Scanning force microscopy and amplitude versus distance measurements on single‐crystal oxide surfaces

Dynamic mode imaging and investigations on amplitude versus distance measurements were carried out on surfaces of single‐crystal; SrTiO₃, Al₂O₃ and LaAlO₃. Experiments were performed to optimize the imaging parameters for surfaces having varying elastic properties. The dependence of the amplitude–distance curve on different materials and the amplitude of oscillation was investigated. For SrTiO₃, a low‐drive amplitude provided the linear region necessary for imaging. A large amplitude of oscillation, however, created dips in the amplitude–distance curves, presumably due to complications in the tip dynamics such as bifurcation, period doubling, etc. In the case of Al₂O₃ and LaAlO₃, amplitude–distance curves were characterized by oscillations for lower tip sample separations and step‐like discontinuities in the stiff region. The magnitude of the oscillations and discontinuities was found to decrease with amplitude and eventually could be eliminated. Thus, for these samples a large amplitude of the cantilever provided the linear region required for imaging. It was observed also that two different surfaces of Al₂O₃ (c‐cut and r‐cut) yield totally different amplitude–distance curves consistent with their standard differences. The results indicate the complex behaviour of amplitude–distance curves, which not only vary from one sample to another but from one surface to another for a given sample. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

COPOLYMERS OF 2-ACRYLAMIDO-2-METHYL-1-PROPANESULFONIC ACID/MALEIC ACID： SYNTHESIS, CHARACTERIZATION AND ANTIMICROBIAL ACTIVITY

2-Acrylamido-2-methy1-1-propanesulfonic acid(AMPS),and maleic acid(MA)copolymerized with different feed ratios using N,N-dimethylformamide as a solvent and benzoyl peroxide(Bz_2O_2)as an initiator at 70℃.Structure and composition of copolymers for a wide range of monomer feed were determined by elemental analysis(content of N for AMPS-units).Monomer reactivity ratios for AMPS(M_1)-MA(M_2)pair were determined by the application of conventional linearization methods such as Fineman-Ross(F-R),Kelen-Tüd(?)s(KT)and Extended Kelen-Tüds(EKT)and a nonlinear error invariable model method using a computer program RREVM.The characterizations were done by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy(FTIR),differential scanning calorimetry(DSC)thermal gravimetry analysis(TGA),and and X-ray diffraction.The antimicrobial effects of polymers were also tested on various bacteria,and yeast.     

普鲁士兰修饰碳黑微电极同时微分伏安法测定多巴胺和抗坏血酸

将含有1.0%普鲁士蓝的碳黑与固体石蜡按2.5∶1(质量比)混合后装入φ0.2mm的石英毛细管中,在其上端插入一铂丝并抛光后即制成普鲁士蓝修饰碳黑微电极.对多巴胺(DA)及抗坏血酸(VC)在此电极上的电化学行为及应用此电极测定两组分的最佳条件进行了研究,在定量测定中采用二次微分线性扫描伏安法.在最佳条件下,DA与VC的峰电流(i″p)分别与各自的浓度保持如下线性关系DA为4.0×10-6～8.0×10-4mol·L-1,VC为6.0×10-5～1.0×10-3mol·L-1;检出限(3σ)依次为2.0×10-6mol·L-1及1.0×10-5mol·L-1.应用此方法分析了3种含DA及VC的混合溶液,测得结果的相对标准偏差(n=8)依次小于2.0%及3.0%,回收率范围依次为96.5%～101.0%及95.0%～102.5%.     

