Microcantilever sensing and actuation with end-grafted stimulus-responsive elastin-like polypeptides

Stimulus-responsive elastin-like polypeptides (ELPs) grafted onto surfaces are of significant technical interest because they can be exploited for force generation, in sensing applications, or as molecular switches with tunable properties. Changes in the conformational state of grafted ELPs, induced by a phase transition or changes in osmotic pressure, lead to significant changes in the surface stress in the ELP graft layer and translate into detectable changes in microcantilever deflection. In this study, we investigate the conformational mechanics of ELPs in response to changes in solution pH and ionic strength using atomic force microscopy (AFM) microcantilever deflection and quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) measurements. We show that the use of genetically encoded, surface-grafted ELPs is exciting for cantilever actuation and sensing because commonly available microfabricated cantilever springs offer a simple and nonintrusive way to detect changes in solvent type, temperature, and pH, promising great potential for sensing applications in microfluidic devices.     

Dielectric spectroscopy of the twist grain boundary phase and smectic-like behaviour in the Isotropic Phase

Dielectric properties of a novel liquid crystal with direct transition from isotropic to twist grain boundary (TGB) phase were studied. Measurements were performed over a wide range of temperature in the isotropic phase, TGB_A, TGB_C and SmC* phases. The Arrhenius plot of the relaxation frequency of the molecular process around the short axis shows a variation in the activation energy in the isotropic phase. This is attributed to smectic-like fluctuations in the isotropic phase. The dielectric relaxation strength in the TGB_C phase has anomalous behaviour in the vicinity of TGB_C-SmC* transition. The single cellective process observed in the TGB_C phase splits into two processes in the SmC* phase.     

Neutron inelastic scattering spectra and phase transition of 1,2-dichloroethane crystal

Neutron inelastic scattering spectra of 1,2-dichloroethane crystal have been measured at three temperatures above and below 177°K where the crystal undergoes a broad phase transition. Two and three peaks have been observed in the high and low temperature phases, respectively. The frequency distribution g(v) has been calculated in the first Brillouin zone for the low temperature phase and is compared with the observed spectra. The results show that the phase transition at 177°K is associated with rotational motion of the molecule around the axis passing through two chlorine atoms.     

弛豫基铁电单晶0.91Pb(Zn1/3Nb2/3)O3-0.09PbTiO3的制备与 性能研究

用改进的Bridgman法,在加入助熔剂的条件下,生长出最大尺寸为φ30×25mm^3的铌锌酸铅-钛酸铅固溶体单晶[0.91Pb(Zn1/3Nb2/3)O3-0.09PbTiO3]。无宏观缺陷的晶片的典型尺寸为20×15mm^2。晶体的单晶性及其结构用X射线衍射法加以研究。所得晶体用Laue衍射法定向,取(001)晶片进行性能表征。研究了材料的介电性能,并用偏光显微镜观察了(001)晶片的电畴结构。结果表明,室温下材料的介电常数较大,为2500～5000。随着温度的升高,材料发生四方铁电相—立方顺电相的相变,相变温度为190℃左右。单晶的介电温谱呈现明显的频率色钐现象,同时,介电常数最大值的温度tm随着频率的升高而降低,观察到了电畴结构的不均匀与孪生现象。     

A low temperature phase transition in NaOD near 150 K

A phase transition in NaOD has been observed calorimetrically near 150 K. The estimated enthalpy of the transition is 200(75) $\text{Joules}\text{mole}$. This phase transition has no corresponding analog in the protonated material, NaOH, down to 10 K. Other physical techniques also reveal the phase transition but give slightly varying values for the transition temperature. These techniques include ²³Na nuclear quadrupole resonance, ²³Na nuclear magnetic resonance and ²D magnetic resonance. The resonance experiments indicate that the phase transition is a continuous one and that in the lower temperature phase there is one sodium and deuterium crystal Iographic site per cell. X-ray powder diffraction of the low temperature phase indicates that it is probably monoclinic with a_m = 3.388(1)A, b_m = 11.34(1)A, c_m = 3.418(1)A,β = 90.52° and V = 131 .4ų. The volume of the unit cell is greater at the lower temperature than at the higher temperature. The ²³Na pure quadrupole resonance frequency at 77 K is 1.784(2) MHz with an asymmetry parameter of 0.82(5).     

