Temperature dependence of the distribution of the first passage time: Results from discontinuous molecular dynamics simulations of an all-atom model of the second beta-hairpin fragment of protein G

More than 22 000 folding kinetic simulations were performed to study the temperature dependence of the distribution of first passage time (FPT) for the folding of an all-atom Go-like model of the second beta-hairpin fragment of protein G. We find that the mean FPT (MFPT) for folding has a U (or V)-shaped dependence on the temperature with a minimum at a characteristic optimal folding temperature T-opt*. The optimal folding temperature T-opt* is located between the thermodynamic folding transition temperature and the solidification temperature based on the Lindemann criterion for the solid. Both the T-opt* and the MFPT decrease when the energy bias gap against nonnative contacts increases. The high-order moments are nearly constant when the temperature is higher than T-opt* and start to diverge when the temperature is lower than T-opt*. The distribution of FPT is close to a log-normal-like distribution at T* greater than or equal to T-opt*. At even lower temperatures, the distribution starts to develop long power-law-like tails, indicating the non-self-averaging intermittent behavior of the folding dynamics. It is demonstrated that the distribution of FPT can also be calculated reliably from the derivative of the fraction not folded (or fraction folded), a measurable quantity by routine ensemble-averaged experimental techniques at dilute protein concentrations.

Low temperature preparation of ceria solid solutions doubly doped with rare-earth and alkali-earth and their properties as solid oxide fuel cells

A series of solid electrolytes, (Ce(0.8)Ln(0.2))(1 - x)MxO2 - delta(Ln = La, Nd, Sm, Gd, M:Alkali-earth), were prepared by amorphous citrate gel method. XRD patterns indicate that a pure fluorite phase is formed at 800 degreesC. The electrical conductivity and the AC impedance spectra were measured. XPS spectra show that the oxygen vacancies increase owing to the MO doping, which results in the increase of the oxygen ionic transport number and conductivity. The performance of ceria-based solid electrolyte is improved. The effects of rare-earth and alkali-earth ions on the electricity were discussed. The open-circuit voltages and maximum power density of planar solid oxide fuel cell using (Ce0.8Sm0.2)(1 - 0.05)Ca0.05O2 - delta as electrolyte are 0.86 V and 33 mW . cm(-2), respectively.

Silicon dioxide coating of CeO2 nanoparticles by solid state reaction at room temperature

The synthesis Of SiO2 coated CeO2 nanoparticles by humid solid state reaction at room. temperature is described. Transmission electron microscope results show that CeO2 Particles were coated with a layer Of SiO2. Binding energy of Ce 3d(5/2) was shifted from 883.8 to 882.8 eV after coating in the XPS Ce 3d spectra. This confirms the chemical bond formation between SiO32- and Ce4+. Because the surface photovoltage property of CeO2 nanoparticles that were used as core materials in the experiment approaches to that of CeO2 macroparticles, peak P2 (electron transition from 0 2p on surface to Ce 4f) disappeared in the surface photovoltage spectrum of CeO2 nanoparticles. Also, the effect Of SiO2 on the electron transition from 0 2p to Ce 4f results in the lowering of surface photovoltage response intensity of P1 peak (electron transition from 0 2p in bulk to Ce 4f).

Alternating LB film of ferric oxide nanoparticles-copper phthalocyanine derivative and its gas sensitivity

Nanoparticulate ferric oxide - tris - (2,4-di-t-amylphenoxy) - (8-quinolinolyl) copper phthalocyanine Langmuir-Blodgett Z-type multilayers were obtained by using monodisperse nanoparticle ferric oxide hydrosol as the subphase. XPS data reveal that the nanoparticle ferric oxide exist as alpha -Fe2O3 phase in the films. Transition electron microscopic (TEM) image of the alternating monolayer shows that the film was highly covered by the copper phthalocyanine derivative and the nanoparticles were arranged rather closely. IR and visible spectra all give the results that the nanoparticles were deposited onto the substrate with the copper phthalocyanine derivative. The gas-sensing measurements show that the alternating LB film had very fast response-recovery characteristic to 2 ppm C2H5OH gas, and also sensitive to larger than 200 ppm NH3.

