Study on the instability of organic field-effect transistors based on fluorinated copper phthalocyanine

The effects of positive and negative gate-bias stress on organic field-effect transistors (OFET) based on tantalum (Ta)/tantalum pentoxide (Ta2O5)/fluorinated copper phthalocyanine (F16CuPc) structure are investigated as a function of stress time and stress temperature. It is shown that gate-bias stress induces a parallel threshold voltage shift (DeltaV(T)) of OFETs without changes of field-effect mobility mu(EF) and sub-threshold slope (DeltaS). The DeltaV(T) is observed to be logarithmically dependent on time at high gate-bias appropriate to OFET operation. More importantly, the shift is directional, namely, be large shift under positive stress and almost do not move under negative stress. The threshold voltage shift is temperature dependent with activation energy of 0.51 eV We concluded that threshold voltage shift of the OFET with F16CuPc as active layer is due to charge trapping in the insulator in which trapped carriers have redistribution.

Direct patterning of negative nanostructures on self-assembled monolayers of 16-mercaptohexadecanoic acid on Au(111) substrate via dip-pen nanolithography

Both bare and self-assembled monolayer (SAM) protected gold substrate could be etched by allyl bromide according to atomic force microscopy (AFM), x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometric (ICPMS) analysis results. With this allyl bromide ink material, negative nanopatterns could be fabricated directly by dip-pen nanolithography (DPN) on SAMs of 16-mercaptohexadecanoic acid (MHA) on Au(111) substrate. A tip-promoted etching mechanism was proposed where the gold-reactive ink could penetrate the MHA resist film through tip-induced defects resulting in local corrosive removal of the gold substrate. The fabrication mechanism was also confirmed by electrochemical characterization, energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) analysis and fabrication of positive nanopatterns via a used DPN tip.

Electrostatic-assembly metallized nanoparticles network by DNA template

Eighteen-nanometer gold and 3.5-nm silver colloidal particles closely packed by cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) to form its positively charged shell. The DNA network was formed on a mica Substrate firstly. Later, CTAB-capped gold or silver colloidal solutions were cast onto DNA network surface. It was found that the gold or silver nanoparticles metallized networks were formed owing to the electrostatic-driven template assembling of positive charge of CTAB-capped gold and silver particles on the negatively charged phosphate groups of DNA Molecules by the characterizations of AFM, XPS and UV-vis. This method may provide a novel and simple way to studying nanoparticles assembly conjugating DNA molecules and offer some potential promising applications in nanocatalysis, nanoelectronics, and nanosensor on the basis of the fabricated metal nanoparticles network.

Electrocatalytic reduction of O-2 and H2O2 at the glass carbon electrode modified with microperoxidase-11

Electrocatalytic reduction of O-2 and H2O2 at the glass carbon electrode modified with microperoxidase-11 immobilized with Nafion film has been studied by means of cyclic voltammetry and rotating disk electrode techniques. The modified electrode shows high catalytic activity toward the reduction of both O-2 and H2O2. The rate constants of Oz and H2O2 reduction at the modified electrode have been measured and compared. It is found that O-2 undergoes a four-electron reduction at the modified electrode and the catalytic activity for the reduction of O-2 is dependent on the pH of the solutions.

Atomic force microscopy imaging of molybdenum oxide film electrodeposited on a carbon electrode

Non-stoichiometric mixed-valent molybdenum(VI, V) oxide film was grown on carbon substrates by the electrodeposition method. Responses of the prepared molybdenum oxide thin films to potential and to different solution acidities were studied by cyclic voltammetry, and the corresponding morphological changes of the film were monitored by atomic force microscopy (AFM). AFM images of the molybdenum oxide film show that the characteristic domed structure on the film surface increased during the transition from the oxidized state to the reduced state without signification change in the KMS surface roughness value. Furthermore, AFM studies show that the solution acidity has great effect on the morphology of the films, and the films undergo a homogenizing process with increasing pH of the solutions. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science S.A. All rights reserved.

Valence stability and change of Eu(II)in oxides

Valence stability and change of Eu(II) in oxides have been studied by luminescence spect a. The results show that the valence stability and change of Eu(II)in oxides is closely related to the radius and electric charge of positive ions substituted by Eu(II) and crystal structure of the host such as Al2O3 which can form alpha-Al2O3 single phase and alpha-Al2O3 and gamma-Al2O3 mixed phases under different reaction temperatures. A, fairly good explanation is made by the proposed relation between energy coefficient and crystal structure for the first time to the observed experiment results. if the energy coefficients of substitution ions is more than that of Eu(II), the lattice substitution of Eu(II)for these ions is not occured generally and valence stare of Eu(II)is not stable and be easily changed into Eu(III). The lattice of gamma-Al2O3 can stablize the valence state of Eu(II)within certain coped concentration and in alpha-Al2O3 crystal lattice Eu(II)can be easily changed into Eu(III).

