Non-debye nature in thermal relaxation and thermal properties of lithium borate glasses studied by modulated DSC

Complex heat capacity, C _p ^*=C _p ^'–iC _p ^', of lithium borate glasses xLi₂O·(1–x)B₂O₃ (molar fraction x=0.00–0.30) has been investigated by Modulated DSC. We have analyzed the shape of C _p ^* by the Cole-Cole plot, performed fitting by the Havriliak-Negami equation, and then determined the parameters related to the non-Debye nature of thermal relaxation. Moreover, the concentration dependence of the thermal properties has been investigated. Glass transition temperatures become higher with the increase of molar fraction of Li₂O and shows the board peak around x=0.26. Temperature ranges of glass transitions become narrower with the increase of Li₂O concentration.     

The microdetermination of molecular weight by vapor pressure equilibration

An improved apparatus for the determination of molecular weight is described. It uses the isopiestic principle in which three solutions of the same solvent and different solutes equilibrate by distillation to equal vapor pressure in a common container. The main advantages claimed for this apparatus are ease of manipulation and more precise weighing of the solutions.     

Anisotropic pseudorotation of the photoexcited triplet state of fullerene C60 in molecular glasses studied by pulse EPR

Spin-polarized echo-detected electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectra and the transversal relaxation rate T2(-1) of the photoexcited triplet state of fullerene C60 molecules were studied in o-terphenyl, 1-methylnaphthalene, and decalin glassy matrices. The model is composed of a fast (correlation time approximately 10(-12) s) pseudorotation of (3)C60 in a local anisotropic potential created by interaction of the fullerene molecule with the surrounding matrix molecules. In simulations, this potential is assumed to be axially symmetric around some axis of a preferable orientation in a matrix cage. The fitted value of the potential was found to depend on the type of glass and to decrease monotonically with a temperature increase. A sharp increase of the T2(-1) temperature dependence was found near 240 K in glassy o-terphenyl and near 100 K in glassy 1-methylnaphthalene and decalin. This increase probably is related to the influence on the pseudorotation of the onset of large-amplitude vibrational molecular motions (dynamical transition in glass) that are known for glasses from neutron scattering and molecular dynamics studies. The obtained results suggest that molecular and spin dynamics of the triplet fullerene are extremely sensitive to molecular motions in glassy materials.     

Kinetics of crystallization of metallic glasses studied by non-isothermal and isothermal DSC

A method for describing the lengths of induction periods at linear-heating measurements, is employed for the study of induction periods in the crystallisation of metallic glasses. For Fe₇₅Si₁₅B₁₀ glass, close values of the related kinetic parameters were obtained from isothermal and nonisothermal measurements. On the basis of the results obtained, the absence of induction period in the first crystallisation step of Al₉₀Fe₇Nb₃ glass in the isothermal DSC measurement has been elucidated.     

Stability of two-dimensional crystalline aggregates of a protein studied by molecular dynamics

Two-dimensional protein (ferritin) aggregates with a square lattice symmetry, which were formed within a thin liquid layer on a mercury surface, were studied by molecular dynamics (MD) simulation. For the simulation, the ferritin molecule was modeled by an assembly of 49 spheres, and the intermolecular interactions were given by simple formulae. During the simulation, molecules were confined within a layer, which corresponds to the thin liquid layer. An annealing MD simulation was done starting from a random molecular configuration within the layer, and aggregates with the square lattice symmetry were also obtained. To study the stability of aggregates, dissociation processes of the aggregates were analyzed using MD simulations at room temperature. Interactions between the nearest-neighbor molecules were regarded as bonds. Mean bond energies and correlation coefficients between the bond energies were calculated from the MD trajectories. A decay profile according to the dissociation was obtained, yielding a dissociation rate constant. Buried bonds were stronger than peripheral bonds. The larger the aggregate size, the stronger the bond for each of the buried and peripheral bonds. A simple theoretical account, which is applicable to a general bonded network, was introduced to analyze the dynamics of the aggregates. © 1994 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Hydration of superoxide studied by molecular dynamics simulation

Molecular dynamics was used to study the hydration of superoxide (O). The Helmholtz free energy of hydration of O was estimated by the thermodynamic integration method. The diffusion of O and the water structure around O were also studied. Two water models were used in the calculations and the results were compared to experiments.     

