Photocarrier diffusion lengths of high-growth-rate microcrystalline silicon

We report on photocarrier transport of high-growth-rate microcrystalline Si (μc-Si) in conjunction with the lateral size, σ_L, of crystallites’ conglomerate (grain) determined from the atomic force microscope (AFM) topographic images on the basis of fractal concepts. μc-Si films were prepared using very-high-frequency plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition at a high deposition rate of 6.8 ± 0.5 nm/s. μc-Si thicknesses, d, were varied from 0.53 μm to 5.6 μm. With an increase in d, σ_L increased from 70 nm to 590 nm. At the same time, the ambipolar diffusion lengths, L_amb, of photocarriers, observed using the steady-state photocarrier grating (SSPG) technique, increased from 50 nm to 420 nm. Log–log plots of L_amb versus d and σ_L versus d were both expressed as a power law with an exponent of 0.9, yielding a simple linear relation between L_amb and σ_L. Moreover, their ratio, L_amb/σ_L, was below unity, implying the intra-grain carrier diffusion. From these results, the role of the grain (column) boundaries for photocarrier diffusion in μc-Si is discussed.     

Ni-catalyzed hydroboration and hydrosilylation of olefins with diboron and silylborane

Herein we report a Ni-catalyzed formal hydroboration of olefins, which afforded anti-Markovnikov-type alkylboranes with B₂pin₂ and a stoichiometric amount of water. Formal hydrosilylation using air- and moisture-sensitive silylboranes also proceeded under optimized conditions. The reaction with trans-stilbene and D₂O resulted in 1,2-H migration, which suggested that the reaction proceeded via β-hydride elimination and reinsertion mechanisms.     

Kernel estimates and -spectral independence of generators of -semigroups

After the appearance of W. Arendt's result that “Gaussian estimate of a semigroup implies the L^p-spectral independence of the generator,” various generalizations have been obtained. This paper shows that a certain kernel estimate of a semigroup implies the L^p-spectral independence of the generator, generalizing the case of upper Gaussian estimate and “Gaussian estimate of order α(0,1] [S. Miyajima, H. Shindoh, Gaussian estimates of order α and L^p-spectral independence of generators of C₀-semigroups, Positivity 11 (1) (2007) 15–39], Definition 3.1.” The proof uses S. Karrmann's result about the L^p-spectral independence and B.A. Barnes' theorem about the spectrum of integral operators. As an application, the L^p-spectral independence of −[(−Δ)^α+V] (α(0,1]) for a suitable V is proved with the help of a recent result by V. Liskevich, H. Vogt and J. Voigt [V. Liskevich, H. Vogt, J. Voigt, Gaussian bounds for propagators perturbed by potentials, J. Funct. Anal. 238 (2006) 245–277].     

Intramolecular hydrogen atom tunneling in 2-chlorobenzoic acid studied by low-temperature matrix-isolation infrared spectroscopy

Intramolecular hydrogen atom tunneling in 2-chlorobenzoic acid has been investigated by low-temperature matrix-isolation infrared spectroscopy with the aid of density functional theory calculation. Infrared spectra of two relatively stable syn isomers, SC and ST, were observed in argon and xenon matrixes. When the matrix samples were annealed after deposition, the isomerization from ST to SC occurred around the benzene-carboxyl bond. Two less stable anti isomers, AT, which has an OH...Cl intramolecular hydrogen bond, and AC, which has no OH...Cl bond, were produced from SC and ST upon UV irradiation. When the matrix samples were kept in the dark after UV irradiation, AT and AC changed to ST and SC, respectively, by spontaneous isomerization around the C-O axis in the carboxyl group. The rate constants of isomerization, AT --> ST, in a Xe matrix were estimated from the absorbance changes at various matrix temperatures. The rate constants showed a drastic decrease in deuteration of the hydrogen atom of the carboxyl group. The relationship between the rate constants and the matrix temperature did not follow the Arrhenius law. These findings lead to the conclusion that the isomerization of AT --> ST and AC --> SC in low-temperature rare-gas matrixes proceeds through intramolecular hydrogen atom tunneling.     

