Thermal decomposition of a generation 4.5 PAMAM dendrimer platinum drug conjugate

A nanoscale multivalent platinum drug based on a poly(amidoamine) [PAMAM] dendrimer (generation 4.5, carboxylate surface) has been synthesized and fully characterized using a variety of spectroscopic, chromatographic and thermal methods. Treatment of the dendrimer with an aqueous solution containing an excess diaquo(cis-1,2-diaminocyclohexane)platinum(II) produces a conjugate containing approximately forty (diaminocyclohexane)platinum(II) moieties at the surface of the dendrimer. This material undergoes smooth two-stage thermal decomposition to provide residual platinum oxide reflecting the platinum loading in the drug.     

Laser-sintered mesoporous TiO2 electrodes for dye-sensitized solar cells

Low-temperature laser sintering has been successfully demonstrated to improve the overall conversion efficiency of dye-sensitized solar cells. Mesoporous TiO₂ electrodes were prepared from a colloidal solution of TiO₂ nanopowders by a laser direct-write technique and then sintered by a quasi-continuous-wave UV laser (λ=355 nm) for the fabrication of dye-sensitized solar cells. The overall conversion efficiency of the cells based on the laser-sintered TiO₂ electrodes was double that of the devices with non-laser-treated TiO₂ electrodes. This enhancement is attributed to both the removal of organic additives and the improved inter-nanoparticle electrical contacts induced by the laser-sintering process, which led to an increase in porosity and dye-absorption sites in the TiO₂ electrodes. PACS 61.80.Ba; 61.46.+w; 73.22.-f; 84.60.Jt     

Nanostructure characterization of high k materials by spectroscopic ellipsometry

In this work, the optical and structural properties of high k materials such as tantalum oxide and titanium oxide were studied by spectroscopic ellipsometry, where a Tauc-Lorentz dispersion model based in one (amorphous films) or two oscillators (microcrystalline films) was used. The samples were deposited at room temperature by radio frequency magnetron sputtering and then annealed at temperatures from 100 to 500 °C. Concerning the tantalum oxide films, the increase of the annealing temperature, up to 500 °C does not change the amorphous nature of the films, increasing, however, their density. The same does not happen with the titanium oxide films that are microcrystalline, even when deposited at room temperature. Data concerning the use of a four-layer model based on one and two Tauc-Lorentz dispersions is also discussed, emphasizing its use for the detection of an amorphous incubation layer, normally present on microcrystalline films grown by sputtering.     

High-frequency characteristics of CoFeVAlONb thin films

High-frequency characteristics of CoFeVAlONb thin films were studied. A thin film of Co_43.47Fe_35.30V_1.54Al_5.55O_9.93Nb_4.21 is observed to exhibit excellent magnetic properties; magnetic coercivity of 1.24 Oe, uniaxial in-plane anisotropy field of 66.99 Oe, and saturation magnetization of 19.8 kG. The effective permeability of the film is as high as 1089 and is stable up to 1.8 GHz, and with ferromagnetic resonance over 3 GHz. This film also has very high electrical resistivity of about 628 μΩ cm. These superior properties make it ideal for high-frequency magnetic applications.     

Texture and electronic activity of grain boundaries in Cu(In,Ga)Se2 thin films

The influence of different film textures on the electronic properties of polycrystalline Cu(In,Ga)Se₂ absorbers is studied by measuring the laterally resolved optoelectronic properties of differently textured Cu(In,Ga)Se₂ films with Kelvin probe force microscopy and cathodoluminescence. The grain boundaries in (112)- and (220/204)-textured films behave differently. The work-function profile measured with the Kelvin probe across a grain boundary in (112)-textured films shows a dip indicating positive charges at the grain boundaries. In panchromatic cathodoluminescence mappings in a transmission electron microscope, such grain boundaries appear dark, i.e. the strongly reduced luminescence indicates that the grain boundaries represent strong non-radiative recombination centers. In contrast, grain boundaries in (220/204)-textured films give rise to a dip or a step in the work function indicating slightly negative charge or neutrality. Cathodoluminescence is reduced at such grain boundaries, but less dramatically than in the (112)-textured case. However, when Na is present in the (220/204)-textured films, the grain boundaries are almost invisible in cathodoluminescence mappings. This strong passivating action of Na occurs only in the (220/204)-textured films, due to a particular grain-boundary population. In (112)-textured films and films without pronounced texture, this passivation effect is much less noticeable. PACS 73.50.Gr; 73.61.Ga; 78.60.Hk; 87.64.Dt     

Effects of trapped electrons on the line shape in emission Mössbauer spectra

To explain line broadening in emission Mössbauer spectra as compared to the corresponding absorber measurements, the model of trapped electrons has been proposed. Auger electrons (emitted, e.g. after electron capture by ⁵⁷Co or after the converted isomeric transition of ^119mSn), as well as secondary electrons, may be trapped in the proximity to the nucleogenic ion. Electrons captured by lattice traps at different distances from the daughter ion induce an asymmetric distribution of quadrupole splitting in the resulting emission spectra, as shown in a few examples. This model is supported by estimates of quadrupole splitting values which may be caused by such trapped electrons located at specified distances from the nucleogenic atom.     

Strain-induced modification of magnetic structure and new magnetic phases in rare-earth epitaxial films

Rare earths exhibit complex magnetic phase diagrams resulting from the competition between various contributions to the magnetic energy: exchange, anisotropy and magnetostriction. The epitaxy of a rare-earth film on a substrate induces (i) a clamping to the substrate and (ii) pseudomorphic strains. Both these effects are shown to lead to modifications of the magnetic properties in (0 0 1)Dy, (0 0 1)Tb and (1 1 0)Eu films. In Dy and Tb films, spectacular variations of the Curie temperature have been evidenced. Additionally, Tb films exhibit a new large wavelength magnetic modulation. In Eu films, one of the helical magnetic domains disappears at low temperature whereas the propagation vectors of the other helices are tilted. The link between structural and magnetic properties is underlined via magnetoelastic models. Moreover, molecular beam epitaxy permits the growth of Sm in a metastable dhcp phase. The magnetic structure of dhcp Sm has been elucidated for the first time. In this review, neutron scattering is shown to be a powerful technique to reveal the magnetic structures of rare-earth films.     

Chaotic-to-ordered state transition of cathode-sheath instabilities in DC glow discharge plasmas

Transition from chaotic to ordered state has been observed during the initial stage of a discharge in a cylindrical DC glow discharge plasma. Initially it shows a chaotic behavior but increasing the discharge voltage changes the characteristics of the discharge glow and shows a period subtraction of order 7 period → 5 period → 3 period → 1 period, i.e. the system goes to single mode through odd cycle subtraction. On further increasing the discharge voltage, the system goes through period doubling, like 1 period → 2 period → 4 period. On further increasing the voltage, the system goes to stable state through two period subtraction, like 4 period → 2 period → stable.     

Working group report: Collider Physics

This is summary of the activities of the working group on collider physics in the IXth Workshop on High Energy Physics Phenomenology (WHEPP-9) held at the Institute of Physics, Bhubaneswar, India in January 2006. Some of the work subsequently done on these problems by the subgroups formed during the workshop is included in this report.