Development of standards for reliable surface analyses by ISO technical committee 201 on surface chemical analysis

The need for reliable surface analyses together with quality‐management requirements for analytical laboratories led the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) to form its Technical Committee (TC) 201 on Surface Chemical Analysis in 1991. This article describes the organization of TC 201, the strategies that have been found useful for identifying and assessing possible projects for new international standards, and the 57 international standards and other documents prepared to date by TC 201. Standards have now been developed for Auger‐electron spectroscopy, glow‐discharge spectroscopy, various types of scanning probe microscopy, secondary‐ion mass spectrometry, sputter‐depth profiling, total‐reflection X‐ray fluorescence spectroscopy, X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and X‐ray reflectometry. In addition, standards have been developed with definitions of terms used in surface chemical analysis; the handling, preparation of specimens for surface analysis; information and data‐transfer formats; and methods for determining the lateral resolution of beam‐based methods of surface analysis. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Redox-controlled, reversible rearrangement of a tris(2-pyridylthio)methyl ligand on nickel to an isomer with an “N,S-confused” 2-pyridylthiolate arm

Interchange between the nickel +2 and +3 oxidation states precisely controls the reversible rearrangement of the tris(2-pyridylthio)methanide (tptm) ligand in the organometallic nickel(II) complex [{Ni(μ-Br)-(tptm)}(2)] (2). Oxidation of 2 first gives the corresponding Ni(III) complex [{Ni(μ-Br)(tptm)}(2)][PF(6)](2) (4). However, in solution the tptm ligand in 4 slowly undergoes a rearrangement, in which the N and S atoms of one of the pyridylthiolate arms exchange Ni and C bonding partners, thereby resulting in an "N,S-confused" isomer of tptm in the product, [NiBr(bpttpm)]PF(6) (5; bpttpm= bis(2-pyridylthio)(2-thiopyridinium)-methyl). Reduction of 5 reverses this ligand rearrangement and 2 is reformed quantitatively. The individual steps involved in these unusual ligand rearrangements were investigated by a number of methods, including voltammetric analysis, and a mechanism for this process is proposed. X-ray crystal structure determinations of the key compounds 2, 4 and 5 have been obtained.     

Highly sensitive photoalignment of calamitic and discotic liquid crystals assisted by axis-selective triplet energy transfer

Highly sensitive photoalignment of liquid crystals (LCs) can be realized by axis-selective triplet energy transfer. Addition of a triplet photosensitizer (phosphorescent donor) into a photocrosslinkable polymer tethering E-cinnamate side chains ensures dramatic enhancement of photosensitivity to generate the optical anisotropy of polymer film and surface-assisted LC photoalignment. Photoirradiation of triplet photosensitizer-doped polymer films with linearly polarized 365 nm light for the selective excitation of triplet sensitizer gives rise to optical anisotropy of cinnamates as a result of axis-selective triplet energy transfer. By analyzing phosphorescence spectra with theoretical Perrin's formula, we find that triplet energy transfer is efficient within a radius of ～0.3 nm from the triplet photosensitizer. Such photoaligned polymer films can be used for the surface-assisted orientation photocontrol of not only calamitic LC, but also discotic LC, even for extremely low exposure energies. The present procedure would be greatly advantageous for high-throughput fabrication of optical devices by photoalignment techniques.     

On the parity of the class number of an imaginary abelian field of conductor 2<Superscript><Emphasis Type="Italic">a</Emphasis></Superscript><Emphasis Type="Italic">p</Emphasis><Superscript><Emphasis Type="Italic">b</Emphasis></Superscript>

Let p be an odd prime number, and p^n₀{p^{n_0}} the highest power of p dividing 2 ^p−1 − 1. Let K_n=Q(z_pⁿ⁺¹){K_n={\bf Q}(\zeta_{p^{n+1}})} and L_n,j=K_n⁺(z_2^j+2){L_{n,j}=K_n^+(\zeta_{2^{j+2}})} for j ≥ 0. Let h_n^*{h_n^*} be the relative class number of K _n , and h _n,j the class number of L _n,j , respectively. Let n be an integer with n ≥ n ₀. We prove that if the ratio h_n^*/h_n-1^*{h_n^*/h_{n-1}^*} is odd, then h _n,j /h _n−1,j is odd for any j ≥ 0.     

