Investigation of interfacial charging and discharging in double-layer pentacene-based metal-insulator-metal device with polyterpenol blocking layer using electric field induced second harmonic generation

Time-resolved electric field induced second harmonic generation technique was used to probe the carrier transients within double-layer pentacene-based MIM devices. Polyterpenol thin films fabricated from non-synthetic environmentally sustainable source were used as a blocking layer to assist in visualisation of single-species carrier transportation during charging and discharging under different bias conditions. Results demonstrated that carrier transients were comprised of charging on electrodes, followed by carrier injection and charging of the interface. Polyterpenol was demonstrated to be a sound blocking material and can therefore be effectively used for probing of double-layer devices using EFISHG.

Visualization of enantiomers using natural abundant 13C-filtered single and double quantum selective refocusing experiments: Application to small chiral molecules

The routine use of proton NMR for the visualization of enantiomers, aligned in the chiral liquid crystal solvent poly-γ-benzyl-l-glutamate (PBLG), is restricted due to severe loss of resolution arising from large number of pair wise interaction of nuclear spins. In the present study, we have designed two experimental techniques for their visualization utilizing the natural abundance 13C edited selective refocusing of single quantum (CH-SERF) and double quantum (CH-DQSERF) coherences. The methods achieve chiral discrimination and aid in the simultaneous determination of homonuclear couplings between active and passive spins and heteronuclear couplings between the excited protons and the participating 13C spin. The CH-SERF also overcomes the problem of overlap of central transitions of the methyl selective refocusing (SERF) experiment resulting in better chiral discrimination. Theoretical description of the evolution of magnetization in both the sequences has been discussed using polarization operator formalism.

From spent Mg/Al layered double hydroxide to porous carbon materials

Adsorption has been considered as an efficient method for the treatment of dye effluents, but properdisposal of the spent adsorbents is still a challenge. This work attempts to provide a facile methodto reutilize the spent Mg/Al layered double hydroxide (Mg/Al-LDH) after the adsorption of orange II(OII). Herein, the spent hybrid was carbonized under the protection of nitrogen, and then washedwith acid to obtain porous carbon materials. Thermogravimetric analysis results suggested that thecarbonization could be well achieved above 600◦C, as mass loss of the spent hybrid gradually stabilized. Therefore, the carbonization process was carried out at 600, 800, and 1000 ◦C, respectively. Scanning electron microscope showed that the obtained carbon materials possessed a crooked flaky morphology. Nitrogen adsorption–desorption results showed that the carbon materials had large BET surface area and pore volume, e.g., 1426 m2/g and 1.67 cm3/g for the sample carbonized at 800 ◦C. Moreover, the pore structure and surface chemistry compositions were tunable, as they were sensitive to the temperature. Toluene adsorption results demonstrated that the carbon materials had high efficiency in toluene removal. This work provided a facile approach for synthesizing porous carbon materials using spent Mg/Al-LDH.

ESR studies of phase transitions in double propionates

Detailed ESR investigations of Mn2+ substituting for Ca2+ in Ca2Sr(C2H5COO)6 (DSP), Ca2Pb(C2H5COO)6 (DLP) and Ca2Ba(C2H5COO)6 (DBP), in single crystals and powders, over the temperature range from 200°C to -180°C have been carried out to study the successive phase transitions in these compounds. (DSP: [Tetragonal] ← 8.5°C → [tetragonal, ferroelectric] [tetragonal] ← -169°C → [monoclinic, ferroelectric]; DLP : [tetragonal] ← 60°C → [tetragonal, ferroelectric] ← -71.5°C → [monoclinic, ferroelectric]; [Cubic] ← -6°C → [orthorhombic] ← -75°C → [?]). Spectra have been analysed in terms of axial spin Hamiltonians and the temperature dependences of the parameters studied. In DSP and DLP across the I ↔ II transition, new physically and chemically inequivalent sites appear indicating the disappearance of the diad axes on which the propionate groups are located, bringing out the connection between the motional states of the propionate groups and the occurence of ferroelectricity. The II ↔ III transition also causes chemically inequivalent sites to develop, indicating that the transitions may not be isomorphous as believed previously. In DBP, the -6°C transition leads to (i) a doubling of both physically and chemically inequivalent sites (ii) a small (150 G at -6°C to 170 G at -8°C), but abrupt change in the magnitude of the zero-field splitting tensor D, and (iii) displacements of the orientations of the D tensors. Results are interpreted in terms of alternate rotations of the oxygen octahedra, showing participation of the carboxyl oxygens in the transition. No drastic changes in the parameters occur across the -75°C transition consistent with its second order nature. Similarities and dissimilarities of the ESR spectra of the three compounds in relation to the phase transitions, are discussed.

