Laser performance of pyrromethene 567 dye in solid matrices of methyl methacrylate with different comonomers

Laser performance of pyrromethene 567 (PM567) dye dissolved in pure poly(methyl methacrylate) homopolymer and its copolymers with 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate, 2-hydroxyethyl acrylate, 1-vinyl-2-pyrrolidone, 2-phenoxyethyl acrylate, and 2,2,2-trifluoromethyl methacrylate has been investigated. The chosen monomers were selected to mimic solvents used in a previous study on the photophysical and lasing properties of PM567 in liquid solution in order to establish correlations between the lasing properties of PM567 in liquid and solid solutions. The vol/vol proportion of the different comonomers in each copolymer formulation was systematically varied, and the effect of each composition on the lasing properties of PM567 was evaluated. The laser samples were transversely pumped at 534 nm with 5.5-mJ pulses from a frequency-doubled Q-switched Nd:KGW laser. Lasing efficiencies of up to 30% and good photostabilities, with a drop of the initial laser output of 20% after 10000 pump pulses in some of the solid samples, were demonstrated. Received: 2 June 1999 / Revised version: 18 July 1999 / Published online: 3 November 1999     

Synthesis,Structure, Reactivity and Catalytic Implications of a Cationic,Acetylide-Bridged Trigold–JohnPhos Species

The cationic complex [(JohnPhos–Au)₃(acetylide)][SbF₆] (JohnPhos=(2-biphenyl)di-tert-butylphosphine, L1) has been characterised structurally and features an acetylide–trigold(I)–JohnPhos system; the trinuclear–acetylide unit, coordinated to the monodentate bulk phosphines, adopts an unprecedented μ,η¹,η²,η¹ coordination mode with an additional interaction between distal phenyl rings and gold centres. Other cationic σ,π-[(gold(I)L1)₂] complexes have also been isolated. The reaction of trimethylsilylacetylene with various alcohols (iPrOH, nBuOH, n-HexOH) catalysed by cationic [Au^IL1][SbF₆] complexes in CH₂Cl₂ at 50 °C led to the formation of acetaldehyde acetals with a high degree of chemo- and regioselectivity. The reaction mechanism was studied, and several organic and inorganic intermediates have been characterised. A comparative study with the analogous cationic [Cu^IL1][PF₆] complex revealed different behaviour; the copper metal is lost from the coordination sphere leading to the formation of cationic vinylphosphonium and copper nanoparticles. Additionally, a new catalytic approach for the formation of this high-value cationic vinylphosphonium has been established.     

Thermal conductivity of insulations approached from a new aspect

In the literature, several definitions can be found for the thermal conductivity; however, many of them are not clearly explained. The easiest explanation is the following: the property of a material to conduct heat. It is evaluated primarily in terms of Fourier’s Law for heat conduction. Nowadays, the examination of the thermal conductivity of building materials is very important both for the manufacturers and for the consumers. Nonetheless in real, confusing definitions and interpretations can be found regarding the exact meaning of the thermal conductivity of the materials. In physics and in engineering practice, the following appellations are used as heat conductivity, thermal conduction coefficient, design and declared values of the thermal conductivities as well as the effective thermal conductivity. In this article we would give an overview about the correct explanations of the above-mentioned values. At first thermal conductivity measurements of four different types of expanded polystyrene materials (EPS, 80, 100, 150, 200) will be presented by using Holometrix Lambda 2000 type Heat Flow Meter after drying them in a Venticell 111 type laboratory oven to changeless mass.

     

Spectra of fast π + mesons from the π − A → π + X reaction on oxygen and lithium nuclei at 0.59 GeV

The spectra of fast π ⁺ mesons from the π ^? A → π ⁺ X reaction on A=⁶Li, ⁷Li, and ¹⁶O nuclei at a primary momentum of p ₀=0.72 GeV/c (T ₀=0.59 GeV) are measured at emission-angle values in the range ?=0°–14°. The results obtained in this way are compared with experimental data taken in other studies at lower energies and with the results of model calculations. The energy dependence of the cross sections and of shadowing effects is analyzed for the reactions in question that occur on lithium isotopes.     

Nearly Linear Time Algorithms for Permutation Groups: An Interplay Between Theory and Practice

We survey polynomial time algorithms (both deterministic and random) for computations with permutation groups. Particular emphasis is given to algorithms with running time of the form O(n log ^c |G|), where G is a permutation group of degree n. In the case of small-base groups, i.e., when log |G| is polylogarithmic as a function of n, such algorithms run in nearly linear, O(n log^c' n) time. Important classes of groups, including all permutation representations of simple groups except the alternating ones, as well as most primitive groups, belong to this category. For large n, the majority of practical computations is carried out on small-base groups.In the last section, we present some new nearly linear time algorithms, culminating in the computation of the upper central series in nilpotent groups.     

