Mössbauer study of new vanadate glass with large charge-discharge capacity

Charge-discharge capacity and cyclicity of lithium ion battery (LIB) was evaluated in which 15Li₂O·10Fe₂O₃·xSnO₂·5P₂O₅·(70–x)V₂O₅ glass (x?=?0 and 20 in mol%, abbreviated as xLFSPV) was used as a cathode. A local structure of xLFSPV glass before and after charging was investigated by ⁵⁷Fe- and ¹¹⁹Sn-Mössbauer spectroscopies. ⁵⁷Fe-Mössbauer spectrum of xLFSPV glass with ‘x’ of 20 was composed of a doublet with isomer shift (δ) of 0.35_±0.02 mm s^???1 and quadrupole splitting (Δ) of 0.88_±0.03 mm s^???1 due to distorted Fe^IIIO₄ tetrahedra. ¹¹⁹Sn-Mössbauer spectrum of this glass consisted of a doublet with δ of 0.08_±0.01 and Δ of 0.52_±0.01 mms^???1 due to distorted Sn^VIO₆ octahedra. After discharging the battery from 4.5 to 1.0 V, larger δ of 0.40_±0.03 mm s^???1 and Δ of 0.94_±0.04 mm s^???1 were obtained, indicating that both iconicity of Fe-O bonds and local distortion of Fe^IIIO₄ tetrahedra were increased. On the contrary, identical δ of 0.09_±0.01 mm s^???1 and Δ of 0.50_±0.01 mm s^???1 were observed in the ¹¹⁹Sn-Mössbauer spectrum of 20LFSPV glass after the discharge, indicating that chemical environment of Sn^IVO₆ octahedra was not affected after the discharge. Charge-discharge curve of LIB containing 20LFSPV glass as a cathode active material recorded under the current density of 8.3 mA g^???1 (0.011 mA cm^???2) between 1.0 and 4.5 V showed a large initial charge capacity of 431.1 mAh g^???1 and discharge capacity of 382.3 mAh g^???1, respectively. These results indicate that 20LFSPV glass could be a new cathode active material for LIB.     

Color adjustment algorithm adapted to the spectral reflectance estimation method

We are developing a daily health monitoring system that uses mobile phones with cameras and analyzes physiological conditions from R, G, and B intensity levels. However, since it is affected by various imaging conditions of the image input, color correction is required for accurate health monitoring. Therefore, we developed and validated a colorcorrection algorithm to derive reliable color information by correcting the spectral reflectance using the Wiener estimation and a color chart.     

Fusion of Different Crosslinked Polymers Based on Dynamic Disulfide Exchange

Crosslinked polymers (CLPs) exhibit exceptional mechanical properties as well as good chemical and solvent resistance. However, their reprocessing, recycling, and modification remain difficult. One promising approach to overcome this limitation is to introduce dynamic covalent bonds that enable chain‐exchange reactions and network‐structure rearrangements in identical polymer networks (A–A fusion), resulting in self‐healing and reprocessing properties. Reported here is the fusion of two distinct polymer networks (A–B fusion) by the dynamic behavior of bis(2,2,6,6‐tetramethylpiperidin‐1‐yl)disulfide (BiTEMPS) at the interface between different CLPs. The appearance, swelling behavior, and mechanical properties of the fused samples indicate exchange reactions of the BiTEMPS units and the formation of topological bonds at the interface, commensurate with the generation of a CLP that exhibits tunable properties.     

Enhancement in sensitivity of a blood perfusion parameter for frame-rate analysis of bio-speckle image

We have previously presented a blood perfusion parameter by means of the spatial contrast of speckle patterns observed for blood perfusion in skin tissue and a blood vessel. This parameter permits us to visualize a relative blood perfusion distribution from a single speckle pattern. Therefore, it can estimate the blood perfusion with a frame rate of an imaging device employed. This parameter is, however, dependent on the speckle size and the condition of image processing of speckle patterns. In the present study, we estimated this condition with relation to the speckle size for obtaining high sensitivity and good linearity of the parameter to the blood perfusion. Experiments were conducted for ground-glass model, flow model and human wrist to investigate perfusion sensing characteristics of the present parameter.

