Effect of electron beam irradiation on dynamic mechanical,thermal and morphological properties of LLDPE and PDMS rubber blends

The effect of electron beam irradiation on the blends of linear low-density polyethylene (LLDPE) and poly dimethyl siloxane rubber (PDMS) prepared over a wide range of compositions starting from 70:30 to 30:70 (LLDPE: PDMS) by varying the radiation doses from 50 to 300 kGy has been studied. The dynamic modulii and dielectric strength of the blends increase on irradiation at 100 kGy as compared to that for the unirradiated blends. Degree of crystallinity and melting behaviour remain unchanged upon irradiation upto a dose of 100 kGy, beyond which it decreases. Thermal stability increases with increase in the proportion of PDMS rubber in the blend as well as on irradiation at 100 kGy. The phase morphology of the blends examined under the SEM exhibit two phase morphology before electron beam irradiation, whereas single phase morphology is observed after electron beam irradiation due to intra- as well as inter-molecular crosslinking leading to a miscible system.     

Sigma-chelation-directed C-H functionalizations using Pd(II) and Cu(II) catalysts: regioselectivity, stereoselectivity and catalytic turnover

Recent progress in sigma-chelation directed C-H functionalization from the authors' group is described to illustrate the challenges and opportunities in the development of synthetically-useful catalytic reactions involving C-H activation as the key step. Emphasis is placed on strategies for developing catalysis under mild conditions and controlling regio- and stereoselectivity.     

Observation of Griffiths phase in antiferromagnetic La(0.32)Eu(0.68)MnO3

We report the Griffiths phase (GP) scenario for isovalent doping in antiferromagnetic La(0.32)Eu(0.68)MnO(3). Rietveld refinement of structural data displays strong crystal structural distortion. The dc and ac magnetic studies nicely demonstrate unambiguous aspects of robust GP. The presence of ferromagnetically correlated spin clusters is found above the transition temperature, T(N). The disorder-driven phase inhomogeneity is correlated to strong structural distortion, giving rise to the GP. This is an unique example in manganite where double exchange interaction does not play any role for the observed phenomenon.     

Effects on squeezing and sub-poissonian of light in fourth harmonic generation up to first-order Hamiltonian interaction

The effects on squeezing and sub-poissonian of light in fourth harmonic generation (FHG) are investigated based on the fully quantum mechanically up to the first order Hamiltonian interaction in gt, where g is the coupling constant between the modes per second and t is the interaction time between the waves during the process in a nonlinear medium. FHG is a process in which an incident laser beam of the fundamental frequency ω interacts with a nonlinear medium to produce the harmonic frequency at 4ω. The coupled Heisenberg equations of motion involving real and imaginary parts of the quadrature operators are established. The occurrence of amplitude squeezing effects in both the quadratures of the radiation field in the fundamental mode is investigated and found to be dependent on the selective phase values of the field amplitude. The photon statistics of the pump mode in this process have also been investigated and found to be sub-poissonian in nature. It is found that there is no possibility to produce squeezed light in the harmonic mode up to first-order interaction in gt. Further, we have found the case up to second-order Hamiltonian interaction in gt that the normal squeezing in the harmonic mode is directly depends upon the fourth-order squeezing of the initial pump field. This gives a method of converting higher-order (fourth-order) squeezing into normal squeezing in the harmonic mode and vice versa.     

Study of FCNC mediated Z boson effectin the semileptonic rare baryonic decays Λ b → Λl + l -

We study the effect of the FCNC mediated Z boson in the rare semileptonic baryonic decays Λ_b → Λl⁺l^-. We consider the model where the standard model fermion sector is extended by an extra vector-like down quark, as a consequence of which it allows for CP-violating Z mediated flavor changing neutral current at the tree level. We find that due to this non-universal Zbs coupling, the branching ratios of the rare semileptonic Λ_b decays are enhanced reasonably from their corresponding standard model values and the zero point of the forward-backward asymmetry for Λ_b → Λ_μ⁺_μ^- is shifted to the left. Received: 2 June 2005, Published online: 26 October 2005 PACS: 13.30.Ce, 12.60.-i, 11.30.Hv     

Synthesis of derivatives of 4,5-dihydrofuran,furan, and hexahydrobenzofuran from conjugated alkenynes

The regiochemistry of the reaction of 1,2- and 1-substituted derivatives of 1-buten-3-yne and its 4- and 2,4-substituted derivatives of the isoprenoid type with acetoacetic ester and acetylacetone in the presence of the manganese(III) acetate-copper(II) acetate oxidative system was studied. Derivatives of 4,5-dihydrofuran, furan, and hexahydrobenzofuran were obtained.Communication 137 from the series Reactions of unsaturated compounds. See [1] for communication 136.Translated from Khimiya Geterotsiklicheskikh Soedinenii, Vol. 24, No. 3, pp. 317–323, March, 1988.     

Concise syntheses of (+)- and (−)-methylenolactocins and phaseolinic acids

(+)- and (−)-Methylenolactocins and phaseolinic acids are synthesized in four steps via asymmetric syn- and anti-aldol reactions of chiral N-succinyl-2-oxazolidinones using the same set of reagents.     

Absence of first-order transitions in a chainlike metamagnet

A model system consisting of ferromagnetic Ising chains coupled antiferromagnetically to neighboring chains is studied by regarding each chain as lying in a molecular field produced by its neighbors. Analytical and numerical results indicate that the phase transition in a magnetic field at low temperatures is second-order.