Nanopatterning of substrates by self-assembly in supramolecular block copolymer monolayer films

Many technological applications require templates with nanoscale patterns.Block copolymer self-assembly is a method of choice for obtaining a large variety of such patterns,with greatest flexibility achieved when combined with a supramolecular approach.One of the ways to fabricate block copolymer templates is the Langmuir-Blodgett (LB) technique.Here,we briefly summarize recent work with LB films of polystyrene-poly(4-vinyl pyridine) (PS-P4VP) mixed with 3-n-pentade cylphenol (PDP),illustrating the different types of patterns possible and the principles governing them.One interesting pattern that can be easily achieved with this system is the so-called nanostrand network,which,when used as a template for gold deposition,can produce double striped lines of gold.Here,we show how this pattern can be modified by acetone swelling to give rise to gold monolayer ribbons with internal structure.The results also suggest new insights into the early stages of morphology formation at the air/water interface.     

Correlation functions and power spectra of Doppler response signals in ultrasonic medical applications

Ultrasound Doppler methods are widely used in clinical practice as prospective investigational tool to study the vascular system and soft biological tissues. Meanwhile, the most general relationship between the power Doppler spectra, spectral characteristics of the scattering fluctuations and the probing ultrasound field parameters for some clinical implementations are still unexplored. Based upon the continuum model of scattering inhomogeneities, a set of the closed-form expressions for the correlation functions and the spectra of Doppler response of soft tissues and blood have been derived. The influence of the correlation among inhomogeneities and the diffusion processes on the Doppler power spectra formed by stationary flows have been examined. Computer simulations of Doppler spectra were performed for different values of correlation radius and diffusion coefficient. With simulation results the effects of the correlation among inhomogeneities and the diffusion processes on the spectral width and mean frequency are established and discussed in respect to turbulent flows. Closed-form expressions for correlation functions and Doppler spectra for the vibrational sonoelastography technique for visualizing malignant tumors in tissues have been derived. Based on the peculiarities of the obtained Doppler spectra, it is shown that the differentiation of soft tissues with respect to the amplitude value of constrained oscillations is feasible. The expressions were derived for the cases of non-stationary accelerated blood movement. It has been found that the frequency dependence reveals solely at a finite time of observation and depends on the initial phase of the accelerated movement.     

Synthesis and structural characterisation of gallium and indium fluoroalkoxide ‘ate’ complexes

The treatment of InCl₃ with MOCH(CF₃)₂ (M = Li, Na, K) in a 1:6 stoichiometry, followed by recrystallisation results in the formation of the bimetallic “ate” complexes [Na₃In(OCH(CF₃)₂)₆(THF)₃] (2) and [Li₃In(OCH(CF₃)₂)₆(THF)₃] (5) from hexane, and [K₃In(OCH(CF₃)₂)₆]_n (4) from a THF and toluene mixture. If a 1:3 stoichiometry is used chloride containing compounds [Na₂InCl(OCH(CF₃)₂)₄(THF)₄] (1) and [KInCl₂ (OCH(CF₃)₂)₂(THF)₃]_n · THF (3) are obtained on recrystallisation from hexane. Treatment of GaCl₃ with 6 equivalents of LiOC(CH₃)₂CF₃ gives [LiGa(OC(CH₃)₂CF₃)₄(THF)₂] (6) on recrystallisation from hexane. The protolysis reaction between In(N(SiMe₃)₂)₃, formed in situ from (Me₃Si)₂NH, ⁿBuLi and Incl₃, and HOCH(CH₃)CF₃ results in isolation of [LiIn(OCH(CH₃)CF₃)₃Bu]₂ (7) from hexane. The structures of 2, 4, and 5 all contain the tetranuclear core InO₆M₃. Compounds 1 and 3 have residual chloride; 1 is a trinuclear species with two THF ligands per Na, while 3 is a linear polymer. Compound 6 has a GaO₂Li four-membered parallelogram at its core. Complex 7 has a tetranuclear In₂O₆Li₂ core and an unexpected ⁿBu group on the In atoms. The coordination spheres of the alkali metals in 1-6 include solvated THF while 1-5 display additional close M?F interactions.     

Critical homoclinic orbits lead to snap-back repellers

When nondegenerate homoclinic orbits to an expanding fixed point of a map f:X→X,X⊆Rⁿ, exist, the point is called a snap-back repeller. It is known that the relevance of a snap-back repeller (in its original definition) is due to the fact that it implies the existence of an invariant set on which the map is chaotic. However, when does the first homoclinic orbit appear? When can other homoclinic explosions, i.e., appearance of infinitely many new homoclinic orbits, occur? As noticed by many authors, these problems are still open. In this work we characterize these bifurcations, for any kind of map, smooth or piecewise smooth, continuous or discontinuous, defined in a bounded or unbounded closed set. We define a noncritical homoclinic orbit and a homoclinic orbit of an expanding fixed point is structurally stable iff it is noncritical. That is, only critical homoclinic orbits are responsible for the homoclinic explosions. The possible kinds of critical homoclinic orbits will be also investigated, as well as their dynamic role.     

