Development of novel synthetic method of carbon nanotubes from electrospun polystyrene fibers by using microwave heating

We have developed a novel synthetic method that enables us to easily synthesize metal‐capsulated carbon nanotubes (CNTs) in a laboratory by using a combined technology of electrospinning‐metallization and microwave heating. These techniques greatly shorten the time for the synthesis of the CNTs in comparison with the conventional methods. TEM analysis confirmed a successful formation of the CNTs, and the resulting CNTs were multi‐walled and found to be about 25–100 nm in diameters. The products prepared by heating at 600 and 900°C exhibited less‐developed and strongly curved CNTs, whereas the products prepared by heating at 700 and 800°C relatively well‐developed long CNTs. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Ultraviolet Photodissociation of Carboxylate-Derivatized Peptides in a Quadrupole Ion Trap

The fragmentation patterns obtained by ultraviolet photodissociation (UVPD) and collision-induced dissociation (CID) in a quadrupole ion trap mass spectrometer were compared for peptides modified at their C-termini and at acidic amino acids. Attachment of Alexa Fluor 350 or 7-amino-4-methyl-coumarin chromophores at the C-terminal and acidic residues enhances the UV absorptivity of the peptides and all fragment ions that retain the chromophore, such as the y ions that contain the chromophore-modified C-terminus. Whereas CID results in the formation of the typical array of mainly y-type and a/b-type fragment ions, UVPD produces predominantly a/b-type ions with greatly reduced abundances of y ions. Immonium ions, mostly ones from aromatic or basic amino acids, are also observed in the low m/z range upon UVPD. UVPD of peptides containing two chromophore moieties (with one at the C-terminus and another at an acidic residue) results in even more efficient photodissociation at the expense of the annihilation of almost all diagnostic b and y ions containing the chromophore.     

Evaluating alternative electrostatic potential models for polyacrylamide-co-acrylate in aqueous solution

The capabilities of three simplified analytical equations to accurately model electrostatic interactions during proton binding and release by linear anionic polyelectrolytes in aqueous solution were evaluated. The impermeable sphere (IS), Donnan (DN), and cylindrical (CY) electrostatic models were fit to experimental acid-base titration curves of linear polyacrylamide-co-acrylate having ionizable site densities ranging from ca. 10-35%. The titrations were conducted in 0.003-0.12M NaCl solutions and the sum of squared errors from modeled and experimental data was used as a comparative index of each model's capability. In addition, the relative size of each polyelectrolyte was estimated from its measured specific viscosity and then compared against the values obtained from the fitting procedure for the size parameter that each model contained. Although the IS and DN electrostatic models could be used to obtain reasonably good fits to each titration curve, the size parameter values obtained by each model were not reflective of the actual polyelectrolyte sizes, indicating that the models had limited physical meaning and that the size parameter was essentially just an additional fitting parameter in each model. In contrast, the CY model was not only more effective in its ability to fit the titration data but also provided a better physical representation of the polyelectrolyte size. Therefore, for polyelectrolytes that remain essentially linear or are only loosely coiled such that counter ions are free to travel throughout the polymer structure, we conclude that the CY model and its morphological representation of a cylindrical polyelectrolyte are more valid and realistic than the IS and DN models and their representation of polyelectrolytes as spheres.     

End-to-end azide-bridged manganese(III) chain compounds: field-induced magnetic phase transitions and variation of T(C) to 38 K depending on the side groups of the Schiff bases

Three one-dimensional coordination polymers [Mn(L)(N(3))](n) [L = L1 (1), L2 (2), L3 (3); L1H(2) = N,N'-bis(5-chlorosalicylideneiminato)-1,3-diaminopentane, L2H(2) = N,N'-bis(5-bromosalicylideneiminato)-1,3-diaminopentane, L3H(2) = N,N'-bis(5-bromosalicylideneiminato)-1,3-diamino-2-dimethylpropane] bridged by end-to-end azides were prepared. The crystal systems differ according to the Schiff bases used. Each Mn atom adopts a typical Jahn-Teller distortion. The helicity of the chains occurs in a racemic manner only for 2. No noncovalent forces are relevant in 2, while π-π contacts are visible in 1 and 3. Magnetic measurements show the presence of apparent spin canting. Complexes 1 and 3 exhibit a field-induced metamagnetic transition from an antiferromagnetic state to a weak ferromagnetic phase, whereas 2 embraces a field-induced two-step magnetic phase transition. The critical temperature is observed at 38 K for 2, which is relatively higher than those for 1 (11 K) and 3 (10 K). The pronounced long-range order may contribute from intrachain exchange couplings and through-space dipolar interactions between adjacent chains.     

Micro-droplet detection and characterization using thermal responses

We suggest a novel method to detect droplets and determine the protein content of droplets in microfluidic system using the 3ω method, which is a powerful tool to easily detect thermal response changes with a simple device. By measuring the thermal response of droplets and a carrying flow in real time, water droplets in an oleic acid carrying flow can be detected, and the concentration of bovine serum albumin in droplets can be estimated. This method is expected to increase the practicality and power of droplet-based microfluidic systems.     

Fixed charge and interface traps at heterovalent interfaces between Si(1 0 0) and non-crystalline Al2O3–Ta2O5 alloys

Characterization by Auger electron spectroscopy (AES) and Fourier transformation infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) confirms (Ta₂O₅)_x(Al₂O₃)_1−x alloys are homogeneous pseudo-binary alloys with increased thermal stability with respect to end member oxides, Ta₂O₅ and Al₂O₃. Capacitance–voltage (C–V) and current density–voltage (J–V) data as a function of temperate show that the Ta d-states of the alloys act as localized electron traps, and are at an energy approximately equal to the conduction band offset of Ta₂O₅ with respect to Si.     

Study on colour characteristics depending on orientation of liquid crystal in the in-plane switching mode

The degree of colour shift depending on viewing direction in the in-plane switching (IPS) mode has been investigated. The IPS cell with pure twist deformation exhibits a stronger colour shift than that of the IPS cell with tilt as well as twist deformation, although the former has better luminance uniformity in the bright state than the latter. Furthermore, the IPS cell with multi-directional LC orientation, with tilt as well as twist deformation, shows the least colour shift.     

In situ formation of silver nanoparticles within an amphiphilic graft copolymer film

Silver nanoparticles were prepared by UV irradiation from silver salts, such as AgBF₄ or AgNO₃, when dissolved in an amphiphilic film of poly((oxyethylene)₉ methacrylate)‐graft‐poly((dimethyl siloxane)_n methacrylate), POEM‐g‐mPDMS. The in situ formation of silver nanoparticles in the graft copolymer film was confirmed by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), UV‐visible spectroscopy, and wide angle X‐ray scattering (WAXS). The results demonstrated that the use of AgBF₄ yielded silver nanoparticles with a smaller size (～5 nm) and narrower particle distribution when compared with AgNO₃. The formation of silver nanoparticles was explained in terms of the interaction strength of the silver ions with the ether oxygens of POEM, as revealed by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). It was thus concluded that a stronger interaction of silver ions with the ether oxygens results in a more stable formation of silver nanoparticles, which produces uniform and small‐sized nanoparticles. DSC and small angle X‐ray scattering (SAXS) data also showed the selective incorporation and in situ reduction of the silver ions within the hydrophilic POEM domains. Excellent mechanical properties of the nanocomposite films (3–5 × 10⁵ dyn/cm²) were observed, mostly because of the confinement of silver nanoparticles in the POEM chains as well as interfaces created by the microphase separation of the graft copolymer film. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 45: 1283–1290, 2007