Microstructure and selected properties of hot-work tool steel with PVD coatings after laser surface treatment

The paper presents the effect of HPD laser treatment on the microstructure and selected properties of the PVD CrN, (Ti,Al) and Ti(C,N) coatings deposited onto hot-work tool steel substrates. The microstructure and surface topography of the investigated samples are characteristic of the diversified morphology connected with the applied laser beam power. Employment of laser beam at 0.7 kW power to the laser treatment of samples with Ti(C,N) coatings causes clear coating adhesion growth because of the diffusive processes induced by heat release. Because of the higher value of the (Ti,Al)N absorption coefficient one can state that the observed substrate materials change and finally coatings destruction in case of those samples is the most noticeable. The moderate effect of the laser beam treatment of the hot-work tool steel with the PVD coating was observed for CrN coatings. However, for laser beam power above 0.5 kW differences in the thermal expansion coefficients of the substrate materials and coatings generate coating crackings.     

UV‐induced transformations of matrix‐isolated 1,3,4‐thiadiazole‐2‐thiones

Monomers of 5‐mercapto‐1,3,4‐thiadiazole‐2‐thione (bismuthiol) were studied using an experimental matrix‐isolation technique as well as by carrying out theoretical quantum chemical calculations. The calculations, performed using the quadratic configuration interaction method with single and double excitations (QCISD)/6‐31++G(d,p)//DFT(B3LYP)/6‐311++G(2d,p), predict that the thione–thiol tautomer of bismuthiol should be significantly (by more than 19 kJ mol^?1) more stable than other tautomeric forms. Accordingly, only the signatures of the thione–thiol tautomer were observed in the FT‐IR spectrum of bismuthiol, recorded directly after deposition of an Ar matrix. UV (λ > 320 nm) irradiation induced the conversion of the thione–thiol tautomer into the dithiol form. Analogous investigations were carried out for two related compounds: 5‐methyl‐1,3,4‐thiadiazole‐2‐thione and 5‐methylthio‐1,3,4‐thiadiazole‐2‐thione. For these two species, only the thione tautomeric forms were observed after deposition of Ar matrices. These tautomers were predicted (by QCISD calculations) to be more stable (by at least 19 kJ mol^?1) than other tautomeric forms. Upon UV irradiation, the most stable thione forms of these compounds were transformed into the corresponding thiol tautomers. Direct observation of the thione → thiol phototautomeric processes provides a clear proof that intramolecular proton transfer reaction can occur in molecules, such as bismuthiol, in spite of the increased NH···S distance, in comparison to other phototautomerizing species studied so far. All the isomers of the studied compounds (substrates and products of the photoreactions) were identified by comparison of their IR spectra with the spectra calculated at the DFT(B3LYP)/6‐311++G(2d,p) level of theory for possible isomeric structures. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

BaHfO3:Ce sintered ceramic scintillators

Raw powders of BaHfO₃:Ce were prepared with modified Pechini process and were calcined in the 650–1700 °C range of temperatures, at different atmospheres – air, vacuum and nitrogen–hydrogen mixture. The powders were converted into sintered ceramics by vacuum sintering. The materials were characterized by XRD, TEM, photoluminescence and radioluminescence spectroscopy. UV-VUV excitation spectra were recorded using synchrotron radiation. Excitation spectra proved that atmosphere of preparation significantly influences the host-to-activator energy transfer, which is the most efficient for materials made in reducing conditions. Also radioluminescence efficacy was found to be superior for materials prepared in such conditions.     

Crystal nucleation in an electric field

Nucleation of polar and apolar crystals in an electrostatic field has been analyzed. The analysis is based on the extended nucleation theory which takes into account orientation of amorphous kinetic elements and the resulting crystals. In an electric field free energy of transformation is orientation-dependent which leads to orientation and field effects in thermodynamic (critical crystallization temperature) and kinetic crystallization characteristics (thermal and athermal nucleation rates).     

Studies on the reaction of trityl derivatives with H‐phosphonate diesters: Their relevance to the synthesis of 4‐pyridylphosphonates

Transesterification of diphenyl H‐phosphonate with tritanol in pyridine afforded equimolar amounts of phenyl H‐phosphonate monoester and diphenyl 4‐pyridylphosphonate as the only phosphorus‐containing species. Using ³¹P NMR spectroscopy a plausible reaction pathway for the observed transformation was proposed and some of the postulated intermediates were identified. These studies also enabled us to develop an efficient protocol for the formation of diphenyl and diethyl 4‐pyridylphosphonates from the corresponding H‐phosphonate diesters under mild reaction conditions. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Heteroatom Chem 10: 492–499, 1999     

Stereospecific synthesis of P-epimeric (Rp1, Rp2)-bis-[O-l-menthylphenylphosphonothionyl] diselenide. A new variant of the stereoselective Staudinger reaction

An efficient procedure is described that leads to pure (S_P)- O -l-menthylphenylthiophosphinate. The absolute configuration of this diastereomer was assigned by chemical correlation and confirmed by X-ray crystallography. The reaction of the isomer with phenyl azide, leading to amidate, is a new variant of the stereoselective Staudinger reaction. Addition of elemental selenium to the (S_P)-thiophosphinate led to diastereomeric O-l-menthylphenylselenophosphonothioic acid, which was finally oxidized to the diastereomeric (R_P1,R_P2)-bis-[O-l-menthylphenylphosphonothionyl] diselenide. The diselenide structure was unambiguously confirmed by ³¹P NMR spectroscopy.