Rotation alignment in neutron-rich Cr isotopes: A probe of deformed single-particle levels across N=40

Recent experiments have reached the neutron-rich Cr isotope with N = 40 and confirmed enhanced collectivity near this subshell. The current data focus on low-spin spectroscopy only, with little information on the states where high-j particles align their spins with the system rotation. By applying the projected shell model, we show that rotation alignment occurs in neutron-rich even-even Cr nuclei as early as spin 8 (h) over bar h and, owing to shell filling, the aligning particles differ in different isotopes. It is suggested that observation of irregularities in moments of inertia is a direct probe of the deformed single-particle scheme in this exotic mass region.

Single- and double-electron processes in collisions of Xe23+ ions with helium

We report the measurements of relative cross sections for single capture (SC), double capture (DC), single ionization (SI), double ionization (DI), and transfer ionization (TI) in collisions of Xe23+ ions with helium atoms in the velocity range of 0.65-1.32 a.u. The relative cross sections show a weak velocity dependence. The cross-section ratio of double-(DE) to single-electron (SE) removal from He, sigma(DE)/sigma(SE), is about 0.45. Single capture is the dominant reaction channel which is followed by transfer ionization, while only very small probabilities are found for pure ionization and double capture. The present experimental data are in satisfactory agreement with the estimations by the extended classical over-barrier (ECB) model..

Electron impact excitation rate coefficients of N II ion

This paper calculates the electron impact excitation rate coefficients from the ground term 2s(2)2p(2) P-3 to the excited terms of the 2s(2)2p(2), 2s2p(3), 2s(2)2p3s, 2s(2)2p3p, and 2s(2)2p3d configurations of N II. In the calculations, rnulticonfiguration Dirac-Fork wave functions have been applied to describe the target-ion states and relativistic distorted-wave calculation has been performed to generate fine-structure collision strengths. The collision strengths are then averaged over a Maxwellian distribution of electron velocities in order to generate the effective collision strengths. The calculated rate coefficients are compared with available experimental and theoretical data, and some good agreements are found for the outer shell electron excitations. But for the inner shell electron excitations there are still some differences between the present calculations and available experiments.

Influence of core property on multi-electron process in slow collisions of isocharged sequence ions with neon

Influence of core property on multi-electron process in the collisions of q = 6-9 and 11 isocharged sequence ions with Ne is investigated in the keV/u region The cross-section ratios of double-, triple-, quadruple- and total multi-electron processes to the single electron capture process as well as the partial ratios of different reaction channels to the relevant multi-electron process are measured by using position-sensitive and time-of-flight techniques The experimental data are compared with the theoretical predictions including the extended classical over-barrier model, the molecular Columbic barrier model and the semi-empirical scaling law Results show a core effect on multi-electron process of isocharge ions colliding with Neon, which is consistent with the results of Helium we obtained previously

Differential and Integral Cross Sections for Electron Impact Excitation of Lithium

The differential and integral cross sections for electron impact excitation of lithium from the ground state 1s(2)2s to excited states 1s(2)2p, 1s(2)3l (l = s,p,d) and 1s(2)4l (l = s,p,d,f) at incident energies ranging from 5 eV to 25 eV are calculated by using a full relativistic distorted wave method. The target state wavefunctions are calculated by using the Grasp92 code. The continuum orbitals are computed in the distorted-wave approximation, in which the direct and exchange potentials among all the electrons are included. A part of the cross sections are compared with the available experimental data and with the previous theoretical values. It is found that, for the integral cross sections, the present calculations are in good agreement with the time-independent distorted wave method calculation, for differential cross sections, our results agree with the experimental data very well.

A versatile color tuning strategy for iridium(III) and platinum(II) electrophosphors by shifting the charge-transfer states with an electron-deficient core

By fusing an electron-deficient ring system with the phenyl ring of a 2-phenylpyridine (ppy)-type ligand, a new and synthetically versatile strategy for the phosphorescence color tuning of cyclometalated iridium(III) and platinum(II) metallophosphors has been established. Two robust red electrophosphors with enhanced electron-injection/electron-transporting features were prepared by using an electron-trapping fluoren-9-one chromophore in the ligand design. The thermal, photophysical, redox and electrophosphorescent properties of these complexes are reported. These exciting results can be attributed to a switch of the metal-to-ligand charge-transfer (MLCT) character of the transition from the pyridyl groups in the traditional Ir-III or Pt-II ppy-type complexes to the electron-deficient ring core, and the spectral assignments corroborate well with the electrochemical data as well as the timedependent density functional theory (TD-DFT) calculations. The electron-withdrawing character of the fused ring results in much more stable MLCT states, inducing a substantial red-shift of the triplet emission energy from yellow to red for the Ir-III complex and even green to red for the PtII counterpart.

