Non-Hermitian electronics multipods of electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT) and absorption (EIA)

Optical and Quantum Electronics - In the past few decades, the academic research and industrial synergy is dramatically accelerating to conceptualize high data rate services. The congestion in the...     

Unexpected end‐groups of poly(acrylic acid) prepared by RAFT polymerization

Low‐molecular‐weight poly(acrylic acid) (PAA) was synthesized by reversible addition fragmentation chain transfer polymerization with a trithiocarbonate as chain‐transfer agent (CTA). With a combination of NMR spectroscopy and matrix‐assisted laser desorption/ionization time‐of‐flight mass spectrometry, the PAA end‐groups of the polymer were analyzed before and after neutralization by sodium hydroxide. The polymer prior to neutralization is made up of the expected trithiocarbonate chain‐ends and of the H‐terminated chains issued from a reaction of transfer to solvent. After neutralization, the trithiocarbonates are transformed into thiols, disulfides, thiolactones, and additional H‐terminated chains. By quantifying the different end‐groups, it was possible to demonstrate that fragmentation is the rate limiting step in the transfer reaction. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 42: 5439–5462, 2004     

Indene and pseudoazulene discotic liquid crystals: a synthetic and structural study

Several new liquid-crystalline indene and pseudoazulene systems are reported. These molecules give rise to either columnar hexagonal mesophases and/or columnar plastic phases. The unique nature of these compounds stems from their non-classical discotic structure. Although the molecules have rigid aromatic cores, they lack terminal tails and instead the polarizable atoms (S, halogens) or polar groups (CN, CO) act as unusual soft parts. On the basis of many structurally related materials, we conclude that for this type of compound molecular stacking in the solid state is a prerequisite for the appearance of a columnar mesophase, although other intermolecular interactions within the layers are also important in establishing liquid-crystalline order. The behavior reported for these mesomorphic molecules opens up new possibilities in the search for related molecular interactions that might be useful for the construction of supramolecular architectures with particular properties.     

Formal total synthesis of β-pipitzol

(±)-$\text{O}$-methylperezone ($\text{1b}$) was obtained by selective oxidative demethylation of (±)-leucoperezone trimethyl ether ($\text{4a}$). Compound ($\text{4a}$) was prepared by condensation of 2,3,5-trimethoxytoluene ($\text{5e}$) with 6-methyl-5-hepten-2-one, followed by reductive removal of the tertiary alcohol. The aromatic precursor $\text{5e}$ was prepared in four steps from 2,3-dimethoxytoluene ($\text{5a}$) and, alternatively, in three steps from 5-bromoveratraldehyde ($\text{6a}$). Racemic $\text{1b}$ and $\text{4a}$ were directly compared with the optically active molecules prepared from natural R(-)-perezone ($\text{1a}$).     

Highly efficient metal‐free organic catalysts to design new Environmentally‐friendly starch‐based blends

A one‐step process is reported to directly synthesize blends of poly(trimethylene carbonate) (PTMC) with a modified granular starch. Trimethylene Carbonate (TMC) ring‐opening polymerization is performed in the presence of native starch particles in bulk conditions at 150 °C and the efficiency of metal‐free organic catalysts (TBD and phosphazene superbases P1‐t‐Oct, P2‐t‐bu, and P4‐t‐bu) are investigated to replace the organo‐metallic stannous octanoate initiator. TMC monomer is successively converted into PTMC and the robustness of organic catalysts is highlighted with significant activities at very low concentrations (<100 ppm), where stannous octanoate is inefficient. Reactivity of starch toward TMC ROP is deeply investigated by NMR techniques and a starch‐graft‐PTMC is indirectly evidenced. Starch substitution degree reaches 0.9% indicating that PTMC grafting only occurs at the surface of swollen granular starch. PTMC graft length from the starch surface remained low in the range 2–12 and model ROP reactions highlight the role of TMC hydrolysis on PTMC graft length. Despite low PTMC grafts, a fine dispersion of intact starch particles into the PTMC matrix is evidenced. Consequently, metal‐free organic catalysts at low concentrations are promising candidates for synthesizing blends of PTMC with high loadings of surface‐modified starch (32% by weight) in 2 min within a one‐step process. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2014 , 52, 493–503     

New chromogenic probes into nanoscopic pockets in enhanced sensing protocols for amines in aqueous environments

[structure: see text] A new sensory MCM-41-based material for the colorimetric sensing and discrimination of amines has been developed.     

Direct experimental evidence for atomic tunneling of europium in crystalline Eu8Ga16Ge30

M?ssbauer-effect and microwave absorption experimental evidence unambiguously demonstrates the presence of slow, approximately 450 MHz, tunneling of magnetic europium between four equivalent sites in Eu8Ga16Ge30, a stoichiometric clathrate. Remarkably, six of the eight europium atoms, or 11% of the constituents in this solid, tunnel between these four sites separated by 0.55 A. The off centering of the atoms or ions in crystalline clathrates appears to be a promising route for producing Rabi oscillators in solid-state materials.     

Electron swarm coefficients in 1,1,1,2 tetrafluoroethane (R134a) and its mixtures with Ar

Using a pulsed Townsend technique, we have measured the drift velocity, the longitudinal diffusion coefficient and the effective ionisation coefficient of electrons in R134a and R134a-Ar over a wide range of the density-reduced electric field intensity, E/N. Regarding the measurement of the electron drift velocities and of the effective ionization coefficients, we have covered a wider range than that hitherto achieved for pure R134a. Both the electron drift velocity and the effective ionisation coefficient have been found in very good agreement with those published in the literature, covering a shorter range of E/N. On the other hand, the swarm coefficients on R134a-Ar are, to the best of our knowledge, the first to be published. It is hoped that these data will be of interest for the test/derivation of electron collision cross sections for this important hydrofluorocarbon gas, which is nowadays of great use in gaseous detectors.