Analysis of the nonisothermal crystallization kinetics in three linear aromatic polyester systems

Melt or cold crystallization kinetics has a strong bearing on morphology and the extent of crystallization, which significantly affects the physical properties of polymeric materials. Nonisothermal crystallization kinetics are often analyzed by the classical Johnson–Mehl–Avrami–Kolmogorov (JMAK) model or one of its variants, even though they are based on an isothermal assumption. As a result, during the nonisothermal (e.g. constant heating or cooling rate) crystallization of polymeric material, different sets of model parameters are required to describe crystallization at different rates, thereby increasing the total number of model parameters. In addition, due to the uncorrelated nature of these model parameters with the cooling or heating rate, accurate modeling at any intermediate condition is not possible. In the present work, these two limitations of the conventional approach have been eliminated by exhibiting the existence of a functional relationship between cooling or heating rate and effective activation energy during nonisothermal melt or cold crystallization in three linear aromatic polyesters. Furthermore, it has been shown that when the JMAK model is used in conjunction with this functional relationship, it is possible to precisely predict the experimental nonisothermal melt or cold crystallization kinetics at any linear cooling or heating rate with a single set of model parameters.     

On the conformational stability and dimerization of phosphotransferase enzyme I from Escherichia coli

The activity of enzyme I (EI), the first protein in the bacterial PEP:sugar phosphotransferase system, is regulated by a monomer–dimer equilibrium where a Mg²⁺-dependent autophosphorylation by PEP requires the homodimer. Using inactive EI(H189A), in which alanine is substituted for the active-site His189, substrate binding effects can be separated from those of phosphorylation. Whereas 1 mM PEP (with 2 mM Mg²⁺) strongly promotes dimerization of EI(H189A) at pH 7.5 and 20 °C, 5 mM pyruvate (with 2 mM Mg²⁺) has the opposite effect. A correlation between the coupling of N- and C-terminal domain unfolding, measured by differential scanning calorimetry, and the dimerization constant for EI, determined by sedimentation equilibrium, is observed. That is, when the coupling between N- and C-terminal domain unfolding produced by 0.2 or 1.0 mM PEP and 2 mM Mg²⁺ is inhibited by 5 mM pyruvate, the dimerization constant for EI(H189A) decreases from >10⁸ to <5 × 10⁵ or 3 × 10⁷ M⁻¹, respectively. With 2 mM Mg²⁺ at 15–25 °C and pH 7.5, PEP has been found to bind to one site/monomer of EI(H189A) with K_A′10⁶ M⁻¹ (ΔG′=−33.7±0.2 kJ mol⁻¹ and ΔH=+16.3 kJ mol⁻¹ at 20 °C with ΔC_p=−1.4 kJ K⁻¹ mol⁻¹). The binding of PEP to EI(H189A) is synergistic with that of Mg²⁺. Thus, physiological concentrations of PEP and Mg²⁺ increase, whereas pyruvate and Mg²⁺ decrease the amount of dimeric, active, dephospho-enzyme I.     

Two‐ and Three‐Dimensional Molecular Organization of Schiff‐Base Derivatives

We have designed and synthesized a series of Schiff base derivatives, and studied their structural features in two‐dimensional (2D) and three‐dimensional (3D) states by combining scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) and X‐ray diffraction experiments. The Schiff‐base derivatives with short alkyl chains crystallize easily, which allows a detailed structural analysis by X‐ray diffraction. Due to the strong adsorbate–substrate interactions, those bases with long alkyl chains easily form 2D assemblies on highly oriented pyrolytic graphite (HOPG). The STM images indicate also that the introduction of two methoxy groups into the molecule can change the structure of these 2D assemblies as a result of the increased steric hindrances, for example: the Schiff‐base derivative, bearing both methoxy groups and C₁₆H₃₃ tails, forms 2D Moiré patterns, and an alignment of pairing Schiff‐base molecules may be easily resolved. Conversely, the Schiff base derivative, bearing solely C₁₆H₃₃ tails, forms 2D non‐Moiré patterns. It is demonstrated that the 3D structural features result from the compromise of intermolecular interactions of different molecular moieties. However, there is one more factor, which also governs the 2D structure: the adsorbate‐substrate interaction. The 3D crystal structure may thus help to understand many factors involved in the formation of 2D structures, and would be helpful for designing new molecular assemblies with tailoring functions.     

