Interactions of polarons in poly(3-dodecythiophene) at low temperature

Zero-field cooled-field-cooled (ZFC-FC) technique was used to investigate the effect of low temperature (4.6 K) on the interactions of polarons in weakly FeCl₃-doped poly(3-dodecylthiophene (PDDT). It was found that the magnetic properties of the system changed with the length of time system spent at low temperature: the Currie–Weiss paramagnetism gradually changed over to “antiferromagnetism” and ultimately to diamagnetism. This effect is connected with the thermochromic properties of self-organized PDDT in primary (10–15 nm) or secondary (30–50 nm) induced aggregates, in which cooling under the glass transition temperature T_g (～240 K) causes extension of the effective conjugation length of coplanar polymer chains. Changes in magnetic properties are related to the inter- and intra-chain interactions of polaron states within both the primary and secondary induced aggregates.     

Hydrogen-induced microstructural changes of Pd films

The development of the microstructure in nanocrystalline, polycrystalline and epitaxial Pd films loaded with hydrogen is investigated. Structural changes in Pd films loaded with hydrogen were characterized by positron annihilation spectroscopy combined with electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction. It was found that hydrogen charging causes plastic deformation which leads to an increase of the defect density in all Pd films studied. Moreover, the formation of buckles was observed in nanocrystalline and polycrystalline Pd films loaded above a certain critical hydrogen concentration. Buckling leads to detachment of the film from the substrate and this is accompanied with in-plane stress relaxation and plastic deformation of the film.     

Quantum complementarity and logical indeterminacy

Whenever a mathematical proposition to be proved requires more information than it is contained in an axiomatic system, it can neither be proved nor disproved, i.e. it is undecidable, or logically undetermined, within this axiomatic system. I will show that certain mathematical propositions on a d-valent function of a binary argument can be encoded in d-dimensional quantum states of mutually unbiased basis (MUB) sets, and truth values of the propositions can be tested in MUB measurements. I will then show that a proposition is undecidable within the system of axioms encoded in the state, if and only if the measurement associated with the proposition gives completely random outcomes.     

Debromination of di- and tetrabrominated compounds by crosslinked poly{1-[p-(mercaptomethyl)phenyl]ethylene}

Poly{1-[p-(mercaptomethyl)phenyl]ethylene} with a low content of divinylbenzene units as the crosslinking component was prepared from chloromethylated poly(styrene-co-divinylbenzene), and the activity of the thiolate form in the debromination reactions of 1,2-dibromocyclohexane was investigated with respect to the analytical content of the -SH groups. The extent of transformation of the -SH groups into the thiolate form, and the degree of crosslinking of the polymeric carrier were investigated. An almost complete conversion of 1,2-dibromocyclohexane and high yields of cyclohexene were obtained by using polymeric thiols with the initial DVB contents of 1 or 2%; the degree of functionalization of the carrier 100% or 30–60%; and the reaction times of polymeric thiols with sodium methoxide in methanol (1–2h). The debromination reaction required 5h for completion. Under optimum conditions, debromination of 1,2,5,6-tetrabromocyclooctane, α,β-dibromoethylbenzene, α,β,3,4-tetrabromoethylcyclohexane, diethyl2,3-dibromosuccinate and stilbene dibromide gave olefins in yields of 60–100%     

Structural Basis for Antimicrobial Activity of Lasiocepsin

Lasiocepsin is a unique 27‐residue antimicrobial peptide, isolated from Lasioglossum laticeps (wild bee) venom, with substantial antibacterial and antifungal activity. It adopts a welldefined structure consisting of two α‐helices linked by a structured loop. Its basic residues form two distinct positively charged regions on the surface whereas aliphatic side chains contribute to solvent‐accessible hydrophobic areas, thus emphasising the amphipathic character of the molecule. Lasiocepsin structurally belongs to the ShK family and shows a strong preference for anionic phospholipids; this is further augmented by increasing concentrations of cardiolipin, such as those found at the poles of bacterial cells. The membrane‐permeabilising activity of the peptide is not limited to outer membranes of Gram‐negative bacteria. The peptide interacts with phospholipids initially through its N terminus, and its degree of penetration is strongly dependent on the presence of cardiolipin.     

Theoretical and Experimental Analysis of Moisture-Dependent Thermal Conductivity of Lightweight Ceramic Bricks

The moisture-dependent thermal conductivity of two types of lightweight ceramic brick body is analyzed using both theoretical and experimental approaches. The basic physical properties are determined at first. Then, an impulse method is applied for the thermal-conductivity measurement. Initially, the material samples are dried, after that, they are exposed to liquid water for specific time intervals, and finally the moisture content is allowed to homogenize within the whole volume. The thermal-conductivity measurement is performed for different moisture contents achieved in this way. In the theoretical part, the homogenization principles are used for the calculation of the moisture-dependent thermal conductivity, utilizing the distribution functions based on the pore-size distribution measurement. Finally, a comparison of the measured and calculated data is done, and the validity of the applied effective media treatment is assessed.     

Annealing effects of polymers and their underlying molecular mechanisms

This paper indicates that changes in chain mobility, heat capacity, WAXS crystallinity, SAXS long period, SAXS peak intensity, specific volume and morphology as a function of increasing temperature, occur in three fairly distinct annealing ranges (I, II and III) that are more or less the same for all crystallized polymers with a lamellar morphology. It is shown that none of the proposed molecular models to date, including the well-known fold surface premelting model, can satisfactorily account for all the experimental data. However, a new molecular interpretation, based primarily on electron microscopy and SAXS studies of changes such as lateral ‘melting’ from edges of microparacrystallites (mPC) within the lamellae seen at the annealing temperatures can account for the data. With our new molecular interpretation, the effect of temperature increase is established to result in a slight breakup of the laterally aligned mPC within the lamellae at low annealing temperatures in range I, and selective lateral ‘melting’ of the exposed mPC and recrystallization at higher annealing temperatures in ranges II and III, with the recrystallization being very limited in range III. Annealing effects seen in cold- or hot-drawn polymers with a fibrillar morphology can also be readily accounted for by this very general molecular mechanism occurring in the same annealing temperature ranges.     

Steady state creep in two Ni-Al alloys

Creep of two Ni-AI alloys containing 4.8 and 7.0 wt pct Al was studied in the temperature range 873 to 1073 K and stress range 30 to 400 MPa. The former alloy represents the solid solution of aluminum in nickel, the latter a solid solution strengthened by NI3AI particles. As to its creep behavior the solid solution alloy belongs to the Class n of solid solu-tions,i.e. the creep controlling mechanism is the same as in pure nickel. From the analy-sis of an effective stress dependence of steady state creep rate it follows that the mo-tion of jogged screw dislocations can be considered as the most probable creep control-ling mechanism. The apparent activation energy of creep in the two phase alloy increases with tempera-ture. This effect is caused by changes in the volume fraction of second phase particles and by the onset of climb around particles at high temperatures. At lower temperatures particles are cut by dislocation pairs.     

Isomorphism,form equivalence and sequence equivalence of PD0L forms

It is shown that if two PD0L forms F₁ and F₂ are form equivalent, i.e., generate the same family of languages, then the PD0L sequences E(F₁) and E(F₂) are isomorphic, provided one of the sequences contains a word of length greater than one. This result leads to a simple algorithm of deciding the form equivalence of two PD0L forms F₁ and F₂. Moreover, we obtain the rather surprising result that F₁ and F₂ are form equivalent if and only if they are sequence equivalent, i.e., generate the same family of PD0L sequences (excluding again the trivial case that F₁ and F₂ generate only words of length one).