The conformation of 1,2-dimethoxyethane in the liquid phase and in aqueous solutions was studied by Raman spectroscopy. The conformation-sensitive Raman bands of 1,2-dimethoxyethane, located in the wavenumber region 300−600 cm-1, were analyzed by means of the band decomposition based on normal coordinate analysis. The populations of the conformers of 1,2-dimethoxyethane, their relative energies, and their relative entropies in the liquid phase were estimated and compared with the relevant data for the gas phase of 1,2-dimethoxyethane. The condensed phase effects on the conformation of 1,2-dimethoxyethane were discussed on the basis of the experimental data. The populations of the conformers at 318 K in aqueous solutions with different concentrations were estimated. It was revealed that the populations of the TTT and TGG‘ conformers of 1,2-dimethoxyethane decrease on increasing concentration of water, while the populations of the TGT and TGG conformers increase. The entropies of the less hydrophilic TTT and TGG‘ conformers are higher than the entropies of the more hydrophilic TGT and TGG conformers. This experimental observation suggests that the inverse temperature solubility of poly(oxyethylene) in water originates from the conformational changes of the polymer chain.

Self‐assembly of an unsymmetrical bolaamphiphile produces either lipid nanotubes with cationic inner surfaces or nanotapes, depending on the initial molecular packing, which in turn depends on the solvent conditions. The nanotubes have different inner and outer surfaces, covered with amino and sugar functionalities, respectively, and effectively encapsulate anionic nanomaterials in the hollow cylinder without depending on capillary action (see Figure).

A new recipe for surface-enhanced infrared absorption (SEIRA) active island Au films with improved adhesion in aqueous solution, low resistivity, and enhancement of the infrared (IR) absorption of about 300 was developed. The Au films prepared were utilized in studies of the ionization of self-assembled monolayers of 11-mercaptoundecanoic acid in Na2SO4 aqueous solutions by attenuated total reflection surface-enhanced infrared absorption (ATR-SEIRA) spectroscopy. It was found that the carboxyl end groups of the self-assembled monolayer turn into carboxylate anions on going from anodic to cathodic potentials or from acidic to alkaline pH. The water molecules close to the self-assembled monolayer in acidic solutions or at anodic potentials are preferentially aligned with their dipole moments parallel to the interface. This type of alignment can be ascribed to the dipole-dipole interaction between the carboxyl groups and the water molecules. On the other hand, in alkaline solutions or at cathodic potentials the structure of water close to the self-assembled monolayer is essentially bulk-like, with randomly oriented water molecules. This observation suggests that in alkaline solutions or at cathodic potentials the charge of the carboxylate anions is almost completely compensated for by strongly adsorbed counter cations. As a result, the electric field close to the surface of the ionized self-assembled monolayer is weak and has little influence on the orientation and hydrogen bonding of the water molecules.

Excited states in 102Rh, populated in the fusion-evaporation reaction Zr94(11B,3n)102Rh at a beam energy of 36 MeV, were studied using the Indian National Gamma Array spectrometer at Inter University Accelerator Center, New Delhi. The angular correlations and the electromagnetic character of some of the gamma-ray transitions observed were investigated in detail. A new chiral candidate sister band was found. Lifetimes of exited states in both chiral candidate bands of 102Rh were measured for the first time in the A∼100 mass region by means of the Doppler-shift attenuation technique. The derived reduced transition probabilities are compared to the predictions of the two quasiparticles plus triaxial rotor model. Both experimental results and calculations do not support the presence of static chirality in 102Rh.