The influences of surface polarization on NLC cells

The influence of the surface polarization, P_s , on a nematic liquid crystal (NLC) cell is investigated analytically. Flexoelectric polarization is considered, but selective ion absorption is ignored. The differential equations are derived for tilt angle, θ, of director n and the corresponding boundary conditions based on Gibbs free energy, and their solutions discussed. Equations for the reduced threshold voltage, u_th , and the reduced saturation voltage, u_sat , are deduced and the relationships between u_th , u_sat and reduced strength of surface polarization, p, derived.     

Equivalent anchoring energy formula of a NLC on a grating surface and VCT effect

The voltage-controlled twist (VCT) effect shows that a grating surface, with its particular anchoring properties, has the potential to become a new surface anchoring for liquid crystal devices. In order to describe these properties an equivalent anchoring energy is introduced. The alignment of a nematic liquid crystal (NLC) on such a grating originates from two mechanisms, so each produces a term in the equivalent anchoring energy. One is the interaction potential between NLC molecules and the molecules on the substrate surface, from which we derive the expression of the corresponding term. The other is the increased elastic strain energy, for which we adopt the result of Berreman. The equivalent anchoring energy obtained is a function of pitch λ and amplitude δ of the grating surface. Both the corresponding strength parameter and the easy direction are functions of λ and δ. The hybrid aligned nematic cell proposed by. Bryan-Brown et al. is studied by the use of our formula, and the distribution of the director, the saturation state and the saturation voltage are calculated in detail. The results are consistent with experimental data, especially the values of λ and δ. The VCT effect can therefore be explained.     

The first order Freedericksz transition at saturation point for weak anchoring NLC cells

On the basis of the modified Rapini-Papoular expression for the anchoring energy, the properties of the transition at saturation point for weak anchoring NLC cells has been studied analytically. We find that this transition may be of second order, as is usually predicted by many authors; however, it may also be first order. Whether it is first or second order is determined by the material, anchoring energy and thickness of the cell. The conditions for first order transition are deduced by an analytical method, and the results of calculation are shown by graph for κ (= K ₁₁ / K ₃₃ ) values 0.8, 0.6 and 0.4. The saturation field strengths for the first order transition case are calculated and shown in the table.     

The first order Freedericksz transition at saturation point for weak anchoring NLC cells

On the basis of the modified Rapini-Papoular expression for the anchoring energy, the properties of the transition at saturation point for weak anchoring NLC cells has been studied analytically. We find that this transition may be of second order, as is usually predicted by many authors; however, it may also be first order. Whether it is first or second order is determined by the material, anchoring energy and thickness of the cell. The conditions for first order transition are deduced by an analytical method, and the results of calculation are shown by graph for κ(= K 11 / K 33 ) values 0.8, 0.6 and 0.4. The saturation field strengths for the first order transition case are calculated and shown in the table.     

Investigation of surface anchoring strength and pretilt angle in NLC on rubbed polythiophene surfaces with alkyl chain lengths

A high pretilt angle for the nematic liquid crystal, 4-n-pentyl-4'-cyanobiphenyl (5CB), was observed on rubbed polythiophene (PTP) surfaces having alkyl chains with more than ten carbon atoms. We consider that this is due to a surface-excluded volume effect caused by the long alkyl chains between the LC molecules and the PTP surfaces. The polar anchoring strength in 5CB on rubbed PTP surfaces with long alkyl chains has also been successfully evaluated. The extrapolation length d_e of 5CB increases with increasing alkyl chain lengths above the seven carbons of alkyl chain R7; that is, it may be attributed to the high pretilt angle. An extrapolation length of 5 nm is observed in 5CB for the seven carbons alkyl chain R7 on the PTP surface; this indicates high anchoring strength.     

The spontaneous polarization of a polar liquid close to a hydrophobic surface

The phenomenological vector model is used to discuss parallel orientation and spontaneous polarization of molecular dipole moments of a polar substance close to a hydrophobic surface.     

