Homogenization of thermomechanical tread-road contact for the investigation of tire rolling resistance

A homogenization framework for the stochastic average meso-scale tread-road interaction with emphasis on macro-scale rolling resistance calculations is presented in this contribution. This framework accounts for large scale, high-frequency penetration of tread rubber by the highest asperities as well as for the nonlinear thermo-viscoelastic material behavior of this tread rubber in the regime of finite strains. (© 2016 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Core, shell, and surface-optimized dendrimers for blue light-emitting diodes

We present a novel core-shell-surface multifunctional structure for dendrimers using a blue fluorescent pyrene core with triphenylene dendrons and triphenylamine surface groups. We find efficient excitation energy transfer from the triphenylene shell to the pyrene core, substantially enhancing the quantum yield in solution and the solid state (4-fold) compared to dendrimers without a core emitter, while TPA groups facilitate the hole capturing and injection ability in the device applications. With a luminance of up to 1400 cd/m(2), a saturated blue emission CIE(xy) = (0.15, 0.17) and high operational stability, these dendrimers belong to the best reported fluorescence-based blue-emitting organic molecules.     

LC-MS based quantification of 2'-ribosylated nucleosides Ar(p) and Gr(p) in tRNA

RNA nucleosides are often naturally modified into complex non-canonical structures with key biological functions. Here we report LC-MS quantification of the Ar(p) and Gr(p) 2'-ribosylated nucleosides in tRNA using deuterium labelled standards, and the first detection of Gr(p) in complex fungi.     

A 'microfluidic pinball' for on-chip generation of Layer-by-Layer polyelectrolyte microcapsules

Inspired by the game of "pinball" where rolling metal balls are guided by obstacles, here we describe a novel microfluidic technique which utilizes micropillars in a flow channel to continuously generate, encapsulate and guide Layer-by-Layer (LbL) polyelectrolyte microcapsules. Droplet-based microfluidic techniques were exploited to generate oil droplets which were smoothly guided along a row of micropillars to repeatedly travel through three parallel laminar streams consisting of two polymers and a washing solution. Devices were prototyped in PDMS and generated highly monodisperse and stable 45±2 μm sized polyelectrolyte microcapsules. A total of six layers of hydrogen bonded polyelectrolytes (3 bi-layers) were adsorbed on each droplet within <3 minutes and a fluorescent intensity measurement confirmed polymer film deposition. AFM analysis revealed the thickness of each polymer layer to be approx. 2.8 nm. Our design approach not only provides a faster and more efficient alternative to conventional LbL deposition techniques, but also achieves the highest number of polyelectrolyte multilayers (PEMs) reported thus far using microfluidics. Additionally, with our design, a larger number of PEMs can be deposited without adding any extra operational or interfacial complexities (e.g. syringe pumps) which are a necessity in most other designs. Based on the aforementioned advantages of our device, it may be developed into a great tool for drug encapsulation, or to create capsules for biosensing where deposition of thin nanofilms with controlled interfacial properties is highly required.     

Marangoni convection in molten salts Physical modelling toward lower Prandtl numbers

Marangoni convection is involved in many technological processes. The substances of industrial interest are often governed by diffusive heat transport and their physical modelling is limited with respect to the Prandtl number Pr. The present paper addresses this deficiency. Studies were made on molten salts having Pr values in an intermediate range well below that of the typically employed organics. Since some of the selected species have a relatively high melting point, a high-temperature facility which allows studying thermocapillary convection at temperatures in excess of 1,000°C was built. The results presented here were obtained in a cylindrical geometry, although the equipment that was built is not restricted to this configuration because of its modular construction. Modelled after some applications, the fluid was heated centrically on top. The bulk was embedded in a large thermostatically controlled reservoir so as to establish the lower ambient reference temperature. A characteristic size of the experimental cell was chosen such that, on the one hand, the dynamic Bond number Bo did not become too high; on the other hand, the liquid had to have a certain depth to allow particle image velocimetry. The complicated balance between body forces and thermocapillary forces in the case of intermediate Bo was found to result in a distinct local separation into a bulk motion governed by natural convection with a recirculating Marangoni flow on top. In contrast to low viscosity organics, the vapour pressure of which increases considerably with decreasing Pr, high values of the Marangoni number can be reached. Comparisons of the topology of Marangoni vortices between molten salts with 2.3 ⩽ Pr ⩽ 6.4 and a silicone oil with Pr typically one order of magnitude higher suggest that the regime of non-negligible heat diffusion is entered.     

Anomalous Hall effect in microcrystalline Si:H films

The anomalous sign of the Hall coefficient in amorphous semiconductors is still poorly understood. It seems accepted, however, that an anomalous sign of the Hall coefficient indicates a different charge transport mechanism compared to free carrier motion on which the Lorentz force is acting. We find anomalous Hall coefficient signs in phosphorus-doped microcrystalline silicon films after irradiation with high energy electrons and subsequent annealing. These films are mixtures of amorphous and crystalline phases. We analyze measurements of Hall effect, electrical conductivity, and thermopower on such samples prior to and after electron irradiation and annealing, and use the anomalous Hall effect sign as a phenomenological indication of electronic transport in the amorphous phase. We deduce that the material consists of crystalline particles embedded in an amorphous matrix.     

Schwermetallchelate von α-Cyano-β-amino-dithioacrylsäureestern

Heavy Metal Chelates of α-Cyano-β-amino-dithioacrylates The inner metal chelates of Pd^II, Ni^II, Co^III, and Ag^I with α-cyano-β-amino-dithioacrylates have been prepared. The coordination of the dithioester group and the amine nitrogen (S/N-coordination) has been proved by the chemical shift of the S2p and N1s electron binding energies in the ESCA spectra.