Vibrational properties of CaAlH5 and α-AlH3 with different AlH6 networks studied by inelastic neutron scattering

We performed a combined study using inelastic neutron scattering (INS) and first-principles calculations of the vibrational properties of CaAlH(5) and α-AlH(3) with different AlH(6) networks, a zigzag one-dimensional AlH(6) network for CaAlH(5), and a three-dimensional AlH(6) network for α-AlH(3). Both materials showed qualitatively similar INS spectra, in which CaAlH(5)/α-AlH(3) was mainly divided into three regions: (i) the translational modes (318/316 cm(-1)), (ii) the librational modes of the octahedral AlH(6) units (external molecular motion) in the lower frequency range and H-Al-H bond-bending modes (intra molecular motion) at a higher frequency (420-1157/513-1038 cm(-1)), and (iii) the Al-H bond-stretching modes (1238-1750/1486-1942 cm(-1)). In region ii, the appearance of both librational and bond-bending modes was determined by the networked nature of the octahedral AlH(6) units. In addition, the librational modes of AlH(6) on α-AlH(3) exhibit higher frequencies than CaAlH(5) due to the tighter bonding between the octahedral AlH(6) units. With regard to average frequencies for the Al-H, ω(S), bond-stretching modes, and average Al-H bond distances on the aluminum-based hydrides including CaAlH(5) and α-AlH(3), ω(S) showed lower frequencies that correlate with lengthening of the Al-H bond distances.     

Effect of accelerating voltage on crystallization of self-standing W-nanodendrites fabricated on SiO2 substrate with electron-beam-induced deposition

Self-standing W-nanodendrite structures were grown on SiO₂ substrate using an electron-beam-induced deposition (EBID) process with various accelerating voltages from 400 to 1000 kV. Effect of accelerating voltage on crystallization of the nanodendrites was investigated. The nanodendrites consisted of nano-sized grains and amorphous structures. The nano-sized grains were determined to be W crystal in BCC structure. The higher was electron beam accelerating voltage, the higher was crystallinity of the as-fabricated nanodendrites. It is suggested that high-energy electron irradiation enhances diffusion of W atoms in the nanodendrites, promotes crystallization of W grains.     

Experimental and numerical study on formability of friction stir welded TWB sheets based on hemispherical dome stretch tests

In order to investigate formability performance and also to obtain guidelines for the stamping process design of friction stir welded TWB (tailor welded blank) sheets, the hemispherical dome stretching test was experimentally performed and the results of the base and friction stir welded samples were compared. Also, in order to better understand the experimental results, numerical analysis was performed. In this work, five automotive sheets, 6111-T4, 5083-H18, 5083-O aluminum alloy, dual-phase steel (DP590) and AZ31 magnesium alloy sheets were considered by (friction stir) welding the same materials. To represent mechanical properties for the numerical analysis, the non-quadratic orthotropic yield function, Yld2000-2d, was utilized for the aluminum alloy and DP590 sheets, while the Cazacu anisotropic/asymmetric yield function was applied for the AZ31 sheet considering different hardening behavior in tension and compression.     

Asymmetric allylic amination in water catalyzed by an amphiphilic resin-supported chiral palladium complex

[reaction: see text] Catalytic asymmetric allylic amination of cycloalkenyl carbonates (methyl cyclohexen-2-yl carbonate, methyl cyclohepten-2-yl carbonate, methyl 5-methoxycarbonylcyclohexen-2-yl carbonate, methyl cyclohexenyl carbonate, tert-butyl 5-methoxycarbonyloxy-1,2,5,6-tetrahydropyridinedicarboxylate) with dibenzylamines ((C6H5CH2)2NH, (C6H5CH2)(4-CH3OC6H4CH2)NH, (4-CH3OC6H4CH2)2NH) was achieved in water under heterogeneous conditions by use of a palladium complex of (3R,9aS)-3-[2-(diphenylphosphino)phenyl]-2-phenyltetrahydro-1H-imidazo[1,5-a]indole-1-one anchored on polystyrene-poly(ethylene glycol) copolymer resin to give the corresponding cycloalkenylamines with high enantiomeric selectivity (90-98% ee).     

Analysis of the nano-kinetic movement of a single DNA by a pin-fiber video scope.

