Infrared facility at the Canadian light source

The Canadian Light Source (CLS) is constructing two beamlines for Infrared Spectroscopy using synchrotron radiation (IRSR). One will supply mid-Infrared (2–25 μ) light to a Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectrometer and microscope for biological applications. The second will have a high resolution FTIR spectrometer for gas-phase and surface spectroscopy in the far-Infrared (beyond 25 μ). The Infrared beamlines will use dipole bending magnet radiation from a special bend magnet port design which provides a 50 mrad square acceptance. Issues with the first mirror and photon mask design, as well as the beamline layout and features are discussed.     

Growth process of TiC clusters from Ti nanoparticles with evaporated carbon layer

Titanium carbide formation by the solid–solid reaction on the surface of Ti nanoparticles was studied in situ using a high-resolution transmission electron microscope with a heating stage. The cross-sectional image of the Ti surface was clearly observed. Vacuum-deposited carbon covered the whole the surface of Ti nanoparticles in spite of the partly evaporation on the nanoparticle surface. The diffusion of the carbon atoms inside the Ti nanoparticles depended on the size of the nanoparticles. When the Ti nanoparticle diameter was less than 30 nm, carbon atoms diffused into the Ti nanoparticle and formed TiC. The superstructure of the Ti nanoparticles was observed, which revealed the growth process of TiC to be the diffusion of carbon atoms. For Ti nanoparticles with diameter larger than 30 nm it was observed that diffusion of Ti atoms into the carbon layer was dominant, which resulted in formation of TiC in the carbon layer at the surface of Ti nanoparticles.     

Scanning probe microscopy characterization of gold-chemisorbed poplar plastocyanin mutants

Two poplar plastocyanin mutants adsorbed onto gold electrodes have been characterized at single molecule level by scanning probe microscopy. Immobilization of the two redox metalloprotein mutants on Au(1 1 1) surface was achieved by either a disulphide bridge (PCSS) or a single thiol (PCSH), both the anchoring groups having been introduced by site-directed mutagenesis. Scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM) analysis gives evidence of a stable and robust binding of both mutants to gold. The lateral dimensions, as estimated by STM, and the height above the gold substrate, as evaluated by AFM, of the two mutants well agree with crystallographic sizes. A narrower height distribution is observed for PCSS compared to PCSH, corresponding to a more homogeneous orientation of the former mutant adsorbed onto gold. Major differences between the mutants are observed by electrochemical STM. In particular, the image contrast of adsorbed PCSS is affected by tuning the external electrochemical potential to the redox levels of the mutant, consistent with some involvement of copper active site in the tunneling process. On the contrary, no contrast variation is observed in electrochemical STM of adsorbed PCSH. Moreover, scanning tunneling spectroscopy experiments reveal asymmetric I–V characteristics for single PCSS proteins, reminiscent of a rectifying-like behaviour, whereas an almost symmetric I–V relation is observed for PCSH.     

Solid state NMR characterization of formation of poly(ϵ‐caprolactone)/maghnite nanocomposites by in situ polymerization

Results of multinuclear MAS NMR spectroscopy are reported for poly (ε‐caprolactone)/maghnite nanocomposite formation, with ε‐caprolactone in situ polymerized in the presence of maghnite, a proton exchanged montmorillonite clay. Exfoliated and intercalated materials with different maghnite loading in the range 3–15 wt % were investigated. ¹H NMR evidences Brønsted acid hydroxyl groups in the silicate layers and shows that their broad signal at 7.6 ppm present in the parent clay disappears in the nanocomposite material. ²⁷Al MAS NMR results show that beside the hexacoordinated aluminum signal, two additional peaks corresponding to two different tetrahedral Al sites are present in the clay framework. The NMR signal intensity of only one of them was found to be affected in the nanocomposites compared with the parent maghnite, suggesting that these specific aluminum sites are the reactive ones at the initial stages of the polymerization. However almost no changes occurred in the ²⁹Si NMR spectra, confirming that the polymer grafting, as indicated earlier by atomic force microscopy, took place on the aluminum tetracoordinated sites rather than on the silicon sites. A mechanism of maghnite surface catalyzed polymerization of ε‐caprolactone was proposed, involving Brønsted and Lewis acid sites. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 45: 3060–3068, 2007     

Metallo‐supramolecular micelles: Studies by analytical ultracentrifugation and electron microscopy

