Third-order optical nonlinearity in regioregular head-to-tail coupled poly(3-Hexylthiophene)

We measured the third-order optical nonlinearity of regioregular head-to-tail coupled poly (3-hexylthiophene) (HT-PHT) and regiorandom poly (3-hexylthiophene) (R-PHT) around exciton resonance using degenerate four wave mixing. The observed value of ∣χ⁽³⁾∣ at the exciton resonance peak of HT-PHT is in the order of 10^-9 esu which is approximately three-fold larger than that of R-PHT. We observed for the first time the enhancement in optical nonlinearity that occurs through the control of regularity of the polymeric structure. Response time of the nonlinearity was also measured using the transient grating method. The decay time of the transient grating in R-PHT and HT-PHT was less than 2 ps.     

Performance characteristics of narrow linewidth fiber laser pumped mid-IR difference frequency mixing light source for methane detection.

A high-power, narrow-linewidth Yb fiber laser with a fiber Bragg grating (FBG) pumped difference frequency generation (DFG) in a periodically poled lithium niobate (PPLN) crystal was investigated in detail. A mid-IR power of approximately 2.3 microW at 3.3 micrometers with a slope efficiency of 0.85 mW/W2 was achieved. A Doppler-broadened absorption spectrum of CH4 at 3038.497 cm-1 (3.2911 micrometers) was obtained with a 0.1-m long-gas cell at a pressure of 133 Pa. The linewidth of the DFG source was evaluated to be less than 96 MHz from the observed spectral linewidth. Real-time monitoring of CH4 (approximately 1.78 ppm) in ambient air in a multipass cell which has an optical path length of 10 m was also demonstrated.     

Simultaneous determination of residual antiparasitic lactones in bovine muscle and liver by liquid chromatography with fluorescence detection

Abamectin, doramectin, eprinomectin, ivermectin, milbemectin, and moxidectin in bovine muscle and liver were extracted with acetonitrile. The extracts were partitioned with n-hexane and then evaporated to dryness. The residue was cleaned up on Bond Elute NH2 cartridge, and the drugs were eluted from the cartridge with methanol-ethyl acetate (3 + 7). The eluate was evaporated to dryness, and residues were derivatized with N,N-dimethylformamide-acetic anhyride-1-methylimidazole. The derivatives were determined by liquid chromatography with fluorescence detection. Recoveries of the 6 drugs were 79.6-63.8% in muscle and 71.6-60.6% in liver at 0.01 ppm levels. The quantitation limits were 5 ppb for each drug.     

Interaction of heptakis (2,3,6-tri-O-methyl)-beta-cyclodextrin with cholesterol in aqueous solution

The interaction of cholesterol with heptakis (2,3,6-tri-O-methyl)-beta-cyclodextrin (TOM-beta-CyD) was investigated in water using solubility method. It was found that TOM-beta-CyD forms two kinds of soluble complexes, with molar ratios of 1:1 and 1:2 (cholesterol:TOM-beta-CyD). The thermodynamic parameters for 1:1 and 1:2 complex formation of cholesterol with TOM-beta-CyD were: DeltaG0(1:1)=-11.0 kJ/mol at 25 degrees C (K1:1=7.70 x 10 M(-1)); DeltaH0(1:1)=-1.28 kJ/mol; TDeltaS0(1:1)=9.48 kJ/mol; DeltaG0(1:2)=-27.8 kJ/mol at 25 degrees C (K1:2)=7.55 x 10(4) M(-1)); DeltaH0(1:2)=-0.57 kJ/mol; TDeltaS0(1:1)=27.3 kJ/mol. The formation of the 1:2 complex occurred much more easily than that of the 1:1 complex. The driving force for 1:1 and 1:2 complex formation was suggested to be exclusively hydrophobic interaction. Based on the measurements of proton nuclear magnetic resonance spectra and studies with Corey-Pauling-Koltun atomic models, the probable structures of the 1:2 complex were estimated. In addition, the interaction of TOM-beta-CyD with cholesterol was compared with that of heptakis (2,6-di-O-methyl)-beta-CyD (DOM-beta-CyD). The interaction of TOM-beta-CyD is more hydrophobic than that of DOM-beta-CyD, and the life time of the complexed TOM-beta-CyD is sufficiently long to give separated signals, at the NMR time scale, which differs from that of complexed DOM-beta-CyD.     

