Effects of Adsorbed Polyaniline on Redox Process on MoO3 Surface

The effects exhibited by adsorbed conducting polyaniline on the redox process on a molybdenum oxide surface were studied. Thermogravimetric results indicate a 4% polyaniline deposition. Cyclic voltammograms of the adsorbed polymer on MoO3 show that polyaniline exerts remarkable effects on the molybdenum blue oxidation-reduction process, with oxidation and reduction potentials of 0.33 and 0.18 V, respectively. This effect strongly enhances the electrode response, and can be used as an important tool in qualitative and/or quantitative determinations of molybdenum in solution as well as in any substrate. Copyright 1999 Academic Press.     

奥尔堡PBL模式对提升有机波谱分析教学效果的启示

概述了有机波谱分析课程教学中存在的主要问题，介绍了奥尔堡PBL模式的主要特点和优势，分析了将奥尔堡PBL模式用于有机波谱分析课程教学的必要性和可行性，并从课时分配、教学内容、教学方式和考核方式等4方面提出了教学改革方案，旨在提高教学效果。     

Synthesis of heterocyclic thiosulfonates

[formula: see text] A simple synthesis of heterocyclic thiosulfonates containing indole, indoline, benzoimidazole, and quinoxaline rings is described. The synthesis of these thiosulfonates involves the preparation of the appropriately substituted thiols followed by sulfonylation to give thiosulfonates. The corresponding thiols were prepared in a simple and efficient manner by using a thiocyanation reaction either prior to heterocycle ring formation or after heterocycle ring formation. These thiosulfonates were coupled successfully to the 5,6-dihydropyran-2-one ring to give products that showed excellent HIV protease activity.     

Anomalous electrical transport properties of Ag/Al bilayers grown on Si by molecular beam epitaxy

We have investigated the temperature dependent electrical resistivity, ρ(T), of Ag(100 nm)/Al(10 nm) bilayers grown on Si(111) and quartz substrates using molecular beam epitaxy (MBE). Bilayers grown on Si exhibited an anomalous negative temperature coefficient of resistivity (TCR) in the temperature range of 140-165 K of the ρ(T) plot. However, at temperatures below and above this negative TCR region, ρ(T) exhibited a characteristic positive TCR of metallic alloys. No such resistive anomaly was observed for the bilayers grown on quartz substrates. The observed resistive anomaly could be qualitatively explained by assuming two parallel conduction channels, that is, one at the interface having high Si content and obeying the polaronic behavior at <165 K and another far away from the interface having almost no Si impurity and thus exhibiting pure metallic behavior down to 4 K. In addition, bilayers exhibited a sharp resistive transition at ∼6.5 K, indicating a possibility of a new Ag-Al alloy being a superconducting material.     

Cu1.5[Cr(CN)6]⋅6.5H2O nanoparticles: synthesis, characterization, and magnetic properties

We have synthesized nanoparticles of Cu_1.5[Cr(CN)₆]⋅6.5H₂O of varying size by using poly(vinylpyrrolidone) (PVP) as a protecting polymer. The particle size variation has been achieved by varying the amount of the PVP surfactant with the reactants. The prepared nanoparticles have been investigated by using X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, and direct-current magnetization techniques. The nanoparticles crystallize in a face centred cubic structure (space group: Fm3m). The approximate particle sizes for the three samples are 18, 9, and 5 nm, respectively. Non-PVP nanoparticles (18 nm) show a magnetic ordering temperature of 65 K. A decrease in the magnetic ordering temperature was observed with decreasing particle size. These nanoparticles are magnetically very soft, showing negligibly small values of the coercivity and remanent magnetization. The maximum magnetization and spontaneous magnetization values at 5 K are found to decrease with decreasing particle size. The observed magnetization behaviour of the nanoparticles has been attributed to the increasing surface spin disorder with decreasing particle size.     

