From superhydrophobic‐ to superhydrophilic‐patterned poly(vinylidene fluoride‐co‐chlorotrifluoroethylene) architectures as a novel platform for biotechnological applications

The manufacture of three‐dimensional patterned electroactive poly(vinylidene fluoride‐co‐chlorotrifluoroethylene) microstructures with tailored architecture, morphology, and wettability is presented. The patterned microstructures are fabricated using a simple, effective, low cost, and reproducible technique based on microfluidic technology. These novel structures can represent innovative platforms for advanced strategies in a wide range of biotechnological applications, including tissue engineering, drug delivery, microfluidic, and sensors and actuators devices. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part B: Polym. Phys. 2016 , 54, 1802–1810     

Asymptotics of Sobolev embeddings and singular perturbations for the -Laplacian

We consider the best constant for the embedding of into where , . Here with a smooth, bounded domain in and a large positive number. It is proven by the validity of the expansion

as , where is a positive constant depending on and . The behavior of associated extremals, which satisfy an equation involving the -Laplacian operator, is also analyzed.

     

Transition-metal nanoparticles in imidazolium ionic liquids: recyclable catalysts for biphasic hydrogenation reactions

1-n-Butyl-3-methylimidazolium hexafluorophosphate room-temperature ionic liquid is not only suitable as a medium for the preparation and stabilization of iridium nanoparticles but also ideal for the generation of recyclable biphasic catalytic systems for hydrogenation reactions. Thus, Ir(0) nanoparticles with a mean diameter of 2 nm have been prepared by reduction of Ir(I) dissolved in the ionic liquid with H2. This catalytic solution can be reused several times for the biphasic hydrogenation of olefins under mild reaction conditions.     

Fractal scattering of microwaves from soils

Using a combination of laboratory experiments and computer simulation we show that microwaves reflected from and transmitted through soil have a fractal dimension correlated to that of the soil's hierarchic permittivity network. The mathematical model relating the ground-penetrating radar record to the mass fractal dimension of soil structure is also developed. The fractal signature of the scattered microwaves correlates well with some physical and mechanical properties of soils.     

Electron binding energies of anionic magnesium clusters and the nonmetal-to-metal transition

The binding energies of the two most external electrons in Mg- n, n=2-22, clusters are computed using the gradient-corrected density functional theory and a new scheme for converting the Kohn-Sham eigenenergies into electron removal energies. The computations are performed for the anionic clusters considered in the most stable configurations of both Mg- n and Mg n. The results are compared with photoelectron spectroscopy data [O. C. Thomas, following Letter, Phys. Rev. Lett. 89, 213403 (2002)]], and their implications for the finite-size analog of the nonmetal-to-metal transition are analyzed.     

Generalized inverses on normed vector spaces

We extend the concepts, introduced by C.R. Rao for Euclidean norms, of minimum g-inverses and least square g-inverses, using arbitrary norms. We give a characterization of such generalized inverses and an application to the case in which the norm is l_∞. As a result of this application we obtain that when $\text{A?}\text{C}{}^{\mathrm{(n+1)\times n}}$ has rank n, there exists a generalized inverse of A, which serves the same purpose as the Moore-Penrose inverse, when the norm is l_∞.     

Characterization of the Suzuki phase in doped alkali halides by Raman spectroscopy

The symmetries and frequencies of the Raman active modes of the Suzuki phase in the systems 6NaCl:CdCl₂; and 6NaCl:MnCl₂, have been calculated. Three of the four peaks allowed by symmetry (A_1g and 2F_g) agree to within 25% in position with the experimental values presented here and with other experimental results. The fourth peak (E_g) seems to be associated with a very soft mode, which explains why this peak has not been observed. The features of the Raman spectrum depend mainly upon the chlorine ions.     

Synthesis of (±)-1-(2,6,6-trimethyl-4-hydroxycyclohexenyl)-1,3-butanedione (1), a marine natural product

A short synthesis of racemic natural product (1) from the known compound (7) is described. A model study, using cyclochexanone as starting material, is also reported.     

Higgs masses in the standard,multi-Higgs and supersymmetric models

Theoretical constraints and limits on the masses of Higgs scalars in the standard electroweak model, in electroweak models with additional Higgs doublets and in various supersymmetric models are presented. In the standard model, the lower limit on the Higgs mass, based on vacuum stability arguments, is reviewed in detail, as are “upper limits” based on perturbative constraints. In most grand unified and all supersymmetric models, however, at least two doublets are needed. The masses of the various Higgs scalars in the two-doublet model are discussed and constraints on their masses are found, including the generalization of the above limits. The results are then generalized to models with more than two doublets. Finally, recent attempts at constructing models with low-energy supersymmetry are reviewed and it is shown that in many models, fairly stringent tree-level mass relations among the Higgs scalars can be found. These relations are interesting in that they do not refer to the supersymmetric partners of ordinary particles, and they are most restrictive in models in which the supersymmetry is explicitly broken, i.e., via arbitrary mass terms.