Thermochemical, volumetric and spectroscopic properties of lysozyme–poly(ethylene) glycol system

Investigations of lysozyme–polyethylene glycol system were made by differential scanning calorimetry, fluorescence and density techniques. The values of unfolding enthalpies, ΔH_N^U, unfolding temperatures, T_m, excess molar heat capacities, ΔC_p, and apparent molar volumes, V_Φ , were determined as functions of PEG concentration. The three PEGs of average molecular mass (MW) 6000, 10000, 20000 were used as macromolecular crowding agents. The concentration of polymers was changed in the range 0–30% mass per volume (w/v). The values of ΔH_N^U remained constant with no dependence on PEG concentration, while PEG addition to buffered lysozyme solutions caused linear decrease of T_m. The values of ΔC_p and V_Φ of lysozyme dramatically changed in the range of 8–10% of PEG concentration. The fluorescence spectroscopy was used in order to investigate the polymer influence on possible solvent–lysozyme interactions. The electrical properties of polymer–water and polymer–buffer systems, the dielectric constants of solutions were determined with use of impedance spectroscopy.     

Transport properties of nanoperforated Nb thin films

Porous silicon, obtained by electrochemical etching, has been used as a substrate for the growth of nanoperforated Nb thin films. The films, deposited by UHV magnetron sputtering, inherited from the Si substrates their structure, made of holes of 10 nm diameter and of 20 and 40 nm spacing, which provide an artificial pinning lattice. Commensurability effects between the Abrikosov vortex lattice and the artificial array of holes were investigated by transport measurements.