Clock recovery from 40 Gbps optical signal with optical phase-locked loop based on a terahertz optical asymmetric demultiplexer

10 GHz clock recovery from 40 Gbps optical time-division-multiplexed (OTDM) signal pulses is experimentally demonstrated using optical phase lock loop based on a terahertz optical asymmetric demultiplexer (TOAD) with a local-reference-oscillator-free electronic feedback circuit. The clock pulse that was used as the control pulse had energy of 800 fJ and the SNR of the time-extracted 10 GHz RF signal to the side components was larger than 40 dB.     

Heteroatom Dopants Promote Two-Electron O2 Reduction for Photocatalytic Production of H2O2 on Polymeric Carbon Nitride

Polymeric carbon nitride modified with selected heteroatom dopants was prepared and used as a model photocatalyst to identify and understand the key mechanisms required for efficient photoproduction of H₂O₂ via selective oxygen reduction reaction (ORR). The photochemical production of H₂O₂ was achieved at a millimolar level per hour under visible-light irradiation along with 100 % apparent quantum yield (in 360–450 nm region) and 96 % selectivity in an electrochemical system (0.1 V vs. RHE). Spectroscopic analysis in spatiotemporal resolution and theoretical calculations revealed that the synergistic association of alkali and sulfur dopants in the polymeric matrix promoted the interlayer charge separation and polarization of trapped electrons for preferable oxygen capture and reduction in ORR kinetics. This work highlights the key features that are responsible for controlling the photocatalytic activity and selectivity toward the two-electron ORR, which should be the basis of further development of solar H₂O₂ production.     

Determination of pyrrolizidine alkaloids in comfrey by liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization mass spectrometry

Symphytum officinale L. (comfrey) is a medicinal plant commonly used in decoctions and aliments. Besides therapeutic bioactive compounds present in the herb, it is found to contain hepatotoxic pyrrolizidine alkaloids (PAs), such as lycopsamine and others. In the present study, PAs such as lycopsamine, echimidine and lasiocarpine were determined using electrospray liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) with the method precision (relative standard deviation, RSD) <10%. Detection of lycopsamine, symviridine and their N-oxides could be confirmed with a newly developed method based on HPLC ion-trap and orbitrap MS with electrospray ionization interface. With LC-MS, quantitative analysis of lycopsamine in the botanical extract was carried out. The effect of extraction solvent was optimized by sonication and methanol: H₂O (50:50) was selected. Then a rapid method based on pressurized hot water extraction (PHWE) was employed for the extraction of lycopsamine from comfrey followed by the comparison with heating under reflux with the RSD ranging from 2.49% to 19.32%. Our results showed a higher extraction efficiency for heating under reflux compared with PHWE. It was proposed that the lower extraction efficiency for PHWE was attributable to dissolved nitrogen from air which caused the reduction in the solubility of lycopsamine in the compressed hot solvent. In this study, quantitative analysis of PAs in comfrey was demonstrated. In addition, it was found that the use of subcritical water for extractions depended on the physical properties of the dissolved solutes and their tendency to degrade under the chosen extraction conditions.     

Validation and application of orientational order-based TMD prediction

Through our recent examination of four famous water models, we hypothesized that there should be common features of orientational order universally at the temperature for maximum density (TMD) of 1 g/cm³ whatever reasonable water model used. However, it was derived empirically rather than theoretically and it demands more severe tests eagerly to be a common law. In the present work, we tested two additional water models, TIP4P-2005 and TIP5P-Ew models developed recently. From this, we found the consistent common features of orientational order around reported values of TMD again. To demonstrate simple yet effective predictability of an unknown TMD for a certain water model using the method derived from our hypothesis, simulations of our method were carried out at several temperatures with intervals of 20 °C for TIP4P-ice model. In spite of its much less computational cost and temperature range that was chosen arbitrarily, TMD was predicted correctly with resolution of 20 °C at least. We propose that our method offers a useful guideline for TMD by narrowing down the choice of TMD candidates without heavy computational efforts, at least for point-charge water models.     