     

Comparisons of O-acylation and Friedel-Crafts acylation of phenols and acyl chlorides and Fries rearrangement of phenyl esters in trifluoromethanesulfonic acid: effective synthesis of optically active homotyrosines

Reactions involving phenol derivatives and acyl chlorides have to be controlled for competitive O-acylations and C-acylations (Friedel-Crafts acylations and Fries rearrangements) in acidic condition. The extent for these reactions in trifluoromethanesulfonic acid (TfOH), which is used as catalyst and solvent, is examined. Although diluted TfOH was needed for effective O-acylation, concentrated TfOH was required for effective C-acylations in mild condition. These results have been applied to the novel synthesis of homotyrosine derivatives. Both Fries rearrangement of N-TFA-Asp(OBn)-OMe and Friedel-Crafts acylation of phenol with N-TFA-Asp(Cl)-OMe in TfOH afforded the homotyrosine skeleton, followed by reduction and deprotection afforded homotyrosines maintaining stereochemistry of Asp as an optically pure form.     

Numerical study on trapping and guiding of nanoparticles in a flow using scattering field of laser light

Optical trapping and guiding using laser have been proven to be useful for non-contact and non-invasive manipulation of small objects such as biological cells, organelles within cells, and dielectric particles. We have numerically investigated so far the motion of a Brownian particle suspended in still water under the illumination of a speckle pattern generated by the interference of coherent light scattered by a rough object. In the present study, we investigate numerically the motion of a particle in a water flow under the illumination of a speckle pattern that is at rest or in motion. Trajectory of the particle is simulated in relation with its size, flow velocity, maximum irradiance, and moving velocity of the speckle pattern to confirm the feasibility of the present method for performing optical trapping and guiding of the particle in the flow.     

Adaptive exponential approximation of optical density ratio using third-order regression equations for depth profiling of a blood inclusion in a skin tissue model

We propose the use of the third-order multiple regression equations in approximating an optical density ratio with an adaptive exponential function for measuring depth and thickness of a blood inclusion embedded in a skin tissue model. To ensure accuracy of the exponential approximation, we investigated numerically various relations of optical density ratios versus depth and thickness, on the basis of Monte Carlo simulations for a layered skin tissue model. The third-order multiple regression analysis based on the relations above was used to derive regression equations for the determination of depth and thickness. Experiments with skin tissue phantoms were used to assess this approach.     

Correction of quadratic phase error in two-wavelength digital holographic interferometry using laser diodes

We present the correction of a quadratic phase error in two-wavelength digital holographic interferometry using laser diodes. This phase error arises from numerical reconstructions of wavefronts from digital holograms based on the Fresnel diffraction integral. To correct the quadratic phase error, it is numerically produced by computer on the basis of the theoretical prediction and is subtracted from the phase difference map in two-wavelength digital holographic interferometry. Experimental results show that the method of correction in this paper is useful for two-wavelength digital holographic interferometry using laser diodes.     

Unlocking of interlocked heteropolymer gel by light: photoinduced volume phase transition in an ionic liquid from a metastable state to an equilibrium phase

An azobenzene-containing heteropolymer gel in an ionic liquid exhibits thermally reversible volume phase transition when the azobenzene moiety mainly exists in the cis-state, whereas the transition becomes irreversible when it is in the trans-state and an interlocked collapsed state is stabilized; however, the unlocking of the metastable state occurs by UV light irradiation.     

Measurements of the velocity gradient using a laser Doppler phenomenon

This paper reports on a method for measuring the velocity gradient using a laser Doppler phenomenon. The velocity gradient is determined from the velocity difference between two different points of the probing object and is actually obtained from the optical heterodyning of two differently Doppler-shifted scattered light fields from two points of the object having different velocities. The properties of output beat signals are theoretically investigated from their spectral broadening including the effect of the detecting aperture. The preliminary experiment was performed by using a rotating glass disk whose velocity is different from its center to the outside. The experimental results shows the usefulness of the present method for measurements of the velocity gradient.