Characterization of a new polymer optical fiber with enhanced sensing capabilities using a Bragg grating.

We present results for the mechanical characterization of a bisphenol-A acrylate-based polymer optical fiber (POF) manufactured using a novel light polymerization spinning (LPS) process. The particular manufacturing process allows the development of POFs having unique mechanical characteristics, which result from an exceptionally low Young's modulus. The lower Young's modulus enables optical sensors for measuring stress or pressure with improved sensitivity and potentially a higher tunable mechanical range than conventional POFs. Moreover, properties such as the storage modulus variations with respect to the temperature and humidity were studied. Fiber Bragg gratings (FBGs), were inscribed in the POF using the plane-by-plane femtosecond laser, direct-write method for selective FBG mode excitation, and were characterized for changes to temperature, pressure, and relative humidity. The response of FBGs in this LPS-POF for all the three aforementioned measurands was several times higher than that measured for conventional POFs.

Exploratory synthesis in molten salts: role of flux basicity in the stabilization of the complex thiogermanates Cs(4)Pb(4)Ge(5)S(16), K(2)PbGe(2)S(6), and K(4)Sn(3)Ge(3)S(14).

The influence of the Lewis basicity of alkali polysulfide fluxes (A(2)S(x)) (A = alkali) as a function of x on the respective reactivities of Pb and Sn with Ge was studied and found to be strong. Cs(4)Pb(4)Ge(5)S(16), K(2)PbGe(2)S(6), and K(4)Sn(3)Ge(3)S(14) could be prepared only under low basicity with S/A(2)S ratios of > or =11. These compounds display complex frameworks and are semiconductors. Cs(4)Pb(4)Ge(5)S(16) is luminescent with red emission.

Microwave-assisted polyol synthesis of CuInTe2 and CuInSe2 nanoparticles.

Nanoparticles of the CuInTe(2) (CIT) and CuInSe(2) (CIS) alloys have been prepared using the microwave-assisted polyol method. In this simple and quick reaction the polyol is both the solvent and the reducing agent. XRD studies show that nanoparticles of CIT and CIS are formed in the body-centered tetragonal structure and their average diameters are approximately 94 and approximately 83 nm, respectively. Electron microscopy studies show that these formed particles are poorly aggregated with a mean diameter of 100 and 85 nm, respectively. The products have been characterized by different analytical techniques, and the electronic properties have been measured using photoacoustic spectroscopy (PAS).

K10M4Sn4S17 (M = Mn, Fe, Co, Zn): soluble quaternary sulfides with the discrete [M4Sn4S17]10- supertetrahedral clusters.

Four cubic compounds are reported that contain the supertetrahedral cluster [M(4)Sn(4)S(17)](10)(-) where M = Mn, Fe, Co, Zn. The cluster features a central quadruply bridging sulfide ion (mu(4)-S) that holds together four divalent M atoms in a tetrahedral arrangement. This core is capped with four tridentate [SnS(4)](4)(-) fragments to complete the structure.

Sonochemical preparation of GaSb nanoparticles.

A room temperature sonochemical method for the preparation of GaSb nanoparticles using less hazardous Ga and antimony chloride (SbCl(3)) as the precursors has been described. The formation of GaSb has been confirmed by means of XRD, EDAX, and XPS characterization. TEM and SAED results show that the as-prepared solid consists of nanosized GaSb crystals with sizes in the range 20-30 nm. The photoacoustic spectrum result reveals that the GaSb nanoparticles have a direct band gap of about 1.21 eV. On the basis of the control experiments and the extreme conditions produced by ultrasound, an ultrasound-assisted in-situ reduction/combination mechanism has been proposed to explain the reaction.