Synthesis,crystal structure and luminescent properties of pyrovanadates A2CaV2O7 (A = Rb,Cs)

The novel vanadium oxides Rb₂CaV₂O₇ and Cs₂CaV₂O₇ have been prepared by solid-state reaction and their crystal structures determined and refined using X-ray, neutron powder and electron diffraction data. Rb₂CaV₂O₇ and Cs₂CaV₂O₇ are isostructural, crystallizing in space group P2₁/n with unit cell parameters: a = 13.8780(1), b = 5.96394(5), c = 10.3376(1) Å, β = 104.960(1)° and a = 14.0713(2), b = 6.0934(1), c = 10.5944(1) Å, β = 104.608(1)°, respectively. Their crystal structures can be described as a framework of CaO₆ octahedra and V₂O₇ pyrogroups with alkaline metals found in the tunnels formed. Photoluminescence (PL) and PL excitation spectra of the considered pyrovanadates have been studied in the vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) to visible light (Vis) range as well as their pulse cathode luminescence (PCL) spectra and the kinetic parameters of PCL. In the PL and the PCL spectra of both pyrovanadates recorded at T = 300 K a broad band with maxima at 2.2, 2.4 eV and two shoulders (bands) at 2.0 and 2.58 eV have been observed. At T = 10 K the band at 2.0 eV becomes the main band in the spectra. Two types of luminescence centers for each pyrovanadate, with very similar excitation bands at 3.75, 4.84, 6.2, 7.3 and 9.1 eV, have been found. The nature of the luminescence centers connected with the bands at 2.0, 2.2, 2.4 and 2.58 eV is discussed.     

Energy Interval 1S–2S in Muonic Hydrogen and Helium

Journal of Experimental and Theoretical Physics - The interval of a large structure of energy spectrum (1S–2S) in muonic helium and hydrogen is calculated using a quasi-potential method in...     

High-resolution adsorption of nitrogen on mesoporous alumina

Nitrogen adsorption isotherms on organized mesoporous aluminas prepared by several different synthesis procedures were analyzed by means of comparative plot method using Aluminiumoxid C (Degussa) and alpha-alumina as reference adsorbents. To secure the high-resolution ability of this method, all the adsorption measurements were carefully performed in a relative pressure range from 10(-6) to 0.99. Although some samples of organized mesoporous alumina were treated at temperatures up to 1000 degrees C, only the Aluminiumoxid C has proved to be suitable as a reference adsorbent. The comparative analysis of isotherms on activated aluminas has shown that this method allows the determination of very small amounts of microporosity. The standard nitrogen adsorption data for Aluminiumoxid C and alpha-alumina are presented in a tabulated form, which consists of 91 points for each adsorbent.     

Intramolecular cyclization assistance for fast degradation of ornithine‐based poly(ester amide)s

Inspired by the spontaneous cyclization of ornithine in peptides, polyesters containing protected ornithine (Orn) side chains along the backbone were synthesized and shown to degrade rapidly upon deprotection through intramolecular cyclization. A new ornithine‐based poly(ester amide) PEA 1 and a lysine‐based control PEA 2, both bearing the light‐sensitive protecting group o‐nitrobenzyl alcohol (ONB), were synthesized. Tert‐butyl carbamate (Boc)‐protected versions 1‐Boc and 2‐Boc were also synthesized for proof of concept. GPC confirmed that 1‐Boc degrades over 40 times faster than 2‐Boc following deprotection into the designed intramolecular cyclization products. Finally, TEM visualization of particles made from 1 encapsulating iron oxide nanoparticles reveals complete disruption of nanoparticles and release of payload within a day upon UV irradiation. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2013 , 51, 3783–3790     

Enhancing evanescent wave intensity in a ferroelectrics plate (Kretschmann geometry)

Conditions for the fourfold amplification of evanescent wave (s- or p-type) intensity are discussed for a nonmagnetic dielectric-ferroelectric plate-vacuum structure (Kretschmann geometry).     