THE EFFECTS OF LANTHANIDE IONS AND THEIR COMPLEXES ON THE PHASE-TRANSITION PROPERTY OF DIPALMITOYLPHOSPHATIDYLETHANOLAMINE LIPOSOMES

The effects of metal ions and lanthanide complexes on the gel-to-liquid crystal phase transition temperature T-m of dipalmitoylphosphatidylethanolamine liposomes have been studied by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) method. The results show that the addition of metal ions to the dipalmitoylphosphatidylethanolamine (DPPE) liposomes dispersions increases the main phase transition temperature T-m in the order of monovalent< divalent< trivalent cations. The enhancement of T-m is not large as increasing the lanthanide ions concentration. The enhancement of Pr3+ is larger than that of La3+. Remarkable differences were observed between La-citrate and La-lactate complexes at different pH solutions. At pH 7.0, La-citrate complex has no effect on the T-m, La-lactate complex, however, increases the T-m value, and the increase is larger than that of free lanthanide ions at the same concentration. The decrease of pH of complexes solutions lowers the phase transition temperature. We have preliminarily discussed the mechanism of the enhancements of lanthanide ions and the synergism of lanthanide ion and lactate ligand follow the ion induced dehydration of lipid and the potential effects of ion-lipid interaction.

ELECTROCHEMICAL STABILITY AND ELECTROCATALYSIS BEHAVIORS OF POLY(3-METHYLTHIOPHENE) THIN-FILM MODIFIED ELECTRODES

The Electrochemical stability of poly(3-methylthiophene) (PMT) thin film modified glassy carbon electrodes was investigated experimentally with successive cyclic voltammetry(CV) The effects of electrolyte solutions on the stability were studied. In the presence of small hydrated anions (less-than-or-equal-to 3.5nm) in the solution, the electroactivity of PMT films decreased with the characteristics of second order kinetics. In a solution with large hydrated anions (greater-than-or-equal-to 4 nm), PMT films have good stability. PMT/GO electrode can electrocatalyse the oxidation of Br- and Cl- anions, and loses its electroactivity rapidly. X-ray photoelectron spectra (XPS) have demonstrated that chlorine has bonded covalently onto the PMT structure after OV cycles in NaCl solutions.

WATER-SOLUBLE AND AMPHIPHILIC POLYMERS .7. SYNTHESIS AND CHARACTERIZATION OF A NOVEL COMB-TYPE AMPHIPHILIC POLYMER PAMC16S

A novel comb-like amphiphilic polymer, poly (2-acrylamidohexadecylsulfonic acid) (PAMC16S), was synthesized by free radical polymerization of the corresponding amphiphilic monomer in 1,4-dioxane-water mixed solvents. Depending on the ratio of water/dioxane in the solvent, the reaction proceeded by either precipitation polymerization or micellar polymerization. The molecular weight of the polymer obtained under similar conditions decreased and subsequently increased with the increase of water content in the mixed solvent. The polyion nature of PAMC16S was confirmed by viscosity data of ethanolic solutions. In addition, the polymer was characterized by solubility, IR, TG and wide angle X-ray diffraction methods.

THE EFFECT OF FILM-FORMING CONDITIONS FOR TAPCUPC LANGMUIR-BLODGETT-FILMS ON MORPHOLOGY AND PROPERTIES

The dependence of morphology and properties on film-forming conditions is described for the symmetrically substituted copper tetra-4-(2, 4-di-t-amylphenoxy) phthalocyanine (tapCuPc) Langmuir-Blodgett (LB) films. The effects of LB film-forming conditions (such as the surface pressure, pH value and the concentrations of spreading solutions) on film quality were studied with the help of a UV-visible spectrophotometer and a transmission electron microscope. Transmission electron microscopy photographs of the surface morphology of tapCuPc LB films show that a smooth and homogeneous surface structure can be obtained under optimum film-forming conditions.

THE THERMODYNAMICS OF MICELLIZATION BY BLOCK COPOLYMER SEP IN ORGANIC SOLVENTS

The thermodynamics of micellization for polystyrene-b-poly(ethylene/propylene) two-Mock copolymer(SEP) in the mixtures of n-octane and benzene with different proportions have been studied in this paper, The critical micelle concentrations(GMC) of micelle solutions at various temperatures were measured by lost angle laser light scattering photometer(LALLS), The results shove that the micellization process of nonpolar copolymer SEP in hydrocarbon solvents ire exothermal, and the entropy change is negative, In contrast, far ordinary surfactants in water, it is the enthalpy contribution to the energy change which is responsible for micellization.

