Coherent Motion Reveals Non‐Ergodic Nature of Internal Conversion between Excited States

We found that specific nuclear motion along low‐frequency modes is effective in coupling electronic states and that this motion prevail in some small molecules. Thus, in direct contradiction to what is expected based on the standard models, the internal conversion process can proceed faster for smaller molecules. Specifically, we focus on the S₂→S₁ internal conversion in cyclobutanone, cyclopentanone, and cyclohexanone. By means of time‐resolved mass spectrometry and photoelectron spectroscopy the relative rate of this transition is determined to be 13:2:1. Remarkably, we observe coherent nuclear motion on the S₂ surface in a ring‐puckering mode and motion along this mode in combination with symmetry considerations allow for a consistent explanation of the observed relative time‐scales not afforded by only considering the density of vibrational states or other aspects of the standard models.     

The IR spectra of DCOOH and HCOOD crystals at low temperatures

We show the IR spectra of HCOOD and DCOOH crystals in the region 1000–3000 cm⁻¹ at 7, 77 and 125 K. This article is a complement to previous articles which described spectra of HCOOH and DCOOD crystals recorded in the same conditions. In this article we also compare the results obtained on the four isotopic species and specially focus our attention on a comparison of the moments or order 0, 1 and 2 of the v_O---H…O (O---H…O) and v_O---D…O bands. Furthermore, we precise some experimental aspects, particularly those concerning polarization effects. In the following paper, we shall deduce from the first moments the relative importance of the different anharmonicities governing the stretching motion of the H or D atoms in the H- or D---bonds.     

Analysis of self-electrophoretic motion of a spherical particle in a nanotube: effect of nonuniform surface charge density

Autonomous motions of a spherical nanoparticle in a nanotube filled with an electrolyte solution were investigated using a continuum theory, which consisted of the Nernst-Planck equations for the ionic concentrations, the Poisson equation for the electric potential in the solution, and the Stokes equation for the hydrodynamic field. Contrary to the usual electrophoresis, in which an external electric field is imposed to direct the motion of charged particles, the autonomous motion originates from the self-generated electric field due to the ionic concentration polarization of the liquid medium surrounding an asymmetrically charged particle. In addition to the particle motion, the interaction between the electric field generated and the free charges of the polarized solution induces electroosmotic flows. These autonomous motions of the fluid as well as the particle were examined with focus on the effects of the surface-charge distribution of the particle, the size of the nanotube, and the thickness of the electric double layer, which affected the direction and the speed of the particle significantly.     

Leveraging collective effects in externally driven colloidal suspensions: experiments and simulations

In this review article, we focus on collective motion in externally driven colloidal suspensions, as well as how these collective effects can be harnessed for use in microfluidic applications. We highlight the leading role of hydrodynamic interactions in the self-assembly, emergent behavior, transport, and mixing properties of colloidal suspensions. A special emphasis is given to recent numerical methods to simulate driven colloidal suspensions at large scales. In combination with experiments, they help us to understand emergent dynamics and to identify control parameters for both individual and collective motion in colloidal suspensions.     

Cooperative motion of spheres arranged in periodic grids between two parallel walls

In this article, we analyze the collective motion of a two-dimensional periodic array of spheres in a slit-pore confined by two parallel planar walls. We determine the friction coefficient of the spheres when all particles move with the same velocity along a particular direction and cooperate with each other in their motion. In order to solve this many-body problem, we use Stokesian dynamics algorithm and resolve multiparticle hydrodynamic interactions in wall-bounded geometry. Apart from particle-particle interactions, we also recognize that the aforementioned collective motion of all particles creates a cumulative effect on the fluid medium. This effect is manifested as either a net induced flow for a periodic pressure field or an additional pressure gradient for quiescent fluid. In our analysis, we focus on both periodic pressure and no-flow conditions. For both cases, the hydrodynamic friction on the translating particles is calculated using our multiparticle Stokesian dynamics simulation. The simulation for the no-flow condition is relatively straightforward-we only need to compute the multiparticle hydrodynamic interactions in quiescent fluid. However, for the periodic pressure condition, the net induced flow dragged by the particles has to be evaluated also. We express this net induced flow in terms of an additional pressure-driven velocity field. We present the hydrodynamic friction as a function of the dimensions of the two-dimensional periodic lattice. For closely packed arrays, the results show a considerable reduction in friction coefficients that usually increase with interparticle distance. Hence, our work renders the theoretical justification for other recent findings that indicate the importance of interparticle mutual cooperation.     

