Antiferroelectric phase in liquid crystalline compounds containing an azo group in their molecular core

Novel lactic acid derivatives containing an azo group in their molecular core have been synthesised and their mesomorphic properties established. Compounds with a short aliphatic non-chiral chain exhibited the SmA* phase and ferroelectric (FE) SmC* phase. The monotropic antiferroelectric (AF) phase was found in the homologues with a longer terminal chain. Spontaneous polarisation and tilt angle were measured for the FE and AF phases. Dielectric spectroscopy in the frequency range 1 Hz–10 MHz was carried out and dielectric properties established within the temperature range of the smectic phases. Two high frequency modes were detected in the AF phase. Small-angle X-ray measurements were conducted, and the temperature dependence of layer spacing values is established and discussed.     

Anomalous phase sequence in new chiral liquid crystalline materials

We have prepared and studied a series of rod-like liquid crystalline compounds with the molecular core laterally substituted by bromine atom and with the lactate unit in the chiral terminal chain. Microscopic observation under the polarising microscope, x-ray and dielectric spectroscopy results enable us to establish the TGBA–SmA–TGBA_RE–TGBC phase sequence. The presence of the re-entrant TGBA phase below the regular SmA phase, found for three homologues, is quite uncommon. Results are discussed and compared with the previously studied compounds with regular phase sequences.     

Transitive Oriented 3 Hypergraphs of Cyclic Orders

In this paper we introduce the definition of transitivity for oriented 3-hypergraphs in order to study partial and complete cyclic orders. This definition allows us to give sufficient conditions on a partial cyclic order to be totally extendable. Furthermore, we introduce the 3-hypergraph associated to a cyclic permutation and characterize it in terms of cyclic comparability 3-hypergraphs.     

A novel alkyne-induced recyclization of 4-hydroxymethyl or 4-formyl-1H-2,3-dihydroisoindoles—an effective pathway to substituted isobenzofurans

2-Alkyl or 2-benzyl-substituted 4-hydroxymethyl(formyl)isoindoles readily react with electron-deficient alkynes undergoing intramolecular cyclization to produce 1-aminomethyl-substituted isobenzofurans in good yields.     

A Combination of Selective Light Reflection and Fluorescence Modulation in a Cholesteric Polymer Matrix

Summary: The phase behavior and optical properties of a cholesteric ternary copolymer, containing nematogenic phenylbenzoate, cholesteric, and photochromic diarylethene side groups, and its mixture with 2 wt.‐% fluorescent dopant were studied. The investigation of the kinetics of a photochemical opening‐cycle process of the photochromic groups in the cholesteric mixture proved the energy transfer from the fluorescent dopant to the photochromic diarylethene groups. It was shown that the fluorescence intensity of the fluorescent dopant could be controlled by the portion of the “closed” form of the diarylethene groups. During the photocyclization of the photochromic groups a “degeneration” of the selective light reflection of the cholesteric matrix is observed.

Fluorescence‐resonance energy transfer makes possible the process of photosensitization of the back ring‐opening photoreaction of the photochromic diarylethene groups in the cholesteric polymer matrix.     

Rapid and sensitive determination of radiocesium (Cs-135, Cs-137) in the presence of excess barium by electrothermal vaporization-inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ETV-ICP-MS) with potassium thiocyanate as modifier

An electrothermal vaporization-inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometric (ETV-ICP-MS) method based on selective volatilization of cesium with KSCN as modifier has been developed for determination of radiocesium, i.e. ¹³⁵Cs and ¹³⁷Cs, in the presence of isobaric barium. A 10000 times excess of barium, which was volatilized at a temperature of 1100?°C, resulted only in a 1% signal increase in the signal of mass 135 amu. The recommended concentration of KSCN is 0.3 mM, and pretreatment and volatilization temperatures are 400?°C and 1100?°C, respectively. A ramp time of 1 s is recommeded for the volatilization step. The achieved limit of detection for ¹³⁵Cs is 0.2 pg/mL (10 μBq/mL) and 4 fg (0.2 μBq) absolute for a sample volume of 20 μL. This means a limit of detection for ¹³⁷Cs of 0.2 pg/mL (0.6 Bq/mL) and of 4 fg (0.01 Bq) absolute. Signal variations of ¹³⁵Cs and ¹³⁷Cs, respectively, in spiked samples with various matrices were investigated.