Thermal properties of polyamides containing 1,3–cyclohexane rings

The effect of the 1,3–cyclohexane rings in the chain backbone on thermal properties of polyamides, especially the glass-transition temperature, has been studied using polyamides based on 1,3–cyclohexanebis(methylamine). The increase in glass-transition temperature was far greater than that obtained with the analogous polymers containing m–benzene rings. However, the effects of 1,4–cyclohexane and p-benzene rings are nearly equal. Several possible causes for this difference are examined. It is concluded that restricted chain mobility due to steric hindrance of the cis-1,3–cyclohexane ring, the predominant isomer, is the most likely cause of the difference.     

Design of axisymmetric multi-mirror grazing incidence system to increase the numerical aperture of neutron and X-ray microscopes

An axisymmetric multi-mirror system for neutron and X-ray microscopes is proposed to increase their numerical aperture and collection efficiency. A Wolter type-I mirror is used as the basis of the multi-mirror system at grazing incidence. The addition of an even number of hyperboloid mirrors to the Wolter type-I mirror can satisfy both an equal optical path length and Abbe’s sine condition. The numerical aperture increases in proportion to the number of mirrors. The optical parameters of the system with four tandem mirrors are calculated for neutrons and X-rays with a wavelength of 0.4 nm by assuming that the average grazing angle of incidence is 5.4 mrad and the magnification is 10. The inner diameters of the mirrors are limited to <10 mm considering the total length of the optical system. Tolerance of off-axis distance was calculated using a ray-tracing computer simulation. Ray tracing shows that a blur size <14 nm will be possible at an off-axis displacement of 10 μm.     

Weak surface anchoring energy of 4-cyano-4'-pentyl-1,1'-biphenyl on perfluoropolyether Langmuir-Blodgett films

Functional director alignment layers are needed for high performance liquid crystal displays (LCDs). Reported herein is a novel polymer material for LC alignment, namely, perfluoropolyether (PFPE), which exhibits a weak surface anchoring energy for bend deformation and is amenable to simple fabrication of grooved surfaces by soft lithography, a surface topography desired for multistable LCDs. Liquid crystal optical cells fabricated using Langmuir-Blodgett films of PFPE (of variable thickness) exhibited weak surface anchoring energies on the order of 10(-5) Jm2 for the nematic liquid crystal 4-cyano-4'-pentyl-1,1'-biphenyl with no dependence on film thickness.     

Irradiation and heating effects in amethyst crystals from brazil

Abstract

In this work we report optical absorption spectroscopy study of thermal and irradiation effects on samples of amethyst from Minas Gerais and Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. Three bands were studied: 10500 cm^?1 (k), 18300 cm^?1 (θ) and 28000 cm^?1 (ζ). Thermal and irradiation effects shows that the θ and ζ bands belongs to a same center and the k band to another center. The isothermal decay and irradiation growth of these band reveal a complex kinetics. The optical absorption bands of amethyst from Minas Gerais do not recover the prmitive absorbance after being bleached at 470°C and irradiated. This sample heated at 470°C in highly reducing atmosphere gets a yellow-brown color. The amethyst from Rio Grande do Sul treated at 400°C gets, also, a yellow-brown color. We suggest this color is probalbly due to the formation of Fe₂O₃ submicroscopc segregate crystals due to the diffusion of Fe ions and oxygen vacancies.     

Li⁺ selective podand-type fluoroionophore based on a diphenyl sulfoxide derivative bearing two pyrene groups

New podand-type fluoroionophores having two pyrene moieties: 2,2′-bis(1-pyrenylacetyloxy)diphenyl sulfide (3), 2,2′-bis(1-pyrenylacetyloxy)diphenyl sulfoxide (4), and 2,2′-bis(1-pyrenylacetyloxy)diphenyl sulfone (5), have been synthesized by connecting two 1-pyrenecarbonylmethyl groups with the two hydroxy groups of 2,2′-dihydroxydiphenyl sulfide, sulfoxide, and sulfone, respectively. Their complexation behavior toward alkali metal ions was examined by fluorescence spectroscopy. Among these fluoroionophores, compound 4, having a sulfinyl group, showed high selectivity toward Li?.     

Physical Property of New Liquid Crystal Materials and Mixture Design for Active Matrix LCD

Abstract

We studied the physical properties of three series of new fluorinated liquid crystal components and prepared some mixtures by using these components. Decahydronaphthalenes have low Δn with relatively high T _NI. Naphthalenes and Tetrahydronaphthalenes have large Δ? and variety range of Δn (0.08–0.21). Moreover, we have revealed that the fluoro- substituent at C-1 position for the naphthalene and the tetrahydronaphthalene ring has effects to increase T _NI and to reduce γ₁ with good solubility. Then, we have designed some LC mixtures for AM-LCD having good performance with 4V-driving, quick response, high birefringence, low birefringence, wide temperature range and low driving voltage.     

Confocal full‐field X‐ray microscope for novel three‐dimensional X‐ray imaging

A confocal full‐field X‐ray microscope has been developed for use as a novel three‐dimensional X‐ray imaging method. The system consists of an X‐ray illuminating `sheet‐beam' whose beam shape is micrified only in one dimension, and an X‐ray full‐field microscope whose optical axis is normal to the illuminating sheet beam. An arbitral cross‐sectional region of the object is irradiated by the sheet‐beam, and secondary X‐ray emission such as fluorescent X‐rays from this region is imaged simultaneously using the full‐field microscope. This system enables a virtual sliced image of a specimen to be obtained as a two‐dimensional magnified image, and three‐dimensional observation is available only by a linear translation of the object along the optical axis of the full‐field microscope. A feasibility test has been carried out at beamline 37XU of SPring‐8. Observation of the three‐dimensional distribution of metallic inclusions in an artificial diamond was performed.