Preparation of rapidly disintegrating tablets containing itraconazole solid dispersions

The disintegratability of tablets prepared from two types of solid dispersions containing the water-soluble polymer TC-5 and the enteric polymer HP-55 as an excipient were compared. The disintegratability was better in the tablets of solid dispersions containing non-water-soluble HP-55 than those containing TC-5. In consideration of the dissolubility of solid dispersions containing HP-55, the mean diameter of the solid dispersion (coating powder) must be controlled to 120 microm or less, but as this markedly increases the adhesion/aggregation tendency of the particles (angle of repose: 47 degrees ), control of the adhesion/aggregation tendency emerged as another problem. Therefore, surface-modification was performed in a high-speed agitating granulator using 0.1% light anhydrous silicic acid as a surface modifier, and marked improvement in the flowability was observed. This made continuous tableting using a rotary tablet machine possible even with the poorly flowable solid dispersions. Also, in tableting of the solid dispersions, no recrystallization of amorphous itraconazole by the tableting pressure was observed, and the tablets maintained satisfactory dissolubility. Moreover, it was possible to obtain the rapidly disintegrating tablets with very satisfactory properties, i.e., a tablet hardness of 30 N or higher and a disintegration time of 30 s or less, by the addition of croscarmellose as a disintegrant at 2% to the surface-modified solid dispersion and selection of the tableting pressure at 4.5 kN.     

Gaussian Estimates of Order α and L p -Spectral Independence of Generators of C 0-Semigroups

We prove L^p-spectral independence for generators of C₀-semigroups estimated by the positive C₀-semigroup . In the preliminary process of the proof, we obtain the asymptotic expansion formula for the integral kernel of the C₀-semigroup .     

Fluorescent Cyclodextrin/Peptide Hybrids with a Novel Guest‐Responsive Chemosensor in the Peptide Side Chain

Peptides bearing β‐cyclodextrin and 4‐(N,N‐dimethylamino)benzoyl (DMAB) units in the peptide side chains were prepared as chemosensors for molecule detection. The DMAB unit was expected to be included into the cyclodextrin cavity intramolecularly. However, these peptides exhibited no twisted intramolecular charge transfer fluorescence and the normal fluorescence intensity decreased upon the addition of 1‐adamantanol as an exogenous guest, indicating that the DMAB units are shallowly included in the cyclodextrin cavities.     

Fabrication of DLC films by pulsed ion beam ablation in a dense plasma focus device

The pulsed intense ion beam, emitted from a dense plasma focus (DPF) discharges performed with hydrogen gas, has been used to ablate the graphite target depositing diamond-like carbon (DLC) films on Si substrates. The substrates were mounted on a holder, which allowed for deposition at positions between normal and 20° off-normal to the target. The samples were removed for analysis after 10 and 20 shots. Nano-particles were observed in the films by a field-emission scanning electron microscope. Raman spectra indicate that sample deposited at 20° off-normal with 20 shots possesses the highest sp³ content among the samples. The film deposited at this position was also found has the highest hardness.     

Trace element mapping of a single cell using a hard x‐ray nanobeam focused by a Kirkpatrick‐Baez mirror system

To visualize the distributions of trace elements in biological samples such as tissues and cells at high spatial resolution, we developed a scanning x‐ray fluorescence microscope (SXFM) at SPring‐8, using a Kirkpatrick‐Baez mirror optics that enables achromatic and highly efficient focusing. To evaluate performance regarding its application to biological samples, the SXFM was used at x‐ray energy of 15 keV to observe NIH/3T3 cells in which adenosine triphosphate (ATP) synthase β (specifically localized at the mitochondria) were labeled with gold colloidal particles. Various elemental distributions were visualized at the single‐cell level, including those for P, S, Cl, Ca, Fe, Cu, Zn and Au, and we obtained high‐resolution elemental distribution maps by magnifying the labeled single mitochondrion. Maximum spatial resolution achieved in the experiments was sub‐100 nm. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.