EPR-detected photoinduced electron transfer in three structurally related molecular triads

A comparative electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) study has been performed on a series of structurally related molecular triads which undergo photoinduced electron transfer and differ one from the other in terms of the acceptor or donor moieties. The molecular triads, C-P-C₆₀, TTF-P-C₆₀ and C-P-P_F, share the same free-base, tetraarylporphyrin (P) as the primary electron donor, which after light excitation initiates the electron transfer process, but differ either in terms of the electron acceptor (fullerene derivative, C₆₀, versus fluorinated free-base porphyrin, P_F), or in terms of the final electron donor (carotenoid polyene, C, versus tetrathiafulvalene, TTF). All these molecular triads can be considered artificial photosynthetic reaction centers in their ability to mimic several key properties of the reaction center primary photochemistry. Photoinduced charge separation and recombination have been followed by time-resolved EPR in a glass of 2-methyltetrahydrofuran and in the nematic phase of the uniaxial liquid crystal E-7. All the triads undergo photoinduced electron transfer, with the generation of charge-separated states in both the low-dielectric environment of the 2-methyl-tetrahydrofuran glass and in anisotropic E-7 medium. Different photochemical pathways have been recognized depending on the specific donor and acceptor moieties constituting the molecular triads. In the presence of the tetrathiafulvalene electron donor singlet- and triplet-initiated electron transfer routes are concurrently active. Recombination to the low-lying carotenoid triplet state occurs in the carotene-based triads, while singlet recombination is the only active route for the TTF-P-C₆₀ triad, where a low-lying triplet state is lacking. Long-lived charge separation has been observed in the case of TTF-P-C₆₀: about 8 μs for the singlet-born radical pair in the glassy isotropic matrix and about 7 μs for the triplet-born radical pair in the nematic phase of E-7. For all the molecular triads, a weak exchange interaction (J?1 G) between the electrons in the final spin-correlated radical pair has been evaluated by simulation of the EPR spectra, providing evidence for superexchange electronic interactions mediated by the tetraarylporphyrin bridge.     

Determination of Thermal Conductivity of Liquids by a Multi-Point Laser Pump Method

As an advanced optical method, a multi-point pump method is presented for measurements of thermo-physical properties of liquids. Meanwhile, based on the laser-induced thermal grating method, a new theory model is presented and used to analyse the thermal effects caused by the multi-point laser pump, by which the thermal conductivity of liquids can be obtained. The results of some typical liquids, such as water, ethanol and acetone, are presented and are consistent with those of acknowledged values, demonstrating that the multi-point method is simple and useful for characterizing thermal properties of liquids.     

Ecological interaction and phylogeny, studying functionality on composed networks

We study a class of composed networks that are formed by two tree networks, T_P and T_A, whose end points touch each other through a bipartite network B_PA. We explore this network using a functional approach. We are interested in how much the topology, or the structure, of T_X (X=A or P) determines the links of B_PA. This composed structure is a useful model in evolutionary biology, where T_P and T_A are the phylogenetic trees of plants and animals that interact in an ecological community. We make use of ecological networks of dispersion of fruits, which are formed by frugivorous animals and plants with fruits; the animals, usually birds, eat fruits and disperse their seeds. We analyse how the phylogeny of T_X determines or is correlated with B_PA using a Monte Carlo approach. We use the phylogenetic distance among elements that interact with a given species to construct an index κ that quantifies the influence of T_X over B_PA. The algorithm is based on the assumption that interaction matrices that follows a phylogeny of T_X have a total phylogenetic distance smaller than the average distance of an ensemble of Monte Carlo realisations. We find that the effect of phylogeny of animal species is more pronounced in the ecological matrix than plant phylogeny.     

Light and heavy dansyl reporter groups in food chemistry: amino acid assay in beverages

5-Dimethylamino-1-sulfonyl naphthalene (DNS, commonly referred as dansyl) is a functionality, bearing well-established properties in directing the fragmentation, by mass spectrometry (MS), of the corresponding ionized sulfonylated derivatives. This property is shared also by its labeled analogs. The use of d(0)/d(6) DNS derivatives is now exploited in the application of the well-established isotope dilution mass spectrometric approach in the assay of complex mixtures. A new method for the quantitation of amino acids (AAs) in beverages is therefore presented, which relies on liquid chromatographic separation of their N-dansylated derivatives followed by comparative electrospray tandem MS/MS of the d(0)/d(6) isobaric mixtures. Labeled and unlabeled DNS derivatives of the selected AAs are readily available by microwave-assisted synthetic protocols. The novelty of the method is represented by the use of heavy and light DNS-isotopologue providing suitable reporter groups. Multiple-reaction monitoring has been applied in the assay of AAs in wine, pineapple juice and bergamot juice with good-to-excellent results as proved by both relative standard deviation, lower than 15%, and by the accuracy values in the range 90-110%.     

