Site-directed molecular assembly on templates structured with electron-beam lithography

We describe a simple method for patterning biomolecular films on surfaces with high resolution. A conventional polymeric resist is structured by electron-beam lithography. The exposed and developed patterns are then used for the directed self-assembly (SA) of a first molecule from solution. Removal of the remaining resist allows the SA of a second species. We illustrate the potential of the approach by assembling on gold (Au) substrates two alkanethiols of contrasting terminal functionality. The patterns have dimensions from the micrometer range down to 40 nm and an edge resolution of 3.5 nm.     

Infrared laser ablation study of pressed soil pellets with inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry

Potential of infrared laser ablation (LA) coupled with ICP-AES as a technique suitable for the determination of trace elements (Zn, Cu, Ni, Cr, and V) in agricultural soils was studied. Operating parameters such as laser beam energy, laser beam focusing with respect to the sample surface, and velocity of the sample translation in the plane perpendicular to the laser beam were optimized. Soil samples were mixed with powdered Ag as a binder, and an internal standard (GeO(2)), and pressed into pellets. Calibration samples were prepared by adding known amounts of oxides of elements of interest into soils of known elemental composition and then processed in the same way as the analyzed samples. Calibration curves were found to be linear at least up to several hundreds of mg kg(-1) for the elements of interest. The elemental contents obtained by using LA-ICP-AES were compared with those obtained by analysis using wet chemistry followed by ICP-AES with pneumatic nebulization (PN). The results were in good agreement. Accuracy was also tested using certified reference soils with a bias not exceeding 10% relative.     

Deposition of copper films by unbalanced d.c. magnetron sputtering

The electrical resistivity of as deposited polycrystalline copper thin films as a function of varying the process parameters has been investigated. Trying to minimize the resistivity of the copper thin films is important in the semiconductor industry, due to the fact that low resistivity copper can be employed to great advantage for new metallization schemes in advanced ultralarge scale integrated circuits. This paper presents the optimum choice of parameters that are necessary to achieve low resistivities of the thin films in reproducible experiments. All the depositions were performed using an unbalanced d.c. planar magnetron sputtering source (consisting of a circular copper target (98% purity, 0.01% Fe, 0.005% Ni, 0.005% Si) with a diameter of 100mm fitted with two electromagnets). The copper thin films were deposited onto glass substrates with argon being used as the sputtering gas. The resistivity was studied as a function of the pressure of the sputtering gas, the substrate bias, the substrate to target distance, the magnetron power, and the substrate temperature. It was found that depositions producing thin films with a resistivity of that approaching the bulk material (1.7×10^–8m) were obtained if the sputtering gas pressure was below 0.2 Pa. The effect of the substrate bias was insignificant at these pressures. The crystallographic structure of the copper thin films, determined by X-ray diffraction, is also reported.The authors would like to thank Dr. Soukup for his support during this research. We would also like to express our gratitude to Mr. A. Rajský for improving the design of the sputtering device. This work was partially financed by a grant from the Grant Agency of the Czech Republic No. 202/93/0508.     

Application of capillary electrochromatography using macroporous polyacrylamide columns for the analysis of lignans from seeds of Schisandra chinensis

Capillary electrochromatography (CEC) using polymer-based monolithic stationary phase has been developed as a promising method for the determination of lignans of Schisandra chinensis. The columns were prepared by in situ copolymerisation of acrylamide, N,N'-methylenebisacrylamide, vinylsulfonic acid and lauryl acrylate in presence of poly(ethylene glycol) as a porogenic agent. The columns [33 cm (24.5 cm effective length) x 75 microm I.D.] were successfully used to analyse and quantify the major lignans in extract of the seeds of Schisandra chinensis. Good separations were achieved in less than 35 min. The calibration graphs were linear in the range 0.025-1.0 mg/ml of given lignan with correlation coefficients between 0.9951 and 0.9996. The inter-day reproducibility of the peak area were below 3.9% and the inter-day reproducibility of the migration time were below 4.2%. The results of quantitative CEC analyses were compared with those obtained by reversed-phase HPLC, the levels of schizandrin, gomisin A, gomisin N and wuweizisu C determined by CEC were in a good agreement with those determined by HPLC.     

