Approximation for portfolio optimization in a financial market with shot-noise jumps

Computational Management Science - For an investor in a continuous-time financial market the portfolio optimization problem of maximizing expected utility of terminal wealth is considered. Stock...     

Assembly of poly(N-isopropylacrylamide)-co-acrylic acid microgel thin films on polyelectrolyte multilayers: Effects of polyelectrolyte layer thickness, surface charge, and microgel solution pH

Temperature- and pH-sensitive poly(N-isopropylacrylamide)?Cco-acrylic acid (pNIPAm-co-AAc) microgels were deposited on glass substrates coated with polyelectrolyte multilayers composed of the polycation poly(allylamine hydrochloride) (PAH) and the polyanion poly(sodium 4-styrenesulfonate) (PSS). The microgel density and structure of the resultant films were investigated as a function of: (1) the number of PAH/PSS layers (layer thickness); (2) the charge on the outer layer of the polyelectrolyte multilayer film; and (3) the pH of microgel deposition solution. The resultant films were studied by differential interference contrast optical microscopy, atomic force microscopy, and scanning electron microscopy. It was found that the coverage of the microgels on the surface was a complex function of the pH of the deposition solution, the charge on the outer layer of the polyelectrolyte thin film and the PAH/PSS layer thickness; although it appears that microgel charge plays the biggest role in determining the resultant surface coverage.     

Spin fluctuations in hydrogen-stabilized Laves phase UTi2H5

Uranium Laves phase UTi₂ does not exist in a pure form, but can be stabilised by the presence of hydrogen, which can be absorbed in concentration exceeding 5?H atoms/f.u. Low temperature specific heat, magnetic susceptibility, and resistivity indicate that UTi₂H₅ is a spin fluctuator close to the verge of magnetic ordering. Its susceptibility follows at high temperatures the Curie–Weiss law with U effective moment µ_eff[ ?= 3.1?µ_B/U and paramagnetic Curie temperature Θ_p = ?200 K. The temperature dependence of specific heat exhibits a pronounced and weakly field dependent upturn in C_p/T versus T below 10 K reflecting the effect of spin fluctuations. It can be described by an additional T^½ term. The Sommerfeld coefficient γ = 256?mJ/mol K² classifies the compound as a mid-weight heavy fermion. Spin fluctuations are affecting also electrical and thermal transport and thermoelectric power, which all resemble UAl₂. A lattice anomaly at ≈ 240?K, attributed to the melting of hydrogen sublattice, reflects in most of bulk properties.     

High-Throughput Robotic Synthesis and Photoluminescence Characterization of Aqueous Multinary Copper–Silver Indium Chalcogenide Quantum Dots

The feasibility of a high-throughput robot-assisted synthesis of complex Cu_1-xAg_xInS_ySe_1-x (CAISSe) quantum dots (QDs) by spontaneous alloying of aqueous glutathione-capped Ag–In–S, Cu–In–S, Ag–In–Se, and Cu–In–Se QDs is demonstrated. Both colloidal and thin-film core CAISSe and core/shell CAISSe/ZnS QDs are produced and studied by high-throughput semiautomated photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy. The silver-copper-mixed QDs reveal clear evidence of a band bowing effect in the PL spectra and higher average PL lifetimes compared to the counterparts containing silver or copper only. The photophysical analysis of CAISSe and CAISSe/ZnS QDs indicates a composition-dependent character of the nonradiative recombination in QDs. The rate of this process is found to be lower for mixed copper-silver-based QDs compared to Cu- or Ag-only QDs. The combination of the band bowing effect and the suppressed nonradiative recombination of CAISSe QDs is beneficial for their applications in photovoltaics and photochemistry. The synergy of high-throughput robotic synthesis and a high-throughput characterization in this study is expected to grow into a self-learning synthetic platform for the production of metal chalcogenide QDs for light-harvesting, light-sensing, and light-emitting applications.     

Methyl branching in polyethylene from homopolymerization of ethylene with N‐arylcyano‐β‐diketiminate methallyl nickel‐B(C6F5)3

N‐Arylcyano‐β‐diketiminate methallyl nickel complexes activated with B(C₆F₅)₃ were used in the polymerization of ethylene. The microstructure analysis of obtained polyethylene (PE) was done by differential scanning calorimetry and ¹³C nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR). The branched polymer structures produced by these catalysts were attributed to one step isomerization mechanism of the catalyst along the polymer chain. The ortho or para position of the cyano group with co‐ordinated B(C₆F₅)₃ in both methallyl nickel catalysts influenced the polymer molecular weight, branching, and consequently melting and crystallization temperatures. NMR spectroscopic studies showed predominantly the formation of methyl branches in the obtained PE. Catalysts under study gave linear low‐density PEs with good crystallinities at temperatures of reaction between 50 °C and 70 °C at moderate pressures (12.3 atm). A propylene–ethylene copolymer produced by the metallocene catalyst had the same concentration of branches as the PE synthesized from methallyl nickel/B(C₆F₅)₃. Comparing the two polyolefins with the same degree of branching, it was observed that the polymer obtained with the nickel catalyst proved to be twice more crystalline and had greater T_m. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2015 , 53, 452–458     

