Effect of absorbed pump power on the quality of output beam from monolithic microchip lasers

The dependence of the beam propagation factor (M ² parameter) with the absorbed pump power in the case of monolithic microchip laser under face-cooled configuration is extensively studied. Our investigations show that the M ₂ parameter is related to the absorbed pump power through two parameters (α and β) whose values depend on the laser material properties and laser configuration. We have shown that one parameter arises due to the oscillation of higher order modes in the microchip cavity and the other parameter accounts for the spherical aberration associated with the thermal lens induced by the pump beam. Such dependency of M ² parameter with the absorbed pump power is experimentally verified for a face-cooled monolithic microchip laser based on Nd³⁺ -doped GdVO₄ crystal and the values of α and β parameters were estimated from the experimentally measured data points.     

Modification of magnetic anisotropy in metallic glasses using high-energy ion beam irradiation

Heavy ion irradiation in the electronic stopping power region induces macroscopic dimensional change in metallic glasses and introduces magnetic anisotropy in some magnetic materials. The present work is on the irradiation study of ferromagnetic metallic glasses, where both dimensional change and modification of magnetic anisotropy are expected. Magnetic anisotropy was measured using Mössbauer spectroscopy of virgin and irradiated Fe₄₀Ni₄₀B₂₀ and Fe₄₀Ni₃₈Mo₄B₁₈ metallic glass ribbons. 90 MeV ¹²⁷I beam was used for the irradiations. Irradiation doses were 5×10¹³ and 7.5×10¹³ ions/cm². The relative intensity ratios D ₂₃ of the second and third lines of the Mössbauer spectra were measured to determine the magnetic anisotropy. The virgin samples of both the materials display in-plane magnetic anisotropy, i.e., the spins are oriented parallel to the ribbon plane. Irradiation is found to cause reduction in magnetic anisotropy. Near-complete randomization of magnetic moments is observed at high irradiation doses. Correlation is found between the residual stresses introduced by ion irradiation and the change in magnetic anisotropy.     

Properties and deactivation of the active sites of an MoZSM-5 catalyst for methane dehydroaromatization: Electron microscopic and EPR studies

The MoZSM-5 (4.0 wt % Mo) catalyst has been characterized by high-resolution transmission electron microscopy, EDXA, and EPR. Two types of molybdenum-containing particles are stabilized in the catalyst in the course of nonoxidative methane conversion at 750°C. These are 2-to 10-nm molybdenum carbide particles on the zeolite surface and clusters smaller than 1 nm in zeolite channels. According to EPR data, these clusters contain the oxidized molybdenum form Mo⁵⁺. The surface Mo₂C particles are deactivated at the early stages of the reaction because of graphite condensation on their surface. Methane is mainly activated on oxidized molybdenum clusters located in the open molecular pores of the zeolite. The catalyst is deactivated after the 420-min-long operation because of coke buildup on the zeolite surface and in the zeolite pores.     

Partial Synthesis and Characterization of the Mono-and Diepoxides of β-Cryptoxanthin

β-Cryptoxanthin ( 1 ) was acetylated and then epoxidized with monoperoxyphthalic acid. After hydrolysis, repeated chromatography, and crystallization, (3S,5R,6S)-5,6-epoxy-β-cryptoxanthin ( 3 ), (3S,5S,6R)-5,6-epoxy-β-cryptoxanthin ( 4 ), (3R,5′R,6′R)-5′,6′-epoxy-β-cryptoxanthin ( 5 ), (3S,5R,6S,5′R,6′S)-5,6:5′,6′-diepoxy-β-cryp-toxanthin ( 6 ), and (3S,5S,6R,5′S,6′R)-5,6:5′,6′-diepoxy-β-cryptoxanthin ( 7 ) were isolated as main products and characterized by their UV/VIS, CD, ¹H- and ¹³C-NMR, and mass spectra. The comparison of the carotenoid isolated from yellow, tomato-shaped paprika (Capsicum annuum var. lycopersiciforme flavum) with 3–5 strongly supports the structure of 3 for the natural product.     

Isolation and characterization of 3,5,6-trihydroxy-carotenoids from petals ofLilium tigrinum

Summary Reinvestigation by HPLC of the petals ofLilium tigrinum and the isolation of some minor compounds is reported. Using HPLC-controlled, preparative-column chromatography, 5,6-diakarpoxanthin (6), 6-epikarpoxanthin (2), 5,6-diacapsokarpoxanthin (8), and 9Z-antheraxanthin (9Z-13) were isolated and characterized. Based on spectroscopic data the absolute configurations of6 and8 were identical with those originating from paprika, thus the 5,6-diakarpoxanthin (6) and 5,6-diacapsokarpoxanthin (8) have the 3S, 5S, 6S configuration and 6-epikarpoxanthin (2) has the 3S, 5R, 6S configuration. Presented at: Balaton Symposium on High-Performance Separation Methods, Siófok, Hungary, September 3–5, 1997.     