Generation, characterisation, and applications of atomic and molecular alignment and orientation

The gas phase is generally defined as a state of matter in which atoms or molecules are in constant, rapid, random Brownian motion. However, a range of techniques exist for preparing distributions of gas phase atoms and molecules whose motion is far from random, and whose orientation in space is well defined. In this Perspective, we will explore the nature of atomic and molecular alignment and orientation, the various techniques by which samples of spatially oriented species may be prepared and characterised, and some of the ways in which oriented molecules are being exploited to further our knowledge of molecular structure and dynamics.     

间歇加力聚合物温度形变曲线测定仪的研制

介绍了一种完全由计算机进行参数设定和数据采集的聚合物温度形变曲线测定仪，可以适用于教学或科研中聚甲基丙烯酸甲酯等聚合物材料线性及非线性膨胀行为的分析，玻璃化转变温度、粘流温度等特征温度的测定，以及玻璃化转变等过程中分子运动行为分析及相关参数测定。所研制仪器以间歇加力的方式，测定加力周期内聚合物材料形变随加力过程的变化，检测到加力与不加力状态下材料形变情况，借以消除常规持续加力方式测定时所带来的仪器热变形、材料蠕变等误差，达到对相关性能更准确测定和分析的目的。该仪器可以通过调整升温速率、间歇加力周期参数、间歇加力大小等参数设置，获得对各种聚合物材料的相对普适性。     

Single-molecule motions of oligoarginine transporter conjugates on the plasma membrane of Chinese hamster ovary cells

To explore the real-time dynamic behavior of molecular transporters of the cell-penetrating-peptide (CPP) type on a biological membrane, single fluorescently labeled oligoarginine conjugates were imaged interacting with the plasma membrane of Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells. The diffusional motion on the membrane, characterized by single-molecule diffusion coefficient and residence time (tau R), defined as the time from the initial appearance of a single-molecule spot on the membrane (from the solution) to the time the single molecule disappears from the imaging focal plane, was observed for a fluorophore-labeled octaarginine (a model guanidinium-rich CPP) and compared with the corresponding values observed for a tetraarginine conjugate (negative control), a lipid analogue, and a fluorescently labeled protein conjugate (transferrin-Alexa594) known to enter the cell through endocytosis. Imaging of the oligoarginine conjugates was enabled by the use of a new high-contrast fluorophore in the dicyanomethylenedihydrofuran family, which brightens upon interaction with the membrane at normal oxygen concentrations. Taken as a whole, the motions of the octaarginine conjugate single molecules are highly heterogeneous and cannot be described as Brownian motion with a single diffusion coefficient. The observed behavior is also different from that of lipids, known to penetrate cellular membranes through passive diffusion, conventionally involving lateral diffusion followed by membrane bilayer flip-flop. Furthermore, while the octaarginine conjugate behavior shares some common features with transferrin uptake (endocytotic) processes, the two systems also exhibit dissimilar traits when diffusional motions and residence times of single constructs are compared. Additionally, pretreatment of cells with cytochalasin D, a known actin filament disruptor, produces no significant effect, which further rules out unimodal endocytosis as the mechanism of uptake. Also, the involvement of membrane potential in octaarginine-membrane interaction is supported by significant changes in the motion with high [K(+)] treatment. In sum, this first study of single transporter motion on the membrane of a living cell indicates that the mode by which the octaarginine transporter penetrates the cell membrane appears to either be a multimechanism uptake process or a mechanism different from unimodal passive diffusion or endocytosis.     

不同超疏水铜表面的湿法氧化制备及抗冷凝性能

分别以过硫酸钾、 过硫酸铵及氨水为氧化剂, 在铜表面制得纳米结构, 并用十七氟癸基三乙氧基硅烷(FAS-17)进一步氟化处理, 获得了差异化超疏水表面. 比较了不同氧化剂对反应结果的影响, 并分析了氧化反应的历程. 实验结果表明, Cu首先被O₂氧化成CuO超薄层, 然后水解变成Cu(OH)₂, 并进一步被OH^-或NH₄OH络合成蓝色溶液. 不同形貌纳米结构是Cu(OH)₂在饱和析出过程中沿固定晶面堆砌的结果. 最后对不同纳米结构超疏水表面的耐水蒸气冷凝情况及微观机理进行了分析, 证实只有较密、 较垂直的纳米针结构表面才耐水蒸气冷凝, 即冷凝水滴在其上出现快速自迁移现象.     

