Characterization of low pressure chemical vapor deposited polymeric fluorinated carbon m (C:FX)n thin films with low dielectric constant

Thermal chemical vapor deposition of fluorinated carbon thin films in the polymeric form is described by hot filament decomposition of the gaseous C₃F₆O precursor. Decomposition at filament temperatures, ≤450 °C produces films in the ordered (CF₂)_2n polymeric chain structure as in a tetrafluoroethylene polymer. A composite of (CF₂)_2n chains structure and crosslinked m(C:F_x)_n phases are formed in films deposited at filament temperature ≥600 °C. Polymerization of :CF₂ radicals results in (CF₂)_2n chain structure and the crosslinked phase emerges from a separate process involving reaction among the CF₃, CFO and CF₃CO radicals and including CF₂. Substrate temperature affects both the C-to-F bonding configuration and the relative ratio of the composite phases. Dominant C–CF bonding structure in the low (<-5 °C) substrate temperature films is thermally less stable compared to the C–F structure, which dominates the crosslinked structure in films deposited at high (∼70 °C) substrate temperatures. Dielectric properties of the composite films are studied using the electrical equivalent model and a correlation with the C-to-F bond structure is established. High polymeric (CF₂)_2n phase determines the electrical impedance and the dielectric constant of the film, and the crosslinked phase imparts structural stability. PACS 81.15.Gh; 73.61.Ph; 77.84.Jd; 79.60.Fr     

Effect of process parameters on transmembrane flux during direct osmosis

Direct osmosis is a non-thermal membrane process employed for the concentration of fruit juices at ambient temperature and atmospheric pressure, thereby maintaining the organoleptic and nutritional properties of fruit juices. In the present study, concentration of pineapple juice by direct osmosis was explored. Aqueous solution of sucrose (0–40%, w/w)–sodium chloride (0–26%, w/w) combination was investigated as an alternative osmotic agent. The sucrose–sodium chloride combination can overcome the drawback of sucrose (low flux) and sodium chloride (salt migration) as osmotic agents during direct osmosis process. The effect of the hydrodynamic conditions in the module and feed temperature (25–45 °C) on transmembrane flux was evaluated. For a range of hydrodynamic conditions studied, it was observed that transmembrane flux increases with Reynolds number. The increase in feed temperature resulted in an increase in transmembrane flux. The pineapple juice was concentrated upto a total soluble solids content of 60 °Brix at ambient temperature. The effect of direct osmosis process on physico-chemical characteristics of pineapple juice was also studied. The ascorbic acid content was well preserved in the pineapple juice concentrate by direct osmosis process.     

Synthesis,Spectral Characterization,and Crystal Structure of Two Polymorphs of o,o’-Dichloro Dibenzyl Disulfide

2-Chlorophenyl methanethiol undergoes air oxidation catalyzed by different selenides and yields the corresponding disulfide 1 in two polymorphic forms, 1a and 1b. In the molecular structures of the two new polymorphs of o,o′-dichloro dibenzyl disulfide, the dihedral angles between the dibenzyl groups are 82.0(1)°, (1a), and 73.7(4)°, (1b), respectively [(1a): P-1, a = 8.424(2) Å, b = 8.838(2) Å, c = 10.5823(19) Å, α = 90.122(18)°, β = 112.19(2)°, γ = 95.19(2)°, V = 725.9(3) ų; (1b): P2₁/n, a = 10.5888(10) Å, b = 9.1590(6) Å, c = 15.2489(14) Å, β = 103.072(9)°, V = 1440.6(2) ų]. MOPAC computational studies yield dihedral angles of 89.6(5)° and 71.9(9)°. Crystal packing is stabilized by weak π-ring (C?H···Cg) intermolecular interactions in both 1a and 1b and by additional weak Cg ··· Cg intermolecular interactions in 1b, which influence the bond distances, bond angles, and torsion angles of the dibenzyl groups in each polymorph. Additional characterization of each polymorph has been carried out by TEM, IR, ¹H and ¹³C NMR spectroscopy, microanalysis, and by FAB mass spectrometry. TEM studies of a sample of 1a show that it contains cigar-shaped crystallites.

Supplemental materials are available for this article. Go to the publisher's online edition of Phosphorus, Sulfur, and Silicon and the Related Elements to view the free supplemental file.     