Multiple discrete energy levels and the bistable state of weak anchoring NLC cells

The weak anchoring nematic liquid crystal (NLC) cell is investigated with regard to energy. Because the Gibbs free energy of liquid crystal system used in theory does not include temperature and entropy, and because the equations and boundary conditions for δG=0 are also the mechanical equilibrium conditions of the continuum, the Gibbs free energy G is equivalent to the energy E of the liquid crystal continuum. There are multiple solutions which satisfy these equations and boundary conditions, each solution corresponding to a certain energy value. We call these discrete energy values and energy levels. Adopting a simple liquid crystal cell model, the energy levels are calculated in detail by means of analytical and numerical methods. The results show that there are three energy levels (or more in certain cases). The values and sequence of the energy levels are related to the external field and anchoring parameters. The relationships between the energy level structure and the bistable. Fréedericksz transition are disussed, together with their influence on the response time. The physical condition for the existence of more than three energy levels is also given.     

Excitation polarization sensitivity of plasmon-mediated silver nanotriangle growth on a surface

In this contribution, we report an effective and relatively simple route to grow triangular flat-top silver nanoparticles (NPs) directly on a solid substrate from smaller NPs through a wet photochemical synthesis. The method consists of fixing small, preformed nanotriangles (NTs) on a substrate and subsequently irradiating them with light in a silver seed solution. Furthermore, the use of linearly polarized light allows for exerting control on the growth direction of the silver nanotriangles on the substrate. Evidence for the role of surface plasmon resonances in governing the growth of the NTs is obtained by employing linear polarized light. Thus, this study demonstrates that light-induced, directional synthesis of nanoparticles on solid substrates is in reach, which is of utmost importance for plasmonic applications.     

The cationic polymerization of N-vinyl-2-pyrrolidone initiated electrochemically by anodic polarization on a Pt surface

The electroinitiated polymerization of N-vinyl-2-pyrrolidone has been investigated. After electrolysis at controlled potential, a thin, covering, and homogeneous film of poly(N-vinyl-2-pyrrolidone) appears on the electrode. The insolubility of the polymer in its classical solvents implies the existence of a true chemical grafting of macromolecules on the platinum surface. Chain propagation occurs by a cationic mechanism initiated by a direct electron transfer leading to grafted cations on the surface, followed by the nucleophilic attack of neutral molecules. The molecular weight of the polymer was estimated by gel permeation chromatography after having mechanically removed the film from the electrode. A molecular weight distribution curve showing an average value of 16,000 was observed. © 1994 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Classical dependence of polarization on potential energy surface in rotationally inelastic collisions

Quasiclassicol trajectory calculations have been performed for model potential energy surfaces to investigate polarization in (j,m_j) → (j',m_j) integral cross sections For j = 0, it was found that the occurrence of polarization requires an attractive well, and that it be in the collinear configuration Results for j≠ 0 are also presented.     

The effect of surface dipoles and of the field generated by a polarization gradient on the repulsive force

Double-layer and hydration interactions have been coupled into a single set of equations because both are dependent on the polarization of the water molecules. The coupled equations involve the electric fields generated by the surface charge and surface dipoles, as well as the field due to the neighboring dipoles in water. The dipoles on the surface are generated through the counterions' binding to sites of opposite charge. The equations obtained were employed to explain the restabilization observed experimentally at large ionic strengths for colloidal particles on which protein molecules were adsorbed. Polar molecules adsorbed on a charged surface of colloidal particle can generate a field either in the same direction as that generated by the charge or in the opposite direction. The effect of the sign of the dipole of the adsorbed polar molecules on the interaction between surfaces was also examined.     

