In situ formation of silver nanoparticles within an amphiphilic graft copolymer film

Silver nanoparticles were prepared by UV irradiation from silver salts, such as AgBF₄ or AgNO₃, when dissolved in an amphiphilic film of poly((oxyethylene)₉ methacrylate)‐graft‐poly((dimethyl siloxane)_n methacrylate), POEM‐g‐mPDMS. The in situ formation of silver nanoparticles in the graft copolymer film was confirmed by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), UV‐visible spectroscopy, and wide angle X‐ray scattering (WAXS). The results demonstrated that the use of AgBF₄ yielded silver nanoparticles with a smaller size (～5 nm) and narrower particle distribution when compared with AgNO₃. The formation of silver nanoparticles was explained in terms of the interaction strength of the silver ions with the ether oxygens of POEM, as revealed by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). It was thus concluded that a stronger interaction of silver ions with the ether oxygens results in a more stable formation of silver nanoparticles, which produces uniform and small‐sized nanoparticles. DSC and small angle X‐ray scattering (SAXS) data also showed the selective incorporation and in situ reduction of the silver ions within the hydrophilic POEM domains. Excellent mechanical properties of the nanocomposite films (3–5 × 10⁵ dyn/cm²) were observed, mostly because of the confinement of silver nanoparticles in the POEM chains as well as interfaces created by the microphase separation of the graft copolymer film. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 45: 1283–1290, 2007     

Integration of a nanoporous platinum thin film into a microfluidic system for non-enzymatic electrochemical glucose sensing.

In this paper, we describe an amperometric-type enzymeless glucose sensing system based on a nanoporous platinum (Pt) electrode embedded in a microfluidic chip. This microchip system is comprised of a microfluidic transport channel network and a miniaturized electrochemical cell for nonenzymatic glucose sensing. Sample and buffer solutions were transferred to the cell by programmed electroosmotic flow (EOF). A nanoporous Pt electrode with the roughness factor of 200.6 was utilized to determine glucose concentrations in phosphate buffered saline (PBS) by the direct oxidation of glucose, without any separation process. The sensitivity of the developed system is 1.65 microA cm-2 mM-1 in the glucose concentration range from 1-10 mM in PBS.     

The mean square error of a randomly discounted sequence of uncertain payments

Expressions are developed for the mean square deviation between a discounted sequence of uncertain payments and the estimated present value. These formulas incorporate random variation from four sources: (1) from the fact that expected values of individual payments are estimated, (2) from the fact that future discount factors are estimated, (3) random variation in the events that give rise to future payments, and (4) random variation in future discount rates. The results extend and encompass existing expressions based on the assumed constancy of one or more of the random vectors.     

On Hitchin's connection

The aim of the paper is to give an explicit expression for Hitchin's connection in the case of stable rank 2 bundles on genus 2 curves. Some general theory (in the algebraic geometric setting) concerning heat operators is developed. In particular the notion of compatibility of a heat operator with respect to a closed subvariety is introduced. This is used to compare the heat operator in the nonabelian rank 2 genus 2 case to the abelian heat operator (on theta functions) for abelian surfaces. This relation allows one to perform the computation; the resulting differential equations are similar to the Knizhnik-Zalmolodshikov equations.

     

Solid phase synthesis of benzamidine and butylamine-derived hydantoin libraries

We have constructed a number of benzamidine- and butylamine-based hydantoin compounds by means of an efficient route using solid phase synthesis in which neat diisopropylamine was employed for a novel cyclization/traceless cleavage step. All library compounds were obtained in excellent yield and high purity. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.