Glycoalkaloid Content and Starch Structure in Solanum Species and Interspecific Somatic Potato Hybrids

When genome sections of wild Solanum species are bred into the cultivated potato (S. tuberosum L.) to obtain improved potato cultivars, the new cultivars must be evaluated for their beneficial and undesirable traits. Glycoalkaloids present in Solanum species are known for their toxic as well as for beneficial effects on mammals. On the other hand, glycoalkaloids in potato leaves provide natural protection against pests. Due to breeding, glycoalkaloid profile of the plant is affected. In addition, the starch properties in potato tubers can be affected as a result of breeding, because the crystalline properties are determined by the botanical source of the starch. Starch content and composition affect the texture of cooked and processed potatoes. In order to determine glycoalkaloid contents in Solanum species, simultaneous separation of glycoalkaloids and aglycones using reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) was developed. Clean-up of foliage samples was improved using a silica-based strong cation exchanger instead of octadecyl phases in solid-phase extraction. Glycoalkaloids alpha-solanine and alpha-chaconine were detected in potato tubers of cvs. Satu and Sini. The total glycoalkaloid concentration of non-peeled and immature tubers was at an acceptable level (under 20 mg/100 g of FW) in the cv. Satu, whereas concentration in cv. Sini was 23 mg/100 g FW. Solanum species (S. tuberosum, S. brevidens, S. acaule, and S. commersonii) and interspecific somatic hybrids (brd + tbr, acl + tbr, cmm + tbr) were analyzed for their glycoalkaloid contents using liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization-mass spectrometry (LC-ESI-MS). The concentrations in the tubers of the brd + tbr and acl + tbr hybrids remained under 20 mg/100 g FW. Glycoalkaloid concentration in the foliage of the Solanum species was between 110 mg and 890 mg/100 g FW. However, the concentration in the foliage of S. acaule was as low as 26 mg/100 g FW. The total concentrations of brd + tbr, acl + tbr, and cmm + tbr hybrid foliages were 88 mg, 180 mg, and 685 mg/100 g FW, respectively. Glycoalkaloids of both parental plants as well as new combinations of aglycones and saccharides were detected in somatic hybrids. The hybrids contained mainly spirosolanes, and glycoalkaloid structures having no 5,6-double bond in the aglycone. Based on these results, the glycoalkaloid profiles of the hybrids may represent a safer and more beneficial spectrum of glycoalkaloids than that found in currently cultivated varieties. Starch nanostructure of three different cultivars (Satu, Saturna, and Lady Rosetta), a wild species S. acaule, and interspecific somatic hybrids were examined by wide-angle and small-angle X-ray scattering (WAXS, SAXS). For the first time, the measurements were conducted on fresh potato tuber samples. Crystallinity of starch, average crystallite size, and lamellar distance were determined from the X-ray patterns. No differences in the starch nanostructure between the three different cultivars were detected. However, tuber immaturity was detected by X-ray scattering methods when large numbers of immature and mature samples were measured and the results were compared. The present study shows that no significant changes occurred in the nanostructures of starches resulting from hybridizations of potato cultivars.

