Ultrafast all-optical demultiplexer based on monolithic Mach–Zehnder interferometer with integrated semiconductor optical amplifiers

A monolithically integrated and fully packaged Mach–Zehnder interferometer with semiconductor optical amplifiers (MZI-SOA) is demonstrated as polarisation-independent high-speed demultiplexer for up to 160 Gbit/s optical time division multiplexed (OTDM) data streams.     

The degradation of poly(vinyl acetate) as a material for design objects: A multi-analytical study of the Cocoon lamps. Part 2

After the systematic study of poly(vinyl acetate) degradation presented in part 1, this work reports results from the analysis of polymeric materials from five Italian design lamps from the 1960s made of the material known as cocoon. Micro- and non-destructive molecular spectroscopic techniques have been applied directly on the object surfaces using an optical fibre probe and through examination of micro-samples: the combined use of Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), pyrolysis gas-chromatography/mass-spectrometry (py-GC/MS) and Fluorescence spectroscopy allowed the assessment of the material composition and the chemical modifications of the polymers related to on-going deterioration processes. Fluorescence spectroscopy proved particularly sensitive for the detection of variations in composition among lamps and between areas on the same object, and was used to classify objects in different groups using principal component analysis of excitation emission spectra. Specific degradation products have been mapped using FTIR on micro-samples. Moreover, the interpretation of the emission spectra of the studied polymeric lamps suggests that fluorescence spectroscopy can be used for non-destructive monitoring of the degradation of historical polymeric objects.     

Preparation of thin-sections of painting fragments: Classical and innovative strategies

For more than a century, the analyses of painting fragments have been carried out mainly through the preparation of thick resin-embedded cross-sections. Taking into account the development of innovative micro-analytical imaging techniques, alternatives to this standard preparation method are considered. Consequently, dedicated efforts are required to develop preparation protocols limiting the risks of chemical interferences (solubilisation, reduction/oxidation or other reactions) which modify the sample during its preparation, as well as the risks of analytical interferences (overlap of detected signals coming from the sample and from materials used in the preparation). This study focuses particularly on the preparation of thin-sections (1–20 μm) for single or combined fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy and X-ray 2D micro-analysis. A few strategies specially developed for the μFTIR analysis of painting cross-sections have already been reported and their potential extrapolation to the preparation of thin-sections is discussed. In addition, we propose two new specific methods: (i) the first is based on a free-embedding approach, ensuring a complete chemical and analytical neutrality. It is illustrated through application on polymeric design objects corpus; (ii) the second is based on a barrier coating approach which strengthens the sample and avoids the penetration of the resin into the sample. The barrier coating investigated is a silver chloride salt, an infrared transparent material, which remains malleable and soft after pellet compression, enabling microtoming. This last method was successfully applied to the preparation of a fragment from a gilded Chinese sculpture (15th C.) and was used to unravel a unique complex stratigraphy when combining μFTIR and μXRF.     

Entrapment of functionalized silica microspheres with photo-initiated acrylate-based polymers

The entrapment of silica-based microspheres, commonly used as stationary phases in chromatography, with an organic porous polymer based on poly(butyl acrylate-co-1,3-butanediol diacrylate) was explored. The spheres were immobilized by photopolymerization leading to entrapped beds within 75 microm i.d. fused silica capillaries, and were mechanically stable, resisting pressure drops of over 5600 psi (38.6 MPa) for only 1 cm of material. The morphology of the polymer formation around the spheres was investigated by SEM and corroborated with back pressure measurements, which indicated that the spheres were held together by encapsulating polymer. The entrapped material was extruded from the capillary in some cases to facilitate imaging. The entrapment conditions were explored, varying the polarity of the sphere surface, the solvent, and the monomers, revealing that polymer formation is based on partitioning of the monomers between the surface and solvent. The resulting polymer morphology is discussed with respect to the effects of confinement, supported by experiments with varying microsphere diameters. The columns described here have favourable properties for use in capillary chromatography and supported catalysis among other applications, and is suitable for lab-on-a-chip devices.     

Computer program for neutron activation analysis with the SLOWPOKE reactor

A FORTRAN computer program for automatic neutron activation analysis is presented. The program locates and identifies peaks in a gamma-ray spectrum, calculates peak areas and the concentrations of the elements of interest in the sample. This program was specifically designed for the SLOWPOKE reactor, it uses a semi-absolute method and does not need standards or flux monitors. The program was written so as to minimize the computation time, and a typical 4096-channel spectrum is processed in five seconds by an IBM 360/75 computer.     

Amino alcohol based chiral solvating agents: synthesis and applications in the NMR enantiodiscrimination of carboxylic acids

Four optically active amino alcohols were synthesized via the ring opening of (R)-N-(2,3-epoxypropyl)phthalimide with (R)-2-phenyl glycinol, (1R,2S)-cis-1-amino-2-indanol, (R)-2-amino-1-butanol and (S)-phenyl ethylamine in 73-93% yields. The enantioselective recognition of these receptors towards the enantiomers of racemic carboxylic acids was studied by ¹H NMR spectroscopy. The molar ratio and the association constants of the chiral compounds with each of the enantiomers of the guests were determined by using Job plots and a non-linear least-squares fitting method, respectively. Large non-equivalent chemical shifts (up to 30.0 Hz) can be achieved in the presence of chiral amino alcohols 2 and 5. Amongst the chiral receptors used, compound 5 was found to be the best chiral shift reagent, and was effective in the determination of the enantiomeric excess of chiral carboxylic acids.     

Melt rheology of the polyether from bisphenol-a and 4,4'-dichlorodiphenylsulfone

The melt rheology of polysulfone was studied in steady shear and oscillatory shear flow. Even when melt viscosity data were corrected for the dependence of the glass transition temperature on M _n the viscosity molecular weight relation was not a simple power law over any appreciable range. The melt compliance is very low and reaches its maximum value at molecular weights > 2000. Since the molecular flexibility, measured as the size of the equivalent random segment of rubber elasticity theory, is similar to that of other common polymers, this suggests that the polar nature of polysulfone is contributing to the high “entanglement” density.