Silver nanoparticles coated with adenine: preparation, self-assembly and application in surface-enhanced Raman scattering

We describe herein the preparation of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) using nucleobase adenine as protecting agent through the in situ chemical reduction of AgNO3 with NaBH4 in an aqueous medium at room temperature. As-prepared AgNPs were characterized by UV-visible spectra, transmission electron microscopy and x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. All these data confirmed the formation of AgNPs. On the basis of electrostatic interactions between as-prepared AgNPs and anionic polyelectrolyte poly(sodium 4-styrenesulfonate) (PSS), we successfully fabricated (PSS/AgNP)n (n = 0-9) multilayers on a 3-mercaptopropyltrimethoxysilane/AgNP functionalized indium tin oxide (ITO) substrate via the layer-by-layer self-assembly technique and characterized as-formed multilayers with UV-visible spectra. Furthermore, these ITO substrates coated with multilayers of different thickness were investigated as surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS)-active substrates using p-aminothiophenol as a probe molecule, implying that these multilayers substrates may be promising for a new type of SERS-active substrate.

Conducting probe atomic force microscopy investigation of anisotropic charge transport in solution cast PBD single crystals induced by an external field

2-(4-Biphenylyl)-5-(4-tert-butylphenyl)-1,3,4-oxdiazole (PBD) is a good electron-transporting material and can form single crystals from solution. In this work, solution cast PBD single crystals with different crystallographic axes (b, c) perpendicular to the Au/S substrates in large area are achieved by controlling the rate of solvent evaporation in the presence and absence of external electrostatic field, respectively. The orientation of these single crystals on Au/S substrate was characterized by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM). Conducting probe atomic force microscopy (CP-AFM) was used to measure the charge transport characteristics of PBD single crystals grown on Au/S substrates. Transport was measured perpendicular to the substrate between the CP-AFM tip and the Au/S substrate. The electron mobility of 3 x 10(-3) cm(2)/(V s) for PBD single crystal along crystallographic b-axis is determined. And the electron mobility of PBD single crystal along the c-axis is about 2 orders of magnitude higher than that along the b-axis due to the anisotropic charge transport at the low voltage region.

Direct electron transfer between hemoglobin and a glassy carbon electrode facilitated by lipid-protected gold nanoparticles

We synthesized a kind of gold nanoparticle protected by a synthetic lipid (didodecyidimethylammonium bromide, DDAB). With the help of these gold nanoparticles, hemoglobin can exhibit a direct electron transfer (DET) reaction. The formal potential locates at -169 mV vs. Ag/AgCl. Spectral data indicated the hemoglobin on the electrode was not denatured. The lipid-protected gold nanoparticles were very stable (for at least 8 months). Their average diameter is 6.42 nm. It is the first time to use monolayer-protected nanoparticles to realize the direct electrochemistry of protein.

Study of electron transfer across the liquid/ice-like matrix interface by scanning electrochemical microscopy

In this work, we report the findings of a study on scanning electrochemical microscopy (SECM) to investigate the interfacial electron-transfer (ET) reaction between the 7,7,8,8-tetracyanoquinodimethane radical anion (TCNQ(.-)) in 1,2-dichloroethane and ferricyanide in an ice-like matrix (a mixture of insulting ice and conductive liquid) under low temperatures. Experimental results indicate that the formed liquid/ice-like matrix interface is superficially similar in electrochemical characteristics to a liquid/liquid interface at temperatures above -20 degreesC. Furthermore, imaging data show that the surface of the ice-like matrix is microscopically flat and physically stable and can be applied as either a conductive or an insulting substrate for SECM studies. Perchlorate ion was selected as the common ion in both phases, the concentrations of which controlled the interfacial potential difference. The effect of perchlorate concentration in the DCE phase on interfacial reactions has been studied in detail. The apparent heterogeneous rate constants for TCNQ(.-) oxidation by Fe(CN)(6)(3-) in another phase under different temperatures have been calculated by a best-fit analysis, where the experimental approach curves are compared with the theoretically derived relationships. Reaction rate data obey Butler-Volmer formulation before and after the freezing point, which is similar to most other known cases of ET reactions at liquid/liquid interfaces. However, there is a sharp change observed for heterogeneous rate constants around the freezing point of the aqueous phase, which reflects the phase transition. At temperatures below -20 degreesC, surface-confined voltammograms for the reduction of ferricyanide were obtained, and the ice-like matrix became an insulating one, which indicates that the aqueous phase is really a frozen phase.

Nanostructure and mechanical measurement of highly oriented lamellae of melt-drawn HDPE by scanning probe microscopy

