Observation and properties of the orbitally excited B_(s2)(*) meson

We report the direct observation of the excited L=1 state B_(s2)(*) in fully reconstructed decays to B+K-. The mass of the B_(s2)(*) meson is measured to be 5839.6+/-1.1(stat)+/-0.7(syst) MeV/c(2), and its production rate relative to the B+ meson is measured to be [1.15+/-0.23(stat)+/-0.13(syst)]%.     

Evidence for core-shell magnetic behavior in antiferromagnetic Co3O4 nanowires

Employing magnetometry measurements, we have studied Co3O4 nanowires focusing on the core-shell behavior. We find two magnetic contributions, i.e., a regular antiferromagnetic and an additional irreversible one. The first contribution can be attributed to the antiferromagnetically ordered wire cores. The nature of the second one can be identified using thermoremanent and isothermoremanent magnetizaton curves as magnetic fingerprints of the irreversible magnetization. We conclude that the nanowire shell behaves like a two-dimensional diluted antiferromagnet in a field.     

Search for ZH → l+ l- bb production in 4.2 fb(-1) of pp collisions at sqrt[s] =1 .96 TeV

We present a search for the standard model Higgs boson produced in association with a Z boson in 4.2 fb(-1) of pp collisions, collected with the D0 detector at the Fermilab Tevatron at sqrt[s] =1 .96 TeV. Selected events contain one reconstructed Z → e+ e- or Z → μ+ μ- candidate and at least two jets, including at least one b-tagged jet. In the absence of an excess over the background expected from other standard model processes, limits on the ZH cross section multiplied by the branching ratios are set. The limit at M(H) = 115 GeV is a factor of 5.9 larger than the standard model prediction.     

Shaping Solid-State Supramolecular Cavities: Chemically Induced Accordionlike Movement of gamma-Zirconium Phosphate Containing Polyethylenoxide Pillars

The hydrophilic oxygen atoms of polyethylenoxide chains inserted as pillars in gamma-zirconium phosphate form hydrogen bonds with the acid groups of the host. As a result the pillars are almost perpendicular to the gamma layers. Upon changing the pH level of the supernatant solution the hydrogen bonds are broken and the pillars become almost perpendicular to the layers (shown schematically). Thus there is a reversible enlargement-shortening of the interlayer space.     

Spectroscopy of Ethylenedione and Ethynediolide: A Reinvestigation

In an effort to characterize the electronic states of ethylenedione, OCCO, photoelectron‐photofragment coincidence (PPC) spectroscopy was applied to measure anions at m/z 56 and 57 using a pulsed discharge of glyoxal vapor and N₂O. PPC measurements at a photon energy of 3.20 eV yield photoelectron spectra in coincidence with either neutral photofragments or stable neutral products. The measurements showed that primarily stable neutral products were formed, with photoelectron spectra consistent with the oxyallyl diradical, C₃H₄O, and acetone enolate radical, C₃H₅O. The spectra were also found to have features nearly identical to those reported for OCCO and HOCCO by Sanov and co‐workers. The stability of the neutral products, as well as an examination of spectra reported for the oxyallyl anion and acetone enolate show that the previous assignments of OCCO and HOCCO are in error, and are instead attributed here to the oxyallyl diradical, C₃H₄O, and the acetone enolate radical, C₃H₅O.     

Overcoming the boundary effects in surface spline interpolation

Surface spline interpolation when the domain is all of R^d isknown to converge much faster to the data function f than inthe case when the domain is the unit ball. This difference isunderstood to be due to boundary effects which, as will be shown,also affect the size of the surface spline's coefficients. Wepropose a modified form of surface spline interpolation which,to a great extent, overcomes these boundary effects. This modifiedsurface spline interpolant uses only the values of f at thegiven interpolation points.     

Surface functionalization of electro-deposited nickel

A new in situ electrochemical method of functionalizing an oxide-free Ni surface is demonstrated using octanethiol. Initial adsorption results in a multilayer molecular film, which blocks both the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) and re-oxidation of the Ni by ambient oxygen. However, excess octanethiol can be removed by rinsing with ethanol, leaving behind a monolayer that continues to protect against re-oxidation but gives rise to an unexpected enhancement in the HER, with a greater enhancement for longer film formation times. The presence of an octanethiol monolayer on the surface was confirmed by spectroscopic observation of the CH(2), CH(3) and thiolate groups using infra red spectroscopy, while X-ray photo-electron spectroscopy demonstrated the effectiveness of the thiol layer as a barrier to surface oxidation. The electrochemically prepared octanethiol film impedes oxidation of the Ni in air more effectively than a film formed by immersion in a solution of octanethiol in ethanol.     

Experimentally-based recommendations of density functionals for predicting properties in mechanically interlocked molecules

Mechanically interlocked molecules (rotaxanes and catenanes) have already revolutionized molecular electronics and have the promise of a similar impact in other areas of nanotechnology, ranging from nanoactuators to in vivo drug nanocarriers. However, it would be most useful to have quantitative criteria for predicting structures, binding, and excitation energies for use in designing molecules with mechanical bonds. We assess here the use of density functional theory (DFT) to a noncovalently bound complex and find that no density functional is fully satisfactory. However, we find that the new M06-suite of density functionals, which include attractive medium-range interactions, leads to dramatic improvements in the structures (error of 0.04 A in the interplanar distances for M06-L compared to 0.42 A for B3LYP) and excitation energies (within 0.08 eV for TD-M06-HF without empirical correction compared to 2.2 eV error for TD-B3LYP). However, M06 predicts the complex to be too strongly bound by 22.6 kcal mol(-1) (B3LYP leads to too weak a bond by 29 kcal mol(-1)), while current empirical FF DREIDING is too weakly bound by only 15 kcal mol(-1).