Titanium compounds as coatings on polystyrene latices and as hollow spheres

Sub-micron-sized anionic polystyrene latices have been coated with uniform layers of amorphous titanium dioxide by hydrolysis of titanium tetrabutoxide in ethanolic solutions containing the polymer cores. The thickness of the coating layer could be altered by adjusting the concentration of titanium tetrabutoxide and the amount of polymer latex added to the system. Hollow colloidal spheres of crystal titanium dioxide were obtained by calcination of the so-coated polystyrene latices at an elevated temperature. Received: 29 July 1999/Accepted in revised form: 15 October 1999     

Electrical property and water repellency of a networked monolayer film prepared from Au nanoparticles

Gold nanoparticles, modified with alkyl thiol, formed a film on polystyrene substrate, and it was found that the deposited film drastically changes its conductivity and hydrophobicity, depending on the alkyl chain length of the thiol used.     

Drying of alkoxide gels—Observation of an alternate phenomenology

The process of drying of a porous material as per the current phenomenological theory can be divided into two stages. At first the body shrinks by an amount equal to the volume of liquid that evaporates, and the liquid-vapor interface remains at the exterior surface of the body. The second stage begins when the body becomes too stiff to shrink and the liquid recedes into the interior, leaving air filled pores near the surface. We shall refer to this phenomenology as the drying front model. In our investigation of drying of alkoxide silica gels of less than 50 Angstroms pore radius, we have observed a different drying pattern, in which even after the gel body stops shrinking, drying continues to occur by evaporation on the exterior surface of the gel body, causing spontaneous nucleation of partially or fully dried opaque clusters, randomly distributed in the interior parts of the gel. These clusters than increase in number and size till they coalesce to form an opaque body. Upon further drying, the gel returns to its transparent form. We postulate that this is possible only if the rate of fluid flow in the pores by diffusion is faster than that by Darcy's flow, as well as the evaporation rate at the surface of the gel body. We shall refer to this as the cluster drying model. We shall present results of pin-hole drying experiments on cylindrical alkoxide gels showing that for identical gels the evaporation rate can be increased to change the phenomenology from cluster drying to one that exhibits both phenomenology simultaneously and finally to that of the drying front phenomenology. We shall also show the effect of gel pore size distribution on the phenomenology of drying under identical drying conditions. Finally, we will present evidence that for successful drying of large cylindrical alkoxide gels, drying conditions favoring cluster drying phenomenology is desirable.     

Activity enhancement of a screen-printed carbon electrode by modification with gold nanoparticles for glucose determination

We have successfully developed a highly sensitive electrochemical sensor strip for a home blood-sugar monitoring device by a single-step straightforward procedure. The strip consists of a pair of screen-printed carbon electrodes, which work as counter and working electrodes in the chronoamperometric mode. To remedy the poor electrochemical activity of the printed carbon electrode, a small amount of gold nanoparticles was immobilized on the electrode. In the presence of glucose oxidase, the electrode modified with 2-nm particles showed about a five times higher sensitivity for glucose oxidation than the bare printed carbon electrode, and there was a significant dependence of the current on the particle diameter. Based on these observations, we have elucidated the glucose oxidation mechanism, which is comprised of two key factors, i.e. (1) electron transfer between the gold particles, and (2) electronic coupling between the gold particles and glucose oxidase.     

Dynamic helicity control of single-helical oligooxime metal complexes by coordination of chiral carboxylate ions

Helicity of single-helical metal complexes, [L¹Zn₃La]³⁺ and [L²Zn₂La]³⁺, was dynamically controlled by coordination of chiral carboxylate ions such as mandelate ion. Spectroscopic investigation indicated that two chiral carboxylate ions contribute to the dynamic helicity control. In addition, the coordination of the carboxylate ions resulted in a nonlinear response in the dynamic helicity control.