Fabrication of copper oxide nanofluid using submerged arc nanoparticle synthesis system (SANSS)

The optimal parameters are found for preparing nanofluid in our submerged arc nanoparticle synthesis system (SANSS) using a copper electrode. A suspended copper oxide nanofluid is thus produced at the current of 8.5–10 A, voltage of 220 V, pulse duration of 12 μs, and dielectric liquid temperature of 2°C. The CuO nanoparticle are characterized by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), field emission scanning electron microscope (FESEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), electron diffraction pattern (SAD) and electron spectroscopy for chemical analysis (ESCA). The equality volume spherical diameter of the obtained copper oxide particle is 49.1 nm, regular shape and narrow size distribution.This revised version was published online in August 2005 with a corrected issue number.     

Noncrystalline phases in poly(9,9-di-n-octyl-2,7-fluorene)

Selective formation of amorphous, nematic (N), and beta phases in poly(9,9-di-n-octyl-2,7-fluorene) (PFO) films was achieved via judicious choice of process parameters. Phase structure and film morphology were carefully examined by means of X-ray diffraction as well as electron microscopy. "Amorphous" thin films were obtained by quick evaporation of solvent. Slow solvent removal during film formation or extended treatment of the amorphous film with solvent vapor resulted in predominantly the beta phase, which corresponds to a frozen (due to decreased segmental mobility upon solvent removal) and intrinsically metastable state of transformation midway between a solvent-induced clathrate phase and the equilibrium crystalline order in the undiluted state. The frozen transformation process is reactivated upon an increase in temperature beyond 100 degrees C. Compared to the amorphous film, extended backbone conjugation in the beta phase is evidenced from the emergence of a characteristic absorption peak around 430 nm near the absorption edge. For films of frozen nematic order (obtained by quenching from the nematic state), the conjugation length is also greater than the amorphous films as revealed by an absorption shoulder around 420 nm. Well-behaved single-chromophore emission with single-mode phonon coupling was observed for the beta phase; in the case of nematic films, dual-mode phonon coupling must exist if single-chromophore emission is assumed. In comparison, the emission spectrum of the amorphous film of generally shorter conjugation lengths exhibited mixed characteristics of nematic and beta phases, implying the presence of minor populations of extended conjugation similar to those in nematic and beta phases, which are of biased weightings in the emission spectra. All these films consist of nanograins (ca. 10 nm in size) of collapsed chains; the films are therefore inherently inhomogeneous in this length scale. In combination with previous observations on the crystalline (alpha and alpha') forms, the phase behavior of PFO is then generally summarized in terms of relative thermodynamic stability.     

Effect of conformational heterogeneity on excitation energy transfer efficiency in directly meso-meso linked Zn(II) porphyrin arrays

We have investigated the overall excitation energy relaxation dynamics in linear porphyrin arrays as well as the energy transport phenomena by attaching an energy acceptor to one end of a linear porphyrin array by using steady state and time-resolved spectroscopic measurements. We have revealed that the solvation dynamics as well as the conformational dynamics contributes significantly to the energy relaxation processes of linear porphyrin arrays. Consequently, long porphyrin arrays no longer serve as good energy transmission elements in donor-acceptor linked systems due to conformational heterogeneities which provide the non-radiative deactivation channels as energy quenchers.     

Quantum critical scaling and the origin of non-fermi-liquid behavior in Sc1-xUxPd3

We used inelastic neutron scattering to study magnetic excitations of Sc1-xUxPd3 for U concentrations (x=0.25, 0.35) near the spin glass quantum critical point (QCP). The excitations are spatially incoherent, broad in energy (E=variant Planck's over 2piomega), and follow omega/T scaling at all wave vectors investigated. Since similar omega/T scaling has been observed for UCu5-xPdx and CeCu6-xAux near the antiferromagnetic QCP, we argue that the observed non-Fermi-liquid behavior in these f-electron materials arises from the critical phenomena near a T=0 K phase transition, irrespective of the nature of the transition.     

Generalized diffusion solution for light scattering from anisotropic sources

The traditional diffusion theory, often used for isotropic sources, becomes inaccurate at short source-detector spacings and cannot be applied to media with large absorption or with small scattering strengths. We show that for any type of source anisotropy, a Green's-function-based procedure can remove these limitations. The accuracy of the new approach is examined through a comparison with the numerical solution to the radiative transfer equation.     

High-resolution angular measurement using surface-plasmon-resonance via phase interrogation at optimal incident wavelengths

It is demonstrated that ultrahigh-resolution angular measurement can be achieved via surface-plasmon-resonance excitation in which the phase difference between p- and s-polarized reflected waves is monitored as a function of the incidence angle. Resolutions down to 1.9 x 10(-6) deg are obtained by performing the measurements at optimal incident wavelengths. This represents an order of magnitude improvement compared with previously reported values.     

Connection between the 2-body energy of the Kaxiras-Pandey and the Biswas-Hamann potentials

Relationship among interatomic potential functions can be useful in shedding insight on the extent of similarity, and in obtaining a potential function from parameters of another potential function. The 2-body portion of the Biswas-Hamann (BH) and the Kaxiras-Pandey (KP) potential functions are related by equating both functions, as well as their corresponding derivatives up to the third order at the equilibrium bond length. Validity of the parametric relationship is verified by plotting the loose form of the 2-body BH potential in terms of KP parameters and comparing it with the KP potential function. The parametric relationships developed herein are then compared with those that concern other potential functions, with particular emphasis on the scaling factors.     

Analysis of guanosine-5′-monophosphate at nM level based on the co-luminescence effect of Tb-Gd-GMP system

This paper first found the co-luminescence effect of guanosine-5′-monophosphate (GMP) system. Experiment showed that La³⁺, Gd³⁺, Sc³⁺ and Y³⁺ all could enhance the luminescence of Tb-GMP system, among which Gd³⁺ has the greatest enhancement. Under the optimum conditions, the enhanced intensity of the system is in proportion to the concentration of GMP in the range from 3×10⁻⁸ to 3×10⁻⁵ mol/l. The detection limit is 3.9×10⁻⁹ mol/l. In the study of mechanism, we propose that both Tb and Gd complexes can form bigger netlike compound by the link of the oxygen bridge, through which the energy absorbed by Gd complex may transfer to Tb³⁺ in Tb complex.