Structural anisotropy in friction‐deposited layers of polystyrene

Friction‐deposited layers of atactic polystyrene (PS) on inert and OH‐grafted gold substrates were the subject of this study to establish a relationship between the friction process and the resulting anisotropy of the transferred polymer chains. We show, by using polarization‐modulation infrared reflection‐absorption spectroscopy that the deposited PS chains involve an anisotropy in which PS main backbone is rather perpendicular to the friction support, fact that is surprising when compared with the majority of polymers where the anisotropy is along the sliding direction. Moreover, our calculation of the orientation angles revealed that PS chains are more perpendicular in the transferred layers than in spin‐coated films. This particular anisotropy is probably due to a parallel reorientation of the phenyl ring on the friction support whatever the surface chemistry is. On the other hand, this study was useful to rectify the assignment of infrared bands unclearly reported in the literature. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 44: 3272–3281, 2006     

Anticancer agent development: X-ray crystal structure and keto-enol tautomerism of dimethyl 1-hydroxy-6,7-methylenedioxy-4-(3′,4′,5′-trimethoxyphenyl-trans-3,4-dihydronaphthalene-2,3-dicarboxylate

Structural and conformational information obtained from the crystal structure and solution¹H nmr investigations of the title compound are compared. The 4-aryltetralone, C₂₄H₂₄O₁₀, crystallizes as a chloroform solvate in the monoclinic space group, P2₁/n, witha=12.519(4),b=17.938(6),c=12.534(9)Å,=111.90(5)°, and D_calc=1.51 g cm^–3 forZ=4. The data for this compound were collected at –150°C. Least-squares refinement of 2796 observed [F _o5(F _o)] reflections led to the final agreement index ofR=0.062. A threefold static disorder was observed for one of the carboxyl groups. The second carboxyl group participates in an intramolecular hydrogen bond and is thus ordered. The¹H nmr spectrum revealed the title compound to exist as a keto-enol tautomeric mixture in solution. Vicinal hydrogen coupling constant analysis proved reliable in ascertaining B-ring stereochemistry of 2,3-disubstituted-4-aryltetralones.     

The effect of morphological changes on the coprecipitation of strontium by calcium phosphate

The coprecipitation of strontium by a calcium phosphate phase formed at an elevated pH 10.8 was investigated. The first phase obtained under these conditions in the amorphous calcium phosphate (ACP) which is transformed into crystalline hydroxyapatite (HA) after the induction period. Is has been shown that this transformation together with morphological changes of the precipitated solid phase, influences the amount of the sorbed strontium significantly. The possible consequences of this finding on practical application of coprecipitation of strontium by calcium phosphate have been discussed.     

Critical behaviour of the compressible magnet with exchange anisotropy

Then-component magnet with exchange anisotropy on a compressible lattice, with isotropic elastic properties, is studied. The renormalization group method is applied ind =4 — dimensions. The fixed points and the stability regions are explored to the order ², and the analysis is concentrated upon the casen<4—2 +O( ²). Investigation of the fixed points reveals various crossover phenomena which are not present in the corresponding rigid model. Renormalization of the anisotropy crossover exponent is demonstrated. It is shown that macroscopic instabilities, leading to the first order phase transition, may appear.     

Improved flask-combustion method for phosphorus in petroleum products

Summary An electrical assembly for the oxygen-flask combustion of lubricants and similar petroleum products is described. The pyrolysis is performed in two consecutive steps. After the ignition and burning of the sample (sorbed on sodium carbonate) the combustion is completed by further heating. The sample weight should not exceed 140 mg. In this way the sensitivity of phosphorus determination of the tentative IP standard procedure is enhanced from 0.01 to 0.001% phosphorus if the volume of solution for the final spectrophotometric measurement is reduced.

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Zusammenfassung Ein elektrisches Gerät für die Verbrennung von Schmierölen und ähnlichen Erdölprodukten im Schöniger-Kolben wurde beschrieben. Die Pyrolyse erfolgt in zwei aufeinander folgenden Schritten. Nach der Entflammung der an Natriumcarbonat adsorbierten Probe und nach Erlöschen der Flamme erfolgt die vollständige Verbrennung von Einwaagen, die 140 mg nicht überschreiten. So konnte die Empfindlichkeit der Phosphorbestimmung nach der tentativen IP-Standardmethode von 0,01% auf 0,001% Phosphor gesteigert werden, wenn man die spektrophotometrische Messung mit vermindertem Lösungsvolumen durchführt.

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Herrn Professor Dr. H. Lieb zum 90. Geburtstag gewidmet.     

