Study of the peak effect phenomenon in single crystals of 2H-NbSe2

The weakly pinned single crystals of the hexagonal 2H-NbSe₂ compound have emerged as prototypes for determining and characterizing the phase boundaries of the possible order-disorder transformations in the vortex matter. We present here a status report based on the ac and dc magnetization measurements of the peak effect phenomenon in three crystals of 2H-NbSe₂, in which the critical current densities vary over two orders of magnitude. We sketch the generic vortex phase diagram of a weakly pinned superconductor, which also utilizes theoretical proposals. We also establish the connection between the metastability effects and pinning.     

Studies on some radical transfer reactions by entrapping the radicals as polymer endgroups. III. Reaction of ȮH radical with halide ions

The reactions of OH radical with Cl^?, Br^?, I^?, and F^? ions have been studied by entrapping the product radicals as polymer endgroup which have been detected and estimated by the sensitive dye partition technique. The rate constants of the reactions with Br^?, Cl^?, and F^? ions have been determined to be 1.51 × 10⁹, 1.32 × 10⁹, and 0.92 × 10⁹ L mol^?1 s^?1, respectively at 25°C and pH 1.00. Oxidation of I^? ions liberates I, which inhibits the polymerization and the reaction could not be followed by polymer endgroup analysis. The observed order of reactivity Br^? > Cl^? > F^? is in accordance with the electron affinities of the halide ions. The acidity of the reaction medium has a strong influence on the rate of reaction. With Br^? ions, the rate constant of the reaction falls from 1.51 × 10⁹ to 0.75 × 10⁹ L mol^?1 s^?1 at 25°C as the pH is raised from 1.0 to 2.8. The method is simple and accurate and can be applied to study very reactive radicals.     

Studies on ceric–thiol-initiated aqueous vinyl polymerization with particular reference to end groups in poly(methyl methacrylate)

Ceric-thiol systems are good initiators for the acid aqueous polymerization of some water-soluble Vinyl monomers although not for styrene (in aqueous emulsion) and vinyl acetate. Thiols used are 2-mercaptoethanol, thioglycolic acid, 2-mercaptoethylamine hydrochloride, and L -cysteine hydrochloride. The polymerization proceeds through a radical mechanism. End-group analysis of poly(methyl methacrylate) obtained by initiation with various ceric-thiol systems has been carried out using Palit's dye testes. Hydroxyl, carboxyl, and amine end groups (to the extent of about one per polymer molecule) were incorporated in poly(methyl methacrylate)s obtained by initiation with 2-mercaptoethanol, thioglycolic acid, and 2-mercaptoethylamine hydrochloride, respectively, each in combination with Ce⁴⁺ ions; both amine and carboxyl end groups were obtained using C⁴⁺/L -cysteine hydrochloride initiator system. From the end-group results, the initiating species have been identified and the initiation mechanism prooposed. The probable termination mechanism also has been discussed.     

Thiourea as a transfer agent in the radical polymerization of methyl methacrylate in aqueous solution at 42

Chain transfer involving thiourea in radical polymerization of methyl methacrylate in acidic aqueous media has been studied by polymer endgroup analysis using the dye-partition technique. Thiourea has feeble reactivity in chain transfer, the transfer constant with respect to poly (methyl methacrylate) radicals being 1.21 × 10^?4 at 42°. This chain transfer study led to the development of a new method for studying the tautomeric equilibrium between the thione and thiol forms of thiourea. The equilibrium is pH dependent and the equilibrium constant at 42° is 232. The ratios of the equilibrium concentrations of the thiol to thione forms of thiourea at various pH's have been calculated. The thiol form is responsible for the chain transfer reactivity; it predominates in strongly acidic media and is almost absent above pH 3.5. This new method may be used for studying the thione-thiol tautomerism of other thiourea derivates.     

Allylic Hydroxylation Through Acid Catalysed Epoxy Ring Opening of Betulinic Acid Derivatives

Acid catalysed epoxy ring opening of several lupane type triterpenoids leads to unusual allylic hydroxylation. The reaction involves the formation of epoxide by m‐chloroperbenzoic acid followed by the treatment of mineral acid. The simple methodology finds utility to introduce a hydroxyl function at the allylic position in these triterpenoids, which is otherwise quite difficult.     

Novel nonperipheral octa-3-hydroxypropylthio substituted metallo-phthalocyanines: synthesis,characterization, and investigation of their electrochemical,photochemical and computational properties

The current study describes the synthesis, electrochemical, computational, and photochemical properties of octa (3-hydroxypropylthio) substituted cobalt (II) ( 4 ), copper (II) ( 5 ), nickel (II) ( 6 ) and zinc(II) ( 7 ) phthalocyanine derivatives. These novel compounds were characterized by elemental analysis,¹H,¹³C NMR, FT-IR, UV-Vis, and MS. The redox behaviors of these metallo-phthalocyanines were investigated by the cyclic voltammetric method. The optimized molecular structure and gauge-including atomic orbital (GIAO)¹H and¹³C NMR chemical shift values of these phthalocyanines in the ground state had been calculated by using B3LYP/6–31G(d,p) basis set. The outcomes of the optimized molecular structure were given and compared with the experimental NMR values. The photochemical properties including photodegradation and singlet oxygen generation of zinc(II) phthalocyanine were studied in DMSO solution for the determination of its photosensitizer behaviors.     

