Optimized AC conductivity correlated to structure,morphology and thermal properties of PVDF/PVA/Nafion composites

Polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) and polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) composites were prepared by controlled loading of Nafion (5 to 15 wt%) by solution casting using water and dimethylformamide (DMF) as a solvent. The surface morphology of composite analyzed by atomic force microscopy (AFM) reveals the presence of Nafion ionomers. The increase in interlayer spacing of modified PVDF/PVA polymer system as a function of Nafion was detected by X-ray diffraction (XRD). The major change in Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy confirms the chemical bond C=O stretching around 1,700 cm^?1 due to Nafion. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) demonstrates the thermal stability of polymer composites and the decrease in melting temperature (T _m). The optimized AC conductivity (σ) of the prepared composite was evaluated by using an impedance analyzer as a function of temperature (40 to 150 °C) at constant 30-MHz frequency. The highest conductivity of 1.3?×?10^?2 S m^?1 was observed at 80 °C for 10 wt% of Nafion and correlated with structure, morphology and thermal properties of modified PVDF/PVA/Nafion composites. The experimental results may be useful for sensors, fuel cells and battery application domains.     

System design considerations for precision measurement of high magnetic fields by Faraday effect

Practical and technical considerations for an instrument designed to measure high magnetic fields by Faraday effect are given. Magnetic fields up to 2 Tesla were measured and the results compared to those of Nuclear Magnetic Resonance technique. Results of measurements at low temperatures are also reported.     

Surface plasmon resonance and surface-enhanced Raman scattering activity of SiO2–Au core-cap nanostructure arrays

SiO₂–Au core-cap nanostructure arrays were prepared by dip-coating technique combined with wet chemical reduction method. The surface morphologies, structures, and optical properties of the obtained samples were characterized by scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, and ultraviolet–visible spectrophotometer, respectively. The surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) activity of SiO₂–Au core-cap nanostructure arrays substrates was investigated using leucine as probe molecule. And the relationship between the SERS effect and the surface plasmon resonance (SPR) peaks was discussed. High-quality, stable, and reproducible SERS spectra of leucine were successfully obtained. When the maximum SPR peak matched with the excitation wavelength, the substrate gave rise to the highest SERS enhancement. Furthermore, six different fluorescent dyes were also chosen as probe molecules. It was found that the substrate showed good Raman enhancement and highly efficient fluorescence quenching characteristic on these fluorescent dyes.     

Growth and Characterization of High-Quality Dielectric Sputtered Zinc Oxide Films from the First Principle

In this article, we investigate the effect of thermal treatment on a piezoelectric material, zinc oxide, which has found numerous applications in sensors and actuators. Even though the exact mechanisms rendering electrical properties are less known, we suspect that the thermal treatments are responsible for improvement of electrical characteristics of the deposited thin films. We establish that the thermal agitation is responsible for improvement of orders of magnitude in electrical characteristics of sputtered ZnO thin films. The surface quality of the thin films deposited is process dependent. ZnO films were deposited using a dielectric sputtering method, on oxidized silicon 100 n-type wafers. Further, these films were thermally annealed in oxygen ambient at 600 °C in a tube furnace with 2 mL/min pressure. It is observed that, after thermal annealing, the quality of the films is improved by orders of magnitude. The luminance, crystalline quality, and surface morphology of these thin films was measured with atomic force microscopy, scanning electron microscopy with BSD detector (BSD-SEM), and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). The results infer that the film’s surface is very smooth and dense. The surface roughness is improved by 1.3149 nm from 7.882 nm prior to thermal annealing to post-annealing surface roughness with 6.5671 nm. Post-thermal annealing process reveals average grain size was 50 nanometers; the surface roughness is reduced to 6.5671 nm. A significant improvement in electrical current-voltage characteristics was recorded with I-V curve. It is suspected to be due to substantial enhancement in electrical conductivity as a result of thermal treatment and improved spectral response recorded a FTIR peak shift of 1 wave number in total. The FTIR peak shift is suspected to be due to evaporation and reduction in oxygen vacancies due to thermal annealing process. The post-annealed ZnO films will be used for actuation in the future.     

