Geometrical restrictions of water diffusion in aqueous protein systems. A study using NMR field-gradient techniques

Geometrical restrictions of water diffusion in different aqueous protein systems were studied using two versions of the NMR field gradient technique. The samples were aqueous systems of bovine serum albumin, gelatin and horse myoglobin at concentrations ranging from diluted solutions to almost dry powders being only partly hydrated. Hydrated protein aerogels were produced by the aid of a special preparation procedure and studied in addition. The experiments referred to the, temperature and concentration dependences of the water diffusion coefficient above and below the free-water freezing temperature. The diffusion coefficient within clusters of overlapping hydration shells is reduced by one order of magnitude compared with that of bulk water. Geometrical restrictions manifest themselves (a) by the obstruction effect observed at low protein concentrations, (b) by the topologically two-dimensional diffusion in the network of overlapping hydration shells, (c) by the percolation threshold appearing at about 15%_b.w. water and (d) by the anomalous diffusion behaviour concluded from the protein aerogel study.     

Water percolation governs polymorphic transitions and conductivity of DNA

We report on the first computer simulation studies of the percolation transition of water at the surface of the DNA double helix. With increased hydration, the ensemble of small clusters merges into a spanning water network via a quasi-two-dimensional percolation transition. This transition occurs strikingly close to the hydration level where the B form of DNA becomes stable in experiment. Formation of spanning water networks results in sigmoidlike acceleration of long-range ion transport in good agreement with experiment.     

Percolation transition in an irreversible-surface reaction model

Monte Carlo simulation studies of percolation transition in a surface reaction model describing the oxidation of carbon mono-oxide on a catalytic surface are presented. The percolation transition for adsorbed oxygen atoms occurs below the poisoning transition where carbon mono-oxide completely covers the surface of the catalyst and takes place for an oxygen coverage of about 0.525 which is close to the percolation transition in an Ising lattice gas with nearest-neighbor attractive interactions. In several respects the oxygen clusters near the percolation threshold resemble those of the Ising lattice gas near its critical point.     

Preparation of PVOH coatings with graphene nanoplatelets for electrostatic discharge protective packaging

This study investigated the use of graphene nanoplatelets (GNP) as a conductive filler for electrostatic discharge (ESD) protective packaging. Various weight concentrations of GNP were mixed and sonicated with polyvinyl alcohol (PVOH). The resulting polymer solution was applied as a coating to corrugated board in order to form an ESD packaging. Surface resistivity, mechanical strength and coating adhesion were then measured. The study found that the electrical percolation threshold of the PVOH/GNP coating is 9–13wt% GNP. GNP incorporated PVOH coatings with surface resistivity of 10³–10⁸ Ω/sq. generally meet all of ESD packaging requirements. The humidity strongly affects the surface resistivity of the coatings below the percolation threshold, but the change of the surface resistivity with humidity is less significant above the percolation threshold.     

Finite-size effects in the conductivity of cluster assembled nanostructures

Atomic clusters have been deposited between lithographically defined contacts with nanometer scale separations. The design of the contacts is based on an appropriate application of percolation theory to conduction in cluster deposited devices and allows finite-size effects to be clearly observed. It is demonstrated, both by experiment and by simulation, that for small contact separations the percolation threshold is shifted to extremely low surface coverages. The selected rectangular contact geometry ensures that wirelike structures are formed close to the percolation threshold.     

The affection on the nature of percolation by concentration of pentagon–heptagon defects in graphene lattice

In this paper the percolation behavior with a specific concentration of the defects was discussed on the twodimensional graphene lattice. The percolation threshold is determined by a numerical method with a high degree of accuracy. This method is also suitable for locating the percolation critical point on other crystalline structures. Through investigating the evolution of the largest cluster size and the cluster sizes distribution, we find that under various lattice sizes and concentrations of pentagon-heptagon defects there is no apparent change for the percolation properties in graphene lattice.     

Surface oscillations in media with natural and artificial inhomogeneity

Oscillations on the surface of artificial and natural inhomogeneous media (viz., electromagnetic crystals, disordered percolation systems, polycrystalline substances, and multicomponent dielectrics) are considered. Special attention is paid to the influence of correlation and fluctuation effects on the spectra of surface waves in the three last cases. For example, a pseudogap in the vicinity of the percolation threshold is observed in the oscillation spectrum at the interface between a metal-insulator composite and a conventional insulator. In the case of the interface between a metal-insulator composite and a metal, the effect of the Fermi-liquid interaction of electrons in the metal on the surface excitation spectrum is studied. It is shown that taking into account this interaction leads to a frequency shift in the surface wave, which is proportional to the Landau coefficient A ₀. The frequency shift obtained for surface oscillations of polycrystals is due to fluctuations of anisotropy of individual crystallites. An analogous shift in the case of a multicomponent insulator is associated with polarizability fluctuations of molecules.     