Topological Quantum Computation - An Analysis of an Anyon Model Based on Quantum Double Symmetries

There exists various suggestions for building a functional and a fault-tolerant large-scale quantum computer. Topological quantum computation is a more exotic suggestion, which makes use of the properties of quasiparticles manifest only in certain two-dimensional systems. These so called anyons exhibit topological degrees of freedom, which, in principle, can be used to execute quantum computation with intrinsic fault-tolerance. This feature is the main incentive to study topological quantum computation. The objective of this thesis is to provide an accessible introduction to the theory. In this thesis one has considered the theory of anyons arising in two-dimensional quantum mechanical systems, which are described by gauge theories based on so called quantum double symmetries. The quasiparticles are shown to exhibit interactions and carry quantum numbers, which are both of topological nature. Particularly, it is found that the addition of the quantum numbers is not unique, but that the fusion of the quasiparticles is described by a non-trivial fusion algebra. It is discussed how this property can be used to encode quantum information in a manner which is intrinsically protected from decoherence and how one could, in principle, perform quantum computation by braiding the quasiparticles. As an example of the presented general discussion, the particle spectrum and the fusion algebra of an anyon model based on the gauge group S_3 are explicitly derived. The fusion algebra is found to branch into multiple proper subalgebras and the simplest one of them is chosen as a model for an illustrative demonstration. The different steps of a topological quantum computation are outlined and the computational power of the model is assessed. It turns out that the chosen model is not universal for quantum computation. However, because the objective was a demonstration of the theory with explicit calculations, none of the other more complicated fusion subalgebras were considered. Studying their applicability for quantum computation could be a topic of further research.

Growth of ionization currents in nitrogen

Townsend's primary and secondary ionization coefficients α/p and γ were determined in nitrogen over a wide range of E/p (100-1000 V cm−1 Torr−1) and p (0·4 to 12 Torr at 0 °C) using the pressure variation technique. This technique, along with the Gosseries method of evaluation of ionization coefficients, seems to be more suitable at higher values of E/p, since the errors in these coefficients could be minimized by a suitable selection of p and d, thus eliminating the non-equilibrium ionization condition.

Miniaturized mass spectrometric ionization techniques for environmental analysis and bioanalysis

Miniaturized mass spectrometric ionization techniques for environmental analysis and bioanalysis Novel miniaturized mass spectrometric ionization techniques based on atmospheric pressure chemical ionization (APCI) and atmospheric pressure photoionization (APPI) were studied and evaluated in the analysis of environmental samples and biosamples. The three analytical systems investigated here were gas chromatography-microchip atmospheric pressure chemical ionization-mass spectrometry (GC-µAPCI-MS) and gas chromatography-microchip atmospheric pressure photoionization-mass spectrometry (GC-µAPPI-MS), where sample pretreatment and chromatographic separation precede ionization, and desorption atmospheric pressure photoionization-mass spectrometry (DAPPI-MS), where the samples are analyzed either as such or after minimal pretreatment. The gas chromatography-microchip atmospheric pressure ionization-mass spectrometry (GC-µAPI-MS) instrumentations were used in the analysis of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in negative ion mode and 2-quinolinone-derived selective androgen receptor modulators (SARMs) in positive ion mode. The analytical characteristics (i.e., limits of detection, linear ranges, and repeatabilities) of the methods were evaluated with PCB standards and SARMs in urine. All methods showed good analytical characteristics and potential for quantitative environmental analysis or bioanalysis. Desorption and ionization mechanisms in DAPPI were studied. Desorption was found to be a thermal process, with the efficiency strongly depending on thermal conductivity of the sampling surface. Probably the size and polarity of the analyte also play a role. In positive ion mode, the ionization is dependent on the ionization energy and proton affinity of the analyte and the spray solvent, while in negative ion mode the ionization mechanism is determined by the electron affinity and gas-phase acidity of the analyte and the spray solvent. DAPPI-MS was tested in the fast screening analysis of environmental, food, and forensic samples, and the results demonstrated the feasibility of DAPPI-MS for rapid screening analysis of authentic samples.

Growth of ionization currents in nitrogen

Townsend's primary and secondary ionization coefficients α/p and γ were determined in nitrogen over a wide range of E/p (100-1000 V cm−1 Torr−1) and p (0·4 to 12 Torr at 0 °C) using the pressure variation technique. This technique, along with the Gosseries method of evaluation of ionization coefficients, seems to be more suitable at higher values of E/p, since the errors in these coefficients could be minimized by a suitable selection of p and d, thus eliminating the non-equilibrium ionization condition.

