Observation of an amplitude collapse and revival of chirped coherent phonons in bismuth

We have studied the A(1g) coherent phonons in bismuth generated by high fluence ultrashort laser pulses. We observed that the nonlinear regime, where the phonons' oscillation parameters depend on fluence, consists of subregimes with distinct dynamics. Just after entering the nonlinear regime, the phonons become chirped. Increasing the fluence further leads to the emergence of a collapse and revival, which next turns into multiple collapses and revivals. This is explained by the dynamics of a wave packet in an anharmonic potential, where the packet periodically breaks up and reconstitutes in its original form, giving convincing evidence that the phonons are in a quantum state, with no classical analog.     

Effect of Alkyl Chain Length of N-Alkyl-N′-(2-benzylphenyl)ureas on Gelation

Urea derivatives that were substituted with a 2-benzylphenyl group and an alkyl group functioned as low molecular weight gelators for various organic solvents and ionic liquids. Urea derivatives with long alkyl chains were effective for the gelation of polar solvents. However, they were not suitable for the gelation of non-polar solvents, whereas urea derivatives with short alkyl chains were effective. Ionic liquids were similar to polar solvents in that urea derivatives with long alkyl chains were the most effective gelators. The physical properties of the formed supramolecular gels were analyzed by dynamic viscoelasticity measurements using a rheometer.     

A direct dynamics trajectory study of F- + CH(3)OOH reactive collisions reveals a major non-IRC reaction path

A direct dynamics simulation at the B3LYP/6-311+G(d,p) level of theory was used to study the F- + CH3OOH reaction dynamics. The simulations are in excellent agreement with a previous experimental study (J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2002, 124, 3196). Two product channels, HF + CH2O + OH- and HF + CH3OO-, are observed. The former dominates and occurs via an ECO2 mechanism in which F- attacks the CH3- group, abstracting a proton. Concertedly, a carbon-oxygen double bond is formed and OH- is eliminated. Somewhat surprisingly this is not the reaction path, predicted by the intrinsic reaction coordinate (IRC), which leads to a deep potential energy minimum for the CH2(OH)2...F- complex followed by dissociation to HF + CH2(OH)O-. None of the direct dynamics trajectories followed this path, which has an energy release of -63 kcal/mol and is considerably more exothermic than the ECO2 path whose energy release is -27 kcal/mol. Other product channels not observed, and which have a lower energy than that for the ECO2 path, are F- + CO + H2 + H2O (-43 kcal/mol), F- + CH2O + H2O (-51 kcal/mol), and F- + CH2(OH)2 (-60 kcal/mol). Formation of the CH3OOH...F- complex, with randomization of its internal energy, is important, and this complex dissociates via the ECO2 mechanism. Trajectories which form HF + CH3OO- are nonstatistical events and, for the 4 ps direct dynamics simulation, are not mediated by the CH3OOH...F- complex. Dissociation of this complex to form HF + CH3OO- may occur on longer time scales.     

Adduct formed by chromium trioxide and zwitterionic quinolinic acid

Chromium trioxide forms an adduct with zwitterionic quinolinic acid. The structure of the product was found to be (quinolinium-3-carboxylato-O)trioxidochromium(VI), determined by single-crystal X-ray diffraction methods. To evaluate the bonding properties of the compound, its structure was optimized at the B3LYP/6-311G* level of theory. The electronic characteristics were investigated by topological methods applied to the total charge density in various model compounds including the title compound, title compound with a HF molecule presenting a hydrogen bonding and anionic moiety. Calculated aromaticity indices indicate that the quinolinic rings tend to conserve their degree of aromaticity against hydrogen bonding. However, when there is hydrogen bonding involving an N-H bond or when the quinolinium zwitterion is deprotonated, there are clear changes in the interaction between chromium trioxide and the quinolinic moiety.      

