Surface microstructure of carbon black: Advances in characterization by scanning tunneling microscopy

The recent advances in the characterization of the surface structure of carbon black by scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) are reported. The atomic organization, at the surfaces of several carbon blacks, is well resolved by STM and a local paracrystalline structure model is proposed, where the distorted carbon layer and thus the unequal inter-layer distance are evidenced on the basis of the classical turbostratic stacking. The quantitative analysis of the STM image, which enables a quantitative assessment of the surface crystallinity and of the nanoscale roughness, is presented.     

抽运-检测型原子磁力仪对电流源噪声的测量

用于在宽量程范围内标定原子磁力仪的灵敏度的复现磁场通常由精密电流源和标准线圈产生,电流源噪声将直接影响原子磁力仪在宽量程范围内标定的灵敏度.本文基于抽运-检测型原子磁力仪首先提出抑制复现磁场漂移的磁补偿方法,其次开展宽量程范围内电流源的噪声和原子磁力仪的灵敏度之间依赖关系的研究.研究结果表明,抽运-检测型原子磁力仪的灵敏度主要由电流源噪声决定,因此可用特定磁场下的灵敏度估算电流源在对应输出电流条件下的电流噪声.本文研究对弱磁传感器灵敏度指标的标定、高精度电流源的研制、磁感应强度计量和电流计量的协同发展都具有参考价值.     

Amphiphilic ABA triblock copolymer as surfactant in syntheses of microlatexes bearing cationic groups

Polystyrene microlatexes have been prepared by conventional emulsion polymerization with a novel amphiphilic water‐soluble ABA triblock copolymer, poly[2‐(dimethylamino)ethyl methacrylate]₁₅‐b‐poly(propylene oxide)₃₆‐b‐poly[2‐(dimethyl‐amino)ethyl methacrylate]₁₅ (PDMAEMA₁₅‐PPO₃₆‐PDMAEMA₁₅), as a polycationic emulsifier under acidic or neutral conditions. The ABA triblock copolymer was developed by oxyanion‐initiated polymerization in our laboratory. In this study, it acted well both as a polycationic polymeric surfactant to form block copolymeric micelles for emulsion polymerization and as a stabilizer to be anchored into the polystyrene microlatex or adsorbed onto its surface. The results obtained with various copolymer concentrations and different pH media showed that microlatex diameters decreased remarkably with increased concentration of this ABA triblock copolymeric emulsifier, but were not as much affected by the pH of media within the experimental range of 3.4–7.0. The observed difference of the particle sizes from transmission electron microscopy and dynamic light scattering measurements is discussed in terms of the effect of the absorbed surfactants and their electrical double layers. This difference has led to the formation of a cationic polyelectrolyte fringe on the surface of microspheres. The final microlatexes were characterized with respect to total conversion, particle diameter, and particle size distribution as well as colloidal stability. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 40: 3734–3742, 2002     

Fabrication and verification for the small-form-factor holographic optical pickup

In this investigation, a small-form-factor (SFF) pickup head with a holographic optical element (HOE) is fabricated. The system employs a finite-conjugate object lens to focus a light beam. A holographic optical element is used to simplify the optical configuration. It provides a better means of alignment of fabrication and reduces the size of system relative to reflective light route. Micro prisms are fastened with HOE and a silicon substrate, laser diode and photodiode are integrated into the optical system. The pickup head system based on discrete components and a flip chip bonder with highly accurate alignment was to integrate it. The micro holographic optical pickup head is fabricated and tested. Experimental results including the spot diameter and the focusing error signal (FES), demonstrate that the optical system is a feasible.     

