Between scylla and charybdis: Hydrophobic graphene-guided water diffusion on hydrophilic substrates

The structure of water confined in nanometer-sized cavities is important because, at this scale, a large fraction of hydrogen bonds can be perturbed by interaction with the confining walls. Unusual fluidity properties can thus be expected in the narrow pores, leading to new phenomena like the enhanced fluidity reported in carbon nanotubes. Crystalline mica and amorphous silicon dioxide are hydrophilic substrates that strongly adsorb water. Graphene, on the other hand, interacts weakly with water. This presents the question as to what determines the structure and diffusivity of water when intercalated between hydrophilic substrates and hydrophobic graphene. Using atomic force microscopy, we have found that while the hydrophilic substrates determine the structure of water near its surface, graphene guides its diffusion, favouring growth of intercalated water domains along the C-C bond zigzag direction. Molecular dynamics and density functional calculations are provided to help understand the highly anisotropic water stripe patterns observed.

The photon scanning tunneling microscope and its applications

A simple photon scanning tunneling microscope (PSTM) is described. Its lateral resolution (similar to 10nm with a maximal scanning range of 10 mu m x 10 mu m ) is much better than that of a conventional optical microscope. Its principle, the fiber optic tip fabrication and PSTM images of different samples such as mica, HDPE and LiNbO3 are presented.

聚合物薄膜的表面形态结构及相关纳米材料制备

本工作主要从实验上探索了基板、溶液浓度、溶剂性质、组成对均聚物、嵌段共聚物以及嵌段共聚物与均聚物共混薄膜表面形态结构的影响。在此基础上，又以嵌段共聚物薄膜为模板，制备了多种纳米粒子。用原子力显微镜（AFM）研究了超稀PS溶液在固体基板上的表面形貌、表面粗糙度及其润湿性质。研究发现：在所用PS分子量范围内（1）随分子量的增加，退火前PS微区的平均直径增加，而平均高度减小。退火后PS微区的平均直径减小，而平均高度增加。（2）首次观察到：薄膜的表面粗糙度（Ra）除了与溶剂的蒸汽压及所用基板有关外，还和溶剂的偶极矩有关。无论在Si片还是mica上，当l所用溶剂具粼目近的偶极矩不同的蒸汽压时，蒸汽压越小，表面Ra也越小；当所用溶剂具有相近的蒸汽压不同的偶极矩时，偶极矩越大，表面Ra就越小。对所用的每一种溶剂，Si片上薄膜的Ra均大于mica上薄膜的Ra，这可能是由Si片表面的粗糙度大于mica表面的粗糙度引起的。以PS-b-P4VP嵌段共聚物为研究对象，探索了共聚物组成、基板、溶液浓度和溶剂对薄膜表面形貌的影响，并对非对称PS-b-P4VP薄膜在甲醇蒸气下表面形貌随时间的演变过程进行了观察。首次观察到：本体为柱状结构的Ps-b-P4VP薄膜，随着在甲醇蒸气中处理时间的增加，形貌从无特征表面、凹陷结构和条带共存的杂化形貌、条状微区、六方排列的凹陷结构、再到条状微区的转变。不同膜厚其形貌转变程度亦不同，膜越厚观察到的形貌转变就越多。而对于厚度约为18.6nm本体为球状结构的PS-b-P4VP薄膜，当在甲醇蒸气中退火时，只观察到了六方排列的凹陷结构并且这种结构不随退火时间的增加而改变。通过对不同组成PS-b-P4VP／hPS混合物薄膜在云母和石墨上表面形貌的研究，首次观察到：在云母基板上随混合物中Φps的增加，表面形貌经历着由六方有序的球状微区向条状结构再向球状微区最后到宏观相分离结构的转变；而在石墨基板上，随Φps的增加，表面形貌逐渐由条带结构向球状结构转变，未观察到明显的宏观相分离。以PS-b-P4vP胶束薄膜为模板合成了Ag-Pd及ZnO纳米结构，并对不同表面活性剂包裹的CdSe在PS-b-P4VP薄膜中的选择性分布进行了探索。 以PS-b-P4VP胶束薄膜为研究对象研究了溶剂蒸气及酸溶液对其表面形貌的影响。实验结果表明，除了甲醇蒸气，用一元酸处理薄膜也能得到纳米孔结构。

The photon scanning tunneling microscope and its applications

A simple photon scanning tunneling microscope (PSTM) is described. Its lateral resolution (similar to 10nm with a maximal scanning range of 10 mu m x 10 mu m ) is much better than that of a conventional optical microscope. Its principle, the fiber optic tip fabrication and PSTM images of different samples such as mica, HDPE and LiNbO3 are presented.

