Preliminary studies of radiation coupling between remote soft X-ray laser amplifiers

Coupling of a soft X-ray laser beam with a relaying concave mirror in a sequentially pumped amplifier geometry using the Ne-like Ge system has been studied experimentally. Preliminary observations indicate an increase in the spatial coherence of the amplified relayed beam. In addition, near-field imaging of one of the amplifier plasmas shows a double-lobed intensity pattern of the emergent beam indicating refractive guiding of the amplified beam with components both normal and tangential to the target surface.     

Vibrational energy transfer from chemically activated 1,4-cyclohexadiene

The thermal isomerization of cis, anti, cis-tricyclo[3.1.0.0^2,4] hexane was used to produce highly vibrationally excited 1,4-cyclohexadiene. The competition between unimolecular decomposition of the energized diene (to benzene and hydrogen) and collisional stabilization was studied using the parent compound, SF₆, CO₂, N₂, and He as quenching gases. Quenching efficiencies decreased in the order given above. By applying RRKM theory to the isomerization and decomposition reactions, it was possible to calculate the step size in a stepladder model of the deactivation of cyclohexadiene. The step sizes 〈ΔE〉 deduced (at 528 K and in units of kJ/mol) were: parent compound and SF₆, 7; CO₂, 5; N₂, 4; He, 2. The study confirmed the utility of this unimolecular chemical activation system for energy transfer studies.     

TDDFT Study on the Electronic Excitations and First Hyperpolarizabilities of Mixed-metal Carbonyl Clusters W2Ir2（μ-L）（CO）8（η^5-C5H4Me）2（L = dppe/dppf）

Mixed-metal carbonyl clusters of W2Ir2（CO）10（η^5-C5H4Me）2 1 and W2Ir2（μ-L）（CO）8（η^5-C5H4Me）2 （L = dppe 2, dppf 3） have been studied by TDDFT method focusing on their electronic and nonlinear optical properties. These three clusters exhibit the first static hyperpolarizabilities of medium magnitude （βtot-10×10^-30 esu）. The origin of β is discussed by the new proposed orbital-pair decomposition scheme by Barandes et al. The result suggests that the β values of the two clusters are mainly originated from d-d electron transition within the metal skeleton, and d-p （π＊） electron transition from metals to carbonyls and phenyl. The additional coordination by the electron donor group, ferrocene, makes cluster 3 own much larger β values, and the relatively longer range charge transfer from d orbitals of ferrocene to d orbirals of Ir and W is responsible for the enhanced β values.     

Integrated optical switching based on the protein bacteriorhodopsin

According to our earlier pioneering study, a dry film containing native bacteriorhodopsin (bR) shows unique nonlinear optical properties (refractive index change, controllable by light of different colors, greater than 2 x 10(-3)) that are in many respects superior to those of the materials presently applied in integrated optics. Here, we report on the first integrated optical application based on a miniature Mach-Zehnder interferometer (see Figs. 1 and 2) demonstrating a real switching effect by bR (efficiency higher than 90%) due to the M-state. Our results also imply that the refractive index change of the K-state (9 x 10(-4)) is high enough for fast switching.     

Is it time for biocatalysis in fragment-based drug discovery?

The use of biocatalysts for fragment-based drug discovery has yet to be fully investigated, despite the promise enzymes hold for the synthesis of poly-functional, non-protected small molecules. Here we analyze products of the biocatalysis literature to demonstrate the potential for not only fragment generation, but also the enzyme-mediated elaboration of these fragments. Our analysis demonstrates that biocatalytic products can readily populate 3D chemical space, offering diverse catalytic approaches to help generate new, bioactive molecules.

This perspective discusses how biocatalysis could play an important role in the future fragment-based drug discovery.     

Structural characteristics of different types of nanoparticles synthesised in mesomorphic metal alkanoates

The class of thermotropic ionic liquid crystals (LCs) of the metal alkanoates possesses a number of unique properties, such as intrinsic ionic conductivity, high dissolving ability and ability to form time-stable mesomorphic glasses. These ionic LCs can be used as nanoreactors for the synthesis and stabilisation of different types of nanoparticles (NPs). Thus, some semiconductors, metals and core/shell NPs were chemically synthesised in the thermotropic ionic liquid crystalline phase (smectic A) of the cadmium octanoate (CdC₈) and of the cobalt octanoate (CoC₈). By applying the scanning electron microscopy, the cadmium and cobalt octanoate composites containing CdS, Au, Ag and core/shell Au/CdS NPs have been studied. NPs’ sizes and dispersion distribution of the NPs’ size in the nanocomposites have been obtained.