The nano-kinetics movement of a single DNA molecule was visualized by a newly developed video-microscope system with an optical fiber, called a "pin-fiber video scope". The stretching and shrinking motion was clearly observed, and its kinetics was analyzed by numerical calculations. The new video-microscope system has a potential to analyze the nano-kinetics of a molecule.     

Protective effects of a neutral polysaccharide isolated from the mycelium of Antrodia cinnamomea on Propionibacterium acnes and lipopolysaccharide induced hepatic injury in mice

Mycelia of Antrodia cinnamomea were extracted with chloroform and hot water. A neutral polysaccharide named ACN2a separated from the water extract was purified using 10% CCl3COOH, and repeated column chromatography on HW-65 and DE-52 cellulose. Its structure was determined by chemical and spectroscopic analyses. ACN2a was composed of Gal, Glc, Fuc, Man and GalN (in the ratio 1:0.24:0.07:0.026:faint), in which an alpha-D-(1-->6)-Gal linkage accounted for 73% of all linkages. The ratio of branch points was about 16% of the total residual numbers, and branches were attached to C-2 of galactosyl residues of the main chain. ACN2a had an average molecular weight of 12.9x10(5) Daltons, [alpha]D25=+115 degrees (c=0.44, H2O); [eta]=0.0417dl.g-1, Cp=0.2663 cal/(g. degrees C). The hepatoprotective effect of ACN2a was evaluated using a mouse model of hepatic injury that was induced by Propionibacterium acnes (P. acnes) and lipopolysaccharide (LPS). The administration of ACN2a (0.4, 0.8 g/kg/d, p.o.), significantly prevented increases in serum aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) enzyme activities in mice treated with P. acnes-LPS, indicating hepatoprotective activity in vivo.     

Analysis of optical absorption spectra of transition metal cluster ions by the spin-polarized DV-Xα method

Optical absorption spectra of cobalt cluster ions, Co _n ⁺ , and vanadium cluster ions, V _n ⁺ , were analyzed by a theoretical calculation based on the spin-polarized DV-Xα method, and their electronic and geometric structures were obtained. Relative absorption cross section associated with each electronic transition was calculated; the calculation enables a qualitative comparison of calculated spectrum with a measured one not only in its transition energy but also in its intensity profile. This analysis shows that Co ₄ ⁺ , Co ₃ ⁺ , and V ₄ ⁺ have, respectively, a tetrahedral structure with a bond distance of 2.00Å, an equilateral triangle with a bond distance of 2.30Å, and a distorted tetrahedral structure with five bonds having a distance of 2.34 Å and one of 2.89Å. The differences in the population between majority and minority spins (spin-difference) evaluated from the electronic structure thus obtained were 2.0, 1.7, and zero per atom in Co ₃ ⁺ , Co ₄ ⁺ , and V ₄ ⁺ , respectively. These spin differences indicate a ferromagnetic and an antiferromagnetic spin-coupling in the cobalt and vanadium cluster ions, respectively.     

Physical properties of sol-gel derived poly(Vinylidene Fluoride)/Silica hybrid

Poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) was incorporated in situ with silica by a sol-gel process involving tetraethoxysilane. The mechanical properties of these in situ hybrids were compared with those of PVDF composites mechanically blended with 14-nm diameter fumed silica particles. The ultimate strength of the in situ hybrids was higher than that of the blend composites, since fumed silica particles aggregate and act as mechanically weak points. The thermal analysis, dynamic viscoelastic properties, and dielectric properties were compared. The β-relaxation of PVDF caused by the glass transition was observed at around −40°C in the differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and the mechanical tan δ curves and at −30°C in the dielectric loss factor (ϵ”) curve. The αc-relaxation due to the molecular motion in the crystalline phase occurred at 61°C in DSC curve, at 100°C in the tan δ curve, and at 80°C in the ϵ” curve. The peak positions of these relaxations did not change, but the peak intensities were decreased with the increase in silica content for both the in situ hybrids and blend composites. The activation energies for PVDF were calculated as 136 kJ/mol for the β-relaxation and 96 kJ/mol for the αc-relaxation. The result that these activation energies did not depend on silica content may indicate the weak interaction between PVDF and silica.