Regulation of pattern dimension as a function of vacuum pressure: alkyl monolayer lithography

Photopatterning of a hexadecyl (HD) monolayer has been demonstrated using vacuum ultraviolet (VUV; lambda = 172 nm) light under controlled vacuum pressure with the objective of minimizing the pattern dimension. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and lateral force microscopy (LFM) studies reveal that photodegradation of the HD monolayer not only is limited to the regions exposed to VUV but also spreads under the masked regions. The strong oxidants generated by VUV irradiation to atmospheric oxygen and water vapor diffuse toward the masked regions through the nanoscopic channels and photodissociate the monolayer under the masked area, near the photomask apertures, resulting in broadening of the photopattern. Such broadening decreases with decreased vacuum pressure inside the VUV chamber, associated with a decrease of oxidant concentration and reduction of their diffusion. Gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) were immobilized on the VUV patterned features to probe the dimension of the chemically active pattern. Field emission electron microscopy reveals the construction of 565 nm wide pattern features at a vacuum pressure of 10 Pa. This pattern widens to 1,030 nm at 10 (4) Pa using the same size apertures (500 nm) as printed on the photomask. This study provides insight for fabricating submicron patterns with high reproducibility and its exploitation for different applications, which includes the patterning of nanoparticles, biopolymers, and other nano-objects at submicron dimensions.     

Design,Synthesis, and Biomedical Applications of Glycotripods for Targeting Trimeric Lectins

In the last decades, various efforts have been made to synthesize optimal glycotripods for targeting trimeric glycoproteins like asialoglycoprotein receptor, hemagglutinin, and langerin. All these trimeric glycoproteins have sugar binding pockets which are highly selective for a particular carbohydrate ligand. Optimized glycotripods are high affinity binders and have been used for delivering drugs or even applied as drug candidates. The selection of the tripodal base scaffold together with the length and flexibility of the linker between the scaffold and sugar residue, as important design parameters are discussed in this review.     

Simultaneous determination of paracetamol, chlorzoxazone, and related impurities 4-aminophenol, 4'-chloroacetanilide, and p-chlorophenol in pharmaceutical preparations by high-performance liquid chromatography

This paper presents a simple, specific, and precise high-performance liquid chromatographic method for the simultaneous determination of paracetamol (PCM), chlorzoxazone (CXZ), and their related impurities in bulk raw materials and solid dosage forms. The mobile phase consisted of water-methanol-glacial acetic acid (60 + 40 + 2, v/v/v). A column containing octadecylsilane chemically bonded to porous silica particles (Spherisorb ODS 1, 25 cm x 4.6 mm, 5 microm) was used as stationary phase. Detection was performed using a variable wavelength ultraviolet-visible detector set at 272 nm for all compounds. Solutions were injected into the chromatograph under isocratic condition at a constant flow rate of 1.2 mL/min. The method was validated according to International Conference on Harmonization requirements and demonstrates good accuracy and precision and a wide linearity range. The method separates PCM, CXZ, and 3 major impurities [4-aminophenol (4AP), 4'-chloracetanilide (4CA), and p-chlorophenol (PCP)] with fair resolution in less than 15 min. The developed method is rapid and sensitive (limit of detection for 4AP, 4CA, and PCP established at 31.25, 39.06, and 65.16 ng/mL, respectively) and, therefore, suitable for quality control and stability studies of these compounds in dosage forms.     

