Microanalysis of polymers using a windowless energy-dispersive X-ray detector

The surface compositions of various polymeric films, grown electrochemically on platinum foils, have been investigated by energy-dispersive x-ray analysis in conjunction with scanning electron microscopy (SEM/EDS). Comparison of the relative area ratios of peaks for the C and N K_emission lines show that the EDS may be used to study the surface composition of polymers. The evidence presented strongly suggests that there is limited structural degradation and the elemental composition is not changed under the electron beam at relatively low accelerating voltages. This technique statistically samples the repeat units of the polymer. For samples grown in both aqueous and nonaqueous solutions. SEM/EDS provides evidence for extensive contamination with oxygen.     

A small-angle X-ray scattering study of nanoparticle assembly in an aligned nematic liquid crystal

The assembly of colloidal particles in a nematic liquid crystal has been investigated using small-angle X-ray scattering. The structure and orientation of nanoparticle assemblies in bulk samples of aligned nematic liquid crystal have been determined. The method offers some advantages over optical microscopy, which is usually restricted to investigations of thin cells and micron-sized particles. The scattering from chains of particles has been calculated, and comparison with experimental results has shown that suspensions of 48 and 105 nm diameter silica nanoparticles formed highly ordered structures perpendicular to the liquid crystal director, consistent with quadrupolar defect-induced assembly.     

Singular value decomposition applied to the compression of T3 amplitude for the coupled cluster method

We apply the singular value decomposition to compress the degrees of freedom of T3 amplitude for the CCSDT-1 method (compressed CCSDT-1). This method enables us to make the number of the T3 amplitudes less than that of the T2 amplitudes, making CCSDT-1 calculations much less expensive without losing accuracy. We perform test calculations on some atoms and molecules to investigate the applicability of this method. Computational results for the electronic energies as well as timings of these calculations are presented.     

The d'--d--d' vertical triad is less discriminating than the a'--a--a' vertical triad in the antiparallel coiled-coil dimer motif

Elucidating relationships between the amino-acid sequences of proteins and their three-dimensional structures, and uncovering non-covalent interactions that underlie polypeptide folding, are major goals in protein science. One approach toward these goals is to study interactions between selected residues, or among constellations of residues, in small folding motifs. The α-helical coiled coil has served as a platform for such studies because this folding unit is relatively simple in terms of both sequence and structure. Amino acid side chains at the helix-helix interface of a coiled coil participate in so-called "knobs-into-holes" (KIH) packing whereby a side chain (the knob) on one helix inserts into a space (the hole) generated by four side chains on a partner helix. The vast majority of sequence-stability studies on coiled-coil dimers have focused on lateral interactions within these KIH arrangements, for example, between an a position on one helix and an a' position of the partner in a parallel coiled-coil dimer, or between a--d' pairs in an antiparallel dimer. More recently, it has been shown that vertical triads (specifically, a'--a--a' triads) in antiparallel dimers exert a significant impact on pairing preferences. This observation provides impetus for analysis of other complex networks of side-chain interactions at the helix-helix interface. Here, we describe a combination of experimental and bioinformatics studies that show that d'--d--d' triads have much less impact on pairing preference than do a'--a--a' triads in a small, designed antiparallel coiled-coil dimer. However, the influence of the d'--d--d' triad depends on the lateral a'--d interaction. Taken together, these results strengthen the emerging understanding that simple pairwise interactions are not sufficient to describe side-chain interactions and overall stability in antiparallel coiled-coil dimers; higher-order interactions must be considered as well.     

Thermal Characterizations of Inorganic and Organometallic Polymers

This review emphasizes the breadth of metallic and metallic-like polymers evaluated as to thermal properties. Techniques usefully applied to particular systems are noted with the aim of suggesting their application to other systems.     

