Intra-cavity frequency-doubled Yb:KYW laser using periodically poled Rb-doped KTP with a volume Bragg grating input coupler

An Yb:KYW laser intra-cavity frequency doubled to the green at 514.7 nm using a periodically poled Rb:KTP crystal with an output power exceeding 1 W is presented. Spectral narrowing and locking at the fundamental wavelength has been achieved by using a volume Bragg grating as the input coupler.     

End‐group fidelity of copper(0)‐meditated radical polymerization at high monomer conversion: an ESI‐MS investigation

Copper(0)‐mediated radical polymerization (single electron transfer‐living radical polymerization) is an efficient polymerization technique that allows control over the polymerization of acrylates, vinyl chloride and other monomers, yielding bromide terminated polymer. In this contribution, we investigate the evolution of the end‐group fidelity at very high conversion both in the presence and in the absence of initially added copper (II) bromide (CuBr₂). High resolution electrospray‐ionization mass spectroscopy (ESI‐MS) allows determination of the precise chemical structure of the dead polymers formed during the polymerization to very high monomer conversion, including post polymerization conditions. Two different regimes can be identified via ESI‐MS analysis. During the polymerization, dead polymer results mainly from termination via disproportionation, whereas at very high conversion (or in the absence of monomer, that is, post‐polymerization), dead polymers are predominantly generated by chain transfer reactions (presumably to ligand). The addition of CuBr₂ significantly reduces the extent of termination by both chain transfer and disproportionation, at very high monomer conversion and under post‐polymerization conditions, offering a convenient approach to maintaining high end‐group fidelity in Cu(0)‐mediated radical polymerization. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem, 2011     

Functional off‐stoichiometry thiol‐ene‐epoxy thermosets featuring temporally controlled curing stages via an UV/UV dual cure process

We present a facile two‐stage UV/UV activation method for the polymerization of off‐stoichiometry thiol‐ene‐epoxy, OSTE+, networks. We show that the handling and processing of these epoxy‐based resins is made easier by introducing a material with a controlled curing technique based on two steps, where the first step offers excellent processing capabilities, and the second step yields a polymer with suitable end‐properties. We investigate the sequential thiol‐ene and thiol‐epoxy reactions during these steps by studying the mechanical properties, functional group conversion, water absorption, hydrolytic stability, and thermal stability in several different thiol‐ene‐epoxy formulations. Finally, we conclude that the curing stages can be separated for up to 24 h, which is promising for the usefulness of this technique in industrial applications. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2014 , 52, 2604‐2615     

Effects of sample preservation and storage on mercury speciation in natural stream water

Despite an increasing focus on low level methods for determination of mercury species in water over the last decades, few studies have paid attention to direct effects of different sample preparation methods (i.e. preservation techniques) on natural freshwater samples. In this study we show how different preservation techniques give significantly different concentrations of total and methylmercury in freshwaters (9 and 14% on average, respectively). Natural stream samples from a forested lake catchment were studied. Mean stream sample concentrations of total (3.6 ng/L) and methylmercury (0.06 ng/L) reflect levels typical for pristine humic boreal catchments. The main reason for the observed average differences in total and methylmercury concentrations is the use of one instead of two sample bottles and timing of sample acidification, respectively.     

Highly Water‐Dispersible Surface‐Modified Gd2O3 Nanoparticles for Potential Dual‐Modal Bioimaging