Dielectric behaviour and hydrogen bond molecular interaction study of formamide-dipolar solvents binary mixtures

The dielectric constant of binary mixtures of formamide with some common dipolar aprotic and protic solvents has been investigated at sixteen molar concentrations over the entire mixing range at 30 °C. The solvents used for binary mixtures with formamide are water, dimethylsulphoxide, N,N-dimethylformamide, acetone, 1,4-dioxane, mono-, di- and trihydric alcohols, and homologous series of 2-alkoxyethanol, 2-(2-alkoxyethoxy)ethanol, and ethylene glycol oligomers. The concentration dependent plots of excess dielectric constant and Kirkwood correlation factor were used to explore the complexes formed between unlike molecules, the molar ratio of a stable adduct, dipolar ordering, hydrogen-bond molecular connectivities, and their strength in the binary mixtures. Results confirmed that the complexation strength of dipolar aprotic solvents with formamide strongly depends on the value of solvent dielectric constant. The dependence of the hydrogen-bond complexation on number of hydroxyl groups and molecular size of the homologous series of the solvents is recognized from the comparative excess dielectric constant values of the mixed solvents.     

Structural and impedance properties of Ca3Nb2O8 ceramics

Polycrystalline sample of Ca₃Nb₂O₈ was prepared by a high-temperature solid-state reaction technique. X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis confirms the formation of single-phase compound of hexagonal (rhombohedral) crystal structure at room temperature. Scanning electron micrograph of the material showed uniform grain distribution on the surface of the sample. Detailed studies of dielectric properties of the compound, studied in a wide frequency range (10²-10⁶ Hz) at different temperatures (25-500 °C), exhibit a dielectric anomaly suggesting phase transition of ferroelectric-paraelectric and structural type at 300 °C. Electrical properties of the material were analyzed using a complex impedance technique. The Nyquists plot showed the presence of bulk effect in the material in the studied temperature range. Studies of electrical conductivity over a wide temperature range suggest that the compound has negative temperature coefficient of resistance behavior.     

Method for measuring waveguide propagation losses by means of a Mach–Zehnder Interferometer structure

In this paper, a method for measuring waveguide propagation losses by means of a Mach–Zehnder Interferometer (MZI) structure is reported. The method, based on the analysis of the transmission spectra of asymmetric MZIs, enables the propagation losses of the optical waveguides to be calculated without the requirement of identical coupling conditions for each measurement. In addition, the power imbalance of the branching structure in the MZI can also be obtained. Our theoretical analysis is supported by experimental measurements.     

A numerical method for soluble surfactants on moving interfaces

We present a numerical method modeling soluble surfactants on deforming interfaces. The method uses an explicit Eulerian discretization of the interface allowing the use of standard finite difference schemes to solve coupled time-dependent differential equations for the concentration of surfactant on the interface and for the concentration of surfactant in the bulk. (© 2008 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Ultrasonic determination of electron-phonon scattering rates in copper

Electron-phonon scattering rates in ultrapure single crystals of copper have been determined from the temperature dependence of the magnetoacoustic oscillation amplitudes for various orbits on the Fermi surface using both longitudinal and transverse waves. The central belly orbit seattering rate is found to be (6.0±0.3)×10⁶ T ³ sec^–1. Additionally, a rate of (2.9±0.2)×10⁶ T ³ sec^–1 is found which is attributed to belly orbits displaced from the zone center by about 1.25/a ₀, wherea ₀ is the lattice constant. Geometric oscillations associated with the [111]—directed open orbit are observed at low fields forq [113] and the rate for this orbit is found to be (4.8±0.3)×10⁶ T ³ sec^–1. Geometric oscillations for the dog's bone and neck orbits are observable but rates for these orbits are believed to be unreliable. Our measured rates are compared with those of other workers.     

Synthesis and bioactivity of xyridin A and B,metabolites from xyris indica

A facile synthesis of the title isocoumarins isolated from. Xyris indica was accomplished. Condensation of butanoyl chloride and 2‐oxo‐butanoyl chloride with 3,4‐methylenedioxyhomophthalic acid afforded xyridin A and xyridin B respectively. Xyridin A was saponified to the corresponding keto acid which on reduction furnished the (±)‐3,4‐dihydro‐6,7‐methylenedioxy‐3‐propylisocoumarin. All of the synthesized compounds were examined in vitro for antibacterial and antifungal activities.