Characterization of Y2O3 : Eu coated with polystyrene

The core-shell Y2O3:Eu3+/polystyrene particles was prepared by surface modification with citric acid and emulsion polymerization method of styrene. The DTA curve of coated particles exhibits a small and wide exothermic peak of organic compound around 387 degreesC. The carbonyl stretching vibration band was shifted to low wavenumber in FTIR spectrum and the binding energy of Y3d5/2 was shifted to high-energy band in XPS spectrum. The results of FTIR and XPS show that citric acid was coupled to the particles surface. The hydrophilic surface became amphiphilic by modification of citric acid. So styrene could adsorb on particles surface to form emulsion structure which inorganic core was inside. EDS spectra show that Y2O3:Eu3+ particles were coated uniformly with polystyrene.

Effect of LB monolayers on the mixed crystals of Lead and barium sulfate

The effect of LB monolayers on the mixed crystal was investigated by using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), Transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and Inductively coupled plasma-atomic emission spectroscopy (ICP-AES). The results show that LB monolayer has selectivity for the different nucleation ions with equal charge numbers and about the same ion radius. The selectivity is dependent on the head groups of monolayer. The monolayer and the doped ions have also an effect on the crystal morphology. (C) 2000 Published by Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.

Studies on electrocatalytic performance of titanium oxide electrode modified with Pt toward the oxidation of methanol

Electrocatalytic performance of the Pr-TiOx/Ti electrode prepared with electrochemical reduction-oxidation method toward the oxidation of methanol has been studied, The experimental results showed that the Pt-TiOx/Ti electrode has a high electrocatalytic activity and good stability for the electrocatalytic oxidation of methanol, By means of electrochemical, XPS, STM and in-situ FTIR techniques, it was found that one reason for the electrode to exhibit an excellent performance is attributed to the high dispersion between nanosized Pt and TiOx particles, The low adsorption ability of the intermediate derived from methanol, such as linearly adsorbed CO species on the electrode surface due to the interaction between Pt and TiOx, also results in the excellent performance.

Recent progress in the studies of endohedral metallofullerenes

This overview presents the recent progress in the area of endohedral metallofullerenes in the past several years. The important results have been summarized as follows: (1) Many metals including Group 3 metals, most of the lanthanide series elements, and Group 2 metals have been encapsulated into a fullerene cage to form mono-, di-, and trimetallofullerenes by using the arc-evaporation technique. (2) Some endohedral metallofullerenes such as Group 3 metals, most of the lanthanide series elements, Group 2 metals, and some of their isomers have been successfully isolated and purified by a two-step or several-step HPLC technique. By using high-temperature and high-pressure extraction with pyridine, Ln@C-80, Ln@C-82, and Ln2@C-80 for most rare-earth metals have been selectively extracted in high yield (about 1% of the saw soot) from fullerenes and other size metallofullerenes. (3) The endohedral nature of metallofullerenes such as Y@C-82, Sc2@C-84, and Sc@C-82 has been finally confirmed by synchrotron X-ray powder diffraction. The symmetries and the structures of metallofullerenes such as Ca@C-82(III), La-2@C-80(I-h), Sc-2@C-84(D-2d), and Sc-2@C-84(C-s) have been confirmed by NMR measurements. (Lb) The information on the electronic structures and properties of endohedral metallofullerenes has been obtained by various spectrometric means Such as EPR, W-vis-MR, XPS, CV. It is generally accepted that three-electron transfer is favorable when M = Y, La, Ce, Pr, Nd, Gd, Tb, Dy, Ho, Er, Lu but Sc, Eu, Sm, Yb, Tm, Ca, Sr, Ba prefer to donate two electrons to the fullerene cages. (5) Several chemical reactions of endohedral metallofullerenes have been reported in which reagents are disilacyclopropane, digermacyclopropane, diphenyldiazomethane, and trifluoroacetic acid. (6) Mass spectrometry provided the crucial evidence that led to the discovery of metallofullerenes in 1985 and has always played a key role in their identification and characterization, Ion-mobility measurements of gas-phase ions have obtained the information of structures and the formation mechanism of endohedral metallofullerenes. till Theoretical calculations on the endohedral metallofullerenes have made an important contribution to the studies on the symmetry of the cage, the position of metal atom(s) inside the cage, the number of electronic transfer between metal atom(s) and fullerene cage, etc. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science S.A. All rights reserved.

