Grafting of montmorillonite nano‐clay with butyl acrylate and methyl methacrylate by atom transfer radical polymerization: Blends with poly(BuA‐co‐MMA)

11‐(2‐Bromo‐2‐methyl)propionyl‐oxy‐undecyl trichlorosilane atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) initiator was covalently attached on montmorillonite clay platelets via silylation reactions. The initiator clay was used to polymerize butyl acrylate (BuA) and methyl methacrylate (MMA) on the clay surface. Polymerization was performed in bulk monomer solution or in DMSO. Polymer modified clay was mixed with a poly(BuA‐co‐MMA) matrix. Small angle X‐ray scattering (SAXS) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) showed that clay modified in DMSO gave exfoliated composites when mixed with the matrix copolymer. Mechanical properties of the composites were studied by dynamic mechanical thermal analysis (DMTA). The results showed that the mechanical properties were improved as a function of clay content, as well with an increasing homogeneity of the nanocomposite. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 47: 3086–3097, 2009     

Simulation studies of DFB laser longitudinal structures for narrow linewidth emission

The paper presents simulation studies targeting high-power narrow-linewidth emission from semiconductor distributed feedback (DFB) lasers. The studies contain analytic and numerical calculations of emission linewidth, side mode suppression ratio and output power for DFB lasers without phase shifts and with \(1\times \lambda /4\) and \(2\times \lambda /8\) phase shifts, taking into account the grating and facets reflectivities, the randomness of the spontaneous emission and the longitudinal photon and carrier density distributions in the laser cavity. Single device structural parameter optimization is generally associated with a trade-off between achieving a narrow linewidth and a high output power. Correlated optimization of multiple structural parameters enables the evaluation of achievable ranges of narrow linewidth and high power combinations. Devices with long cavities and low grating coupling coefficients, \(\kappa\) (keeping \(\kappa L\) values below the levels that promote re-broadening), with AR-coated facets and with a distributed phase-shift have the flattest longitudinal photon and carrier density distributions. This flatness enables stable single-longitudinal-mode operation with high side-mode-suppression ratio up to high injection current densities, which facilitates narrow linewidths and high output powers. The results reported in the paper indicate that Master-Oscillator Power-Amplifier laser structures are needed for achieving W-level high-powers with sub-MHz linewidths because most single-cavity DFB laser structural variations that reduce the linewidth also limit the achievable output power in single-mode operation.     

Die Einheitlichkeit des 2,4-Dinitrophenylosazons des Glyoxals

Zusammenfassung Aus Glyoxal wurden mit salzsaurer 2,4-Dinitrophenylhydrazinlösung Hydrazone dargestellt. Als Ausgangssubstanz kamen das Mono- und Polyglyoxal sowie die Hydrogensulfitverbindung des Glyoxals und dessen Tetraäthylacetal zur Anwendung. Bei Einhaltung einer genügend langen Fällungsdauer erhielt man als Reaktionsprodukt in allen Fällen dieselbe Verbindung, das Osazon des Monoglyoxals, das bei der Reduktion mit Zinn und Salzsäure in 1,2-Diaminoäthan überging. Bei zu kurzer Fällungsdauer wurde als Reaktionsprodukt — unabhängig von der zugegebenen Reagensmenge — ein Gemisch der Mono- und Bishydrazone des Monoglyoxals erhalten. Die Komponenten wurden sowohl papierals auch dünnschichtchromatographisch getrennt. Bei Behandlung mit alkalischem Äthanol wurde das Monohydrazon orange und das Bishydrazon, das Osazon, blau gefärbt. Die von uns früher geäußerte Auffassung^18,19, daß sich das Osazon des Glyoxals mit alkalischem Äthanol blau färbt, erwies sich somit als stichhaltig.

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Summary Hydrazones of glyoxal were prepared from mono- and polyglyoxal, from the bisulfite derivative of glyoxal and the tetraethyl acetal with 2,4-dinitrophenylhydrazine in hydrochloric acid solution. When sufficient time was used for precipitation the same compound, monoglyoxal osazone, was obtained in all cases. Reduction of the monoglyoxal osazone with tin and hydrochloric acid gave diaminoethane. If the precipitation time was too short, a mixture of the mono- and bishydrazones of monoglyoxal was obtained-independently of the amount of reagent added. The components were separated by paper and thin-layer chromatography. The monohydrazone gave an orange colour with alkaline ethanol, while the bishydrazone, osazone, gave a blue one. Thus our previous opinion^18,19 that the osazone of glyoxal gives a blue colour with alkaline ethanol has been confirmed.