Polarized immune responses modulated by layered double hydroxides nanoparticle conjugated with CpG

Modulation of the immune response is an important step in the induction of protective humoral and cellular immunity against pathogens. In this study, we investigated the possibility of using a nanomaterial conjugated with the toll-like receptor (TLR) ligand CpG to modulate the immune response towards the preferred polarity. MgAl-layered double hydroxide (LDH) nanomaterial has a very similar chemical composition to Alum, an FDA approved adjuvant for human vaccination. We used a model antigen, ovalbumin (OVA) to demonstrate that MgAl-LDH had comparable adjuvant activity to Alum, but much weaker inflammation. Conjugation of TLR9 ligand CpG to LDH nanoparticles significantly enhanced the antibody response and promoted a switch from Th2 toward Th1 response, demonstrated by a change in the IgG2a:IgG1 ratio. Moreover, immunization of mice with CpG-OVA-conjugated LDH before challenge with OVA-expressing B16/F10 tumor cells retarded tumor growth. Together, these data indicate that LDH nanomaterial can be used as an immune adjuvant to promote Th1 or Th2 dominant immune responses suitable for vaccination purposes.

Anthranilate Hydroxylase from Aspergillus niger: Evidence for the Participation of Iron in the Double Hydroxylation Reaction

Evidence was obtained for the participation of iron in the double hydroxylation reaction catalyzed by anthranilate hydroxylase from Aspergillus niger (UBC 814). Omission of iron from the growth medium gave inactive preparations of anthranilate hydroxylase which could be reactivated by incubating the enzyme preparations with ferric citrate. The enzyme was susceptible to inhibition by metal chelating agents. The Ki for o-phenanthroline, which inhibited the enzyme activity non-competitively with respect to anthranilate, was calculated to be 0.9 mM. The inhibition by o-phenanthroline was counteracted by ferric complexes such as ferric-ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid and ferric citrate. Anthranilate afforded protection against inhibition by o-phenanthroline.

Wavefront filter for double-exposure holographic interferometry

Measurements of small phase shifts by double-exposure holographic interferometry are facilitated, and ambiguities in the sign of the phase shift eliminated, by introducing a background pattern of interference fringes. A simple and reliable optical system for this purpose utilizing a rotating wedge is described, with which fringes of any desired orientation and spacing can conveniently be obtained. It is shown how this system can be used under certain conditions for measurements of small mechanical deformations.

Double walled carbon nanotubes as ultrafast optical switches

Pristine and molybdenum filled double walled carbon nanotubes (DWNTs) suspended in D2O show excellent ultrafast optical switching properties investigated through femtosecond Z-scan and degenerate pump-probe method using 50 fs pulses with central photon energy of 1.57 eV. For pristine-DWNT, the two photon absorption coefficient, beta and nonlinear refraction coefficient, n2 are 4.9×10−8 cm/W, and 9.5×10−11 cm2/W, respectively, which yield one photon figure of merit, W=133 and two photon figure of merit, T=0.4. The degenerate pump-probe measurements show strong photoinduced bleaching with biexponential decay with time constants ~150 and 600 fs. ©2009 American Institute of Physics

Combined effect of double antireflection coating and reversible molecular doping on performance of few-layer graphene/n-silicon Schottky barrier solar cells

Few-layer graphene films were grown by chemical vapor deposition and transferred onto n-type crystalline silicon wafers to fabricate graphene/n-silicon Schottky barrier solar cells. In order to increase the power conversion efficiency of such cells the graphene films were doped with nitric acid vapor and an antireflection treatment was implemented to reduce the sunlight reflection on the top of the device. The doping process increased the work function of the graphene film and had a beneficial effect on its conductivity. The deposition of a double antireflection coating led to an external quantum efficiency up to 90% across the visible and near infrared region, the highest ever reported for this type of devices. The combined effect of graphene doping and antireflection treatment allowed to reach a power conversion efficiency of 8.5% exceeding the pristine (undoped and uncoated) device performance by a factor of 4. The optical properties of the antireflection coating were found to be not affected by the exposure to nitric acid vapor and to remain stable over time.

Double standard polynucleotides: two typical alternative conformations for nucleic acids

Two typical alternative conformations for double strandee polynucleotides with Watson-Crick base pairing scheme are presented. these types avoid tangling of the chains. Representative models of these types with two different views, to show the similarity and dissimilarity between these models and the Watson-Crick model, are given.