Hydrogen-induced dynamic slowdown of metallic glass-forming liquids

Dynamics of hydrogen doped Cu_(50) Zr_(50) glass-forming liquids are investigated by using the newly developed modified embedded atomic method(MEAM) potential based on molecular dynamics simulations. We find that the doping of hydrogen atoms slows down the relaxation dynamics, reduces the fragility of supercooled melts, and promotes the occurrence of glass transitions. The dynamic slowdown is suggested to be closely related to the effect of hydrogen atoms on locally ordered structure of melts. With increasing concentration of hydrogen, the five-fold symmetry associated with Cu-and Zr-centered polyhedrons is lowered, on the other hand, the local order featuring metal hydrides is enhanced. The latter dominates the dynamic behaviors of glass-forming liquids, especially for Zr atoms, and results in the dynamic slowdown.     

Effects of laser irradiation on optical properties of a-Se100−x Te x thin films

The effect of laser irradiation on the optical properties of thermally evaporated Se_100?x Te _x (x=8, 12, 16) chalcogenide thin films has been studied. The result shows that the irradiation causes a shift in the optical gap. The results have been analyzed on the basis of laser irradiation-induced defects in the film. The width of the tail of localized state in the band gap has been evaluated using the Urbach edge method. As the irradiation time increases, the values of the optical energy gap for all compositions decrease, while tail energy width increases. It is also observed that the optical energy gap decreases with increasing Te content in the alloy. These changes are a consequence of an increment in disorder produced by laser irradiation in the amorphous structure of thin film.     

TRANSITION METAL,NON-METAL CARBONYL CLUSTRS AS SUPPORTS FOR UNUSUAL ACETYLIDE REACTIVITY

Group 16 elements serve as useful bridging and stabilising single atom ligands in mixed-metal carbonyl complexes and impart unusual reactivity on coordinated acetylenic moieties. Reactions of [Fe ₃ (CO) ₉ (μ ₃ -E) ₂ ] (E = S, or Se) with mononuclear acetylide complexes, [CpM(CO)_3-x(CCR)] (M = Mo or W, x = 0, R = Ph; M = Fe, x = 1, R = Ph or ferrocenyl) under facile conditions yield complexes featuring acetylide coupling, acetylide-flip and formation of oxo and acetylide-bridged complexes. In presence of free acetylenes, unusual ligand systems arising from C─S bond formation are observed and under certain conditions, formation of quinones by coupling of acetylenes with carbon monoxide is facilitated.     

Optical and luminescence properties of Dy3+ ions in phosphate based glasses

Phosphate glasses with compositions of 44P₂O₅ + 17K₂O + 9Al₂O₃ + (30 − x)CaF₂ + xDy₂O₃ (x = 0.05, 0.1, 0.5, 1.0, 2.0, 3.0 and 4.0 mol %) were prepared and characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), differential thermal analysis (DTA), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), optical absorption, emission and decay measurements. The observed absorption bands were analyzed by using the free-ion Hamiltonian (H_FI) model. The Judd–Ofelt (JO) analysis has been performed and the intensity parameters (Ω_λ, λ = 2, 4, 6) were evaluated in order to predict the radiative properties of the excited states. From the emission spectra, the effective band widths (Δλ_eff), stimulated emission cross-sections (σ(λ_p)), yellow to blue (Y/B) intensity ratios and chromaticity color coordinates (x, y) have been determined. The fluorescence decays from the ⁴F_9/2 level of Dy³⁺ ions were measured by monitoring the intense ⁴F_9/2 → ⁶H_15/2 transition (486 nm). The experimental lifetimes (τ_exp) are found to decrease with the increase of Dy³⁺ ions concentration due to the quenching process. The decay curves are perfectly single exponential at lower concentrations and gradually changes to non-exponential for higher concentrations. The non-exponential decay curves are well fitted to the Inokuti–Hirayama (IH) model for S = 6, which indicates that the energy transfer between the donor and acceptor is of dipole–dipole type. The systematic analysis of revealed that the energy transfer mechanism strongly depends on Dy³⁺ ions concentration and the host glass composition.     

Novel mesophases in fluorine substituted banana-shaped mesogens

A new homologous series of achiral banana-shaped mesogens ('Dn') has been synthesized and studied by the classical techniques (optical microscopy, differential scanning calorimetry, X-ray diffraction, miscibility studies and electro-optic investigations). The short homologues (D6-D8) exhibit a two-dimensional phase 'B1_x' different from a B1 phase with a rectangular lattice. The longer homologues (D9-D14) present a mesophase which displays the defects of the B7 phase of the PIMB-NO₂ compounds. Nevertheless the D9-D14 mesophase is not miscible with the B7 phase, and contrary to B7, exhibits a bistable behaviour ('ferroelectric' type) suggesting at least a B7 variant.     