AN EXPERIMENTAL-STUDY ON MEMBRANE DISTILLATION FOR TREATMENT OF GINSENG DEW AND GINSENG WASHING WATER

Membrane distillation is a new membrane separation process which has been developed in the last few years. When a piece of microporous hydrophobic membrane separates two kinds of aqueous solutions different in temperature, the solutions cannot transport through the pores of membrane in any directions because of the hydrophobicity of membrane. However, vapor can readily penetrate through the

Rapid detection of virulent protease secreted by Vibrio anguillarum by dot enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay

Dot enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (dot-ELISA), indirect ELISA and Western blot were performed to detect the virulent protease secreted by Vibrio anguillarum which was isolated from the diseased left-eyed flounder, Paralichthys olivaceous. Sensitivity results showed that dot-ELISA is a more sensitive, rapid and simple technique for the protease detection. The minimal detectable amount of protease is about 7 pg in the dot-ELISA test, while 7.8 ng in the indirect ELISA and 6.25 ng in the Western blot respectively. Protease could be detected 2 h after incubation of V. anguillarum in the 2216E liquid medium but enzyme activity was very low at that period. From 6 to 12 h, the amount and enzyme activity of protease increased markedly and reached maximum at stationary phase. Analysis of serum samples periodically collected from the infected flounders showed that after 2 h of infection by V. anguillarum, the pathogenic bacteria could be detected in the blood of the infected flounders but no protease was found. It was 5 similar to 6 h after infection that the protease was detected in blood and then the amount increased as infection advanced. Quantitative detection of protease either incubation in the medium or from the blood of infected flounders could be accomplished in virtue of positive controls of quantificational protease standards ("marker") so that the alterations of protease secretion both in vitro and in vivo could be understood generally. In addition, the indirect ELISA and dot-ELISA were also performed to detect V. anguillarum cells. Results indicated that the sensitivity of indirect ELISA to bacteria cells is higher than that of the dot-ELISA, and that the minimal detectable amount is approximately 10(4) cell/mL in the indirect ELISA, while 10(5) cell/mL in the dot-ELISA.

Molecular cloning, characterization and evolutionary analysis of phytoene desaturase (PDS) gene from Haematococcus pluvialis

Phytoene desaturase is one of the most important enzymes necessary for the biosynthesis of carotenoids in some cyanobacteria, green algae and plants. In this study, genomic DNA and cDNA of pds were cloned from unicellular green alga Haematococcus pluvialis strain323 using PCR and RT-PCR methods. The cDNA was cloned into plasmid pET-28a and efficiently expressed in Escherichia coli BL21. The complete genomic PDS gene of H. pluvialis, 3.3 kb in size, included eight exons and seven introns. To locate transcriptional regulation elements, an approximate 1 kb of 5'-flanking region was isolated by genome-walking method. Results of bioinformatic analysis showed several putative cis-elements e.g. the ABRE motif (abscisic acid responsive element), the C-repeat/DRE (dehydration responsive element) motif and the GCN4 motif were located in 5'-flanking region of pds. Results of phylogenetic analyses reveal that different sources of PDS genes form a separate clade, respectively, with 100% bootstrap support. Moreover, a maximum likelihood approach was employed to detect evidence of positive selection in the evolution of PDS genes. Results of branch-site model analysis suggest that 7.9% of sites along the green algal branch are under positive selection, and the PDS gene in green algae exhibits a different evolutionary pattern from its counterparts in cyanobacteria and plants.

Two modes of dipole events in tropical Indian Ocean

By analyzing the distributions of subsurface temperature and the surface wind stress anomalies in the tropical Pacific and Indian Oceans during the Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD) events, two major modes of the IOD and their formation mechanisms are revealed. (1) The subsurface temperature anomaly (STA) in the tropical Indian Ocean during the IOD events can be described as a "<" -shaped and west-east-oriented dipole pattern; in the east side of the "<" pattern, a notable tongue-like STA extends westward along the equator in the tropical eastern Indian Ocean; while in the west side of the "<" pattern, the STA has opposite sign with two centers (the southern one is stronger than the northern one in intensity) being of rough symmetry about the equator in the tropical mid-western Indian Ocean. (2) The IOD events are composed of two modes, which have similar spatial pattern but different temporal variabilities due to the large scale air-sea interactions within two independent systems. The first mode of the IOD event originates from the air-sea interaction on a scale of the tropical Pacific-Indian Ocean and coexists with ENSO. The second mode originates from the air-sea interaction on a scale of the tropical Indian Ocean and is closely associated with changes in the position and intensity of the Mascarene high pressure. The strong IOD event occurs when the two modes are in phase, and the IOD event weakens or disappears when the two modes are out of phase. Besides, the IOD events are normally strong when either of the two modes is strong. (3) The IOD event is caused by the abnormal wind stress forcing over the tropical Indian Ocean, which results in vertical transports, leading to the upwelling and pileup of seawater. This is the main dynamic processes resulting in the STA. When the anomalous easterly exists over the equatorial Indian Ocean, the cold waters upwell in the tropical eastern Indian Ocean while the warm waters pileup in the tropical western Indian Ocean, hence the thermocline in the tropical Indian Ocean is shallowed in the east and deepened in the west. The off-equator component due to the Coriolis force in the equatorial area causes the upwelling of cold waters and the shallowing of the equatorial India Ocean thermocline. On the other hand, the anomalous anticyclonic circulations and their curl fields located on both sides of the equator, cause the pileup of warm waters in the central area of their curl fields and the deepening of the equatorial Indian Ocean thermocline off the equator. The above three factors lead to the occurrence of positive phase IOD events. When anomalous westerly dominates over the tropical Indian Ocean, the dynamic processes are reversed, and the negative-phase IOD event occurs.