Highly Ordered 2D-Assemblies of Phase-Segregated Block Molecules for Upconverted Linearly Polarized Emission

Materials based on the laminar ordering of self-assembled molecules have a unique potential for applications requiring efficient energy migration through densely packed chromophores. Here, employing molecular assemblies of coil–rod–coil block molecules for triplet–triplet annihilation upconversion (TTA-UC) based on triplet energy migration with linearly polarized emission is reported. By covalently attaching discrete-length oligodimethylsiloxane (oDMS) to 9,10-diphenylanthracene (DPA), highly ordered 2D crystalline DPA sheets separated by oDMS layers are obtained. Transparent films of this material doped with small amounts of triplet sensitizer Pt^II octaethylporphyrin show air-stable TTA-UC under non-coherent excitation. Upon annealing, an increase in TTA-UC up to two orders of magnitude is observed originating from both an improved molecular ordering of DPA and an increased dispersion of the sensitizer. The molecular alignment in millimeter-sized domains leads to upconverted linearly polarized emission without alignment layers. By using a novel technique, upconversion imaging microscopy, the TTA-UC intensity is spatially resolved on a micrometer scale to visually demonstrate the importance of molecular dispersion of sensitizer molecules for efficient TTA-UC. The reported results are promising for anti-counterfeiting and 3D night-vision applications, but also exemplify the potential of discrete oligodimethylsiloxane functionalized chromophores for highly aligned and densely packed molecular materials.     

Structural analysis of metal hydride-based hybrid hydrogen storage systems

Hybrid hydrogen storage systems, which see the adoption of metal hydride materials charged at high pressure, can be a viable method to reach good gravimetric and volumetric capacities under selected conditions, since hydrogen is stored both as element bound to the hydride and as high pressure gas. A general structural model, which can simulate high pressure hybrid storage tanks, has been developed, with the aim of describing the performance of the system under various operating conditions. A baseline case has been simulated, comparing tanks composed of SS316 and IM6 graphite fiber reinforced epoxy composite that contain metal hydride materials that can store weight fractions of bound hydrogen ranging from 2% to 8%. Sensitivity analyses were performed for the baseline studies with the aim of determining the operating conditions that maximize gravimetric and volumetric capacities. Results show that high pressure systems are optimal (in terms of gravimetric and volumetric capacity) for tank materials having low density and a high allowable stress, while a low operating pressure is preferable for high density tank materials, especially when coupled with metal hydrides capable of storing a high weight fraction of bound hydrogen.     

Soft polyurethanes treated by plasma immersion ion implantation: Structural and mechanical properties of the surface‐modified layer

The surfaces of soft polyurethanes (with elastic moduli of 7 and 50 MPa) treated by plasma immersion ion implantation were studied; the materials became hard and wrinkled. The characteristics of the modified surface (modulus, roughness, wave and fractal parameters, linear deformation) and the cross‐sectioned layer were studied in relation to the treatment regime and the modulus of the polymer. A hypothesis that the wrinkling was solely caused by thermal expansion was checked but rejected. The cross‐section of the treated material had a hard part of a certain thickness and a transition zone. The elastic modulus of the hard part was estimated by the finite element method. A comparison of the obtained thicknesses with calculations by TRIM software indicated that the latter gave underestimated results. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2018 , 135, 45983.     

Interfacial and emulsifying behaviour of rice protein concentrate

Interfacial and emulsifying properties of rice protein concentrate (RPC) have been studied in order to evaluate its potential application to stabilize O–W emulsions. The interfacial behaviour of adsorbed proteins films constituted with RPC has been studied at the air–water and oil–water interfaces at two pH values (2 and 8). The type and the amount of soluble proteins have been determined in aqueous dispersions and results put forward the presence of most frequent rice protein profile and a significant degree of protein denaturation with a very low solubility. Air–water and oil–water interfacial properties have been determined as a function of time, concentration and pH: air–water by surface pressure under compression–expansion cycles and oil–water by interfacial tension. Interfacial rheology has been studied under dilatational deformations, either at the initial step of film formation or once the interfacial tension was at equilibrium (the film was completely formed). RPC-stabilised O–W emulsions has been also analysed by Droplet Size Distribution (DSD) measurements and interfacial protein concentration. Both interfacial and bulk emulsion properties reveal that RPC showed an enhanced potential as emulsifier at low pH. Globally; results indicate clearly important differences in the structural characteristics of rice protein films between pH 2 and 8 that impact on emulsifying properties.     