Water‐dispersible and luminescent gadolinium oxide (GO) nanoparticles (NPs) were designed and synthesized for potential dual‐modal biological imaging. They were obtained by capping gadolinium oxide nanoparticles with a fluorescent glycol‐based conjugated carboxylate (H L ). The obtained nanoparticles (GO‐ L ) show long‐term colloidal stability and intense blue fluorescence. In addition, L can sensitize the luminescence of europium(III) through the so‐called antenna effect. Thus, to extend the spectral ranges of emission, europium was introduced into L‐ modified gadolinium oxide nanoparticles. The obtained Eu^III‐doped particles (Eu:GO‐ L ) can provide visible red emission, which is more intensive than that without L capping. The average diameter of the monodisperse modified oxide cores is about 4 nm. The average hydrodynamic diameter of the L ‐modified nanoparticles was estimated to be about 13 nm. The nanoparticles show effective longitudinal water proton relaxivity. The relaxivity values obtained for GO‐ L and Eu:GO‐ L were r₁=6.4 and 6.3 s^?1 mM ^?1 with r₂/r₁ ratios close to unity at 1.4 T. Longitudinal proton relaxivities of these nanoparticles are higher than those of positive contrast agents based on gadolinium complexes such as Gd‐DOTA, which are commonly used for clinical magnetic resonance imaging. Moreover, these particles are suitable for cellular imaging and show good biocompatibility.     

Calcium carbonate decomposition

Calcium carbonate decomposes under well-defined conditions giving CaO (solid) and CO₂ (gas). The process kinetics are known to be strongly influenced by the CO₂ partial pressure and temperature. In dynamic conditions, as in thermogravimetric analysis (TG) and differential thermal analysis (DTA), kinetics influence the observed heat effect and mass losses, as was shown in semi-static studies by Hyatt et al. (J Am Ceram Soc 41:70–74, 1). However, differing DTA and TG curve shapes are reported in the literature even under supposedly comparable conditions. The differences are attributed in part to the design of the equipment and in part to differing crystalline states of the precursor calcium carbonate. To resolve these uncertainties, the TG has been performed at different heating rates and at different but controlled partial pressures of CO₂. The results are reported and critically evaluated in the light of the data obtained, and the kinetic parameters as reported by Hyatt et al. (J Am Ceram Soc 41:70–74, 1) are re-evaluated.     

Continuous lipid bilayers derived from cell membranes for spatial molecular manipulation

Progress with respect to enrichment and separation of native membrane components in complex lipid environments, such as native cell membranes, has so far been very limited. The reason for the slow progress can be related to the lack of efficient means to generate continuous and laterally fluid supported lipid bilayers (SLBs) made from real cell membranes. We show in this work how the edge of a hydrodynamically driven SLB can be used to induce rupture of adsorbed lipid vesicles of compositions that typically prevent spontaneous SLB formation, such as vesicles made of complex lipid compositions, containing high cholesterol content or being derived from real cell membranes. In particular, upon fusion between the moving edge of a preformed SLB and adsorbed vesicles made directly from 3T3 fibroblast cell membranes, the membrane content of the vesicles was shown to be efficiently transferred to the SLB. The molecular transfer was verified using cholera toxin B subunit (CTB) binding to monosialoganglioside receptors (G(M1) and G(M3)), and the preserved lateral mobility was confirmed by spatial manipulation of the G(M1/M3)-CTB complex using a hydrodynamic flow. Two populations of CTB with markedly different drift velocity could be identified, which from dissociation kinetics data were attributed to CTB bound with different numbers of ganglioside anchors.     

Monobenzofused 1,4‐Azaborines: Synthesis,Characterization, and Discovery of a Unique Coordination Mode

We report the first general synthesis of boron‐substituted monobenzofused 1,4‐azaborines using ring‐closing metathesis of an enamine‐containing diene as a key synthetic strategy. As part of our investigations, we discovered that the B‐C3 moiety in a 1,4‐azaborine can serve uniquely as a η²‐L‐type ligand. This functionality is exemplified by two κ²‐N‐η²‐BC Pt complexes of a boron‐pyridyl‐substituted monobenzofused‐1,4‐azaborine. Single‐crystal X‐ray diffraction analysis of the Pt complexes shows a strong structural contribution from the iminium resonance form of the monobenzofused‐1,4‐azaborine ligand. We also demonstrate that a palladium(0) complex supported by a 1,4‐azaborine‐based phosphine ligand can catalyze hydroboration of 1‐buten‐3‐yne with unique selectivity. In view of the importance of arene–metal π‐interactions in catalytic applications, this work should open new opportunities for ligand design involving the 1,4‐azaborine motif as an arene substitute.