Wetting mode transition of nanoliter scale water droplets during evaporation on superhydrophobic surfaces with random roughness structure

During evaporation, shape changes of nanoliter-scale (80-100 nL) water droplets were evaluated on two superhydrophobic surfaces with different random roughness (nm-coating, μm-coating). The square of the contact radius and the square of the droplet height decreased linearly with evaporation time. However, trend changes were observed at around 170 s (nm-coating) and around 150 s (μm-coating) suggesting a wetting mode transition. The calculated droplet radii for the wetting mode transition from the average roughness distance and the average roughness height of these surface structures were approximately equal to the experimental values at these trend changes. A certain level of correlation between the roughness size and droplet radius at the wetting mode transition was confirmed on surfaces with random roughness.     

High-speed wavelength-division multiplexing quantum key distribution system

A high-speed quantum key distribution system was developed with the wavelength-division multiplexing (WDM) technique and dedicated key distillation hardware engines. Two interferometers for encoding and decoding are shared over eight wavelengths to reduce the system's size, cost, and control complexity. The key distillation engines can process a huge amount of data from the WDM channels by using a 1 Mbit block in real time. We demonstrated a three-channel WDM system that simultaneously uses avalanche photodiodes and superconducting single-photon detectors. We achieved 12 h continuous key generation with a secure key rate of 208 kilobits per second through a 45 km field fiber with 14.5 dB loss.     

Laser Stark spectroscopy of the ν4 band of CH3C15N: Fermi resonance with 3ν83

Laser Stark spectra for the ν₄ band of CH₃C¹⁵N have been measured by using CO₂ and N₂O lasers. Almost 650 resonances have been assigned to about 140 ro-vibrational transitions with J′ ≤ 34 and K ≤ 11. An anomaly of the rotational structure around K = 7 has been proved to be due to a Fermi interaction by analyzing each K subband separately. Observed data have been fitted to a model which includes ν₄-3ν₈³ Fermi coupling by the method of least squares. The standard deviation of observed from calculated frequencies is 4.6 MHz. Molecular constants derived are also listed.     

Nuclear magnetic resonance spectra of carbanions—VI. Cumyl-, α-methylbenzyl- and benzyl carbanions

The proton magnetic resonance spectra of the three title carbanions have been observed in THF with potassium as a counter ion. The ortho-protons in the α-methylbenzyl carbanion are nonequivalent at room temperature. This shows that the α-carbon in this carbanion is in the near-sp² configuration. The aromatic proton chemical shifts of the benzylpotassium obtained here are at higher shielding than those of benzyllithium reported previously by Sandel and Freedman. This seems to arise from the different ionic nature of the bonds between carbon and metal in the carbanions.     

[a,b]-factorization of a graph

Let a and b be integers such that 0 ? a ? b. Then a graph G is called an [a, b]-graph if a ? d_G(x) ? b for every x ? V(G), and an [a, b]-factor of a graph is defined to be its spanning subgraph F such that a ? d_F(x) ? b for every vertex x, where d_G(x) and d_F(x) denote the degrees of x in G and F, respectively. If the edges of a graph can be decomposed into [a.b]-factors then we say that the graph is [2a, 2a]-factorable. We prove the following two theorems: (i) a graph G is [2a, 2b)-factorable if and only if G is a [2am,2bm]-graph for some integer m, and (ii) every [8m + 2k, 10m + 2k]-graph is [1,2]-factorable.     

Preparation of single-crystalline platinum nanowires with small diameters under mild conditions

We report a convenient method to synthesize single-crystalline platinum nanowires with high aspect ratio of ca. 2.0 nm diameter by sophisticated and precise control of Pt(0) nuclei and their growth.     

Aromaticity and π-bond covalency: prominent intermolecular covalent bonding interaction of a Kekulé hydrocarbon with very significant singlet biradical character

An anthracene-linked bisphenalenyl Kekulé molecule with very significant singlet biradical character has shown a prominent covalent bonding interaction between molecules in a molecular aggregate. High aromatic stabilization energy in the anthracene linker is responsible for the significant singlet biradical character.     

Bis[iridium(I)] complex of inverted N-confused porphyrin

The reaction of N-confused tetraphenylporphyrin with IrCl(CO)2(p-toluidine) gave a novel bis[iridium(I)] complex, wherein the confused pyrrole ring took an inverted conformation.