Gamma ray induced changes on vibrational spectroscopic properties of strontium alumino-borosilicate glasses

The present investigation reports the effect of influence of aluminum ions on radiation damage of strontium borosilicate glasses studied by means of spectroscopic (viz., optical absorption (OA), infrared and Raman spectra). The composition of the glasses chosen for the study is 40SrO–xAl₂O₃–(15-x) B₂O₃–40SiO₂ (x = 5, 7.5, 10), all in mol%. The glasses were synthesized by conventional melt quenching method. Later, the samples were exposed to gamma (γ) radiation dose of strengths 10 kGy and 30 kGy with a dose rate of 1.5 Gy/s using ⁶⁰Co as radiation source. The infrared spectra (IR), Raman spectra and optical absorption (OA) spectra of the samples were recorded at ambient temperature before and after irradiation. The OA spectra of the pre-irradiated samples do not exhibit any absorption bands in the UV–vis regions and IR and Raman spectra exhibited conventional vibrational bands due to different borate, silicate AlO₄ and AlO₆ structural units. The OA spectra of post irradiated samples exhibited a broad absorption band in the wavelength region 600–750 nm; it is attributed to electron trapped color centers. The intensity of this peak is observed to increase with increase of the γ-ray dose. Considerable changes in the intensities of various bands in the IR and Raman spectra were also observed. The changes were explained based on structural modifications taking place in the glass network due to γ-ray irradiation and finally it is concluded that the glasses mixed with 10.0 mol% of Al₂O₃ are relatively more radiation resistant.     

Approximate chemical analysis of volcanic glasses using Raman spectroscopy

The effect of chemical composition on the Raman spectra of a series of natural calcalkaline silicate glasses has been quantified by performing electron microprobe analyses and obtaining Raman spectra on glassy filaments (~450 µm) derived from a magma mingling experiment. The results provide a robust compositionally‐dependent database for the Raman spectra of natural silicate glasses along the calcalkaline series. An empirical model based on both the acquired Raman spectra and an ideal mixing equation between calcalkaline basaltic and rhyolitic end‐members is constructed enabling the estimation of the chemical composition and degree of polymerization of silicate glasses using Raman spectra. The model is relatively insensitive to acquisition conditions and has been validated using the MPI‐DING geochemical standard glasses 1 as well as further samples. The methods and model developed here offer several advantages compared with other analytical and spectroscopic methods such as infrared spectroscopy, X‐ray fluorescence spectroscopy, electron and ion microprobe analyses, inasmuch as Raman spectroscopy can be performed with a high spatial resolution (1 µm²) without the need for any sample preparation as a nondestructive technique. This study represents an advance in efforts to provide the first database of Raman spectra for natural silicate glasses and yields a new approach for the treatment of Raman spectra, which allows us to extract approximate information about the chemical composition of natural silicate glasses using Raman spectroscopy. We anticipate its application in handheld in situ terrestrial field studies of silicate glasses under extreme conditions (e.g. extraterrestrial and submarine environments). © 2015 The Authors Journal of Raman Spectroscopy Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd     

Catalytic Activation of Imines by Chalcogen Bond Donors in a Povarov [4+2] Cycloaddition Reaction

Recently, chalcogen bonding has been investigated in more detail in organocatalysis and the scope of activated functionalities continues to increase. Herein, the activation of imines in a Povarov [4+2] cycloaddition reaction with bidentate cationic chalcogen bond donors is presented. Tellurium-based Lewis acids show superior properties compared to selenium-based catalysts and inactive sulfur-based analogues. The catalytic activity of the chalcogen bonding donors increases with weaker binding anions. Triflate, however, is not suitable due to its participation in the catalytic pathway. A solvent screening revealed a more efficient activation in less polar solvents and a pronounced effect of solvent (and catalyst) on endo : exo diastereomeric ratio. Finally, new chiral chalcogen bonding catalysts were applied but provided only racemic mixtures of the product.     

Noncovalent Bonds through Sigma and Pi-Hole Located on the Same Molecule. Guiding Principles and Comparisons

Over the last years, scientific interest in noncovalent interactions based on the presence of electron-depleted regions called σ-holes or π-holes has markedly accelerated. Their high directionality and strength, comparable to hydrogen bonds, has been documented in many fields of modern chemistry. The current review gathers and digests recent results concerning these bonds, with a focus on those systems where both σ and π-holes are present on the same molecule. The underlying principles guiding the bonding in both sorts of interactions are discussed, and the trends that emerge from recent work offer a guide as to how one might design systems that allow multiple noncovalent bonds to occur simultaneously, or that prefer one bond type over another.     

Influence of MgO on structure and optical properties of alumino-lithium-phosphate glasses

MgO doped lithium alumino phosphate glasses (PLA: P₂O₅+Li₂O+Al₂O₃+MgO) were prepared by melt quenching technique. Raman spectra display three significant peaks at 698, 1164 and 1383 cm⁻¹ attributed to: symmetric stretching vibrations of the bridging oxygen (BO) in the P–O–P chains, symmetric stretching vibrations of the PO₂ groups, and the asymmetric vibrations vas(PO₂) of the non-bridging oxygen (NBO) atoms, respectively. Also, the density, molar volumes and ion concentration have been discussed and correlated with the structural changes within the glassy matrix. Some optical constants such as refractive index and dispersion parameters (E_o: single-oscillator energy and E_d: dispersive energy) of the glasses were determined. Finally, the values of the optical band gap for direct and indirect allowed transitions have been determined from the absorption edge studies. It is deduced that the values of E_opt increase with increasing MgO content. It was assigned to structural changes induced from the formation of non-bridging oxygen. The Urbach energy (ΔE) was found to decrease from 0.578 to 0.339 eV with increasing MgO content from 0.5 to 2 mol.