The Chiral Induction of Chiral Nematics and the Anisotropic Circular Dichroism

Abstract

The anisotropic circular dichroism (ACD) and the chiral induction (HTP) are two chirality measurements of very different kind. For two binaphthyls diagonal elements of the circular dichroism (CD) tensor have been determined from the temperature dependence of the ACD and diagonal elements of the chirality interaction tensor from the temperature dependence of the HTP as a function of the order parameters. The tensor coordinate of the CD tensor and the chirality interaction tensor which belongs to the direction along the naphthyl-naphtyl bond determines mainly the ACD and HTP, respectively. In both cases an order independent contribution to the ACD and HTP exist.     

Helical twisting power of antiferroelectric chiral terphenyls in different matrices

To determine the influence of chemical structure on the Helical Twisting Power (HTP), we tested four optically active dopants having a terphenyl rigid core and the same chiral centre but differing in the length of nonchiral terminal chain and the substitution of benzene rings with fluorine atoms. The compounds were added to different achiral liquid crystalline matrices: nematic and smectic C. It was found that HTP as well as its temperature variation depends on the kind of used matrices. It gives a conclusion that information about HTP obtained in one matrix cannot be uncritically transferred to another one.     

Laser Light and X-Ray Diffraction Studies of Oriented Isotactic Polypropylene (iPP) Prepared by Temperature Slope Crystallization

Isotactic polypropylene (iPP) film was melt-crystallized in a temperature gradient. The iPP film showed well oriented α- and β-crystalline textures along the gradient. The crystalline structure, phase transition boundary and lamellar twisting were examined by X-ray diffraction and laser light diffraction (LLD). On the α-β boundary, LLD shows a sharp streak perpendicular to the boundary, where the a-axis of the β-crystal is oriented perpendicular to the temperature gradient. Apart from the boundary, the a-axis of the β-crystal becomes parallel to the gradient. The β-crystal shows lamellar twisting with a pitch of 200 μm at room temperature. When heated the β-crystal, the lamellar distance of 295Å at room temperature decreases to 285Å at 80–100°C and then increases to more than 300Å above 120°C. During the heating, the value of the twist period increases from 200 to 210 μm at 90–100°C, and then to above 224 μm at 140°C. The increase of the twist period is related to the increasing crystalline thickness of the β-lamellae.     

Only single twists on unknots can produce composite knots

Let be a knot in the -sphere , and a disc in meeting transversely more than once in the interior. For non-triviality we assume that over all isotopy of . Let () be a knot obtained from by cutting and -twisting along the disc (or equivalently, performing -Dehn surgery on ). Then we prove the following: (1) If is a trivial knot and is a composite knot, then ; (2) if is a composite knot without locally knotted arc in and is also a composite knot, then . We exhibit some examples which demonstrate that both results are sharp. Independently Chaim Goodman-Strauss has obtained similar results in a quite different method.

     

Homochiral helices of oligonaphthalenes inducing opposite-handed cholesteric phases

The helical structure of the chiral nematic phases (cholesterics) obtained by doping nematic solvents with chiral non-racemic compounds is a macroscopic proof of the solute chirality. Oligonaphthalene (tetra-, hexa-, octa-) derivatives linked at the 1,4-positions have been used as chiral dopants: When the chirality axes are configurationally homogeneous (that is, all-S), the molecular structures correspond to right-handed helices. Yet, we have found series of derivatives with the surprising property that the handedness of the induced cholesteric phase alternates from positive to negative and to positive again, on passing from tetra- to hexa- and to octanaphthalene. A comparison with oligonapthalene derivatives, which do not exhibit this twisting ability, points to the importance of the substitution pattern. Both the possibility of inducing oppositely-handed cholesteric phases by homochiral helices of different length, and the role played of substituents, are confirmed by calculations performed with the surface chirality model.     

The effect of waist twisting on walking speed of an amphibious salamander like robot

Amphibious salamanders often swing their waist to coordinate quadruped walking in order to improve their crawling speed. A robot with a swing waist joint, like an amphibious salamander, is used to mimic this locomotion. A control method is designed to allow the robot to maintain the rotational speed of its legs continuous and avoid impact between its legs and the ground. An analytical expression is established between the amplitude of the waist joint and the step length. Further, an optimization amplitude is obtained corresponding to the maximum stride. The simulation results based on automatic dynamic analysis of mechanical systems (ADAMS) and physical experiments verify the rationality and validity of this expression.     

Highly efficient chirality inducers in nematic liquid crystals: synthesis of 7,7’-disubstituted 2,2’-methylenedioxy-1,1’-binaphthyls

ABSTRACT

We report the synthesis of 7,7?-disubstituted 2,2?-methylenedioxy-1,1?-binaphthyls and demonstrate their application as chiral dopants in the nematic mixture MLC-6260 to produce highly twisted cholesteric phases. Especially mesogenic and/or polarizable groups in the 7,7?-positions of the bridged binaphthyls generate unusually high helical twisting powers.     

Stiffening and Contraction Induced by Dexamethasone in Alveolar Epithelial Cells

Background  The structural integrity of the alveolar monolayer, which is compromised during lung inflammation, is determined by the balance between cell–cell and cell-matrix tethering forces and the centripetal forces owing to cell viscoelasticity and contraction. Dexamethasone is an anti-inflammatory glucocorticoid with protective effects in lung injury. Aim  To determine the effects of Dexamethasone on the stiffness and contractility of alveolar epithelial cells. Methods  Cell stiffness (G′) and average traction exerted by the cell (T) were measured by magnetic twisting cytometry and by traction microscopy, respectively. A549 cells were treated 24 h with Dexamethasone (1 μM) or vehicle (control). G′ and T were measured before and 5 min after challenge with the inflammatory mediator Thrombin (0.5 U/ml). Changes induced by Dexamethasone in actin cytoskeleton polymerization were assessed by the fluorescent ratio between F-actin and G-actin obtained by staining cells with phalloidin and DNase I. Results  Dexamethasone significantly increased G′ and T by 56% (n = 11; p < 0.01) and by 80% (n = 17; p < 0.05), respectively. Dexamethasone also increased F/G-actin ratio from 2.68 ± 0.07 to 2.96 ± 0.09 (n = 10; p < 0.05). The relative increase in stiffness and contraction induced by Thrombin in control cells was significantly (p < 0.05) reduced by Dexamethasone treatment: from 190 to 98% in G′ and from 318 to 105% in T. Conclusion  The cytoskeleton remodelling and the increase in cell stiffness and contraction induced by Dexamethasone could account for its protective effect in the alveolar epithelium when subjected to inflammatory challenge.     

扭曲模及扭曲Hopf模的基本结构定理的推广

扭曲的方法在构造新的代数结构和模的结构中起了重要作用,在不必是双相关Hopf模甚至是余模的模上引入了更一般的扭曲组的概念,得到了扭曲模,与此同时,给出了扭曲模的基本结构定理和直接扭曲与分步扭曲的关系.     

扭曲余积和广义相关Hopf模

本文在学习［1,2］之后,首先给出了扭曲余积关于量子余交换的一个重要性质;在学习［3］之后,又证明了广义相关Hopf模的对偶模仍是广义相关Hopf模,从而推广了［3］中的相关结论.