AFM and SNOM characterization of carboxylic acid terminated silicon and silicon nitride surfaces

Silicon and silicon nitride surfaces have been successfully terminated with carboxylic acid monolayers and investigated by atomic force microscopy (AFM) and scanning near-field optical microscopy (SNOM). On clean Si surface, AFM showed topographical variations of 0.3-0.4 nm while for the clean Si₃N₄ surface the corrugation was around 3-4 nm. After material deposition, the corrugation increased in both samples with a value in topography of 1-2 nm for Si and 5-6 nm for Si₃N₄. The space distribution of specific chemical species was obtained by taking SNOM reflectivity at several infrared wavelengths corresponding to stretch absorption bands of the material. The SNOM images showed a constant contribution in the local reflectance, suggesting that the two surfaces were uniformly covered.     

Functional Characterizations of Basic Properties of Utility Representations

 Consider uncertain alternatives for which an event has two consequences (binary gambles, “gambles” for short) and over them an operation of joint receipt which need not be closed and may be non-commutative. The two structures are linked by a distributivity property called segregation and a preference order. Utility functions order nonnegative numbers to consequences and gambles. Utility representations describe how the utility of a gamble depends on the utilities of consequences and on the “weight” of the event (a number in [0,1], depending on the event). Functional characterizations give necessary and sufficient conditions, often in form of functional equations, for certain properties of representations. We first give a functional characterization of the often postulated event commutativity stating that two events can be interchanged in special composite gambles where one outcome is a consequence but the other is itself a gamble. A utility representation is separable if it is multiplicative for gambles with one consequence having 0 utility. We give three more specific characterizations of separable representations by segregation, by homogeneity and event commutativity, and by homogeneity and segregation, and show that in the last case event commutativity follows.     

A bisphosphonate monoamide analogue of DOTA: a potential agent for bone targeting

A new macrocyclic DOTA-like ligand (BPAMD) for bone imaging and therapy containing a monoamide bis(phosphonic acid) bone-seeking group was designed and synthesized. Its lanthanide(III) complexes were prepared and characterized by 1H and 31P NMR spectroscopy. The Gd(III)-BPAMD complex was investigated in detail by 1H and 17O relaxometric studies to inspect parameters relevant for its potential application as an MRI contrast agent. Sorption experiments were conducted with Gd(III) and Tb(III) complexes using hydroxyapatite (HA) as a model of bone surface. Very effective uptake of the Gd-BPAMD complex by the HA surface was observed in NMR experiments. Radiochemical studies with the (160Tb-BPAMD)-HA system proved the sorption to be remarkably fast and strong on one hand and fully reversible on the other hand. The strong (Gd-BPAMD)-HA interaction was also supported by 1H NMRD measurements in the presence of a hydroxyapatite slurry, which showed an increase of the rotational correlation time upon adsorption of the complex on the HA surface, resulting in a significant relaxivity enhancement. The amide-bis(phosphonate) moiety is the only factor responsible for the binding of the complex to HA.     

Chromophore formation in resorcinarene solutions and the visual detection of mono- and oligosaccharides

The colorimetric properties of resorcinarene solutions had not been investigated since Baeyer's initial synthesis. We recently reported that solutions containing resorcinarene macrocycles develop color upon heating or standing. In the presence of saccharides, these solutions exhibit significant color changes which are easily seen. We herein present strong evidence that the solution color is due to macrocycle ring opening and oxidation. The optical responses to saccharides are due to complexation of the sugar with the acyclic chromophores. We apply these mechanistic insights toward the challenging problem of the visual detection of neutral oligosaccharides by simple chromogens. In addition, we also report the first single-crystal X-ray crystal structure determination of a rarely observed "diamond" resorcinarene stereoisomer.     

Internal kink instability during off-axis electron cyclotron current drive in the DIII-D tokamak

Experimental evidence is reported of an internal kink instability driven by a new mechanism: barely trapped suprathermal electrons produced by off-axis electron cyclotron heating on the DIII-D tokamak. It occurs in plasmas with an evolving safety factor profile q(r) when q(min) approaches 1. This instability is most active when ECCD is applied on the high field side of the flux surface. It has a bursting behavior with poloidal/toroidal mode number = m/n = 1/1. In positive magnetic shear plasmas, this mode becomes the fishbone instability. This observation can be qualitatively explained by the drift reversal of the barely trapped suprathermal electrons.     

Postcolumn HPLC detection of mono- and oligosaccharides with a chemosensor

Novel chromophoric compound 1 promotes the HPLC postcolumn detection of mono- and oligosaccharides. The detection of chromatographic peaks in the visible region for glucose, fructose, maltodextrins, sialic acid, and a ganglioside can be accomplished with a standard UV-vis detector. The use of selective, reversible binding agents in automated HPLC assays should allow for improved monitoring of specific analytes as well as material recovery. [structure: see text]     

Structure and Dynamics of Lanthanide Complexes of Triethylenetetramine‐N,N,N′,N″,N′′′,N′′′‐hexaacetic Acid (H6ttha) and of Diamides H4ttha(NHR) Derived from H6ttha as Studied by NMR,NMRD, and EPR

A multinuclear NMR study on [Ln(ttha)]^3? and [Ln{ttha(NHR)₂}]^? complexes (R=Et, CH₂(CHOH)₄CH₂OH) shows that coordinating groups of the organic ligands in these complexes are occupying all coordination sites of the metal ions, leaving no space for coordination of H₂O molecules (H₆ttha=triethylenetetramine‐N,N,N′,N″,N′′′,N′′′‐hexaacetic acid). The lanthanides of the first half of the series bind the ttha‐type ligands in a decadentate fashion, while the complexes formed with the smaller ions of the second half of the lanthanide series are nonadentate. One carboxylate group of the ligand remains unbound in the latter complexes. In principle, the ttha complexes can exist in six enantiomeric forms. Only one of the pair of diastereoisomers can interconvert without decoordination of the ligand. This pair of isomers seems to be predominant in solution. For the [Ln{ttha(NHR)₂}]^? complexes, the number of chiral centers is larger, resulting in 32 possible enantiomeric forms of the complexes. The NMR spectra of [Nd{ttha(NHEt)₂}]^? indicate that two dynamic processes occur between the isomers in solution. The NMRD curves of [Gd(ttha)]^3?, [Gd{ttha(NHEt)₂}]^?, and [Gd{ttha(NHgluca)₂}]^? (NHgluca=D ‐glucamine) show significant differences with the previously determined outer‐sphere contributions to the NMRD profiles of the corresponding [Gd{dtpa(NHR)₂}]^? complexes, which can be ascribed to differences in the parameters determining the electronic relaxation.