Fabrication of a Near-Field Optical Fiber Probe with a Nanometric Metallized Protrusion

We have developed a novel probe with a nanometric metallized protrusion extending through a subwavelength aperture to increase optical near-field excitation and collection efficiencies. The apex diameter of the fabricated metallized protrusion was 35 nm. The Intensity distribution of the optical near-field at the apex of the probe was measured by scanning another probe across the apex, and it was observed that strong optical near-field was generated at the apex of the metallized protrusion. The width of the intensity distribution was 150 nm including instrumental resolution. Probes with spherical and ellipsoidal metallized protrusion were also fabricated, by which enhancement of the optical near-field is expected due to localized plasmon excitation.     

Guided modes of integrated optical guides. A mathematical study

A waveguide in integrated optics is defined by its refractiveindex. The guide is assumed to be invariant in the propagationdirection while in the transverse direction it is supposed tobe a compact perturbation of an unbounded stratified medium.We are interested in the modes guided by this device, whichare waves with a transverse energy confined in a neighbourhoodof the perturbation. Our goal is to analyse the existence of such guided modes. Underthe assumptions of weak guidance the problem reduces to a two-dimensionaleigenvalue problem for a scalar field. The associated operatoris unbounded, selfadjoint, and bounded from below. Its spectrumconsists of the discrete spectrum corresponding to the guidedmodes and of the essential spectrum corresponding to the radiationmodes. We present existence results of guided modes and an asymptoticstudy at high frequencies, which shows that contrarily to thecase of optical fibers, the number of guided modes can remainbounded. The major tools are the min-max principle and comparisonof results between different eigenvalue problems. The originalityof the present study lies in the stratified character of theunbounded reference medium.     

Studies on the determination of multiple numbers of experimental parameters 1. Preliminary study

Expressions are given for analytical extraction of parameters for polynomial and single relaxation experiments, and an indication is given of the application of the technique to multiple relaxation experiments. Examples are given for the cases of single and double relaxations. Hypothetical reference is made to time domain reflectometry.     

Formation of hot hexafluorobenzene in the 193 nm photolysis

Time-resolved absorption spectra of hexafluorobenzene vapor have been observed with ArF laser (193 nm) excitation. The initial intermediate is postulated to be due to HFB2(S₀) (hot hexafluorobenzene, with internal energy of 639 kj/mol) because the transient spectrum can be simulated as part of the S₃(¹E_1u) ← S₀ transition at 3050 K.     

Effects of channel non-orthogonality in (d,p) reactions

Coupled channel calculations for (d, p) reactions were performed in which a strong coupling between the d and p channels was assumed. Reactions investigated were ¹⁶O(d, p) ¹⁷O(2s) and ⁴⁰Ca(d, p) ⁴¹Ca(2p) at E_d =10.5 MeV and the related (d, d) and (p, p) scattering processes. The nonorthogonality of the d- and p-channels were taken into account. The results of these calculations are presented and are compared with the coupled channel calculations neglecting the channel nonorthogonality and also compared with the DWBA and optical model calculations.     

Observation of surface segregation of sulphur in CuNi alloys at elevated temperature with scanning Auger electron microscope

Surface segregations of Cu and S in a CuNi (50wt%) alloy at elevated temperatures of ～600°C were studied under scanning Auger electron microscope, JAMP-3. Scanning images of S, Cu and Ni Auger signals have revealed that the surface segregations of both Cu and S take place preferentially depending on grains and the contrasts in S and Cu Auger images are complementary. This leads to another confirmation of the previous work, namely, that the surface segregation of Cu is considerably suppressed by the existence of S at the outermost atom layer.