Low noise spinning wheel technique for THz material parameter extraction

Double-modulated terahertz differential time-domain spectroscopy (double-modulated THz-DTDS), is a technique that is based on dithering the sample under test. In this paper, we report a measurement technique based on mounting the sample on a spinning wheel, in order to overcome fundamental limitations imposed by linear dithering. We demonstrate a proof-of-principle showing that noise decreases as a function of the spinning wheel modulation frequency. This technique does not suffer the mechanical noise limitation of traditional linear dithering and thus opens up future scope for further noise reduction via hardware advances in the modulation frequency of the wheel. The spinning wheel technique enables a rapid succession of measurements between the reference and sample signals with a single mechanical delay scan. As a result, an improvement in measurement time by at least a factor of two, as compared to the conventional THz-TDS measurement technique is observed. The spinning wheel technique is experimentally verified by measuring the dielectric properties of a thick polymer material.     

A holographic method of computing radiation fields

For radiation problems or diffraction at a single frequency, we suggest that the solution can often be expressed in terms of a two-dimensional hologram. The field throughout the three-dimensional volume can then be determined without volume discretisation and without 3D-matrices. The materials and differential equations must be free of non-linearities for the method to be valid.     

Quinary Mutual Diffusion Coefficients of Aqueous Mannitol + Glycine + Urea + KCl and Aqueous Tetrabutylammonium Chloride + LiCl + KCl + HCl Solutions Measured by Taylor Dispersion

Taylor dispersion is widely used to measure binary mutual diffusion. Studies of three- and four-component solutions show that the dispersion method is also well suited for multicomponent diffusion measurements, including cross-coefficients for coupled diffusion. Numerical procedures are reported here to calculate mutual diffusion coefficients from dispersion profiles measured for solutions of any number of components. The proposed analysis is used to measure the sixteen quinary mutual diffusion coefficients of five-component aqueous mannitol + glycine + urea + KCl solutions and aqueous NBu₄Cl + LiCl + KCl + HCl solutions. Mannitol, glycine, urea and KCl interact weakly at the low solute concentrations used (0.010 mol·dm^?3). The diffusion coefficients of this system are compared with pseudo-binary predictions. Strong coupling of the NBu₄Cl, LiCl, KCl and HCl fluxes is interpreted by using ionic conductivities and Nernst equations to calculate limiting quinary diffusion coefficients for mixed electrolytes that interact by the electric field generated by ion concentration gradients.     

Biomolecular hydration dynamics probed with 2D-IR spectroscopy: From dilute solution to a macromolecular crowd

Although it is well known that water is essential for biological function, it has been a challenge to determine how water behaves near biomacromolecular interfaces, and what role water plays in influencing the dynamics of the biochemical machinery. By adopting a vibrational labeling strategy coupled with ultrafast two-dimensional infrared (2D-IR) spectroscopy, it has recently become possible to study hydration dynamics, site specifically at the surface of proteins and model membranes. We review our recent progress in measuring hydration dynamics in contexts ranging from small-molecule solutes to biomacromolecules in dilute, viscous, and crowded environments.     

Radical Chemistry Based on (+)-cis-Pinononic and (+)-CIS-Pinonic Acids

A high yield method for the preparation of (+)-cis-pinononic acid starting from the inexpensive (+)-α-pinene has been developed. The capture of the cyclobutyl radical from decarboxylation of (+)-cis-pinononic acid has been investigated. Moreover the radical decarboxylation of (+)-cis-pinonic acid to the corresponding nor-alkane was studied.     

Effect of C-terminal modification on the self-assembly and hydrogelation of fluorinated Fmoc-Phe derivatives

