Public understanding of science and the perception of nanotechnology: the roles of interest in science,methodological knowledge,epistemological beliefs,and beliefs about science

In this article, we report data from an online questionnaire study with 587 respondents, representative for the adult U.S. population in terms of age, gender, and level of education. The aim of this study was to assess how interest in science and knowledge as well as beliefs about science are associated with risk and benefit perceptions of nanotechnology. The findings suggest that the U.S. public is still rather unfamiliar with nanotechnology. Those who have some knowledge mainly have gotten it from TV and the Internet. The content of current media reports is perceived as fairly positive. Knowledge of scientific methods is unrelated to benefit and risk perceptions, at least when other predictors are controlled. In contrast, positive beliefs about science (e.g., its impact on economy or health) and more sophisticated epistemological beliefs about the nature of scientific knowledge are moderately linked to more positive perceptions of nanotechnology. The only exception is the perception of scientific uncertainty: This is associated with less positive evaluations. Finally, higher engagement with science is associated with higher risk perceptions. These findings show that laypersons who are engaged with science and who are aware of the inherent uncertainty of scientific evidence might perceive nanotechnology in a somewhat more differentiated way, contrary to how it is portrayed in the media today.     

A Fluorescent Probe for Diacetyl Detection

A water-soluble fluorescent probe, rhodamine B hydrazide (RBH), was prepared and its properties for recognition of diacetyl were studied. The method employs the reaction of diacetyl with RBH, a colorless and non-fluorescent rhodamine B spiro form derivative to give a pink-colored fluorescent substance. In weakly acidic media, RBH reacts more selectively with diacetyl than with other carbonyls, causing a large increase in fluorescence intensity and thereby providing an easy assay for the determination of diacetyl.     

Raman micro‐spectroscopy for quantitative thickness measurement of nanometer thin polymer films

The sensitivity of far‐field Raman micro‐spectroscopy was investigated to determine quantitatively the actual thickness of organic thin films. It is shown that the thickness of organic films can be quantitatively determined down to 3 nm with an error margin of 20% and down to 1.5 nm with an error margin of 100%. Raman imaging of thin‐film surfaces with a far‐field optical microscope establishes the distribution of a polymer with a lateral resolution of ~400 nm and the homogeneity of the film. Raman images are presented for spin‐coated thin films of polysulfone (PSU) with average thicknesses between 3 and 50 nm. In films with an average thickness of 43 nm, the variation in thickness was around 5% for PSU. In films with an average thickness of 3 nm for PSU, the detected thickness variation was 100%. Raman imaging was performed in minutes for a surface area of 900 µm². The results illustrate the ability of far‐field Raman microscopy as a sensitive method to quantitatively determine the thickness of thin films down to the nanometer range. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Contributions to the Optimization of a Caprolactam Production Plant by Radiotracer Techniques

Residence time spectra and material distributions in an operating caprolactam production plant were measured by means of sodium 24, bromine 82 and technetium 99m. The results of the tracerexperiments contributed to an optimization of the plant.     

The influence of the substrate on the optical constants of Al films

Attenuated total reflection (ATR) spectroscopy employing a prism and a dielectric spacer layer is used to determine the optical constants of vacuum deposited aluminium films. In the energy range of the 1.5 eV interband transition, a strong dependence of the optical constants on the material of the underlying layer is found. This dependence is attributed to structural effects in the Al film.     

Kontinuierliche Konzentrationsbestimmung von Elektrolyten mit Hilfe der Oscillometrie

Zusammenfassung Die Messung der Elektrolytkonzentration in fließenden Lösungen, auch bei solchen, die Niederschläge oder Suspensionen enthalten, wird auf Grund der Veränderung des Dielektrikums einer Zelle, welche von einem elektrischen Hochfrequenzstrom durchflossen wird, durchgeführt. Auf diesem Wege ist die quantitative Bestimmung der Konzentration der gelösten Substanz oder die der durchlaufenden Menge beträchtlich vereinfacht und automatisiert. Dabei werden subjektive und Manipulationsfehler weitgehend ausgeschlossen. Die untersuchte Probe erleidet keinerlei Veränderungen.

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Summary The electrolyte concentration of flowing solutions and of suspensions or solutions containing precipitates can be measured by the variation of the dielectrics in a cell, which is coupled with a high-frequency circuit. By means of this method the quantitative determination of the concentration of solutions or the determination of the quantity of ions passed through the tube can be simplified. The method makes possible an automatization and it precludes the possibility of subjective and manipulation errors. During the measurement the sample remains unchanged.