Effects of electrode size and surface morphology on electrode polarization in physiological buffers

Electrode polarization (EP) is inevitable in high conductivity buffers at low AC frequencies due to the accumulation of free charges at the electrode/electrolyte interface. Electrode miniaturization increases EP effect on impedance measurements. In this paper, six gold planar (GP) electrodes having different diameters () were used to investigate the size effect on EP with parallel plate electrode geometry. GP electrode surface was electrochemically deposited with gold nanostructures (GNs) to minimize the EP effect. Equivalent circuit model was used to attain electrode/electrolyte interfacial impedance. Constant phase element model was used to analyze the relation between the size and morphology of electrodes on EP. The surface morphology of gold nanostructured electrodes was examined using SEM, and the influence of different applied potential on the growth of GNs was elucidated with Nernst equilibrium condition. Surface roughness and wettability characteristics were examined performing surface roughness and contact angle measurements, respectively. The improvement of GNs deposited electrode performance was investigated by analytically generated Jurkat cell suspension spectra. The results show that the error in estimating the subcellular properties can be drastically reduced by using GNs deposited electrodes.     

Diffuse reflection and polarization modulation FT-IR spectrometry of surface species

Summary Two techniques for measuring the infrared spectra of adsorbed species on surfaces of different types are described. Diffuse reflectance spectra of species adsorbed on powdered substrates with a high surface area can be measured with an exceptionally high signal-to-noise ratio. The technique is illustrated by the adsorption of carbon monoxide on rhodium supported on alumina at metal loadings between 0.1 and 10%. Some doubt is cast on previous band assignments for adsorbed CO molecules. Grazing incidence reflection-absorption spectrometry can be used to measure the spectra of molecules on flat metallic substrates of very low surface area. Attempts to develop a technique for observing the intermolecular vibration between the adsorbate and the substrate using a unique triple modulation approach are discussed.

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FT-IR-Spektrometrie mit diffuser Reflexions- und Polari-sations-Modulation von Adsorbaten an Oberflächen

Zusammenfassung Zwei Techniken zur Messung von Infrarot-Spektren von Adsorbaten verschiedener Art werden beschrieben. Diffuse Reflexionsspektren von Adsorbaten an pulverförmigen Substraten mit einer großen Oberfläche können mit einem außerordentlich großen Signal-zu-RauschVerhältnis gemessen werden. Als Beispiel dient die Adsorption von Kohlenstoffmonoxid an Rhodium auf Aluminiumoxid bei Metallgehalten von 0,1 bis 10%. Einige Zweifel an früheren Bandzuweisungen für adsorbierte CO-Moleküle werden geäußert. Reflexions-Absorptions-Spektrometrie mit streifendem Einfall kann zur Messung der Spektren von Molekülen an flachen metallischen Substraten mit sehr geringer Oberfläche benutzt werden. Versuche zur Entwicklung einer Technik für die Beobachtung der intermolekularen Schwingungen zwischen dem Adsorbaten und dem Substrat mittels einer einzigartigen Dreifach-Modulationstechnik werden diskutiert.

     

Electrostatic influences on electromagnetically induced calcium ion displacement from the cell surface

An analysis of changes in the binding of divalent calcium ions to cellular membranes exposed to low intensity radiofrequency electromagnetic fields is discussed. An analytic expression describing the electric field coupling to the membrane necessary to precipitate the displacement of calcium ions from the cell surface is presented. This analysis is based on the premise that an alteration in membrane surface charge density is a consequence of a field-induced cooperative response, perhaps a phase transition, and concomitantly can lead to positive or negative displacement of calcium ions from the membrane surface. The role of ambient pH and ionic strength is also discussed.     

