Proposed model for growth preference of plate-like nanohydroxyapatite crystals on superhydrophilic vertically aligned carbon nanotubes by electrodeposition

For the first time, the mechanism of growth of plate-like n-HA electrodeposited on superhydrophilic vertically aligned multi-walled carbon nanotubes (VACNT) is presented and a model for the specific growth preference is discussed. Results show that the carboxyl (carboxylic acid)/carboxylate functional groups directly attached on VACNT tips after oxygen plasma treatment were essential for the acceleration of the OH^? formation and the deposition of plate-like HA crystals. FEG-SEM, EDX and XRD showed that a homogeneous highly crystalline HA film, stoichiometric and with preferential growth in the (002) plane direction, was formed.     

Gravity’s Rainbow induces topology change

In this paper the Gribov gap equation at finite temperature is analyzed. The solutions of the gap equation (which depend explicitly on the temperature) determine the structure of the gluon propagator within the semi-classical Gribov approach. The present analysis is consistent with the standard confinement scenario for low temperatures, while for high enough temperatures, deconfinement takes place and a free gluon propagator is obtained. An intermediate regime in between the confined and free phases can be read off from the resulting gluon propagator, which appears to be closely related to partial deconfinement.     

The skin effect in vibrating systems with many concentrated masses

We address the asymptotic behaviour of the vibrations of a body occupying a domain $\Omega\subset\mathbb{R}^n, n=2,3$. The density, which depends on a small parameter $\varepsilon$\nopagenumbers\end , is of the order $O(1)$\nopagenumbers\end out of certain regions where it is $O(\varepsilon^{‐m})$\nopagenumbers\end with $m>2$\nopagenumbers\end . These regions, the concentrated masses with diameter $O(\varepsilon)$\nopagenumbers\end , are located near the boundary, at mutual distances $O(\eta)$\nopagenumbers\end , with $\eta=\eta(\varepsilon)\rightarrow 0$\nopagenumbers\end . We impose Dirichlet (resp. Neumann) conditions at the points of $\partial\Omega$\nopagenumbers\end in contact with (resp. out of) the masses. We look at the asymptotic behaviour, as $\varepsilon\rightarrow 0$\nopagenumbers\end , of the eigenvalues of order $O(1)$\nopagenumbers\end , the high frequencies, of the corresponding eigenvalue problem. We show that they accumulate on the whole positive real axis and characterize those giving rise to global vibrations of the whole system. We use the fact that the corresponding eigenfunctions, microscopically, present a skin effect in the concentrated masses. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Influence of the Thiophene Ring on the Molecular Order of Structurally Simple π-Conjugated Smectogens: 13C NMR Study

Structurally simple rod-like π-conjugated mesogens with thiophene directly connected to phenyl, biphenyl, and fluorenone rings with terminal chains are synthesized respectively. The occurrence of smectic A/smectic C phases is concurred by a hot-stage optical polarising microscope (HOPM), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The static 1D and 2D ¹³C nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) studies in the liquid crystalline phase are carried out to find the alignment-induced chemical shifts (AIS) and ¹³C−¹H dipolar couplings. The orientational order parameters of the mesogens determined from ¹³C−¹H dipolar couplings disclose that the long axis is not only collinear to the C3−C4 bond of the thiophene ring but also for the local axes of phenyl and biphenyl rings. For fluorenone-based mesogen, the molecular biaxiality is found to be high owing to the increased breadth of the molecule. The study unveils that the orientation of thiophene and the phenyl rings is similar in the current mesogens in stark contrast to mesogens, where thiophene is connected to phenyl rings through linking groups.     

Polymers from pine gum components: Radical and coordination homo and copolymerization of pinenes

The present work is aimed at studying the reactivity of α- and β-pinenes in radical polymerization. The pinene homopolymers obtained were oligomers, showing both isomers similar reactivities. In order to achieve products of higher molecular weight, the radical copolymerization of α- and β-pinene with methyl methacrylate and styrene was performed, giving rise to polymers with M̄_w varying from 11 500 to 53 000. In radical copolymerization α-pinene showed to be more reactive than β-pinene. All the radical reactions performed were carried out with a Ziegler-Natta catalyst, TiCl₄/Et₃Al, and with Et₃Al. Under the conditions tested, β-pinene did not undergo any polymerization reaction and the cocatalyst showed a pronounced catalytic effect. The coordination polymers obtained at 5 h had chain lenghts of the same order of magnitude of the corresponding radical copolymers obtained at 50 h, although for much lower overall conversion.