Synthesis,Modification, and Anticonvulsant Activity of 3′‐R1‐Spiro[indoline‐3,6′‐[1,2,4]triazino[2,3‐c]quinazolin]‐2,2′(7′H)‐diones Derivatives

Previously unknown 3′‐R¹‐5‐R²‐spiro[indoline‐3,6′‐[1,2,4]triazino[2,3‐c]quinazoline]‐2,2′‐(7′H)‐diones and their N‐substituted analogues were obtained via reaction of 6‐R¹‐3‐(2‐aminophenyl)‐1,2,4‐triazin‐5‐ones with isatin and its substituted derivatives. It was shown that alkylation of 3′‐R¹‐5‐R²‐spiro[indoline‐3,6′‐[1,2,4]triazino[2,3‐c]quinazolin]‐2,2′‐(7′H)‐diones by N‐R³‐chloroacetamides or chloroacetonitrile in the presence of а base proceeds by N‐1 atom of isatin fragment. The spectral properties (¹H and ¹³C NMR spectra) of synthesized compounds were studied, and features of spectral patterns were discussed. The high‐effective anticonvulsant and radical scavenging agents among 3′‐R¹‐5‐R²‐spiro[indoline‐3,6′‐[1,2,4]triazino[2,3‐c]quinazolin]‐2,2′(7′H)‐diones and their N‐substituted derivatives were detected. It was shown that compounds 2.2 , 2.8 , and 3.1 exceed or compete the activity of the most widely used in modern neurology drug—lamotrigine on the pentylenetetrazole‐induced seizures model. The aforementioned fact may be considered as a reason for further profound study of synthesized compounds using other pathology models.     

Lipase-Catalyzed Production of Sorbitol Laurate in a “2-in-1” Deep Eutectic System: Factors Affecting the Synthesis and Scalability

Surfactants, such as glycolipids, are specialty compounds that can be encountered daily in cleaning agents, pharmaceuticals or even in food. Due to their wide range of applications and, more notably, their presence in hygiene products, the demand is continuously increasing worldwide. The established chemical synthesis of glycolipids presents several disadvantages, such as lack of specificity and selectivity. Moreover, the solubility of polyols, such as sugars or sugar alcohols, in organic solvents is rather low. The enzymatic synthesis of these compounds is, however, possible in nearly water-free media using inexpensive and renewable building blocks. Using lipases, ester formation can be achieved under mild conditions. We propose, herein, a “2-in-1” system that overcomes solubility problems, as a Deep Eutectic System (DES) made of sorbitol and choline chloride replaces either a purely organic or aqueous medium. For the first time, 16 commercially available lipase formulations were compared, and the factors affecting the conversion were investigated to optimize this process, owing to a newly developed High-Performance Liquid Chromatography-Evaporative Light Scattering Detector (HPLC-ELSD) method for quantification. Thus, using 50 g/L of lipase formulation Novozym 435^® at 50 °C, the optimized synthesis of sorbitol laurate (SL) allowed to achieve 28% molar conversion of 0.5 M of vinyl laurate to its sugar alcohol monoester when the DES contained 5 wt.% water. After 48h, the de novo synthesized glycolipid was separated from the media by liquid–liquid extraction, purified by flash-chromatography and characterized thoroughly by one- and two-dimensional Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) experiments combined to Mass Spectrometry (MS). In completion, we provide initial proof of scalability for this process. Using a 2.5 L stirred tank reactor (STR) allowed a batch production reaching 25 g/L in a highly viscous two-phase system.     

Building Blocks of Hybrid Perovskites: A Photoluminescence Study of Lead-Iodide Solution Species

In this work, we present a detailed investigation of the optical properties of hybrid perovskite building blocks, [PbI_2+n]ⁿ⁻, that form in solutions of CH₃NH₃PbI₃ and PbI₂. The absorbance, photoluminescence (PL) and photoluminescence excitation (PLE) spectra of CH₃NH₃PbI₃ and PbI₂ solutions were measured in various solvents and a broad concentration range. Both CH₃NH₃PbI₃ and PbI₂ solutions exhibit absorption features attributed to [PbI₃]¹⁻ and [PbI₄]²⁻ complexes. Therefore, we propose a new mechanism for the formation of polymeric polyiodide plumbates in solutions of pristine PbI₂. For the first time, we show that the [PbI_2+n]ⁿ⁻ species in both solutions of CH₃NH₃PbI₃ and PbI₂ exhibit a photoluminescence peak at about 760 nm. Our findings prove that the spectroscopic properties of both CH₃NH₃PbI₃ and PbI₂ solutions are dominated by coordination complexes between Pb²⁺ and I⁻. Finally, the impact of these complexes on the properties of solid-state perovskite semiconductors is discussed in terms of defect formation and defect tolerance.