A comparison of CeS and CeAl2

The compression curve (to 200 kbars) and the ambient resistivity versus temperature (1.5K <T < 300K) of CeS have been measured. The results are compared to the analogous experiments on the compound CeAl₂. A high pressure valence instability and ambient pressure crystalline electric field, spin fluctuation and magnetic order effects are found to be common to both compounds.     

High pressure synthesis of the mixed valent and nonsuperconducting ternary YbRhxSny compound

The ternary compound YbRh_1.4Sn_4.6 with the phase I structure (simple cubic) when subjected to a pressure of 40 kbar at 800°C is found to transform to phase III structure (f.c.c.) with the composition YbRh_1.1Sn₃. The latter compound has a lattice parameter of $\text{a = 13.735}\text{A}\text{?}$ which suggests that the Yb is in an intermediate valence state. The temperature dependence of magnetic susceptibility suggests that the Yb is in a homogeneously mixed valence state in the pressure synthesized product. In the phase I structure YbRh_1.1Sn_4.6 is superconducting at 8.6°K, but in the phase III structure the compound YbRh_1.1Sn₃ is not superconducting down to 0.9°K. It is suggested that superconductivity and mixed valence are incompatible.     

Γ andX bandgap hydrostatic deformation potentials for epitaxial In0.52Al0.48As on InP(001)

The pressure dependence of the direct and indirect bandgap of epitaxial In_0.52Al_0.48As on InP(001) substrate has been measured using photoluminescence up to 92 kbar hydrostatic pressure. The bandgap changes from Γ toX at an applied pressure of ∼ 43 kbar. Hydrostatic deformation potentials for both the Γ andX bandgaps are deduced, after correcting for the elastic constant (bulk modulus) mismatch between the epilayer and the substrate. For the epilayer we obtain and+(2.81±0.15)eV for the Γ andX bandgaps respectively. From the pressure dependence of the normalized Γ-bandgap photoluminescence intensity a Γ-X lifetime ratio, (τ_Γ/τ _X ), of 4.1×10⁻³ is deduced.     

Optical microscopic,X-ray diffraction,and electrical resistance studies of CuCl at high pressure

Electrical resistance and X-ray diffraction measurements and also optical observations under a polarizing microscope were made on CuCl to pressures in excess of 12.5 GPa at room temperature using a diamond anvil cell. Resistance measurements were also performed in a piston-cylinder apparatus to pressures of approximately 5.5 GPa at room temperature. Three samples of CuCl prepared by different methods were examined. No anomalous pressure dependence in electrical resistance was found in the pressure range studied, and no dramatic changes in optical transmission were observed up to pressures of approximately 10.0 GPa. Optical observations and X-ray diffraction measurements indicate the existence of four phases in the pressure range studied, including a nonconducting black opaque phase which grows with time when CuCl is left for several days at the highest pressures.     

Nondoped blue fluorescent OLED based on cyanophenanthrimidazole‐styryl‐triphenylamine/carbazole materials

New 2‐(4′‐9H‐carbazole‐9‐yl)‐styryl‐1H‐phenathro[9,10‐d]imidazole‐1‐yl)benzonitrile (SPICN‐Cz) and 4‐(2‐(4‐(diphenylamino)phenyl‐styryl‐1H‐phenathro[9,10‐d]imidazole‐1‐yl)benzonitrile (SPICN‐TPA) have been synthesised, and their photophysical, electrochemical, and electroluminescent properties were analysed in comparison with their cyano‐free parent compounds, SPI‐Cz, and SPI‐TPA. Solvatochromic effects show the transformation of an excited state character from locally excited (LE) state to charge transfer (CT) state. Using time‐dependent density functional theory calculation, the excited state properties of these donor‐acceptor blue emissive materials have been analysed. Their excited state properties have been tuned by replacing the strong donor triphenylamine to weak donor carbazole to achieve the combination of high photoluminance efficiency locally excited (LE) component and high exciton‐utilizing CT component in one excited state. Hybridization processes between LE and CT components of SPICN‐Cz and SPICN‐TPA in the emissive state have been discussed. The nondoped organic light emitting diode device based on SPICN‐Cz exhibit better electroluminescent performances than those of SPICN‐TPA–based device: high external quantum efficiency of 2.58 %, current efficiency of 2.90 cd A^‐1, and power efficiency of 2.26 lm W^‐1 with Commission Internationale de l'Éclairage (CIE) coordinates of (0.15, 0.12). The excited state modulation and the composition of LE and CT states in the donor‐acceptor system could be useful to design low‐cost, high‐efficiency fluorescent organic light emitting diode materials.     

