Cooling effect of thermal bias on a current-carrying nanodevice

We investigate the heat generation in a quantum dot (QD) coupled to two normal leads with different temperatures. It is found that heat in the QD can be conducted efficiently away through electron–phonon interaction in the QD when the QD is coupled stronger to colder lead than to the hotter one. As temperature of the colder lead is close to zero, the current through the QD peaks at the very QD level position, where the heat generation is zero, which helps to keep the stability of a working nanodevice. Then an ideal condition for nanodevice operation can be found.     

First-order kernel density estimation of abdomen medical image intensity and spatial information and application to segmentation

Kernel density estimators (KDE) used for many medical image applications only consider the intensity information of each pixel or its neighbors without the ability of expressing the structure and shape of tissues and organs, and they suffer from boundary bias problem. In this paper, we propose a new first-order kernel density estimation (FOKDE) method for 1D intensity information and 2D spatial information of medical image in two steps. First, the FOKDE of intensity information is estimated and applied to medical image segmentation with the multi-thresholding algorithm. Second, we estimate the FOKDE of spatial information on the initial segmentation, which can express the structure and shape of organs and tissues. In order to evaluate the FOKDE and KDE of the 2D spatial information, we apply them to medical image segmentation with the hill-climbing strategy. Density estimation experiments and segmentation application results on the simulated dataset and real abdomen CT images show us that the FOKDE has smaller boundary bias than the KDE, and that it can estimate the structure and shape of tissues and organs with spatial information effectively.     

Note on the Harmonic Approximation in the Treatment of Entanglement: N Cold Trapped Ions

We study a one-dimensional system composed of N charged bosons confined in an external harmonic potential. In the limit of a strong interaction between the particles, we apply the harmonic approximation and derive an integral representation for the purity of the one-particle reduced density matrix, enabling an easy determination of the asymptotic entanglement. Results for the dependence of the asymptotic linear entropy on N are provided and discussed in detail for the first time.     

MOCVD grown MWIR HgCdTe detectors for high operation temperature conditions

The paper reports on photoelectrical performance of the mid-wave infrared HgCdTe detector for high operating temperature condition. Detector structure was simulated with APSYS numerical platform by Crosslight Inc. The comprehensive analysis of the detector performance such as dark current, detectivity, time response vs. device architecture and applied bias has been performed. The N⁺pP⁺n⁺ HgCdTe heterostructure photodiode operating in room temperature at a wavelength range of 2.6–3.6 μm enabled to reach: detectivity ～8.7×10¹⁰ cmHz^1/2/W, responsivity ～1.72 A/W and time response ～ 145 ps (V = 200 mV).     

Isolation and characterization of conformational isomers of N,N′‐bis(3,5‐dichlorosalicylidene)‐2,2′‐ethylenedianiline: crystal structure,photoluminescence, and density functional theory calculation

We have isolated two isomeric solids 1 and 2 of N,N′‐bis(3,5‐dichlorosalicylidene)‐2,2′‐ethylenedianiline and characterized by IR, UV/Vis, X‐ray powder diffraction, thermogravimetric analysis/differential thermal analysis, and X‐ray crystallography. Although the solids are same formulas, each shows different colors and crystal structures. Orange solid ( 1 ) shows endo conformation while yellow solid ( 2 ) exhibits exo form depending on packing modes. UV/Vis spectra of 1 and 2 appear very similar patterns in the solid state; however, the bands of 1 are slightly red‐shifted compared with those of 2 . 1 displays a strong fluorescent emission band at ~582 nm while 2 shows an intense fluorescent signal at ~563 nm. The charge density populations of 1 and 2 have been studied by computational simulations using density functional theory at pbe1pbe/6‐311G** level. The calculated highest occupied molecular orbital and lowest unoccupied molecular orbital energies of 1 and 2 confirm that charge transfer occurs within the organic molecules. The energy difference of HOMO‐LUMO in 1 is smaller slightly than that of 2 about 0.05 eV (~17 nm). Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Synthesis,Characterization, and Directional Binding of Anisotropic Biohybrid Microparticles for Multiplexed Biosensing

Anisotropic microarchitectures with different physicochemical properties have been developed as advanced materials for challenging industrial and biomedical applications including switchable displays, multiplexed biosensors and bioassays, spatially‐controlled drug delivery systems, and tissue engineering scaffolds. In this study, anisotropic biohybrid microparticles (MPs) spatio‐selectively conjugated with two different antibodies (Abs) are first developed for fluorescence‐based, multiplexed sensing of biological molecules. Poly(acrylamide‐co‐acrylic acid) is chemically modified with maleimide‐ or acetylene groups to introduce different targeting biological moieties into each compartment of anisotropic MPs. Modified polymer solutions containing two different fluorescent dyes are separately used for electrohydrodynamic co‐jetting with side‐by‐side needle geometry. The anisotropic MPs are chemically stabilized by thermal imidization, followed by bioconjugation of two different sets of polyclonal Abs with two individual compartments via maleimide‐thiol coupling reaction and Huisgen 1,3‐dipolar cycloaddition. Finally, two compartments of the anisotropic biohybrid MPs are spatio‐selectively associated with the respective monoclonal Ab‐immobilized substrate in the presence of the antigen by sandwich‐type immunocomplex formation, resulting in their ordered orientation due to the spatio‐specific molecular interaction, as confirmed by confocal laser scanning microscopy. In conclusion, anisotropic biohybrid MPs capable of directional binding have great potential as a new fluorescence‐based multiplexing biosensing system.