Depth-dependent magnetism in epitaxial MnSb thin films: effects of surface passivation and cleaning

Depth-dependent magnetism in MnSb(0001) epitaxial films has been studied by combining experimental methods with different surface specificities: polarized neutron reflectivity, x-ray magnetic circular dichroism (XMCD), x-ray resonant magnetic scattering and spin-polarized low energy electron microscopy (SPLEEM). A native oxide ～4.5?nm thick covers air-exposed samples which increases the film's coercivity. HCl etching efficiently removes this oxide and in situ surface treatment of etched samples enables surface magnetic contrast to be observed in SPLEEM. A thin Sb capping layer prevents oxidation and preserves ferromagnetism throughout the MnSb film. The interpretation of Mn L(3,2) edge XMCD data is discussed.     

Non-Voigt line-shape effects on retrievals of atmospheric ozone: Collisionally isolated lines

This paper addresses the question of errors in retrievals of vertical profiles of ozone from atmospheric spectra caused by assuming that the absorption lines have pure Voigt line shapes. The case of collisionally isolated transitions (no line mixing) is treated by considering only the effects of the speed dependence (SD) of the pressure broadening. The case of O₃ retrievals from a sequence of limb transmission spectra is first treated theoretically. The results show that the influence of SD is very small, leading to changes in the residuals and in the retrieved O₃ mixing ratios smaller than 1%. These findings are then confirmed by treating a series of spectra recorded by the ACE-FTS instrument. Similar exercises are also made for other observation techniques by treating simulated or measured limb and nadir emission spectra as well as ground-based solar and in-situ laser transmission data. All lead to the general conclusion that SD (and Dicke narrowing) can be neglected in retrievals of ozone amounts from recorded atmospheric spectra. Indeed, the biases caused in the ozone profiles by the use of pure Voigt line shapes still remain significantly smaller than the total error/uncertainty from other sources such as improper line intensities and widths, uncertainty in the instrument function, errors in the pressure and temperature profiles and so forth.     

Molecular dynamics simulation of nanoparticle self-assembly at a liquid-liquid interface

We have used molecular dynamics simulations to investigate the in situ self-assembly of modified hydrocarbon nanoparticles (mean diameter of 1.2 nm) at a water-trichloroethylene (TCE) interface. The nanoparticles were first distributed randomly in the water phase. The MD simulation shows the in situ formation of nanoparticle clusters and the migration of both single particles and clusters from the water phase to the trichloroethylene phase, possibly due to the hydrophobic nature of the nanoparticles. Eventually, the single nanoparticles or clusters equilibrate at the water-TCE interface, and the surrounding liquid molecules pack randomly when in contact with the nanoparticle surfaces. In addition, the simulations show that the water-TCE interfacial thickness analyzed from density profiles is influenced by the presence of nanoparticles either near or in contact with the interface but is independent of the number of nanoparticles present. The nanoparticles, water molecules, and TCE molecules all exhibit diffusion anisotropy.     

Z → E Photoisomerization of Homoactivated Carbon Carbon Double Bonds

Z-configured 1,4-diene or β, γ-unsaturated carbonyl systems are readily available by the Wittig reaction. Isomerization required for access into the E-series can easily be accomplished by irradiation using an ordinary tungsten lamp and diphenyl disulphide sensitizer. There is very little formatation of conjugated isomers (less than 1%).     

The Reactivity of t-Butyldimethylsilyl Ethers Towards Some Stabilised Carbanions

Abstract

The t-butyldimethylsilyl (TBDMS) protection^1–3 of alcoholic and phenolic hydroxy groups has attained much importance of late. Certain shortcomings, however, of this protective method have recently come to light. These include acyl migration⁴ during the fluoride anion mediated desilylation of acylated/silylated glycerols, and cleavage of TBDMS groups under catalytic hydrogenation conditions intended for benzyl ether cleavage⁴. Further, aryl anions of trimethylsilyl protected phenols have been shown⁵ to rearrange into o-trimethylsilyl-phenolates; similar reaction of a TBDMS protected phenol has been observed⁶ in this laboratory. The more labile trimethylsilyloxy group has also been reported⁷ to act as a leaving group, if present at an allylic or benzylic site, towards a variety of nucleophiles (H^?, alkyl Grignards, malonate anion). However, benzyl TBDMS ether is stable towards ethylmagnesiumbromide under reflux⁶.