     

Upper bounds on the general covering number Cλ(v,k, t,m)

A collection of k‐subsets (called blocks) of a v‐set X (v) = {1, 2,…, v} (with elements called points) is called a t‐(v, k, m, λ) covering if for every m‐subset M of X (v) there is a subcollection of with such that every block K ∈ has at least t points in common with M. It is required that v ≥ k ≥ t and v ≥ m ≥ t. The minimum number of blocks in a t‐(v, k, m, λ) covering is denoted by C_λ(v, k, t, m). We present some constructions producing the best known upper bounds on C_λ(v, k, t, m) for k = 6, a parameter of interest to lottery players. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Observation of shot-noise-induced asymmetry in the Coulomb blockaded Josephson junction

We have investigated the influence of shot noise on the IV curves of a single mesoscopic Josephson junction. We observe a linear enhancement of zero-bias conductance of the Josephson junction with increasing shot-noise power. Moreover, the IV curves become increasingly asymmetric. Our analysis on the asymmetry shows that the Coulomb blockade of Cooper pairs is strongly influenced by the non-Gaussian character of the shot noise.     

Homogeneous nucleation rate measurements of 1-butanol in helium: a comparative study of a thermal diffusion cloud chamber and a laminar flow diffusion chamber

Isothermal homogeneous nucleation rates of 1-butanol were measured both in a thermal diffusion cloud chamber and in a laminar flow diffusion chamber built recently at the Institute of Chemical Process Fundamentals, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Prague, Czech Republic. The chosen system 1-butanol-helium can be studied reasonably well in both devices, in the overlapping range of temperatures. The results were compared with those found in the literature and those measured by Lihavainen in a laminar flow diffusion chamber of a similar design. The same isotherms measured with the thermal diffusion cloud chamber occur at highest saturation ratios of the three devices. Isotherms measured with the two laminar flow diffusion chambers are reasonably close together; the measurements by Lihavainen occur at lowest saturation ratios. The temperature dependences observed were similar in all three devices. The molecular content of critical clusters was calculated using the nucleation theorem and compared with the Kelvin equation. Both laminar flow diffusion chambers provided very similar sizes slightly above the Kelvin equation, whereas the thermal diffusion cloud chamber suggests critical cluster sizes significantly smaller. The results found elsewhere in the literature were in reasonable agreement with our results.     

A note on the largest empty rectangle problem

We consider the following problem: given a rectangle containingn points, find the largest perimeter subrectangle whose sides are parallel to those of the original rectangle, whose aspect ratio is below a given bound, and which does not contain any of the given points. Chazelle, Drysdale and Lee have studied a variant of this problem with areas as the quantity to be maximized. They gave anO(nlog³ n) algorithm for that problem. We adopt a similar divide-and-conquer approach and are able to use the simpler properties of the perimeter measure to obtain anO(nlog² n) algorithm for our problem.The work of the first author was supported by the Academy of Finland and that of the second by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada Grant No. A-5692.     

Uniqueness and Well-Posedness Results for First Orderinitial and Boundary Value Problems

We derive comparison, uniqueness and well-posedness results for first order explicit and implicit initial and boundary value problems. Differential equations may involve discontinuities.     

Determination of antimony in geochemical samples by graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry using different matrix modifiers

Determination of antimony by graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry using five different matrix modifiers, viz. nitric acid, copper, nickel, molybdenum and palladium, together with L'vov platform was studied. Without matrix modification, antimony was lost in a 1.2-M HCl solution when the thermal pretreatment temperature exceeded 700°C. By using 1.4 M HNO₃ or $\text{1μg}\text{20μl}$ copper solution the thermal pretreatment temperature could be increased up to 900°C. The matrix modification with $\text{2μg}\text{20μl}$ palladium, $\text{4μg}\text{20μl}$ molybdenum, or $\text{20μg}\text{20μl}$ nickel allowed the use of 1300°C as the pretreatment temperature. The best results were obtained with palladium when its concentration exceeded $\text{0.8μg}\text{20μl}$. Chemical interferences were studied with standard solutions spiked with different metal chlorides. The severe interference caused by iron chloride was avoided with ascorbic acid (2.5 %, $\text{w}\text{v}$). The method was tested on some geochemical reference samples.