Fluorescence of fly ash samples: Implications for in situ and remote detection

A study of the fluorescence spectra of fly ash samples from different sources has shown that each samples has a characteristic fluorescence and excitation spectrum which could be used to identify and monitor its presence. Fluorescence lifetime studies of samples from different sources have demonstrated characteristic features which can be used for identification. The fluorescence method should be useful for in situ and remote monitoring applications.     

Theory of the rod-to-coil transition in polydiacetylene

A theory is proposed for the rod to coil transition in polydiacetylene 4BCMU and related polymers which is based on the hypothesis that the high-temperature (yellow) phase consists predominantly of the cis structure, while the low-temperature (red) phase is trans. Because the occurrence of a cis-trans interface is energetically costly, the correlation length for either isomer remains long and the transition is sharp, much like the helix-coil transition in the theory of Zimm and Bragg. The transition is driven by the higher entropy of the cis isomer, which is free to coil, unlike the trans or butatriene forms. The theory gives excellent agreement with optical absorption measurements and is consistent with all other experimental data for this system.     

Anisotropic optical properties of pure and doped polyacetylene

Optical absorption and reflection measurements have been carried out on pure and doped polyacetylene films. The absorption data are consistent with a model of (CH)_X as a direct gap quasi-l d semiconductor; doping with AsF₅ or iodine introduces absorption within the gap, but appears to leave the interband transition intact. The anisotropic reflectance from partially aligned films and the increased optical anisotropy upon doping provide evidence of quasi-l d behavior of the semiconducting pure polymer and the metallic doped polymer.     

Fluorescence determination of atmospheric NO2

The concentrations of nitrogen dioxide (NO₂) in the atmosphere have been determined in real time and with a sensitivity of one part per billion. Laser excitation of NO₂ was at 4416 and 4880 Å and fluorescence was monitored at 0.7 to 0.8 m. Results obtained on typical smoggy days in Los Angeles are presented.     

Light Diffraction Studies of the Banded Texture in Hydroxypropyl Cellulose

In most liquid crystal polymers when a thin sample is sheared the polymer exhibits a periodic pattern or texture. While this phenomena has been widely noted, a complete and satisfactory explanation is not yet in hand. We present the results of a study of the dynamics of the formation of the banded texture in liquid crystalline polymers after shear. The data were collected by the diffraction of light from the texture. This approach directly provides the key parameters to characterize the texture without the ambiguity that is often involved with microscopy. It was found that the overall nature of the modulation that gives rise to the texture appears to not vary with time except in magnitude. Both thewavelength and the coherence length of the modulation remain fixed. While both shear rate and thickness of the sample have little effect upon the texture, concentration of the polymer has a very large effect.     

Synthesis of complex oligosaccharides by using a mutated (1,3)-beta-D-glucan endohydrolase from barley

Complex oligosaccharides with newly formed (1,3)-beta-glycosidic linkages were obtained in good to excellent yields when substituted or unsubstituted alpha-laminaribiosyl fluorides, acting as donors, were condensed onto mono- and disaccharide beta-D-hexopyranoside acceptors by using a (1,3)-beta-D-glycosynthase. These linear and branched (1,3)-beta-linked oligosaccharides could prove to be important in a range of medical, pharmaceutical, and agricultural applications. Furthermore, the observation that the (1,3)-beta-D-glucan glycosynthase accommodates (1,3)-, (1,4),- and (1,6)-beta-oligosaccharides in its acceptor subsites suggests novel, yet unexpected physiological roles for the wild type (1,3)-beta-D-glucan endohydrolase from higher plants.     

Kinetics and equilibria of sulfur dioxide sorption in kapton polyimide

The kinetics and equilibria of SO₂ sorption in Kapton polyimide film have been measured at 25°C for pressures up to 58 cm Hg using a quartz spring balance. The observed equilibria are described well by the dual-mode model for sorption of penetrants in glassy polymers. Observed hysteresis in sorption-desorption cycling indicates that the diffusivity of SO₂ increases markedly with increasing local penetrant concentration in the polymer. The concentration dependence of the effective average diffusion coefficient is described well by an expression from dual-mode theory. The Langmuir component of the sorption population has an extremely low mobility compared to that of the Henry's law component; in fact, the so-called “total immobilization” limiting case, which assigns a zero diffusion coefficient to this component, appears to be satisfactory under the conditions studied. These results, coupled with published results for other penetrants, suggest that the degree of immobilization of the Langmuir population depends to a great extent on the condensability and/or the molecular size of the penetrant. Predictions of the SO₂ diffusion time lag and permeability in Kapton as functions of the upstream SO₂ pressure are presented and discussed in terms of the dual-mode theory.