Effect of intramolecular crosslinker properties on the mechanochemical fragmentation of covalently folded polymers

The mechanochemical stability of polymers in solution is enhanced if the chains are covalently folded. Under shear forces, the additional bonds absorb mechanical energy and inhibit unfolding, and as a result, slow down fragmentation. However, not all crosslinkers are equal in terms of their properties (length, strength, etc.). In order to understand the role of these added bonds in the polymers' stability under mechanical stress, a thorough study compares the rate of mechanochemistry on single-chain polymer nanoparticles which have been folded with crosslinkers with different lengths, strengths, positioning, and valencies. The usage of bonds with different mechanical strengths in the crosslinkers was found to be the most powerful way to change the mechanochemical fragmentation rate. In addition, positioning and valency also play significant role in the mechanical stabilization mechanism. © 2020 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2020 © 2020 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2020 , 58, 692–703     

Mass spectrometric analysis of arsenic trisulfide

Mass spectrometric analysis of arsenic trisulfide, thermally vaporized from amouphous bulk and thin films, is reported. The results suggest that arsenic trisulfide evaporates as As₄S₆ molecules, although its molecular ion is absent from the mass spectrum because of fragmentation after ionization. Analysis of vaporization from oxidized specimens is also presented which supports a proposed mechanism for light-enhanced vaporization of As₂S₃.     

A Model for Inactivation of Microbes Suspended in the Atmosphere by Solar Ultraviolet Radiation

Solar ultraviolet (UV) light within 280–320 nm (UVB) is the primary cause for virus inactivation in the atmosphere. Only the effect of the direct component has been previously evaluated. We developed a simple regression model to estimate the inactivation of a virus due to direct (unscattered), diffuse (scattered) and total (direct + diffuse) components of solar UV (daily integrated irradiances). The model predicts the maximum number of radiation-days a virus will survive at a given altitude above the ground in rural and urban environments under clear skies. We explored the effect of several environmental variables: visibility, altitude and ground reflectivity. We found that the effect of diffuse radiation on virus inactivation was larger than the direct component. The diffuse irradiance increased with ground albedo (mainly due to reflection of the direct attenuated solar off the ground) and decreased with increased visibility (proportional to aerosol loading in the atmosphere). The diffuse component increased with altitude, but the ratio of diffuse to the total decreased with increased altitude, highlighting the importance of the diffuse component of UV near the ground. Our model may help public health studies in predicting and understanding the effect of environmental parameters on the survival of germs.     

Spin-orbit scattering in the quantum Hall effect

We study dynamics of electrons in a magnetic field using a network model with two channels per link with random mixing, while the intrachannel potential is periodic (non-random); the channels represent two spin states. We consider channel mixing as function of the energy separation of the two extended states, and show that the phase diagram is different from the standard quantum Hall diagram for random intrachannel potential.     

Studies in mass spectrometry—XV: Retro-diels-alder fragmentation and double hydrogen migration in some polycyclic diketones

In contrast to adducts I of bi-1-cycloalken-1-yls and p-benzoquinone, their reduction products II do not exhibit a double hydrogen migration from δ positions accompanying a ‘retro-Diels-Alder’ type fragmentation. An ordinary retro-Diels-Alder fragmentation was found to take place, with charge retention in the diene portion of the molecule. A double hydrogen migration has been detected in II leading to m/e 112 ion c₂, which differed, however, from that in I in charge retention and in the origin of the migrating hydrogen atoms. Adducts III of di-1-cycloalken-1-yls and naphthoquinone behave similarly to II. They exhibit relatively low abundance ions a, however, due to a double hydrogen migration from δ positions, similarly to I. The origin of the migrating hydrogen atoms have been determined by deuterium labelling. Mechanistic suggestions are presented to explain the observed facts.     

Stereospecific elimination of acetic acid in 3- and 4-arylcyclohexyl acetates under electron impact

The elimination of CH₃COOH from the molecular ions of trans-3- and 4-arylcyclohexyl acetates takes place to a greater extent than in the cis isomers. Deuterium labelling shows that the elimination involves mainly the benzylic hydrogen in the trans-acetates, but not in the cis isomers. This behaviour is similar qualitatively to that of the corresponding alcohols and methyl ethers, but entirely different from that of t-butylcyclohexyl acetates, which do not exhibit any stereospecificity. Substituent effects on the elimination for both cis and trans isomers are discussed.     

Stereoselective H2O eliminations in 3- and 4-arcylcyclohexanols under electron impact

The elimination of H20 from the molecular ions of trans-4- and trans-3-arylcyclohexanois takes place to a greater extent than in the corresponding cis isomers. The remarkable differences in abundance taken together with substituent effects and the results of deuterium labelling, show that configuration is retained in the molecular ions which undergo the elimination, and that this process is a cis-1,4 and cis-1,3 elimination in the trans-4- and trans-3- arylcyclohexanois, respectively. Possible mechanisms for the elimination in the cis isomers are discussed.     

Subcoulomb fusion

The effective barrier at low energies is approximated by a Coulomb and parabolic parts. A closed formula is obtained for the total reaction cross-section at sub-Coulomb energies which agree fairly well with various experimental results. The extrapolation of the results to zero energy leads to a new relation between nucleus-nucleus interaction parameters.     

Quantization of persistent currents in quantum dot at strong magnetic fields

We investigate equilibrium electron currents and magnetization in an ideal two-dimensional disc of radius R placed in a strong magnetic field H. The most striking results emerge when the conditions for the existence of edge and bulk states are met, namely . When the Fermi energy is locked on a Landau level, the current as a function of electron density is quantized in units of , where ω_c is the cyclotron frequency. We argue that this effect survives against weak disorder. It is also shown that the persistent current has an approximately periodic dependence on 1/H.