Physical aging of polycarbonate investigated by dynamic viscoelasticity

The physical aging of polycarbonate was investigated with dynamic viscoelastic measurements. Physical aging was observed for samples aged at 110 °C (QA) and room temperature (QP) after being quenched from the molten state. The shapes of the temperature dispersion curves of the dynamic viscoelastic functions (E′, E″, and tan δ) of the QA and QP samples changed with aging time in a temperature range below the glass‐transition temperature (T_g). However, at temperatures close to but below T_g, the curves for the aged samples merged into the curve of the quenched sample at a temperature denoted T_H. T_H increased with aging time. The experimental results suggest that the aged sample has a memory of having been quenched and that as the sample approaches the equilibrium state, this memory is lost. Differential scanning calorimetry thermograms showed an endothermic peak below T_g for the QA samples. The peak temperature (T_p) also increased with aging time. T_H and T_p of the QA samples were approximately the same. The increase of both T_H and T_p with aging time indicates that the structure of the polymeric chain in the glassy state relaxes over larger segment scale lengths because the scale of the movable segments is related to temperature. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci B: Polym Phys 39: 337–341, 2001     

Synthesis of binary cyclo-tetraphosphates by thermal decomposition of polyphosphate glasses

Binary cyclo-tetraphosphates Me ₂ ^II -_xM _x ^II P₄O₁₂ were synthetized via the thermal decomposition and recrystallization of polyphosphate glasses, i.e. binary higher linear phosphates (Me ₂ ^II -_xM _x ^II )_n/4H₂P_nO_3n+l. The syntheses ofc-Zn₂-_xMg_xP₄O₁₂ andc-Zn₂-_xCa_xP₄O₁₂ are presented as examples.

---

Zusammenfassung Mittels thermischer Zersetzung und Rekristallisierung von Polyphosphatgläsern, d.h. von binärem höherem, linearem Phosphat der Formel Me ₂ ^II -_xM _x ^II _n/4H₂P_nO_3n+1 wurden in unserem Laboratorium die binären Cyclotetraphosphate Me ₂ ^II M ₂ ^II P₄O₁₂ synthetisiert. Als Beispiel wird die Synthese vonc-Zn₂-_xMg_xP₄O₁₂ undc-Zn₂-_xCa_xP₄O₁₂ beschrieben.

     

Behavior of foods studied by thermal analysis: Introduction

In the investigation of foods by thermal analysis and calorimetric techniques, many physico-chemical effects can be observed in the temperature range between –50 and 300°C. These thermal phenomena may be either endothermic, such as melting, gelatinization, denaturation, evaporation or exothermic, such as crystallization, oxydation, fermentation. Glass transitions are observed as a shift in the base line; this information, associated with water content and water activity determinations, is of particular interest in relation to storage of food powders but also for gas retention in powders foreseen to foam when dissolved.The thermal behavior of foods strongly depends on their composition; we therefore present first the thermal characteristics of the major food constituents: carbohydrates, lipids, proteins, water and then of raw and reconstituted food.This revised version was published online in November 2005 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Formation of niobium nitride by rapid thermal processing

The formation of group V transition metal nitride films by means of rapid thermal processing (RTP) has been investigated. Here we focus on the nitridation of niobium films of 200-500 nm thickness in the temperature range from 500 to 1,100 degrees C under laminar flow of molecular nitrogen or ammonia. The nitride phases formed were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD). Secondary neutral mass spectrometry (SNMS) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) in combination with electron energy loss spectroscopy (EELS) were carried out on samples of selected experiments to provide more detailed information about the initial stages of nitride formation and the microstructure of the films. A classical formation sequence of nitride phases was observed with increasing nitrogen content in the order: alpha-Nb(N) --> beta-Nb2N --> gamma-Nb4N3 --> delta'-NbN --> Nb5N6. Furthermore, oxide enriched regions were discovered inside the metal films. These turned out to be formed mainly in the nitride sequence between the a-alphaNb(N) and beta-Nb2N-phases at the Nb/SiO2 interface due to a reaction of the Nb with the SiO2 layer of the silicon substrates on which the films had been deposited. The SiO2 layer acts as diffusion barrier for nitrogen but also as source for oxygen, according to SNMS and TEM/EELS studies, resulting in the formation of Nb-oxides and/or oxynitrides at the Nb/SiO2 interface.     