Einfache Natriumbestimmung durch Ionenaustauscher Lewatit S 100

Zusammenfassung Es wird eine Methode zur Bestimmung von Natrium mittels Tetraphenyloborat angegeben. Mit Hilfe eines stark sauren Kationaustauschers in der Kaliumform wird das Natrium quantitativ und stöchoimetrisch gegen Kalium ausgetauscht und dieses mit Kalignost bestimmt.Durch Verwendung einer neuartigen Säule wird das Volumen des Filtrats gering gehalten.Eine Natriumgesamtbestimmung erfordert etwa eine Stunde Zeitdauer. Die reine Arbeitszeit beträgt 25 min.Herrn Prof. Dr. A. Kurtenacker zum 70. Geburtstag gewidmet.     

HF heating of a plasma column at frequencies below the electron cyclotron frequency

Dispersion of waves, excited by the helical structure in a plasma column and the heating of a tail of the electron distribution function is studied at frequencies below the electron plasma and the electron cyclotron frequency.We wish to thank Dr. R.Klíma for valuable discussions and Dr. J.Lacina and Mrs. P.Jaroová for the computational work. We also thank Dr. L.Bárdo, Dr. L.Kryka and Dr. G. L.Khorosanov from Sukhumi Institute, USSR, for their help during different stages of the experiment. We are indebted to Mr. J.Dvoák, Mr. F.Jiránek and Mr. B.usta for their expert technical assistance.     

Spectrocoulometric study of the hydrolysis of the tris (1,10-phenanthroline)iron(III) complex ion

The spectrocoulometric technique reported earlier is applied to verify the mechanism and to evaluate the contributions k_Bi of the individual bases to the total rate constant k of the hydrolysis of the tris (1,10-phenanthroline) iron(III) complex, Fe (phen)³⁺₃. Both normal and “open-circuit” spectrocoulometric experiments are used. Partial rate constants for four bases in the acetate-buffered solutions are k_H2O=(3.4±1.2) × 10^?4s^?1 (k_H2O includes the H₂O concentration), k_OH=(1.20±0.06)×10⁷ mol^?1dm³s^?1, k_phen=(1.4±0.2) mol^?1dm³s^?1, k_Ac=(3.8±0.3)×10^?2 mol^?1dm³s^?1, at 25°C and ionic strength 0.5 mol dm^?3. The Fe(phen)³⁺³ hydrolysis, with (phen)₂ (H₂O) Fe-O-Fe (H₂O) (phen)⁴⁺² formation, is first order with respect to Fe (phen)³⁺³ and the bases present in the solution. The rate-determining step in the hydrolysis is the entry of a base to the coordinating sphere of the complex, as in the hydrolysis of the analogous 2,2′-bipyridyl complex.     

Interferences in the determination of aluminium by means of atomic absorption spectrophotometry

Summary The following substances have been investigated with regard to their interfering effect in the determination of aluminium by atomic absorption spectrophotometry: HCl, H₂SO₄, HNO₃, H₃PO₄, alkali and alkaline earth metals, Cu, Fe, Zn, Ni, Mn, Co, Mo, Ti, Cr, V, Si. Ternary systems with La have been examined also. Si exerts a strong depressive effect, whereas other elements in certain concentration ranges exhibit positive effects.

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Störungen bei der atomabsorptionsspektralphotometrischen Bestimmung von Aluminium

Zusammenfassung Folgende Substanzen wurden hinsichtlich einer möglichen Beeinflussung der Aluminiumbestimmung untersucht: HCl, H₂SO₄, HNO₃, H₃PO₄, Alkalimetalle, Erdalkalimetalle, Cu, Fe, Zn, Ni, Mn, Co, Mo, Ti, Cr, V, Si. Ternäre Systeme mit La wurden ebenfalls geprüft. Si übt eine stark depressive Wirkung aus, während andere Elemente in bestimmten Konzentrationsbereichen positiv wirken.

Lecture given on the 2nd Czechoslovak Conference on Flame Speotroscopy, Zvíkov, June 5–8, 1973.     

Non-destructive measurement of the mobility in semiconductors by means of the microwave Faraday effect

The paper describes the measurement of the electron mobility in semiconducting plates placed between two cylindrical antennas with diameterd–0·75 ₀ by means of the microwave Faraday effect. This system enables (i) to measure the Faraday rotation in semiconducting plates of arbitrary transverse dimensions, greater or at least equal to the diameter of dielectric antennas, (ii) to evaluate the unknown value of the charge carrier mobility from the measured rotation in an unbounded solid state plasma slab approximation. The measurement of the Faraday rotation in n-type Ge plates are reported. The comparison of the experimental data with the theory shows good agreement.