Effect of volatile organic chemicals on surface-enhanced Raman scattering of 4-aminobenzenethiol on Ag: comparison with the potential dependence

4-Aminobenzenethiol (4-ABT) is an unusual molecule in the sense that several distinct peaks whose counterparts are rarely found in the normal Raman spectrum are observed in its surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) spectra. Their origin has been argued over recently as due to either a metal-to-adsorbate charge transfer or the formation of a photoreaction product such as dimercaptoazobenzene (DMAB). In an electrochemical SERS measurement, the intensities of the new peaks depended strongly not only on the excitation wavelength but also on the electrode potential. Interestingly, we observed a similar spectral variation even under ambient conditions by exposure of 4-ABT on Ag to volatile organic chemicals (VOCs) such as acetone and ammonia. Since acetone and ammonia barely react directly with 4-ABT, the effect of VOCs must be indirect, presumably associated with the movement of electrons between VOCs and the Ag substrate causing either an increase or a decrease in the surface potential of Ag. Based on the potential-dependent SERS data, the effect of acetone therefore appeared to correspond to an application of +0.15 V to the Ag substrate vs. a saturated Ag/AgCl electrode, while the effect of ammonia corresponded to the application of -0.45 V to Ag. We admit that much the same VOC effect could be observable if a photoproduct was formed immediately upon irradiation and the product was also subjected to a chemical enhancement mechanism. The Gaussian response of the peak intensities of the b(2)-type bands to applied potential, as well as to VOCs, dictated that the new peaks appearing in the SERS of 4-ABT have nothing to do with any electrochemical reaction. In addition, a separate preliminary work suggested that the b(2)-type bands are not at least due to a photoreaction product such as DMAB.     

A novel DNA selection and direct extraction process and its application in DNA recombination

In the conventional bench-top approach, the DNA recombination process is time- and effort-consuming due to laborious procedures lasting from several hours to a day. A novel DNA selection and direct extraction process has been proposed, integrated and tested on chip. The integrative microfluidic chip can perform the whole procedure of DNA recombination, including DNA digestion, gel electrophoresis, DNA extraction and insert-vector ligation within 1?h. In this high-throughput design, the manual gel cutting was replaced by an automatic processing system that performed high-quality and high-recovery efficiency in DNA extraction process. With no need of gel-dissolving reagents and manipulation, the application of selection and direct extraction process could significantly eliminate the risks from UV and EtBr and also facilitate DNA recombination. Reliable output with high success rate of cloning has been achieved with a significant reduction in operational hazards, required materials, efforts and time.     

Surface characterization of dead microalgae‐based biomass using methylene blue adsorption

To examine the surface characterization of dead chlorella biomass, the chlorella‐manufacturing residue was used as an adsorbent for removal of cationic dye (i.e. methylene blue) from aqueous solutions at low concentrations (less than 5 mg dm^?3). It could be elucidated by considering the ion‐exchange adsorption phenomena on the negative‐charged surface of the adsorbent based on the characterization of functional groups by the Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) analysis. On the basis of monolayer dye adsorption capacity, the specific surface area of this spherical biomass powder was estimated as 11.8 m² g^?1, which was consistent with the rigid cell wall structure of the dead chlorella particles as shown in the SEM observation. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Sources and technology for an atomic gravitational wave interferometric sensor

We study the use of atom interferometers as detectors for gravitational waves in the mHz–Hz frequency band, which is complementary to planned optical interferometers, such as laser interferometer gravitational wave observatories (LIGOs) and the Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (LISA). We describe an optimized atomic gravitational wave interferometric sensor (AGIS), whose sensitivity is proportional to the baseline length to power of 5/2, as opposed to the linear scaling of a more conservative design. Technical challenges are briefly discussed, as is a table-top demonstrator AGIS that is presently under construction at Berkeley. We study a range of potential sources of gravitational waves visible to AGIS, including galactic and extra-galactic binaries. Based on the predicted shot noise limited performance, AGIS should be capable of detecting type Ia supernovae precursors within 500 pc, up to 200 years beforehand. An optimized detector may be capable of detecting waves from RX J0806.3+1527.     

Fifty percent internal slope efficiency femtosecond direct-written Tm³⁺:ZBLAN waveguide laser

We report a 790 nm pumped, Tm3? doped ZBLAN glass buried waveguide laser that produces 47 mW at 1880 nm, with a 50% internal slope efficiency and an M2 of 1.7. The waveguide cladding is defined by two overlapping rings created by femtosecond direct-writing of the glass, which results in the formation of a tubular depressed-index-cladding structure, and the laser resonator is defined by external dielectric mirrors. This is, to the best of our knowledge, the most efficient laser created in a glass host via femtosecond waveguide writing.