云母模板中Cu纳米线的制备及其光学性质研究

Nanopores with diameters between 30 nm and 180 nm have been fabricated by inducing latent track with fast heavy ions and etching process in 25 μm thick,single-crystal muscovite mica.For short etching time,the nanopores are columns with circular cross section.For long etching time the cross section of nanopores becomes rhombic.Thus the shape of nanopores depends on the etching time.Cu nanowires have been fabricated with controlled dimensions by electrodeposition into the nanopores.The ultraviolet-visible lig...中文文摘：利用快重离子辐照的单晶白云母片产生潜径迹,蚀刻得到直径在30—180nm纳米孔道.孔道形状依赖于蚀刻时间,蚀刻时间短得到圆柱形孔道,蚀刻时间长得到菱柱形孔道.从而在云母模板孔道中电化学沉积得到不同直径和形状的Cu纳米线.通过紫外可见光谱分析,发现铜纳米线的尺寸和形状影响其光学性质.直径小于60nm的近似为圆柱状Cu纳米线有一个明显的表面等离子体共振峰和一个微弱的次峰.随着直径增加,菱柱状的Cu纳米线主峰有明显的红移,次峰逐渐增强.同时利用扫描电子显微镜、X射线衍射对Cu纳米线的形貌和晶体结构特征进行了表征.

beta-delayed fission of Ac-228

The basic process of an exotic decay mode namely P-delayed fission is simply introduced. The progress status of the study in the world is essentialized. The observation of P-delayed fission of Ac-228 is reported. The radium was radiochemically separated from natural thorium. Thin Ra sources in which Ac-228 was got through Ra-228 ->(beta-) Ac-228 were prepared for observing fission fragments from beta-delayed fission Ac-228. They exposed to the mica fission track detectors, and measured by an HPGe gamma-ray detector. The beta-delayed fission events of Ac-228 were observed and its beta-delayed fission probability was found to be (5 +/- 2) x 10(-12).

Search for beta-delayed fission of Ac-228

Radium was radiochemically separated from natural thorium. Thin Ra-228 ->beta Ac-228 sources were prepared and exposed to mica fission track detectors, and measured by an HPGe gamma-ray detector. The beta-delayed fission events of Ac-228 were observed and its beta-delayed fission probability was found to be (5 +/- 2)x10(-12).

a dependable, scalable maintenance scheme for stateful license in drm

Natl Tech Univ Ukraine, Huazhong Univ Sci & Technol, Huazhong Normal Univ, Wuhan Univ, Ternopil Natl Econ Univ, IEEE Ukraine Sect, I&M CI Joint Chapter

Effects of pH on the Interactions and Conformation of Bovine Serum Albumin: Comparison between Chemical Force Microscopy and Small-Angle Neutron Scattering

The conformation of bovine serum albumin (BSA), as well as its interactions with negatively charged mica surfaces in saline solutions of different pH values, have been studied by small-angle neutron scattering (SANS) and chemical force microscopy (CFM), respectively. A new approach to extract the contribution of elementary interactions from the statistically averaged force-extension curves through self-consistent fitting was proposed and used to understand the effects of pH on the interactions and conformation of BSA in saline solutions. When pH increases, the SANS results reveal that the sizes of BSA molecules increase slightly, while the statistical analysis of the CFM results shows that the averaged pull-off force for the elongation monotonously decreases. The decrease of pull-off force with the increase of pH results from the decrease in the strength of hydrogen bonding and the number of interaction pairs, as well as the slight increase of the strength of van der Waals interaction. When pH approaches the isoelectric point (pI) of BSA, results from both SANS and CFM suggest a loss of long-range interactions in BSA molecules. Our results also suggest that the force-extension curve is mainly contributed by the van der Waals interaction. The combination of SANS and CFM provides new insight to understand the interactions and conformation of BSA molecules

One-step preparation of hybrid materials of polyacrylamide networks and gold nanoparticles

Hybrid materials of polyacrylamide networks and gold nanoparticles were prepared by directly heating an aqueous solution containing HAuCl4, acrylamide, N,N'-methylenebisacrylamide, and sodium sulfite (Na2SO3). Acrylamide, N,N'-methylenebisacrylamide, and Na2SO3 were used as monomers, crosslinking agent, and initiator, respectively.

Epitaxy-Assisted Creation of PCBM Nanocrystals and Its Application in Constructing Optimized Morphology for Bulk-Heterojunction Polymer Solar Cells

PCBM (a C-60 derivative) is so far the most successful electron acceptor for bulk-heterojunction polymer photovoltaic (PV) cells. Here we present a novel method epitaxy-assisted creation of PCBM nanocrystals and their homogeneous distribution in the matrix using freshly cleaved mica sheet as the substrate. The highly matched epitaxy relationship between the unit cell of PCBM crystal and crystallographic (001) surface of mica induces abundant PCBM nuclei, which subsequently develop into nanoscale crystals with homogeneous dispersion in the composite film.

Self-assembly of lambda-DNA networks/Ag nanoparticles: Hybrid architecture and active-SERS substrate

In this article, highly rough and stable surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS)-active substrates had been fabricated by a facile layer by-layer technique. Unique lambda-DNA networks and CTAB capped silver nanoparticles (AgNP) were alternatively self-assembled on the charged mica surface until a desirable number of bilayers were reached. The as-prepared hybrid architectures were characterized by UV-vis spectroscopy, tapping mode atomic force microscopy (AFM) and confocal Raman microscopy, respectively.

A one-dimensional network from the self-assembly of gold nanoparticles by a necklace-like polyelectrolyte template mediated by metallic ion coordination

A new approach to one-dimensional organization of gold nanoparticles (2-4 nm) is described, using poly(4-vinylpyridine) (P4VP) molecular chain as a template with the mediation of free Cu2+ ion coordination. The assembly was conducted on freshly prepared mica surfaces and in aqueous solution, respectively. The surface assembly was characterized by tapping mode atomic force microscopy (AFM), observing the physisorbed molecules in their chain-like conformation with an average height of 0.4 nm.