Capped Mo/Si multilayers with improved performance at 30.4 nm for future solar missions.
Novel capping layer structures have been deposited on periodic Mo/Si multilayers to optimize reflectance at 30.4 nm. Design, deposition and characterization of such coatings are presented. Most of the structures proposed show improved performance with respect to standard Mo/Si multilayers and are stable over time. Reflectance at 121.6 nm and in the visible spectral range have been also tested to explore the applicability of such coatings to the Multi Element Telescope for Imaging and Spectroscopy (METIS) instrument, a coronagraph being developed for the ESA Solar Orbiter platform.
Finding environmentally gentle methods to graft Lewis acid on the surface of mesoporous materials is a topic of current interest. Herein we describe the optimization of a preparation procedure of a mesoporous silica-supported ErIII catalyst using the microwave-assisted post-calcination functionalization of Mobil Composition of Matter-41 silica as the key step. The required time for functionalization was reduced from several hours to 10 min using sealed-vessel microwave technology. Control experiments using conventional heating at the same temperature demonstrated that the rate increase is owing to a simple thermal/kinetic effect as a result of the higher reaction temperature. The resulting ErIII catalyst was tested for the first time as a catalyst in the continuous flow deprotection of benzaldehyde dimethylacetal and a complete leaching study was performed.