In situ optical sub-wavelength thickness control of porous anodic aluminum oxide.

Porous anodic aluminum oxide (PAAO), sometimes referred to as nanoporous anodic alumina, serves as a cost-effective template for nanofabrication in many fields of science and engineering. However, production of ultrathin PAAO membranes with precise thickness in the optical sub-wavelength range remains challenging because of difficulties regarding process control at the initial stage of anodic oxidation. In this study, we demonstrate a technique for consistently manufacturing PAAO with the targeted thickness.

Lanthanide complexes based on a new bis-chelating carbacylamidophosphate (CAPh) scorpionate-like ligand.

The novel bis-chelating carbacylamidophosphate type ligand, tetramethyl[pyridine-2,6-diyldi(iminocarbonyl)]diamidophosphate (HL), and its sodium salt, NaHL, have been synthesized and their structural properties have been investigated. Coordination compounds of lanthanides [Ln(HL)NO]·i-PrOH (Ln = Eu, Tb) were obtained for the first time, isolated in the individual state and characterized by means of IR and NMR spectroscopies, electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI-MS), potentiometric titration, and elemental, thermal gravimetric and X-ray diffraction analyses. It was shown that HL behaves like a scorpionate type ligand and in a mono-deprotonated form coordinates in a tridentate manner the oxygen atoms of phosphoryl and carbonyl groups with formation of a mononuclear metal complex.

Synthesis and Characterization of Anionic Lanthanide(III) Complexes with a Bidentate Sulfonylamidophosphate (SAPh) Ligand.

A series of new anionic lanthanide(III) complexes with the general formula NEt[Ln] (; H = dimethyl[(4-methylphenyl)sulfonyl]amidophosphate; Ln = La, Nd, Eu), were synthesized and characterized by IR, UV-vis, and NMR spectroscopies, the differential scanning calorimetry method, thermogravimetric and X-ray analysis, and photoluminescence measurements. Single-crystal structures of NEt[Eu] () were determined at 293 and 100 K and evidenced the phase transition. Both phases are in the monoclinic crystal system in centrosymmetric groups of the same Laue class.