Surface hardening of titanium by pulsed Nd:YAG laser irradiation at 1064- and 532-nm wavelengths in nitrogen atmosphere

The surface hardness of titanium modified by laser irradiation at different wavelengths in nitrogen atmosphere was investigated. Further, surface characteristics such as morphology, chemical state, and chemical composition in the depth direction were also studied. The size and depth of the craters observed in the laser-irradiated spots increased monotonically with an increase in the laser power. Furthermore, the crater formed by the 532-nm laser was deeper than that formed by the 1064-nm laser for the same laser power. Laser power beyond a certain threshold value was required to obtain a titanium nitride layer. When the laser power exceeds the threshold value, a titanium nitride layer of a few tens of nanometers in thickness was formed on the substrate, whereas a titanium oxide layer containing small amounts of nitrogen was formed when the laser power is below the threshold value. Thus, it was shown that laser irradiation using appropriate laser parameters can successfully harden a titanium substrate, and the actual hardness of the titanium nitride layer, measured by nanoindentation, was approximately five times that of an untreated titanium surface.     

Regularity of harmonic maps from polyhedra to CAT(1) spaces

We determine regularity results for energy minimizing maps from an n-dimensional Riemannian polyhedral complex X into a CAT(1) space. Provided that the metric on X is Lipschitz regular, we prove Hölder regularity with Hölder constant and exponent dependent on the total energy of the map and the metric on the domain. Moreover, at points away from the \((n-2)\)-skeleton, we improve the regularity to locally Lipschitz. Finally, for points \(x \in X^{(k)}\) with \(k \le n-2\), we demonstrate that the Hölder exponent depends on geometric and combinatorial data of the link of \(x \in X\).     

Photoluminescence spectral change in layered titanate oxide intercalated with hydrated Eu3+

A number of interesting photoluminescence properties of titanate layered oxide intercalated with hydrated Eu3+ have been demonstrated. Photoluminescence intensity of Eu3+ decreased rapidly with time during irradiation by UV light having energy higher than the band gap energy of the host TiO (Ti(1.81)O4) layer. This is presumably due to the decrease in energy transfer from the host TiO layer to Eu3+ as a result of the change in the hydration state of water molecules surrounding Eu3+, which is caused by the hole produced in the TiO valence band. When irradiation was discontinued, the emission intensity gradually recovered. The recovery time increased when the water in the interlayer is removed by heat treatment. This indicates that the state of interlayer water changes during irradiation and returns to its initial state after discontinuation of irradiation. The excitation spectra changed drastically at any given wavelength upon irradiation with UV light. A comparison of the excitation spectra before and after irradiation reveals that only the excitation peak at around the irradiation wavelength decreased upon irradiation, as in the case of spectral hole burning. The hydration state of water molecules surrounding Eu3+ presumably changes depending on the irradiation wavelength, leading to the above spectral change because the Eu/TiO film has a superlattice structure producing holes with different energies.     

Energy loss of 1000 keV electrons in thin silicon crystals as measured by high voltage electron microscopy

Abstract

Energy loss spectra of 1000 keV electrons transmitted by [111]-: riented thin silicon crystals were observed by an energy analyzer attached to the HVEM. The crystals were set to the systematic 220 Bragg reflection. Measurements were made for crystal thickness ranging from 1000 to 10,000 Å, which were determined by observations of pendellösung fringes.

Results were analyzed with Landau's transport equation, giving the : onclusion that the loss probability, which is the reciprocal of the mean free path, is 0.52 ± 0.02 × 10^?3 A^?1 for plasmon excitation and 1.50 ± 0.02 × 10^?3 A^?1 for L-electron excitation.     

