Ultrafast switching of hard X‐rays

A new concept for shortening hard X‐ray pulses emitted from a third‐generation synchrotron source down to few picoseconds is presented. The device, called the PicoSwitch, exploits the dynamics of coherent acoustic phonons in a photo‐excited thin film. A characterization of the structure demonstrates switching times of ≤ 5 ps and a peak reflectivity of ～10^?3. The device is tested in a real synchrotron‐based pump–probe experiment and reveals features of coherent phonon propagation in a second thin film sample, thus demonstrating the potential to significantly improve the temporal resolution at existing synchrotron facilities.     

Controlled growth of rutile TiO2 by atomic layer deposition on oxidized ruthenium

Crystalline rutile TiO₂ films were grown by atomic layer deposition on oxidized Ru electrodes using a titanium methoxide as the metal precursor and O₃ as the oxidant. A protective layer of ～0.3 nm TiO₂ grown with H₂O as the oxidant was first deposited in order to avoid etching of the Ru bottom electrode by the O₃ used for the growth of the TiO₂ (bulk) layer. Electrical evaluation of the capacitor stacks with TiO₂ as dielectric, RuO₂/Ru and Pt as the bottom and top electrodes respectively, resulted in superior characteristics of the rutile phase as compared to the anatase. (© 2011 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Evaluation of size-exclusion chromatography and size-exclusion electrochromatography calibration curves

Size-exclusion chromatography (SEC) and size-exclusion electrochromatography (SEEC) are chromatographic techniques used to determine molecular mass (weight) distributions (MWD) of polymers. One important step in the data treatment to derive MWD parameters is the modelling of the calibration curves. The calibration curves applied in SEC and SEEC are generally not linear. In this study the modelling of calibration curves is being examined. Different polynomial models have been evaluated and compared, not only for model fit but also for their predictive properties. It was found that sometimes a straight line and sometimes a third-order polynomial model were best. The best model across the effective range (also called linear range) is not always found to be a straight line. The SEEC curves were found to have considerably higher prediction errors than the SEC ones. Reduction of the number of calibration standards to five or six did not greatly affect the predictive properties of the calibration curves, neither in SEC nor in SEEC.     

Investigation of the hydration process in 3CaO.Al(2)O(3)-CaSO(4) . 2H(2)O-plasticizer-H(2)O systems by X-ray diffraction

The development of the hydration process in 3CaO.Al(2)O(3)-CaSO(4) . 2H(2)O-H(2)O system is studied by X-ray diffraction in the presence of varying contents of new plasticizer admixtures belonging to the lignosulphonates class (calcium lignosuphonate-LSC) and condensates melamine formaldehyde sulfonated class-MSF (VIMC-11). The plasticizer admixtures were added in proportion of 0.1-1% solid substance. The influence of the plasticizer admixtures on the hydration process with increasing time is observed and it is shown to depend on the nature and content of the admixtures and the reaction time. The strong adsorption of admixtures on the surfaces on the anhydrous or partially hydrated particles of the system can explain the influence of the admixtures upon the kinetics of the hydration process retardation or acceleration. These plasticizer admixtures influence also the evolution of the hydrated compounds and forming of the hardening structure in the 3CaO.Al(2)O(3)-CaSO(4) . 2H(2)O-H(2)O system; their proportion in the system and the considered length of hardening are correlated. In the 3CaO.Al(2)O(3)-CaSO(4) . 2H(2)O-H(2)O system there are two different influences of the plasticizer admixtures upon the hydration process. One is a delaying action, as a result of plasticizer adsorption on the surface of the anhydrous and hydrated compound particles and another one is the intensifying action due to the stronger dispersion of the particles in aqueous medium.     