Effect of annealing conditions on high temperature superconductivity in La2−xSrxCuO4

Abstract

Besides investigating a number of oxides of the series La_2?xM_xCuO₄ (M=Ba, Pb, Sr), we have, in this investigation emphasised on the studies of the effect of annealing conditions on superconducting properties of composition La_1.8Sr_0.2CuO₄. The effect is remarkable and is di'scuss'ed in the light of X-ray diffraction results. These samples, studied after a gap of two months, showed interesting changes which has been discussed in the present paper.     

Design of segmented cladding fiber for femtosecond laser pulse delivery at 1550 and 1064 nm wavelengths

Segmented cladding fiber (SCF) is capable of single mode operation over an extended range of wavelengths while maintaining large mode area. In this paper we report the design of an SCF with mode area as large as 1,825  $\upmu \hbox {m}^{2}$ , suitable for delivery of high peak power femtosecond laser pulses at 1550 and 1064 nm wavelengths. An SCF with such a large-mode area is a few-moded fiber and its design requires careful choice of design parameters to have robustness against mode-coupling effects and bend loss. In this paper we address these issues and report a design of an SCF showing near distortion-free propagation of 100-fs, 53-kW peak power pulses at 1550-nm wavelength with 1,825- $\upmu \hbox {m}^{2}$ mode area through fundamental mode. The same fiber can also deliver 250-fs, 15-kW peak power pulses at 1064-nm wavelength with 1,793- $\upmu \hbox {m}^{2}$ mode area. The fiber has been analyzed by using the radial effective-index method in conjunction with transfer matrix method and the pulse propagation has been studied by solving the nonlinear Schroedinger equation by split-step Fourier method. Such a fiber would find applications in multiphoton microscopy and in biomedical engineering.     

Derivative free method for computing modes of multilayer planar waveguide

A technique to solve generalized dispersion equation of multilayer planar waveguide has been demonstrated to obtain all the expected guided modes. The solution is based on the derivative free method for computing the zeros of an analytical function in complex plane. The derivative free method extracts the roots which are very close to actual zeros of the function. Roots are further refined using the robust iteration method to achieve the desired accuracy. Application of the proposed method has been verified by solving the modes of a variety of structures including lossless structure, leaky structure, quantum well waveguide, active waveguide, ARROW waveguide and metal clad waveguide. The method is efficient and computes all modes of planar waveguide with high accuracy.     

The formation of an antitubercular complex [Fe(CN)5(INH)]3− through mercury(II)‐catalyzed ligand substitution reaction: A kinetic and mechanistic study

The kinetics and mechanism of the formation of an antitubercular complex [Fe(CN)₅(INH)]^3? based on the substitution reaction between K₄[Fe(CN)₆] and isoniazid (INH), i.e., isonicotinohydrazide, catalyzed by Hg²⁺ in aqueous medium was studied spectrophotometrically at 435 nm (the λ_max of the golden‐yellow‐colored complex [Fe(CN)₅(INH)]^3?) as a function of pH, ionic strength, temperature, and the concentration of the reactants and the catalyst. The replacement of coordinated CN^? in [Fe(CN)₆]^4? was facilitated by incoming ligand INH under the optimized reaction conditions: pH 3.5 ± 0.02, temperature = 30.0 ± 0.1°C, and ionic strength I = 0.05 M (KNO₃). The stoichiometry of the reaction and the stability constant of the complex ([Fe(CN)₅(INH)]^3?) have been established as 1:1 and 2.10 × 10³ M, respectively. The rate of catalyzed reaction was found to be slow at low pH values, to increase with increasing pH, to attain a maximum value at 3.50 ± 0.02, and finally to decrease after pH > 3.5 due to less availability of H⁺ ions needed to regenerate the catalytic species. The initial rates were evaluated for each variation from the absorbance versus time curves. The reaction was found to be pseudo‐first order with respect to [INH] and first order with respect to [Fe(CN)₆^4?] at lower concentration, whereas it was found to be fractional order at higher [INH] and [Fe(CN)₆^4?]. The ionic strength dependence study showed a negative salt effect on the rate of the reaction. Based on experimental results, a mechanism for the studied reaction is proposed. The rate equation derived from this mechanism explains all the experimental observations. The evaluated values of activation parameters for the catalyzed reaction suggest an interchange dissociative (I_d) mechanism. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Chem Kinet 44: 398–406, 2012