Parameter settings in a compact laser-nitriding system for titanium composed of a focused pulsed Nd:YAG laser and nitrogen gas blow

The aim of the present study was to form a nitride layer on a titanium (Ti) substrate through a compact laser-nitriding system comprising a focused pulsed Nd:YAG laser and nitrogen gas blow. To obtain a high-quality layer, the effects of pulse frequency and gas flow rate on the surface characteristics were investigated by using plasma emission analysis as well as X-ray analyses. Optical emission spectra from the laser-induced plasma mainly consisted of ionic Ti lines, and their intensities when the pulse frequency was 15 Hz were much higher than those for 8 Hz. Similarly, the reflections from the δ-TiN phase in the X-ray diffraction (XRD) pattern were enhanced when using 15 Hz. On the other hand, the flow rate of nitrogen gas blow had a significant effect on the thickness of the thin oxide layer that formed above the nitride layer. Using a lower flow rate resulted in the formation of a thicker oxide layer. The higher pulse frequency and the faster flow rate were beneficial for obtaining a higher-quality layer because of the enhancement of nitridation and the suppression of oxidation, respectively.     

Biological Impact of Shorter Wavelength Ultraviolet Radiation-C†

Life on earth has constantly coped with the impact of solar radiation, especially solar ultraviolet radiation (solar UV). Various biological mechanisms protect us from solar UV. New devices emitting shorter wavelengths UV-C, i.e. <254 nm emitted by conventional UV germicidal lamps, have emerged. These shorter wavelength UV-C emitting devices are useful for various purposes, including microorganism inactivation. However, as solar UV-C does not reach the earth surface, biological impacts of UV-C has been studied using 254 nm germicidal lamps, and those using shorter wavelength UV-C is rarely known. To balance the utility and risk of UV-C, the biological effect of these new UV-C emitting devices must be investigated. In addition, our knowledge of biological impacts of the wavelength-dependent entire UV (100–400 nm) must be enhanced. In this review, we briefly summarize the biological impacts of shorter wavelength UV-C. Mechanisms of UV-C-induced cellular damage and factors affecting the microorganism inactivation efficiency of UV-C have been discussed. In addition, we theoretically estimate the probable photocarcinogenic action spectrum of shorter wavelength UV-C. We propose that increasing the knowledge on UV-C will facilitate the adoption of shorter wavelength UV-C emitting new devices in an optimal and appropriate manner.     

Silica-supported sodium sulfonate with ionic liquid: a neutral catalyst system for Michael reactions of indoles in water

A neutral catalytic system for Michael reactions of indoles has been developed by combining silica-supported benzenesulfonic acid sodium salt with hydrophobic ionic liquid in water. An efficient hydrophobic environment could be created on the surface of the silica-sodium material under the conditions. Various indole derivatives and alpha,beta-unsaturated carbonyl compounds including some acid-labile substrates were successfully applied to this system with water as the sole solvent to afford the desired Michael adducts in high yields. [structure: see text].     

Molecular aggregates of partially fluorinated quaternary ammonium salt gemini surfactants

The size and shape of novel partially fluorinated gemini surfactant 1,2-bis[dimethyl-(3-perfluoroalkyl-2-hydroxypropyl)ammonium]ethane bromide (CnFC3-2-C3CnF, where n=4, 6, and 8) were investigated in aqueous solution by means of light scattering and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The sizes of these molecular aggregates changed with increasing carbon number of the alkyl chain and concentration. For example, the apparent hydrodynamic radius by dynamic light scattering was 18 nm at a concentration of cmcx5 for n=4, 115 nm at the cmcx15 for n=6, and 62 nm at the cmcx30 for n=8, at 298.2 K. The shapes of CnFC3-2-C3CnF aggregates drastically changed with the alkyl chain length; the aggregates were mainly in the form of large or irregular small aggregates (n=4), string-like aggregates (n=6), and vesicles (n=8). The bromide-ion activity was measured using a bromide-ion-selective electrode to determine the degree of counterion binding to the aggregates. The degree of counterion binding to aggregate was very small compared with that in the typical hydrogenated gemini surfactants. These results indicated that the small curvature of large aggregates was not influenced by an electrostatic repulsion between the cationic head groups in the case of the bulky molecular volume of fluorinated gemini surfactants.