Hyper-Raman scattering enhanced by anisotropic dimer plasmons on artificial nanostructures

Silver nanodimers with a small gap of a few nanometers aligned on glass substrates were used to enhance hyper-Raman scattering of crystal violet dye molecules. When localized surface plasmon of the dimer array was resonantly excited along the interparticle axis, hyper-Raman intensity was significantly enhanced. Moreover, the spectral appearance was slightly different between the two excitation polarizations, suggesting a possibility of two resonance contributions at one-photon and two-photon energies. Since the plasmonic property of dimer arrays can be controlled by the dimer geometry, the dimer arrays are expected to be well-defined substrates for surface-enhanced hyper-Raman spectroscopy.     

Study on δ‐Form Complex in a Syndiotactic Polystyrene/Organic Molecules System, 1. Preferential Complexing Behavior of Xylene Isomers

To investigate the preferential complexing behavior of isomeric xylenes, syndiotactic polystyrene (sPS) membranes are prepared using varying compositions of m‐ and p‐xylene. Complex formation between sPS and the xylenes was studied by means of thermogravimetric and FT‐IR analyses to determine the exact amounts of solvent molecules present per styrene repeating unit. A preferential complexing ability of p‐xylene was revealed due to its favorable interaction with sPS.     

Lamellar thickening in nascent poly(acrylonitrile) upon annealing

No systematic study has been reported on the lamellar thickening in atactic poly(acrylonitrile) (PAN) upon annealing because PAN, in the form of solution‐cast films or their drawn products, generally shows no small‐angle X‐ray scattering (SAXS) maximum corresponding to the lamellar thickness. In this work, PAN crystals were precipitated during the thermal polymerization of acrylonitrile in solution. The nascent PAN film, obtained by the filtration of the crystal suspension, exhibited a clear SAXS maximum revealing the lamellar structure. The lamellar thickening upon annealing of the nascent PAN films was studied in the temperature range 100–180 °C, where the degradation was minimal, as confirmed by the absence of an IR absorption band at 1605 cm⁻¹ ascribed to the cyclized nitrile groups. Above 190 °C, the degradation of the samples was significant, and the SAXS became too broad to determine the scattering maximum. The long period was significantly affected by the annealing time (t_a) and the temperature (T_a). Depending on t_a, three stages were observed for the lamellar thickening behavior. The lamellar thickness stayed constant in stage I (t_a = 0.5–3 min, depending on T_a), rapidly increased in stage II (t_a = 0.5–8 min), and stayed at a constant value characteristic for each T_a at yet longer t_a's in stage III. The lamellar thickness characteristic for T_a increased rapidly with increasing T_a at 165 °C (or higher), which was 152 °C lower than the estimated melting temperature of PAN (T_m = 317 °C). A possible mechanism for such lamellar thickening in PAN far below the T_m is discussed on the basis of the enhanced chain mobility in the crystalline phase above the crystal/crystal reversible transition at 165–170 °C detected by differential scanning calorimetry and wide‐angle X‐ray diffraction. The structural changes associated with annealing are also discussed. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci B: Polym Phys 38: 2571–2579, 2000     

Regeneration of polycondensation of wholly aromatic poly(azomethine)s with 1,5‐ or 2,6‐substituted naphthalene moiety in main chain

Wholly aromatic poly(azomethine)s with 1,5‐ or 2,6‐substituted naphthalene moiety in the main chains were prepared in aprotic polar solvents or m‐cresol under various reaction conditions. In the polymerization of 1,5‐diaminonaphthalene with terephthalaldehyde, the polymer that synthesized in (HMPA/DMSO) at room temperature for 24 h by adding 5 wt % of calcium chloride and a very small amount of p‐toluenesulfonic acid showed the highest reduced viscosity in all of the polymers from 1,5‐diaminonaphthalene. The reduced viscosity of poly(azomethine)s synthesized from 2,6‐diaminonaphthalene with 2,6‐diformylnaphthalene in m‐cresol and with terephthalaldehyde in HMPA/DMSO were η_red = 0.35 and 0.36, respectively. The thermal analysis showed the poly(azomethine)s had high thermal stability and the glass‐transition temperatures of these polymers are about 250 °C. The X‐ray diffraction showed that they are partially crystalline. They could be polymerized again by second stage polycondensation in polyphosphoric acid. The reduced viscosities of the obtained polymers were about 2–5 times as high as that of the pristine polymers. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci A: Polym Chem 38: 1064–1072, 2000     

