Direct On‐Surface Patterning of a Crystalline Laminar Covalent Organic Framework Synthesized at Room Temperature

We report herein an efficient, fast, and simple synthesis of an imine‐based covalent organic framework (COF) at room temperature (hereafter, RT‐COF‐1 ). RT‐COF‐1 shows a layered hexagonal structure exhibiting channels, is robust, and is porous to N₂ and CO₂. The room‐temperature synthesis has enabled us to fabricate and position low‐cost micro‐ and submicropatterns of RT‐COF‐1 on several surfaces, including solid SiO₂ substrates and flexible acetate paper, by using lithographically controlled wetting and conventional ink‐jet printing.     

Enhanced photocatalytic activity of zeolite-encapsulated TiO2 clusters by complexation with organic additives and N-doping.

In the literature it was found that titanium oxide clusters of a few metal atoms encapsulated inside the micropores of zeolite Y exhibit large blue shifts in the Ti-O ligand-to-metal charge-transfer band as compared to non-encapsulated bulk titanium dioxide particles. This blue shift of the Ti-O absorption band is believed to have a negative effect on the photocatalytic activity of zeolite-encapsulated TiO2. We report here on circumventing this problem and increasing visible-light absorption by means of a red shift of the absorption band caused by addition of some organic molecular modifiers containing acidic OH groups that can strongly bind with titanol groups TiOH. In the studied series of zeolite-encapsulated TiO2 samples, the red shift of the optical spectrum follows the order: catechol > 4-aminobenzoic acid > benzoic acid. Also N-doping of zeolite-encapsulated TiO2 clusters by thermal treatment with urea leads to a red shift of the TiO2 absorption band that depends on the annealing and hydration conditions. By comparison to the degradation of phenol in aqueous solution, we have demonstrated that these changes in the absorption spectrum on addition of the organic modifier are also reflected in the photocatalytic activity of the samples; a greater increase in photocatalytic activity (about 30%) was observed for the additive catechol.     

What have we learnt from a relativistic description of a few-nucleon problem?

We briefly review to what extent the relativistic approaches have brought some light in clarifying some discrepancies in the few-nucleon problem.     

Solutions of the Bethe–Salpeter Equation in Minkowski Space and Applications to Electromagnetic Form Factors

We present a new method for solving the two-body Bethe–Salpeter equation in Minkowski space. It is based on the Nakanishi integral representation of the Bethe–Salpeter amplitude and on subsequent projection of the equation on the light-front plane. The method is valid for any kernel given by the irreducible Feynman graphs and for systems of spinless particles or fermions. The Bethe–Salpeter amplitudes in Minkowski space are obtained. The electromagnetic form factors are computed and compared to the Euclidean results.     

Scattering of Heavy Charged Particles on Hydrogen Atoms

 Low-energy scattering of heavy positively charged particles on hydrogen atoms (H) is investigated by solving Faddeev equations in configuration space. A resonant value of the pH scattering length, a = 750 ± 5 a.u., in the pp antisymmetric state was found. This large value indicates the existence of a first excited state with a binding energy B = 1.14 × 10⁻⁹ a.u. below the H ground state. Resonances for non-zero angular-momenta states are predicted. Received November 4, 2001; accepted for publication November 12, 2001     

Single-crystal metal-organic framework arrays

A novel, versatile pen-type lithography-based methodology was developed to control the growth of HKUST-1 crystals on surfaces by direct delivery of femtoliter droplets containing both inorganic and organic building block precursors. This approach shows that through the use of surfaces with low wettability it is possible to control the crystallization of a single submicrometer metal-organic framework crystal at a desired location on a surface.     

Direct time-resolved detection of singlet oxygen in zeolite-based photocatalysts

Singlet oxygen has been characterized spectroscopically as a product of the exposure of suspensions of zeolites containing oxidation catalysts. Spectroscopic and lifetime studies show that a part of the singlet oxygen formed reacts within the zeolite porous structure, while a significant fraction escapes and becomes available for reaction in the bulk media. The liquid phase plays a key role in determining intra- and extracavity dynamics.     

Electromagnetic form factor via Minkowski and Euclidean Bethe-Salpeter amplitudes

The electromagnetic form factors (FF’s) calculated through the Euclidean Bethe-Salpeter (BS) amplitude and through the light-front (LF) wave function are compared with the one found using the BS amplitude in Minkowski space. The FF expressed through the Euclidean BS amplitude (both within and without static approximation) considerably differs from the Minkowski one, whereas the FF found in the LF approach is almost indistinguishable from it.     

Antiproton–hydrogen and antihydrogen–hydrogen annihilation at sub‐Kelvin temperatures

The main properties of the interaction of ultra low‐energy antiprotons (E⩽10^-6 a.u.) and antihydrogen with atomic hydrogen are established. Elastic and inelastic cross‐sections and Protonium formation spectrum are calculated within quantum mechanical coupled channels approach. The results of calculations differ strongly from predictions made by extrapolation of semiclassical models to the energy domain of interest. It is shown that the main feature of the observables behaviour is determined by existence of a family of H, H near‐threshold metastable states. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Inverting the Nakanishi Integral Relation for a Bound State Euclidean Bethe–Salpeter Amplitude

The extraction of the weight function g of the Nakanishi integral representation of the Bethe–Salpeter amplitude is investigated. We studied the numerical inversion of the discretized Nakanishi kernel in the case of an Euclidean bound state. The discretized kernel is regularized by adding the identity operator times a small regularisation parameter \({\varepsilon}\) to avoid numerically unstabilities. We have found that the weight function g as well as the associated light-front valence wave function are unstable against variation of \({\varepsilon}\). These results suggest that the extraction of the Nakanishi weight function from an Euclidean amplitude, is an ill-defined problem. Without further assumptions on the solution or/and without developing more elaborate methods, the Nakanishi weight function, as well as the corresponding light-front valence wave function, cannot be safely determined.