Poly(butylene terephthalate)/poly(ε-caprolactone) blends: Influence of PCL molecular mass on PBT melting and crystallization behavior

The isothermal crystallization kinetics and melting behavior of poly(butylene terephthalate) (PBT) in binary blends with poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL) was investigated as a function of PCL molecular mass by differential scanning calorimetry and optical microscopy. The components are miscible in the melt when oligomeric PCL (M_w = 1250) is blended with PBT, whereas only partial miscibility was found in mixtures with higher molecular mass (M_w = 10,000 and 50,000). The equilibrium melting point of PBT in the homopolymer and in blends with PCL was determined through a non-linear extrapolation of the T_m = f(T_c) curve. The PBT spherulitic growth rate and bulk crystallization rate were found to increase with respect to plain PBT in blends with PCL1250 and PCL10000, whereas addition of PCL50000 causes a reduction of PBT solidification rate. The crystallization induction times were determined by differential scanning calorimetry for all the mixtures through a blank subtraction procedure that allows precise estimation of the crystallization kinetics of fast crystallizing polymers. The results have been discussed on the basis of the Hoffman-Lauritzen crystallization theory and considerations on both the transport of chains towards the crystalline growth front and the energy barrier for the formation of critical nuclei in miscible and partially miscible PBT/PCL mixtures are widely debated.     

Cross-linking epoxide resins with hydrolysates of chrome-tanned leather waste

Differential scanning calorimetry was employed to investigate the reaction of diglycidyl ethers of bisphenol A (DGEBA) of mean molecular mass 348–480 Da, with collagen hydrolysate of chrome-tanned leather waste in a solvent-free environment. The reaction leads to biodegradable polymers that might facilitate recycling of plastic parts in products of the automotive and/or aeronautics industry provided with protective films on this basis. The reaction proceeds in a temperature interval of 205–220°C, at temperatures approx. 30–40°C below temperature of thermal degradation of collagen hydrolysate. The found value of reaction enthalpy, 519.19 J g⁻¹ (= 101.24 kJ mol⁻¹ of epoxide groups) corresponds with currently found enthalpy values of the reaction of oxirane ring with amino groups. Reaction heat depends on the composition of reaction mixture (or on mass fraction of diglycidyl ethers in the reaction mixture); proving the dependence of kinetic parameters of the reaction (Arrhenius pre-exponential factor A (min⁻¹) and activation energy E _a (kJ mol⁻¹)) did not succeed. Obtained values of kinetic parameters are on a level corresponding to the assumption that reaction kinetics is determined by diffusion.     

Thermal analysis study of the effect of molecular weight on constrained amorphous phase in poly(phenylene sulfide)

We report a thermal analysis study of the effect of molecular weight on the amorphous phase structure of poly(phenylene sulfide), PPS, crystallized at temperatures just above the glass transition temperature. Thermal properties of Fortron PPS, having viscosity average molecular weights of 30000 to 91000, were characterized using temperature modulated differential scanning calorimetry (MDSC). We find that while crystallinity varies little with molecular weight, the heat capacity increment at the glass transition decreases as molecular weight decreases. This leads to a smaller liquid-like amorphous phase, and a larger rigid amorphous fraction, in the lower molecular weight PPS. For all molecular weights, constrained fraction decreases as the scan rate decreases.This research is supported by the U. S. Army Research Office through contract DAAH04-96-1-0009. The authors thank Hoechst Celanese for providing different molecular weight Fortron samples and Dr. George Collins for providing sample information. The authors acknowledge the assistance of Elizabeth Oyebode and Leonardo Grimaldi with sample preparation and MDSC work.     

Developments on carbon dioxide reduction: Their promise,achievements, and challenges

CO₂ reduction processes continue to be developed for electrosynthesis, energy storage applications, and environmental remediation. A number of promising materials have shown high activity and selectivity to target reduction products. However, the progress has been mainly at a small laboratory scale, and the technical challenges of large scale CO₂ reduction have not been considered adequately. This review covers recent advancements in catalyst materials and cell designs. The leading materials for CO₂ reduction to a number of useful products are presented with their corresponding cell and reactor designs. The latest efforts to progress to industrially relevant scales are discussed, along with the challenges that must be met for carbon dioxide reduction to be a viable route for mass scale production.