Synthesis of magnetic DDAB vesicles

The synthesis of magnetic vesicles is described. The vesicles are constituted by didodecyldimethylammonium bromide and have a diameter of about 1 m. An aqueous magnetic fluid, constituted by charged magnetic nanoparticles dispersed in water without surfactant, is encapsulated in the vesicle with a volume fraction in particles that may range up to 10%. The first step of the encapsulation is the synthesis of a multiple emulsion the intermediate oily phase being evaporated to obtain the DDAB bilayer. The magnetic vesicles thus synthesized align and change shape when a magnetic field is applied.     

Integrability and ergodicity of classical billiards in a magnetic field

We consider classical billiards in plane, connected, but not necessarily bounded domains. The charged billiard ball is immersed in a homogeneous, stationary magnetic field perpendicular to the plane. The part of dynamics which is not trivially integrable can be described by a bouncing map. We compute a general expression for the Jacobian matrix of this map, which allows us to determine stability and bifurcation values of specific periodic orbits. In some cases, the bouncing map is a twist map and admits a generating function. We give a general form for this function which is useful to do perturbative calculations and to classify periodic orbits. We prove that billiards in convex domains with sufficiently smooth boundaries possess invariant tori corresponding to skipping trajectories. Moreover, in strong field we construct adiabatic invariants over exponentially large times. To some extent, these results remain true for a class of nonconvex billiards. On the other hand, we present evidence that the billiard in a square is ergodic for some large enough values of the magnetic field. A numerical study reveals that the scattering on two circles is essentially chaotic.     

Series representation for semistable laws and their domains of semistable attraction

If the centered and normalized partial sums of an i.i.d. sequence of random variables converge in distribution to a nondegenerate limit then we say that this sequence belongs to the domain of attraction of the necessarily stable limit. If we consider only the partial sums which terminate atk _n wherek _n+1 ck _n then the sequence belongs to the domain of semistable attraction of the necessarily semistable limit. In this paper, we consider the case where the limiting distribution is nonnormal. We obtain a series representation for the partial sums which converges almost surely. This representation is based on the order statistics, and utilizes the Poisson process. Almost sure convergence is a useful technical device, as we illustrate with a number of applications.This research was supported by a research scholarship from the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG).     

Structures and magnetic properties of tetranuclear nickel(II) complexes with unusual mu3-1,1,3 azido bridges

Pyrazolate-based dinucleating ligands with thioether-containing chelate arms have been used for the synthesis of a family of novel tetranuclear nickel(II) complexes [L2Ni4(N3)3(O2CR)](ClO4)2 that incorporate three azido bridges and one carboxylate (R = Me, Ph). Molecular structures have been elucidated by X-ray crystallography in four cases, revealing Ni4 cores with a unique topology in which two of the azido ligands adopt an unusual mu3-1,1,3 bridging mode. The compounds were further characterized by mass spectrometry, IR spectroscopy, and variable-temperature magnetic susceptibility measurements. Magnetic data analyses indicate a combination of significant intramolecular ferromagnetic and antiferromagnetic exchange interactions that give rise to an overall S(T) = 0 ground state. The sign and the magnitude of the individual couplings have been rationalized in the framework of the common magnetostructural correlations for end-to-end and end-on azido linkages, suggesting that these correlations also remain valid for the respective fragments of multiply bridging mu3-1,1,3 azido ligands.     

Low-Field NMR Relaxation Analysis of High-Pressure Ethane Adsorption in Mesoporous Silicas

Understanding the behaviour of short-chain hydrocarbons confined to porous solids informs the targeted extraction of natural resources from geological features, and underpins rational developments in separation, storage and catalytic conversion processes. Herein, we report the application of low-field (12.7 MHz) ¹H nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) relaxation measurements to characterise ethane dynamics within mesoporous silica materials exhibiting mean pore diameters between 6 and 50 nm. Our measurements provide NMR-based adsorption isotherms within the range 25–50 bar and at ambient temperature, incorporating the ethane condensation point (40.7 bar at our experimental temperature of 23.6 °C). The quantitative nature of the acquired data is validated via a direct comparison of NMR-derived excess adsorption capacities with ex situ gravimetric ethane adsorption measurements, which are demonstrated to agree to within 0.2 mmol g⁻¹ of the observed ethane capacity. NMR relaxation time distributions are further demonstrated as a means to decouple interparticle and mesopore dominated adsorption phenomena, with unexpectedly rapid relaxation rates associated with interparticle ethane gas confirmed via a direct comparison with NMR self-diffusion analysis.     

