Preparation and Optical Characterization of Organoeuropium-Doped Silica Gels

Gels have been investigated as potential matrices for rare earth luminescence. The use of complexing ligands in the sol-gel synthesis of the rare-earth doped glasses has been suggested to improve the rare earth ion luminescence properties in these matrices due to the changes in the local environment experienced by the rare earth ion. In this work, transparent Eu3+-doped gels were prepared from Si(OCH3)4 and fluorinated and/or complex-forming Eu3+ precursors (Eu(fod)3, (CF3 SO3)3Eu, (CF3CO2)Eu · 3H2O, Eu(thd)3 and Eu(acac)3). Results of emission, fluorescence line narrowing and lifetimes studies of Eu3+-doped gels derived from Si(OCH3)4 and fluorinated/chelate Eu3+ precursors are presented. The results were interpreted in terms of the evolution of the Eu3+ fluorescence in systems varying from solutions to the gels densified to 800°C. Analysis of the fluorescence decays of the 5D0 state suggests that the use of the fluorinated Eu3+ precursors reduces the hydrophobic content in the silica gels matrices. FLN studies indicate that Eu3+ clustering occurred in all densified samples.     

Buchwald protocol applied to the synthesis of N-heterotolan liquid crystals

A homologous series of the new N-heterotolans 8a-d were synthesized using two cross-coupling reactions mediated by copper and palladium/copper. The final compounds present the phenyl-pyridyl framework connected by the acetylene group. The evaluation of thermal properties for this series is described. All compounds exhibit the smectic A and X mesophase. For comparison were also synthesized compounds 10, 12, and 14. Their LC properties are reported.     

In-Situ Nanoindentation Measurement of Local Mechanical Behavior of a Li-Ion Battery Cathode in Liquid Electrolyte

Experimental Mechanics - The state-of-the-art cathode materials experience severe structural and mechanical degradation over lithiation cycles albeit their small deformation. It has been a great...     

A multiplicative version of Promethee II applied to multiobjective optimization problems

The method Promethee II has produced attractive results in the choice of the most satisfactory optimal solution of convex multiobjective problems. However, according to the current literature, it may not work properly with nonconvex problems. A modified version of this method, called multiplicative Promethee, is proposed in this paper. Both versions are applied to some analytical problems, previously optimized by an evolutionary algorithm. The multiplicative Promethee got much better results than the original Promethee II, being capable of solving convex and nonconvex problems, with continuous and discontinuous Pareto fronts.     

Unequivocal assignments of flavonoids from Tephrosia sp. (Fabaceae)

¹H and ¹³C NMR chemical shifts of praecansone B, pongaflavone and dehydrorotenone isolated from Tephrosia egregia Sandw and obovatin from T. toxicaria Pers. were unambiguously assigned by 1D and 2D NMR experiments including ¹H, ¹H COSY, gHMQC and gHMBC, allowing the correction of literature assignments.Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.