Uniform Approximation by the Highest Defect Continuous Polynomial Splines: Necessary and Sufficient Optimality Conditions and Their Generalisations

In this paper necessary and sufficient optimality conditions for uniform approximation of continuous functions by polynomial splines with fixed knots are derived. The obtained results are generalisations of the existing results obtained for polynomial approximation and polynomial spline approximation. The main result is two-fold. First, the generalisation of the existing results to the case when the degree of the polynomials, which compose polynomial splines, can vary from one subinterval to another. Second, the construction of necessary and sufficient optimality conditions for polynomial spline approximation with fixed values of the splines at one or both borders of the corresponding approximation interval.     

Diffraction of light beams in media with longitudinal-transverse inhomogeneity

A theory has been developed to describe the propagation of planar wave beams in media with linear or nonlinear susceptibility modulated in the transverse and longitudinal directions. The diffraction in curved coupled waveguides and from wedge-shaped inhomogeneities is considered. Ray trajectories are found and the Schrödinger equation for the beam envelope is solved numerically. The spatial dynamics of energy redistribution in the beam cross section is described. Conditions for suppressing the beam spread due to the refractive index modulation are found.     

Thermodynamic aspects of solubility,solvation and partitioning processes of some sulfonamides

The thermodynamic aspects of sublimation processes of three sulfonamides with the general structures C₆H₅–SO₂NH–C₆H₄–R (R = 4-NO₂) and 4-NH₂–C₆H₄–SO₂NH–C₆H₄–R (R = 4-NO₂; 4-CN) were studied by investigating the temperature dependence of vapor pressure using the transpiration method. These data together with those obtained earlier for C₆H₅–SO₂NH–C₆H₄–R (R = 4-Cl) and 4-NH₂–C₆H₄–SO₂NH–C₆H₄–R (R = 4-Cl; 4-OMe; 4-C₂H₅) were analyzed and compared. A correlation was derived between sublimation Gibbs free energies and the sum of H-bond acceptor factors of the molecules. Solubility processes of the compounds in water, phosphate buffer with pH 7.4 and n-octanol (as phases modeling various drug delivery pathways) were investigated and corresponding thermodynamic functions were calculated as well. Thermodynamic characteristics of the sulfonamides solvation were evaluated. Also in this case a correlation between solubility/solvation Gibbs free energy values and the sum of H-bond acceptor factors was observed. For the sulfonamides with various substituents at para-position the processes of transfer from one solvent (water or buffer) to n-octanol were studied by a diagram method combined with analysis of enthalpic and entropic terms. Distinguishing between enthalpy and entropy, as is possible through the present approach, leads to the insight that the contribution of these terms is different for different molecules (entropy- or enthalpy-determined). Thus, in contrast to the interpretation of only the Gibbs free energy of transfer (extensively used for pharmaceuticals in the form of the partition coefficient, log P), the analysis of thermodynamic functions of the transfer process provides additional mechanistic information. This may be important for further evaluation of the physiological distribution of drug molecules and may provide a better understanding of biopharmaceutical properties of drugs.     

Silver colloid nanoparticles: synthesis, characterization, and their antibacterial activity

A one-step simple synthesis of silver colloid nanoparticles with controllable sizes is presented. In this synthesis, reduction of [Ag(NH(3))(2)](+) complex cation by four saccharides was performed. Four saccharides were used: two monosaccharides (glucose and galactose) and two disaccharides (maltose and lactose). The syntheses performed at various ammonia concentrations (0.005-0.20 mol L(-1)) and pH conditions (11.5-13.0) produced a wide range of particle sizes (25-450 nm) with narrow size distributions, especially at the lowest ammonia concentrations. The average size, size distribution, morphology, and structure of particles were determined by dynamic light scattering (DLS), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and UV/Visible absorption spectrophotometry. The influence of the saccharide structure (monosacharides versus disaccharides) on the size of silver particles is briefly discussed. The reduction of [Ag(NH(3))(2)](+) by maltose produced silver particles with a narrow size distribution with an average size of 25 nm, which showed high antimicrobial and bactericidal activity against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria, including highly multiresistant strains such as methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus. Antibacterial activity of silver nanoparticles was found to be dependent on the size of silver particles. A very low concentration of silver (as low as 1.69 mug/mL Ag) gave antibacterial performance.