IR-induced processes for allyl alcohol dimers involving an intermolecular OH...π Bond in low-temperature matrices

Sharp peaks were observed in the IR spectra of allyl alcohol dimers in the νOH and τOH regions in low-temperature Ar and N₂ matrices. In Ar a peak at 3587 cm^?1 was found to increase in intensity upon annealing and decrease upon IR irradiation; it is concluded that this peak is due to an OH...π interaction (of a cyclic structure) present in part of the dimers. This is the first time such an interaction and photoprocess have been found for an alcohol in matrices. Also a faster photo-process was found. Confomer changes in the monomers accompany the photoprocess in allyl alcohol dimers.     

On Suhl's dispersion equations for dilute magnetic alloys in a finite magnetic field

A one dimensional, nonlinear, singular integral equation was recently shown to be equivalent to Suhl's dispersion equations for the Kondo-problem of a half-spin magnetic impurity in a finite magnetic field. We investigate this integral equation further analytically and numerically and obtain numerical solutions which we use for a calculation of transport coefficients. The normal part of the scattering potential of the magnetic impurity is included via ans-wave phase shift. The transport coefficients are universal functions of the ratiosT/T _K andB/B _K of the temperatureT and the zero magnetic field Kondo-temperatureT _K and of the magnetic inductionB and the Kondo magnetic inductionB _K. We find maxima in the electrical and thermal resistivities as functions ofT/T _K forBB _K. These are typical Kondo phenomena, and can be influenced by. Interference of and the phases of Kondo-scattering amplitudes leads to dramatic effects in the thermopower and the Hall coefficient.SFB 125The numerical part of this work was performed at the Institut für Festkörperforschung, Kernforschungsanlage Jülich, F.R. Germany     

Synthesis and thermal behavior of Janus dendrimers,part 2

The thermal properties of twelve Janus-type dendrimers up to the second generation were evaluated by termogravimetric analysis (TGA) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). Compounds consist of the dendritic bisMPA based polyester moieties, and either 3,4-bis-dodecyloxybenzoic acid, 3,5-bis-dodecyloxybenzoic acid or 3,4,5-tris-dodecyloxybenzoic acid moieties, attached to opposite sides of the pentaerythritol core. The thermal stability of the compounds was evaluated by TGA, displaying onset decomposition temperatures (T_d) at around 250 °C. DSC measurements upon heating and cooling confirmed that OH terminated Janus dendrimers featuring large polarity difference in opposite sides display liquid crystalline phases with exception of 3,5-type G1 dendrimer; while acetonide terminated dendrimers displayed merely melting transitions. Dendrimers having terminal alkyl chains at positions 3,4 or 3,4,5 in aromatic moieties exhibited enantiotropic mesophases. However, the thermal behavior of the dendrimers with 3,5-substitution pattern was different: the 3,5-type G1 dendrimer exhibit a lack of mesomorphic transition, and in the case of the 3,5-type G2 dendrimer, the mesophase was absent in the first heating scan but was observed during the subsequent cooling and heating scans at the rate of 10 °C/min.     

Detection of phase biaxiality in liquid crystals by use of the quadrupole shift in 131Xe NMR spectra

An experimental method to unambiguously distinguish between uniaxial and biaxial liquid crystal phases is introduced. The method is based on the second order quadrupole shift (SOQS) observable in 131Xe NMR spectra of xenon dissolved in liquid crystals. It is shown that besides revealing the biaxiality, the 131Xe SOQS offers a novel method to determine the tilt angle in smectic C phases. As an example, the 131Xe SOQS in a ferroelectric liquid crystal is reported. It yields up a biaxial phase in between isotropic and smectic C phases.     

Avoiding eddy-current problems in ultra-low-field MRI with self-shielded polarizing coils

In ultra-low-field magnetic resonance imaging (ULF MRI), superconductive sensors are used to detect MRI signals typically in fields on the order of 10-100 μT. Despite the highly sensitive detectors, it is necessary to prepolarize the sample in a stronger magnetic field on the order of 10-100 mT, which has to be switched off rapidly in a few milliseconds before signal acquisition. In addition, external magnetic interference is commonly reduced by situating the ULF-MRI system inside a magnetically shielded room (MSR). With typical dipolar polarizing coil designs, the stray field induces strong eddy currents in the conductive layers of the MSR. These eddy currents cause significant secondary magnetic fields that may distort the spin dynamics of the sample, exceed the dynamic range of the sensors, and prevent simultaneous magnetoencephalography and MRI acquisitions. In this paper, we describe a method to design self-shielded polarizing coils for ULF MRI. The experimental results show that with a simple self-shielded polarizing coil, the magnetic fields caused by the eddy currents are largely reduced. With the presented shielding technique, ULF-MRI devices can utilize stronger and spatially broader polarizing fields than achievable with unshielded polarizing coils.     

Diagnostic performance of low field MRI in acute knee injuries

The diagnostic performance of low field (0.1 T) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was studied prospectively and double-blindly among 33 patients with acute knee injuries. The subsequent arthroscopy was the golden standard. For lesions of the medial meniscus low field MR had a sensitivity of 88% and a specificity of 80%; for lesions of the lateral meniscus the sensitivity was 25% and the specificity 97%. For anterior cruciate ligament tears, low field MRI had a sensitivity of 83% and a specificity of 85%. The specificity for posterior cruciate ligament tears was 97%. The performance of low field MRI equalled that reported earlier for high field MRI, the only exception being the sensitivity for lateral meniscus lesions.     

Solvent dependence of the molecular structure of hydrogen cyanide determined by NMR of partially oriented molecules

The chemical shifts and the direct and indirect spin–spin coupling constants of HCN have been measured in various liquid crystal solvents. The sign of the indirect coupling constant J(¹⁵NH) is found to be negative. The ¹³C shift anisotropy is 334±20 ppm. The molecular structure apparently varies considerably with the solvent used. These solvent effects, which can be attributed to a correlation between vibration and rotation of the molecule, are corrected.     

Analysis of ALD-processed thin films by ion-beam techniques

This review introduces the possibilities of ion-beam techniques for the analysis of thin films and thin-film structures processed by atomic layer deposition (ALD). The characteristic features of ALD are also presented. The analytical techniques discussed include RBS, NRA and ERDA with its variants, viz. the TOF-ERDA and HI-ERDA. The thin film examples are taken from flat-panel display technology (TFEL structures) and the semiconductor industry (high-k insulators).Dedicated to the memory of Wilhelm Fresenius