Synthesis and Characterization of Sterically Encumbered Derivatives of Aluminum Hydrides and Halides: Assessment of Steric Properties of Bulky Terphenyl Ligands

The synthesis and characterization of several sterically encumbered monoterphenyl derivatives of aluminum halides and aluminum hydrides are described. These compounds are [2,6-Mes(2)C(6)H(3)AlH(3)LiOEt(2)](n)() (1), (Mes = 2,4,6-Me(3)C(6)H(2)-), 2,6-Mes(2)C(6)H(3)AlH(2)OEt(2) (2), [2,6-Mes(2)C(6)H(3)AlH(2)](2) (3), 2,6-Mes(2)C(6)H(3)AlCl(2)OEt(2) (4), [2,6-Mes(2)C(6)H(3)AlCl(3)LiOEt(2)](n)() (5), [2,6-Mes(2)C(6)H(3)AlCl(2)](2) (6), TriphAlBr(2)OEt(2) (7), (Triph = 2,4,6-Ph(3)C(6)H(2)-), [2,6-Trip(2)C(6)H(3)AlH(3)LiOEt(2)](2) (8) (Trip = 2,4,6-i-Pr(3)C(6)H(2)-), 2,6-Trip(2)C(6)H(3)AlH(2)OEt(2) (9), [2,6-Trip(2)C(6)H(3)AlH(2)](2) (10), 2,6-Trip(2)C(6)H(3)AlCl(2)OEt(2) (11), and the partially hydrolyzed derivative [2,6-Trip(2)C(6)H(3)Al(Cl)(0.68)(H)(0.32)(&mgr;-OH)](2).2C(6)H(6) (12). The structures of 2, 3a, 4, 6, 7, 9a, 10a, 10b, 11, and 12 were determined by X-ray crystallography. The structures of 3a, 9a, 10a, and 10b, are related to 3, 9, and 10, respectively, by partial occupation of chloride or hydride by hydroxide. The compounds were also characterized by (1)H, (13)C, (7)Li, and (27)Al NMR and IR spectroscopy. The major conclusions from the experimental data are that a single ortho terphenyl substituent of the kind reported here are not as effective as the ligand Mes (Mes = 2,4,6-t-Bu(3)C(6)H(2)-) in preventing further coordination and/or aggregation involving the aluminum centers. In effect, one terphenyl ligand is not as successful as a Mes substituent in masking the metal through agostic and/or steric effects.     

Determination of ondansetron and its hydroxy metabolites in human serum using solid-phase extraction and liquid chromatography/positive ion electrospray tandem mass spectrometry

Ondansetron and its hydroxylated metabolites were determined in human serum using solid-phase extraction (SPE) and liquid chromatography/positive ion electrospray tandem mass spectrometry. Pyrimethamine was used as the internal standard. The analytes were eluted from the SPE cartridge using 2 x 1 ml of methanol containing 0.5% triethylamine, evaporated under vacuum and the residue was reconstituted in the mobile phase. The liquid chromatographic separation was achieved on a silica column using a mobile phase of aqueous 20 mM ammonium acetate (pH 4.7)-acetonitrile (85 : 15, v/v) at a flow-rate of 0.4 ml min(-1). The method was linear over the range 1-500 ng ml(-1) for ondansetron and each of the metabolites in human serum. The intra-day accuracy was better than 9.1% and the precision was <10.3%; the inter-day accuracy was better than 9.5% and the precision was <12.6%. The limit of detection was 250 pg ml(-1) based on a signal-to-noise ratio of 3. The absolute recovery from serum for all analytes was >90%.     

Reproducible SERRS from structured gold surfaces

Metallic substrates with ordered spherical cavities have been shown to be very effective for surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) and can be fabricated reproducibly using electrodeposition. The sensitivity of detection is increased by several orders of magnitude by using surface-enhanced resonance Raman scattering (SERRS). In this report we demonstrate SERRS for the first time on electrodeposited gold films templated with colloidal spheres and demonstrate the reproducibility of the response. We also obtain a direct comparison between SERRS and SERS by choosing two dyes, Cy5 and Cy3, which are similar in structure but differ in their excitation maxima, such that one is resonant and the other non-resonant with our laser excitation. As expected, the resonant enhancement is found to be of the order of 10(3) over and above that for SERS. The net SERRS enhancements are shown to be of the order of 10(9). We also find that the resonant enhancement profile of the different peaks for the chromophore follows the plasmonic resonance absorption spectrum obtained for the structured surface.