2‐Cyanoprop‐2‐yl dithiobenzoate mediated reversible addition–fragmentation chain transfer polymerization of acrylonitrile targeting a polymer with a higher molecular weight

The reversible addition–fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) polymerization of acrylonitrile (AN) mediated by 2‐cyanoprop‐2‐yl dithiobenzoate was first applied to synthesize polyacrylonitrile (PAN) with a high molecular weight up to 32,800 and a polydispersity index as low as 1.29. The key to success was ascribed to the optimization of the experimental conditions to increase the fragmentation reaction efficiency of the intermediate radical. In accordance with the atom transfer radical polymerization of AN, ethylene carbonate was also a better solvent candidate for providing higher controlled/living RAFT polymerization behaviors than dimethylformamide and dimethyl sulfoxide. The various experimental parameters, including the temperature, the molar ratio of dithiobenzoate to the initiator, the molar ratio of the monomer to dithiobenzoate, the monomer concentration, and the addition of the comonomer, were varied to improve the control of the molecular weight and polydispersity index. The molecular weights of PANs were validated by gel permeation chromatography along with a universal calibration procedure and intrinsic viscosity measurements. ¹H NMR analysis confirmed the high chain‐end functionality of the resultant polymers. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 45: 1272–1281, 2007     

Propagation of thickness-twist waves in a multi-sectioned piezoelectric plate of 6 mm crystals

We study thickness-twist vibrations and waves in an unbounded, multi-sectioned piezoelectric plate of crystals with 6 mm symmetry or polarized ceramics. An exact solution from the three-dimensional equations of piezoelectricity is obtained. Basic vibration and wave propagation characteristics are calculated based on the solution. The results are useful in the understanding and design of plate resonators, filters and acoustic wave sensors of ZnO, AlN and polarized ceramics.     

对期望理论的两个重要推进——损失厌恶系数λ及参考点研究

行为金融学是近20年来最为重要的新兴金融理论,期望理论更是其中的亮点,其运用领域之广超乎人们的想象,所以对它的完善改进具有非常重要的意义。本文对期望理论中的损失厌恶系数和参考点问题进行了深入研究,并且得出了创新性的结果:损失厌恶系数不是常数而是动态变量;得出了内生且纳入更多投资者行为特征的参考点。这些结果是对期望理论的重要改善和推进,对其在大量金融领域和涉及到财富偏好的问题的解决中都大有裨益。     

Kinetic behaviour of aluminum naphthenate/benzene system in process of gelation and degradation

The kinetic behaviour of aluminum naphthenate/benzene system in the process of gelation and degradation was systematically studied. The results obtained from the kinetic experiments indicated that the gelation stage was in accordance with a kinetic model of an auto-catalytic first-order reaction, and the degradation stage was a simple first-order reaction. The rate constants in these two stages at various temperaturs were measured. And the determined apparent activation energies for the gelation stage and for the degradation stage are 27.5±2.0 and 37.7±2.3 kJ/mol, respectively.     

Characterization of ceramic PVD thin films on AZ31 magnesium alloys

Ceramic thin films have been widely used to protect the metal substrate as coatings in the past years. In order to improve the poor corrosion resistance of AZ31 magnesium alloy, the study in this paper used the electron beam evaporation method to prepare ceramic PVD films on its surface with TiO₂ and Al₂O₃ as donors, respectively. Atomic force microscopy (AFM), scanning electron microscope (SEM), energy dispersive X-ray spectrometer (EDS), Auger electron spectroscopy (AES) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) were used to investigate the surface morphology, composition and microstructure of the thin films. Both films deposited on AZ31 took on compact top surface morphologies and grew as amorphous structures on substrate. AES test not only showed that films compositions deviated the standard stoichiometric ratios, but also found that element Mg diffused into films and existed as magnesium oxide in the TiO_x film as well as the AlO_x film. In the electrochemical corrosion test, the AlO_x coating on AZ31 exhibited the largest electrochemical impedance in a 3.5% NaCl solution. But it did not show better corrosion resistance than others for the poorer adhesion. Even if its thickness was small, the TiO_x coating on AZ31 exhibited the best corrosion resistance in this study. According to the observation and analysis, the damage of these films on AZ31 in aggressive solutions was mainly due to the existence of pores, microcracks, vacancies and poor adhesion between coating and substrate.     

Ring head and single pole head recording performance on 3D random SOMA media

Currently, self-organized magnetic array (SOMA) is a non-oriented media, with randomly distributed easy axis directions. We investigate the recording performance of SOMA under two different head types—Ring Head (RH) and single pole head (SPH). Our results show an interesting dependence of the recorded transition pattern on the field strength of RH, where a weak RH field generates longitudinal transition pattern and a strong RH field generates a perpendicular transition pattern in the media. The SPH only generates perpendicular transition patterns and has a higher signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) than that of the RH.     

Erratum: Yan Guo. Boltzmann diffusive limit beyond the Navier‐Stokes approximation,Communications on Pure and Applied Mathematics (2006) 59(5) 626‐687

The original article to which this erratum refers was published in Communications on Pure and Applied Mathematics Comm Pure Appl Math(2006)59(5) 626 .     

Magnetically rotational reactor for absorbing benzene emissions by ionic liquids

A magnetically rotational reactor （MRR） has been developed and used in absorbing benzene emissions. The MRR has a permanent magnet core and uses magnetic ionic liquid [bmim]FeCl4 as absorbent. Benzene emissions were carried by N2 into the MRR and were absorbed by the magnetic ionic liquid. The rotation of the permanent magnet core provided impetus for the agitation of the magnetic ionic liquid, enhancing mass transfer and making benzene better dispersed in the absorbent. 0.68 g benzene emissions could be absorbed by a gram of [bmim]FeCl4, 0.27 and 0.40 g/g higher than that by [bmim]PF6 and [bmim]BF4, respectively. The absorption rate increased with increasing rotation rate of the permanent magnet.     

Electronic structure of CeAl2 thin films studied by X-ray absorption spectroscopy

We report X-ray absorption near edge structures (XANES) study of CeAl₂ thin films of various thicknesses, 40-120 nm, at Al K- and Ce L₃-edges. The threshold of the absorption features at the Al K-edge shifts to the higher photon energy side as film thickness decreases, implying a decreased in Al p-orbital charges. On the other hand, from Ce L₃-edge spectra, we observed a decrease in the 5d4f occupancy as the surface-to-bulk ratio increases. The valence of Ce in these thin films, as revealed by the Ce L₃-edge spectral results, is mainly trivalent. From a more detailed analysis we found a small amount of Ce⁴⁺ contribution, which increases with decreasing film thickness. Our results indicate that the surface-to-bulk ratio is the key factor which affects the electronic structure of CeAl₂ thin films. The above observations also suggest that charge transfer from Al to Ce is associated with the decrease of the film thickness.