Scattering theory and ground-state energy of Dirac fermions in graphene with two Coulomb impurities

We study the physics of Dirac fermions in a gapped graphene monolayer containing two Coulomb impurities. For the case of equal impurity charges, we discuss the ground-state energy using the linear combination of atomic orbitals (LCAO) approach. For opposite charges of the Coulomb centers, an electric dipole potential results at large distances. We provide a nonperturbative analysis of the corresponding low-energy scattering problem.     

Graphene–Epoxy Flexible Transparent Capacitor Obtained By Graphene–Polymer Transfer and UV‐Induced Bonding

A new approach is reported for the preparation of a graphene–epoxy flexible transparent capacitor obtained by graphene–polymer transfer and UV‐induced bonding. SU8 resin is employed for realizing a well‐adherent, transparent, and flexible supporting layer. The achieved transparent graphene/SU8 membrane presents two distinct surfaces: one homogeneous conductive surface containing a graphene layer and one dielectric surface typical of the epoxy polymer. Two graphene/SU8 layers are bonded together by using an epoxy photocurable formulation based on epoxy resin. The obtained material showed a stable and clear capacitive behavior.

     

Analysis of the equilibrium and kinetics of the ankyrin repeat protein myotrophin

We apply the Wako-Saito-Mun?oz-Eaton model to the study of myotrophin, a small ankyrin repeat protein, whose folding equilibrium and kinetics have been recently characterized experimentally. The model, which is a native-centric with binary variables, provides a finer microscopic detail than the Ising model that has been recently applied to some different repeat proteins, while being still amenable for an exact solution. In partial agreement with the experiments, our results reveal a weakly three-state equilibrium and a two-state-like kinetics of the wild-type protein despite the presence of a nontrivial free-energy profile. These features appear to be related to a careful "design" of the free-energy landscape, so that mutations can alter this picture, stabilizing some intermediates and changing the position of the rate-limiting step. Also, the experimental findings of two alternative pathways, an N-terminal and a C-terminal one, are qualitatively confirmed, even if the variations in the rates upon the experimental mutations cannot be quantitatively reproduced. Interestingly, the folding and unfolding pathways appear to be different, even if closely related: a property that is not generally considered in the phenomenological interpretation of the experimental data.     

Flickering dipoles in the gas phase: structures, internal dynamics, and dipole moments of β-naphthol-H2O in its ground and excited electronic states

Described here are the rotationally resolved S(1)-S(0) electronic spectra of the acid-base complex cis-β-naphthol-H(2)O in the gas phase, both in the presence and absence of an applied electric field. The data show that the complex has a trans-linear O-H???O hydrogen bond configuration involving the -OH group of cis-β-naphthol and the oxygen lone pairs of the attached water molecule in both electronic states. The measured permanent electric dipole moments of the complex are 4.00 and 4.66 D in the S(0) and S(1) states, respectively. These reveal a small amount of photoinduced charge transfer between solute and solvent, as supported by density functional theory calculations and an energy decomposition analysis. The water molecule also was found to tunnel through a barrier to internal motion nearly equal in energy to kT at room temperature. The resulting large angular jumps in solvent orientation produce "flickering dipoles" that are recognized as being important to the dynamics of bulk water.     

