A Mössbauer effect study of the Fe2+x Mn1–x Al Heusler alloys

In this work the Mössbauer spectroscopy has been used to study the magnetic properties of Fe_2?+?x Mn_1???x Al alloys with small deviations of composition from the stoichiometric 2:1:1. The Mössbauer parameters obtained for the L2₁ phase indicate H _hf fields of about 25 T and 30 T at 80 K for Fe atoms at X sites in the ordered X₂YZ structure of the L2₁ full Heusler alloys.     

Hyperfine field and diffusion of μ+ in Fe single crystals

In recent positive-muon spin rotation experiment at TRIUMF on single crystal Fe, a clear temperature dependent change has been observed, for the first time, both in frequency and depolarization rates from 300 K down to 23 K. The μ⁺ depolarization was explained by the μ⁺ diffusion through inhomogeneous dipolar fields and the diffusion constant was found to obey an Arrhenius law (activation energy 17 meV) above 70 K but surprisingly deviated from this at lower temperatures, indicating quantum diffusion. We have also found that the μ⁺ hyperfine field has a temperature dependence slightly stronger than that of the magnetization.     

Wavelet processing and digital interferometric contrast to improve reconstructions from X‐ray Gabor holograms

In this work, the application of an undecimated wavelet transformation together with digital interferometric contrast to improve the resulting reconstructions in a digital hard X‐ray Gabor holographic microscope is shown. Specifically, the starlet transform is used together with digital Zernike contrast. With this contrast, the results show that only a small set of scales from the hologram are, in effect, useful, and it is possible to enhance the details of the reconstruction.     

Exploration of Nano-Saturns: A Spectacular Sphere–Ring Supramolecular System

Saturn-like systems consisting of nanoscale rings and spheres are fascinating motifs in supramolecular chemistry. Several ring molecules are known to include spherical molecules at the center of the cavity via noncovalent attractive interactions. In this Minireview, we generalize the molecular design, the structural features, and the supramolecular chemistry of such “nano-Saturns”, which consist of monocyclic rings and fullerene spheres (mainly C₆₀), on the basis of previous experimental and theoretical studies. Ring molecules are classified into three types (loop, belt, and disk) according to their shapes and possible interactions. Whereas typical belt-shaped rings tend to form tight complexes due to the wide contact area via π–π interactions, flat disk-shaped rings generally form weak complexes due to the narrow contact area mainly via CH–π interactions. In spite of the small association energies, disk-shaped rings are attractive because such rings can mimic the planet Saturn precisely as exemplified by an anthracene cyclic hexamer–C₆₀ complex.     

Discrete π Stack of a Tweezer-Shaped Naphthalenediimide–Anthracene Conjugate

The design and synthesis of a tweezer-shaped naphthalenediimide (NDI)–anthracene conjugate ( 2NDI ) are reported. In the structure of the closed form (π_NDI ⋅⋅⋅ π_NDI stack) of 2NDI , which was elucidated by single-crystal XRD, the existence of C−H ⋅⋅⋅ O hydrogen bonding involving the nearest carbonyl oxygen atom of an NDI unit was suggested. The tunability of π_NDI ⋅⋅⋅ π_NDI interactions was studied by means of UV/Vis absorption, fluorescence and NMR spectroscopy and molecular modelling. This revealed that the π_NDI ⋅⋅⋅ π_NDI interactions in 2NDI affect the absorption and emission properties depending on the temperature. Furthermore, in polar solvents, 2NDI prefers the stronger π_NDI ⋅⋅⋅ π_NDI stack, whereas the π_NDI ⋅⋅⋅ π_NDI interaction is diminished in nonpolar solvents. Importantly, the conformational variations of 2NDI can be reversibly switched by variation in temperature, and this suggests potential application for fluorogenic molecular switches upon temperature changes.