Study of magnetoresistance and conductance of bicrystal grain boundary in La0.67Ba0.33MnO3 thin film

La_0.67Ba_0.33MnO₃ (LBMO) thin film is deposited on a 36.7°C SrTiO₃ bicrystal substrate using laser ablation technique. A microbridge is created across bicrystal grain boundary and its characteristics are compared with a microbridge on the LBMO film having no grain boundary. Presence of grain boundary exhibits substantial magnetoresistance ratio (MRR) in the low field and low temperature region. Bicrystal grain boundary contribution in MRR disappears at temperature T>175 K. At low temperature, I-V characteristic of the microbridge across bicrystal grain boundary is nonlinear. Analysis of temperature dependence of dynamic conductance-voltage characteristics of the bicrystal grain boundary indicates that at low temperatures (T<175 K) carrier transport across the grain boundary in LBMO film is dominated by inelastic tunneling via pairs of manganese atoms and tunneling through disordered oxides. At higher temperatures (T>175 K), magnetic scattering process is dominating. Decrease of bicrystal grain boundary contribution in magnetoresistance with the increase in temperature is due to enhanced spin-flip scattering process.     

Application of dye-partition technique to the determination of the rates of initiation in radical polymerization

Summary Dye-partition technique as an useful method of measuring kinetic chain length (v), rate of initiation (R _i ), initiator efficiency (f), and the parameter [=(2k _t)^1/2 k _p] etc. in radical polymerization using styrene and methylmethacrylate as monomers in dimethyl formamide medium and 4,4 azobis-4-cyanopentanoic acid as the initiator to produce dye responsive carboxyl ended polymers has been discussed. The values ofR _p,f and obtained by this method compare fairly well with those obtained by a standard method, viz., molecular weight method. The magnitude off much less than unity and constancy in its value under different concentrations of monomers and initiator indicate that almost all radicals surviving geminate recombination is captured by the monomers. The precautions necessary for applying this method have also been discussed.

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Zusammenfassung Farbstoff-Verteilungstechnik als nützliche Methode zur Messung der kinetischen Kettenlänge (v), Initiationsgeschwindigkeit (R _i ), des Initiator-Wirkungsgrades (f), und des Kennwertes (2k,^1/2 k _p ) (=) etc. bei der radikalischen Polymerisation von Styrol und Methylmethacrylat in Dimethylformamid-Medium mit 4,4'-Azobis-4-cyanopentansäure als Initiator zur Bildung von mit Farbstoffen reagierenden Carboxylatendgruppen in den Polymeren, wurde diskutiert. Die durch obengenannte Methode festgestellten Werte vonR _p ),f und sind ungefähr mit den durch übliche Methoden festgestellten Werten vergleichbar (durch Molekulargewicht-Methode).Die konstante Größenordnung von 'f, die viel weniger als eins beträgt, weist darauf hin, daß alle die paarweise Rekombination überlebenden Radikale von den Monomeren abgefangen werden. Die zur Anwendung dieser Methode nötigen Vorsichtsmaßnahmen sind auch diskutiert worden.

     

Multiple ionization of argon in coincidence with projectile ions in 60–120 MeV Si q+-Ar collisions

A projectile ion-recoil ion coincidence technique has been employed to study the multiple ionization and the charge transfer processes in collisions of 60–120 MeV Si ^q+ (q = 4−14) ions with neutral argon atoms. The relative contribution of different ionization channels, namely; direct ionization, electron capture and electron loss leading to the production of slow moving multiply charged argon recoil ions have been investigated. The data reported on the present collision system result from a direct measurement in the considered impact energy for the first time. The total ionization cross-sections for the recoil ions are shown to scale as q ^1.7/E _p ^0.5 , where E _p is the energy in MeV of the projectile and q its charge state. The recoil fractions for the cases of total- and direct ionizations are found to decrease with increasing recoil charge state j. The total ionization fractions of the recoils are seen to depend on q and to show the presence of a ‘shell-effect’ of the target. Further, the fractions are found to vary as 1/j ² upto j = 8+. The average recoil charge state 〈j〉 increases slowly with q and with the number of lost or captured electrons from or into the projectile respectively. The projectile charge changing cross-sections σ _qq′ are found to decrease with increasing q for loss ionization and to increase with q for direct-and capture ionization processes respectively. The physics behind various scaling rules that are found to follow our data for different ionization processes is reviewed and discussed.