Division and fusion, extension, adhesion, and retraction of vesicles created through Langmuir monolayer collapse: cell-like behavior

The motion of vesicles created through Langmuir monolayer collapse has been investigated. The vesicles grow only in a narrow molecular area range, and they exhibit remarkable, various biological cell-like behaviors such as division (cell division in cell biology, cytokinesis) and self-propulsion (motility). The vesicle division includes some dynamic modes: (i) an expulsion of a single satellite vesicle from an initial vesicle, (ii) a hierarchical and a sequential expulsion of a satellite vesicle, and (iii) a successive expulsion of two satellite vesicles from an initial vesicle. Two neighboring vesicles often show alternate fusion and division between them. Strong shape fluctuations dominate through vesicle division. The vesicles created exhibit distinct motions depending on the molecular area. At a large molecular area where most initial vesicles are created, they show a continuous, random motion on a few tens of micrometers length scale with a strong shape fluctuation and a constant velocity fluctuation profile. At a small molecular area they cease to move and shape fluctuations also become suppressed. At an intermediate molecular area there coexist vesicles with different dynamic modes: some vesicles show random motion similar to that at a large molecular area, but in a less fluctuating manner, while others exhibit a directional motion with an intermittent velocity jump. The directional motion is characterized by three distinct steps, i.e., extension, adhesion, and retraction. The characteristic motion is discussed from the viewpoint of haptotaxis, or the motion driven by adhesion gradients on the monolayer created by the local transfer of charged surfactant molecules between the vesicle and the monolayer, which the vesicle adheres to.     

Motion of liquid drops on surfaces induced by asymmetric vibration: role of contact angle hysteresis

Hysteresis of wetting, like the Coulombic friction at solid/solid interface, impedes the motion of a liquid drop on a surface when subjected to an external field. Here, we present a counterintuitive example, where some amount of hysteresis enables a drop to move on a surface when it is subjected to a periodic but asymmetric vibration. Experiments show that a surface either with a negligible or high hysteresis is not conducive to any drop motion. Some finite hysteresis of contact angle is needed to break the periodic symmetry of the forcing function for the drift to occur. These experimental results are consistent with simulations, in which a drop is approximated as a linear harmonic oscillator. The experiment also sheds light on the effect of the drop size on flow reversal, where drops of different sizes move in opposite directions due to the difference in the phase of the oscillation of their center of mass.     

Biased diffusion in tubes formed by spherical compartments

We study the effect of the driving force on brownian motion of a point particle in a tube formed by identical spherical compartments, which create periodic entropy potential for the motion along the tube axis. The focus is on (i) the effective mobility and diffusion coefficient of the particle as functions of the driving force, (ii) localization of the particle in the central part of the tube induced by the driving force, and (iii) transit time of the particle between the openings connecting neighboring compartments. Some of the results at very small and large driving force are obtained analytically, while the majority of the results are obtained from brownian dynamics simulations.     

Theoretical study of ultrafast heterogeneous electron transfer reactions at dye-semiconductor interfaces: coumarin 343 at titanium oxide

A theoretical study of photoinduced heterogeneous electron transfer in the dye-semiconductor system coumarin 343-TiO(2) is presented. The study is based on a generic model for heterogeneous electron transfer reactions, which takes into account the coupling of the electronic states to the nuclear degrees of freedom of coumarin 343 as well as to the surrounding solvent. The quantum dynamics of the electron injection process is simulated employing the recently proposed multilayer formulation of the multiconfiguration time-dependent Hartree method. The results reveal an ultrafast injection dynamics of the electron from the photoexcited donor state into the conduction band of the semiconductor. Furthermore, the mutual influence of electronic injection dynamics and nuclear motion is analyzed in some detail. The analysis shows that--depending on the time scale of nuclear motion--electronic vibrational coupling can result in electron transfer driven by coherent vibrational motion or vibrational motion induced by ultrafast electron transfer.     

Dynamics of end-linked star-polymer structures

In this work we focus on the dynamics of macromolecular networks formed by end-linking identical polymer stars. The resulting macromolecular network can then be viewed as consisting of spacers which connect branching points (the cores of the stars). We succeed in analyzing exactly, in the framework of the generalized Gaussian model, the eigenvalue spectrum of such networks. As applications we focus on several topologies, such as regular networks and dendrimers; furthermore, we compare the results to those found for regular hyperbranched structures. In so doing, we also consider situations in which the beads of the cores differ from the beads of the spacers. The analytical procedure which we use involves an exact real-space renormalization, which allows to relate the star network to a (much simpler) network, in which each star is reduced to its core. It turns out that the eigenvalue spectrum of the star-polymer structure consists of two parts: one follows in terms of polynomial equations from the relaxation spectrum of the corresponding renormalized structure, while the second part involves the motion of the spacer chains themselves. Finally, we show exemplarily the situation for copolymeric dendrimers, calculate their spectra, and from them their storage and the loss moduli.     

