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.     

Coordination compounds of biological interest: thermal properties of some compounds of saccharin (o-benzoic sulfimide) with divalent metal ions

The thermal properties of cobalt(II) and copper(II) complexes of saccharin (sacc) (o-benzoic sulfimide) have been studied, and are compared with those of ternary complexes of cobalt(II) and copper(II) having both saccharin and pyridine as ligands. The thermal behaviour is discussed in terms of the bonds between the central ion and the ligands. The frequency shifts of the carbonyl and sulfonyl groups support the hypotheses derived from the thermal data. The thermal stability scale CO(II) /s> Cu(II) is always obtained while the stability constant scale is CO(II) < Cu(II).     

Reduction techniques for infinite-dimensional Hamiltonian systems: Some ideas and applications

In the language of tensor analysis on differentiable manifolds, we present a reduction method of integrability structures, and apply it to recover some well-known hierarchies of integrable nonlinear evolution equations.This research has been partially supported by the Italian Ministry of Public Education     

A re-investigation of copper coordination in the octa-repeats region of the prion protein

An aqueous solution spectroscopic (Vis and EPR) study of the copper(II) complexes with the Ac-HGGG-NH2 and Ac-PHGGGWGQ-NH2 polypeptides (generically designated as L) suggests square base pyramids ascribable to [Cu(L)H(-2)] complex species, which contain three nitrogen donor atoms, arising from imidazole and peptide groups, in the equatorial plane and for a pseudo-octahedral geometry in the case of [CuLH-3]- and [Cu(L)H-4]2- which have four nitrogen donor atoms in their equatorial plane. The coordination sphere of the copper complex in the [Cu(L)H(-2)] species, which is present at neutral pH values, is completed by two oxygen donor atoms. ESI-MS spectra ascertained that water molecules are not present in the coordination equatorial plane of this latter species, in comparison with other copper(II) complexes with ligands bearing nitrogen and oxygen donor atoms and surely having equatorial water molecules. This indicates the coordination of a carbonyl oxygen atom in the equatorial plane has to be invoked. However, no direct proof about the involvement of a carbonyl group oxygen donor atom apically linked to copper was obtained, due to the flexibility of these structures at room temperature. Additionally, the low A(ll) value leads one to consider another oxygen atom of a carbonyl group being involved in the apical bond to copper in a fast exchange fashion. This apical interaction, which may also involve a water molecule, is more pronounced in the Cu-Ac-HGGG-NH2 than in the analogous Cu-Ac-PHGGGWGQ-NH2 system, probably because of the presence of tryptophan and proline in the polypeptide sequence.     

Synthesis,characterization and biological activity of bis(3‐Aryl‐1‐hexahydropyrimidinyl)methanes. Novel heterocyclic polyamine derivatives

A method is described for the synthesis of bis(3‐aryl‐1‐hexahydropyrimidinyl)methanes 1, by condensation of N‐aryl‐1,3‐propanediarnines 2 with formaldehyde. The reaction mechanism involves N‐arylhexahydropyrimidines 3 as intermediates. Such compounds can also be prepared efficiently by a methylene exchange reaction between bis‐hexahydropyrimidines 1 and the corresponding diamines 2. The antimicrobial activity of compounds 1 was evaluated by the disk diffusion method and some of them showed moderate to good growth inhibition activity.     

Fluorescent Molecular Logic Gates and Pourbaix Sensors in Polyacrylamide Hydrogels

Polyacrylamide hydrogels formed by free radical polymerisation were formed by entrapping anthracene and 4-amino-1,8-naphthalimide fluorescent logic gates based on photoinduced electron transfer (PET) and/or internal charge transfer (ICT). The non-covalent immobilisation of the molecules in the hydrogels resulted in semi-solid YES, NOT, and AND logic gates. Two molecular AND gates, examples of Pourbaix sensors, were tested in acidic aqueous methanol with ammonium persulfate, a strong oxidant, and displayed greater fluorescence quantum yields than previously reported. The logic hydrogels were exposed to aqueous solutions with chemical inputs, and the fluorescence output response was viewed under 365 nm UV light. All of the molecular logic gates diffuse out of the hydrogels to some extent when placed in solution, particularly those with secondary basic amines. The study exemplifies an effort of taking molecular logic gates from homogeneous solutions into the realm of solid-solution environments. We demonstrate the use of Pourbaix sensors as pE-pH indicators for monitoring oxidative and acidic conditions, notably for excess ammonium persulfate, a reagent used in the polymerisation of SDS-polyacrylamide gels.     

Luminescent ‘On-Off’ CdSe/ZnS Quantum Dot Chemodosimeter for Hydroxide Based on Photoinduced Electron Transfer from a Carboxylate Moiety

A CdSe-ZnS quantum dot (QD) has been surface functionalised by a place exchange reaction with p-mercaptomethyl benzoate synthesized by a three-step procedure. The resulting lumophore-spacer-receptor QD-conjugate was characterized by IR, UV-visible and fluorescence spectroscopy. The emission profile of the QD reveals a narrow emission peak centred at 542 nm. Addition of hydroxide to the solution containing the QD-conjugate results in quenching of the original fluorescence, which is attributed to a photoinduced electron transfer reaction from the electron-rich benzoate moiety to the QD valence band. This is the first reported example of fluorescent quenching of a CdSe-ZnS QD luminescence by an aryl carboxylate moiety.     

Synthesis and spectrophotometric studies of water-soluble amino[bis(ethanesulfonate)] azobenzene pH indicators

Three azobenzene pH indicators with amino[bis(ethanesulfonate)] substituents were synthesized and studied by UV–visible absorption spectroscopy in aqueous solution. The indicators exhibit brilliant and distinct colour changes with transitions between pH 1 and 4. Significant changes were observed in the UV–visible spectra on titration with acid with pK_a values ranging from 2.2 to 2.8. The indicators demonstrate individual changes in colour as a function of pH. These novel pH indicators complement the existing library of azobenzene indicator dyes and may be useful for environmental situations with high proton concentrations.     

On the use of the theory of dynamical systems for transient problems

This paper is a preliminary work to address the problem of dynamical systems with parameters varying in time. An idea to predict their behavior is proposed. These systems are called transient systems, and are distinguished from steady systems in which parameters are constant. In particular, in steady systems the excitation is either constant (e.g., nought) or periodic with amplitude, frequency, and phase angle which do not vary in time. We apply our method to systems, which are subjected to a transient excitation that is neither constant nor periodic. The effect of switching-off and full-transient forces is investigated. The former can be representative of switching-off procedures in machines; the latter can represent earthquake vibrations, wind gusts, etc., acting on a mechanical system. This class of transient systems can be seen as the evolution of an ordinary steady system into another ordinary steady system, for both of which the classical theory of dynamical systems holds. The evolution from a steady system to the other is driven by a transient force, which is regarded as a map between the two steady systems.     

The influence of a transverse magnetic field on a subnormal glow discharge in air

In subnormal glow discharge under d.c. excitation at different pressure in a varying transverse magnetic field (0 to 30 G) some measurements have been carried out for various initial average tube currents. The voltage across the discharge increases and average tube current and residual current decreases in the magnetic field. With the help of Beckman’s expression [4] for the axial field and the electron density distribution in a transverse magnetic field the observed variation of current and voltage can be satisfactorily explained. The variation of axial electric field with transverse magnetic field can be represented to a fair degree of accuracy by the derived equation. The behaviour of residual current with magnetic field has been observed in these oscillations.