Competing channels in the thermal decomposition of azidoacetone studied by pyrolysis in combination with molecular beam mass spectrometric techniques

The thermal decomposition of azidoacetone (CH3COCH2N3) was studied using a combined experimental and computational approach. Flash pyrolysis at a range of temperatures (296-1250 K) was used to induce thermal decomposition, and the resulting products were expanded into a molecular beam and subsequently analyzed using electron bombardment ionization coupled to a quadrupole mass spectrometer. The advantages of this technique are that the parent molecules spend a very short time in the pyrolysis zone (20-30 mus) and that the subsequent expansion permits the stabilization of thermal products that are not observable using conventional pyrolysis methods. A detailed analysis of the mass spectra as a function of pyrolysis temperature revealed the participation of five thermal decomposition channels. Ab initio calculations on the stable structures and transition states of the azidoacetone system in combination with an analysis of the dissociative ionization pattern of each channel allowed the identity and mechanism of each channel to be elucidated. At low temperatures (296-800 K) the azide decomposes principally by the loss of N2 to yield the imine (CH3COCHNH), which can further decompose to CH3CO and CHNH. At low and intermediate temperatures a process involving the loss of N2 to yield CH3CHO and HCN is also open. Finally, at high temperatures (800-1250 K) a channel in which the azide decomposes to a stable cyclic amine (CO(CH2)2NH) (after loss of N2) is active. The last channel involves subsequent thermal decomposition of this cyclic amine to ketene (H2CCO) and methanimine (H2CNH).     

Molecular motions of alpha-cyclodextrin on a dodecyl chain studied by molecular dynamics simulations

Motions of an alpha-cyclodextrin (alpha-CD) molecule on a dodecyl chain adopting the all-trans conformation were investigated in the presence of water by molecular dynamics simulations with CVFF force fields, where the trimethylammonium group of dodecyltrimethylammonium bromide (DTAB) is protruded outside the secondary hydroxyl rim of alpha-CD (the secondary-in structure). The alpha-CD molecule shuttled rapidly on the chain without decomplexation. This rapid motion is consistent with the NMR data. The plane formed by 6 O4 atoms of alpha-CD is most populated between the C6 and C7 atoms of DTAB. This structure is very close to that estimated by NMR. The alpha-CD molecule underwent a restricted rotation in a range of 60 degrees with regard to the plane of the dodecyl chain: this plane at the most population is middle between the two diagonal lines of the normal hexagon formed by 6 O4 atoms of alpha-CD. The published NMR data were reanalyzed in terms of the rotation angle, and a slightly better structure was obtained. The distortion of the alpha-CD cavity from the normal hexagon was decreased upon complex formation with DTAB. The deviation of the center of alpha-CD from the center of the dodecyl chain predicted by molecular dynamics simulations is consistent with the NMR data. The secondary-in structure is energetically more stable than the primary-in structure, as calculated by molecular mechanics with CVFF and Amber force fields. This result is consistent with the NMR data. Molecular dynamics simulations were also carried out for the primary-in structure. Some of the results are close to those of the secondary-in structure.     

Composition and temperature dependence of cesium-borate glasses by molecular dynamics

The structural aspects of xCs2O-(1-x)B2O3 glasses have been investigated by molecular dynamics as functions of Cs2O content (x=0.2, 0.3, and 0.4) and temperature (T=300 and 1250 K). The tetrahedral (B?4-) and triangular (B?3,B?2O-, and B?O2 (2-)) short-range order borate units were found to be the structure-building entities of the simulated glasses [?=bridging oxygen (BO) and O-=nonbridging oxygen (NBO) atom]. The increase of Cs2O content results in the progressive increase of the NBO-containing triangle population at the expense of the BO4- tetrahedral units. The same effect is caused by temperature increase at a fixed Cs2O content, and this was associated with the "fragile" characteristics of alkali borate glasses. A comparison of simulated Cs and Li borates showed very similar structures at x=0.2, but dissimilar ones when the alkali content exceeds this composition. In particular, for x>0.2 Cs borates exhibit a preference for NBO formation relative to Li borates. Differences in the microstructure of sites hosting Cs ions were found, and this permits their classification into bridging (b type) and nonbridging type (nb type) of sites. b-type sites consist exclusively of BO atoms, while both BO and NBO atoms participate in nb-type sites. These differences in Cs-site local bonding characteristics were found to be reflected on the Cs-O(site) vibration frequencies. Also, the computed Cs-O vibrational responses for simulated Cs borates were found to compare well with experimental far-infrared spectra.     