The KLL Auger spectrum of fluorine

The KLL Auger spectrum of fluorine (Z=9) has been studied in three different fluoride salts. Five Auger lines are observed in each compound in accordance with extreme LS coupling theory. A cation dependence of the Auger transition energies and line-widths is observed. The energy shifts are in agreement with a theoretical model.     

Radiative lifetimes of some energy levels of doubly ionized Xenon

Using 1–5 MeV Xenon ions we have studied the beam-foil spectrum of Xenon between 105 nm and 500 nm. Radiative lifetimes were measured for levels of Xenon III. For those lifetimes which have been measured previously (Andersen et al. [l]) good agreement is obtained. The interpretation of the decay curves and the assignment of a measured value, were done with the help of theoretical lifetimes obtained by Coulomb-approximation calculations [2].     

Plasma-assisted hot filament chemical vapor deposition of AlN thin films on ZnO buffer layer: toward highly c-axis-oriented,uniform, insulative films

c-Axis-oriented aluminum nitride (AlN) thin film with improved quality was deposited on Si(111) substrate using ZnO buffer layer by plasma-assisted hot filament chemical vapor deposition. The optical and electrical properties and surface morphology as well as elemental composition of the AlN films deposited with and without ZnO buffer layer were investigated using a host of measurement techniques: X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), Raman spectroscopy, field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), and current–voltage (I–V) characteristic measurement. The XRD and XPS results reveal that the AlN/ZnO/Si films are free of metallic Al particles. Also, cross-sectional FESEM observations suggest formation of a well-aligned, uniform, continuous, and highly (002) oriented structure for a bi-layered AlN film when Si(111) is covered with ZnO buffer. Moreover, a decrease in full width at half maximum of the E₂ (high)-mode peak in Raman spectrum indicates a better crystallinity for the AlN films formed on ZnO/Si substrate. Finally, I–V curves obtained indicate that the electrical behavior of the AlN thin films switches from conductive to insulative when film is grown on a ZnO-buffered Si substrate.     

Synthesis of fluorescent carbon dots from one-step pyrolysis of frontal-polymerized poly(acrylamide-co-4-vinylpyridine)

We report herein the synthesis of carbon dots (CDs) by a one-step pyrolysis from poly(acrylamide-co-4-vinylpyridine) [poly(AAM-co-4-VP)]. The poly(AAM-co-4-VP) was fabricated using frontal polymerization within 5 min in an easy and rapid way and then was pyrolyzed to afford CDs. The as-prepared CDs show crystalline structure and excellent dispersibility with particle sizes in the range of 2–4 nm. The optical properties were throughly investigated, and we found the CDs exhibit strong blue fluorescence with quantum yield of ~18 % and excellent photoluminescent stability, which is rarely influenced by the external conditions. This process can be exploited as an effective path for synthesis CDs with polymers by a facile and rapid way.     

Characterization of hydrophobic,oxidized porous silicon layer formed by anodic etching of n+-type silicon surface in a HF:C2H5OH:HCl:H2O2:H2O electrolyte for bio-application

Porous silicon (PS) has been prepared in the dark by anodic etching of n⁺-type (111) silicon substrate in a HF:HCl:C₂H₅OH:H₂O₂:H₂O electrolyte. The processed PS layer is characterized by means of photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy, scanning electron microscope (SEM), water contact angle (CA) measurements, Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and micro-Raman scattering. The CA of fresh PS layer is found to be ~142°. On aging at ambient conditions, the CA decreases gently to reach ~133° after 3 month, and then it is stabilized for a prolonged time of aging. The visible PL emission from the PS layer also exhibits a good stability against aging time. The FTIR and XPS measurements and analysis show that the stable aged PS layer has rather SiO₂-rich surface. The micro/nanostructure nature of the PS layer is revealed from SEM and micro-Raman results and correlated to CA results. Stable hydrophobic surface of oxidized PS layer is attractive for bio-applications. The efficiency of the produced PS layers as an entrapping template for specific immobilization of IgG2a antibody via physical absorption process is demonstrated.     