Aspect ratio control of acid modified multiwalled carbon nanotubes

This study examined the effects of acid treatments on the length of multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) as well as the influence of the aspect ratio of the MWCNTs on the electrical percolation threshold. In particular, the length distribution, intensity ratio of the G and D Raman peaks, BET surface area, and maximum decomposition temperatures of the MWCNTs were investigated. The MWCNTs showed different electrical percolation thresholds depending on the aspect ratio. The higher aspect ratio MWCNTs had lower electrical percolation thresholds than those with smaller ratios due to their ease of contact with other MWCNTs. In terms of the electrical behavior of a MWCNT film, many more short MWCNTs were necessary to reach the electrical percolation threshold than long MWCNTs. These results demonstrate the need to control the aspect ratio of MWCNTs in order for them to be used efficiently in electrical applications.     

The effect of viscosity changes in the vocal folds on the range of oscillation

Changes in vocal fold oscillation threshold pressure were induced in excised canine larynges by experimentally causing fluid movement into and out of the vocal folds. The transport was facilitated by exposing the vocal folds to various osmotic solutions, and it was assumed that changes in hydration caused changes in the internal tissue viscosity. A range of oscillation threshold pressures was measured for each condition of hydration by varying length and glottal width. The oscillation threshold pressure shifted as predicted. Decreased hydration (increased viscosity) raised the threshold of oscillation, and increased hydration (decreased viscosity) lowered the threshold of oscillation. This apparently represents the first in vitro model for the study of the effect of viscosity changes of the internal environment of the vocal folds on phonation.     

An alternative proof of some percolation threshold (p c ) using the idea of self-organized criticality

Summary By means of a well-developed method in self-organized criticality, we can obtain the lower bound for the percolation threshold (p _c) of the corresponding site percolation problem. In some special cases, we have proved that such lower bounds are indeed the percolation thresholds. We can reproduce some well-known percolation thresholds of various lattices including the Cayley trees and Kock curves in this framework.     

基于逾渗理论的非晶合金屈服行为研究

从非晶合金的微观结构出发,基于处理强无序和具有随机几何结构系统常用的理论方法——逾渗理论来描述非晶合金剪切屈服时的塑性流变.为了更好地理解非晶合金剪切带萌生时的临界问题,结合已有的"自由体积(free volume)模型"和"剪切转变区(shear transformation zone)模型",建立了非晶合金剪切转变的逾渗模型.以Cu_(25)Zr_(75)二元非晶合金为例,计算了在剪切转变区内易发生塑性流动的原子团簇剪切失稳的逾渗阈值,并粗略估算了这些原子团簇的大小.研究发现,剪切失稳的逾渗阈值与临界约化自由体积浓度(x_c～2.4%)有着相似的特性,不同之处在于其值与自由体积的分散度有着密切联系.研究结果作为非晶合金的韧脆转变问题提供了新思路.     

The effect of orientational disorder on hopping conductivity in disordered organic semiconductors

The model of variable range hopping is generalized to systems with extended sites. The calculation of the hopping conductivity of a disordered medium with chain structure is reduced to the percolation problem for a system of one-dimensional fragments with random distribution of lengths and orientations. The percolation problem is solved using the Monte Carlo method and the method based on the bonding criterion. The percolation threshold, which determines the dependence of the conductivity on the fragment lengths and degree of their orientational ordering (texture), is calculated. It is shown that the conductivity increases exponentially with fragment lengths and decreases with orientational ordering.     

