Low heat and high efficiency Nd:GdVO4 laser pumped by 913 nm

A Nd:GdVO4 crystal is pumped directly into its emitting level at 913 nm for the first time to the best of our knowledge. 3.35 W output laser emitting at 1063 nm is achieved in a 1.1 at.% Nd-doped Nd:GdVO4. The crystal absorbs pumping light of 4.30 W at 913 nm and produces a very low quantity of heat with the opto-optic conversion efficiency of 77.2%. The average slope efficiency is 81.2% from 0.21 W, at the threshold, to 4.30 W of absorbed pump power. Because of the very weakly thermal effect, the near-diffraction-limit beam is easily obtained with beam quality factor of M-2 approximate to 1.1.

Kinetics of picosecond laser pulse induced charge separation and proton transfer in bacteriorhodopsin

Bacteriorhodopsin (BR) films oriented by an electrophoretic method are deposited on a transparent conductive ITO glass. A counterelectrode of copper and gelose gel is used to compose a sandwich-type photodetector with the structure of ITO/BR film/gelose gel/Cu. A single 30-ps laser pulse and a mode-locked pulse train are respectively used to excite the BR photodetector. The ultrafast failing edge and the bipolar response signal are measured by the digital oscilloscope under seven different time ranges. Marquardt nonlinear least squares fitting is used to fit all the experimental data and a good fitting equation is found to describe the kinetic process of the photoelectric signal. Data fitting resolves six exponential components that can be assigned to a seven-step BR photocycle model: BR-->K-->KL-->L-->M-->N-->O-->BR. Comparing tests of the BR photodetector with a 100-ps Si PIN photodiode demonstrates that this type of BIR photocletector has at least 100-ps response time and can also serve as a fast photoelectric switch. (C) 2003 Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers.

Determination and identification of isoflavonoids in Radix astragali by matrix solid-phase dispersion extraction and high-performance liquid chromatography with photodiode array and mass spectrometric detection

The isoflavonoids in Radix astragali were determined and identified by HPLC-photodiode array detection-MS after extraction employing matrix solid-phase dispersion (MSPD). As a new sample preparation method for R. astragali, the MSPD procedure was optimized, validated and compared with conventional methods including ultrasonic and Soxhlet extraction. The amounts of two major components in this herb, formononetin (6) and ononin (2), were determined based on their authentic standards. Four major isoflavonoids, formononetin (6), ononin (2), calycosin (5) and its glycoside (1), and three minor isoflavonoids, (6aR,11aR)-3-hydroxy-9, 10-dimethoxypterocarpan (7), its glycoside (3), and (3R)-7,2'-dihydroxy-3',4'-dimethoxyisoflavone-7-O-beta-D-glycoside (4), were identified based on their characteristic two-band UV spectra and [M + H](+), [aglycone + H](+) and [A1 + H](+) ions, etc. The combined MSPD and HPLC-DAD-MS method was suitable for quantitative and qualitative determination of the isoflavonoids in R. astragali. (C) 2003 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Determination of Point of Zero Charge of Tunisian Kaolinites by Potentiometric and Mass Titration Methods

This paper deals with determining points of zero charge of natural and Na+-saturated mineral kaolinites using two methods: (1) acid-base potentiometric titration was employed to obtain the adsorption of H+ and OH- on amphoteric surfaces in solutions of varying ionic strengths in order to determinate graphically the point of zero net proton charge (PZNPC) defined equally as point of zero salt effect (PZSE); (2) mass titration curve at different electrolyte concentrations in order to estimate PZNPCs by interpolation and to compare with those determined by potentiometric titrations. The two methods involved points of zero charge approximately similar for the two kaolinites between 6.5-7.8, comparable to those reported previously and were in the range expected for these clay minerals. The comparison of potentiometric surface titration curves obtained at 25 °C and those published in the literature reveals significant discrepancies both in the shape and in the pH of PZNPCs values.

One-pot synthesis of silver nanoplates and charge-transfer complex nanofibers

We describe a facile one-pot process to synthesize Ag nanoplates by reducing silver nitrate with 3,3',5,5'-tetramethylbenzidine (TMB) at room temperature. The silver nanoplates were highly oriented single crystals with (111) planes as the basal planes. TMB can be readily oxidized to charge-transfer (CT) complex between TMB, as a donor, and (TMB)(2+), as an acceptor. The pi-pi interaction of the neutral amine (TMB) and diiminium structure (dication, TMB2+) result in the formation of one-dimensional CT complex nanofiber.

Crystal structure and charge transfer energy of the vaterite-type orthoborate YBO3:Eu

Ligand-to-metal charge transfer energies of YBO3:Eu have been investigated from the chemical bond viewpoint. The chemical bond parameters, such as the covalency, the polarizability of the chemical bond volume, and the presented charge of the ligands in the chemical bond have been quantitatively determined based on the dielectric theory of complex crystal. We calculated the environmental factor (h(e)), which is the major factor influencing the charge transfer energy in the compounds. The calculated results show that the suitable group space of YBO3 is C2/c. The method provides us with a supplementary tool to judge the proper structure when the structure of the crystal has many uncertain space groups.

Luminescence and energy transfer properties of Ca2Gd8(SiO4)(6)O-2 : A(A = Pb2+, Tm3+) phosphors

Ca2Gd8(SiO4)(6)O-2: A(A = Ph2+, Tm3+) phosphors were prepared through the sol-gel process. X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microseopy(SEM) and photoluminescence spectra were used to characterize the resulting phosphors. The results of XRD indicate that the phosphors crystallized completely at 1000 degreesC. SEM study reveals that the average grain size is 300 similar to 1000 nm. In Ca2Gd8(SiO4)(6)O-2: Tm3+ phosphors, the Tm3+ shows its characteristic blue emission at 456 nm (D-1(2)-F-3(4)) upon excitation into its H-3(6)-D-1(2)(361 nm), with an optimum doping concentration of 1 mol% of Gd3+ in the host lattices. In Ca2Gd8(SiO4)(6)O-2: Pb2+, Tm3+ phosphors, excitation into the Ph2+ at 266 nm (S-1(0)-P-3(1)) yields the emissions of Gd3+ at 311 nm (P-6-S-8) and Tm3+ at 367 nm (D-1(2)-H-3(6)) and 456 our (D-1(2)-F-3(4)), indicating that energy transfer processes of Pb2+-Gd3+ and Ph2+-Tm3+ have occur-red in the host lattices.