Oligofunctional amphiphiles featuring geometric core group preorganization: synthesis and study of Langmuir and Langmuir-Blodgett films

Based on the principle of supramolecular preorganization, a new type of oligofunctional amphiphile, of which compounds 1-4 are representative structures, has been designed and synthesized. The typical feature of their structure is a highly rigid and geometrically well-defined central unit composed of ethynylene substituted aromatic spacers with different numbers of amphiphilic segment groups (also of a rigid geometric design) attached to it. The molecules form well-defined Langmuir films when spread from a solution at the air/water interface or when a 10(-4) M aqueous CaCl2 solution was used as the subphase. By analysis of the surface pressure-surface area (pi-A) isotherms, information on the packing behavior and orientation of the amphiphilic molecules depending on the molecular structure could be obtained. Morphological characterization of the dynamic process of monolayer compression at the air/water interface was carried out by Brewster angle microscopy, illustrating several phase states visualized as snap shots. Thin monolayer films produced on a 10(-4) M aqueous CaCl2 subphase can be transferred to a mica solid support by the Langmuir-Blodgett technique. Tapping mode atomic force microscopy reveals a surface topography of the monofilms composed of 1 and 3 that differ in roughness and also in the properties of elasticity, hardness and adhesive strength. X-Ray crystal structure analysis of three relevant intermediate compounds of the synthesis were successfully determined giving an indication of the potential structural features inherent in the new amphiphiles.     

Enhancement of a 24.77-nm line emitted by the plasma of a boron nitride capillary discharge irradiated by a high-intensity ultrashort laser pulse

Investigations of plasma produced by a boron nitride capillary discharge irradiated with a guided 20-TW Ti: sapphire laser pulse at a peak intensity of 4 x 10(18) W/cm2 are presented. The guided laser radiation in the plasma channel generated He-like ions that, subject to suitable plasma temperature, recombined into Li-like nitrogen ions. Intense radiation at a wavelength of 24.77 nm was observed, indicating possible lasing at the 3d(5/2) - 2p(3/2) transition in Li-like nitrogen.     

Universal fundamental systems in ordered Banach spaces

Let E be a separable Banach space ordered by a reproducing cone with empty interior. We prove the existence of operator functions A : [0, ) P (P the cone of monotone increasing linear operators) and of initial values x₀ such that the solution of x (t) = A(t) x(t), x(0) = x₀, is dense in E.Received: 27 February 2004     

Direct observation of key reaction intermediates on gold clusters

Using ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopy, we provide direct experimental evidence that di-oxygen species are stable on anionic gold dimer and tetramer clusters at room temperature. The stabilization of molecular oxygen is crucial for the high activities of the low-temperature reactions on gold catalysts.     

A posteriori L2 error estimation on anisotropic tetrahedral finite element meshes

A new a posteriori L₂ norm error estimator is proposed for thePoisson equation. The error estimator can be applied to anisotropictetrahedral or triangular finite element meshes. The estimatoris rigorously analysed for Dirichlet and Neumann boundary conditions. The lower error bound relies on specifically designed anisotropicbubble functions and the corresponding inverse inequalities.The upper error bound utilizes non-standard anisotropic interpolationestimates. Its proof requires H² regularity of the Poisson problem,and its quality depends on how good the anisotropic mesh resolvesthe anisotropy of the problem. This is measured by a so-called‘matching function’. A numerical example supports the anisotropic error analysis.     

Short range order in the isotropic phase of antiferroelectric liquid crystals

Optical activity measurements in the isotropic phase of two antiferroelectric liquid crystal systems in which the chirality can be varied reveal unusual behaviour of the short range order. In one system the phase sequence as the chirality is increased is smectic A, smectic C^*_A, and smectic Q. In the other system the phase sequence is smectic C^*, smectic C^*_A, and smectic Q as the chirality is increased. The short range order of the isotropic phase behaves similarly for these systems, showing mean field behaviour at low chirality and far above the phase transition, but deviating from this behaviour significantly as the chirality is increased and the phase transition is approached. These optical activity results indicate how different is the short range order in the isotropic phase for these antiferroelectric liquid crystal systems and demonstrates the crucial role played by chirality. Past theoretical work that includes smecticlike fluctuations in the calculation of short range order in the isotropic phase is capable of qualitatively explaining these results.