     

Synthesis of the Copolymer Based on Diketopyrrolopyrrole with Didecyl Chain for OPVs

A new accepter unit, diphenylpyrrolo[3,2-b]pyrrole-2,5-dione with didecyl chain, was prepared and utilized for the synthesis of the conjugated polymer containing electron donor-acceptor pair for OPVs. The iDPP, part of the structure of a natural dye found in lichens, is the regioisomer of the known DPP with switched position of the carbonyl group and nitrogen atom. At the 4-positions of the N-substituted phenyl groups of 1,4-bis(4-butylphenyl)-pyrrolo[3,2-b]-pyrrole-2,5-dione unit in P-butyl, the butyl group was substituted with decyl group to increase solubility. The absorption spectrum of polymer with diphenylpyrrolo[3,2-b]pyrrole-2,5-dione unit exhibit two maximum peaks at about 365 and 542 nm. The spectrum of the P1 as the solid thin film shows absorption band with maximum peaks at 370 and 536 nm, and the absorption onset at 703 nm, corresponding to band gap of 1.76 eV. The oxidation and reduction potential onset of the synthesized polymer were estimated to be 0.84 and ?1.22 V, which correspond to HOMO and LUMO energy levels of ?5.64 and ?3.58 eV, respectively. The devices comprising P1 with PC₆₁BM annealed at 100°C showed a V_OC of 0.79 V, a J_SC of 1.75 mA/cm², and a FF of 0.31, leading to the power conversion efficiency of 0.43% under white light illumination (AM 1.5 G, 100 mW/cm²).     

On Modules Over Group Rings

Let M be a right module over a ring R and let G be a group. The set MG of all formal finite sums of the form ∑? _g?∈?G m _g g where m _g ?∈?M becomes a right module over the group ring RG under addition and scalar multiplication similar to the addition and multiplication of a group ring. In this paper, we study basic properties of the RG-module MG, and characterize module properties of (MG) _RG in terms of properties of M _R and G. Particularly, we prove the module-theoretic versions of several well-known results on group rings, including Maschke’s Theorem and the classical characterizations of right self-injective group rings and of von Neumann regular group rings.     

New ultrahigh affinity host-guest complexes of cucurbit[7]uril with bicyclo[2.2.2]octane and adamantane guests: thermodynamic analysis and evaluation of M2 affinity calculations

A dicationic ferrocene derivative has previously been shown to bind cucurbit[7]uril (CB[7]) in water with ultrahigh affinity (ΔG(o) = -21 kcal/mol). Here, we describe new compounds that bind aqueous CB[7] equally well, validating our prior suggestion that they, too, would be ultrahigh affinity CB[7] guests. The present guests, which are based upon either a bicyclo[2.2.2]octane or adamantane core, have no metal atoms, so these results also confirm that the remarkably high affinities of the ferrocene-based guest need not be attributed to metal-specific interactions. Because we used the M2 method to compute the affinities of several of the new host-guest systems prior to synthesizing them, the present results also provide for the first blinded evaluation of this computational method. The blinded calculations agree reasonably well with experiment and successfully reproduce the observation that the new adamantane-based guests achieve extremely high affinities, despite the fact that they position a cationic substituent at only one electronegative portal of the CB[7] host. However, there are also significant deviations from experiment, and these lead to the correction of a procedural error and an instructive evaluation of the sensitivity of the calculations to physically reasonable variations in molecular energy parameters. The new experimental and computational results presented here bear on the physical mechanisms of molecular recognition, the accuracy of the M2 method, and the usefulness of host-guest systems as test-beds for computational methods.     

Thiocyanate-capped nanocrystal colloids: vibrational reporter of surface chemistry and solution-based route to enhanced coupling in nanocrystal solids

Ammonium thiocyanate (NH(4)SCN) is introduced to exchange the long, insulating ligands used in colloidal nanocrystal (NC) synthesis. The short, air-stable, environmentally benign thiocyanate ligand electrostatically stabilizes a variety of semiconductor and metallic NCs in polar solvents, allowing solution-based deposition of NCs into thin-film NC solids. NH(4)SCN is also effective in replacing ligands on NCs after their assembly into the solid state. The spectroscopic properties of this ligand provide unprecedented insight into the chemical and electronic nature of the surface of the NCs. Spectra indicate that the thiocyanate binds to metal sites on the NC surface and is sensitive to atom type and NC surface charge. The short, thiocyanate ligand gives rise to significantly enhanced electronic coupling between NCs as evidenced by large bathochromic shifts in the absorption spectra of CdSe and CdTe NC thin films and by conductivities as high as (2 ± 0.7) × 10(3) Ω(-1) cm(-1) for Au NC thin films deposited from solution. NH(4)SCN treatment of PbTe NC films increases the conductivity by 10(13), allowing the first Hall measurements of nonsintered NC solids, with Hall effect mobilities of 2.8 ± 0.7 cm(2)/(V·s). Thiocyanate-capped CdSe NC thin films form photodetectors exhibiting sensitive photoconductivity of 10(-5) Ω(-1) cm(-1) under 30 mW/cm(2) of 488 nm illumination with I(photo)/I(dark) > 10(3) and form n-channel thin-film transistors with electron mobilities of 1.5 ± 0.7 cm(2)/(V·s), a current modulation of >10(6), and a subthreshold swing of 0.73 V/decade.