Macromolecular synthesis from saccharic lactones. Ring-opening polyaddition of D-glucaro- and D-mannaro-1,4:6,3-dilactones with alkylenediamines

Ring-opening polyaddition of a saccharic acid dilactone prepared from D-glucose, D-glucaro-1,4 : 6,3-dilactone, with several alkylenediamines proceeded at room temperature with no catalyst. The resulting new polyamides carrying many pendant hydroxyl groups, poly(alkylene D-glucaramide)s, were more amorphous and hydrophilic than the corresponding nylons having no hydroxyl groups, and were hydrolyzed more easily than the latter in an acidic condition. The ring-opening ability of D-mannaro-1,4:6,3-dilactone, which was another saccharic acid dilactone obtained from D-mannitol, was found to be lower than that of the D-glucaric analogue. © 1993 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Phase transitions of lanthanide monophosphides with NaCl-type structure at high pressures

Lanthanide monophosphides LnP (Ln = La, Ce, Pr, Nd, Sm, Gd, Tb, Tm and Yb) with a NaCl-type structure have systematically been prepared at high temperatures. Using synchrotron radiation, X-ray diffractions of LnP have been studied up to 61 GPa at room temperature. The NaCl---CsCl transition for CeP is found at around 25 GPa. First-order phase transitions of LnP (Ln = La, Pr and Nd) with the crystallographic change occur at around 24, 26 and 30 GPa, respectively. The structure of the high pressure phases of these phosphides is a body center tetragonal structure (Ln: 0, 0, 0; P: 1/2, 1/2, 1/2; space group P4/mmm), which can be seen as the distorted CsCl-type structure. The Pr---P distance in the high pressure form of PrP is 2.789 Å. This almost agrees with the sum of covalent radii of Pr and P. The Pr---P bond has the covalent character at very high pressures. Similar results are also obtained for LaP and NdP. The pressure-induced phase transitions of SmP, GdP, TbP, TmP and YbP occur at around 35, 40, 38, 53 and 51 GPa, respectively. The structure of the high pressure phase is unknown. The phase transitions of LnP with many f-electrons are not due to the mechanism of the ordinary NaCl---CsCl transition. The transition pressures of LnP increase with decreasing the lattice constants in the NaCl-type structure, which decrease with increasing atomic number of the lanthanide atoms.     

Temperature Dependence of the Threshold Current and the Lasing Wavelength in 1.3-μm GalnNAs/GaAs Single Quantum Well Laser Diode

Temperature stability of the threshold current and the lasing wavelength is investigated in a 1.3-μm GaInNAs/ GaAs single quantum-well laser. The measured characteristic-temperature was 88 K. The small wavelength shift per change in temperature of 0.35 nm/°C was obtained, indicating the superior lasing-wavelength stability. Therefore, it is shown experimentally that GaInNAs is very promising material for the fabrication of light source with excellent high-temperature performance for optical fiber communications.     

Chemically modified proton‐conducting membranes based on sulfonated polyimides: Improved water stability and fuel‐cell performance

A series of branched/crosslinked sulfonated polyimide (B/C‐SPI) membranes were prepared and evaluated as proton‐conducting ionomers based on the new concept of in situ crosslinking from sulfonated polyimide (SPI) oligomers and triamine monomers. Chemical branching and crosslinking in SPI oligomers with 1,3,5‐tris(4‐aminophenoxy)benzene as a crosslinker gave the polymer membranes very good water stability and mechanical properties under an accelerated aging treatment in water at 130 °C, despite their high ion‐exchange capacity (2.2–2.6 mequiv g^?1). The resulting polymer electrolytes displayed high proton conductivities of 0.2–0.3 S cm^?1 at 120 °C in water and reasonably high conductivities of 0.02–0.03 S cm^?1 at 50% relative humidity. In a single H₂/O₂ fuel‐cell system at 90 °C, they exhibited high fuel‐cell performances comparable to those of Nafion 112. The B/C‐SPI membranes also displayed good performances in a direct methanol fuel cell with methanol concentrations as high as 50 wt % that were superior to those of Nafion 112. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 44: 3751–3762, 2006     

ELECTRON GUN FOR LARGE ORBIT GYROTRON (LOG) WITH DECREASED INFLUENCE OF CATHODE PLASMA ON ELECTRON BEAM PROPERTIES

High power Large Orbit Gyrotron (LOG) [1] is now under development at FIR FU. First version of this device was recently manufactured and then assembled with power supply ETIGO-IV [2]. Results of preliminary tests of electron-optic system are presented. The conditions when stableflat form of current pulse realized are discussed. Analytical estimations of cathode-anode distance to achieve small influence of cathode plasma during high voltage (HV) pulse are performed. Two new electron gun versions with decreased influence of the cathode plasma on its impedance and pulse form are suggested and optimized. New optimal magnetic field distributions are found. First gun has quiasi-flat cathode configuration near the anode diaphragm and provides operating current about 60 A. Second one uses blade cathode with operating current about 30 A. Beam quality for both guns is suitable for LOG operation.     

Nuclear spin-lattice relaxation mechanisms in kaolinite confirmed by magic-angle spinning

Spin-lattice relaxation mechanisms in kaolinite have been reinvestigated by magic-angle spinning (MAS) of the sample. MAS is useful to distinguish between relaxation mechanisms: the direct relaxation rate caused by the dipole-dipole interaction with electron spins is not affected by spinning while the spin diffusion-assisted relaxation rate is. Spin diffusion plays a dominant role in ¹H relaxation. MAS causes only a slight change in the relaxation behavior, because the dipolar coupling between ¹H spins is strong. ²⁹Si relaxes directly through the dipole-dipole interaction with electron spins under spinning conditions higher than 2 kHz. A spin diffusion effect has been clearly observed in the ²⁹Si relaxation of relatively pure samples under static and slow-spinning conditions. ²⁷Al relaxes through three mechanisms: phonon-coupled quadrupole interaction, spin diffusion and dipole-dipole interaction with electron spins. The first mechanism is dominant, while the last is negligibly small. Spin diffusion between ²⁷Al spins is suppressed completely at a spinning rate of 2.5 kHz. We have analyzed the relaxation behavior theoretically and discussed quantitatively. Concentrations of paramagnetic impurities, electron spin-lattice relaxation times and spin diffusion rates have been estimated.