Scanning probe microscopy was used to simultaneously determine the molecular chain structure and intrinsic mechanical properties, including anisotropic elastic modulus and friction, for lamellae of highly oriented high-density polyethylene (HDPE) obtained by the melt-drawn method. The molecular-scale image of the highly oriented lamellae by friction force microscopy (FFM) clearly shows that the molecular chains are aligned parallel to the drawing direction, and the periodicities along and perpendicular to the drawing direction are 0.26 and 0.50 nm, respectively. The results indicate that the exposed planes of the lamellae resulting from the melt-drawn method are (200), which is consistent with results of transmission electron microscopy and electron diffraction. Because of the high degree of anisotropy in the sample, coming from alignment of the molecular chains along the drawing direction, the measured friction force, F, determined by FFM is strongly dependent on the angle, theta, between the scanning direction and the chain axis. The force increases as theta is increased from 0 degrees (i.e., parallel to the chain axis) to 90 degrees (i.e., perpendicular to the chain axis). The structural anisotropy was also found to strongly influence the measurements of the transverse chain modulus of the polymer by the nanoindentation technique. The measured value of 13.8 GPa with transverse modulus was larger than the value 4.3 GPa determined by wide-angle X-ray diffraction, which we attributed to anisotropic deformation of the lamellae during nanoindentation measurements that was not accounted for by the elastic treatment we adopted from Oliver and Pharr. The present approach using scanning probe microscopy has the advantage that direct correlations between the nanostructure, nanotribology, and nanomechanical properties of oriented samples can be determined simultaneously and simply.

Self-assembled monolayer growth of phospholipids on hydrophobic surface toward mimetic biomembranes: Scanning probe microscopy study

Atomic force microscopy (AFM) and lateral force microscopy (LFM) were used simultaneously to analyze a model membrane bilayer structure consisting of a phospholipid outer monolayer deposited onto organosilane-derivatized mica surfaces, which were constructed by using painting and self-assembly methods. The phospholipid used as outer monolayer was dimyristoylphosphatidylcholine (DMPC). The hydrocarbon-covered substrate that formed the inner half bilayer was composed of a self-assembly monolayer (SAM) of octadecyltrichloroorganosilane (OTS) on mica. SAMs of DMPC were formed by exposing hydrophobic mica to a solution of DMPC in decane/isobutanol and subsequently immersing into pure water. AFM images of samples immersed in solution for varying exposure times showed that before forming a complete monolayer the molecules aggregated into dense islands (2.2-2.6 nm high) on the surface. The islands had a compact and rounded morphology. LFM, coupled with topographic data obtained with the atomic force mode, had made possible the distinction between DMPC and OTS. The rate constant of DMPC growth was calculated. This is the first systematic study of the SAM formation of DMPC by AFM and LFM imaging. It reveals more direct information about the film morphology than previous studies with conventional surface analytical techniques such as infrared spectroscopy, X-ray, or fluorescence microscopy.

Determination of electron mobility in a blue-emitting alternating block copolymer by space-charge-limited current measurements

In this communication we analyse current versus voltage data obtained using one carrier injection at metal/polymer/metal structures, The used polymer is a soluble blue-emitting alternating block copolymer, Our experimental results demonstrate that the electron current is limited by a large amount of traps with exponential energy distribution in the copolymer. The electron ;mobility of 5.1 x 10(-10) cm(2)/V s is directly determined by space-charge-limited current measurements. The electron mobility is at least three orders of magnitude smaller than that for holes in the copolymer. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.

16-and 18-electron Cp*Rh complexes with 1,2-dicarba-closo-dodecabofane(12)-1,2-dichalcogenolato ligands, as studied by multinuclear magnetic resonance

The reaction of [Cp*RhCl2](2) 1 with dilithium 1,2-dicarba-closo-dodecaborane(12)-1,2-dithiolate (a) and -diselenolate (b) afforded the 16-electron rhodium(III) half-sandwich complexes Cp*Rh[E2C2(B10H10)] [E=S (3a), Se (3b)]. The 18-electron trimethylphosphane rhodium(III) half-sandwiches Cp*Rh(PMe3)[E2C2(B10H10)] 4a-c were prepared from the reaction of Cp*RhCl2(PMe3) 2 with the same dichalcogenolates, including the ditelluride (c). The complexes 4a,b could also be obtained from the reaction of 3a,b with trimethylphosphane. The molecular geometry of 4b was determined by X-ray structural analysis. The 16-electron complexes 3 an monomeric in solution as shown by multinuclear magnetic resonance (H-1-, B-11-, C-13-, P-31- Se-77-, Rh-103-, Te-125-NMR). also in comparison with the data for the trimethylphosphane analogues 4a-c and for 6a in which the rhodium bears the eta(5)-1,3-C5H3 Bu-t(2) ligand. The Rh-103 nuclear shielding is reduced by 831 ppm (3a) and 1114 ppm (3b) with respect to the 18-electron complexes 4a,b. Similarly, the Se-77 nuclear shielding in 3b is reduced by 676.4 ppm with respect to that in 4b. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science S.A. All rights reserved.

Study of cupric hexacyanoferrate-modified platinum electrodes using probe beam deflection and electrochemical quartz crystal microbalance techniques

The ion exchange mechanism accompanying the oxidation/reduction processes of cupric hexacyanoferrate-modified platinum electrodes in different aqueous electrolyte solutions has been studied by means of in situ probe beam deflection and the electrochemical quartz crystal microbalance technique. The results demonstrate that the charge neutrality of the film during the reoxidation/reduction process is accomplished predominantly by the movement of cations, but anions and/or solvent are also participator(s). Moreover, in KHC8H4O4 (potassium biphthalate) solution, the EQCM data obtained from chronoamperometry experiment are more complicated than those in KCl and K2SO4 solutions. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science Ltd.