Coarse-grained V representability

The unsolved problem of determining which densities are ground state densities of an interacting electron system in some external potential is important to the foundations of density functional theory. A coarse-grained version of this ensemble V-representability problem is shown to be thoroughly tractable. Averaging the density of an interacting electron system over the cells of a regular partition of space produces a coarse-grained density. It is proved that every strictly positive coarse-grained density is coarse-grained ensemble V representable: there is a unique potential, constant over each cell of the partition, which has a ground state with the prescribed coarse-grained density. For a system confined to a box, the (coarse-grained) Lieb [Int. J. Quantum Chem. 24, 243 (1983)] functional is also shown to be Gateaux differentiable. All results extend to open systems.     

Carbon nanostructures as an electromechanical bicontinuum

A two-field model provides a unifying framework for elasticity, lattice dynamics and electromechanical coupling in graphene and carbon nanotubes, describes optical phonons, nontrivial acoustic branches, strain-induced gap opening, gap-induced phonon softening, doping-induced deformations, and even the hexagonal graphenic Brillouin zone, and thus explains and extends a previously disparate accumulation of analytical and computational results.     

Ground state lost but degeneracy found: the effective thermodynamics of artificial spin ice

We analyze the rotational demagnetization of artificial spin ice, a recently realized array of nanoscale single-domain ferromagnetic islands. Demagnetization does not anneal this model system into its antiferromagnetic ground state: the moments have a static disordered configuration similar to the frozen state of the spin ice materials. We demonstrate that this athermal system has an effective extensive degeneracy and we introduce a formalism that can predict the populations of local states in this icelike system with no adjustable parameters.     

Electronic bisection of a single-wall carbon nanotube by controlled chemisorption

Conversion of two diametrically opposed atomic rows on a carbon nanotube to sp(3) hybridization produces two identical weakly coupled one-dimensional electronic systems within a single robust covalently bonded package: a biribbon. Arm-chair tubes, when so divided, acquire a pair of narrow spin-polarized bands at the Fermi energy; interaction across the sp(3) dividers produces a tunable band splitting in the THz range. For semiconducting tubes, the eigenvalues of the low-energy electronic states are surprisingly unaffected by the bifurcation; however, the tubes' response functions to external electric fields are dramatically altered. These modified tubes could be produced by uniaxial compression transverse to the tube axis followed by site-selective chemisorption.     

Synthesis of methyltrioxorhenium(VII) arylamine complexes and mono- and bis(ortho)-chelated arylaminorhenium(VII) trioxides

From the reaction of MeReO₃ with the neutral arylamine C₆H₅CH₂NMe₂ and the aryldiamine C₆H₄(CH₂NMe₂)₂−1,3, have been isolated in good yields the 1/1 adduct complex [MeReO₃ · C₆H₅CH₂NMe₂], 1, and the 2/1 adduct complex [(MeReO₃)₂ · C₆H₄(CH₂NMe₂)₂− 1,3], 2, respectively. The X-ray molecular structure of 2 shows that both rhenium centres have a trigonal bipyramidal geometry and in the axial positions of each rhenium centre are one of the NMe₂ units of the aryldiamine ligand and a methyl group. The mono(ortho)-chelated arylaminorhenium trioxide complex [ReO₃(C₆H₄CH₂NMe₂−2], 3, can be synthesized by a transmetallation reaction of ClReO₃ with [ZnC₆H₄CH₂NMe₂−2₂] in a 2:1 molar ratio. In a similar way the bis(ortho)-chelated arylaminorhenium trioxide complex [ReO₃C₆H₃(CH₂NMe₂)₂−2,6], 4, can be synthesized by addition of a mixture of [Li₂C₆H₃(CH₂NMe₂)₂−2,6₂] and ZnCl₂ to ClReO₃. Complexes 3 and 4 have been isolated as white solids in 66% and 81% yields respectively. The rhenium centre in complex 4 has a bicapped tetrahedral geometry in which the monoanionic C₆H₃(CH₂NMe₂)₂−2,6⁻ ligand is pseudo-facially bonded with a characteristic N1-Re-N2 angle of 107.7(3)°, a Re-C_ipso bond length of 2.112(11) Å and Re-N1 and Re-N2 bond lengths of 2.518(9) Å and 2.480(8) Å respectively.     

Catalytic nanomotors: autonomous movement of striped nanorods

Rod-shaped particles, 370 nm in diameter and consisting of 1 microm long Pt and Au segments, move autonomously in aqueous hydrogen peroxide solutions by catalyzing the formation of oxygen at the Pt end. In 2-3% hydrogen peroxide solution, these rods move predominantly along their axis in the direction of the Pt end at speeds of up to 10 body lengths per second. The dimensions of the rods and their speeds are similar to those of multiflagellar bacteria. The force along the rod axis, which is on the order of 10(-14) N, is generated by the oxygen concentration gradient, which in turn produces an interfacial tension force that balances the drag force at steady state. By solving the convection-diffusion equation in the frame of the moving rod, it was found that the interfacial tension force scales approximately as SR(2)gamma/muDL, where S is the area-normalized oxygen evolution rate, gamma is the liquid-vapor interfacial tension, R is the rod radius, mu is the viscosity, D is the diffusion coefficient of oxygen, and L is the length of the rod. Experiments in ethanol-water solutions confirmed that the velocity depends linearly with the product Sgamma, and scaling experiments showed a strong dependence of the velocity on R and L. The direction of motion implies that the gold surface is hydrophobic under the conditions of the experiment. Tapping-mode AFM images of rods in air-saturated water show soft features that are not apparent in images acquired in air. These features are postulated to be nanobubbles, which if present in hydrogen peroxide solutions, would account for the observed direction of motion.     

Hand-portable gas chromatograph-toroidal ion trap mass spectrometer (GC-TMS) for detection of hazardous compounds

A novel gas chromatograph-mass spectrometer (GC-MS) based on a miniature toroidal ion trap mass analyzer (TMS) and a low thermal mass GC is described. The TMS system has an effective mass/charge (m/z) range of 50–442 with mass resolution at full-width half-maximum (FWHM) of 0.55 at m/z 91 and 0.80 at m/z 222. A solid-phase microextraction (SPME) fiber mounted in a simple syringe-style holder is used for sample collection and introduction into a specially designed low thermal mass GC injection port. This portable GC-TMS system weighs <13 kg (28 lb), including batteries and helium carrier gas cartridge, and is totally self-contained within dimensions of 47×36×18 cm (18.5×14×7in.). System start-up takes about 3 min and sample analysis with library matching typically takes about 5 min, including time for column cool-down. Peak power consumption during sample analysis is about 80 W. Battery power and helium supply cartridges allow 50 and 100 consecutive analyses, respectively. Both can be easily replaced. An on-board library of target analytes is used to provide detection and identification of chemical compounds based on their characteristic retention times and mass spectra. The GC-TMS can detect 200 pg of methyl salicylate on-column. n-Butylbenzene and naphthalene can be detected at a concentration of 100 ppt in water from solid-phase microextraction (SPME) analysis of the headspace. The GC-TMS system has been designed to easily make measurements in a variety of complex and harsh environments.