Space-resolved thermal properties of thermoplastics reinforced with carbon nanotubes

Composites comprising biobased poly(lactic acid) (PLA) and polyethylene (Bio-PE) were reinforced with multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs). These nanocomposites were analyzed using space-resolved thermal analysis (TA) integrated with atomic force microscopy. The deflection temperature, which indicates thermal-induced expansion and thermal transitions of the composite, was monitored by nanoscale TA (nanoTA) utilizing the displacement of a cantilever in contact with the material. Results were compared to bulk electrical, mechanical and thermal properties. Electrical conductivity was detected at lower MWCNT loadings for PLA than for Bio-PE (at 2.5 vs. 5 mass%). Maximal electrical conductivity of 27 S m^?1 for PLA and 0.7 S m^?1 for Bio-PE-based samples was reached at 10 mass% MWCNT loading. Tensile behavior combined with thermogravimetric analysis indicated strong MWCNT–Bio-PE interactions, in contrast to PLA. The glass transition and melting temperature measured by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) were not changed by the increase in MWCNT loading. Increased deflection temperature was registered by bulk heat deflection measurements on Bio-PE, but not for PLA. The thermal transitions obtained by nanoTA at the nanoscale were in the same temperature range as the first transitions observed upon temperature ramp in DSC (e.g., glass transition and melt temperatures of PLA and Bio-PE, respectively). Remarkably, thermal expansion was detected by nanoTA for PLA- and Bio-PE-based composites below electrical percolation threshold as well as an increase in PLA softening temperature. Space-resolved nanothermal analysis revealed thermal phenomena that are otherwise overlooked when bulk methods are applied.     

High-resolution cantilever biosensor resonating at air-liquid in a microchannel

We have developed a highly mass-sensitive cantilever resonating at the interface of air and liquid. The cantilever is applicable as a biosensor by measuring its resonance frequency shift associated with the selective trapping of target molecules. One surface of the cantilever facing to the liquid is functionalized for label-free detection, while the opposite side is exposed to air to improve the resonance characteristics, such as the quality factor. The quality factor at resonance is 15, which is 50% higher than the same cantilever in liquid. The beam was excited through the photothermal effect of a power modulated laser and detected by laser Doppler velocimetry. Due to the proposed configuration, the signal-to-noise-ratio is 5.7 times larger than the completely submerged case. A micro-slit around the cantilever separates the air and liquid phases at a meniscus. We analyzed the cantilever motion including the meniscus membrane, and examined the effect of surface tension by applying various solutions. A slit width of 6 μm was found to give the best performance within the few prototypes. We measured the covalent immobilization of antibody molecules on a cantilever surface for three different concentrations: 20, 40, and 80 μg ml(-1). The kinetics measured by both resonance frequency shift of the cantilever and fluorescent intensity showed good agreement.     

Fluorescence study of a thermotropic liquid crystal: Bis (p-hexyloxyphenyl) terephthalate

The microstructure of the low molecular weight thermotropic liquid crystal, bis(p-hexyloxyphenyl)terephthalate (PP6), was analysed by fluorescence. The material has an emission around 400 nm in its various liquid crystalline phases, but this emission disappears in the isotropic phase. The emission was attributed to fluorescence from an intermolecular ground state complex between two different chromophores of PP6 based on fluorescence experiments of model compounds and dilute PP6 solutions. No peak shifts were observed on changing temperature, while the fluorescence intensity decreased as the temperature was increased. The fluorescence intensity changed dramatically at the phase transitions. An abrupt change in the fluorescence intensity was observed on changing depending on the temperature especially at the smectic-nematic transition temperature. Thus, the intermolecular fluorescence of the liquid crystal is greatly affected by the phase structure and the order of liquid crystalline phase.     

无柔性间隔基侧链型液晶高分子复合定形相变材料的制备与性能研究

设计合成了一系列具有不同烷氧基尾链长度的单体4′-烷氧基-4-联苯酚甲基丙烯酸酯Mbi Cm(m=1,2,4,6,8,10,12,14,16,18),通过自由基聚合方法合成了相应的具有不同烷氧基尾链长度的无柔性间隔基侧链型液晶高分子PMbi Cm,将所得的侧链型液晶高分子和相变材料石蜡按一定质量比混合,通过"加热-冷却法"成功制备了定形相变材料.通过凝胶测试发现当尾链长度为m=12,14,16,18时,高分子对固体石蜡具有良好的凝胶定形效果,且随着烷氧基尾链的增长,聚合物和石蜡的相容性增加,最低凝胶浓度降低,得到定形相变材料的凝胶解缔温度也相应下降.通过示差扫描量热法(DSC)、热重分析法(TG)、流变(Rheology)等测试考察了定形相变材料的相变储能性能、热稳定性和流变性能,实验结果表明该定形相变材料具有相变焓值高、热稳定性好、凝胶强度高等优点.通过红外光谱(FTIR)、偏光显微镜(POM)和扫描电镜(SEM)等测试发现PMbi Cm通过非共价键作用力自聚集形成三维凝胶网络结构,对石蜡起固定支撑作用.     