DNA-templated assemblies of nickel hexacyanoferrate crystals

We report here the synthesis of nickel hexacyanoferrate (NiHCF) crystals using calf thymus DNA (CT-DNA) as a template. The double-stranded CT-DNA has been used as a template to self-assemble NiHCF crystals and to produce aggregates having different morphologies at different temperatures. The guided self-assembly behavior of DNA was studied at different temperatures by scanning electron microscopy. The cube-shaped crystals of NiHCF with an average diameter of 400 nm are observed along the DNA framework at room temperature; however, at higher temperatures, the morphology of NiHCF changed from open tubular to dendrimer. The intermediate temperatures show long chains (up to many micrometers) and spherical structures of NiHCF crystals. The micrometer long DNA template plays a key role in the formation of extended arrays of NiHCF crystals, suggesting that the templating action is retained even at the higher temperatures.     

Growth of highly oriented crystalline polyaniline films by self-organization

Silicon substrates with (100) orientation were modified with amino-silane self-assembled monolayer (SAM) to provide amino (NH(2)) moieties at the substrate surface. Self-organization of polyaniline during chemical polymerization, on this modified surface, leads to the growth of highly oriented films at the substrate-polymer interface. The morphology studied using scanning electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy revealed the formation of polymer film with well faceted pyramidal crystallites. XPS and FTIR spectroscopy were used to analyze the chemical structure of the film. X-ray diffraction measurements show the crystalline nature of the polyaniline, whose lattice parameters are in agreement with the reported values. This study underlines the importance of a SAM in deciding the structure and morphology of the deposited polymer.     

Design of molecular magnets

The conventional magnetic materials used in present-day technology, such as Fe, Fe₂O₃, Cr₂O₃, SmCo₅, Nd₂Fe₁₄B, etc. are all atom-based, whose synthesis requires high-temperature routes. Employing ambient-temperature synthetic organic chemistry, it has become possible to engineer a bulk molecular material with long-range magnetic order, primarily due to the weak nature of intermolecular interactions in it. Typical synthetic approach to design molecule-based magnets consists of choosing molecular precursors, each bearing an unpaired spin, and assembling them in such a way that there is no compensation of spins at the scale of the crystal lattice. Magnetism being a co-operative effect, the spin-spin interaction must extend to all the three dimensions, either through space or through bonds. Specific occurrence of ‘spin delocalisation’ and ‘spin polarisation’ in molecular lattices is helpful in bringing about ferromagnetic interaction by facilitating necessary intermolecular exchange interactions. Since the first successful synthesis of molecular magnets in 1986, a large variety of them have been synthesized, which can be classified on the basis of the chemical nature of the magnetic units involved: organic systems, metal-based systems, hetero-bimetallic assemblies, or mixed organic-inorganic systems. The design of molecular magnets has also opened the doors for the unique possibility of designing polyfunctional molecular materials, such as magnets exhibiting second-order optical nonlinearity, liquid crystalline magnets, or chiral magnets. Solubility of molecular magnets, their low density and biocompatibility are attractive features. Being weakly colored, unlike the opaque classic magnets, possibilities of photomagnetic switching can be envisaged. Persistent efforts continue to design the ever-elusive polymer magnets for applications in industry. While providing a brief overview of the field of molecular magnetism, we highlight some recent developments, with emphasis on a few studies from the author's own lab.     

A Continuous-Wave Ho：YA103 Laser with Output 8.5 W Pumped by a 1.91μm Laser at Room Temperature

A cw high efficient Ho：YAI03 laser pumped by 1.91 μm diode-pumped Tm：YLF laser at room temperature is realized. The maximum output power reaches 8.5 W when the incident pump power is 15.6 W. The slope efficiency is 63.7%, and the Tm：YLF to Ho：YAP optical conversion efficiency is 54.5%. The laser wavelength is 2118.3nm when the transmission of output coupler is 30%. The beam quality factor is M2 -1.39 measured by the traveling knife-edge method.