Low Frequency Mechanical Spectroscopy Study of Three Pyrrolidinium Based Ionic Liquids

Abstract In this work we present our recent results on three ionic liquids (ILs), which share bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide (TFSI) as anion and have different pyrrolidinium based cations. By means of a combination of mechanical spectroscopy and thermal analysis, many of the physical processes occurring during cooling down from the liquid phase, can be studied. Depending both on the diverse cation and the different thermal history, crystallization from the melt or glass transition, cold-crystallization, solid-solid phase transitions and thermally activated processes are observed. In one of the ILs, which could be easily undercooled, a prominent thermally activated peak could be observed above the glass transition. The temperature dependence of the relaxation time is approximated by a Vogel-Fulcher-Tamman equation, as usual for fragile glass forming liquids, and the apparent activation energy of W = 0.36 eV with a pre-exponential factor of the relaxation time τ0 = 1.7 · 10−13s were derived supposing jumps between asymmetrical potential wells. The kinetics of the crystallization processes have been studied in the framework of the Johnson-Mehl-Avrami-Kolmogorov theory and the Avrami parameters have been derived for both the crystallization from the melt and for the cold crystallization observed on heating

Progress in the determination of the J/ψ−πJ/\psi-\pi cross section

Improving previous calculations, we compute the $J/\psi \pi\to {charmed mesons}$ cross section using QCD sum rules. Our sum rules for the $J/\psi \pi\to \bar{D} D^*$, $D \bar{D}^*$, ${\bar D}^* D^*$ and ${\bar D} D$ hadronic matrix elements are constructed by using vaccum-pion correlation functions, and we work up to twist-4 in the soft-pion limit. Our results suggest that, using meson exchange models is perfectly acceptable, provided that they include form factors and that they respect chiral symmetry. After doing a thermal average we get $\sim 0.3$ mb at T=150\MeV.Comment: 22 pages, RevTeX4 including 7 figures in ps file

Composite nafion-catio3-δ membranes as electrolyte component for pem fuel cells

Manufacturing new electrolytes with high ionic conductivity has been a crucial challenge in the development and large-scale distribution of fuel cell devices. In this work, we present two Nafion composite membranes containing a non-stoichiometric calcium titanate perovskite (CaTiO3−δ ) as a filler. These membranes are proposed as a proton exchange electrolyte for Polymer Electrolyte Membrane (PEM) fuel cell devices. More precisely, two different perovskite concentrations of 5 wt% and 10 wt%, with respect to Nafion, are considered. The structural, morphological, and chemical properties of the composite membranes are studied, revealing an inhomogeneous distribution of the filler within the polymer matrix. Direct methanol fuel cell (DMFC) tests, at 110◦ C and 2 M methanol concentration, were also performed. It was observed that the membrane containing 5 wt% of the additive allows the highest cell performance in comparison to the other samples, with a maximum power density of about 70 mW cm−2 at 200 mA cm−2 . Consequently, the ability of the perovskite structure to support proton carriers is here confirmed, suggesting an interesting strategy to obtain successful materials for electrochemical devices

Semileptonic D decay into scalar mesons: a QCD sum rule approach

Semileptonic decays of D-mesons into scalar hadronic states are investigated. Two extreme cases are considered: a) the meson decays directly into an uncorrelated scalar state of two two mesons and b) the decay proceeds via resonance formation. QCD sum rules including instanton contributions are used to calculate total and differential decay rates under the two assumptions.Comment: 18 pages, 9 figures, e-mail: [email protected]

SnO2-Nafion\uae nanocomposite polymer electrolytes for fuel cell applications

Fuel cells are capable to exploit the combustion of hydrogen to convert chemical energy into electricity. Polymer electrolyte fuel cells based on Nafion membranes are able to work in a relatively low temperature range (70\u201390\ubaC) but require operating relative humidity (RH) close to 100%. To develop proton-exchange membranes with adequate performances at low RH, an attractive strategy consists of the incorporation of inorganic fillers into the host Nafion polymer. Here, we report on the incorporation of SnO2 nanopowders with high acidic properties as fillers in Nafion-based polymer electrolytes. Nanometre-sized sulphated SnO2 particles have been synthesised and incorporated in Nafion polymer membranes. Morphological and vibrational properties of the oxides and membranes, as well as their electrochemical behaviour, have been investigated by atomic force microscopy (AFM), micro-Raman and infra-red (IR) spectroscopies and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). The nanocomposite electrolytes have been used to form a membrane-electrodes assembly with commercial Pt-based catalysts and tested in hydrogen fuel cells

SnO2-Nafion\uae nanocomposite polymer electrolytes for fuel cell applications

Fuel cells are capable to exploit the combustion of hydrogen to convert chemical energy into electricity. Polymer electrolyte fuel cells based on Nafion membranes are able to work in a relatively low temperature range (70\u201390\ubaC) but require operating relative humidity (RH) close to 100%. To develop proton-exchange membranes with adequate performances at low RH, an attractive strategy consists of the incorporation of inorganic fillers into the host Nafion polymer. Here, we report on the incorporation of SnO2 nanopowders with high acidic properties as fillers in Nafion-based polymer electrolytes. Nanometre-sized sulphated SnO2 particles have been synthesised and incorporated in Nafion polymer membranes. Morphological and vibrational properties of the oxides and membranes, as well as their electrochemical behaviour, have been investigated by atomic force microscopy (AFM), micro-Raman and infra-red (IR) spectroscopies and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). The nanocomposite electrolytes have been used to form a membrane-electrodes assembly with commercial Pt-based catalysts and tested in hydrogen fuel cells

