Study on the mechanism of the selective activation of solids in a homogeneous and isotropic thermal field

The topic of this work is to suggest an activation mechanism of condensed phase in a homogeneous and isotropic heat field. More specifically, we will approach the problem of how the molecule can become activated in a condensed phase. The bonds in the solid state are assimilated to a system of Morse oscillators. The thermal decomposition starts by breaking of a certain bond of the Morse oscillators. This breaking is due to a selective vibrational energy accumulation from a homogeneous and isotropic heat field. Between the Morse oscillators and oscillators in the heat field it is a non-linear kinetic coupling. A correlation between the isokinetic temperature and the spectroscopic observable wave number of the activated bond is suggested.     

Interactive propagation of photosensitive chemical waves on two circular routes

The propagation of chemical waves in the photosensitive Belousov-Zhabotinsky (BZ) reaction was investigated using an excitable field composed of two rings in slight contact, which were drawn using computer software and then projected on a film soaked with BZ solution using a liquid-crystal projector. When the initial phase difference between the two chemical waves in the individual rings was smaller than a critical value, this initial value was maintained after collision of the chemical waves. However, when the initial phase difference was larger than this critical value, the phase difference converged to the same value after the second collision. The critical value increased with an increase in the thickness of the rings. These experimental results on the geometry of the excitable field are discussed in relation to the nature of chemical wave propagation. These results suggest that the photosensitive BZ reaction may be useful for creating spatiotemporal patterns that depend on the geometric arrangement of excitable fields.     

Spatial desynchronization of glycolytic waves as revealed by Karhunen-Loeve analysis

The dynamics of glycolytic waves in a yeast extract have been investigated in an open spatial reactor. At low protein contents in the extract, we find a transition from inwardly moving target patterns at the beginning of the experiment to outwardly moving spiral- or circular-shaped waves at later stages. These two phases are separated by a transition phase of more complex spatiotemporal dynamics. We have analyzed the pattern dynamics in these three intervals at different spatial scales by means of a Karhunen-Loeve (KL) decomposition. During the initial phase of the experiment, the observed patterns are sufficiently described by the two dominant KL modes independently of the spatial scale. However, during the last stage of the experiment, at least 6 KL modes are needed to account for the observed patterns at spatial scales larger than 3 mm, while for smaller scales, 2 KL modes are still sufficient. This indicates that in the course of the experiment, the local glycolytic oscillators become desynchronized at spatial scales larger than 3 mm. Possible reasons for the desynchronization of the glycolytic waves are discussed.     

Spatiotemporal chaos arising from standing waves in a reaction-diffusion system with cross-diffusion

We show that quasi-standing wave patterns appear in the two-variable Oregonator model of the Belousov-Zhabotinsky reaction when a cross-diffusion term is added, no wave instability is required in this case. These standing waves have a frequency that is half the frequency of bulk oscillations displayed in the absence of diffusive coupling. The standing wave patterns show a dependence on the systems size. Regular standing waves can be observed for small systems, when the system size is an integer multiple of half the wavelength. For intermediate sizes, irregular patterns are observed. For large sizes, the system shows an irregular state of spatiotemporal chaos, where standing waves drift, merge, and split, and also phase slips may occur.     

Synchronization of Coupled Oscillators on a Two‐Dimensional Plane

The effect of the transfer rate of signal molecules on coupled chemical oscillators arranged on a two‐dimensional plane was systematically investigated in this paper. A microreactor equipped with a surface acoustic wave (SAW) mixer was applied to adjust the transfer rate of the signal molecules in the microreactor. The SAW mixer with adjustable input powers provided a simple means to generate different mixing rates in the microreactor. A robust synchronization of the oscillators was found at an input radio frequency power of 20 dBm, with which the chemical waves were initiated at a fixed site of the oscillator system. With increasing input power, the frequency of the chemical waves was increased, which agreed well with the prediction given by the time‐delayed phase oscillator model. Results from the finite element simulation agreed well with the experimental results.     

