Introduction of a planar chirality onto steroid substrates: synthesis of (S) and (R)-2′-formylcymantrenyl-17α-ethynylestradiols using (S) and (R)-1-formyl-2-iodo-cymantrenes

We report the synthesis and characterisation of (S) and (R)-2′-formylcymantrenyl-17α-ethynylestradiol synthesized using the Sonogashira cross-coupling reaction between optically pure (S) and (R) 1-formyl-2-iodo cymantrenes and ethynylestradiol. (S) and (R) 1-formyl-2-iodo cymantrenes were obtained from the same precursor: (2R,4R)-4-(methoxymethyl)-2-cymantrenyl-1,3-dioxane.     

Microfabricated ISEs: critical comparison of inherently conducting polymer and hydrogel based inner contacts

A rigorous side by side comparison of miniature planar potassium-selective electrodes with hydrogel and potassium hexacyanoferrate(II)/(III) doped polypyrrole (PPy/FeCN) based inner contacts is presented. The planar electrodes were manufactured by screen printing as four- and five-site arrays on ceramic substrates. These electrode arrays were incorporated into a flow-through cell, which could accommodate nine electrode sites. Two identical flow cells were connected in series and the effect of the inner contacts on the analytical performance of the respective electrodes has been critically evaluated. The time necessary to reach steady state conditions has been determined and the effect of experimental parameters (temperature, ambient light intensity, CO₂, and O₂ concentration of the sample) on the potential stability of the electrodes was analyzed. At controlled temperature, the drift of the planar potassium electrodes with hydrogel and PPy/FeCN solid contact were 0.11±0.02 mV h⁻¹ and 0.03±0.007 mV h⁻¹, respectively. The experimental data proved that there is no aqueous film formation between the PPy/FeCN film and the potassium-selective solvent polymeric membrane.     

Molecular orientation of azobenzene chromophores in ultrathin polymer nanosheets studied by attenuated total reflection spectroscopy

This paper describes characterization of molecular orientation for azobenzene moieties in a polymer nanosheet. Copolymers of N-[4-(phenylazo)phenyl] acrylamide (PAZoA) with tert-pentyl acrylamide (tPA) were synthesized and the monolayers deposited on tapered quartz waveguides by Langmuir–Blodgett (LB) technique. Spectroscopic properties of the copolymer (p(tPA/PAZoA)) monolayers were monitored by integrated optical waveguide technique on the molecular level. Molecular orientation of the azobenzene was precisely determined by polarized absorption spectra. It was found that the azobenzene groups took a horizontal orientation and distributed uniformly in the p(tPA/PAZoA) monolayer without significant PAZoA aggregation. Photoisomerization process from trans to cis form was also investigated. More than half of the trans form (60–70%) was photoisomerized under unpolarized light irradiation, and the photoisomerization rate was independent on the PAZoA contents. This implies that the microenvironment of PAZoA moieties was almost the same in three different p(tPA/PAZoA) monolayers.     

Chirality due to deuterium substitution: synthesis and circular dichroism of (+)(R) p -2,7-dideuterio-1,6-methano[10]annulene

Summary The title compound was prepared from (–)(S) _p -2,7-dibromo-1,6-methano[10]annulene by treatment withn-Bu-Li and subsequent quenching with D₂O. The optical rotations at four wavelengths and the circular dichroism spectrum are reported.

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Chiralität durch Deuterium-Substitution: Synthese und Circulardichroismus von (+)(R) _p -2,7-Dideuterio-1,6-methano[10]annulen (Kurze Mitt.)

Zusammenfassung Die Titelverbindung wurde aus (–)(S) _p -2,7-Dibrom-1,6-methano[10]annulen durch Umsetzung mitn-Bu-Li und nachfolgende Reaktion mit D₂O dargestellt. Optische Rotationen bei vier Wellenlängen und das Circulardichroismus-Spektrum wurden bestimmt.

     

Raman spectra and structure of multicomponent oxide planar waveguides prepared by sol-gel

This work was aimed at understanding the structure of SiO₂–MO₂ (M = Ti, Zr, Hf) and SiO₂–HfO₂–MO₂ (M = Ti, Zr) materials, used as mixed oxide glass hosts for Er³⁺ ions in the fabrication of optical planar waveguides by sol-gel processing. This structural study was performed by Waveguide Raman Spectroscopy (WRS), complemented with X-ray diffraction (XRD). The admixture of TiO₂ to HfO₂, SiO₂–HfO₂ and HfO₂–ZrO₂ compositions was found to cause precipitation of nanocrystals of tetragonal HfO₂ or ZrO₂, or the formation of hafnia-titania mixed crystals, depending on the HfO₂/TiO₂ molar ratio.     

Miniaturized structures based on color centers in lithium fluoride: Optical properties and applications

Research activities concerned with color centers in alkali halide films started recently. The use of versatile, well-assessed, and low-cost fabrication techniques consisting of physical vapor deposition of Lithium Fluoride (LiF) films combined with direct writing lithographic processes allows the realization of miniaturized structures, like broad-band emitters, channel waveguides, optical microcavities and point-light sources emitting in the visible spectral range. Promising results have been obtained in the generation, amplification and waveguiding of visible light in LiF treated by low energy electron beams, where the efficient formation of stable primary and aggregate color centers also induces a local modification of the refractive index. A brief overview of the investigated optical properties is presented together with a short discussion about their perspectives of applications in optoelectronics.     

Improved square coloring of planar graphs

Square coloring is a variant of graph coloring where vertices within distance two must receive different colors. When considering planar graphs, the most famous conjecture (Wegner, 1977) states that $\frac{3}{2}\mathrm{\Delta }+1$ colors are sufficient to square color every planar graph of maximum degree Δ. This conjecture has been proven asymptotically for graphs with large maximum degree. We consider here planar graphs with small maximum degree and show that $2\mathrm{\Delta }+7$ colors are sufficient, which improves the best known bounds when $6?\mathrm{\Delta }?31$.     

基于耦合T型空腔的多重法诺共振现象

提出由T型空腔和挡板组成的两种金属-电介质-金属(MIM)波导结构,分别为:正T型空腔结构和倒T型空腔结构,并应用有限元法系统地研究了该结构的透射特性.对于正T型空腔结构,仿真结果出现了双重法诺共振现象,并且共振波长可以通过改变T型空腔长度和高度进行调节.该结构有助于设计成敏感度达到1 620nm/RIU、品质因数为5.4×10~4的纳米传感器.对于倒置T型空腔,在波导中产生了多重法诺共振现象,其敏感度可达1 560nm/RIU,品质因数为9.37×104.该结构有望在光学集成回路,特别是纳米传感器、光束分路器方面具有广泛应用.