Investigations of 2-substituted imidazoles. 2. Synthesis and electrophilic substitution of 1-methyl-2-(thienyl-2)imidazole. A convenient method of methylation of 2-R-imidazoles

We have synthesized 2-(thienyl-2)imidazole and its N-methyl derivative. The latter product was obtained by nitration, bromination, acylation, and formylation, occurring as a rule on the thiophene ring. A general method for methylating 2-R-imidazoles with methyl iodide KOH-dimethoxy ethane is proposed.For Communication 1 see [1].Translated from Khimiya Geterotsiklicheskikh Soedinenii, No. 10, pp. 1414–1418, October, 1991.     

Multilayer coaxial fiber dielectric elastomers for actuation and sensing

A simple dip-coating technique was employed to manufacture coaxial actuators with multiple layers of alternating dielectric and conducting layers. A thin rubber string was coated with an electrode–insulator–electrode structure, giving rise to a thin, fiber-like actuator with coaxial geometry. The process was repeated to achieve a compact multilayer actuator with up to three coaxial dielectric layers. Mechanical and electromechanical characterization of the actuators is presented, showing actuation strains up to 8% and proper voltage–thickness scaling behavior. Also presented is a capacitance vs. extension plot, demonstrating that these structures can be used for compact and accurate capacitive strain sensing.     

Method of frustrated total reflection in spectroscopy of surface polaritons in almost perfectly conducting metals

The standard technique for surface polaritons excitation by a prism coupling in Otto configuration is applied for investigation of almost perfectly conducting (pec) metals like tantalum irradiated by a collimated He-Ne laser radiation (λ ₀ = 632.8 nm). In pec metals the imaginary part of the relative dielectric permittivity (ɛ″) is quite larger than the modulus of the real part of the same quantity (ɛ′ < 0, ɛ″ ≫ | ɛ′ |). Under this condition the single Lorentz dip of the reflectivity coefficient is proven to exist and is given in an analytical form, which follows from simplification of the usual multilayer Fresnel formula. In the case of a deterministically curved metal surface an approximate solution to the reduced Rayleigh integral equation appropriate for the Otto configuration is also given. These two theoretical deductions are compared with experimental data that have been produced by us for the reflectivity into the prism region from a bulk tantalum sample.     

Experimental and theoretical study on the absorption and fluorescence properties of substituted aryl hydrazones of 1,8-naphthalimide

Absorption and fluorescence spectra in acetonitrile for a series of substituted aryl hydrazones of N-hexyl-1,8-naphthalimide are studied with the aim of potential application of the compounds for enzyme activity localization. The influence of the substituents on the spectral characteristics has been evaluated. The absorption and fluorescence energies of substituted aryl-1,8-naphthalimide hydrazones have been calculated with the PCM TDDFT formalism. The M06 and PBE0 functionals, combined with the 6-31+G(d) atomic basis set, have been found to accurately model the excited state properties of the present set of solvated fluorophores. Absorption and fluorescence spectral characteristics have been rationalized in terms of experimental and theoretical electronic indices in order to assess their predictive abilities for application in designing analogues with good emitting properties. An excellent linear dependence is established between the experimental fluorescence and Hammett σ(p)(+) substituent constants and on the other hand σ(p)(+) constants correlate with the theoretically calculated values for the electrostatic potential at nuclei (EPN). A model for predicting the fluorescence properties of substituted hydrazones by means of EPN is drawn, including the polysubstituted derivatives, where Hammett constants are not applicable.     

Resonance-induced cluster-mobility: Dynamics of a finite Frenkel-Kontorova model

Statics and dynamics of a finite incommensurate Frenkel-Kontorova chain are studied in the framework of both continuum and discrete models. Since the ground state of the finite chain is not degenerate it cannot freely slide along the substrate, i.e., the finite chain does not possess the “supermobility” of the infinitely long incommensurate chain. Instead, the finite chain shows a “resonance mobility”. Simulating the behaviour of the finite chain in an external field we observe resonances around the lowest frequency in the acoustic branch of the chain spectrum. This frequency depends on the chain size and the degree of incommensurability and corresponds to vibration “in-phase” of all solitons in the chain. The resonance leads to a significantly increased diffusive mobility of clusters of a specific size. This selectively enhanced cluster-mobility persists also in the presence of stochastic forces and friction.     

Semi-microscopic calculation of the level density in spherical nuclei

The level density at the neutron binding energy for 90 spherical nuclei in the interval 50 < A < 205 is calculated by a method of direct counting of the number of states taking into account collective vibrational excitations. The results of calculations are in satisfactory agreement with the experimental data. The difference in the level density of doubly even and odd-A nuclei is correctly described. The effect of nuclear vibrations on the level density is studied, and it is shown that the account of them leads to an increase in the density by a factor of 1.5–10 and to a decrease in the density fluctuations. It is also studied how the level density depends on excitation energy. With increasing excitation energy, our results come nearer the corresponding values obtained by the statistical model. It is found that the density fluctuations decrease with increasing excitation energy but remain still strong at the neutron binding energy for nuclei with A = 50–70 and for nuclei around closed shells. The density ρ(I^π) is studied as a function of spin and parity. It is shown that at the neutron binding energy the ratio $\text{ρ(I}{}^{\mathrm{+}}\text{)}\text{ρ(I}{}^{\mathrm{?}}\text{)}$ is different from unity for the majority of nuclei. This difference is especially striking for ⁵⁷Fe and ⁵⁸Fe nuclei.