Texture formation under phase ordering and phase separation in polymer-liquid crystal mixtures

Computational modeling of texture formation in coupled phase separation-phase ordering processes in polymer/liquid crystal mixtures is performed using a unified model based on the nematic tensor order parameter and gradient orientation elasticity. The computational methods are able to resolve defect nucleation, defect-defect interactions, and defect-particle interactions, as well as global and local morphological features in the concentration and order parameter spatiotemporal behavior. Biphasic structures corresponding to polymer dispersed liquid crystals (PDLCs), crystalline filled nematic (CFNs), and random filled nematics (RFNs) are captured and analyzed using liquid crystal defect physics and structure factors. Under spinodal decomposition due to concentration fluctuations, the PDLC structure emerges, and the nucleation and repulsive interaction of defects within nematic droplets leads to bipolar nematic droplets. Under spinodal decomposition due to ordering fluctuations, the CFNs structure emerges, and the stable polymer droplet crystal is pinned by a lattice of topological defects. For intermediate cases, where the mixture is unstable to both concentration and nematic order fluctuations, the RFN structure emerges, and polymer droplets and fibrils are pinned by a defect network, whose density increases with the curvature of the polymer-liquid crystal interface. The simulations provide an information of the role of topological defects on phase separation-phase ordering processes in polymer-liquid crystal mixtures.     

Adiabatic squeezing of molecular wave packets by laser pulses

Strong pulse sequences can be used to control the position and width of the molecular wave packet. In this paper we propose a new scheme to maximally compress the wave packet in a quasistatic way by freezing it at a peculiar adiabatic potential shaped by two laser pulses. The dynamic principles of the scheme and the characteristic effect of the different control parameters are presented and analyzed. We use two different molecular models, electronic potentials modeled by harmonic oscillators, with the same force constants, and the Na(2) dimer, to show the typical yield that can be obtained in compressing the initial (minimum width) molecular wave function.     

Reentrant phase behavior of nanoparticle solutions probed by small-angle scattering

The nanoparticles in solution represent a model system, where the well-established colloidal theories such as the Debye–Hückel theory and/or Derjaguin–Landau–Verwey–Overbeek theory can be implemented to predict the nanoparticle phase behavior. Recently, reentrant phase transitions in a wide range of colloids (e.g., inorganic and organic nanoparticles, polymers, and biomolecules) have been observed, which are not consistent with these theories. The colloids in the reentrant phase behavior undergo a phase change and return back to the original phase with respect to a specific physiochemical parameter (e.g., ionic strength, concentration of different additives, temperature, and so on). The nanoparticle–polymer/multivalent ion systems, demonstrating such phase transition and the corresponding phase behavior in terms of interparticle interactions, have been probed by small-angle scattering. It has been shown how the tuning in interparticle interactions using external parameters can lead to reentrant phase behavior and use the nanoparticle aggregation for building nanohybrids. The deviations of the present observations from those of the standard colloidal theories and the anticipated challenges are also discussed.     

Wave-pinned filaments of scroll waves

Scroll waves are three-dimensional excitation patterns that rotate around one-dimensional space curves. Typically these filaments are closed loops or end at the system boundary. However, in excitable media with anomalous dispersion, filaments can be pinned to the wake of traveling wave pulses. This pinning is studied in experiments with the 1,4-cyclohexanedione Belousov-Zhabotinsky reaction and a three-variable reaction-diffusion model. We show that wave-pinned filaments are related to the coexistence of rotating and translating wave defects in two dimensions. Filament pinning causes a continuous expansion of the total filament length. It can be ended by annihilating the pinning pulse in a frontal wave collision. Following such an annihilation, the filament connects itself to the system boundary. Its postannihilation shape that is initially the exposed rim of the scroll wave unwinds continuously over numerous rotation periods.     

Growth dynamics of isotactic polypropylene single crystals during isothermal crystallization from a miscible polymeric solvent

The present article presents a spatiotemporal growth of isotactic polypropylene (iPP) single crystals, melt crystallized from a polymeric solvent, i.e., poly (ethylene octene) copolymer that is known to be miscible with iPP. Optical and atomic force microscopic investigations reveal that the melt grown single crystals of iPP develop in the form of two parallel rows of crystal lamellae, but these crystals merge at the tips. To elucidate the mechanism of these emerging parallel rows of iPP crystals, a phase field model pertaining to solidification phenomena has been employed that involves a nonconserved crystal order parameter and a chain-tilting angle. This phase field model is based on the free energy of crystallization, having an asymmetric double well, and a tensorial surface free energy of the crystal interface coupled with a curvature elastic free energy that is possessed by the solid-liquid interface. The spatiotemporal simulation of iPP single crystal growth has been carried out on a square lattice based on the finite difference method for spatial steps and an explicit method for temporal steps with a periodic boundary condition. The appearance of the seemingly twin crystal is captured in the simulation, which may be attributed to the sector demarcation that is taking place in the anisotropically growing single crystal of iPP.     