Dynamics of a finite harmonic oscillator chain with a surface impurity

A method is presented for constructing the normal modes and spectrum of a finite harmonic oscillator chain to which a polyatomic surface impurity is attached. This scheme is a generalization of an earlier theory due to Puszkarski. Special attention is devoted to localized surface modes and to the identification of the circumstances which cause them to occur. Diagnostic calculations have been performed in order to learn how an adsorbed diatomic molecule alters the normal modes and eigenfrequencies of the lattice. Examples are provided of cases where these effects are slight and of others where the perturbation generates localized optical and/or acoustic surface modes.     

Effects of memory on the coherent scattering function for the rouse–zimm model of dilute polymer solutions

We study the effect of the memory function on the coherent scattering function of a dilute polymer solution, taking into account hydrodynamic interactions among the polymer segments. The line shape, given by a sum of two exponentials, is very accurate numerically for ka ? 3 (with a the length of a polymer segment) and for times such that ω₀(k)t ? 1.5 [with ω₀(k) the initial slope]. However, this approximation to the scattering function is not nearly so accurate at the smaller values of ka encountered in light scattering experiments. The amplitudes and relaxation times associated with the two exponentials are found to be markedly dependent on the strength of the hydrodynamic interactions.     

Hollow‐fiber solvent bar microextraction with gas chromatography and electron capture detection determination of disinfection byproducts in water samples

A liquid‐phase microextraction method that uses a hollow‐fiber solvent bar microextraction technique was developed by combining gas chromatography with electron capture detection for the analysis of four trihalomethanes (chloroform, dichlorobromomethane, chlorodibromomethane, and bromoform) in drinking water. In the microextraction process, 1‐octanol was used as the solvent. The technique operates in a two‐phase mode with a 5 min extraction time, a 700 rpm stirring speed, a 30°C extraction temperature, and NaCl concentration of 20%. After microextraction, one edge of the membrane was cut, and 1 μL of solvent was collected from the membrane using a 10 μL syringe. The solvent sample was directly injected into the gas chromatograph. The analytical characteristics of the developed method were as follows: detection limits, 0.017–0.037 ng mL⁻¹; linear working range, 10–900 ng mL⁻¹; recovery, 74 ± 9–91 ± 2; relative standard deviation, 5.7–10.3; and enrichment factor, 330–455. A simple, fast, economic, selective, and efficient method with big possibilities for automation was developed with a potential use to apply with other matrices and analytes.     

Synthesis and electrorheological characterization of emulsion polymerized SAN‐clay nanocomposite suspensions

Styrene‐acrylonitrile (SAN) copolymer‐clay nanocomposite was synthesized by emulsion polymerization, which is the easiest method of intercalation (e.g., melt or solution intercalation). Existence of the intercalated polymer was verified by Fourier transform‐infrared spectroscopy and X‐ray diffraction (XRD) analysis. From XRD, we confirmed the insertion of styrene‐acrylonitrile copolymer between the interlayers of clay, whose separation consequently becomes larger than that of the polymer‐free clay. Thermogravimetric analysis showed that the thermal stability of the organic polymers was sustained. Using electrorheological (ER) fluids composed of intercalated particles and silicone oil, we observed typical ER behavior, such as higher shear stress in the presence of an electric field and increasing yield stress with particle concentration. We further observed the critical shear rate at which the ER fluids exhibit pseudo‐Newtonian behavior.     

Temperature-induced phase transition of poly(N,N-dimethylaminoethyl methacrylate-co-acrylamide)

Copolymers of N,N-dimethylaminoethyl methacrylate (DMAEMA) and acrylamide (AAm) were prepared to demonstrate a temperature-induced phase transition. Poly DMAEMA has a lower critical solution temperature (LCST) around 50°C in water. With copolymerization of DMAEMA with AAm, the LCST shifts to the lower temperature was observed, probably due to the formation of hydrogen bonds between amide and N,N-dimethylamino groups. FT-IR studies clearly show the formation of hydrogen bonds which protect N,N-dimethylamino groups from exposure to water and result in a hydrophobic contribution to the LCST. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci B: Polym Phys, 35: 595–598, 1997