Surface chemistry of nanoscale Fe_3O_4 dispersed in magnetic fluids

The interaction between stabilizers and nanoparticles is one of the important factors to prepare stable magnetic fluids. The magnetic nano-size Fe3O4 core with single domain and the average grain size around 8-12 nm were prepared by chemical precipitation method. The O/Fe molar ratio of the particle surface was measured by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The heat effects of stabilizers ad- sorption on nanoparticles were measured by solution calorimetry. The excess amount of oxygen was possibly the result of the hydroxygen formed on the surface of the nanoparticles. The heat effects showed that compounds containing carboxyl groups can be adsorbed chemically on magnetite by forming chemical bonds. The other stabilizers involving NH-groups, such as polyethylene-imine, can be adsorbed physically. The exothermic value is about half of the former case.     

The First New Hydrogen-Bonded Heterohexanuclear Complex [(salen)Cu]4[(salen)Fe(H2O)2]2(ClO4)2: Molecular and Crystal Structure and Magnetic Properties

The preparation, magnetic properties, and crystal structure of [(salen)Cu]₄[(salen)Fe(H₂O)₂]₂(ClO₄)₂ via hydrogen bonding are described [salen=N,N-ethylenebis (salicylideneiminate)]. Crystals are triclinic, of space group , with cell constants a=12.853(3), b=13.921(3), c=14.251(3) Å, =68.68(3)°, =87.86(3)°, =86.82(3)°, and Z=1. The structure was solved and refined to R=0.064 and R=0.068. The structure comprises the hexanuclear units which result from the linking of four mononuclear fragments [(salen)Cu] and two mononuclear fragment [(salen)Fe(H₂O)]⁺, through Cu -O H -O -Fe -O -H O -Cu hydrogen bonds of coordinating H₂O. In this complex, Fe^III ions are in almost square-planar surroundings. The temperature dependences of the magnetic susceptibilities of the complex have been studied in the 4.2–300 K range, indicating the presence of an antiferromagnetic interactions between metal ions.     

Magnetische Wechselwirkungen in Inselstrukturen ternärer Cobaltchalkogenide. Die Spinstrukturen von Na6CoS4 und Na6CoSe4

Magnetic Interactions in Ternary Cobalt Chalcogenides containing Isolated Tetrahedral Cobalt Anionic Groups. The Spin Structures of Na₆CoS₄ and Na₆CoSe₄ The sodium cobalt chalcogenides Na₆CoS₄ and Na₆CoSe₄ are characterized by isolated [CoX₄]-units. Despite the large distances of more than 6 Å between the cobalt ions magnetic inter-actions at low temperatures lead to threedimensionally ordered spin structures, that were determined from neutron diffraction experiments. The magnetic structure can be described in the Shubnicov group P_2abc2₁ with a unit cell that is four times as large as the crystallographic cell. The magnetic moments of both compounds correspond to the value expected for three unpaired electrons per Co²⁺ ion.     

磁场对含稀土铝锂合金断裂特征的影响

以含铈铝锂合金为研究对象，研究了磁场对含稀土铝锂合金时效过程的影响，从断裂特征及微观组织两方面分析了磁场作用规律。实验结果表明：未加磁场时，合金的断裂特征以理断裂为主；扁平晶粒厚度不匀，在磁场作用下，此合金的断裂特征与微观组织发生明显改观，随磁感应强度增强，合金主断裂面上准解理断裂特征减弱，同时二次裂纹增多，分层比较升高；扁平晶粒厚度变薄，尺寸趋于均匀。用少体物理理论，探讨了磁场对含稀土合金原子扩散过程的影响，为进一步研究稀土元素在磁场中的行为及其局域效应提供了一定的实验依据。     

The magnetic behaviour of [NnBu4]4[Ni16Pd16(CO)40]: an even-electron homoleptic carbonyl-metal cluster anion displaying a J = 2 ground state

The magnetic behaviour of the even-electron [Ni16Pd16(CO)40]4- cluster, in its [NnBu4]+ salt, has been investigated by magnetometry and muon spin rotation/relaxation (muSR) spectroscopy. The susceptibility measurements show an exceptionally high magnetic moment corresponding to a total spin value J=2. This suggests a Hund filling of a quadruplet ground state, quite unique in carbonyl-metal clusters. SQUID magnetometry shows a departure from the Curie-Weiss law, for T>150 K, and strong deviation from a Brillouin behaviour of the magnetisation curves. muSR spectroscopy in zero applied field shows a temperature independent decay of the muon spin polarisation, similar to that of a purely paramagnetic system. The observed muon spin repolarisation in a moderate external longitudinal field, however, invalidates this simple picture and suggests the presence of a local anisotropy field acting on the cluster's magnetic moment. A consistent interpretation of magnetometry and muSR results implies the occurrence of an additional interaction of the cluster spin with an effective crystalline field. The inclusion of this interaction in a model Hamiltonian allows us to successfully reproduce both the susceptibility and magnetisation data.