Conformational analysis of dipeptide‐derived polyisocyanides

The conformational properties of polymers derived from isocyanodipeptides have been investigated with a combination of model calculations, X‐ray diffraction, and circular dichroism spectroscopy. Depending on the configuration of the side chains, defined arrays of hydrogen bonds along the polymeric backbone are formed. This leads to a well‐defined conformation as, for example, expressed in the formation of lyotropic liquid‐crystalline phases and increased helical stability. Upon the disruption of the hydrogen bonds by a strong acid, a less well‐defined macromolecular conformation is observed. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 41: 1725–1736, 2003     

Continuity of the Restriction of C 0-Semigroups to Invariant Banach Subspaces

A linear semigroup in a Banach space induces a linear semigroup on a Banach space that can be continuously embedded in the former such that its image is invariant. This restriction need not be strongly continuous, although the original semigroup is strongly continuous. We show that norm or weak compactness of partial orbits is a necessary and sufficient condition for strong continuity of the restriction of a C₀-semigroup. We then show that if the embedded Banach space is reflexive and the norms of the restricted semigroup operators are bounded near the initial time, then the restricted semigroup is strongly continuous.     

Large effect of polydispersity on defect concentrations in colloidal crystals

We compute the equilibrium concentration of stacking faults and point defects in polydisperse hard-sphere crystals. We find that, while the concentration of stacking faults remains similar to that of monodisperse hard-sphere crystals, the concentration of vacancies decreases by about a factor of 2. Most strikingly, the concentration of interstitials in the maximally polydisperse crystal may be some six orders of magnitude larger than in a monodisperse crystal. We show that this dramatic increase in interstitial concentration is due to the increased probability of finding small particles and that the small-particle tail of the particle size distribution is crucial for the interstitial concentration in a colloidal crystal.