A novel adenosine-based molecular beacon probe for room temperature nucleic acid rapid detection in cotton thread device

We used cotton thread as substrate to develop a novel room temperature DNA detection device for low-cost, sensitive and rapid detection of a human genetic disease, hereditary tyrosinemia type I related DNA sequences. A novel adenosine based molecular beacon (ABMB) probe modified on gold nanoparticle was used as reporter probe. In the presence of coralyne, a small molecule which can react with adenosines, the ABMB would form a hairpin structure just like traditional molecular beacon used extensively. In the presence of target DNA sequences, the hairpin structure of ABMB modified on gold nanoparticles will be opened and the biotin group modified at one end of the DNA probes will be released and react with the streptavidin immobilized on the test zone of the cotton thread. The response of the thread based DNA test device is linear over the range of 2.5–100 nM complementary DNA. The ability of our developed device for discriminating the single base mismatched DNA related to a human genetic disease, hereditary tyrosinemia type I, was improved comparing with previous report. It is worth mentioning that the whole assay procedure for DNA test is performed under room temperature which simplified the assay procedures greatly.     

Comparison of antioxidants for combined radiation and thermal aging and superposition of radiation and thermal aging for EPR and XLPE

Thermal and combined thermal and radiation aging of low voltage EPR and XLPE cable insulation with Agerite MA antioxidant and with the ZMTI/Aminox antioxidant system was examined to compare the relative effectiveness of the antioxidant and polymer systems. All provided significant stability with no clear choice of any particular combination being superior to the others. A comparison of degradation from thermal and radiation aging with degradation from combined thermal/radiation aging showed that the damage from the individual aging effects was superposable. This indicates that synergistic effects have little importance for the EPRs and XLPEs tested under the aging conditions observed.     

Solution structure of papain as studied by molecular mechanics and molecular dynamics techniques

In this paper, we report the molecular mechanics and molecular dynamics studies of the hydration of papain using the AMBER and CHARMm programs. We studied papain in an environment with minimal hydration involving only the X-ray waters and also in the hydrated environment by adding an extra 9 Å layer of water around the residues. The effect of nonbond cutoff was studied by performing minimizations with 8 Å and 15 Å nonbond cutoffs using the program AMBER. Two different solvent models—a constant dielectric and a distance-dependent dielectric—were considered. The AMBER-minimized structure and the average structure obtained from the CHARMm simulations for papain solvated with X-ray waters are presented and compared with the X-ray crystal structure results. Results of a similar comparison of the hydrated structures were also presented. The calculated root mean square deviation between the minimized structure and the X-ray structure is smaller for the hydrated system than for the system hydrated with only the X-ray waters. Results of the molecular mechanics and molecular dynamics simulations were presented for the various regions of papain. The hydration of the active site of papain and the effect of hydration on the torsional motion of the active site residues are presented. © 1996 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

State of alkali azides in zeolites studied by thermal analysis

Thermal behaviour of pure LiN₃, NaN₃, CsN₃ and their mixture with the respective LiY-FAU, NaY-FAU, CsY-FAU zeolite was investigated by means of thermogravimetry and IR spectroscopy. Thermodesorption of CO₂ was applied to compare the basicity of the alkali ionexchanged Y zeolites. Two of the investigated systems, the NaN₃/NaY-FAU and the CsN₃/CsY-FAU gave single, well defined and reproducible azide decomposition features rendering these samples to apply as catalyst precursors for preparation of zeolite with basic character.     

A minimum principle for molecular systems allowing the use of discontinuous wave functions

In this paper the minimum principle proposed for atomic systems by Hall, Hyslop and Rees [1] is generalized to molecules. It is shown that this generalization retains the advantage of admitting the use of a larger class of trial wave functions, for example those with discontinuities, than is possible in the usual minimum energy principle. The further advantage that the upper bounds obtained by this treatment are always at least as good as those of the Rayleigh-Ritz method is also preserved. The theory is applied to the H ion, potential energy curves are obtained for various “cut-off” wave functions, and the equilibrium internuclear distance is calculated. The optimization of the “cut-off” region so that the upper bound is minimized is also discussed.