Multiple scattering from assemblies of dislocation walls in three dimensions. Application to propagation in polycrystals

The attenuation of ultrasound in polycrystalline materials is modeled with grain boundaries considered as arrays of dislocation segments, a model valid for low angle mismatches. The polycrystal is thus studied as a continuous medium containing many dislocation "walls" of finite size randomly placed and oriented. Wave attenuation is blamed on the scattering by such objects, an effect that is studied using a multiple scattering formalism. This scattering also renormalizes the speed of sound, an effect that is also calculated. At low frequencies, meaning wavelengths that are long compared to grain boundary size, then attenuation is found to scale with frequency following a law that is a linear combination of quadratic and quartic terms, in agreement with the results of recent experiments performed in copper [Zhang et al., J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 116(1), 109-116 (2004)]. The prefactor of the quartic term can be obtained with reasonable values for the material under study, without adjustable parameters. The prefactor of the quadratic term can be fit assuming that the drag on the dynamics of the dislocations making up the wall is one to two orders of magnitude smaller than the value usually accepted for isolated dislocations. The quartic contribution is compared with the effect of the changes in the elastic constants from grain to grain that is usually considered as the source of attenuation in polycrystals. A complete model should include this scattering as well.     

A Twist‐Bend Nematic Phase Driven by Hydrogen Bonding

The liquid crystalline phase behavior of 4‐[6‐(4′‐cyanobiphenyl‐4‐yl)hexyloxy]benzoic acid (CB6OBA) and 4‐[5‐(4′‐cyanobiphenyl‐4‐yloxy)pentyloxy]benzoic acid (CBO5OBA) is described. Both acids show an enantiotropic nematic phase attributed to the formation of supramolecular complexes by hydrogen bonding between the benzoic acid units. In addition, CB6OBA provides the first example of hydrogen bonding driving the formation of the twist‐bend nematic phase. The observation of the twist‐bend nematic phase for CB6OBA, but not CBO5OBA, is attributed to the more bent molecular shape of the complexes formed by the former, reinforcing the view that shape is a key factor in stabilizing this new phase. Temperature‐dependent FTIR spectroscopy reveals differences in hydrogen bonding between the two nematic phases shown by CB6OBA which suggest that the open hydrogen‐bonded complexes may play an important role in stabilizing the helical arrangement found in the twist‐bend nematic phase.     

Methane activation at low temperature in an acidic electrolyte using PdAu/C,PdCu/C,and PdTiO2/C electrocatalysts for PEMFC

Pd/C, PdAu/C, PdCu/C, and PdTiO₂/C electrocatalysts were prepared by a sodium borohydride reduction process for methane activation at low temperatures in a PEMFC reactor. These electrocatalysts were characterized by XRD, TEM, XPS, ICP-MS, ATR-FTIR, and cyclic voltammetry. The diffractograms of Pd/C, PdAu(50:50)/C, PdCu(50:50)/C, and PdTiO₂(50:50)/C electrocatalysts showed peaks associated with Pd face-centered cubic structure. PdAu(50:50)/C showed a small shift in the peak center when it was compared to Pd/C, while PdCu(50:50)/C showed a shift to higher angles when it was also compared to Pd/C. This effect can be due to the formation of an alloy between Pd and Au, and Pd and Cu. By TEM experiments, a mean nanoparticle size was observed between 6.9 and 8.9 nm for all electrocatalysts. Cyclic voltammograms of Pd/C, PdAu/C, PdCu/C and PdTiO₂/C electrocatalysts showed an increase in current density values after the adsorption of methane The ATR-FTIR experiments showed for all electrocatalysts the formation of methanol and formic acidic. Polarization curves at 80 °C acquired in a PEMFC reactor showed that PdAu(50:50)/C and PdTiO₂(50:50)/C had superior performance when compared to Pd/C, indicating the beneficial effect of adding the co-catalyst; this behavior has been attributed to the bifunctional mechanism or electronic effect.