Analysis of the Y(4140) and related molecular states with QCD sum rules

In this article, we assume that there exist scalar ${D}^\ast {\bar {D}}^\ast$, ${D}_s^\ast {\bar {D}}_s^\ast$, ${B}^\ast {\bar {B}}^\ast$ and ${B}_s^\ast {\bar {B}}_s^\ast$ molecular states, and study their masses using the QCD sum rules. The numerical results indicate that the masses are about $(250-500) \rm{MeV}$ above the corresponding ${D}^\ast -{\bar {D}}^\ast$, ${D}_s^\ast -{\bar {D}}_s^\ast$, ${B}^\ast -{\bar {B}}^\ast$ and ${B}_s^\ast -{\bar {B}}_s^\ast$ thresholds, the Y(4140) is unlikely a scalar ${D}_s^\ast {\bar {D}}_s^\ast$ molecular state. The scalar $D^\ast {\bar D}^\ast$, $D_s^\ast {\bar D}_s^\ast$, $B^\ast {\bar B}^\ast$ and $B_s^\ast {\bar B}_s^\ast$ molecular states maybe not exist, while the scalar ${D'}^\ast {\bar {D'}}^\ast$, ${D'}_s^\ast {\bar {D'}}_s^\ast$, ${B'}^\ast {\bar {B'}}^\ast$ and ${B'}_s^\ast {\bar {B'}}_s^\ast$ molecular states maybe exist.Comment: 19 pages, 36 figures, slight revisio

The transition form factors for semi-leptonic weak decays of J/ψJ/\psi in QCD sum rules

Within the Standard Model, we investigate the semi-leptonic weak decays of $J/\psi$. The various form factors of $J/\psi$ transiting to a single charmed meson ($D^{(*)}_{(d,s)}$) are studied in the framework of the QCD sum rules. These form factors fully determine the rates of the weak semi-leptonic decays of $J/\psi$ and provide valuable information about the non-perturbative QCD effects. Our results indicate that the decay rate of the semi-leptonic weak decay mode $J/\psi \to D^{(*)-}_{s}+e^{+}+\nu_{e}$ is at order of $10^{-10}$.Comment: 28 pages, 6 figures, revised version to be published in Eur.Phys.J.

Non-linear QCD dynamics in two-photon interactions at high energies

Perturbative QCD predicts that the growth of the gluon density at high energies should saturate, forming a Color Glass Condensate (CGC), which is described in mean field approximation by the Balitsky-Kovchegov (BK) equation. In this paper we study the $\gamma \gamma$ interactions at high energies and estimate the main observables which will be probed at future linear colliders using the color dipole picture. We discuss in detail the dipole - dipole cross section and propose a new relation between this quantity and the dipole scattering amplitude. The total $\gamma \gamma$, $\gamma^{*} \gamma^{*}$ cross-sections and the real photon structure function $F_2^{\gamma}(x,Q^2)$ are calculated using the recent solution of the BK equation with running coupling constant and the predictions are compared with those obtained using phenomenological models for the dipole-dipole cross section and scattering amplitude. We demonstrate that these models are able to describe the LEP data at high energies, but predict a very different behavior for the observables at higher energies. Therefore we conclude that the study of $\gamma \gamma$ interactions can be useful to constrain the QCD dynamics.Comment: 11 pages, 5 figures. Version to be published in European Physical Journal

Rare Decays of \Lambda_b->\Lambda + \gamma and \Lambda_b ->\Lambda + l^{+} l^{-} in the Light-cone Sum Rules

Within the Standard Model, we investigate the weak decays of $\Lambda_b \to \Lambda + \gamma$ and $\Lambda_b \to \Lambda + l^{+} l^{-}$ with the light-cone sum rules approach. The higher twist distribution amplitudes of $\Lambda$ baryon to the leading conformal spin are included in the sum rules for transition form factors. Our results indicate that the higher twist distribution amplitudes almost have no influences on the transition form factors retaining the heavy quark spin symmetry, while such corrections can result in significant impacts on the form factors breaking the heavy quark spin symmetry. Two phenomenological models (COZ and FZOZ) for the wave function of $\Lambda$ baryon are also employed in the sum rules for a comparison, which can give rise to the form factors approximately 5 times larger than that in terms of conformal expansion. Utilizing the form factors calculated in LCSR, we then perform a careful study on the decay rate, polarization asymmetry and forward-backward asymmetry, with respect to the decays of $\Lambda_b \to \Lambda \gamma$, $\Lambda l^{+}l^{-}$.Comment: 38 pages, 15 figures, some typos are corrected and more references are adde