A High Revolution Speed Noncontact Ultrasonic Motor Driven by a Non-Symmetrical Electrode

A noncontact ultrasonic motor based on a non-symmetrical electrode is proposed. This motor has the advantages of using a simple driving electrode and having a high revolution speed. The revolution speed of its three-blade rotor can reach 5100rpm under a driving voltage of 20 V. A method operated easily is proposed to measure the output torque,     

Charmed-meson decay constants in three-flavor lattice QCD

We present the first lattice QCD calculation with realistic sea quark content of the D+-meson decay constant f(D+). We use the MILC Collaboration's publicly available ensembles of lattice gauge fields, which have a quark sea with two flavors (up and down) much lighter than a third (strange). We obtain f(D+)=201+/-3+/-17 MeV, where the errors are statistical and a combination of systematic errors. We also obtain f(Ds)=249+/-3+/-16 MeV for the Ds meson.     

Temperature dependence of the Ho L2‐edge XMCD spectra of Ho6Fe23

An X‐ray magnetic circular dichroism (XMCD) study performed at the Ho L_2,3‐edges in Ho₆Fe₂₃ as a function of temperature is presented. It is demonstrated that the anomalous temperature dependence of the Ho L₂‐edge XMCD signal is due to the magnetic contribution of Fe atoms. By contrast, the Ho L₃‐edge XMCD directly reflects the temperature dependence of the Ho magnetic moment. By combining the XMCD at both Ho L₂‐ and L₃‐edges, the possibility of determining the temperature dependence of the Fe magnetic moment is demonstrated. Then, both μ_Ho(T) and μ_Fe(T) have been determined by tuning only the absorption L‐edges of Ho. This result opens new possibilities of applying XMCD at these absorption edges to obtain quantitative element‐specific magnetic information that is not directly obtained by other experimental tools.     

使用PTB7作为阳极修饰层提高有机发光二极管的性能

采用poly[[4,8-bis[(2-ethylhexyl)oxy]benzo[1,2-b:4,5-b’]dithiophene-2,6-diyl][3-?uoro-2-[(2-ethylhexyl)carbonyl]thieno[3,4-b]thiophenediyl]](PTB7)作为有机发光二极管器件的阳极修饰层,制备了结构为indium tin oxide(ITO)/PTB7(不同浓度)/N,N’-Bis(naphthalen-1-yl)-N,N’-bis(phenyl)benzidine(NPB,40 nm)/8-hydroxyquinoline(Alq3,60 nm)/LiF(1 nm)/Al的系列器件,同时研究了不同浓度的PTB7对器件性能的影响.PTB7的最佳浓度为0.25 mg/mL,器件性能得到明显的改善,起亮电压为4.3 V.当驱动电压为14.6 V时,最大亮度为45800 cd/m2,最大电流效率为9.1 cd/A.与没有PTB7修饰的器件相比,其起亮电压降低了1.9 V,最高亮度提升了78.5%.器件性能提高归因于PTB7的插入使得空穴注入和传输能力大大改善.     

Microstructures and impedance studies of Bi<Subscript>3.15</Subscript>Nd<Subscript>0.85</Subscript>Ti<Subscript>3</Subscript>O<Subscript>12</Subscript> thin films

Microstructures and impedance characteristics of chemical-solution-derived Bi_3.15Nd_0.85Ti₃O₁₂ thin films were studied as functions of temperature. A dielectric anomaly was found at around 450°C, corresponding to the paraelectric to ferroelectric transition. Via complex impedance studies, grain and grain boundary contributions to the impedance were separated. The resistance of grain and grain boundaries is found governed by the same kind of space charge with an activation energy around 1.1 eV, close to that of oxygen vacancies in perovskite ferroelectrics. The low temperature ac conductance of BNdT thin films shows a frequency dispersion, which can also be ascribed to space charges mainly due to oxygen vacancies. The results were compared with SrBi₂Ta₂O₉ in terms of oxygen vacancy conductivity.     

Implications of obesity for tendon structure, ultrastructure and biochemistry: a study on Zucker rats

The extracellular matrix consists of collagen, proteoglycans and non-collagen proteins. The incidence of obesity and associated diseases is currently increasing in developed countries. Obesity is considered to be a disease of modern times, and genes predisposing to the disease have been identified in humans and animals. The objective of the present study was to compare the morphological and biochemical aspects of the deep digital flexor tendon of lean (Fa/Fa or Fa/fa) and genetically obese (fa/fa) Zucker rats. Ultrastructural analysis showed the presence of lipid droplets in both groups, whereas disorganized collagen fibril bundles were observed in obese animals. Lean animals presented a larger amount of non-collagen proteins and glycosaminoglycans than obese rats. We propose that the overweight and lesser physical activity in obese animals may have provoked the alterations in the composition and organization of extracellular matrix components but a genetic mechanism cannot be excluded. These alterations might be related to organizational and structural modifications in the collagen bundles that influence the mechanical properties of tendons and the progression to a pathological state.