High density,high performance optical data storage via volume holography: Viability at last?

The long held promise of using volume holography to deliver high performance optical storage is reviewed. The problems, which limited the development for many years, are accessed. Finally, we describe a series of innovations, which may make the technology viable at last.     

Control of electron transport using redox‐active core dendrimers

We are constructing a model system to elucidate the molecular structure‐property relationships for attenuation of electron transfer (e.g. electron encapsulation). This information is relevant in bio‐electron transfer schemes and in emerging molecular electronics schemes such as storage of information using individual molecules. Our system consists of an inorganic cluster surrounded by dendritic ligands which act as an organic coating. Although the electrochemical and photophysical properties of a variety of metal clusters have been established, very little has been described on the chemistry on metal clusters.     

Effect of High Humidity Exposure to Wheat Starch Based High Conducting Flexible Polymer-in-Salt-Electrolyte

Polymer-in-salt-electrolytes (PISEs) are an important class of electrolytes as they carry the promise of faster and single ion transport. Unfortunately, due to unavailability of a suitable polymer host PISE has still not reached to commercial level. In the present work, using a novel synthesis protocol developed by the group, glutaraldehyde crosslinked wheat starch has been successfully modified with sodium iodide (NaI) to synthesize a flexible PISE membrane with desired electrochemical properties. Present paper reports the effect of crosslinker and exposure to high humidity ambience on electrochemical and morphological properties. It has been established that on exposure to higher humidity atmosphere starch-based PISEs stabilize at lower resistance value, but with higher ion relaxation time, which indicates that effect of high humidity treatment is more on salt dissociation instead of assisting the ion transport. The studied materials have conductivity ≈0.01 S cm⁻¹ range with ESW >2.5 V, ensuring its usability in electrochemical devices. The developed synthesis protocol does not require any complicated synthesis route and/or sophisticated instrument hence the overall process is economical also, adding up to its potentiality for energy device fabrication.     

Deformation and microhardness studies on natural apophyllite crystals

Microhardness testing of three different planes of natural apophyllite crystals is reported. Variation of Vicker's microhardness value H_v with applied load ranging from 10–100 g indicates two distinct regions. In the low load region (10–70 g) H_v increases with load till it attains maximum value and then decreases thereafter. This variation is explained qualitatively in terms of depth of penetration of the indentor. Variation of orientation of the indentor w.r.t. each of the (100) and (111) planes indicates microhardness anisotropy.     

Self‐Assembly of Nano Hydroxyapatite or Aragonite Induced by Molecular Recognition to Soy Globulin 7S or 11S

Molecular self‐assembly is emerging as a viable ‘bottom‐up’ approach to build stable organic/inorganic nanometer‐scale blocks. Herein, under the conditions of appropriate pH and ionic strength, soy globulin 7S or 11S were coprecipitated with hydroxyapatite (HAp) or aragonite (Arag), respectively, to fabricate two organic/inorganic hybrids: 7S/HAp and 11S/Arag. Results from high‐resolution transmission electron microscopy show that the hybrids exhibit a nanosized core–shell structure with globulin monomer 7S or 11S as core and HAp or Arag as shells. 7S/HAp and 11S/Arag present a disk and hexagon shape, respectively. After calcinations, monodispersed HAp without support from globulins existed as nanospheres. It was revealed that the globulin as host induces the self‐assembly and growth layer by layer of HAp or Arag nanocrystals. The factors of molecular recognition and surface potential definitely affected the size and shape of the hierarchical blocks. This work provided a novel pathway to controllably synthesize a wide variety of precise plant protein/biomineral hybrid biomaterials.

     

Magnetization and heat capacity studies of double perovskite compounds Ba2SmRuO6 and Ba2DyRuO6

Here we report the magnetic and heat capacity studies of the double perovskite compounds Ba₂SmRuO₆ and Ba₂DyRuO₆. Antiferromagnetic transitions are inferred at 54 and 47 K in Ba₂SmRuO₆ and Ba₂DyRuO₆, respectively, in the magnetization measurements. Heat capacity measurements show large jumps at the corresponding temperatures and confirm the bulk magnetic ordering. Both the measurements provide clear indication of the ordering of the rare earth moments also along with the Ruthenium moments. However, the heat capacity results suggest that the ordering of rare earth magnetic moments is spread over a large temperature range. An anomaly observed in the magnetization measurements at 42 K (below the magnetic ordering) in Ba₂SmRuO₆ is discerned as a reorientation of Sm³⁺ moments.     

Characteristics of electrical properties of wide temperature range TGB phases in liquid crystal dimers

4-n-decyloxy-4′-(cholesteryloxycarbonyl-1-butyloxy) chalcone and its two successive homologous are optically active dimeric compound derived from cholesterol. They possess wide temperature ranges of two twist grain boundary (TGB) phases namely TGBA and TGBC*. Comprehensive dielectric studies have been carried out for these compounds in the frequency range of 1 Hz to 10 MHz for different conditions of molecular anchoring. Various electrical parameter viz. dielectric permittivity, dielectric anisotropy, dc conductivity, and activation energy have been determined for these two TGB phases. Weak relaxation processes have been detected under planar anchoring of molecules in the TGBA and TGBC* phases presumably due to amplitude (soft mode) and phase (Goldstone mode) fluctuations.