Models for the Dynamics of Hyperbranched Macromolecules

Summary: We focus on the motion of hyperbranched macromolecules in solution, paying particular attention to the relation between underlying topological structure and dynamics; we consider especially the mechanical moduli. Under the prominent representatives of hyperbranched polymers are both regular structures (such as the dendrimers) as well as disordered structures (such as irregular Cayley-trees). Evidently, batch-prepared hyperbranched macromolecules are closer to the latter. In order to theoretically determine their mechanical moduli we employ the method of generalized Gaussian structures (GGS), which allows us to study the situation including or excluding the hydrodynamic interactions (HI). Disordered hyperbranched structures display a complex dynamics; here we recall several analytical and numerical schemes for determining it and compare our theoretical results to the experimental data.     

Rheology of granular media

This review is concerned with the physics of dry granular media which is the focus of many recent studies. One reason for this interest is not only due to its practical importance but also, because it is currently seen as a fundamental model with a rather broad range of applicability. The concepts and questions developed in this field have general implications in other fields such as the rheology of complex fluids (dense pastes or colloidal suspensions), the mechanics of various composite solids such as reinforced rubber, many geophysical situations and even the nano-tribology of molecular films... We review some of the aspects that were most recently discussed and which are under the scope of an intense debate.     

老年痴呆症的分子病理机制

老年痴呆症是中枢神经退化性疾病 ,被认为是危害人类健康的一大综合症。因为老年痴呆症不仅具有多重分子病理而且是慢性综合症 ,所以对于它的病因及生化机理很难达成一致。本文主要阐述了一些被普遍接受的分子病变机理和研究现状 ,并简单介绍部分有效或潜在的治疗方法     

Luminescent complexes beyond the platinum group: the d10 avenue

Luminescent metal complexes are key materials for several applications such as lighting, analytical probes, and lasers. In many cases compounds based on precious (i.e. platinum group) and rare earth metals are utilized, which are often rather expensive and environmentally problematic. In recent years, interest is growing in luminescent complexes based on less traditional but more abundant and cheaper metal elements. In this scenario compounds of metals with a d10 electronic configuration are playing a prominent role, also thanks to the versatility of their luminescent levels which can be of ligand centred, charge transfer or, in the case of polynuclear compounds, even metal-centred nature. Here we focus on some selected examples of Cu(I), Ag(I), Au(I), Zn(II) and Cd(II) luminescent complexes to suggest some possible routes towards promising and unprecedented emitting materials.     

Design of a new rotary molecular machine based on nitrogen inversion: a DFT investigation

Ab initio calculations are employed to investigate nitrogen inversion as a configuration change that can supply an extremely useful switchable control mechanism for some complex systems. In this paper, the design of a new artificial rotary molecular machine based on nitrogen inversion is discussed. The introduced design of a molecular rotator is based on the reciprocating motion of a substituent due to the inversion phenomenon, leading to the rotary motion in the molecule. Since simple secondary amines easily face the inversion process at room temperature, aziridine is selected as the initial driver for the molecular motion. The most obvious finding from this study is that, following the displacement of the substituent attached to the aziridine nitrogen atom, two rotary motions occurr in the molecule, one clockwise and another counterclockwise with a 39.52° to 150.09° angle domain.     

Calculating slow-motional electron paramagnetic resonance spectra from molecular dynamics using a diffusion operator approach

A number of groups have utilized molecular dynamics (MD) to calculate slow-motional electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectra of spin labels attached to biomolecules. Nearly all such calculations have been based on some variant of the trajectory method introduced by Robinson, Slutsky and Auteri (J. Chem. Phys. 1992,96, 2609-2616). Here we present an alternative approach that is specifically adapted to the diffusion operator-based stochastic Liouville equation (SLE) formalism that is also widely used to calculate slow-motional EPR line shapes. Specifically, the method utilizes MD trajectories to derive diffusion parameters such as the rotational diffusion tensor, diffusion tilt angles, and expansion coefficients of the orienting potential, which are then used as direct inputs to the SLE line shape program. This approach leads to a considerable improvement in computational efficiency over trajectory-based methods, particularly for high frequency, high field EPR. It also provides a basis for deconvoluting the effects of local spin label motion and overall motion of the labeled molecule or domain: once the local motion has been characterized by this approach, the label diffusion parameters may be used in conjunction with line shape analysis at lower EPR frequencies to characterize global motions. The method is validated by comparison of the MD predicted line shapes to experimental high frequency (250 GHz) EPR spectra.