The development of hydrogels resulting from the self-assembly of low molecular weight (LMW) hydrogelators is a rapidly expanding area of study. Fluorenylmethoxycarbonyl (Fmoc) protected aromatic amino acids derived from phenylalanine (Phe) have been shown to be highly effective LMW hydrogelators. It has been found that side chain functionalization of Fmoc-Phe exerts a significant effect on the self-assembly and hydrogelation behavior of these molecules; fluorinated derivatives, including pentafluorophenylalanine (F(5)-Phe) and 3-F-phenylalanine (3-F-Phe), spontaneously self-assemble into fibrils that form a hydrogel network upon dissolution into water. In this study, Fmoc-F(5)-Phe-OH and Fmoc-3-F-Phe-OH were used to characterize the role of the C-terminal carboxylic acid on the self-assembly and hydrogelation of these derivatives. The C-terminal carboxylic acid moieties of Fmoc-F(5)-Phe-OH and Fmoc-3-F-Phe-OH were converted to C-terminal amide and methyl ester groups in order to perturb the hydrophobicity and hydrogen bond capacity of the C-terminus. Self-assembly and hydrogelation of these derivatives was investigated in comparison to the parent carboxylic acid compounds at neutral and acidic pH. It was found that hydrogelation of the C-terminal acids was highly sensitive to solvent pH, which influences the charge state of the terminal group. Rigid hydrogels form at pH 3.5, but at pH 7 hydrogel rigidity is dramatically weakened. C-terminal esters self-assembled into fibrils only slowly and failed to form hydrogels due to the higher hydrophobicity of these derivatives. C-terminal amide derivatives assembled much more rapidly than the parent carboxylic acids at both acidic and neutral pH, but the resultant hydrogels were unstable to shear stress as a function of the lower water solubility of the amide functionality. Co-assembly of acid and amide functionalized monomers was also explored in order to characterize the properties of hybrid hydrogels; these gels were rigid in unbuffered water but significantly weaker in phosphate buffered saline. These results highlight the complex nature of monomer/solvent interactions and their ultimate influence on self-assembly and hydrogelation, and provide insight that will facilitate the development of optimal amino acid LMW hydrogelators for gelation of complex buffered media.     

Synthesis, structure and magnetism of homodinuclear complexes of Co, Ni and Cu supported by a novel bitriazine scaffold

Btzn (1), an amine-functionalized bi(1,3,5-triazine) 4,4'-(NH(2))(2)-6,6'-(NHC(6)H(5))(2)-2,2'-(1,3,5-C(3)N(3))(2), is reported, and its coordination with Co, Ni and Cu is explored. Reactions of metal salts (2 equiv) with Btzn (1 equiv) result in dimeric species [(Btzn)Co(2)(NCS)(4)(EtOH)(2)(DMF)(2)], (2), [(Btzn)Ni(2)(η(1)-ONO(2))(2)(MeOH)(4)(DMF)(2)]·2[NO(3)], (3), [(Btzn)Cu(2)Cl(4)(DMF)(2)], (4), and [(Btzn)Cu(2)(η(2)-O(2)NO)(2)(OH(2))(2)(DMF)(2)]·2[NO(3)], (5). These complexes are the first examples of the coordination of transition metals with bi(1,3,5-triazine) ligands. Their structures display a bridging bis-bidentate coordination mode for Btzn. Variable-temperature magnetic susceptibility of the complexes reveals antiferromagnetic exchange between the spin carriers, with calculated exchange coupling values (J) of -4.7 cm(-1) for 3, -18.2 cm(-1) for 4, and -5.5 cm(-1) for 5. An in-depth evaluation of the metal geometry highlights the inefficient overlap of the magnetic d-orbitals through the bridging ligand, most likely leading to reduced delocalization and coupling.     

Controlled‐Atmosphere Flame Fusion Single‐Crystal Growth of Non‐Noble fcc,hcp, and bcc Metals Using Copper,Cobalt, and Iron

The growth of noble‐metal single crystals via the flame fusion method was developed in the 1980s. Since then, there have been no major advancements to the technique until the recent development of the controlled‐atmosphere flame fusion (CAFF) method to grow non‐noble Ni single crystals. Herein, we demonstrate the generality of this method with the first preparation of fcc Cu as well as the first hcp and bcc single crystals of Co and Fe, respectively. The high quality of the single crystals was verified using scanning electron microscopy and Laue X‐ray backscattering. Based on Wulff constructions, the equilibrium shapes of the single‐crystal particles were studied, confirming the symmetry of the fcc, hcp, and bcc single‐crystal lattices. The low cost of the CAFF method makes all kinds of high‐quality non‐noble single crystals independent of their lattice accessible for use in electrocatalysis, electrochemistry, surface science, and materials science.