XRR and GISAXS study of silicon oxynitride films

Thin films of silicon oxynitride have largely replaced pure silicon oxide films as gate and tunnel oxide films in modern technology due to their superior properties in terms of efficiency as boron barrier, resistance to electrical stress and high dielectric strength. A single chamber system for plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition was employed to deposit different films of SiO_xN_yH_z with 0.85 < x < 1.91. All films were previously characterized by Rutherford back-scattering and infrared spectroscopy to determine the stoichiometry and the presence of various bonding configurations of constituent atoms. We used X-ray reflectivity to determine the electron density profile across the depth, and we showed that the top layer is densified. Moreover, grazing incidence small-angle X-ray scattering was used to study inhomogeneities (clustering) in the films, and it is shown that plate-like inhomogeneities exist in the top and sphere-like particles at the bottom part of the film. Their shape and size depend on the stoichiometry of the films.     

Dopant-modulated pair interaction in cuprate superconductors

A comparison of recent experimental STM data with single-impurity and many-impurity Bogoliubov-de Gennes calculations strongly suggests that random out-of-plane dopant atoms in cuprates modulate the pair interaction locally. This type of disorder is crucial to understanding the nanoscale electronic inhomogeneity observed in BSCCO-2212, and can reproduce observed correlations between the positions of impurity atoms and various aspects of the local density of states such as the gap magnitude and the height of the coherence peaks. Our results imply that each dopant atom modulates the pair interaction on a length scale of order one lattice constant.     

First results from the CRIS experiment

The ability to study rare isotopes with techniques such as mass spectrometry and laser spectroscopy is often prevented by low production rates and large isobaric contamination. This has necessitated the development of novel beam cleaning techniques that can efficiently isolate the isotope of interest. The Collinear Resonance Ionization Spectroscopy (CRIS) experiment at ISOLDE, achieves this by resonantly ionizing a bunched atom beam in a region of ultra high vacuum. This method is motivated by the need to measure the hyperfine structure and isotope shift at the extremes of isospin where typical production rates drop to 1 atom/s. The technique also offers the ability to purify an ion beam and even select long-lived isomeric states (> 1 ms) from the ground state, which can be subsequently studied by decay spectroscopy or mass spectrometry experiments. This paper will report on the successful commissioning of the CRIS beam line and the recent laser spectroscopy results and laser assisted nuclear decay spectroscopy on the neutron deficient francium isotopes.     

Stable isotope composition of the meteoric precipitation in Croatia

The precipitation is the input into the water system. Its stable isotope composition has to be known for the proper use and management of water resources. Croatia is not well represented in the Global Network of Isotopes in Precipitation (GNIP) database, and the geomorphology of the country causes specific local conditions. Therefore, at the Stable Isotope Laboratory (SILab), Rijeka, we monitor the stable isotope composition (δ¹⁸O, δ²H) of precipitation. Since δ¹⁸O and δ²H are well correlated, we concentrate the discussion on the δ¹⁸O distribution. Together with GNIP, our database contains 40 stations in Croatia and in the neighbouring countries. Their different latitudes, longitudes and altitudes give information of great detail, including the influence of the topographic structure on the precipitation in the south-eastern part of Europe, as well as the complex interplay of the different climate conditions in the area. Within a few hundred kilometres, the stable isotope values display a significant change from the maritime character in the south (mean δ¹⁸O around?6 to?8%‰) to the continental behaviour in the north (mean δ¹⁸O around?8 to?11%‰). Depending on the location, the mean δ¹⁸O values vary with altitude at a rate of approximately?0.2%‰/100 m and?0.4%‰/100 m, respectively. Also the deuterium excess has been found to depend on location and altitude. The data are being used to construct a δ¹⁸O map for the entire area.     

Partie 1: La nouvelle enceinte destinée à Ia production de I'or colloidal radioactif 198 Au

Une nouvelle enceinte destinée à la production de l,or colloïdal radioactif¹⁹⁸Au à usage thérapeutique et diagnostique est construite dans le Laboratoire de Chimie de Haute Activité à l'Institut des Sciences Nucléaires ?Boris Kidri?”. L'enceinte comporte deux appareils pour la préparation des colloïdes de l'or radioactif, permettant une production permanente méme au cas où l'un des appareils est accidenté. C'est grâce à une conception originale de la protection en plomb que l'accès aus appareils et aux stocks des effluents est rendu facile et ainsi que les systèmes de commande des processus des processus chimiques et la manipulation dans l,enceinte sont bien simplifiés