Esters of 2,5-multisubstituted-1,3-dioxane-2-carboxylic acid: their conformational analysis and selective hydrolysis

The carbomethoxy group at the C2 position of the 2,5-multisubstituted 1,3-dioxanes prefers the axial conformation rather than the equatorial one due to an anomeric effect. The trans isomers of the 5-monosubstituted compounds are more selectively hydrolyzed than the cis isomers. Based on the calculated results, hydrolysis to the trans isomers is attributed to the larger carbonyl charges of the trans than those of the cis isomers. The anomeric and homoanomeric effects will explain the axial preference of the carbomethoxy group and selective hydrolysis to the trans isomers. Furthermore, the calculated stability between the cis and trans isomers is in good agreement with the experimental results in the equilibrium state.     

TiO2 synthesis inspired by biomineralization: control of morphology, crystal phase, and light-use efficiency in a single process

Hydroxyapatite is mineralized along the long axis of collagen fiber during osteogenesis. Mimicking such biomineralization has great potential to control inorganic structures and is fast becoming an important next-generation inorganic synthesis method. Inorganic matter synthesized by biomineralization can have beautiful and functional structures that cannot be created artificially. In this study, we applied biomineralization to the synthesis of the only photocatalyst in practical use today, titanium dioxide (TiO(2)). The photocatalytic activity of TiO(2) mainly relates to three properties: morphology, crystal phase, and light-use efficiency. To optimize TiO(2) morphology, we used a simple sequential peptide as an organic template. TiO(2) mineralized by a β-sheet peptide nanofiber template forms fiber-like shapes that are not observed for mineralization by peptides in the shape of random coils. To optimize TiO(2) crystal phase, we mineralized TiO(2) with the template at 400 °C to transform it into the rutile phase and at 700 °C to transform it into a mixed phase of anatase and rutile. To optimize light-use efficiency, we introduced nitrogen atoms of the peptide into the TiO(2) structure as doped elemental material during sintering. Thus, this biomineralization method enables control of inorganic morphology, crystal phase, and light-use efficiency in a single process.     

The intercalation of N,N,N',N'-tetramethyl-ethane-1,2-diamine (tmeda) into C6Li and C12Li

Liquid N,N,N',N'-tetramethyl-ethane-1,2-diamine (tmeda) was intercalated into preprepared C(6)Li or C(12)Li. X-ray diffraction from the ternary compound indicates an identity period of 11.5 ?. The (13)C NMR line shifts show that tmeda molecules form a screen between the graphene planes and the lithium ions. Small-angle X-ray scattering showed that no higher structural ordering was present but revealed a progressive roughening of the surfaces with successive intercalation of lithium and amine into the graphite galleries.     

Tropone‐containing π‐conjugated polymers: Annulation of tropone onto benzene ring in the conjugated polymer

Tropone‐fused, various π‐conjugated polymers ( P2 – P5 ) were synthesized by the palladium‐catalyzed coupling reaction of 1,4‐dibromo‐6,8‐dimethyl‐7H‐benzocyclohepten‐7‐one with aromatic divinyl, diboronic acid, and diethynyl compounds. The molecular orbital calculation of the model compounds was performed to discuss effective conjugation length of the repeating unit of the polymers. The absorption spectra of phenylenevinylene‐type polymers shifted to longer wavelengths than the model compounds by about 60 nm. They exhibited green fluorescence [λ_max(em) = 544 and 561 nm]. The absorption spectrum of a phenylene‐type polymer blueshifted by 10 nm; however, that of a phenyleneethynylene‐type polymer redshifted by 83 nm as compared with their model compounds. They showed fluorescence with peak maxima at 457 and 489 nm, respectively. As a result, the absorption spectra of phenylene‐ and phenylenevinylene‐type polymers blueshifted, but that of a phenyleneethynylene‐type polymer redshifted by the annulation of tropone onto a benzene ring in the conjugated polymer. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 42: 1208–1215, 2004