Mercury β-Diketonato complexes : II. The crystal and molecular structure of 3,3-bis(chloromercury)-2,4-pentanedione

The structure of 3,3-bis(chloromercury)-2,4-pentanedione is reported. The space group indicated is C2/c with unit cell dimensions: a = 15.048(2), b = 10.921(6), c = 16.080(4) Å, and β = 134.74(1)°. Three-dimensional absorption-corrected diffractometer data were used in the refinement of the structure to a conventional R(F) value of 0.079. Anisotropic temperature factors were used for Hg and Cl atoms while C and O atoms were refined isotropically. Both Hg atoms are bound to the γ-carbon of acetylacetone. Solid state Raman and infrared spectra are reported. Lowering of the C=O stretching frequency is discussed in terms of the crystal structure.     

Single-crystal-like materials by the self-assembly of cube-shaped lead zirconate titanate (PZT) microcrystals

We demonstrated the formation of single-crystal-like materials that contain preferentially oriented arrays of lead zirconate titanate (PZT) cube-shaped particles by self-assembly. Hydrothermally synthesized PZT particles with a bulk composition of Zr/Ti = 70/30 were used in making microcrystal arrays. Spreading a suspension containing PZT cube-shaped particles, 2-propanol, and mineral oil at the air-water interface produced a one-dimensional planar array of PZT particles on the water surface. The array so formed was subsequently transferred onto a flat or curved substrate. X-ray diffraction and electron backscattered diffraction analyses revealed that most of the cube-shaped particles in the array were oriented with their pseudocubic (001) direction aligned parallel to the normal direction of the substrate surface. Filling the arrays with matrixes produced monolayer or multilayer textured composites. The piezoelectric properties of oriented cube-shaped micron-sized particles in the self-assembled arrays were measured using a modified atomic force microscope to reveal the ferroelectric nature of the PZT arrays.     

Self-assembly of monolayer-thick alumina particle-epoxy composite films

Monolayer-thick composite films composed of alpha-alumina and Spurr's epoxy were prepared via a self-assembly process known as fluid forming. The process makes use of a high-spreading-tension fluid composed of volatile and nonvolatile components to propel particles across the air-water interface within a water bath. Continuous addition of the particle suspension builds a 2D particle film at the air-water interface. The spreading fluid compresses the film into a densely packed array against a submerged substrate. The assembled monolayer is deposited onto the substrate by removing the substrate from the bath. A dispersion containing a narrow size distribution, 10 microm alpha-alumina particles, light mineral oil, and 2-propanol was spread at the air-water interface and the alumina particles were assembled into densely packed arrays with an aerial packing fraction (APF) of 0.88. However, when mineral oil was replaced by Spurr's epoxy nonuniform films with low packing density resulted. It was found that replacing 2-propanol with a mixture of 2-propanol and 1-butanol with a volume ratio of 4:1 produced uniform, densely packed alumina/epoxy composite films. The role of the solvent mixture will be discussed.     

Centred TVD schemes for hyperbolic conservation laws

New first- and high-order centred methods for conservation lawsare presented. Convenient TVD conditions for constructing centredTVD schemes are then formulated and some useful results areproved. Two families of centred TVD schemes are constructedand extended to nonlinear systems. Some numerical results arealso presented.     

Secondary ion images of the rodent brain

Sections of biologic tissue obtained from laboratory rodents are prepared and analyzed by secondary ion mass spectrometry. The intensity of phosphocholine secondary ions is used to identify anatomical features of the brain from secondary ion images and to evaluate the effectiveness of procedures developed. Secondary ion emission of phosphocholine (m/z 184), is found to be abundant and its intensity is heterogeneous. Effects of sample thickness are addressed. Correspondence between conventional optical images of stained tissue and secondary ion images shows that successive ion images may be used to produce a three-dimensional map of the brain, i.e., an atlas.