水泥老化过程中水动态的准弹性中子散射(QENS)谱分析

准弹性中子散射(quasi-elastic neutron scattering, QENS)实验是研究水泥老化过程中水动态的一种新颖的实验方法.本文利用老化时间分别为7, 14和30 d水泥样品的QENS谱实验数据, 通过应用四个高斯项的和的能量分辨函数R(Q, E)代替一个高斯项的能量分辨函数来改进经验扩散模型(empirical diffusion model, EDM), 再进行非线性最小二乘拟合.由此导出水泥样品中水动态的相关物理参数: 不动水数密度A, 自由水指数FWI=B₁/(A+B₁+B₂), 洛伦兹函数的半高宽Γ, 移动水跳跃之间的平均停留时间τ ₀及自扩散系数D_t, 而且可得出更为精准的QENS谱拟合曲线.拟合得到的物理参数可定量描述水泥老化过程中水动态过程, 从而为QENS实验在水泥老化过程中水动态研究的应用提供一种合理实用的谱分析方法.     

基于准弹性中子散射谱分析水化硅酸钙(C-S-H)中受限水的动态

研究水化硅酸钙(C-S-H)中受限水动态的一种重要手段是准弹性中子散射(quasi-elastic neutron scattering, QENS)实验. C-S-H样品的QENS谱数据可通过跳跃扩散和转动扩散模型进行分析拟合, 进而导出C-S-H样品微纳孔中水动态的相关物理参数: 不动水指数C、转动扩散系数D_r、均方位移< u² >、自扩散系数D_t及平均停留时间τ₀. 本文对水与水泥质量比为30%的C-S-H样品, 测量温度为230-280 K的QENS谱进行了分析, 得到的拟合参数可定量描述C-S-H样品内不同尺度的微纳孔中受限水随温度变化的动态过程. 转动扩散系数D_r随散射矢量Q的变化可知, Q值较大时, 水分子的转动对QENS谱影响较大. 均方位移 < u² > 随Q值的不同而变化, 其拟合值可区分C-S-H样品中的不动水、强受限水和受限水. 在Q较小时, D_t 和τ₀ 的拟合值随温度而变化, 并分别在230和240 K突然增大, 由此揭示温度为230-240 K 时, C-S-H 样品中受限水分子的动态特性发生了转变.     

Quasi-elastic neutron scattering study of dynamics in condensed matter

Quasi-elastic neutron scattering (QENS) technique, known to study stochastic motions has been successfully used to elucidate the molecular motions and physical properties related to them, in a variety of systems. QENS is a unique technique that provides information on the time-scale of the motion as well as the geometry of the motions. In this paper, results of some of the systems studied using the facility available at Dhruva, Trombay and other mega-facilities are discussed. Emphasis is given on the results obtained from three different systems studied using QENS, namely, (1) alkyl chain motions in monolayer protected metal clusters, (2) molecular motions of propane in Na-Y zeolitic systems and (3) the study of reorientational motions of liquid crystal innO.m series in different mesophases.     

Dynamical properties of water in living cells

With the aim of studying the effect of water dynamics on the properties of biological systems, in this paper, we present a quasi-elastic neutron scattering study on three different types of living cells, differing both in their morphological and tumor properties. The measured scattering signal, which essentially originates from hydrogen atoms present in the investigated systems, has been analyzed using a global fitting strategy using an optimized theoretical model that considers various classes of hydrogen atoms and allows disentangling diffusive and rotational motions. The approach has been carefully validated by checking the reliability of the calculation of parameters and their 99% confidence intervals. We demonstrate that quasi-elastic neutron scattering is a suitable experimental technique to characterize the dynamics of intracellular water in the angstrom/picosecond space/time scale and to investigate the effect of water dynamics on cellular biodiversity.     

不同水温下的中子输运等效质量热运动模型

为了解决蒙特卡罗模拟S(, )模型只能求解特定温度条件下中子输运问题的局限性,建立了中子在不同温度液态水中输运的等效质量热运动模型。在分析自由气体热运动模型的基础上,采用不同的等效质量对中子与水中氢原子的弹性散射模拟过程进行改进,对中子穿过水层后的流量进行模拟计算,通过与S(, )模型的计算结果的比较,得到了5个不同的温度点水中氢原子的最佳等效质量。根据5个不同温度点的数据拟合给出了最佳等效质量和温度的函数关系。采用该模型计算得到的中子在不同温度条件下水中输运参数与S(, )模型相符。等效质量热运动模型突破了S(, )模型只能计算有限温度点的局限性,能有效处理300～800 K任意温度水中的中子输运问题。     

Phonon density of states of tetracyanoethylene from coherent inelastic neutron scattering at Dhruva reactor

Inelastic neutron scattering experiments to determine phonon density of states of coherent scattering samples of polycrystalline complex solids are generally intensity-limited and therefore are feasible only at high flux facilities. Phonon density of states of the monoclinic phase of tetracyanoethylene at 300 K, obtained using the medium resolution triple axis spectrometer at the new Indian medium flux reactor Dhruva are reported here. The raw data is converted to the “neutron weighted” phonon density of states by applying suitable corrections. Comparison made with results from a theoretical calculation based on a semirigid molecule model of lattice dynamics is fair. Results from Dhruva are also consistent with that obtained (to be published) at the high flux pulsed neutron source (ISIS) of the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory in United Kingdom.     

