Cold tests of open coaxial resonators in the range 9–17 GHz

A study of selective properties of coaxial open cylindrical resonators have been conducted experimentally and compared with theory. The resonator consists of an inner circular cylinder symmetrically located inside an outer weakly irregular open waveguide. Several fundamental TE modes were identified over the range 9 to 17 GHz through measurements of the resonant frequencies and the associated loaded quality factors. It has been verified that the structure and the number of resonant modes are both strongly dependent on the diameter of the coaxial insert. Such an electrodynamical system proves to be useful in guided wave applications requiring, for example, filters, frequency-tunable resonators and devices for analyzing the modal composition of a signal.     

Spectroelectrochemical characterisation of poly[Ni(saltMe)]-modified electrodes

Electrogenerated polymers based on the nickel(II) complex 2,3-dimethyl-N,N'-bis(salicylidene)butane-2,3-diaminatonickel(II), poly[Ni(saltMe)], were characterised by in situ FTIR and UV/Vis spectroscopy and ex-situ EPR spectroscopy in order to gain insights into film structure, electronic states and charge conduction. The role of the nickel ions during film oxidation was probed by using EPR to study naturally abundant Ni and 61Ni-enriched polymers. The data from all the spectroscopic techniques are consistent, and clearly indicate that polymerisation and redox switching are associated with oxidative ligand based processes; coulometry suggests that one positive charge was delocalised through each monomer unit. EPR provided evidence for the non-direct involvement of the metal in polymer oxidation: the polymer is best described as a polyphenylene-type compound (conducting polymer), rather than an aggregation of nickel complexes (redox polymer), and the main charge carriers are identified as polarons. An explanation for the high electrochemical stability and conductivity of poly[Ni(saltMe)] with respect to that of poly[Ni(salen)] is proposed. based on stereochemical repulsion between monomeric units; this can impose a less compact supramolecular structure on polymers with bulkier substituents.