     

Oxidation,Coordination, and Nickel-Mediated Deconstruction of a Highly Electron-Rich Diboron Analogue of 1,3,5-Hexatriene

The reductive coupling of an N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC) stabilized (dibromo)vinylborane yields a 1,2-divinyldiborene, which, although isoelectronic to a 1,3,5-triene, displays no extended π conjugation because of twisting of the C₂B₂C₂ chain. While this divinyldiborene coordinates to copper(I) and platinum(0) in an η²-B₂ and η⁴-C₂B₂ fashion, respectively, it undergoes a complex rearrangement to an η⁴-1,3-diborete upon complexation with nickel(0).     

N-Bridged Acyclic Trimeric Poly-Cyclodiphosphazanes: Highly Tuneable Cyclodiphosphazane Building Blocks

We have synthesized a completely new family of acyclic trimeric cyclodiphosphazane compounds comprising NH, NⁱPr, N^tBu and NPh bridging groups. In addition, the first NH-bridged acyclic dimeric cyclophosphazane has been produced. The trimeric species display highly tuneable characteristics so that the distance between the terminal N(H)R moieties can be readily modulated by the steric bulk present in the bridging groups (ranging from ≈6 to ≈10 Å). Moreover, these species exhibit pronounced topological changes when a weak non-bonding NH⋅⋅⋅π aryl interaction is introduced. Finally, the NH-bridged chloride binding affinities have been calculated and benchmarked along with the existing experimental data available for monomeric cyclodiphosphazanes. Our results underscore these species as promising hydrogen bond donors for supramolecular host–guest applications.     

Local and global well-posedness for the 2D generalized Zakharov-Kuznetsov equation

This paper addresses well-posedness issues for the initial value problem (IVP) associated with the generalized Zakharov-Kuznetsov equation, namely,

     

A unified approach to the asymptotic almost-equivalence of evolution systems without Lipschitz conditions

We study the asymptotic behavior of almost-orbits of evolution systems in Banach spaces without any continuity assumptions on either the space or the time dependence. We establish, in a unified framework, standard convergence, ergodic convergence and almost-convergence of almost-orbits for both the weak and the strong topologies on the basis of the analogue behavior of orbits.     

Exploiting ion-pair formation for the enhancement of electroanalytical determination of pyridoxine (B6) onto polyurethane-graphite electrodes

The present study reports some aspects of ion-pair formation between pyridoxine and dodecyl sulphate under suitable conditions of pH, and its application with analytical purposes. Electrochemical behavior of the analite onto a graphite-polyurethane electrode was assessed by both cyclic and square-wave voltammetries under different conditions (pH from 1.2 to 13.0, with and without surfactant), aiming to study its mechanisms and to define best parameters for such determination exploiting the association of electroanalytical variables and ion-pair formation; besides these, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy was also applied to evaluate ion-pair formation and its influence on interfacial fenomena. Best conditions were reach by square-wave voltammetry in pH 4.2 acetate buffer sweeping from + 0.7 to + 1.2 V (vs. Ag|AgCl_sat) in pulses of 50 mV amplitude and 10 mV step, in a frequency of 10 Hz. The concentration of sodium dodecyl sulphate was optimized being the optimal value a constant submicelar concentration of 3 mmol L^-1. Under such conditions a linear dynamic range from 2 to 18 μmol L^-1 was observed, providing faster, more selective and sensitive system. Interference studies were also carried out showing no relevant influence of thiamine, riboflavine and nicotinamide over the analysis of pyridoxine. The system was successfully applied to commercial parenteral samples containing thiamine and pyridoxine as purchased, without further treatment.     

Synthesis of 6-bromo-2-arylindoles using 2-iodobenzoic acid as precursor

The synthesis of 6-bromo-2-arylindoles starting from readily available 2-iodobenzoic acid is presented. Regioselective bromination of the latter was followed by Curtius rearrangement and trapping of the isocyanate with benzyl alcohol led to the benzyl carbamate of 2-iodo-5-bromoaniline. Chemoselective Sonogashira coupling of this compound with arylacetylenes followed by TBAF induced 5-endo-dig cyclization gave the desired bromo indoles. The method allows selective introduction of a bromine atom at the indole C-6 position.