Behavior of a thermotropic nematic liquid crystal confined to controlled pore glasses as studied by 129Xe NMR spectroscopy

The behavior of nematic liquid crystal (LC) Merck Phase 4 confined to controlled pore glass (CPG) materials was investigated using 129Xe nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy of xenon gas dissolved in the LC. The average pore diameters of the materials varied from 81 to 2917 A, and the measurements were carried out within a wide temperature range (approximately 185-370 K). The spectra contain lots of information about the effect of confinement on the phase of the LC. The theoretical model of shielding of noble gases dissolved in liquid crystals on the basis of pairwise additivity approximation was applied to the analysis of the spectra. When pore diameter is small, smaller than approximately 150 A, xenon experiences on average an isotropic environment inside the pore, and no nematic-isotropic phase transition is observed. When the size is larger than approximately 150 A, nematic phase is observed, and the LC molecules are oriented along pore axis. The orientational order parameter of the LC, S, increases with increasing pore size. In the largest pores, the orientation of the molecules deviates from the pore axis direction to magnetic field direction, which implies that the size of the pores (approximately 3000 A) is close to magnetic coherence length. The decrease of magnetic coherence length with increasing temperature is clearly seen from the spectra. When the sample is cooled rapidly by immersing it in liquid nitrogen, xenon atoms do not squeeze out from the solid, as they do during gradual freezing, but they are occluded inside the solid lattice, and their chemical shift is very sensitive to crystal structure. This makes it possible to study the effect of confinement on the solid phases. According to the measured 129Xe NMR spectra, possibly three different solid phases are observed from bulk liquid crystal in the used temperature region. The same is also seen from the samples containing larger pores (pore size larger than approximately 500 A), and the solid-solid phase-transition temperatures are the same. However, no first-order solid-solid phase transitions are observed from the smaller pores. Melting point depression, that is, the depression of solid-nematic transition temperature observed from the pores as compared with that in bulk LC, is seen to be very sensitive to the pore size, and it can be used for the determination of pore size of an unknown material.     

Two-phase coexisting state of n-hexatriacontane in the first-order phase transition

The small crystal of n-hexatriacontane was observed by a polarizing microscope in the rotator phase transition temperature region. In the temperature region, the rotator phase coexists with the solid phase (low-temperature ordered phase). The boundaries of two phases move reversibly with the temperature change. The area fractional change of the rotator phase can be described by the Debye relaxation. The relaxation time decreases and the relaxation strength increases as the sample temperature is raised. The relaxation time agrees well with that of the dynamic specific heat, which was measured in the frequency range of 0.0003≤f/Hz≤0.05.     

A sub-hertz frequency dielectric relaxation process in a ferroelectric liquid crystal material

Dielectric studies of the first order phase transition of a ferroelectric liquid crystal material having the phase sequence chiral nematic to smectic C* have been performed using thin (2.5 mum) cells in the frequency range 0.01 Hz to 12 MHz. For planar alignment, one of the cell electrodes was covered with a polymer and rubbed. Optically well defined alignment was obtained by applying an a.c. field below the N*-SmC* transition. Charge accumulation was enhanced by depositing a thick polymer aligning layer for the alignment of the liquid crystal molecules. A sub-hertz frequency dielectric relaxation process is detected in smectic C*, in the chiral nematic and a few degrees into the isotropic phase, due to the charge accumulation between the polymer layer and the ferroelectric liquid crystal material. The effect of temperature and bias field dependences on the sub-hertz dielectric relaxation process are reported and discussed.     

A sub-hertz frequency dielectric relaxation process in a ferroelectric liquid crystal material

Dielectric studies of the first order phase transition of a ferroelectric liquid crystal material having the phase sequence chiral nematic to smectic C* have been performed using thin (2.5 mum) cells in the frequency range 0.01 Hz to 12 MHz. For planar alignment, one of the cell electrodes was covered with a polymer and rubbed. Optically well defined alignment was obtained by applying an a.c. field below the N*-SmC* transition. Charge accumulation was enhanced by depositing a thick polymer aligning layer for the alignment of the liquid crystal molecules. A sub-hertz frequency dielectric relaxation process is detected in smectic C*, in the chiral nematic and a few degrees into the isotropic phase, due to the charge accumulation between the polymer layer and the ferroelectric liquid crystal material. The effect of temperature and bias field dependences on the sub-hertz dielectric relaxation process are reported and discussed.     