Entrainment in a chemical oscillator chain with a pacemaker

Entrainment by a pacemaker was investigated experimentally and numerically in a chain of chemical oscillators using coupled discrete Belousov-Zhabotinsky reaction oscillators. The spontaneous frequency of each oscillator depended on the concentration of catalyst ions. The coupling strengths among the nearest neighbor oscillators were controlled by changing the spacing distance (d) between beads. When the coupling strength was sufficiently strong, the pacemaker entrained other oscillators in the chain. Subsequently, the trigger waves propagating from a pacemaker were observed. The range of trigger wave propagation area, i.e., the number of entrained oscillators, depended on d. Numerical simulation for the system described the experimental results well. Furthermore, photic noise maximized the strength of entrainment at an optimal noise intensity.     

Effects of anharmonicity on nonadiabatic electron transfer: a model

The effect of anharmonicity in the intramolecular modes of a model system for exothermic intramolecular nonadiabatic electron transfer is probed by examining the dependence of the transition probability on the exoergicity. The Franck-Condon factor for the Morse potential is written in terms of the Gauss hypergeometric function both for a ground initial state and for the general case, and comparisons are made between the first-order perturbation theory results for transition probability for harmonic and Morse oscillators. These results are verified with quantum dynamical simulations using wave-packet propagations on a numerical grid. The transition-probability expression incorporating a high-frequency quantum mode and low-frequency medium mode is compared for Morse and harmonic oscillators in different temperature ranges and with various coarse-graining treatments of the delta function from the Fermi golden rule expression. We find that significant deviations from the harmonic approximation are expected for even moderately anharmonic quantum modes at large values of exoergicity. The addition of a second quantum mode of opposite displacement negates the anharmonic effect at small energy change, but in the inverted regime a significantly flatter dependence on exoergicity is predicted for anharmonic modes.     

2D general nonlinear parabolic equation for unstable wave package envelope in structural macrokinetics

We reduce the mathematical model for a chemical reaction in a moving medium to the general nonlinear parabolic equation (GNPE) for the complex amplitude of envelope wave to analyse weakly nonlinear interactions in supercritical regions. We use the method of many scales, wave packages, modification of Mandelshtam method and take into account the group velocity of envelope wave that is typical for nonlinear dispersive medium. GNPE describes the long-term system behaviour after stability loss and its coefficients are explicitly expressed through parameters of the initial nonlinear partial differential equations. It is taking into account the location of wave packet centre out of harmonics with maximum increment.     

反应诱导相分离过程的超声波在线跟踪

利用高频超声波对多相体系的界面Rayleigh散射作用实现了反应诱导相分离过程的在线跟踪.新技术用来跟踪环氧树脂在聚乙二醇介质中的固化反应,研究体系在不同浓度、不同反应介质、不同固化剂用量以及不同反应温度下的相分离过程.在对旋节线相分离模式深入分析的基础上,提出了双函数模型来描述相分离过程.将超声波散射强度与相分离速率函数以及相离散速率函数相结合,所得到的数学模型合理解释了超声波跟踪数据.跟踪技术发现,反应体系的浓度对相分离的速率和相结构的离散程度有很大影响,高浓度下的固化反应抑制了相分离,使相结构保持高的连续性;在高浓度和PEG2000介质中发现了l(t)滞后现象,证明了旋节线相分离的分离机理;环氧树脂与固化剂重量比为4/1时,相分离达到最佳状态;升高反应温度,固化反应速率提高快于相分离速率的提高,相分离被固化反应所抑制.新的技术将散射强度与微相结构中的离散程度对应起来,从而能实时分析相分离过程中微相结构的变化过程,为相分离的控制提供实验依据.     

