STM study on the self-assembly of oligothiophene-based organic semiconductors

The self-assembly properties of a series of functionalized regioregular oligo(3-alkylthiophenes) were investigated by using scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) at the liquid-solid interface under ambient conditions. The characteristics of the 2-D crystals formed on the (0001) plane of highly ordered pyrolitic graphite (HOPG) strongly depend on the length of the p-conjugated oligomer backbone, on the functional groups attached to it, and on the alkyl substitution pattern on the individual thiophene units. Theoretical calculations were performed to analyze the geometry and electronic density of the molecular orbitals as well as to analyze the intermolecular interactions, in order to obtain models of the 2-D molecular ordering on the substrate.

Three-dimensional growth as multicellular spheroid activates the proangiogenic phenotype of colorectal carcinoma cells via LFA-1-dependent VEGF: implications on hepatic micrometastasis

Background: The recruitment of vascular stromal and endothelial cells is an early event occurring during cancer cell growth at premetastatic niches, but how the microenvironment created by the initial three-dimensional (3D) growth of cancer cells affects their angiogenesis-stimulating potential is unclear. Methods: The proangiogenic profile of CT26 murine colorectal carcinoma cells was studied in seven-day cultured 3D-spheroids of <300 mu m in diameter, produced by the hanging-drop method to mimic the microenvironment of avascular micrometastases prior to hypoxia occurrence. Results: Spheroid-derived CT26 cells increased vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) secretion by 70%, which in turn increased the in vitro migration of primary cultured hepatic sinusoidal endothelium (HSE) cells by 2-fold. More importantly, spheroid-derived CT26 cells increased lymphocyte function associated antigen (LFA)-1-expressing cell fraction by 3-fold; and soluble intercellular adhesion molecule (ICAM)-1, given to spheroid-cultured CT26 cells, further increased VEGF secretion by 90%, via cyclooxygenase (COX)-2-dependent mechanism. Consistent with these findings, CT26 cancer cells significantly increased LFA-1 expression in non-hypoxic avascular micrometastases at their earliest inception within hepatic lobules in vivo; and angiogenesis also markedly increased in both subcutaneous tumors and hepatic metastases produced by spheroid-derived CT26 cells. Conclusion: 3D-growth per se enriched the proangiogenic phenotype of cancer cells growing as multicellular spheroids or as subclinical hepatic micrometastases. The contribution of integrin LFA-1 to VEGF secretion via COX-2 was a micro environmental-related mechanism leading to the pro-angiogenic activation of soluble ICAM-1-activated colorectal carcinoma cells. This mechanism may represent a new target for specific therapeutic strategies designed to block colorectal cancer cell growth at a subclinical micrometastatic stage within the liver.

One-dimensional potential for image-potential states on graphene

In the framework of dielectric theory, the static non-local self-energy of an electron near an ultra-thin polarizable layer has been calculated and applied to study binding energies of image-potential states near free-standing graphene. The corresponding series of eigenvalues and eigenfunctions have been obtained by numerically solving the one-dimensional Schrodinger equation. The imagepotential state wave functions accumulate most of their probability outside the slab. We find that the random phase approximation (RPA) for the nonlocal dielectric function yields a superior description for the potential inside the slab, but a simple Fermi-Thomas theory can be used to get a reasonable quasi-analytical approximation to the full RPA result that can be computed very economically. Binding energies of the image-potential states follow a pattern close to the Rydberg series for a perfect metal with the addition of intermediate states due to the added symmetry of the potential. The formalism only requires a minimal set of free parameters: the slab width and the electronic density. The theoretical calculations are compared with experimental results for the work function and image-potential states obtained by two-photon photoemission.

M(C6H16N3)2(VO3)4 as heterogeneous catalysts. Study of three new hybrid vanadates of cobalt(II), nickel(II) and copper(II) with 1-(2-aminoethyl)piperazonium.

postprint

Luminescence and Magnetic Properties of Two Three -Dimensional Terbium and Dysprosium MOFs Based on Azobenzene-4,4 '-Dicarboxylic Linker

We report the in situ formation of two novel metal-organic frameworks based on terbium and dysprosium ions using azobenzene-4,4-dicarboxylic acid (H(2)abd) as ligand, synthesized by soft hydrothermal routes. Both materials show isostructural three-dimensional networks with channels along a axis and display intense photoluminescence properties in the solid state at room temperature. Textural properties of the metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) have been fully characterized although no appreciable porosity was obtained. Magnetic properties of these materials were studied, highlighting the dysprosium material displays slightly frequency-dependent out of phase signals when measured under zero external field and under an applied field of 1000 Oe.