Study on binary system comprising a non-mesogen and a mesogen

Mixed liquid crystal formation has been studied in a new binary system comprising para nitroazobenzene derivatives, in which one component was a mesogen and the other was a non-mesogen. The mixtures were found to exhibit a monotropic nematic phase which was converted to an enantiotropic phase in specific ranges of temperature and concentration. The latent liquid crystal-isotropic transition temperature (LTP) of the non-mesogen was obtained by using the extrapolation method of the transition temperature-composition curve and the equal- G analysis method. The LTPs of the non-mesogen obtained by the above two methods showed good agreement with each other. The low-temperature transition of the mixtures detected by DSC was attributed to a change of the crystallite size.     

Cholesterol/phospholipid interactions in hybrid bilayer membranes

The interactions between cholesterol and saturated phospholipids in hybrid bilayer membranes (HBMs) were investigated using the interface-sensitive technique of vibrational sum frequency spectroscopy (VSFS). The unique sensitivity of VSFS to order/disorder transitions of the lipid acyl chains was used to determine the main gel to liquid crystal phase transition temperature, Tm, for HBMs of binary cholesterol/phospholipid mixtures on octadecanethiolate self-assembled monolayers. The phase transition temperature and the breadth of the transition were shown to increase with cholesterol content, and the phase boundaries observed in the cholesterol/phospholipid HBMs were comparable to the published phase diagrams of binary cholesterol/phospholipid vesicles. A thermodynamic assessment of the cooperative units of the HBM phase transitions revealed the presence of <10 nm diameter domains that were independent of the cholesterol composition.     

乙醇和甲苯组成的最低共沸混合物热力学性质的研究

The molar heat capacity of the azeotropic mixture composed of ethanol and toluene was measured by a high precision adiabatic calorimeter from 80 to 320 K. The glass transition and phase transitions of the azeotropic mixture were determined based on the heat capacity measurements. A glass transition at 103.350 K was found. A solid-solid phase transition at 127.282 K, two solid-liquid phase transitions at 153.612 and 160.584 K were observed, which correspond to the transition of metastable crystal to stable crystal of ethanol and the melting of ethanol and toluene, respectively. The thermodynamic functions and the excess ones of the mixture relative to the standard temperature 298.15 K were derived based on the relationships of the thermodynamic functions and the function of the measured heat capacity with respect to temperature.     

具有共轭主链聚合物单晶的低温电导测定

用自行组装的低温电导测定装置对77～373K温度范围内双(对甲苯磺酸)-2,4-己二炔-1,6-二醇酯(TS)及其聚合物PTS单晶体的暗电导进行了测定。在c方向上相应于它们低温相转变的温度,TS和PTS的电导均出现异常,此时TS的相变温度是163K和208K。     

Raman spectra and phase transition of the phenothiazine crystal

Polarized Raman spectra of single crystals of phenothiazine which undergoes a phase transition around 250 K and is ferroelastic in the low-temperature phase were measured in the lattice-vibrational region for temperatures ranging from 89 to 300 K. The spectra of the high- and low-temperature phases obey the selection rules required for the orthorhombic and monoclinic structures, respectively. Anomalous temperature dependences are observed in the frequency, intensity and linewidth of a band appearing in the lowest-frequency region. This band is attributed mainly to a librational motion of the molecule, and is important in the evaluation of this phase transition. A gradual change of the molecular orientation is inferred to occur over a wide temperature interval in the low-temperature phase along the vibrational coordinate of the above libration. Another strong, low-frequency band, which is characteristic of the phenothiazine spectra, is suggested to arise from mixing between intramolecular and lattice vibrations. This mode is considered to play some role in the phase transition too. The interaction between the low-frequency optical modes and the acoustic modes is briefly discussed in connection with the ferroelasticity of the low-temperature phase. The transition temperature depends on the quality of the specimen; the correct transition temperature is found to be 248.8 K and slightly lower than the previously reported value.     

Conductivity Measurements of a Con jugated-Polymer Single crystal at Lower Temperature

The conductivities in bis-(p-toluene sulfonate) or 2,4-hexa-diyne-1,6-diol(TS) and its polymer PTS single crystal were measured by means of a special device at a range of temperature from 77K to 373K (353K for TS) . Anomalies of the conductivity of TS and PTS along c-axes which are the directions of PTS at the temperature corresponding to their low temperature phase transition were observed. The temperature of phase transition in TS obtained from anomalies' of conductivity are 163K and 208K.     

Infrared intensity and morphology of l-monolaurin-water systems

The infrared spectra for some metastable states in 1-monolaurin water systems were observed at room temperature, where the relative intensity of bands due to paraffin chains changed considerably, especially in the CH2 rockings, which disappear in some cases. It is considered that the spectral changes result from the morphology change on going from the crystal to the liquid crystal, smectic B phase, so-called gel phase, which consists of the lipid bilayers with ordered paraffin chains alternating with water layers. The model for explaining the intensity change is proposed on the basis of the interaction among oscillating dipoles.