Controlled/living polymerization of 2‐(diethylamino)ethyl methacrylate and its block copolymer with tert‐butyl methacrylate by atom transfer radical polymerization

Polymerization of 2‐(diethylamino)ethyl methacrylate (DEAEMA) via homogeneous atom transfer radical polymerization under various reaction conditions is described. The effects of the initiators and solvents were examined. With 1,1,4,7,10,10‐hexamethyl triethylenetetramine/copper(I) chloride/p‐toluenesulfonyl chloride as the ligand/catalyst/initiator system in methanol, poly(DEAEMA) with a polydispersity index as low as 1.07 was synthesized. Kinetic studies demonstrated the polymerization was very well controlled and exhibited the living characteristic of the process. Well‐defined block copolymers of DEAEMA and tert‐butyl methacrylate (tBMA) were successfully synthesized. The copolymers could be synthesized with equally good results by starting with either p(DEAEMA) or p(tBMA) as the macroinitiators. However, only the macroinitiators terminated with chlorine should be used. The corresponding macroinitiators with bromine as a transferable group did not yield well‐defined copolymers. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 41: 2688–2695, 2003     

Design of a Very Small Residual Dispersion Fiber System for DWDM Operation Over the Entire C - & L- Bands of EDFA

We have given design of a very small residual dispersion fiber system consisting of a small dispersion fiber(SDF) with flat modal field and a corresponding dual core coaxial dispersion compensating fiber (DCF).     

Amine‐blocked polyisocyanates. I. Synthesis of novel N‐methylaniline‐blocked polyisocyanates and deblocking studies using hot‐stage fourier transform infrared spectroscopy

A series of substituted N‐methylaniline‐blocked polyisocyanates based on 4,4′‐methylenebis(phenyl isocyanate) and poly(tetrahydrofuran) were prepared and characterized thoroughly with FTIR, ¹H NMR, and ¹³C NMR spectroscopy methods. Compared with unsubstituted N‐methylaniline, a blocking agent with an electron‐releasing substituent at the para position took a shorter time, whereas those with an electron‐releasing substituent at the ortho position or an electron‐withdrawing substituent at the ortho and para positions took longer times for the blocking reaction. The thermal dissociation reactions of blocked polyisocyanates were carried out with an FTIR spectrophotometer attached to hot‐stage accessories under dynamic and isothermal conditions. The dynamic method was used to determine the deblocking temperature, and the isothermal method was used to calculate the deblocking kinetics and activation parameters. The cure times of blocked polyisocyanates with hydroxyl‐terminated polybutadiene were also determined. The deblocking temperatures, the results of cure‐time studies, and the kinetic parameters revealed that the thermal dissociation of the N‐methylaniline‐blocked polyisocyanates was retarded by electron‐donating substituents and facilitated by electron‐withdrawing substituents. The action of N‐methylanilines as blocking agents for isocyanate was explained by the formation of a four‐center, intramolecularly hydrogen‐bonded ring structure during the thermal dissociation of the blocked polyisocyanates. The formation of such a hydrogen‐bonded ring structure was confirmed and supported by variable‐temperature ¹H NMR studies and entropy parameters, respectively. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 45: 1557–1570, 2007     

Phonon structure and dynamics of boron nitride single wall nanotube

We report a detailed study of the phonon properties of hexagonal boron nitride (BN) monolayers as well as nanotubes by using De Launay type of angular force model. The force constants used for calculation of phonon dispersion relations of the nanotube are derived from those for the monolayers of hexagonal by employing force constant method. These force constants have been modified to include the effect of curvature of the tubule. The results are then used to derive the phonon dispersion relations for (10,10) BN nanotubes using ‘zone-folding’ method. Calculated phonon modes are in good agreement with the experimental values obtained so far, for (10,10) armchair BN nanotubes.     

Physics possibilities at India-based Neutrino Observatory

In this talk I review the physics possible at India-based Neutrino Observatory (INO). I discuss the improvement in the precision of currently known quantities and the possibility measuring the presently unknown quantities.     

Cobalt Hexacyanoferrate-Modified Electrode for Amperometric Assay of Hydrazine

A graphite electrode modified with cobalt hexacyanoferrate by mechanical immobilization was used for amperometric determination of hydrazine. The modified electrode exhibits good catalytic activity for the oxidation of hydrazine at a reduced overpotential with remarkable sensitivity. The modified electrode showed a linear response for hydrazine in the concentration range of 2.0 × 10^–5 to 2.8 × 10^–4 M. The detection limit was 9.8 × 10^–6 M (S/N = 3). The proposed modified electrode was simple, sensitive, rapid, stable and promising.     

Study of the effect of swift heavy Ni ion irradiation on ruby single crystal by using the XANES and EXAFS techniques

We have made the XAFS measurements at the Cr–K-edge on natural Indian ruby single crystals (corundum) and its two irradiated samples with fluence 1×10¹² Ni⁶⁺ and 5×10¹² Ni⁶⁺ ions/cm². Irradiated samples show interesting changes in their physical appearance. XANES measurements show progressive decrease in Δ_oct value on increase of Ni fluence in irradiated samples. EXAFS measurements on these samples show decrease in Cr–O distance on increase of Ni fluence. Lowering of Δ_oct value is correlated with the increase of Cr–O distance.