Nano-structured surfaces on Ni–Ti generated by multiple shots of interfering femtosecond laser

Combined periodic structures composed of micron-sized periodic structure and nano-sized quasi periodic structure were generated on Ni–Ti target by multiple shots of interfering femtosecond laser beams. The micron-sized structure was generated by the interference pattern of four beams, and the nano-sized quasi period was generated due to the multiple shot effect of femtosecond laser. The structures were investigated in detail by two-dimensional fast Fourier transform (2D-FFT). The power spectra showed small spots and fuzzy spots due to precise period and quasi period, respectively. The most major size of the quasi periodic structure was 580 nm.     

Isotope-dependent crystalline phases at ambient temperature: Spectroscopic and calorimetric evidence for a deuteration-induced phase transition at 320 K in α-DCrO2

The heat capacities of HCrO₂ and DCrO₂ have been measured at temperatures between 5 and 360 K. A lambda anomaly occurred at 320 K for DCrO₂ but not for HCrO₂. Infrared spectra were recorded at temperatures between 5 and 405 K. The spectrum of DCrO₂ changed at 320 K with respect to the peak wave-number and splitting of some of the vibrations, while those of HCrO₂ depended smoothly on temperature. These experimental results are discussed in terms of a deuteration-induced phase transition.     

Interaction of poly(styrene sulfonate) with polycations carrying charges in the chain backbone

The interaction between sodium poly(styrene sulfonate) (NaSS) and side-chain charged polycation polymer (pendent type) or main-chain charged polycation polymer (integral type) has been studied. It was found that the polyion complex (the reaction product of these polyelectrolytes) of pendent–pendent type has an equimolar composition at any mixing ratio of two component polymers. However, a polyion complex of integral–pendent type can form a water-soluble complex with a ratio of [polycation]/[polyanion] = 1/3, in addition to a complex with a equimolar composition. The mechanism of formation of this specific complex is discussed.     

Negative azeotropy in mixed adsorption of hexanol and dodecylammonium chloride at water/air interface

Miscibility of hexanol and dodecylammonium chloride (DAC) in adsorbed films and micelles was investigated by evaluating the compositions of the adsorbed films and micelles from surface tension measurements. Judging from the phase diagram of adsorption, negative azeotropy of adsorption was observed for the mixed adsorption of hexanol and DAC at water/air interfaces. The nonideal mixing in the adsorbed film was clarified using excess functions of adsorption. Interaction between hexanol and DAC in the adsorbed film was compared with that between other alkanols and surfactants. It was found that the range of azeotropes is narrower for the hexanol-DAC mixture than for the heptanol-octylsulfinylethanol mixture, because interaction between different species in an adsorbed film is weaker in the former than in the latter.     

The first oxovanadium ring in [[O[double bond]V(salen)]2(mu-F)][VO(salen)][BF4].(CH2Cl2)x crystals

The crystal structure of [{O=VV(salen)}2(mu-F)][VIVO(salen)][BF4].(CH2Cl2)x revealed a hollow cavity with a diameter of 5.3 A that penetrates through the crystal, and a remarkable cyclic chain of the [VO(salen)] unit, a motif that has never been fashioned from oxometal building blocks. These features endow the crystal with a molecular sievelike property for the rapid, reversible, and size-selective absorption of guest CH2Cl2 molecules.     

SmI2-promoted tandem desulfurization and reductive coupling reactions of aromatic lactams with carbonyl compounds

Treatment of sulfur-substituted aromatic lactams with carbonyl compounds in the presence of samarium(II) diiodide was found to undergo novel tandem desulfurization and reductive coupling reactions to generate -hydroxyalkylated lactams in high yield. Stereochemistry of the coupling products was researched and the results that decreasing the steric bulkiness of the N-substituents as well as raising the reaction temperature leads to an increase of the erythro-selectivity were observed. The mechanistic origins of this stereoselectivity are also briefly documented.     

Quantitative analysis of organic additive content in a polymer by ToF-SIMS with PCA

Quantitative analysis of organic materials by ToF-SIMS is intrinsically difficult because of their tendency to decompose under ion irradiation. In this study, we applied principal component analysis (PCA) as a means of compensation for the spectral degradation caused by this decomposition and thus improve the accuracy of the quantitative analysis, using as models two organic additives of quite different composition and vulnerability to decomposition under ion irradiation, in polystyrene. This enables the extraction of a principal component related to their content that is independent of the decomposition. The effectiveness of this approach in quantitative analysis of organic additives content in polymers without loss in accuracy due to spectral degradation will be discussed.