Physical implications of multi-neighbor activations in the master equation

In this letter we show how multi-neighbor activations can arise from applications of the master equation to physical models, and how such randomized activations can be solved by homotopy mapping.     

Synthesis of Biomorphic ZrO2-CeO2 Nanostructures by Silkworm Silk Template

以桑蚕丝为模板制备多级生物形态结构ZrO₂-CeO₂. 整个合成过程是由桑蚕丝模板的导向作用决定的. 分析结果表明ZrO₂-CeO₂结晶良好,呈多级网络中空纤维结构,直径为16～28μm,800 oC煅烧后ZrO₂-CeO₂晶粒尺寸约为14 nm.     

Solvent effect on the photophysical properties of the anticancer agent ellipticine

This paper investigates how solution conditions, especially solvent polarity and hydrogen bonding, affect the fluorescence of ellipticine, a natural plant alkaloid with anticancer activity. A total of 16 solvents that cover a wide range of polarities were tested. The ultraviolet (UV) absorption and fluorescence emission of ellipticine were found to be solvent dependent. The absorption and emission maximum shifted to higher wavelengths (red shift) with increased solvent polarity. The difference in absorption and emission maximum (Stokes' shift) was large, approximately 10,000-11,000 cm-1, in polar solvents (with orientation polarizability Deltaf>0.2) but unusually small, approximately 8900 cm-1, in nonpolar solvents (hexane and cyclohexane). Large Stokes' shifts were due to an intramolecular charge transfer (ICT), which was enabled by large solvent polarity and hydrogen bonding of ellipticine with the solvents. Two transitions were found in the Lippert-Mataga plot between (1) nonpolar and semipolar solvents and between (2) semipolar and polar solvents. The first transition reflected the formation of hydrogen bonds between ellipticine and the solvents whereas the second transition indicated that ellipticine underwent an ICT. In addition, the larger extinction coefficients and the longer lifetime of ellipticine obtained in protic solvents were attributed to the formation of stronger hydrogen bonds. The photophysical response of ellipticine to changes in solvent polarity and hydrogen bond formation could be used to infer the location of ellipticine in a heterogeneous medium, namely liposomes in aqueous solution. A relatively large red shift of emission in liposomes indicated that ellipticine may be in a more polar environment with respect to the lipid bilayer, possibly close to the hydrophilic interface.     

Design and construction of a compact end-station at NSRRC for circular-dichroism spectra in the vacuum-ultraviolet region

A synchrotron‐radiation‐based circular‐dichroism end‐station has been implemented at beamline BL04B at the National Synchrotron Radiation Research Center (NSRRC) in Taiwan for biological research. The design and performance of this compact end‐station for measuring circular‐dichroism spectra in the vacuum‐ultraviolet region are described. The linearly polarized light from the beamline is converted to modulated circularly polarized light with a LiF photoelastic modulator to provide a usable wavelength region of 130–330 nm. The light spot at the sample position is 5 mm × 5 mm at a slit width of 300 µm and provides a flux greater than 1 × 10¹¹ photons s^?1 (0.1% bandwidth)^?1. A vacuum‐compatible cell made of two CaF₂ windows has a variable path length from 1.3 µm to 1 mm and a temperature range of 253–363 K. Measured CD spectra of (1S)‐(+)‐10‐camphorsulfonic acid and proteins demonstrated the ability of this system to extend the wavelength down to 172 nm in aqueous solution and 153 nm in hexafluoro‐2‐propanol.     

GaN-nanowire-based dye-sensitized solar cells

GaN nanowires typically exhibit high electron mobility and excellent chemical stability. However, stability of GaN is detrimental for successful attachment of dye molecules and its application in dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). Here we demonstrate DSSCs based on GaN/gallium oxide and GaN/TiO _x core–shell structures, and we show that coating of GaN nanowires with a TiO _x shell significantly increases dye adsorption and consequently photovoltaic performance. The best cells exhibited short circuit current density of 1.83 mA/cm² and power conversion efficiency of 0.44% under AM 1.5 simulated solar illumination.     

Defects in ZnO nanorods prepared by a hydrothermal method

ZnO nanorod arrays were fabricated using a hydrothermal method. The nanorods were studied by scanning electron microscopy, photoluminescence (PL), time-resolved PL, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and positron annihilation spectroscopy before and after annealing in different environments and at different temperatures. Annealing atmosphere and temperature had significant effects on the PL spectrum, while in all cases the positron diffusion length and PL decay times were increased. We found that, while the defect emission can be significantly reduced by annealing at 200 degrees C, the rods still have large defect concentrations as confirmed by their low positron diffusion length and short PL decay time constants.     

Comparison between mathematical modeling and experimental identification of a spatial slider–crank mechanism

In this paper, Hamilton’s principle, Lagrange multiplier, geometric constraints, partitioning method and Baumgarte stabilization method (BSM) are employed to derive the dynamic equations of a spatial slider–crank mechanism that is driven by a servomotor. The formulation considers the effects of links masses, external forces and motor electric inputs. Comparing dynamic responses between the experimental results and numerical simulations, dynamic modeling gives a wonderful interpretation for the spatial slider–crank mechanism. In this paper, a new identification method based on real-coded genetic algorithm (RGA) is presented to identify the parameters of a spatial slider–crank mechanism. The method promotes the calculation efficiency very much, and is calculated by real-code without the operations of encoding and decoding. The results of numerical simulations and experimental results prove that the identification method is feasible. The contributions of this paper are that the comparison of mathematical modeling and identification between numerical simulations and experimental results are all realized.     

Morphology and deformation of melt-spun polyethylene fibers

Studies have been conducted on the melt-spinning and tensile properties of polyethylene fibers. The process whereby a filament of molten polyethylene is converted into a fiber has been noted to occur within an identifiable constriction zone. It has been inferred that this constriction zone results from a mechanical instability caused by different viscous compliances in fiber exterior and interior. This difference makes the skin move faster than the core and creates a flow field that produces a stress-crystallized morphology in the final melt-spun fibers. Birefringence studies on transverse thin sections suggest that the chains are tilted with respect to the fiber axis at an angle which varies with radius but is axially symmetric. Elastic strain in these fibers results largely from cooperative bending and bowing of lamellae. Plastic deformation beyond the yield point appears chiefly to be derived from lamellar tilting in combination with the formation of microfibrillar crystallites.     

A series of fluorenone-carbazole based regioisomers as bipolar host materials for efficient organic light emitting diodes

A series of fluorenone-carbazole based regioisomers (1–4) have been synthesized and applied as host materials for red OLEDs to investigate the effect of different connection configuration on the optoelectronic properties, charge transport capability and device performance. The optoelectronic properties, thermal stability, redox behaviors and charge transport characteristics of these four compounds were fully characterized. These four hosts demonstrated high thermal stability, bipolar charge transport properties and good EL performance. Although these four compounds demonstrated similar HOMO and LUMO energy levels, the twisted structure of 1 led to the smallest singlet-triplet energy gap, which could account in part for the observation of its better EL performance.