Carleson Measures for the Bloch Space

In this paper we study the positive Borel measures μ on the unit disc in for which the Bloch space is continuously included in , 0 < p < ∞. We call such measures p-Bloch-Carleson measures. We give two conditions on a measure μ in terms of certain logarithmic integrals one of which is a necessary condition and the other a sufficient condition for μ being a p-Bloch-Carleson measure. We also give a complete characterization of the p-Bloch-Carleson measures within certain special classes of measures. It is also shown that, for p > 1, the p-Bloch-Carleson measures are exactly those for which the Toeplitz operator , defined by , maps continuously into the Bergman space A ¹, . Furthermore, we prove that if p > 1, α >-1 and ω is a weight which satisfies the Bekollé-Bonami -condition, then the measure defined by is a p-Bloch-Carleson-measure. We also consider the Banach space of those functions f which are analytic in and satisfy , as . The Bloch space is contained in . We describe the p-Carleson measures for and study weighted composition operators and a class of integration operators acting in this space. We determine which of these operators map continuously to the weighted Bergman space and show that they are automatically compact. This research is partially supported by several grants from “the Ministerio de Educación y Ciencia, Spain” (MTM2005-07347, MTM2007-60854, MTM2006-26627-E, MTM2007-30904-E and Ingenio Mathematica (i-MATH) No. CSD2006-00032); from “La Junta de Andalucía” (FQM210 and P06-FQM01504); from “the Academy of Finland” (210245) and from the European Networking Programme “HCAA” of the European Science Foundation.     

Mechanically Interlocked Single‐Wall Carbon Nanotubes

Extensive research has been devoted to the chemical manipulation of carbon nanotubes. The attachment of molecular fragments through covalent‐bond formation produces kinetically stable products, but implies the saturation of some of the C? C double bonds of the nanotubes. Supramolecular modification maintains the structure of the SWNTs but yields labile species. Herein, we present a strategy for the synthesis of mechanically interlocked derivatives of SWNTs (MINTs). In the key rotaxane‐forming step, we employed macrocycle precursors equipped with two π‐extended tetrathiafulvalene SWNT recognition units and terminated with bisalkenes that were closed around the nanotubes through ring‐closing metathesis (RCM). The mechanically interlocked nature of the derivatives was probed by analytical, spectroscopic, and microscopic techniques, as well as by appropriate control experiments. Individual macrocycles were observed by HR STEM to circumscribe the nanotubes.     

Ruthenium(IV)-catalyzed isomerization of the C=C bond of o-allylic substrates: a theoretical and experimental study

A general mechanism to rationalize Ru(IV) -catalyzed isomerization of the C=C bond in O-allylic substrates is proposed. Calculations supporting the proposed mechanism were performed at the MPWB1K/6-311+G(d,p)+SDD level of theory. All experimental observations in different solvents (water and THF) and under different pH conditions (neutral and basic) can be interpreted in terms of the new mechanism. Theoretical analysis of the transformation from precatalyst to catalyst led to structural identification of the active species in different media. The experimentally observed induction period is related to the magnitudes of the energy barriers computed for that process. The theoretical energy profile for the catalytic cycle requires application of relatively high temperatures, as is experimentally observed. Participation of a water molecule in the reaction coordinate is mechanistically essential when the reaction is carried out in aqueous medium. The new mechanistic proposal helped to develop a new experimental procedure for isomerization of allyl ethers to 1-propenyl ethers under neutral aqueous conditions. This process is an unique example of efficient and selective catalytic isomerization of allyl ethers in aqueous medium.     

Homogeneous hydrogels made with acrylic acid,acrylamide and chemically functionalized carbon nanotubes

Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) chemically functionalized were used to synthesize a series of novel nanocomposite hydrogels by in situ polymerization with acrylic acid (AA) and acrylamide (AM). A novel strategy was developed to prepare these hydrogels. CNTs were functionalized following a three-step chemical procedure: (i) purified carbon nanotubes (CNTs_p) were partially surface oxidized to obtain CNTs with hydroxyl, carbonyl and carboxyl groups on their sidewalls (CNTs_oxi), (ii) CNTs_oxi were reacted with oxalyl chloride to obtain CNTs functionalized with acyl chloride groups (CNTs_OCl), and (iii) CNTs_OCl were reacted with acrylic acid (AA). The product, AA modified CNTs_OCl (CNTs_OCl-AA) was used to prepare the (CNTs_OCl-AA-AM) nanocomposite hydrogels, where anhydride groups were tethered to the surface of the CNTs_OCl-AA. The swelling process in water was evaluated as a consequence of the anhydride group hydrolysis, which broke some chemical links between CNTs_OCl-AA and crosslinked AA-AM network. Equilibrium-swelling values of all hydrogels increased as the content of AA increased and were larger for AA-AM hydrogels than for CNTs_OCl-AA-AM nanocomposite hydrogels. Young’s moduli of CNTs_OCl-AA-AM nanocomposite hydrogels prepared with 1 or 2?wt.% AA, reached larger values than those measured for AA-AM hydrogels. This tendency was reversed when the AA content was raised to 3?wt.%.