Ion-selective electrodes based on p-tert-butyl-homooxacalixarene di(ethyl)amides

The diethyl amides of p-tert-butyldihomooxacalix[4]arene (1), p-tert-butylhexahomotrioxacalix[3]arene (2) and p-tert-butylcalix[4]arene (3) were used as active materials in ion-selective membrane electrodes to check the detection of different kinds of cations (Na⁺, K⁺, Cs⁺, Mg^2 + , Ca^2 + , Mn^2 + , Cu^2 + , Zn^2 + , Cd^2 + , Pb^2 +  and tetramethylammonium cation). The electrode characteristics and selectivity coefficients were determined and compared. Optimisation of the PVC membrane composition was achieved using three different plasticisers (bis(2-ethylhexyl) adipate, o-nitrophenyl octyl ether and bis(2-butylpentyl) adipate). Amide 3 shows selectivity for Na⁺, whereas compounds 1 and 2 exhibit the highest selectivity for Pb^2 +  among all the studied cations. The X-ray crystal structure of dihomooxacalix[4]arene tetra(diethyl)amide (1) was determined, revealing it to be in the cone conformation.     

Regiospecific one‐pot synthesis of new trifluoromethyl substituted heteroaryl pyrazolyl ketones

A convenient and general method for the regiospecific synthesis of three novel series of 1‐(2‐thenoyl)‐, 1‐(2‐furoyl)‐ and 1‐(isonicotinoyl)‐3‐alkyl(aryl)‐5‐hydroxy‐5‐trifluoromethyl‐4,5‐dihydro‐1H‐pyrazoles, in good yields (53 – 91 %), from the cyclocondensation reactions of 1,1,1‐trifluoro‐4‐alkoxy‐4‐alkyl(aryl)‐but‐3‐en‐2‐ones, where alkyl = H and Me; aryl = ‐C₆H₅, 4‐CH₃C₆H₄, 4‐CH₃OC₆H₄, 4‐FC₆H₄, 4‐ClC₆H₄, 4‐BrC₆H₄, 4‐NO₂CgH₄ with 2‐thiophenecarboxylic hydrazide, furoic hydrazide and isonicotinic acid hydrazide, respectively, is reported. Subsequently dehydration reaction of phenyl substituted 2‐pyrazolines with P₂O₅ furnished the corresponding 1H‐pyrazoles as mixture of regioisomers and in low yields (35 – 36 %).     

Vibrational spectrum and internal rotation in 2,5-dimethylpyrazine

The infrared and Raman spectra of 2,5-dimethylpyrazine have been recorded and assigned on the basis of a C_2h molecular geometry previously determined by MINDO/3. The potential energy function corresponding to the internal rotation of both methyl groups has been used to solve the Schrödinger equation, and to obtain the energy levels of that motion on the basis of a molecular symmetry G₃₆. The rotation of each substituent is found to be almost independent of the other.     

Convenient synthesis of furan-3-carboxylic acid and derivatives

A convenient synthesis of furan-3-carboxylic acid and derivatives from aromatization of 4-trichloroacetyl-2,3-dihydrofuran followed by nucleophilic displacement of the trichloromethyl group by hydroxide, alcohols, and amines, is presented.     

Measurement-device-independent quantum key distribution

How to remove detector side channel attacks has been a notoriously hard problem in quantum cryptography. Here, we propose a simple solution to this problem--measurement-device-independent quantum key distribution (QKD). It not only removes all detector side channels, but also doubles the secure distance with conventional lasers. Our proposal can be implemented with standard optical components with low detection efficiency and highly lossy channels. In contrast to the previous solution of full device independent QKD, the realization of our idea does not require detectors of near unity detection efficiency in combination with a qubit amplifier (based on teleportation) or a quantum nondemolition measurement of the number of photons in a pulse. Furthermore, its key generation rate is many orders of magnitude higher than that based on full device independent QKD. The results show that long-distance quantum cryptography over say 200 km will remain secure even with seriously flawed detectors.     

On nontrivial solutions of critical polyharmonic elliptic systems

In the present work, we consider elliptic systems involving polyharmonic operators and critical exponents. We discuss the existence and nonexistence of nontrivial solutions to these systems. Our theorems improve and/or extend the ones established by Bartsch and Guo [T. Bartsch, Y. Guo, Existence and nonexistence results for critical growth polyharmonic elliptic systems, J. Differential Equations 220 (2006) 531-543] in both aspects of spectral interaction and regularity of lower order perturbations.     

Analysis of adiabatic coupling between photonic crystal single-line-defect and coupled-resonator optical waveguides

A detailed analysis of adiabatic coupling between conventional photonic crystal single-line-defect and coupled-resonator optical waveguides is reported. Adiabatic coupling by progressive variation of the radii of the spacing defects between cavities is investigated. Flat transmission spectra with coupling efficiencies greater than 90% are achieved in a broad frequency range with short coupling lengths. Moreover, we find that flat transmission at low frequencies requires longer coupling lengths partly because the requirements imposed for adiabatic transmission in photonic crystals are violated.     

Perpendicular interlayer coupling in Ni80Fe20/NiO/Co trilayers

An in-plane perpendicular magnetic coupling between Ni80Fe20 and Co has been found in NiFe/NiO/Co trilayers for a NiO thickness ranging from 4 to 25 nm by magneto-optical Kerr effect and x-ray magnetic circular dichroism measurements. In the easy magnetization direction of the Co layer, the Co coercive field H(C) increases when the thickness of the NiO layer t(NiO) increases. Because of the coupling, H(C) is always larger than for NiO/Co bilayers with the same thicknesses. The saturation field of the NiFe layer H(S) decreases when t(NiO) increases, indicating a weakening of the coupling. Numerical simulations show that the presence of interface roughness combined with a small value of the NiO anisotropy can explain the observed 90 degrees coupling.