Preface

Optical Review - To increase the recording density of optical discs, analog recording techniques such as the use of orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) method has been investigated....     

Effects of silica nanoparticle addition on polymer semiconductor wettability and carrier mobility in solution‐processable organic transistors on hydrophobic substrates

The effects of the addition of silica nanoparticles (SNPs) on wettability of regioregular poly(3‐hexylthiophene) (P3HT) organic semiconductor solutions on hydrophobic substrates and the carrier mobility in organic field‐effect transistors (OFETs) made of these films are investigated. The dewetting of films made from P3HT solutions on hydrophobic substrates modified with octadecyltrichlorosilane (ODTS) is markedly suppressed after the addition of SNPs with phenyl surfactants. This enables us to fabricate continuous P3HT/SNPs films with high crystallinity by the conventional spin‐coating technique, leading to higher mobility compared with P3HT FETs fabricated on non‐modified substrates. Moreover, the addition of SNPs with larger diameters compensates for the degradation of mobility associated with the increase in the concentration of SNPs. Solution‐processed P3HT/SNPs FETs on ODTS‐modified substrates exhibit a field‐effect mobility of 1.3 × 10^?2 cm² V^?1 s^?1, which is almost comparable to that of P3HT FETs without SNPs (2.1 × 10^?2 cm² V^?1 s^?1). © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part B: Polym. Phys. 2016 , 54, 509–516     

UV–vis and fluorescence detection by receptors based on an isophthalamide bearing a phenylethynyl group

We have successfully prepared 5-(2-phenylethynyl)isophathalilc acid as a signaling unit and the corresponding derivatives for an anion receptor 2 and a barbiturate receptor 4. Receptor 2 showed characteristic UV–vis changes and dramatic fluorescence quenching upon the addition of anions and receptor 4 showed UV–vis and an OFF-ON fluorescence changes upon the addition of dibutylbarbituric acid based on the diphenylethyne moiety.     

Liquid crystalline properties and photochromism of 4-alkyl-N-(4-alkloxysalicylidene)anilines

Eight new homologous series of 4-alkyl-N-(4-alkloxysalicylidene)anilines were synthesized. The phase transitions of these homologues were determined using differential scanning calorimetry and polarizing optical microscopy. The homologues began to exhibit liquid crystalline phases as the terminal alkyl or alkoxyl chains were lengthened. In addition, some members of these homologues series exhibited photochromism in the solid state.     

IR Absorption and Raman spectroscopic study of reentrant-nematic liquid crystalline N-[4-(4-Octyloxy-benzoyloxy) Benzylidene]-4-Cyanoaniline (OBBC)

Abstract

The IR absorption and Raman scattering of OBBC have been investigated in the solid, ReN, SmA and nematic phases. The intensity of the 2229 cm^?1 band assigned to the C[tbnd]N stretching mode decreases with increasing temperature in the reentrant nematic phase; this is attributed to a change in the overlap of the molecules. While the IR bands at 1728 and 841 cm^?1 also show a remarkable temperature dependence, Raman bands do not show significant temperature dependence in the liquid-crystal phases.     

Proposal for generation of high-intensity monochromatic Cherenkov radiation in THz range by femtosecond electron bunches in impurity-doped semiconductor tube

A novel method to generate high-power THz radiation is proposed. If a beam with a bunch length on the order of 100 fs is injected into an electron–hole plasma of a semiconductor with a plasma frequency on the order of THz, THz wake fields are coherently generated. If the beam moves on the axis of a hollow tube covered by a metal, the frequency spectrum of the radiation is composed of discrete components. Monochromatic radiation is obtained by making only the lowest frequency component coherent.     

Electrovectorial Effects of Electrically Polarized Hydroxyapatite on Biological Phenomena

Electrically polarized hydroxyapatite ceramics have chemical, physical, and biological effects upon their surrounding constituents in vivo as well as in vitro as electrets, independent solids irradiating electrostatic force. Using the polarized hydroxyapatite, we have observed that crystal growth from a simulated body fluid can be accelerated or decelerated, and microorganisms can be manipulated on the surfaces of hydroxyapatite, depending upon the electric signs.     

Improved sound absorption performance of three-dimensional MPP space sound absorbers by filling with porous materials

Because microperforated panels (MPPs), which can be made from various materials, provide wide-band sound absorption, they are recognized as one of the next-generation absorption materials. Although MPPs are typically placed in front of rigid walls, MPP space sound absorbers without a backing structure, including three-dimensional cylindrical MPP space absorbers (CMSAs) and rectangular MPP space absorbers (RMSAs), are proposed to extend their design flexibility and easy-to-use properties. On the other hand, improving the absorption performance by filling the back cavity of typical MPP absorbers with porous materials has been shown theoretically, and three-dimensional MPP space absorbers should display similar improvements. Herein the effects of porous materials inserted into the cavities of CMSAs and RMSAs are experimentally investigated and a numerical prediction method using the two-dimensional boundary element method is proposed. Consequently, CMSAs and RMSAs with improved absorption performances are illustrated based on the experimental results, and the applicability of the proposed prediction method as a design tool is confirmed by comparing the experimental and numerical results.     

Antenna Performance of a Directly Dug Corrugated Feedhorn for the 150-GHz Band

We have developed a 150 GHz band corrugated feed horn. These corrugated feed horns have been established by a new machining method, which involves digging corrugations through a metal material. We were able to realize E plane and H plane symmetry, low side lobe level, and low cross-polarization level. Measured co-polarization beam patterns above − 35 dB were consistent with the simulated patterns within a designed frequency range. The peak levels of cross-polarization beam patterns were less than − 30 dB. And, the performances were uniform in several horns. In the present paper, we describe the corrugated horn produced by this methods.