Thermal plasma deposition of nanostructured films

A thermal plasma process for the synthesis of nanoparticles and their immediate assembly into nanostructured films is discussed. In this process, known as hypersonic plasma particle deposition, a thermal plasma with injected precursors is expanded through a nozzle to nucleate nanoparticles, which are then inertially deposited onto a cooled substrate in vacuum. A lightly consolidated nanostructured film results. Particle and film diagnostics along with images of the plasma flow are used to explain the formation of nanostructured silicon carbide films by this process     

Deterministic impulse control in native forest ecosystems management

This paper illustrates an application of impulse control systems analysis to the management of renewable resources. We obtain an explicit definition for the impulse optimal strategy in the case of a nonlinear natural system which models certain types of forests. The result is in agreement with an econo-ecological conservative action on the forest. The examples developed in this paper associate new theories on impulse or jump control with natural forest management. In addition, we compare our results with the classical ones. We also show that a nonoptimal managing action on the forest is frequently the cause for significant medium-term losses.This work was supported by CONICET, Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, and by the Universidad Nacional del Litoral, Argentina.     

Single crystal EPR study of the dinuclear Cu(II) complex [Cu(tda)(phen)](2)·H(2)tda (tda = thiodiacetate, phen = phenanthroline): influence of weak interdimeric magnetic interactions

We report powder and single crystal EPR measurements of [Cu(tda)(phen)](2)·H(2)tda (tda = thiodiacetate, phen = phenanthroline) at 9.7 GHz. This compound consists of centrosymmetric copper(II) ion dimers, weakly ferromagnetically exchange-coupled (J = +3.2 cm(-1)), in which the dimeric units are linked by hydrophobic chemical paths involving the phen molecules. EPR revealed that the triplet spectra are collapsed by interdimeric exchange interactions mediated by that chemical path. Analysis and simulation of the single crystal EPR spectra were performed using Anderson's exchange narrowing model, together with statistical arguments. This approach allowed us to interpret the spectra modulated by the interdimeric interactions in situations of weak, intermediate, and strong exchange. We evaluated an interdimeric exchange constant J' = 0.0070(3) cm(-1), indicating that hydrophobic paths can transmit weak exchange interactions between centers at relatively long distances of the order of ～10 ?.     

Controlled hydrothermal growth of ZnO nanostructures by sequestering the Zn metal ions with the chelating agent EDTA

In the present work, a controlled growth of ZnO nanostructures by manipulating Zn metal ion concentration by the chelating action of ethylene diaminetetra acetic acid in hydrothermal method is studied. EDTA produces metal–chelate complex by the formation of bidentate ligand with Zn²⁺ in the solution and diminishes the reactivity of Zn metal cations. Concentration of EDTA in the mother solution was varied in different ranges like 3, 5 and 10 mM while retaining the zinc metal salt and the NaOH concentration the same. Three different morphologies of wurtzite structured ZnO nanostructures such as nanorods-bunch, separate/discrete uniformly sized hexagonal nanorods and tapered flower petals like shapes are achieved by 3, 5 and 10 mM strengths of EDTA, respectively. The medium concentration 5 mM of EDTA is found to have moderate control over producing ZnO nanostructures of uniform diameter and a high aspect (length to diameter) ratio. An array of vertically aligned free standing ZnO nanorods with uniform spacing is successfully achieved by the addition of 5 mM of EDTA in the mother solution and the same is studied for its fluorescence property at an excitation of 325 nm and it has exhibited a characteristic UV emission of ZnO around 383 nm.     

Unexpected cycloadducts from 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition of 3,4-dehydromorpholine N-oxide to N-cinnamoyl piperidines—first report of the novel formation of 2:1 cycloadducts

A series of unexpected cycloadducts along with normal cycloadducts have been isolated from the 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition of 3,4-dehydromorpholine N-oxide to piperidides of cinnamic acid and para-substituted cinnamic acids and these were analyzed by X-ray crystallography to reveal novel solid-state structures. At first, 1:1 cycloadducts were formed which underwent in situ nucleophilic attack by another reduced nitrone moiety. A plausible iminium-oxonium ion mechanism has been proposed.     

Buzzwords on their way to a tipping‐point: A view from the blogosphere

“Buzzwords” are new words (i.e., neologisms) that enter the language and acquire great popularity as “fashion words.” To date, the dynamic aspect of buzzwords has not been the subject of a rigorous scientific analysis. In this study, we analyzed the appearance of buzzwords in the blogosphere and compared their dynamics to the one of nonpopular neologisms and well‐established words. It was found that the growth rate of buzzwords is exponential and higher than that of the blogosphere. Moreover, we have identified general early warning signals for an approaching tipping point in the dynamics of buzzwords indicating that as fashion words they are on their way to a tipping‐point of decline. The article presents these findings and others and concludes by presenting a model for studying the dynamics of new words entering the language. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Complexity 16: 58‐68, 2011