Osmium NAMI-A analogues: synthesis, structural and spectroscopic characterization, and antiproliferative properties

The osmium(III) complex [(DMSO)2H][trans-OsIIICl4(DMSO)2] (1) has been prepared via stepwise reduction of OsO4 in concentrated HCl using N2H(4).2HCl and SnCl(2).2H2O in DMSO. 1 reacts with a number of azole ligands, namely, indazole (Hind), pyrazole (Hpz), benzimidazole (Hbzim), imidazole (Him), and 1H-1,2,4-triazole (Htrz), in organic solvents, affording novel complexes (H2ind)[OsIIICl4(Hind)(DMSO)] (2), (H2pz)[OsIIICl4(Hpz)(DMSO)] (3), (H2bzim)[OsIIICl4(Hbzim)(DMSO)] (4), (H2im)[OsIIICl4(Him)(DMSO)] (6), and (H2trz)[OsIIICl4(Htrz)(DMSO)] (7), which are close analogues of the antimetastatic complex NAMI-A. Metathesis reaction of 4 with benzyltriphenylphosphonium chloride in methanol led to the formation of (Ph3PCH2Ph)[OsIIICl4(Hbzim)(DMSO)] (5). The complexes were characterized by IR, UV-vis, ESI mass spectrometry, 1H NMR spectroscopy, cyclic voltammetry, and X-ray crystallography. In contrast to NAMI-A, 2-4, 6, and 7 are kinetically stable in aqueous solution and resistant to hydrolysis. Surprisingly, they show reasonable antiproliferative activity in vitro in two human cell lines, HT-29 (colon carcinoma) and SK-BR-3 (mammary carcinoma), when compared with analogous ruthenium compounds. Structure-activity relationships and the potential of the prepared complexes for further development are discussed.     

Semi-analytical modelling of cracks with interacting faces in isotropic materials under harmonic load

The present work is devoted to the investigation of the contact interaction of the faces of cracks located in the homogeneous, isotropic, linearly elastic 3-D medium under a harmonic loading. The Signorini contact constraints are imposed and the friction is governed by the Coulomb law. The problem is solved by the method of the boundary integral equations with the use of the iterative procedure. The dependence of the stress intensity factors on the friction coefficient and parameters of the incident wave parameters (frequency, angle of incidence, etc.) is studied. Numerical results are compared with those obtained without allowance for the contact interaction. (© 2008 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Bismuth pyrostannate, Bi2Sn2O7, from the first structurally characterized heterobimetallic Bi:Sn alkoxides

The first heterobimetallic Bi:Sn alkoxide complexes [Bi(2)SnO(OCH(CF(3))(2))(5)(O(t)Bu)(3)(THF)] (1) and [BiSnO(OCH(CF(3))(2))(3)(O(t)Bu)(2)](2) (2) are described. The complexes were obtained through mixing and heating equimolar quantities of the component alkoxides, Bi(OCH(CF(3))(2))(3) and Sn(O(t)Bu)(4), under solvent-free conditions (1) and in THF (2). The solid-state structures were determined by single crystal X-ray diffraction showing ligand redistribution from Bi(III) to Sn(IV) in the two molecular species. Compound 2 behaves as a single-source precursor for the thermolytic formation of bismuth pyrostannate, Bi(2)Sn(2)O(7).     

Lattice Shrinkage by Incorporation of Recombinant Starmaker-Like Protein within Bioinspired Calcium Carbonate Crystals

The biological mediation of mineral formation (biomineralization) is realized through diverse organic macromolecules that guide this process in a spatial and temporal manner. Although the role of these molecules in biomineralization is being gradually revealed, the molecular basis of their regulatory function is still poorly understood. In this study, the incorporation and distribution of the model intrinsically disordered starmaker-like (Stm-l) protein, which is active in fish otoliths biomineralization, within calcium carbonate crystals, is revealed. Stm-l promotes crystal nucleation and anisotropic tailoring of crystal morphology. Intracrystalline incorporation of Stm-l protein unexpectedly results in shrinkage (and not expansion, as commonly described in biomineral and bioinspired crystals) of the crystal lattice volume, which is described herein, for the first time, for bioinspired mineralization. A ring pattern was observed in crystals grown for 48 h; this was composed of a protein-enriched region flanked by protein-depleted regions. It can be explained as a result of the Ostwald-like ripening process and intrinsic properties of Stm-l, and bears some analogy to the daily growth layers of the otolith.