotropic liquid crystal formed by triphilic star-polyphiles: hydrophilic/oleophilic/fluorophilic rods arranged in a 12.6.4. tiling

Triphilic star-polyphiles are short-chain oligomeric molecules with a radial arrangement of hydrophilic, hydrocarbon and fluorocarbon chains linked to a common centre. They form a number of liquid crystalline structures when mixed with water. In this contribution we focus on a hexagonal liquid crystalline mesophase found in star-polyphiles as compared to the corresponding double-chain surfactant to determine whether the hydrocarbon and fluorocarbon chains are in fact demixed in these star-polyphile systems, or whether both hydrocarbon and fluorocarbon chains are miscible, leading to a single hydrophobic domain, making the star-polyphile effectively amphiphilic. We report SANS contrast variation data that are compatible only with the presence of three distinct immiscible domains within this hexagonal mesophase, confirming that these star-polyphile liquid crystals are indeed hydrophilic/oleophilic/fluorophilic 3-phase systems. Quantitative comparison with scattering simulations shows that the experimental data are in very good agreement with an underlying 2D columnar (12.6.4) tiling. As in a conventional amphiphilic hexagonal mesophase, the hexagonally packed water channels (dodecagonal prismatic domains) are embedded in a hydrophobic matrix, but that matrix is split into oleophilic hexagonal prismatic domains and fluorophilic quadrangular prismatic domains.