Magnetic detection of small fractions of ferromagnetic martensite within the paramagnetic austenite matrix of TWIP steel

In order to accurately determine a small fraction of a ferromagnetic phase in a paramagnetic matrix, the difference in ferromagnetic and paramagnetic responses to an applied magnetic field has been analyzed. The fraction was examined by field-dependent magnetization measurement at different temperatures as well as by thermo-magnetic measurements at constant magnetic fields. The method was successfully applied for the determination of small martensite fractions in a cold-rolled twinning-induced plasticity austenitic steel at three different thickness reductions.     

Evaluation of irradiation facility options for fusion materials research and development

Successful development of fusion energy will require the design of high-performance structural materials that exhibit dimensional stability and good resistance to fusion neutron degradation of mechanical and physical properties. The high levels of gaseous (H, He) transmutation products associated with deuterium–tritium (D–T) fusion neutron transmutation reactions, along with displacement damage dose requirements up to 50–200 displacements per atom (dpa) for a fusion demonstration reactor (DEMO), pose an extraordinary challenge. One or more intense neutron source(s) are needed to address two complementary missions: (1) scientific investigations of radiation degradation phenomena and microstructural evolution under fusion-relevant irradiation conditions (to provide the foundation for designing improved radiation resistant materials), and (2) engineering database development for design and licensing of next-step fusion energy machines such as a fusion DEMO.A wide variety of irradiation facilities have been proposed to investigate materials science phenomena and to test and qualify materials for a DEMO reactor. Some of the key technical considerations for selecting the most appropriate fusion materials irradiation source are summarized. Currently available and proposed facilities include fission reactors (including isotopic and spectral tailoring techniques to modify the rate of H and He production per dpa), dual- and triple-ion accelerator irradiation facilities that enable greatly accelerated irradiation studies with fusion-relevant H and He production rates per dpa within microscopic volumes, D–Li stripping reaction and spallation neutron sources, and plasma-based sources.The advantages and limitations of the main proposed fusion materials irradiation facility options are reviewed. Evaluation parameters include irradiation volume, potential for performing accelerated irradiation studies, capital and operating costs, similarity of neutron irradiation spectrum to fusion reactor conditions, temperature and irradiation flux stability/control, ability to perform multiple-effect tests (e.g., irradiation in the presence of a flowing coolant, or in the presence of complex applied stress fields), and technical maturity/risk of the concept. Ultimately, it is anticipated that heavy utilization of ion beam and fission neutron irradiation facilities along with sophisticated materials models, in addition to a dedicated fusion-relevant neutron irradiation facility, will be necessary to provide a comprehensive and cost-effective understanding of anticipated materials evolution in a fusion DEMO and to therefore provide a timely and robust materials database.     

Experimental challenges in fullerene interferometry

Abstract

We discuss the experimental challenges in coherent matter wave optics with fullerenes. In particular, the properties of our matter wave source and the features of our efficient, molecule-selective detector with high spatial resolution are presented. Their development was crucial for the successful recording of the molecular quantum interference patterns of individual molecules.     

Information Transfer with Two-state Two-particle Quantum Systems

Abstract

Any future quantum information machine will contain unitary operators and entangled particle states. The Hilbert space describing the action of the quantum information machine separates into a bosonic and a fermionic sector. Because the bosonic sector is of higher dimension, it is always possible to encode more information into a multiboson state than into a multifermion state, given the same complexity, that is unitary representation, of the quantum information machine. This is explicitly studied for the case of two particles defined in two modes. There the beam splitter is a generic representation of any U(2) matrix, and it has recently been shown that one can realize any N-dimensional unitary operator by successive application of such two-dimensional operators. The two-boson two-mode Hilbert space is of dimension three, and thus one can encode log₂3 = 1·57 bits of information into such an entangled state. Finally, some explicit schemes for creating and detecting the three possible, two-photon, two-mode states spanning the bosonic Bell basis are given.