Preparation of poly (styrene-co-4-vinyl pyridine) /silica nanoscale hybrids supported cyclopentadienyltitanium trichloride (CpTiCl3) catalyst and styrene polymerization

To obtain a novel support with practical value for metallocene catalyst (eta -C5H5)TiCl3 (CpTiCl3), poly (styrene-co-4-vinylpyridine) /SiO2 nanoscale hybrid material (SrP/SiO2) was firstly produced as support. After pretreatment by methylaluminoxane (MAO), the hybrid materials reacted with CpTiCl3. The results from SAXS, SEM and TEM indicated the morphology and structure of organic/inorganic hybrid materials, and the size of inorganic particle in hybrid was nanoscale. The results from IR and XPS showed that there were two possible cationic active species in the hybrid-supported catalyst, the polymerization results of styrene proved this possibility.

Sol-gel deposition of calcium silicate red-emitting luminescent films doped with Eu3+

Eu3+-activated calcium silicate (CaO-SiO2:Eu3+) luminescent films were prepared by the sol-gel method. The structural evolution of the film was studied by X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and the luminescence properties of the phosphor films were investigated as a function of heat treatment temperature. The XRD study indicates that a kilchoanite phase forms in the film sintered at 800 degreesC, which is different from that in gel powder treated under the same conditions. The SEM results show that the film thickness decreases and the particles in the film become smaller with increasing heat treatment temperature. The CaO-SiO2:Eu film shows the characteristic emission of Eu3+ under UV excitation, with the Eu3+ D-5(0)-->F-7(2) band (616 nm) being the most prominent. A large difference in the Eu3+ lifetime is observed between the film samples treated at 500 and 700 degreesC (or above). Concentration quenching occurs when the Eu3+ doping concentration is above 6 mol% of Ca2+ in the film.

Thermal influence on excimer-laser-induced electrical conductivity on polyimide film surfaces

The thermal influence on the electrical conductivity of polyimide film surfaces induced by KrF-laser irradiation was investigated, The formation of conducting phases was demonstrated to be highly temperature sensitive, as evidenced by strong dependence of the electrical conductivity on repetition rate and ambient temperature. XPS and Raman studies showed that the efficiency of the formation of conducting phases could be enhanced by the increase of temperature on irradiated polyimide film surfaces. After the disruption of polymeric chain, the carbon-enriched clusters remained on the irradiated polyimide film surfaces organized into polycrystalline graphite-like clusters responsible for electrical conductivity. The resulting dangling bonds from the decomposition process of polyimide acted as centers for the rearrangement of carbon-enriched clusters. It is suggested that the motion of radicals was promoted with increasing the temperature. Therefore the formation of polycrystalline graphite-like clusters benefited from high remaining temperature on the irradiated polyimide film surfaces. These results revealed that thermal influence played a dominant role on the formation of conducting phases.