Quasi-one-dimensional transport of nondegenerate electrons in two-dimensional systems with a fluctuation potential

A threshold vanishing of the Hall emf with decreasing gate voltage is observed at ≈ 77 K in semiconductor systems which are disordered as a result of a high built-in charge density near the plane of the 2D-electron channel. The effect is observed at a channel conductivity σ ≈e ²/h and is due to a transition to nondegenerate-electron transport via a 2D percolation cluster having a quasi-1D character of the conduction. We have established that the conductance of “short” structures, having a length of the order of the correlation length of a percolation cluster, equals ≈e ²/h per electron and is determined by isolated percolation paths having a lowered percolation threshold. These phenomena are a general property of disordered 2D systems. Pis’ma Zh. éksp. Teor. Fiz. 66, No. 10, 633–638 (25 November 1997)     

Ag-MgF2复合纳米金属陶瓷薄膜的渗透阈研究

介绍了几种计算纳米金属颗粒镶嵌于陶瓷基体中而形成的复合纳米金属陶瓷薄膜渗透阈的理论方法，分析了理论方法中所运用模型的特点及其精度.并将Landauer有效介质理论和Priou渗透阈理论应用于Ag-MgF₂复合纳米金属陶瓷薄膜的渗透阈计算，所得值分别为0.08和0.14(Ag的体积分数)，按Priou渗透阈理论计算的结果与实验结果相符.最后讨论了影响复合金属陶瓷薄膜体系渗透阈的主要因素. 关键词： 2复合纳米金属陶瓷薄膜')" href="#">Ag-MgF₂复合纳米金属陶瓷薄膜 渗透阈理论 渗透阈     

Electrical properties of aluminium island films near the percolation threshold

Electrical properties of Al island films on NaCl substrates are studied. The temperature dependence of the resistance is determined in situ under vacuum conditions for films with various volume fractions q. It has been found that the electrical properties of the film are subject to significant changes near the percolation threshold, when q approaches 0.51. This behaviour is to be attributed to a change in the type of conduction. The temperature coefficient of resistance TCR for the percolation threshold q_c is close to zero. For q<q_c and q>q_c, TCR is smaller than zero or greater than zero, respectively.     

Polymer assisted assembling of the semiconductor particles: Structural and electrical studies

CdS and Si semiconductor nanopraticles were embedded in a polymer matrix and characterized using various techniques. The surface properties and size distribution of the nanoparticles were monitored by POM and SEM and found to be uniform but around the crystalline frameworks of the polymer. XRD and FTIR analysis have been used to ensure the composite nature and particle size of the semiconductor loaded films. The electrical conductivity of these films were evaluated and found to increase with semiconductor dispersion and attains a percolation threshold at optimum composition. This composition and the distribution of the clusters is shown to vary with the type of the semiconductor, i.e., CdS or Si.     

Tunneling and nonuniversality in continuum percolation systems

The values obtained experimentally for the conductivity critical exponent in numerous percolation systems, in which the interparticle conduction is by tunneling, were found to be in the range of t0 and about t0 + 10, where t0 is the universal conductivity exponent. These latter values are, however, considerably smaller than those predicted by the available "one-dimensional"-like theory of tunneling percolation. In this Letter, we show that this long-standing discrepancy can be resolved by considering the more realistic "three-dimensional" model and the limited proximity to the percolation threshold in all the many available experimental studies.     

Extremum of the percolation cluster surface

The internal and external surfaces of a percolation cluster, as well as the total surface of the entire percolation system, are investigated numerically and analytically. Numerical simulation is carried out using the Monte Carlo method for problems of percolation over lattice sites and bonds on square and simple cubic lattices. Analytic expressions derived by using the probabilistic approach describe the behavior of such surfaces to a high degree of accuracy. It is shown that both the external and total surface areas of a percolation cluster, as well as the total area of the surface of the entire percolation system, have a peak for a certain (different in the general case) fraction of occupied sites (in the site problem) or bonds (in the bond problem). Two examples of technological processes (current generation in a fuel cell and self-propagating high-temperature synthesis in heterogeneous condensed systems) in which the surface of a percolation cluster plays a significant role are discussed.     

Estimation of Critical Point in Branching Reactions: Further Examination of Gel Point Formula

The theory of gel point in real polymer solutions is examined with the empirical correlation between the reciprocal of the percolation threshold and the coordination number given by the percolation theory. Applying a larger value of the relative frequency of cyclization, an excellent agreement is obtained between the present theory and the percolation result. This suggest that while the ring distribution on lattices is similar to that in real systems, ring production is more frequent in the lattice model than in real systems. To confirm this conjecture, we derive the ring distribution function of the lattice model as a limiting case of d→∞, and show that the solution is in fact identical to the asymptotic formula of C→∞ in real systems except for the coefficient C, which has a maximum at d = 5, in support of the above conjecture. To examine the validity of the asymptotic solution for the lattice model, we apply it to the critical point problem of the percolation theory, showing that the solution works well in high dimensions greater than six.