Influence of the cathodic polarization on the stability of Ti surface in concentrated KOH solutions

The stability of spontaneous thin layers and thin layers formed upon cathodical polarization of Ti in KOH solutions have been studied by potentiostatic and ellipsometric methods. At open circuit potential (OCP) the strongly adherent films, whose thickness depends on the concentration of the KOH solution, were formed. During the cathodic polarization the transformation of these films to weakly adsorbed precipitated layers on the electrode surface was observed. Comparing the theoretically computed curves with the experimental Ψ vs Δ loci measured ellipsometrically, the complex indices of refraction and the thickness of the generated films, from 3.6 to 60 nm in 1 M KOH and from 36 to 105 nm in 5 M KOH (adherent to the electrode surface), were determined. At OCP the rate of film growth increases with increasing the concentration of KOH solution. Cathodic polarizations change the chemical composition and retard the rate of film growth. Based on the ellipsometric and electrochemical data the chemical compositions of the formed films consisted of TiO₂, Ti₂O₃, TiO₂·H₂O, Ti(OH)₃ and TiOOH·nH₂O.     

Theory of the spontaneous polarization of the free surface of a dielectric

The electric surface modes at the free surface of a dielectric may induce, through a non-linear mechanism, a static polarization of this surface. An estimate of this effect shows that the corresponding difference of potential may be non-negligible with respect to the usual value arising in situations where orientation effects of permanent dipole moments are present.     

The role of new functional groups in the surface layer of LDPE during its high-voltage contact polarization

New functional groups containing Al-C bonds and Al₂O₃ molecules are formed in the surface layer of the polymer during depositing of aluminum on polyethylene films. This effect is absent when Au is deposited on the films. For capacitors with Al and Au electrodes, processes of high-voltage contact polarization and conductivity are studied at various configurations of the external electric field. If Al-C organometallic bonds and Al₂O₃ or, for example, Al-O-C bonds are formed in the surface layer during application of high electric fields, a number of dielectric “anomalies” are observed. They manifest themselves as the fact that an increase in the amount of cycles of a bipolar saw-tooth voltage is accompanied by a marked increase in the residual surface charge density. At such a configuration of the external field, a decrease in its frequency (for region, where dE/dt > 0) leads to a marked reduction in high-voltage dielectric permittivity to negative values. This phenomenon is explained by the fact that, along with the external field, an internal field appears owing to formation of the space charge near metal/polymer boundaries.     

Design and ocular tolerance of flurbiprofen loaded ultrasound-engineered NLC

Packaging small drug molecules, such as non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) into nanoparticulate systems has been reported as a promising approach to improve the drug's bioavailability, biocompatibility and safety profiles. In the last 20 years, lipid nanoparticles (lipid dispersions) entered the nanoparticulate library as novel carrier systems due to their great potential as an alternative to other systems such as polymeric nanoparticles and liposomes for several administration routes. For ocular instillation nanoparticulate carriers are required to have a low mean particle size, with the lowest polydispersity as possible. The purpose of this work was to study the combined influence of 2-level, 4-factor variables on the formulation of flurbiprofen (FB), a lipophilic NSAID, in lipid carriers currently named as nanostructured lipid carriers (NLC). NLC were produced with stearic acid (SA) and castor oil (CO) stabilized by Tween^® 80 (non-ionic surfactant) in aqueous dispersion. A 2⁴ full factorial design based on 4 independent variables was used to plan the experiments, namely, the percentage of SA with regard to the total lipid, the FB concentration, the stabilizer concentration, and the storage conditions (i.e., storage temperature). The effects of these parameters on the mean particle size, polydispersity index (PI) and zeta potential (ZP) were investigated as dependent variables. The optimization process was achieved and the best formulation corresponded to the NLC formulation composed of 0.05 (wt%) FB, 1.6 (wt%) Tween^® 80 and a 50:50 ratio of SA to CO, with an average diameter of 288 nm, PI 0.245 of and ZP of −29 mV. This factorial design study has proven to be a useful tool in optimizing FB-loaded NLC formulations. Stability of the optimized NLC was predicted using a TurbiScanLab^® and the ocular tolerance was assessed in vitro and in vivo by the Eytex^® and Draize test, respectively. The developed systems were shown physico-chemically stable with high tolerance for eye instillation.