Structural and spectroscopic studies of silylated cyclo- and bicyclosilanes

A number of cyclo-and bicyclosilanes have been prepared and structurally characterized by X-ray crystallography and Raman spectroscopy. 1,1,4,4- and 1,1,3,3-tetrakis(trimethylsilyl)octamethylcyclohexasilanes were found to exhibit unusual twist- and twisted boat-conformations. The UV absorption properties of all compounds were studied and found to show absorption maxima red shifted compared to the parent compound dodecamethylcyclohexasilane. Dedicated to Prof. Mitsuo Kira on the occasion of his reception of the Wacker Silicon Award 2005 and in recongnition of his numerous outstanding achievements in organosilicon chemistry.     

Effects of oxygen in gamma irradiated aromatic polyesters in film

The effect of gamma irradiation in air is investigated on four thermoplastic polyesters (PET, PBT, PEN, PCT-co-ET) in films containing aromatic rings, in order to evaluate the influence of aromatic density and the role of oxygen on radiation resistance. Physical-chemical-nuclear analyses were used to this purpose. EPR measurements were carried out to detect radical stability against oxygen permeation. Viscometric investigations reported a very similar trend for all the investigated polyesters: a chain break effect that decreases at the highest doses. FT-IR analyses focused on the formation of oxidized species. Positron annihilation spectra pointed out a decrease of the intensity of ortho-positronium formation, while its lifetime remains unchanged with radiation dose.     

Synthesis of dihalocarbene derivatives of estafiatin guaianolide

Adducts of dihalocarbenes generated from chloroform and bromoform were prepared by reaction with estafiatin guaianolide. Their structures were established by XSA. __________ Translated from Khimiya Prirodnykh Soedinenii, No. 5, pp. 453–455, September–October, 2007.     

Mössbauer study of nanodimensional nickel ferrite – mechanochemical synthesis and catalytic properties

Iron–nickel spinel oxide NiFe₂O₄ nanoparticles have been prepared by the combination of chemical precipitation and subsequent mechanical milling. For comparison, their analogue obtained by thermal synthesis is also studied. Phase composition and structural properties of iron–nickel oxides are investigated by X-ray diffraction and Mössbauer spectroscopy. Their catalytic behavior in methanol decomposition to CO and methane is tested. An influence of the preparation method on the reduction and catalytic properties of iron–nickel samples is established.     

Magnetic order in LaEuSrCuO studied [2pt] by Fe Mössbauer spectroscopy

⁵⁷Fe M?ssbauer effect studies of La_1.65Eu_0.20Sr_0.15CuO₄ doped with 0.5 at% ⁵⁷Fe performed in the temperature region 300 K > T > 4.2 K give an onset temperature for magnetic ordering of K. This temperature practically is the same as that found in Nd doped La_2-xSr_xCuO₄. It indicates that the magnetic ordering temperature in the LTT phase of rare earth (RE) doped La_2-xSr_xCuO₄ is independent of the RE moment. The direction of the ⁵⁷Fe magnetic moment in the magnetically ordered state is within the CuO₂ plane, while it has been found to be parallel to the c-axis in Nd doped La_2-xSr_xCuO₄. Received: 23 June 1998 / Accepted: 14 July 1998     

Thickness of a silica-tethered poly(ethylene oxide) layer measured by spin labeling

EPR spectroscopy of labeled poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) grafted on silica has been used to characterize the conformation and local dynamics of the chains. Grafted molecules of MW 2000 with grafting ratios of 0.045, 0.057, 0.126, and 0.42 molecules/nm² were in contact with benzene. The mobility of the label was compared with that observed for solution of PEO from very diluted to highly concentrated and even bulk PEO. Thus, the concentration inside the grafted layer could be evaluated and also the thickness, which evolves rather linearly with the grafting ratio. © 1995 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

STS investigations of temperature dependence of Au(1 1 1) surface state energy position

High temperature scanning tunneling spectroscopy (HT-STS) was used to investigate the electronic structure of Au(1 1 1) at different temperatures in the energy range 0-1 eV below the Fermi level. We concentrated on the influence of temperature on the Shockley surface state (SS) appearing on noble metals surface due to a surface projected bulk bang gap in [1 1 1] direction. The influence of temperature on the projected band gap edge (BE) was also investigated. The experiment was carried out in the temperature range 294-580 K. As the result of the experiment a delicate shift of the SS and the BE in direction of the Fermi level was reported.     

A comparative XPS and UPS study of VOx layers on mineral TiO2(001)‐anatase supports

Four vanadium oxide layers on mineral TiO₂(001)‐anatase supports with different thickness (3–33 Å) were prepared with reactive d.c. magnetron sputtering and were extensively studied with photoelectron spectroscopy. Al Kα radiation and 150 eV synchrotron radiation were used as excitation sources. The evolution of the 2p, 3s and 3p core level line shapes of V and Ti as a function of the vanadium oxide thickness was studied, as well as the O1s and O2s core lines and the valence band. All the V2p spectra of the deposited vanadium oxide layers consist of at least 60% V⁵⁺, the rest being V⁴⁺. The V3p region is complicated by multiplet splitting, which prevents the determination of the vanadium oxidation state. The V3p multiplet splitting is different for the two excitation energies. No reduction of the titania support surface due to the vanadium oxide deposition was observed. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Fluorinated,crosslinkable terpolymers based on vinylidene fluoride and bearing sulfonic acid side groups for fuel‐cell membranes

The radical terpolymerization of 8‐bromo‐1H,1H,2H‐perfluorooct‐1‐ene with vinylidene fluoride (VDF) and perfluoro(4‐methyl‐3,6‐dioxaoct‐7‐ene) sulfonyl fluoride is presented. Changing the feed compositions of these three fluorinated comonomers enabled us to obtain different random‐type poly[vinylidene fluoride‐ter‐perfluoro(4‐methyl‐3,6‐dioxaoct‐7‐ene) sulfonyl fluoride‐ter‐8‐bromo‐1H,1H,2H‐perfluorooct‐1‐ene] terpolymers containing various sulfonyl fluoride and brominated side groups. Yields higher than 70% were reached in all cases. The hydrolysis of the sulfonyl fluoride group into the ? SO₃Li function in the presence of lithium carbonate was quantitatively achieved without the content of VDF being affected, and so dehydrofluorination of the VDF base unit was avoided. These original terpolymers were then crosslinked via dangling bromine atoms in the presence of a peroxide/triallyl isocyanurate system, which produced films insoluble in organic solvents such as acetone and dimethylformamide (which totally dissolved uncured terpolymers). The acidification of ? SO₃Li into the ? SO₃H function enabled protonic membranes to be obtained. The thermal stabilities of the crosslinked materials were higher than those of the uncured terpolymers, and their electrochemical performances were investigated. According to the contents of the sulfonic acid side functions, the ion‐exchange capacities ranged from 0.6 to 1.5 mequiv of H⁺/g, whereas the water uptake and conductivities ranged from 5–26% (±11%) and from 0.5 to 6.0 mS/cm, respectively. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 44: 4566–4578, 2006     

Nuclear forward scattering vs. conventional Mössbauer studies of atomically tailored Eu-based materials

With the decrease in size of devices, rapid characterization of nano-devices is an inevitable necessity. It is shown that Mössbauer spectroscopy using synchrotron radiation from the advanced photon source provides such a tool of investigation. Results are presented and compared for conventional Mössbauer and Nuclear Forward Scattering for ¹⁵¹Eu-doped magnesium sulfide as an example, especially at low concentrations.