Preparation of poly(4-vinylpyridine)/silica hybrids supported cyclopentadienyltitanium trichloride (CpTiCl3) catalyst and styrene polymerization

Poly(4 - vinylpyridine)/silica( PVP/SiO2) organic - inorganic nanoscale hybrid was prepared using sol - gel method, in which PVP was used as an organic component and TEOS as a SiO2 precusor, This hybrid was used as CpTiCl3 support. The XPS and IR measurements showed that two kinds of catalytic active site were formed through analyzing the interaction mode between support and CpTiCl3. The results of styrene polymerization showed that syndiotactic was the highest at 50 degreesC. The catalytic activity was 1.09 x 10(6) g PS/ (mol Ti . h) at 70 degreesC when n(Al)/n(Ti) = 1500. GPC results showed a bimodal molecular weight distribution.

Kinetic isotope effects of proton transfer reaction for amines by ultrasonic relaxation methods: Unexpected evidence from the results in ethylamine solutions

Ultrasonic absorption coefficients for ethylamine in heavy water (D2O) and in light water (H2O) have been measured in the frequency range from 0.8 to 220 MHz at 25 degrees C. A single relaxational process has been observed in these two kinds of solutions. From the concentration dependence of the ultrasonic relaxation parameters, and following the reaction mechanism proposed by Eigen et al. for ethylamine in H2O, the causes of the relaxations have been attributed to a perturbation of an equilibrium associated with a deuteron or proton transfer reaction. The rate and equilibrium constants have been estimated from deuterioxide or hydroxide ion concentration dependence of the relaxation frequency, and the kinetic isotope effects have been determined. In addition, the standard volume changes of the reactions have been calculated from the concentration dependence of the maximum absorption per wavelength, and the adiabatic compressibility has also been determined from the density and sound velocity for ethylamine in D2O and in H2O, respectively. These results are compared with those for propylamine and butylamine and are discussed in relation to the different kinetic properties between D2O and H2O, the reaction radii derived by Debye theory, and the structural properties of the reaction intermediate.

Study of physicochemical properties and active oxygen in structures of layered mixed La4BaCu5-xMxO13+lambda (M = Mn, Co)

Two series of layered mixed oxides La4BaCu5-xMxO13+lambda(M = Mn, Co, x = 0 similar to 5) were prepared and characterized by means of XRD, XPS, O-2-TPD and chemical analysis. The results show that their structures are 5-layered ABO(3) perovskite, and the XPS and O-2-TPD investigation confirms that there exists synergistic effect between Cu ion and M when M ion is doped into the lattice of La4BaCu5O13+lambda,, and the synergistic effect between Mn and Cu is stronger than that of Cu-Co.

Electrochemical growth and characterization of polyoxometalate-containing monolayers and multilayers on alkanethiol monolayers self-assembled on gold electrodes

A general strategy has been developed for fabrication of ultrathin monolayer and multilayer composite films composed of nearly all kinds of polyoxometalates (POMs), including isopolyanions (IPAs), and heteropolyanions (HPAs). It involves stepwise adsorption between the anionic POMs and a cationic polymer on alkanethiol (cysteamine and 3-mercaptopropionic acid) self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) based on electrostatic interaction. Here a Keggin-type HPA SiMo11VO405- was chosen as a main representative to elucidate, in detail, the fabrication and characterization of the as-prepared composite films. A novel electrochemical growth method we developed for film formation involves cyclic potential sweeps over a suitable potential range in modifier solutions. It was comparatively studied with a commonly used method of immersion growth, i.e., alternately dipping a substrate into modifier solutions. Growth processes and structural characteristics of the composite films are characterized in detail by cyclic voltammetry, UV-vis spectroscopy (UV-vis), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), micro-Fourier transform infrared reflection-absorption spectroscopy (FTIR-RA), and electrochemical quartz crystal microbalance (EQCM). The electrochemical growth is proven to be more advantageous than the immersion growth. The composite films exhibit well-defined surface waves characteristic of the HPAs' redox reactions. In addition, the composite films by the electrochemical growth show a uniform structure and an excellent stability. Ion motions accompanying the redox processes of SiMo11VO405- in multilayer films are examined by in situ time-resolved EQCM and some results are first reported. The strategy used here has been successfully popularized to IPAs as well as other HPAs no matter what structure and composition they have.