Resonant enhancement of low-contrast electro-optic effects

Ferroelectric liquid crystals can be optimized for speed, but such materials tend to have small switching angles and consequently low contrast in the smectic A(*) phase. We describe a method whereby such a low-contrast but fast-switching effect can be enhanced, in theory giving the same contrast as a material with a switching angle of 22.5 degrees . This method therefore promises liquid-crystal modulators of high contrast and with speeds of the order of hundreds of nanoseconds. The theoretical basis of this method and initial results that support this analysis are presented.     

Crystal structure of a macrocyclic tetraamine isocyanato zinc(II) complex

The complex, [Zn(L)(NCO)]Cl · 3H₂O (1) (L = 3,14-dimethyl-2,6,13,17-tetraazatricyclo[14,4,0^1.18,0^7.12]docosane), has been synthesized and structurally characterized. 1 crystallizes in the monoclinic system, space group P2₁/n with a = 10.530(3), b = 9.315(2), c = 27.188(3) Å, = 92.58(1)°, V = 2664.1(9)ų, and Z = 4. The zinc atom is in a distorted squarepyramidal environment with the four nitrogen atoms of the macrocycle and one nitrogen atom of the isocyanate ligand.     

Low temperature GaAs grown by gas source molecular beam epitaxy

Low temperature growth of GaAs by gas source molecular beam epitaxy (GSMBE) is investigated. Reflection high energy electron diffraction is used to monitor the low temperature buffer (LTB) growth and anneal conditions. Growth at low temperatures with dimeric arsenic is more sensitive to the V/III flux ratios and substrate temperatures than with As₄ used in solid source MBE. Temperature dependent conductivity and deep level transient spectroscopy measurements are presented to observe trap outdiffusion from the LTB into subsequently grown FET channels. Low temperature photoluminescence spectra show degradation of quantum well properties when LTBs are grown with increasing V/III flux ratios.     

Chemodosimetric Hg2+-selective signaling by mercuration of dichlorofluorescein derivatives

The chemodosimetric behavior of dichlorofluorescein derivatives toward Hg(2+) ions was investigated. Simple chemodosimetric systems showed selective and efficient signaling behaviors toward micromolar concentrations of Hg(2+) ions over other common interfering metal ions in an aqueous environment. The signaling mechanism is selective mercuration of the 4',5'-position of the xanthene moiety, which results in efficient chromogenic and fluorogenic signaling of Hg(2+) ions in aqueous environment.     

Property (quasi‐α) and the denseness of norm attaining mappings

We introduce property (quasi ‐α), which implies property (A) defined by Lindenstrauss [10] and whose dual property is property (quasi‐β) [2]. We consider relations between this property and other sufficient conditions for property (A), and study the denseness of norm attaining mappings under the conditions of these properties. In particular, if each of the Banach spaces X_k , 1 ≤ k ≤ n – 1, has property (quasi‐α) and X_n has property (A), then the projective tensor product X₁ ··· X_n has property (A). (© 2008 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Two-dimensionally well-ordered multilayer structures in thin films of a brush polypeptide

In this study, we report the first production of two-dimensionally well-ordered molecular multilayers (i.e., with a well-defined molecular lamellar structure) based on the antiparallel beta-sheet chain conformation in thin films of a brush polypeptide, poly(S-n-hexadecyl-dl-homocysteine) (PHHC), through the use of a simple spin-coating process and the quantitative structural and property analysis of the thin films using a grazing incidence X-ray scattering technique combined with Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and differential scanning calorimetry. These analyses provide detailed information about the structure and molecular conformation of the self-assembled lamellae in the PHHC thin film, which is not easily obtained using conventional techniques. Moreover, we used the in situ measurements carried out at various temperatures and the data analyses to establish mechanisms for the evolution of the self-assembled lamellar structures in the film and for their melting. In addition, we propose molecular structure models of the PHHC polymer molecules in the thin film at various temperatures.     

Asymmetric dehydration of β-hydroxy esters and application to the syntheses of flavane derivatives

Catalytic asymmetric dehydration of β-aryl or alkyl substituted β-hydroxy esters via kinetic resolution has been investigated. A brief survey of 10 different chiral ligands is conducted to examine the effects of chiral ligand structure on selectivity of the dehydration. The kinetic resolution of a variety of rac-β-hydroxy tert-butyl esters in the presence of prolinol chiral ligand 2 and BrZnCH₂CO₂-t-Bu can provide highly enantioenriched β-hydroxy esters 14-21 with selectivity factors ranging from 11 to 66. Also, application of this asymmetric synthetic methodology to the preparation of enantioenriched flavane derivatives 25-29 is demonstrated.     

To the theory of homogeneous nucleation: Cluster energy

An attempt is made to critically analyze the modern state of the theory of homogeneous nucleation as concerns its ability to describe experiments with high accuracy. An analysis of the experimental data led us to conclude that the dependence of the nucleation rate on supersaturation and temperature T was not described by the theory, which underestimates the critical cluster size compared with the Gibbs-Thomson equation. The possibility of applying density functional theory (one of the latest achievements in the theory of homogeneous nucleation) was questioned. Within this theory, the Gibbs-Thomson equation remains valid even outside the classic capillary approximation. It is suggested that, to bring theory in consistency with experiment, certain fundamental propositions of the theory of nucleation should be revised. The inclusion of an additional contribution to the Gibbs energy of a cluster caused by the size dependence of the specific heat capacity of the cluster decreases the critical cluster size compared with the value calculated by the Gibbs-Thomson equation. The calculated dependence of nucleation rate on supersaturation was in agreement with the experimental results.