2H NMR measurements of the molecular orientational ordering in a reentrant liquid-crystalline mixture

Deuterium NMR measurements of the molecular orientational ordering (nematic order) are reported for a reentrant binary mixture of some alkoxy-eyanobiphenyls (nOCB) to which small amounts of perdeuterated p-xylene have been added. The results indicate that the degree of orientational order is enhanced at the smectic A to reentrant nematic phase transition. This effect is shown to be in agreement with the predictions of a Landau-type theory of the reentrant phase transition where-by this phase transition is explained as the result of a coupling between the smectic and the nematic order parameters.     

Electrochemistry of zeolites on thickness shear mode oscillators

This paper describes electrochemical studies of thickness shear mode (TSM) acoustic wave oscillators coated with zeolites. The frequency response of gold on AT-cut 9 MHz quartz oscillators of silver-ion-exchanged zeolite-modified electrodes (ZMEs) under an electrochemical bias is interpreted. This is achieved using a combination of cyclic voltammetry, double-potential-step chronocoulometry (DPSC), and the frequency and resistance responses of the quartz crystal oscillators. Three ZMEs were investigated including fully exchanged Ag(12)A plus partially exchanged Ag(6.4)A and Ag(3.5)A. In all cases, the frequency response of the quartz crystal nanobalance (QCN) could only be interpreted when motional resistance changes were considered. This determines the importance of energy storage and energy dissipation of the shear wave produced by the oscillator in the zeolite film, which was affected by the deposition of silver at the zeolite-electrode-solution interface. The silver deposit formed via the reduction of silver ions originally within the zeolite phase mechanically couples the zeolite film to the underlying substrate. The resistance changes occurring during redox are thus linked to an inner interfacial slip between the zeolite film and the underlying oscillating surface. The data presented are consistent with an extrazeolite redox mechanism.     

PNIPA和PDEA在水-甲醇混合溶剂中性质的研究

分别研究了聚N-异丙基丙烯酰胺（PNIPA）和聚N,N-二乙基丙烯酰胺（PDEA）在水-甲醇混合溶剂中的溶液性质.结果表明,在PDEA和PNIPA体系中均存在水和甲醇分子之间的复合.由于PDEA比PNIPA的亲脂性强,在水-甲醇混合溶剂中,水与甲醇分子形成的复合物对PDEA和PNIPA的溶剂化作用不同,导致随着体系中甲醇体积分数（φ）的增大,PNIPA体系的低临界溶解温度（TLCS）发生了再进入相转变,而PDEA体系的TLCS则逐渐升高.     

Effect of Surface Impurities on Oscillation in NO+CO/Pt(100) Reaction System

A lattice gas model was proposed to explore the effect of inert surface impurities on the oscillation in the NO+CO reaction system on Pt(100). It was found that when the fraction of the impurities is small, the (1*1) phase resulting from the surface restructuring can form a connected phase and the system exhibits a global sustained oscillation. With the fraction of the impurities increasing, the (1*1) phase only can form many isolated patches and the spatial coherence between the local oscillators with a random phase relationship lost, and as a result, the sustained oscillation changes into a damped one. When the diffusion rate of adsorbed CO and NO increases, the synchronization between local oscillators is enhanced and the global sustained oscillation can appear again.     

X-ray investigation of the nematic and reentrant nematic phases of N-[(4-n-octyloxybenzoyloxy)-salicilidene]-4'-cyanoaniline

We have performed an X-ray scattering study of the nematic-smectic A and reentrant nematic-smectic A phase transitions in N-[(4-n-octyloxybenzoyloxy)-salicilidene]-4'-cyanoaniline (OOBOSCA). A diffractometer with a linear position sensitive detector was used. The results show that the smectic phase in OOBOSCA is of the A_d type with an interlayer spacing incommensurate with the molecular length L; d ∽ 1·2L. In the reentrant nematic phase two types of fluctuation modes were found. One of them corresponds to the monolayer wavevector q₁ ∽ 2π/L, and the other is due to the partial bilayer fluctuations with the wavevector q₂ ∽ 0·8q₁. The temperature dependences of the interlayer spacing, X-ray scattering intensity and longitudinal correlation length for both types of layering in the reentrant nematic phase are presented. The change of the fluctuation regime from S_Ad, to S_Cd type with decreasing temperature in the reentrant nematic phase of OOBOSCA was found. The results are discussed on the basis of models with competing order parameters. The influence of alkyl chain flexibility on the stability of a partial bilayer smectic phase is also considered.