Dynamic anisotropy and heterogeneity of polystyrene thin films as studied by inelastic neutron scattering

We studied the dynamic anisotropy and heterogeniety of polystyrene thin films in glassy state with inelastic neutorn scattering. Adjusting the scattering vector to the directions parallel and perpendicular to the film surface, we observed the elastic scattering intensities as a function of temperature. It was found for the 200 A film that the elastic intesity decreased with increasing temperature more rapidly in the perpendicular direction than in the pararell direction, showing the higher mobility in the perpendicular direction. However, such dynamical anisotropy was not observed in the 1000 A film. The decrease in the mobility was observed with the film thickness in both the directions. These results were explained in terms of an interface hard layer. We also evelauated the dynamical heterogeniety from the non-Gaussian parameter A0, which increased with decreasing the film thickness, showing the increase in the dynamical heterogeneity. Assuming a simple bi-layer model consisting of the interface hard layer and the bulk-like layer, we analyzed the thickness dependence of the non-Gaussian parameter A0 and the mean square displacement (u2) to find that the hard layer has a thickness of approximately 130 A and a mean square displacement of approximately 0.018 A2 at 230 K.     

Small angle neutron scattering study of two nonionic surfactants in water micellar solutions

Two classic nonionic surfactants — C₁₄E₇ (heptaethylene glycol monotetradecyl ether) and C₁₀E₇ (heptaethylene glycol monodecyl ether) were investigated in heavy water solution for concentration c = 0.17% (dilute regime) at different temperatures in the range t = 10–35°C by small angle neutron scattering (SANS) method. In the case of C₁₄E₇ surfactant — for all temperatures at c = 0.17% there are two axial ellipsoidal micelles with longer axis 15 nm at 10°C and 49.5 nm at 35°C in investigated solutions. For C₁₀E₇ surfactant at the same concentration of solution and temperature — two axial ellipsoidal micelles were observed, too. The longer axis is equal to 7.5 nm at 10°C, 9 nm at 20°C and at 35°C this axis is equal to 12 nm. Micelles of C₁₀E₇ nonionic surfactant are smaller than those of C₁₄E₇ surfactant in the same experimental conditions.      

变温条件下受激布里渊散射增益系数的实验测量

从理论及实验上分析了介质温度对受激布里渊散射(stimulated Brillouin scattering, SBS)阈值及增益系数的影响.在理论分析的基础上, 提出了一种通过测量SBS阈值来决定介质SBS增益系数的新方法. 实验及测量结果表明, SBS增益系数会随着介质温度的增加而呈现指数上升的趋势. 关键词： 受激布里渊散射 阈值 增益系数     

Structure of water in mesoporous organosilica by calorimetry and inelastic neutron scattering

In this paper, we describe the preparation of mesoporous organosilica samples with hydrophilic or hydrophobic organic functionality inside the silica channel. We synthesized mesoporous organosilica of identical pore sizes based on two different organic surface functionality namely hydrophobic (based on octyltriethoxysilane OTES) and hydrophilic (3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane ATES) and MCM-41 was used as a reference system. The structure of water/ice in those porous silica samples have been investigated over a range temperatures by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and inelastic neutron scattering (INS). INS study revealed that water confined in hydrophobic mesoporous organosilica shows vibrational behavior strongly different than bulk water. It consists of two states: water with strong and weak hydrogen bonds (with ratio 1:2.65, respectively), compared to ice-Ih. The corresponding O-O distances in these water states are 2.67 and 2.87 ?, which strongly differ compared to ice-Ih (2.76 ?). INS spectra for water in hydrophilic mesoporous organosilica ATES show behavior similar to bulk water, but with greater degree of disorder.     

Comment to “Dynamics of supercooled confined water measured by deep inelastic neutron scattering”

We comment on the findings of “Dynamics of supercooled confined water measured by deep inelastic neutron scattering”, by V. De Michele, G. Romanelli, and A. Cupane [Front. Phys. 13, 138205 (2018)]. We show that the current sensitivity of the deep inelastic neutron scattering (DINS) method, cannot detect with confidence small differences in the proton kinetic energy, Ke(H), involved in a liquid-liquid transition in supercooled water confined in nanoporous silica. We also critisize the calculation of Ke(H) carried out in Front. Phys. 13, 138205 (2018).     

Reply to “Comment to ‘Dynamics of supercooled confined water measured by deep inelastic neutron scattering’ by Y. Finkelstein and R. Moreh”

We reply to the comment [Front. Phys. 14(5), 53605 (2019)] by Y. Finkelstein and R. Moreh on our article Front. Phys. 13(1), 138205 (2018). We agree with some of their criticisms about our calculation of the temperature effect on the kinetic energy of hydrogen atoms of supercooled confined water; we also agree with their statement that, in view of the current sensitivity of the technique, possible effects of the liquid–liquid water transition are hardly detected with deep inelastic neutron scattering (DINS). However, we disagree with their use of the translational mass ratio of a single water molecule and, in general, with their underestimation of collective effects.