Morphological studies of a hydrogen-bonded LC polymer obtained by photopolymerization in LC solvents

Anisotropic morphologies and the phase behaviour of a hydrogen-bonded LC polymer obtained by photopolymerization in two kinds of LC solvent are discussed. The hydrogen-bonded LC monomer, 4-(6-acryloyloxyhexyloxy) benzoic acid (A6OBA), was photopolymerized in 4-cyano-4′-hexyloxybiphenyl (6OCB) and in 4-cyano-4′-undecyloxybiphenyl (11OCB), which show a nematic phase and a smectic A phase, respectively. After photo-polymerization, the LC media were removed by extraction and the pure polymer was observed by scanning electron microscopy. SEM images showed that the polymer possessed fibrous morphology with a fibre diameter of a few micrometers, based on polymerization-induced phase separation. The overall geometries reflected typical LC characteristics such as schlieren and focal-conic fan textures. It was found that the hydrogen bond between benzoic acid groups in the monomer was rigid enough to fix the anisotropic phase-separated structure forming during the early stage of phase separation; however, it could not permanently maintain the fibre structure due to dissociation at elevated temperature. X-ray measurements revealed that a well developed layer structure of the hydrogen-bonded mesogen existed in the polymer obtained from the smectic phase of 11OCB, whereas a polymer layer structure could develop only partially from the nematic phase of 6OCB.     

Grubbs carbene complex-catalyzed cleavage of allyl vic-diols to aldehydes with a co-oxidant: application to the selective cleavage of huge marine molecules

An oxidative cleavage of allyl vic-diols to aldehydes catalyzed by a Grubbs carbene complex using a co-oxidant has been established for the first time, with good yields. The utility of this selective cleavage reaction was demonstrated through the use of two huge marine molecules, symbiodinolide and N-p-BrBz palytoxin.     

GPU-accelerated molecular dynamics simulation for study of liquid crystalline flows

We have developed a GPU-based molecular dynamics simulation for the study of flows of fluids with anisotropic molecules such as liquid crystals. An application of the simulation to the study of macroscopic flow (backflow) generation by molecular reorientation in a nematic liquid crystal under the application of an electric field is presented. The computations of intermolecular force and torque are parallelized on the GPU using the cell-list method, and an efficient algorithm to update the cell lists was proposed. Some important issues in the implementation of computations that involve a large number of arithmetic operations and data on the GPU that has limited high-speed memory resources are addressed extensively. Despite the relatively low GPU occupancy in the calculation of intermolecular force and torque, the computation on a recent GPU is about 50 times faster than that on a single core of a recent CPU, thus simulations involving a large number of molecules using a personal computer are possible. The GPU-based simulation should allow an extensive investigation of the molecular-level mechanisms underlying various macroscopic flow phenomena in fluids with anisotropic molecules.     

A novel demonstration of photoacoustic Raman spectroscopy with combined stimulated Raman pumping in H2 molecule

We present the experimental demonstration of a novel, efficient, and vibrational selective technique to prepare population in vibrational level v″ = 1 using the stimulated Raman pumping. Photoacoustic Raman signal has been studied in non-radiative transitions in the molecule H₂ (v″ = 0) and (v″ = 1). The population fraction in the v″ = 1 level can be estimated by using combined photoacoustic Raman spectroscopy with stimulated Raman pumping for the first time.     

Fabrication and electrochemistry study of multi-thiol coronary molecule monolayers

Single-component monolayer of novel multi-thiol coronary molecule and two-component mixed monolayer composed of coronary molecule and n-alkanethiol on gold substrates are described. The assembly of monolayers is characterized by ellipsometry, infrared spectroscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscope. The electrochemical properties of the single- and two-component monolayers are evaluated by cyclic voltammetry and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy experiments. Coronary molecule with multi-thiol groups has the ability to form stable monolayer via the interaction of mercapto groups and Au surface. Electrochemical impedance measurements indicate that 89.9% of the gold surface is blocked by the coronary molecule, which is attributed to the special spatial structure of the coronary molecule. The uncovered site on gold surface in coronary molecule monolayer could be occupied by the second suitable molecule. The mixed monolayer prepared by stepwise assembly of coronary molecule and n-alkanethiol has complete compact packing and few defects.     

Dynamical structure of peptide molecules: Fourier transform microwave spectroscopy and ab initio calculations of N-methylformamide

Rotational spectra of both trans and cis forms of the N-methylformamide normal as well as deuterated (HCONDCH₃, referred to as N-D) species were observed by Fourier transform microwave spectroscopy in the frequency region from 5 to 118 GHz. Samples were prepared in the form of a beam by a pulsed jet valve maintained at 50 °C and were introduced in a high-vacuum cavity cell, with either Ne or Ar as a carrier gas at a backing pressure of 100 kPa. The observed spectra were analyzed to yield molecular parameters including rotational constants and barrier, V₃, to CH₃ internal-rotation: 53.9 (6) and 301 (4) cm⁻¹ for the trans and cis forms of the normal species, respectively, and 41.9 (6) and 309 (4) cm⁻¹ for the trans and cis forms of the N-D species, respectively. Spectra of four trans isotopologues with ¹³C, ¹⁵N, or ¹⁸O singly-substituted in the internal-rotation A state were observed and analyzed to derive the r_s structure of the trans form. For comparison with the experimental data, ab initio calculations were carried out at MP2/6-31G∗∗ level to derive molecular structure, potential barrier to CH₃ internal rotation, and the energy difference between the cis and trans forms. An extensive coupling was found between the CH₃ internal rotation and N-H out-of-plane bending, suggesting that the potential function for the CH₃ internal-rotation deviates considerably from a simple cos(3α) form. The effects of the V₆ term is briefly discussed.     

Multi-reference calculations of the photodissociation of HSCH3 molecule

This paper performs multi-reference second-order perturbation theory calculations on the ground state and a number of low-lying excited states of HSCH3 molecule, and calculates the vertical excitation energies and low-energy potential-energy curves, based on which the photodissociation channels of HSCH3 at 193,222,248 nm are clarified.     

Molecular dynamics study of ice structural evolution

Molecular dynamics simulation is employed to study the structural evolution of low density amorphous ice during its compression from one atmosphere to 2.5 GPa. Calculated results show that high density amorphous ice is formed at an intermediate pressure of -1.0 GPa; the O-O-O bond angle ranges from 83° to 113°, and the O-H… O bond is bent from 112° to 160°. Very high density amorphous ice is obtained by quenching to 80 K and decompressing the ice to ambient pressure from 160 K/1.3 GPa or 160 K/1.7 GPa; and the next-nearest O-O length is found to be 0.310 nm, just 0.035 nm beyond the nearest O-O distance of 0.275 nm.     

Dynamics of cooperative emissions in a cascade three-level molecular system driven by an ultrashort laser pulse

This paper investigates the dynamics of cooperative emissions in a cascade three-level system driven by an ultra, short laser pulse by solving numerically the full-wave Maxwell-Bloch equations. The 4, 4＇-bis（dimethylamino） stilbene molecule is used as the model molecule because of its strong two-photon absorption property. The two-colour cooperative emissions are studied as functions of molecular number density and dephasing rate of the dipole coherence. The propagation effects on the evolution of the cooperative radiations are also taken into account. The cooperative radiations are enhanced for large number density of the molecule, while the fast dephasing of the dipole coherence reduces the intensity of the cooperative radiations and delays the emission times or even inhibits the formation of the emissions. The delay time of the radiation decreases with the increase of the molecular number density and the propagation distance.