Multiple-magnetic field 139La NMR and density functional theory investigation of the solid lanthanum(III) halides

Results from a solid-state ¹³⁹La NMR spectroscopic investigation of the anhydrous lanthanum(III) halides (LaX₃; X=F, Cl, Br, I) at applied magnetic fields of 7.0, 9.4, 11.7, 14.1, and 17.6 T are presented and highlight the advantages of working at high applied magnetic field strengths. The ¹³⁹La quadrupolar coupling constants are found to range from 15.55 to 24.0 MHz for LaCl₃ and LaI₃, respectively. The lanthanum isotropic chemical shifts exhibit an inverse halogen dependence with values ranging from −135 ppm for LaF₃ to 700 ppm for LaI₃, which represents nearly half of the total lanthanum chemical shift range. The spans of the magnetic shielding tensors also vary widely, from 35 to 650 ppm for the solid LaF₃ through LaI₃. DFT calculations of the ¹³⁹La electric field gradient and magnetic shielding tensors have been performed and provide a qualitative interpretation of the trends observed experimentally.     

A hybrid active/passive exhaust noise control system for locomotives

A prototype hybrid system consisting of active and passive components for controlling far-field locomotive exhaust noise has been designed, assembled, and tested on a locomotive. The system consisted of a resistive passive silencer for controlling high-frequency broadband noise and a feedforward multiple-input, multiple-output active control system for suppressing low-frequency tonal noise. The active system used ten roof-mounted bandpass speaker enclosures with 2-12-in. speakers per enclosure as actuators, eight roof-mounted electret microphones as residual sensors, and an optical tachometer that sensed locomotive engine speed as a reference sensor. The system was installed on a passenger locomotive and tested in an operating rail yard. Details of the system are described and the near-field and far-field noise reductions are compared against the design goal.     

Facile formation of molybdenum(VI) monooxo aryloxides MoO(OAr)4-nCln from molybdenum dioxo dichloride

Molybdenum monooxo compoundsMoO(OAr)4-nCln (n=0-2, Ar=2,6-Me2C6H3 or 2,6-i-Pr2C6H3) have been synthesized starting from the dioxo precursor MoO2Cl2. The complexes are characterized spectroscopically and by X-ray diffraction. The formation mechanism likely involves phenol precoordination followed by addition across the Mo=O bond.     

Femtosecond fiber-feedback optical parametric oscillator

We demonstrate what is to our knowledge the first synchronously pumped high-gain optical parametric oscillator (OPO) with feedback through a single-mode fiber. This device generates 2.3-2.7 W of signal power in 700-900-fs pulses tunable in a wavelength range from 1429 to 1473 nm. The necessary high gain was obtained from a periodically poled LiTaO(3) crystal pumped with as much as 8.2 W of power at 1030 nm from a passively mode-locked Yb:YAG laser with 600-fs pulse duration and a 35-MHz repetition rate. The fiber-feedback OPO setup is compact because most of the resonator feedback path consists of a standard telecom fiber. Because of the high parametric gain, the fiber-feedback OPO is highly insensitive to intracavity losses. For the same reason, the synchronization of the cavity with the pump laser is not critical, so active stabilization of the cavity length is not required.     

1,4-dioxene in organic synthesis: rapid access to the oxabicyclo

[formula: see text] Oxidation of 2,3-disubstituted 1,4-dioxenes 3 with m-chloroperbenzoic acid in methanol followed by nucleophilic addition of allyltrimethylsilane in the presence of TiCl4 afforded dienes 5, which have been converted to oxabicyclo[4.2.1] nonenes 8 in excellent yield by olefin ring-closing metathesis reaction.     

Synthesis of heterocyclic thiosulfonates

[formula: see text] A simple synthesis of heterocyclic thiosulfonates containing indole, indoline, benzoimidazole, and quinoxaline rings is described. The synthesis of these thiosulfonates involves the preparation of the appropriately substituted thiols followed by sulfonylation to give thiosulfonates. The corresponding thiols were prepared in a simple and efficient manner by using a thiocyanation reaction either prior to heterocycle ring formation or after heterocycle ring formation. These thiosulfonates were coupled successfully to the 5,6-dihydropyran-2-one ring to give products that showed excellent HIV protease activity.     

Hexagonally poled lithium niobate: A two-dimensional nonlinear photonic crystal

We report on the fabrication of what we believe is the first example of a two-dimensional (2D) nonlinear photonic crystal [Berger, Phys. Rev. Lett. 81, 4136 (1998)], where the refractive index is constant but where the 2nd order nonlinear susceptibility is spatially periodic. Such crystals allow for efficient quasi-phase-matched 2nd harmonic generation using multiple reciprocal lattice vectors. External 2nd harmonic conversion efficiencies >60% were measured with picosecond pulses. The fabrication technique is extremely versatile and should allow for the fabrication of a broad range of 2D crystals including quasicrystals.     

Videodensitometric HPTLC Determination of Fleroxacin,Sparfloxacin, and Cinoxacin in Tablets

JPC – Journal of Planar Chromatography – Modern TLC - A new, simple, accurate, and rapid high-performance thin-layer chromatographic method has been developed for the determination of...