Superoxide- and NO-Dependent Mechanisms of the Reprogramming of Bone Marrow Cells by Tumor Cells

Electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) experiments in vitro; spin trapping of the reactive oxygen/nitrogen species (superoxide radicals and nitric oxide, NO); gel zymography measurements in the tumor tissues, in the healthy and tumor-affected bone marrow (BM) samples of rats are carried out. The superoxide and NO generation rates are derived; matrix metalloproteinases (MMP-2 and MMP-9) concentrations are measured. Their changes after the incubation of BM samples with Guérin carcinoma cells at 37 °C are defined. It is shown that the impact of tumor cells on BM manifests in the metabolic disorder, increased concentrations of active forms of MMP-2 and MMP-9, increased production of superoxide and NO radicals. Correlation between the appearance and intensity of the broad EPR signal at g = 2.2–2.4 with the concentrations of active forms of MMP-2 and MMP-9, NO and superoxide radicals’ rates is observed. The obtained spatial and temporal changes of the measured parameters demonstrate the usefulness of the potential application of EPR imaging to study the mechanisms of tumor invasion. The EPR signal may indicate the presence of distant metastases, may become a part of diagnostics and used for the estimation of the therapeutic treatments in the pre-clinical studies. It is proposed that labile iron pool is responsible for the appearance of the EPR signal in tumor and BM samples.     

Luminescent properties of Eu2+ ions in AlN at low and high intensity of excitation

Luminescent properties of powder AlN∶Eu²⁺ phosphors were studied by excitation of 2-nd harmonic of ruby laser (hv=3·56 eV). It was shown that emission spectra of AlN∶Eu²⁺ phosphors consist of five or two overlapping bands according to the concentration of europium and the intensity of excitation. Decay times of luminescence of Eu²⁺ centres in different peaks lie between 0·9 and 1·5 μsec which is in agreement with the value of decay time of 4f⁶ 5d→47⁷ transition of Eu²⁺ ions. It is evident from the decomposition of emission spectra of Eu²⁺ centres that there exist several types of Eu²⁺ centres in AlN as was already demonstrated in the case of oxygen centres in AlN.     

Synthesis at the nanoscale of ZnO into poly(methyl methacrylate) and its characterization

In this paper, PMMA/ZnO nanocomposites have been prepared by a very simple, facile and versatile chemical approach. The prepared PMMA/ZnO nanocomposites possess no color, high transparency, good thermal stability, UV-shielding capability, luminescence and homogeneity. The chemical process involved solution mixing of ZnO nanoparticles dispersed in DMAc with the Polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) matrix dissolved in the same solvent. The effect of ZnO content on the physical properties of the PMMA matrix is investigated by X-ray diffraction, field emission scanning electron microscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, UV–Vis absorption and photoluminescence spectroscopy. It was found that pure hexagonal ZnO nanoparticles with an average particle size of 4–8 nm were homogeneously dispersed in the PMMA matrix. A significant improvement in thermal properties was observed with the incorporation of 1.0 wt% ZnO nanoparticles. The prepared nanocomposite films are highly transparent and a clear excitonic peak is observed in their absorption spectra. Measurement of room temperature photoluminescence spectra shows intensive near-band edge emission peak at 3.28 eV without any structural defects for a nanocomposite film with a filler content of 1.0 wt%.     

