Modelisation of the Electric Field Linear Response of an Infinite Aggregate of All-Trans Hexatriene Chains by Electrostatic Interaction Model

A classical electrostatic polarization scheme using the additive distribution procedure has been applied to determine the longitudinal polarizability of an all-trans hexatriene molecule in an infinite stretched fiber. The parameters have been derived from ab initio CPHF/6-31G calculations and the electrostatic scheme has been validated via comparison with ab initio results on small clusters. Upon packing the polarizability of all-trans hexatriene increases by 7%. This small increase results from the balance between the enhancement of the polarizability due to collinear packing and the reduction associated with lateral packing.     

The synthesis and characterisation of ferromagnetic CaMn2O4 nanowires.

The synthesis of marokite CaMn(2)O(4) nanowires using a hydrothermal method is reported. Transmission electron microscopy and electron diffraction measurements show that the nanowires are polycrystalline in nature with diameters between 10 and 20 nm and lengths ranging from approximately 100 to 500 nm. Most interestingly, in contrast with the bulk material, magnetization measurements show that these nanowires exhibit ferromagnetic ordering with a Curie temperature (T(C)) of approximately 40 K.     

Emulsifier-free emulsion copolymerization of styrene and butyl acrylate. I. Kinetic studies in the absence of surfactant

Soapless emulsion copolymerization of styrene (S) and n-butyl acrylate (BuA) has been investigated using two types of initiator and different comonomer feed mixtures. When using K₂S₂O₈ as initiator, the particle size and size distribution of the final latexes (500 nm and 1.003, respectively) is not significantly affected by the comonomer feed composition, whereas the molecular weight and surface characteristics were found to sharply change at high butyl acrylate content. Based on the most probable particle nucleation mechanism and type of chain termination in the monomer swollen particles, a tentative explanation of these results has been proposed. Replacing persulfate by a carboxylic initiator (4-4′-azobiscyanopentanoic acid) results in the formation of stable particles as α observed with the persulfate, provided the aqueous phase pH is fixed in between 6 and 7. Results on the initiator residue location as a function of the conversion point out that the particle flocculation mechanism is strongly significant in the preparation of such latexes.     

Surface plasmon near-field imaging of very thin microstructured polymer layers

We report on the near-field imaging of microstructured polymer layers deposited on an homogeneous metal thin film on which a surface plasmon mode is excited. The microstructures in the polymer layers are designed by electron beam lithography, and the near-field imaging is performed with a photon scanning tunneling microscope (PSTM). We show that, despite their very small height, the microstructures can be conveniently imaged with a PSTM thanks to the field enhancement at the surface of the metal thin film supporting the surface plasmon. The influence of the illumination conditions on the contrast of the PSTM images is discussed. In particular, we show that both the field enhancement and the near-field intensity distribution around the microstructures depend dramatically upon the illumination conditions, leading to the conclusion that the PSTM is well suited for spatially resolved near-field surface plasmon sensing purposes.     

Mobile-phase-viscosity dependence on DNA separation in slalom chromatography

Slalom chromatography (SC) is an alternative chromatographic procedure for the separation of relatively large double-stranded DNA molecules and is based on a new principle. The retardation of the DNA fragments from the cleavage of the Lambda DNA by the KpnI restriction enzyme was studied using an acetonitrile-phosphate buffer as a mobile phase with various concentrations of viscosity modifier (i.e. glycerol) and a C1 column as a stationary phase. The DNA molecule retention was accurately described over the glycerol concentration range using a model previously established. It was shown that the eluent viscosity increase enhanced the slalom chromatographic capacity to separate the DNA fragments. A connection between SC and 'hydrodynamic chromatography' processes was predicted to link the two processes in a global separation mechanism based on a non-equilibrium principle.     

Analysis of the Association Process Between a Series of Phenol Derivatives with Two Novel Fluorinated Stationary Phase Using the Cl− Anion as Retention Marker

Summary Lithium chloride (LiCl) effect on the retention process of a phenol derivative series was investigated on two types of fluorinated stationary phase (i.e. a silica grafted with fluorinated linear alkyl chain (L-FSP) and a silica grafted with fluorinated aromatic ring stationary phase (A-FSP)). The results showed that the solute retention is enhanced when the A-FSP was used instead of the L-FSP due to additional – interactions. For the two fluorinated stationary phases (FSPs), the phenol-FSP association process can be divided into two LiCl concentration domains demonstrated that it was important to take into account the adsorbtion of Cl^– anion on the FSPs. As well, enthalpy-entropy compensation revealed that the solute retention mechanism was independent of the solute molecular structure and confirmed a change on the solute retention mechanism at a critical LiCl concentration value around 0.02M.     

Chiral discrimination ofN-(dansyl)-dl-amino acids on human serum albumin stationary phase: Effect of a mobile phase modifier

Summary The effect of perchlorate anion as mobile phase modifier on the separation factor, α, forN-(dansyl)-dl-norvaline andN-(dansyl)-dl-tryptophan on a human serum albumin (HSA) column was studied by varying the concentration,c, of the chaotropic agent and the column temperatureT. Gibbs-Helmholtz parameters Δ(ΔH) and Δ(ΔS) between thed andl enantiomers were determined from linear van't Hoff plots of lnα against 1/T. Thermodynamic results indicated that the enhancement of the separation factor observed asc was increased was enthalpically controlled owing to stereoselective H-bonding interactions. Such behavior was used to optimize the chromatographic conditions for separation ofN-(dansyl)-amino acids on HSA.     

Metal phosphonates applied to biotechnologies: a novel approach to oligonucleotide microarrays

A new process for preparing oligonucleotide arrays is described that uses surface grafting chemistry which is fundamentally different from the electrostatic adsorption and organic covalent binding methods normally employed. Solid supports are modified with a mixed organic/inorganic zirconium phosphonate monolayer film providing a stable, well-defined interface. Oligonucleotide probes terminated with phosphate are spotted directly on to the zirconated surface forming a covalent linkage. Specific binding of terminal phosphate groups with minimal binding of the internal phosphate diesters has been demonstrated. The mixed organic/inorganic thin films have also been extended for use arraying DNA duplex probes, and therefore represent a viable general approach to DNA-based bioarrays. Ideas for interfacing mixed organic/inorganic interfaces to other bioapplications are also discussed.     

Ab initio study of the electronic and structural properties of the crystalline polyethyleneimine polymer

Polyethyleneimine is a very interesting polymer, not only for its extensive use in biological applications, but also for its crystal structure as a double-stranded helix in the anhydrous state. In order to elucidate the electronic bulk properties of the crystalline (or linear) polyethyleneimine built from ethylenediamine molecules in anhydrous conditions, we performed ab initio density functional theory calculations on water-free molecular crystal structures. The resulting polymer is a semiconductor with a small band gap: Eg = 0.40 eV.