An Anthracene-Based Metal-Organic Framework for Selective Photo-Reduction of Carbon Dioxide to Formic Acid Coupled with Water Oxidation

A Zr-based metal-organic framework has been synthesized and employed as a catalyst for photochemical carbon dioxide reduction coupled with water oxidation. The catalyst shows significant carbon dioxide reduction property with concomitant water oxidation. The catalyst has broad visible light as well as UV light absorption property, which is further confirmed from electronic absorption spectroscopy. Formic acid was the only reduced product from carbon dioxide with a turn-over frequency (TOF) of 0.69 h⁻¹ in addition to oxygen, which was produced with a TOF of 0.54 h⁻¹. No external photosensitizer is used and the ligand itself acts as the light harvester. The efficient and selective photochemical carbon dioxide reduction to formic acid with concomitant water oxidation using Zr-based MOF as catalyst is thus demonstrated here.     

Synthesis of mesoporous bimetallic Pt-Sn catalytic coatings from polynuclear precursors for fine organic synthesis processes

A new method is developed to obtain nanosized catalytic Pt-Sn/TiO₂ coatings on the inner surface of a capillary microreactor during adsorption of polynuclear carbonyl Pt-Sn complexes on mesoporous TiO₂. Titanium oxide sol prepared in the presence of template (Pluronic F127 surfactant) is supported in dynamic mode. Pt-Sn bimetallic catalysts with an average particle size of 1.5–2 nm are synthesized by adsorption of the bimetallic [Pt₃(CO)₃(SnCl₃)₂(SnCl₂·H₂O)] _n ^2n? complex followed by thermal treatment. Physicochemical properties of samples (thickness, structure and morphology, chemical composition of the material, electronic state, specific surface area, pore volume and size distribution) are characterized by a set of methods (HR TEM, SEM, powder XRD, XRF, XPS, low-temperature nitrogen adsorption). Conditions to prepare the uniform non-peelable Pt-Sn/TiO₂ coating on the inner surface of a silica capillary with good adhesion are determined. To increase the TiO₂ thickness, multilayered TiO₂ films are synthesized by layerby layer deposition. The coating thickness is found to increase with an increase in the capillary diameter. The coating of a capillary with a diameter of 0.55 mm after 14-fold deposition is characterized by a thickness of 2 μm and an average pore size of 5.4 nm. The solvent effect on the adsorption of Pt-Sn carbonyl complexes into the TiO₂ support is studied. The amount of the adsorbed complex increases in the following order: ethanol < acetone ～ tetrahydrofuran. The physicochemical properties of the active component (surface concentration, dispersion, and composition) can be fine-tuned by varying the deposition method, precursor concentration in the initial solution, and temperature conditions of activation treatment. The catalyst activity in citral hydrogenation was 0.06–0.54 min^?1, with the selectivity with respect to unsaturated alcohols reaching 90% at citral conversion above 95%.     

Theoretical investigation of the molecular structure,vibrational spectra,and molecular docking of tramadol using density functional theory

The optimized molecular structures, harmonic vibrational wavenumbers, and the corresponding vibrational assignments of (1S,2S)-tramadol and (1R,2R)-tramadol are computationally examined using the B3LYP density functional theory method together with the standard 6–311++G(d,p) and def2-TVZP basis sets. The optimized structures show that phenolic rings of both 1R,2R and 1S,2S tramadol adopt planar geometry, which are slightly distorted due to the substitution at the meta-position; and the six-membered cyclohexane adopts a slightly distorted chair conformation. The 1S,2S enantiomer is energetically more favorable than 1R,2R with the energy differences of 1.32 and 1.03 kcal/mol obtained at B3LYP/6–311++G(d,p) and B3LYP/Def2-TVZP levels, respectively. The analysis of the binding pocket in the silico molecular docking with the m-opioid receptor shows that it originated two clusters with the 1S,2S enantiomer and one cluster with the 1R,2R enantiomer of tramadol. The results point to a more stable complex of the m-opioid receptor with the 1R,2R enantiomer of tramadol.     

Ethylene Induction of Non-Enzymatic Metabolic Antioxidants in Matricaria chamomilla

Phytochemical investigations of Matricaria chamomilla L. (Asteraceae) stated the presence of several compounds with an established therapeutic and antioxidant potential. The chamomile non-enzymatic antioxidant system includes low molecular mass compounds, mainly polyphenols such as cinnamic, hydroxybenzoic and chlorogenic acids, flavonoids and coumarins. The objective of this work was to evaluate the role of the non-enzymatic antioxidant system after stimulation by ethylene in tetraploid chamomile plants. Seven days of ethylene treatment significantly increased the activity of phenylalanine ammonia-lyase, which influenced the biosynthesis of protective polyphenols in the first step of their biosynthetic pathway. Subsequently, considerable enhanced levels of phenolic metabolites with a substantial antioxidant effect (syringic, vanillic and caffeic acid, 1,5-dicaffeoylquinic acid, quercetin, luteolin, daphnin, and herniarin) were determined by HPLC-DAD-MS. The minimal information on the chlorogenic acids function in chamomile led to the isolation and identification of 5-O-feruloylquinic acid. It is accumulated during normal conditions, but after the excessive effect of abiotic stress, its level significantly decreases and levels of other caffeoylquinic acids enhance. Our results suggest that ethephon may act as a stimulant of the production of pharmaceutically important non-enzymatic antioxidants in chamomile leaves and thus, lead to an overall change in phytochemical content and therapeutic effects of chamomile plants, as well.