Double-walled core-shell structured Si@SiO2@C nanocomposite as anode for lithium-ion batteries

Double-walled core-shell structured Si@SiO₂@C nanocomposite has been prepared by calcination of silicon nanoparticles in air and subsequent carbon coating. The obtained Si@SiO₂@C nanocomposite demonstrates a reversible specific capacity of about 786 mAh g^?1 after 100 cycles at a current density of 100 mA g^?1 with a capacity fading of 0.13 % per cycle. The enhanced electrochemical performance can be due to that the double walls of carbon and SiO₂ improve the electronic conductivity and enhance the compatibility of electrode materials and electrolyte as a result of accommodating the significant volumetric change during cycles. The interlayer SiO₂ may release the mechanical strain and enhance the interfacial adhesion between carbon shell and silicon core.     

Beam-foil lifetime measurements on energy levels of singly ionized Xenon

Radiative lifetimes were measured for levels of Xenon II by use of the beam-foil technique. Results are compared with other experimental and theoretical data. The coulomb approximation [1] was used to calculate lifetimes of the higher levels of Xenon II to facilitate an unambiguous assignment of the measured lifetime to a level.     

The secondary-electron background problem in electron excited auger electron spectroscopy

Dynamic background subtraction is used to demonstrate that the recently suggested spline-polynomial scheme for characterizing the secondary electron background neglects an important aspect of the Auger feature. As a consequence of this neglect, area measurements using the spline approximation are difficult to relate to the true Auger current.     

THz photomixer with milled nanoelectrodes on LT-GaAs

A terahertz (THz) photomixer: (i) a meander type antenna with integrated nanoelectrodes on (ii) a low temperature grown GaAs has been fabricated and characterized. It was designed for spectral range of 0.3–0.4 THz where molecular fingerprinting and sensing are performed. By combination of electron beam lithography with post-processing using focused ion beam (FIB), milling the THz emitter was successfully fabricated. Nanogaps as small as 40 nm width in the active area of photomixer were milled by FIB. Nanocontacts enhance electric fields of the illuminated and THz radiation and contribute to a better collection of photo-electrons. THz emission was obtained and spectrally characterized.     

From the crust to the core of neutron stars on a microscopic basis

Within a microscopic approach the structure of Neutron Stars is usually studied by modelling the homogeneous nuclear matter of the core by a suitable Equation of State, based on a many-body theory, and the crust by a functional based on a more phenomenological approach. We present the first calculation of Neutron Star overall structure by adopting for the core an Equation of State derived from the Brueckner-Hartree-Fock theory and for the crust, including the pasta phase, an Energy Density Functional based on the same Equation of State, and which is able to describe accurately the binding energy of nuclei throughout the mass table. Comparison with other approaches is discussed. The relevance of the crust Equation of State for the Neutron Star radius is particularly emphasised.     

An in silico protocol for identifying mTOR inhibitors from natural products

The mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) is an anti-cancer target. In this study, we propose an in silico protocol for identifying mTOR inhibitors from the ZINC natural product database. First, a three-dimensional quantitative structure–activity relationship pharmacophore model was built based on known mTOR inhibitors. The model was validated with an external test set, Fischer’s randomization method, a decoy set and pharmacophore mapping conformation testing. The results showed that the model can predict the mTOR inhibition activity of the tested compounds. Virtual screening was performed based on the best pharmacophore model, and the results were then filtered using a molecular docking approach. In addition, molecular mechanics/generalized born surface area analysis was used to refine the selected candidates. The top 20 natural products were selected as potential mTOR inhibitors, and their structural scaffolds could serve as building blocks in designing drug-like molecules for mTOR inhibition.     

On the theory of electron diffusion under a temperature gradient in degenerate semiconductors having non-parabolic energy bands

The theory of electron diffusion under a temperature gradient (Soret effect) in degenerate semiconductors having non-parabolic energy bands and spherical constant-energy surfaces is worked out for the first time. An expression is given for the Soret coefficient which may be determined from the knowledge of the energy dependence of the relaxation time and can be related to the thermoelectric power.