Experimental characterization of hexatic smectic phases through electro-optic studies and dielectric relaxation spectroscopy

The electro-optic and complex dielectric behaviour of an antiferroelectric liquid crystal 4-(1-methylheptyloxycarbonyl)phenyl 4'-(n-butanoyloxyprop-1-oxy)biphenyl-4-carboxylate, having chiral SmC_A* and hexatic smectic phases, have been investigated. Complex dielectric permittivities were measured as a function of frequency, d.c. bias field and temperature. Spontaneous polarization was measured by the current reversal technique; tilt angle was measured under a polarizing microscope using a low frequency electric field. The electro-optic properties and dielectric behaviour of the material are compared with results obtained by DSC and polarizing optical microscopy. Dielectric relaxation processes in SmC_A* and hexatic smectic phases were determined. The dielectric strength at the SmC_A* to hexatic smectic phase transition is discussed in terms of coupling between the long range bond orientational order and smectic C director. It seems from the results of spontaneous polarization and dielectric relaxation spectroscopy that the material might possess an additional phase between the SmC_A* and hexatic smectic I* phases.     

Working group report: Neutrino and astroparticle physics

This is the report of neutrino and astroparticle physics working group at WHEPP-7. Discussions and work on CP violation in long baseline neutrino experiments, ultra high energy neutrinos, supernova neutrinos and water Cerenkov detectors are discussed.     

Dielectric spectroscopy of a smectic liquid crystal

Complex dielectric spectroscopy (frequency range 5 Hz-13 MHz) has been used to analyse the frequency, temperature and bias-field dependences of the molecular dynamics of a very high-spontaneous-polarization ferroelectric liquid crystalline material exhibiting SmA, SmC* and unknown SmX smectic phases. Different smectic phase transition temperatures have been observed from the study of the temperature dependence of the dielectric strength and the relaxation frequency. The phase transition temperatures (crystalline to isotropic phases) have also been described very accurately from the temperature-dependent symmetric and asymmetric shape parameters of the relaxation function and also the dc conductivity. In a planar aligned cell, two symmetric modes (Goldstone mode and domain mode) have been observed in both the SmX and SmC* phases. One asymmetric mode (X-mode) observed in the SmC* and SmA phases could be related to the interaction of dipoles of the ferroelectric liquid crystals being affected by the surface of the cell. The soft mode, which usually appears very close to the SmC*-SmA phase transition was not observed until the bias field was applied. The second order nature of the SmC*-SmA phase transition was revealed.     

Chemical reaction studies in CH4/Ar and CH4/N2 gas mixtures of a dielectric barrier discharge

Chemical reactions in a dielectric barrier discharge at medium pressure of 250-300 mbar have been studied in CH(4)/Ar and CH(4)/N(2) gas mixtures by means of mass spectrometry. The main reaction scheme is production of H(2) by fragmentation of CH(4), but also production of higher order hydrocarbon molecules such as C(n)H(m) with n up to 9 including formation of different functional CN groups is observed. Formation of C(2)H(2), C(2)H(4), and C(2)H(6) molecules has been investigated in some detail. Significant differences are noted in comparison to a theoretical estimate.     

Synthesis of 5-ethynylorotic acid

Condensation of 2,4-dimethoxy-5-iodo-6-carbomethoxypyrimidine ( 10 ) with copper (I) 3-tetrahydropyranyloxyprop-1-ynide ( 4 ) afforded 2,4-dimethoxy-5-(3′-tetrahydropyranyloxyprop-1′-yn)-6-carbomethoxypyrimidine ( 11 ), which was hydrolyzed to produce 2,4-dimethoxy-5-(3′-hydroxyprop-1′-yn)-6-carbomethoxypyrimidine ( 12 ). Oxidation of 12 with dimethyl sulfoxide-oxalyl chloride reagent gave the acetylenic aldehyde ( 13 ), which on treatment with sodium methoxide in dry tetrahydrofuran yielded 2,4-dimethoxy-5-ethynyl-6-carbomethoxypyrimidine ( 14 ). The trimethylsilyl derivative ( 15 ) was deprotected by sequential treatment with iodotrimethylsilane and aqueous sodium hydroxide, leading to the formation of 5-ethynylorotic acid ( 1 ).     

A new route to obtain shape-controlled gold nanoparticles from Au(III)-beta-diketonates

Ligands with a beta-diketone skeleton have been employed for the first time as reductant to produce ligand stabilized gold nanoparticles of different shapes from aqueous HAuCl(4) solution. Evolution of stable gold nanoparticles follows first order (k approximately equal to 10(-2) min(-1)) kinetics with respect to Au(0) concentration. Growth of particles of different shapes (spherical or triangular or hexagonal) goes hand in hand under the influence of different beta-diketones, which have excellent capping and reducing properties. Chlorine insertion was observed to take place in the beta-diketone skeleton.     

Scaling of decay lengths for surface states in the gaps of one-dimensional semi-infinite superlattices

We look at some one-dimensional semi-infinite superlattices with an underlying Hamiltonian that is of the nearest neighbour, tight binding type. A real space rescaling procedure which is exact in one dimension is applied to obtain the location of the subbands. It has been found that these subbands never overlap in 1D, and we interpret this as a band repulsion effect. Relevance in the case of a disordered system where this band repulsion crosses over to the well-known level repulsion is discussed. Then with a proper matching at the boundary we solve for the sets of denumerably infinite number of decaying solutions (the surface states) in the gaps. These types of states have been proposed quite some time ago. We look at detail theirexact analytical solutions in 1D and find that their decay lengths near the band edges diverge as |E–E _b|^–v, wherev=1/2 andE _b is the nearest band edge. The decay lengths and their divergence exponent match extremely well with those obtained from transfer matrix method. Some recent experiments on quantum well structures seem to have observed such states.     

A periodic first principle study to design microporous crystal 12MO, 7Al2O3 for selective and active O radicals encaging

Periodic first principle calculation correlates the role of metal substitution (Sr and Ba in place of Ca) on selective encaging of active O⁻ radicals inside the microporous 12MO, 7Al₂O₃ crystal structure. We have exchanged Ca by Sr and Ba and as well extracted electron stepwise to monitor selectivity of different anion encaging inside the same structure type. Ca favors O²⁻ encaging and shows no electron transition when neutral, whereas Sr shows no transition in absence of unpaired electron and can successfully trap O⁻, Ba though less active than the other metal substituents shows oxygen encaging at its zero and mono-positive state.