Photoproduction of πmesons from nuclei

Photoproduction of neutral pions from nuclei (carbon, calcium, niobium, lead) has been studied for incident-photon energies from 200 MeV to 800 MeV with the TAPS detector using the Glasgow photon tagging spectrometer at the Mainz MAMI accelerator. Data were obtained for the inclusive photoproduction of neutral pions and the partial channels of quasifree single- , double- , and photoproduction. They have been analyzed in terms of the in-medium behavior of nucleon resonances and the pion-nucleus interaction. They are compared to earlier measurements from the deuteron and to the predictions of a Boltzmann-Uehling-Uhlenbeck (BUU) transport model for photon-induced pion production from nuclei.PACS: 13.60.Le Meson production - 25.20.Lj Photoproduction reactions     

Organoselenium‐substituted poly(p‐phenylenevinylene)

A new type of conjugated polymer, organoselenium substituted poly(p‐phenyleneviny‐ lene) (PPV), was synthesized from the corresponding alkylselenenyl p‐xylylene dibromide via a Gilch route using potassium tert‐butoxide in THF. The p‐xylylene dibromide precursors were synthesized by reacting lithiated bis(methoxymethyl)benzenes with elemental selenium, followed by alkylation of the generated selenolates. As a final demasking step, the bromomethyl functions were liberated by ether cleavage using boron tribromide. Bis‐alkylselenenyl PPV was obtained with an average molecular weight M_w of approximately 300,000 g/mol and with polydispersity M_w/M_n = 2. Due to low solubility, monoalkylselenenyl PPV was obtained with a considerably lower average molecular weight in the proximity of 16,000 g/mol and with a polydispersity slightly larger than 3. Absorption and fluorescence spectroscopy revealed that the bis‐alkylselenenyl PPV is extensively conjugated. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Heteroatom Chem 16:656–662, 2005; Published online in Wiley InterScience ( www.interscience.wiley.com ). DOI 10.1002/hc.20167     

High-throughput preparation and testing of ion-exchanged zeolites

A high-throughput research platform was developed for the preparation and subsequent catalytic liquid-phase screening of ion-exchanged zeolites, for instance with regard to their use as heterogeneous catalysts. In this system aqueous solutions and other liquid as well as solid reagents are employed as starting materials and 24 samples are prepared on a library plate with a 4 × 6 layout. Volumetric dispensing of metal precursor solutions, weighing of zeolite and subsequent mixing/washing cycles of the starting materials and distributing reaction mixtures to the library plate are automatically performed by liquid and solid handlers controlled by a single common and easy-to-use programming software interface. The thus prepared materials are automatically contacted with reagent solutions, heated, stirred and sampled continuously using a modified liquid handling. The high-throughput platform is highly promising in enhancing synthesis of catalysts and their screening. In this paper the preparation of lanthanum-exchanged NaY zeolites (LaNaY) on the platform is reported, along with their use as catalyst for the conversion of renewables.