Pressure and volume dependence of thelo-to phonons in InAs

The pressure dependence of thelo-to phonons in InAs has been investigated by Raman scattering using the diamond anvil cell. Indium arsenide transforms, presumably to the rock-salt structure at 70±1 kbar. The mode Grüneisen parameters for thelo-to phonons are γ _lo =0.99±0.03, γ _to =1.2±0.03 respectively. The effective charge,e* _T , for InAs decreases slightly with pressure and this trend is in accordance with the behaviour of other III–V zinc blende structured semiconductors: The structural phase transition is discussed in the light of theoretical calculations for phase stability of III–V compounds, as well as recent high pressure x-ray diffraction studies.     

Fragmentation of chitosan by ultrasonic irradiation

Kinetics of chitosan fragmentation by ultrasonic irradiation at frequency of 20 kHz, and the effects of experimental variables (power of ultrasound, chitosan concentration and solution temperature) on fragmentation were investigated. The kinetics studies were followed by measuring solution viscosity of the original and its fragments, and determining average number of chain scission of the fragments. The effects of ultrasonic power, chitosan concentration and solution temperature on fragmentation process were followed by viscometry and size exclusion chromatography. The chemical structure of the original chitosan and its fragments were examined by (1)H NMR spectroscopy and elemental analysis. The experimental results showed that the rate of fragmentation increased with an increase in power of ultrasound. Chain scission increased with an increase in power of ultrasound; and solution temperature, but a decrease in chitosan concentration. The chemical structure and polydispersity of the original and the fragments were nearly identical. A model based on experimental data to describe the relationship between chain scission and experimental variables (power of ultrasound; irradiation time; reduced concentration, c[eta]; and solution temperature) was proposed. It was concluded that ultrasonic irradiation is a suitable method to perform partial depolymerization and to obtain moderate macromolecules from large ones.     

Validity of the equivalent-photon approximation for the production of massive spin-1 particles

We point out that the equivalent-photon approximation (EPA) for processes with massive spin-1 particles in the final state would have validity in a more restricted kinematic domain than for processes where it is commonly applied, viz., those with spin-1/2 or spin-0 particles in the final state. We obtain the criterion for the validity ofEPA for the two-photon production of a pair of charged, massive, point-like spin-1 particlesV ^±, each of massM and with a standard magnetic moment (κ=1). In a process in which one of the photons is real and the other virtual with four-momentumq, the condition for the validity ofEPA is |q ²|≪M ², in addition to the usual condition |q ²|≪W ²,W being theV ⁺ V ⁻ invariant mass. In a process in which both photons are virtual (with four-momentaq andq′), our condition is |q ²||q′²|W ⁴ ≪ 16M ⁸, in addition to |q ²| ≪M ², |q′²| ≪M ² and |q ²| ≪W ², |q′²| ≪W ². Even when these extra conditions permitting the use ofEPA are not fulfilled, convenient approximate expressions may still be obtained assuming merely |q ²| ≪W ² and |q′²| ≪W ². We also discuss how the extra conditions are altered when the vector bosons are incorporated in a spontaneously broken gauge theory. Examples ofW boson production in Weinberg-Salam model are considered for which the condition |q ²||q′²|W ⁴ ≪ 16M ⁸ is shown to be removed.     

CdS quantum dot-sensitized ZnO nanorod-based photoelectrochemical solar cells

ZnO nanorods have been grown using ZnO seed layer onto ITO-coated glass substrates. CdS quantum dots have been deposited onto ZnO nanorods using simple precursors by chemical method and the assembly of CdS quantum dots with ZnO nanorod has been used as photo-electrode in quantum dot-sensitized solar cells. X-ray diffraction results show that ZnO seed layer, ZnO nanorods, and CdS quantum dot-sensitized ZnO nanorods exhibit hexagonal structure. The particle size of CdS nanoparticle is 5 nm. The surface morphology studied using scanning electron microscope shows that the top surface of the vertically aligned ZnO nanorods is fully covered by CdS quantum dots. The ZnO nanorods have diameter ranging from 100 to 200 nm. The absorption spectra reveal that the absorption edge of CdS quantum dot-sensitized ZnO nanorods shift toward longer wavelength side when compared to the absorption edge of ZnO. The efficiency of the fabricated CdS quantum dot-sensitized ZnO nanorod-based solar cell is 0.69% and is the best efficiency reported so far for this type of solar cells.