Controllable synthesis of ZnS/PMMA nanocomposite hybrids generated from functionalized ZnS quantum dots nanocrystals

We reported controllable synthesis of ZnS nanocrystal-polymer transparent hybrids by using polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) as a polymer matrix. In a typical run, the appropriate amounts of zinc chloride (ZnCl₂) and sodium sulfide (Na₂S) in the presence of 2-mercaptoethanol (ME) as the organic ligand were well dispersed in H₂O/dimethylformamide solution without any aggregation. In addition, the Mn-doped ZnS nanocrystals (NCs) were synthesized with similar method. Then, ZnS-PMMA hybrids were obtained via free radical polymerization in situ by using ZnS NCs functionalized with methacryloxypropyltrimethoxysilane (MPS). FT-IR characterization indicates the formation of robust bonding between ZnS NCs and the organic ligand. The TEM images show that ZnS NCs are well dispersed in PMMA matrix, and particle size of as-prepared ZnS NCs is about 2.6 nm, in agreement with the computing results of Brus’s model and Debye–Scherrer formula. The photoluminescence measurements present that ZnS NCs, Mn-doped ZnS NCs, and ZnS/PMMA hybrid show good optical properties.     

Characterisation of oxygen defects in calciumdifluoride

We study the aggregation of oxygen dipoles well dispersed in a CaF₂ crystal upon annealing at temperatures ranging from 370 to 420 K. The concentration of oxygen dipoles is monitored by measuring the intensity of the ionic thermocurrent peak as well as by absorption and luminescence spectroscopies. Results from three methods agree within experimental error and yield an activation energy of (1.2±0.1) eV for the diffusion of isolated oxygen centres in the crystal.     

Ferromagnetic Properties of Bond-Dilution and Random Positive or Negative Uniaxial Anisotropy Blume-Capel Model

We study the ferromagnetic properties of spin-1 system, which is considered in the frame of the bond dilution and random positive or negative anisotropy Blume-Capel model in the effective field theory and a cutting approximation. The investigation of phase diagrams displays some rich properties of the trajectory of tricritical point, reentrant henomena at low temperatures. Under certain both bond concentrations and random negative anisotropy, there are new transition lines of double tricritical points. So special emphasis is placed on the influence of the bond dilution and random anisotropy on phase diagrams. The magnetizations of the system are also discussed. Some results have not been evealed in previous reports.     

Recent results from large electron positron collider

We summarize here the recent results from the four experiments at the large electron positron collider (LEP). These experiments provide precise measurements of theW and Z boson properties and their couplings to leptons and quarks. These measurements, together with measurements of the top quark andW boson masses in the Tevatron collider provide a stringent test of the standard electroweak theory. Searches for Higgs boson and supersymmetric particles have yielded null results so far giving rise to lower bounds in the parameter space.     

Anomalies of attenuation and phase velocity of surface acoustic waves in YBa2Cu3O7‒δ thin films in the vicinity of Tc

We present measurements of the attenuation and phase velocity of surface acoustic waves in thin YBa₂Cu₃O films as a function of temperature, in magnetic fields up to 3.6 T applied parallel to the c-axis of the films. We have observed anomalies in both, the attenuation and the phase velocity in the vicinity of the superconducting critical temperature which do not depend on the magnetic field. Possible origins of these anomalies, observed, to our knowledge, for the first time in YBa₂Cu₃O thin films, are discussed and compared to bulk acoustic wave experiments. We present a kind of feedback technique for surface acoustic waves which improves the sensitivity of this type of measurement. The actual sensitivity limits are mentioned. Received: 7 August 1997 / Revised: 7 November 1997 / Accepted: 17 November 1997     

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     

Rotational Motion of a Solute Molecule in a Highly Viscous Liquid Studied byC NMR: 1,3-Dibromoadamantane in Polymeric Chlorotrifluoroethene

The viscosity-dependent retarding effect of a polymeric solvent on the rotation of small solute molecules is investigated by¹³C NMR relaxation measurements. It is found that the relaxation data of 1,3-dibromoadamantane in highly viscous polymeric chlorotrifluoroethene can be explained neither by isotropic nor by realistic anisotropic tumbling in a single environment. The experimental data are rationalized in terms of fast exchange between at least two environments with correlation times differing by up to two orders of magnitude. The study shows that a uniform retardation of molecular tumbling by a polymeric solvent, desirable for shifting the NMR observation window in studies of intramolecular mobility, is not always feasible.     

Dimensionally and thermally stable polymer,containing disordered graphitic structure and adamantane

In an attempt to develop a low‐k interlayer dielectric, adamantane‐diphenyldiethynyl moiety containing oligomer is prepared. Oligomerization of 1,3,5,7‐tetrakis[3/4‐ethynylphenyl]adamantane ( 4 ) is accomplished by a Glaser–Hay oxidative coupling with 1,3,5‐triethynylbenzene and phenylacetylene end‐capping agent. The CHCl₃ soluble oligomer is then thermally treated by step‐curing at 200, 300, 380, and 450 °C for 30 min at each temperature under nitrogen flow to render a shiny void‐free black polymer. TGA analysis indicates that the polymer is stable under nitrogen up to 500 °C with a marginal decomposition up to 800 °C. Solid‐state ¹³C NMR, Raman scattering, and FTIR are used to characterize the structure of the polymer. The polymer consists of amorphous carbon networks with the adamantane moieties and nanosized graphitic regions (clusters), which are generated from the thermal crosslinking of the diphenyldiethynyl units. It shows a remarkably low linear coefficient of thermal expansion (～25 ppm/°C), presumably due to the presence of the disordered graphitic structure. Its high density (～1.21 g/cm³), refractive index (～1.80 at 632 nm), and Young's modulus (～17.0 GPa) are also consistent with the interpretation. This study reveals important details about the effect of microscopic structure on the macroscopic properties of the highly crosslinked polymer. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 44: 6909–6925, 2006     

Interactions between kinetic and radiative processes inside moving absorbing fluids

The aim of this paper is to present several features of the couplings occurring between radiative transfer and the kinetics of a moving dielectric. After determining how the velocity field affects the apparent thermo-optical properties of matter, the energy transport problem is investigated in instationary regime and the general form of transient radiative transfer equation inside a moving medium is built. Then, the model is applied to the particular case of turbulent flows: a system of two equations for mean and fluctuating radiative energies is presented, and the resolution of this system is finally carried out.     

Unconventional antiferromagnetic correlations of the doped Haldane gapsystem Y 2 BaNi 1 - x Zn x O 5

We make a new proposal to describe the very low temperature susceptibility of the doped Haldane gap compound Y₂BaNi_1-xZn_xO₅. We propose a new mean field model relevant for this compound. The ground state of this mean field model is unconventional because antiferromagnetism coexists with random dimers. We present new susceptibility experiments at very low temperature. We obtain a Curie-Weiss susceptibility χ( T ) ∼ C /(Θ + T ) as expected for antiferromagnetic correlations but we do not obtain a direct signature of antiferromagnetic long range order. We explain how to obtain the “impurity” susceptibility ( T ) by subtracting the Haldane gap contribution to the total susceptibility. In the temperature range [1 K, 300 K] the experimental data are well fitted by T ( T ) = C _imp 1 + T _imp / T . In the temperature range [100 mK, 1 K] the experimental data are well fitted by T ( T ) = A ln( T / T _c ), where T _c increases with x. This fit suggests the existence of a finite Néel temperature which is however too small to be probed directly in our experiments. We also obtain a maximum in the temperature dependence of the ac-susceptibility ( T ) which suggests the existence of antiferromagnetic correlations at very low temperature. Received 17 July 2001