In aqueous solutions, amphiphilic block copolymers in which a polystyrene (PS) segment is connected to a poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) block via a bis(2,2′:6′,2″‐ terpyridine ruthenium) complex can form micelles. Such micelles of the protomer type PS₂₀‐[Ru]‐PEO₇₀, according to the preparation procedure representing frozen micelles, were studied by sedimentation velocity and sedimentation equilibrium analysis in an analytical ultracentrifuge and by transmission electron microscopy, with different techniques applied for the sample preparation. The particles obtained were surprisingly multifarious in size. In ultracentrifugation experiments performed at relatively low salt concentrations, the distributions of the sedimentation coefficient s_20,w showed a pronounced peak at 9.6 S and a broad, only partly separated second peak around 14 S. The molar mass of the particles at the peak was around 430,000 g/mol, corresponding to an aggregation number of approximately 85. The average hydrodynamic diameter of the particles in the peak fraction was approximately 13 nm. In electron micrographs of negatively stained samples, spheres of diameters between 10 and 25 nm were the most abundant particles, but larger ones with a wide size range were also visible. The latter particles apparently were composed of smaller ones. The data from both sedimentation analysis and electron microscopy showed that (1) the studied compound formed primary micelles of diameters around 20 nm and (2) the primary micelles had a tendency toward aggregation. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 41: 3159–3168, 2003     

扫描力显微术在高聚物薄膜玻璃化转变研究中的应用

简述了高聚物薄膜玻璃化转变的复杂性，并结合文章作者的的一些研究结果介绍了扫描力显微术(SFM)在研究高聚物玻璃化转变中的一些方法，包括观察高聚物薄膜形貌的变化，测量其摩擦力、粘附力和弹性模量等物理量的变化，最后指出SFM是研究高聚物薄膜玻璃化转变的有力工具。     

Structural characterization of nanopatterned surfaces

In this work, chemically and topographically nanopatterned surfaces were produced by a top-down processing approach for biosensing devices. The nanopatterning was the result of the combination of plasma polymerisation (pp) of biofunctional materials and colloidal lithography techniques. The morphological and chemical properties induced by the plasma deposition-etching treatment were characterised by optical method combining ellipsometry and Fourier Transform Infrared spectroscopy studies. This method supported by atomic force microscopy measurements, allowed the full optical characterization of each step of the top-down process. The optical characterization of the end-up nanopatterned samples demonstrated that the chosen process is able to produce well-defined nanostructured surfaces with controlled chemical and morphological properties.     

Solid state phase equilibria in the Gd-Si-B system at 1270 K

Solid state phase equilibria in the ternary Gd-Si-B phase diagram have been proposed at 1270 K using X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy and electron probe microanalysis. Prior to this work, the binary systems Gd-B, Gd-Si and Si-B have also been reinvestigated. The main characteristic of the ternary diagram is the occurrence of two new ternary compounds Gd₅Si₂B₈ and Gd₅Si₃B_0.64. The former crystallizes in tetragonal symmetry, space group P4/mbm with unit cell parameters a=7.2665(3), c=8.2229(7) Å, the second one presents hexagonal symmetry, space group P6₃/mcm with unit cell parameters a=8.5080(4),c=6.4141(2) Å. The X-ray structures of the two structurally related phases Gd₅Si₃B_0.64 and host binary Gd₅Si₃ have been refined from three-dimensional single-crystal intensity data to the final R values of 0.036 (R_w=0.046) and 0.046 (R_w=0.055) for 457 and 401 reflections, respectively with [F>4σ(F)]. Both structures exhibit the Mn₅Si₃-type structure, with in addition for Gd₅Si₃B_0.64 a partial occupancy by boron of the normally vacant interstitial site at the center of the Gd₆ octahedron, which corresponds to the origin of the unit cell. Bonding between the interstitial boron atoms and the gadolinium ones forming the Gd₆B polyhedra is indicated by the decrease in the corresponding Gd-Gd distances and consequently in the unit cell volume. Finally, the Gd-Si-B phase diagram is compared with the previously reported Er-Si-B, at 1070 K.     

Morphology and spectral properties of thin films of benzoxazole derivatives of biphenyl

We have studied the spectral properties and morphology of thin films (TVD films) formed by thermal vacuum deposition of 4,4′-bis[(E)-1-(1,3-benzoxazol-2-yl)-2-ethenyl]-1,1′-biphenyl and its substituted derivatives. We have shown that introducing bulky 2,2′-oxyhexyl substituents into the biphenyl units leads to a shift of the fluorescence maximum for the TVD films toward shorter wavelengths, a decrease in their photostability, and aggregation of the films during storage. __________ Translated from Zhurnal Prikladnoi Spektroskopii, Vol. 74, No. 3, pp. 300–303, May–June, 2007.