Thermally enhanced photoinduced in‐plane reorientation in photo‐cross‐linkable polymer liquid crystalline films and its application to linear polarizer

Thermally enhanced photoinduced in‐plane molecular reorientation in new photo‐cross‐linkable polymer liquid crystalline (PPLC) films comprising 4‐[ω‐(4‐methoxycinnamoyloxy)alkyloxy]biphenyl side groups is explored using linearly polarized ultraviolet (LPUV) light exposure and subsequent annealing. The influence of the alkylene spacer length between the photo‐cross‐linkable group and the biphenyl mesogenic moiety is investigated. The straight‐line characteristics of the photoreactive mesogenic side group and the 4‐methoxycinnamoyl group play important roles in the high photoreactivity and the large thermally enhanced molecular reorientation, where the in‐plane order and the birefringence of the reoriented film are 0.61 and 0.18 are obtained. Finally, cooperative molecular reorientation of dichroic dyes doped in PPLC films is also achieved to fabricate a linear polarizer. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 46: 4712–4718, 2008     

Effect of cationic surfactants on enhancement of firefly bioluminescence in the presence of liposomes

Firefly bioluminescence (BL) was greatly affected by cationic surfactants coexisting with liposomes containing phosphatidylcholine and cholesterol. In this study, the effects of the type and concentration of cationic surfactants on BL were studied in the presence of the liposomes. Three types of cationic surfactant: benzalkonium chloride (BAC), n-dodecyltrimethylammonium bromide (DTAB), and benzethonium chloride (BZC), were used. As a common effect in these surfactants, BL intensity was increased and then drastically decreased with increasing surfactant concentration. This can be explained by the formation of cationic liposomes as BL enhancers at low concentration of the surfactant, and by the transformation into cationic (mixed) micelles as inhibitors at high concentration. The maximal BL intensity and the concentration for the maximal BL were dependent on the type of the surfactants. To explain the differences in these parameters in the enhanced BL, we determined the distribution coefficient, K, of the surfactants to the liposomal membrane. The result indicated that the surfactant with higher K value gives the maximal BL intensity at lower concentration.     

Characterization of calcium carbonate polymorphs with Ca K edge X-ray absorption fine structure spectroscopy

Ca K edge X-ray absorption fine structure (XAFS) spectroscopy was utilized for the characterization and quantification of calcium carbonate polymorphs and their mixtures. The advantage of the XAFS is the small sample quantity required for measurements, and a flexible sample environment. The near-edge XAFS spectra of calcite, aragonite and vaterite were measured with the conversion electron yield (CEY) method, and the obtained spectra showed characteristic features that can be utilized as fingerprints. The quantification of mixed polymorphs was examined by using a linear combination fitting of reference XAFS spectra. Though the quality of the fits was satisfactory, discrepancies in the evaluated values were observed between those with X-ray diffraction (XRD) and XAFS. The nonuniformity of samples may be enhanced by the surface sensitivity of the CEY method.     

A three carbon homologation by the ring-opening of β-propiolactones with diorganocuprates

Various organocuprates react with β-propiolactones to give β-substituted propionic acids in high yields.     

Excitation to symmetry forbidden vibronic levels in the 1B2u state by controlled electron impact on benzene

The ¹B_2u-¹A_1g fluorescence emission of benzene excited by controlled electron impact was measured in the 14 – 100 eV region. The optically forbidden 6° levels were preferentially, excited. This indicates that a non-dipole transition takes place under low-energy electron-molecule collisions.