KrF pulsed laser deposition of chromium oxide thin films from Cr8O21 targets

Chromium oxides, Cr_xO_y, are of great interest due to the wide variety of their technological applications. Among them, CrO₂ has been extensively investigated in recent years because it is an attractive compound for use in spintronic heterostructures. However, its synthesis at low temperatures has been a difficult task due to the metastable nature of this oxide. This is indeed essential to ensure interface quality and the ability to coat thermal-sensitive materials such as those envisaged in spintronic devices. Pulsed Laser Deposition (PLD) is a technique that has the potential to meet the requirements stated above. In this work, we describe our efforts to grow chromium oxide thin films by PLD from Cr₈O₂₁ targets, using a KrF excimer laser. The as-deposited films were investigated by X-ray diffraction and Rutherford backscattering spectrometry. Structural and chemical composition studies showed that the films consist of a mixture of amorphous chromium oxides exhibiting different stoichiometries depending on the processing parameters, where nanocrystals of mainly Cr₂O₃ are dispersed. The analyses do not exclude the possibility of co-deposition of Cr₂O₃ and a low fraction of CrO₂. PACS 81.15.Fg; 75.50.Dd     

Synthesis and characterization of zinc oxide nanoparticles

The research is aimed at synthesis and characterization of nanoscaled zinc oxide particles and their application on linen fibrous supports, for thermal properties. To impart thermal activity to the fibrous nanocomposites, nanoparticles as well as fibrous nanocomposites were produced in different hydrothermal conditions of temperature (90 °C). To characterize the nanoparticles composition, their shape, size, and crystallinity, investigations technique, such as Fourier transformed infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and X-ray powder diffractometry were used. Differential scanning calorimetry analysis profiles were also revealed. The thermal treatment of linen fabrics with nanosized ZnO does not modify significantly their thermal stability.     

Eine neue Darstellungsmethode für Trithiopyrophosphonate; Reaktionsmechanismus

Zusammenfassung Es wird über die Synthese der bisher unbekannten Trithiopyrophosphonate (C₆H₅)(RO)P(S)–S–P(S)(RO)(C₆H₅) aus der entsprechenden thiophosphonigen Säure mit Morpholinosulfenylchlorid berichtet. In Anwesenheit von Triäthylamin bilden sich die bisher nicht beschriebenen S-Morpholino-dithiophosphonate, die dem angenommenen Reaktionsmechanismus nach mit Chlorwasserstoff und thiophosphoniger Säure die Trithiopyrophosphonate liefern. Als Vertreter der Schwefelchloride der Thiophosphonsäuren, die sich bei der Umsetzung von S-Morpholino-dithiophosphonate mit HCl bilden, konnte (C₆H₅)(C₂H₅O)P(S)–SCl isoliert werden.

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A new synthetic route to trithiophosphonates; Reaction mechanism

The synthesis of the unknown trithiopyrophosphonates, (C₆H₅)(RO)P(S)–S–P(S)(RO)(C₆H₅), which are formed by the interaction between the corresponding thiophosphonic acid and morpholinosulfenyl chloride, is reported.In the presence of triethylamine the reaction leads to the S-morpholinodithiophosphonates which, corresponding to the assumed reaction mechanism, gives, with hydrogen chloride and thiophosphonic acid the trithiopyrophosphonates.Among the sulfenylchlorides of the thiophosphonic acids which arise by the interaction of S-morpholinodithiophosphonates with hydrogen chloride, only (C₆H₅)(C₂H₅O)P(S)–SCl could be isolated.

     

Polarization quantum beat spectroscopy of HCF(A1A"). II. Renner-Teller and spin-orbit mixing in the simplest singlet carbene

To further investigate the Renner-Teller (RT) effect and spin-orbit mixing in the A(1)A(")<--X(1)A(') system of the simplest singlet carbene, HCF, we report a detailed analysis of the K(a) = 1<--0 subband of 2(0) (4) using polarization quantum beat spectroscopy in combination with fluorescence excitation spectroscopy and lifetime measurements. This subband is perturbed both by RT and spin-orbit interactions, which are clearly differentiated due to the order-of-magnitude difference in matrix elements. We show that RT induced mixing with a high vibrational level of X(1)A(') leads to a splitting of this subband, and while the higher energy member is rotationally unperturbed, every line in the lower energy member is perturbed by spin-orbit mixing with background levels of a(3)A("), as evidenced by large (19)F and (1)H hyperfine constants and Lande g factors. In contrast, the higher energy subband exhibits very small Lande g factors and hyperfine constants, which is explained within a model that incorporates only the A(1)A(")-X(1)A(') interaction. We thus demonstrate that polarization quantum beat spectra provides efficient discrimination between RT and spin-orbit interactions. Analysis of the lower energy subband in concert with ab initio electronic structure calculations has yielded the first information on the (19)F and (1)H hyperfine structure of the a(3)A(") state and the magnitude of the spin-orbit matrix elements.