Photo-optical changes in Ge-chalcogenide films

The photoinduced shift in the optical absorption edge and changes in the optical constants and their dispersion in the vicinity of the absorption edge (2–5 eV) have been studied in obliquely deposited thin films of Ge-chalcogenides. The variation of photo-optical changes as a function of various deposition conditions and composition throws light on the role of built-in microstructure and the relevant physical parameters necessary for the occurrence of large photoeffects. The photoinduced optical changes in 80°-films are partly (≈33%) reversible. This (reversible) part is equal to the total (completely reversible) optical changes in 0°-films. The irreversible part (≈67%) has been attributed to the observed photoinduced volume changes. The reversible optical changes have been understood in terms of configurational distortion and modifications in the electronic energy band structure, near the band edges induced by band gap irradiation.     

Acceptor properties of titanium(IV) phenoxides

Summary Compounds of composition TiCl_4–n(OPh)_n · 2L (L = monodentate ligand, n = 1–4) have been prepared by the reaction of the parent titanium phenoxides (1 mol) with the ligand (2 mols) and characterized by elemental analysis, molar conductance, molecular weight and i.r. spectral studies.     

Polyaniline nanotubes for impedimetric triglyceride detection

Polyaniline nanotubes (PANI-NT) based film electrophoretically deposited onto indium–tin–oxide (ITO) coated glass plate has been utilized for covalent immobilization of lipase (LIP), via glutaraldehyde (Glu), for triglyceride detection using impedimetric technique. It is shown that fatty acid molecules produced during triglyceride hydrolysis result in change in charge transfer resistance (R_CT) of PANI-NT film with varying triglyceride concentration. LIP/Glu/PANI-NT/ITO bioelectrode has linearity as 25–300 mg dL^?1, sensitivity as 2.59 × 10^?3 KΩ^?1 mg^?1 dL, response time as 20 s and regression coefficient as 0.99. A low value of apparent Michaelis–Menten constant (～0.62 mM) indicates high enzyme affinity to tributyrin. The LIP/Glu/PANI-NT/ITO bioelectrode has been utilized to estimate triglyceride in serum samples.     

Two new 14-membered cyclopeptide alkaloids from Zizyphus xylopyra

The phytochemical investigation of the bark of Zizyphus xylopyra resulted in the isolation of two new 14-membered ring cyclopeptide alkaloids, xylopyrine-G and xylopyrine H. Their structures have been established by chemical and spectral evidences.     

Synthesis of Porous Polyurea with Room‐Temperature Ionic Liquids via Interfacial Polymerization

Summary: Polyurea with exotic porous structures has been synthesized by the interfacial polymerization between hexane and a series of 1‐alkyl‐3‐methylimidazolium room‐temperature ionic liquids (ILs). Scanning electron microscopy micrographs of the polyurea show a macroporous morphology of aggregated polymer particles with sizes around 200 nm and pore sizes between 100 to 500 nm. The geometry of the polymer particles and the pore size vary with the ILs employed. X‐Ray diffraction shows ionic‐liquid‐induced suppression of 3D crystalline order in the polyurea products. The microstructures of the polymer together with the FT‐IR results suggest that the observed exotic polymer morphology originates from interactions between the ionic liquid and the polymer.

SEM micrograph of the interconnected macroporous structure of the polyurea formed in [C₂mim][BF₄] ionic liquid. The scale bar is 100 nm.     

Study of copolymer–copolymer interactions and formation of intermacromolecular complexes

Interpolymer complex formation has been studied between methacrylic acid-methacrylamide copolymer and acrylic acid–acrylamide copolymer. The respective co-monomer units of the two copolymers enter into complex formation through H-bonding and ion dipole interactions. The unreacted units in the copolymer complex also interact with homopolymers such as PEO and PVP to form ternary complex. Formation of complexes and replacement reactions could be shown through several experimental techniques, e.g., viscometry, conductometry, and potentiometry.     

A feedback fluid queue with two congestion control thresholds

Feedback fluid queues play an important role in modeling congestion control mechanisms for packet networks. In this paper we present and analyze a fluid queue with a feedback-based traffic rate adaptation scheme which uses two thresholds. The higher threshold B ₁ is used to signal the beginning of congestion while the lower threshold B ₂ signals the end of congestion. These two parameters together allow to make the trade-off between maximizing throughput performance and minimizing delay. The difference between the two thresholds helps to control the amount of feedback signals sent to the traffic source. In our model the input source can behave like either of two Markov fluid processes. The first applies as long as the upper threshold B ₁ has not been hit from below. As soon as that happens, the traffic source adapts and switches to the second process, until B ₂ (smaller than B ₁) is hit from above. We analyze the model by setting up the Kolmogorov forward equations, then solving the corresponding balance equations using a spectral expansion, and finally identifying sufficient constraints to solve for the unknowns in the solution. In particular, our analysis yields expressions for the stationary distribution of the buffer occupancy, the buffer delay distribution, and the throughput.     

Characterisation of different polymorphs of tris(8-hydroxyquinolinato)aluminium(III) using solid-state NMR and DFT calculations

Background  

Organic light emitting devices (OLED) are becoming important and characterisation of them, in terms of structure, charge distribution, and intermolecular interactions, is important. Tris(8-hydroxyquinolinato)-aluminium(III), known as Alq₃, an organomettalic complex has become a reference material of great importance in OLED. It is important to elucidate the structural details of Alq₃ in its various isomeric and solvated forms. Solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) is a useful tool for this which can also complement the information obtained with X-ray diffraction studies.     

Is the glass transition in some super-cooled polyphenyls preceded by molecular cluster formation?

A recently reported anomalous behaviour of the positronium annihilation rate with temperature in certain super-cooled organic liquids is explained in terms of a simple free-volume model modified in the presence of molecular cluster formation. This model apart from showing the entropic origin of the phenomenon accounts for the existence of the transition temperature “T_r” much above the glass-transition temperature T_g. It also predicts for the threshold temperature “T_r” fo clusters to commence formation a value of 310_-7.0^+8.0 K as against the experimental value of 304 K for ortho-terphenyl.