Trends of volatile chlorinated hydrocarbons and trihalomethanes in Antarctica

In order to understand behaviour and environmental fate of manmade chemicals in remote and cold areas, during the XXVII Italian Expedition carried out in Antarctica throughout the austral summer 2011/2012, superficial snow and lake water were sampled along the Ross Sea's South coast and their content of some low-molecular weight volatile halogenated hydrocarbons was evaluated. In consideration of their important role in stratospheric ozone chemistry, some volatile chlorinated hydrocarbons (VCHCs) and trihalomethanes (THMs) were investigated. The analyses were realised with a dedicated system composed by a purge-and-trap injector coupled to a gas chromatograph with a mass spectrometer (PTI-GC-MS) operating in SIM mode. The investigated VCHCs (chloroform; 1,1,1-trichloroethane; tetrachloromethane; trichloroethylene and tetrachloroethylene) were present in all analysed samples, and concentration levels ranged from units to hundreds of ng L^?1 according to considered matrix. For the first time, THMs (bromoform; dibromochloromethane; bromodichloromethane), were measured in Antarctic lake waters and freshly deposited snow; their concentration levels ranged from units to tens of ng L^?1. In order to assess eventual temporal variations, VCHC content in aqueous Antarctic matrices was compared with levels occurring in the past Italian Antarctic expeditions: for some banned substances, a decrease in concentration was observed, probably due to worldwide use restrictions. Finally, current Antarctic and Italian VCHC and THM levels in snow and lake water samples were compared and were found to be quite similar, differing at most by one order of magnitude, corroborating the hypothesis of an accumulation of halogenated compounds in Antarctic aqueous matrices.     

Combining Spontaneous Polymerization and Click Reactions for the Synthesis of Polymer Brushes: A “Grafting Onto” Approach

Two novel benzofulvene monomers bearing propargyl or allyl groups have been synthesized by means of readily accessible reactions, and were found to polymerize spontaneously by solvent removal, in the apparent absence of catalysts or initiators, to give the corresponding polybenzofulvene derivatives bearing clickable propargyl or allyl moieties. The clickable propargyl and allyl groups were exploited in appropriate click reactions to develop a powerful and versatile “grafting onto” synthetic methodology for obtaining tailored polymer brushes.     

New Perspectives in Thiazole Chemistry

Abstract

Carbon-carbon bond forming reactions at C-2 of the thiazole ring have been carried using two strategies, one involving the addition of organometallic reagents (lithium carbanions of esters, Grignard salts, silyl enol ethers, silyl ketene acetals, silylazoles) to N-acylthiazolium salts; the other involving the addition of carbon electrophiles (ketenes, acyl chlorides, anhydrides, aldehydes) to N-acylthiazolium ylides generated in situ. The reactions have been applied to 1,3-thiazole and 2-trimethylsilyl-1,3-thiazole, the latter being more reactive than the former toward electrophiles. This methodology constitutes a new entry to a variety of functionalized thiazoles and thiazolines which are potential building blocks for the synthesis of natural compounds and analogues of biologically active molecules (penems, arylpropionic acids). Some ring transformations of thiazoles induced by carbon-sulfur bond cleavage are also described. The fundamental role played by the sulfur atom of the thiazole ring in the observed reactions is pointed out and briefly discussed.     

Synthesis and glycosidase inhibition properties of triazole-linked calixarene–iminosugar clusters

Calixarene–iminosugar derivatives bearing four 1-deoxynojirimycin units at the upper or lower rim of calix[4]arenes in a fixed cone conformation were synthesized by copper-catalyzed azide-alkyne cycloaddition (CuAAC) and their inhibitory activity was evaluated against five glycosidases. Modest but significant affinity enhancements of up to seven per 1-deoxynojirimycin unit over the monovalent iminosugar derivative were observed for the inhibition of Jack bean (Canavalia ensiformis) α-mannosidase. It was also demonstrated that the residual copper ions did not contribute to the inhibitory properties of the newly prepared calixarene-based multivalent iminosugars.     

Decomposition of local cohomology tables of modules with large E-depth

We introduce the notion of E-depth of graded modules over polynomial rings to measure the depth of certain Ext modules. First, we characterize graded modules over polynomial rings with (sufficiently) large E-depth as those modules whose (sufficiently) partial general initial submodules preserve the Hilbert function of local cohomology modules supported at the irrelevant maximal ideal, extending a result of Herzog and Sbarra on sequentially Cohen-Macaulay modules. Second, we describe the cone of local cohomology tables of modules with sufficiently high E-depth, building on previous work of the second author and Smirnov. Finally, we obtain a non-Artinian version of a socle-lemma proved by Kustin and Ulrich.