On the mechanism of carbon nanotube formation: the role of the catalyst

This work examines the recent developments in non-traditional catalyst-assisted chemical vapour deposition of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) with a view to determining the essential role of the catalyst in nanotube growth. A brief overview of the techniques reliant on the structural reorganization of carbon to form CNTs is provided. Additionally, CNT synthesis methods based upon ceramic, noble metal, and semiconducting nanoparticle catalysts are presented. Experimental evidence is provided for CNT growth using noble metal and semiconducting nanoparticle catalysts. A model for CNT growth consistent with the experimental results is proposed, in which the structural reorganization of carbon to form CNTs is paramount.     

Seven-coordinate anion complex with a tren-based urea: binding discrepancy of hydrogen sulfate in solid and solution states

Structural characterization of a hydrogen sulfate complex with a tren-based urea suggests that the anion is coordinated with six NH···O bonds (d(N···O) = 2.857 (3) to 3.092 (3) ?) and one OH···O bond (d(O···O) = 2.57 (2) ?) from three receptors; however, in solution the anion is bound within the pseudo-cavity of one receptor.     

Self-assembly of ordered water tetramers in an encapsulated [Br(H2O)12]- complex

An unanticipated anion-water cluster is assembled by one bromide and three highly-ordered "water tetramers" within the cavity of a receptor, providing a perfect C(3) symmetric propeller-shaped bromide-water cluster of [Br(H(2)O)(12)](-).     

Spectroscopic, structural, and theoretical studies of halide complexes with a urea-based tripodal receptor

A urea-based tripodal receptor L substituted with p-cyanophenyl groups has been studied for halide anions using (1)H NMR spectroscopy, density functional theory (DFT) calculations, and X-ray crystallography. The (1)H NMR titration studies suggest that the receptor forms a 1:1 complex with an anion, showing a binding trend in the order of fluoride > chloride > bromide > iodide. The interaction of a fluoride anion with the receptor was further confirmed by 2D NOESY and (19)F NMR spectroscopy in DMSO-d(6). DFT calculations indicate that the internal halide anion is held by six NH···X interactions with L, showing the highest binding energy for the fluoride complex. Structural characterization of the chloride, bromide, and silicon hexafluoride complexes of [LH(+)] reveals that the anion is externally located via hydrogen bonding interactions. For the bromide or chloride complex, two anions are bridged with two receptors to form a centrosymmetric dimer, while for the silicon hexafluoride complex, the anion is located within a cage formed by six ligands and two water molecules.     

Composition, antimicrobial and free-radical scavenging activities of the essential oil of Plectranthus marrubatus

Essential oil from the aerial part of Plectranthus marrubatus J. K. Morton (Lamiaceae), obtained by hydrodistillation was analyzed by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) and evaluated for antimicrobial and free radical scavenging activities. Twenty-four compounds representing 99% of the total oil were identified. The major constituents were thymol, p-cymene and gamma-terpinene. The oil was tested against 21 bacterial and 4 fungal strains using the disc diffusion method and found to be active against a broad spectrum of pathogens including Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria as well as some fungal strains. The minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of the oil against the bacterial strains tested ranged from 10 to 800 microg/mL, and from 400 to 800 microg/mL against the fungal strains employed. The in vitro antioxidant activity was assessed using 2,2-diphenyl-l-picrylhydrazil (DPPH) and showed a low EC50 value of 0.15 microl/mL. The study provides evidence for the broad-spectrum antimicrobial and antioxidant effect of Plectranthus marrubatus essential oil, and a possible explanation for its traditional use in the treatment of cold, fever, stomach disorder, diarrhea and as a skin cleaner.     

Anion Cluster: Assembly of Dihydrogen Phosphates for the Formation of a Cyclic Anion Octamer

Structural characterization of a dihydrogen phosphate complex of triprotonated tris[2-(2-thienylmethylamino)ethyl] amine shows that eight dihydrogen phosphate anions are assembled around the host by strong interactions of H-bond donors and acceptors to form a new type of cyclic anion octamer as (H(2)PO(4) (-))(8), an analogy of cyclic water octamer. The presence of an anion cluster has also been identified by electrospray ionization mass spectrometry and (31)P NMR experiments.     

Tunable Catalytic Performance and Selectivity of a Nanoparticle–Graphene Composite through Finely Controlled Nanoparticle Loading

Graphene‐based composites offer enhanced catalytic performance of metal and semiconductor nanoparticles, but their development is challenging because catalytic performance strongly depends on the structure and composition of the composite. Herein we show that the catalytic performance of a nanoparticle–graphene composite is very dependent on catalyst loading, which can be optimized for simultaneous enhancement of activity and selectivity. A glassy carbon working electrode has been modified with a gold nanoparticle–graphene (Au–G) composite with a varied number of gold nanoparticles per graphene, so that the conducting property of graphene and the electrocatalytic property of the metal were effectively coupled to give the best catalytic activity and selectivity. The modified electrode was used for simultaneous electrochemical detection of a mixture of electroactive species with high sensitivity. This result shows that the catalytic performance of a graphene‐based composite is sensitive to the catalyst loading and should be optimized for the best performance.     

Nonlinear spoof surface plasmon polariton phenomena based on conductor metamaterials

We present nonlinear phenomena produced from spoof surface plasmon polariton (SSPP) modes. Below the THz spectrum, artificially textured conducting metastructures on a subwavelength scale generate surface-bound modes and are called SSPP modes, similar to surface plasmon polariton (SPP) modes in the visible spectrum. Even though nonlinear effects in the THz domain are negligible, subwavelength metallic gap structures are ideal candidates to realize nonlinear behavior in the THz domain because of slow light propagation, strong electromagnetic confinement, and a high quality factor Q. In particular, when SSPP structures are combined with Kerr nonlinear materials, nonlinear-bistable curves can be observed below the THz spectrum.     

Surface roughness and power spectral density study of SHI irradiated ultra-thin gold films

Quantitative roughness and microstructural analysis of as-deposited and swift heavy ion (SHI) (107 MeV Ag and 58 MeV Ni) irradiated 10 and 20 nm thick Au films were performed by atomic force microscopy (AFM). Power spectral density (PSD) analysis was done from the AFM images. The energies chosen for the two different ions eliminated the velocity effect of SHI in materials modification. The rms roughness estimated from the AFM data did not show either monotonic increase or decrease with ion fluences. Instead, it increased at low fluences and decreased at high fluences for 20 nm thick film. In 10 nm film, the roughness first increased with ion fluence, then decreased and again increased at higher fluences. Though the 10 and 20 nm films exhibited very different patterns of rms roughness variation with ion fluence, the pattern of variation in both cases was identical for Ni and Ag beams. The PSD analysis for both 10 and 20 nm films (pristine and irradiated) showed similar variation of low frequency roughness with ion fluence as that of the rms roughness. In the high frequency regime, PSD analysis suggests that surface morphology of the irradiated samples is governed by the combined effect of evaporation-recondensation and diffusion dominated processes.