Fast optical preparation, control, and readout of a single quantum dot spin

We propose and demonstrate the sequential initialization, optical control, and readout of a single spin trapped in a semiconductor quantum dot. Hole spin preparation is achieved through ionization of a resonantly excited electron-hole pair. Optical control is observed as a coherent Rabi rotation between the hole and charged-exciton states, which is conditional on the initial hole spin state. The spin-selective creation of the charged exciton provides a photocurrent readout of the hole spin state.     

Improving the thermoelectric performance and thermal stability of Ca3Co4O9 + δ ceramics by sintering in oxygen atmosphere

Journal of Sol-Gel Science and Technology - We report on the influence of sintering gas atmosphere on the thermoelectric (TE) performance of Ca3Co4O9?+?δ ceramics made from...     

New cyclic peptides via ring-closing metathesis reactions and their anti-bacterial activities

As part of a program investigating cyclic peptides with an internal aromatic hydrophobic scaffold as potential novel anti-bacterial agents, we explored the synthesis of simple tyrosine-based systems. These were prepared via key intermediates containing internal allylglycine and allyltyrosine residues for subsequent ring-closing metathesis reactions. Although the resulting anti-bacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus was modest, this represents a novel and simple route to this class of compounds. One intermediate acyclic dipeptide precursor showed good activity against S. aureus with an MIC of 7.8 μg/mL.     

Manganese Detection Using Stencil‐printed Carbon Ink Electrodes on Transparency Film

Mn concentrations were determined using square‐wave cathodic stripping voltammetry (CSV) with inexpensive, stencil‐printed carbon ink electrodes generated on polypropylene transparency films. Using an optimized pH 5 ammonium acetate buffer and addition of 1,4‐benzoquinone, a detection limit as low as 500 nM (30 ppb) was achieved. Addition of 1,4‐benzoquinone improved peak potential reproducibility and height, while addition of 3.5 % w/w sodium chloride to the background solution approximately doubled the sensitivity (μA/ppm). Tolerance tests with interfering metals were conducted and the method was found to be resilient to chromium(VI), iron(III), magnesium(II), nickel(II), and zinc(II), but susceptible to aluminum(III), copper(II), iron(II), and lead(II) at concentration ratios at or below one. This technique was successfully used to measure Mn levels in yerba mate and green tea samples as an example application.     

Isothiocyanato-calix[4]phyrin-(1,1,1,1): a useful intermediate for the synthesis of derivatised anion sensors

A calix[4]phyrin-(1,1,1,1) substituted with a 4-isothiocyanatophenyl group has been synthesised and used to attach the macrocycle to a solid support. The NCS group can also be used to further functionalise the calix[4]phyrin-(1,1,1,1) by reaction with amines and amino acids. Stability constants for anion binding by the calix[4]phyrin-(1,1,1,1) are reported and these show a clear ability to differentiate F(-) and HSO(4)(-) from Cl(-), Br(-), I(-) which can be detected by both NMR and UV-visible spectroscopy.     

Controlled synthesis of a structurally characterized family of sterically constrained heterocyclic alkoxy-modified titanium alkoxides

The reaction of [Ti(mu-ONep)(ONep)3]2 (ONep = OCH2C(CH3)3) with a series of heterocyclic methanol derivatives [tetrahydrofurfuryl alcohol (H-OTHF), thiophene methanol (H-OTPM), or 2-pyridylcarbinol (H-OPy)-collectively termed H-OR*], led to the isolation of a novel family of OR*-substituted titanium alkoxide precursors. Independent of the initial stoichiometry for the H-OTHF reaction, a monosubstituted, dinuclear species was isolated as [(ONep)3Ti(muc-OTHF)]2 (1). For 1, each Ti was octahedrally (Oh) bound by three terminal ONep ligands, one bidentate bridging OTHF ligand (muc-OTHF), and an oxygen from the other muc-OTHF ligand. For the OTPM derivatives, the product was identified as [(ONep)3Ti(mu-OTPM)]2 (2). For this ligand, the soft S atom does not bind to the Ti but the O atom does act as a bridge between the two trigonal bipyramidal bound Ti metal centers. The OPy system yielded (OPy)2Ti(OR)2 independent of the OR and the stoichiometry used [OR = ONep (3), OCHMe2 (4), OCMe3 (5)]. For 3-5, the two OPy ligands chelate to the Oh-bound Ti metal center with two terminal OR ligands. Compounds 1-5 were fully characterized using a variety of analytical techniques. An initial investigation of the proposed chemical stability of the '(OPy)2Ti' moiety of 3-5 to alcoholysis exchange pathways involving (i) alkyl alcohols, (ii) aryl alcohols, (iii) substituted phenols, (iv) H-OR* derivatives, and (v) silanols proved successful through the isolation of a novel family of structurally characterized (OPy)2Ti(OR')2 (7-24) compounds.     

Differentiation of opium and poppy straw using capillary electrophoresis and pattern recognition techniques

Opium samples from four different locations and poppy straw from different plant varieties have been assayed using micellar capillary electrophoresis incorporating a sweeping technique. Individual alkaloids (morphine, codeine, papaverine, noscapine, thebaine, oripavine, reticuline and narceine) were quantitatively determined in the different samples by a validated capillary electrophoresis method. Unsupervised pattern recognition of the opium samples and the poppy straw samples using hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA) and principal component analysis (PCA), showed distinct clusters. Supervised pattern recognition using soft independent modelling of class analogy (SIMCA) was performed to show individual groupings and allow unknown samples to be classified according to the models built using the CZE assay results.