Enhanced thermal stability of Ag ohmic reflector for InGaN/GaN light-emitting diode using a Ru capping layer

A Ru capping layer is employed to improve the thermal stability of Ag ohmic reflectors for high-power GaN-based light-emitting diodes (LEDs). The 20-nm-thick Ru capping layer is shown to be fairly effective in suppressing agglomeration by forming RuO₂. The Ag/Ru contacts exhibit specific contact resistance of 8.1 × 10⁻⁵ Ω cm² and reflectance of ∼89% at a wavelength of 450 nm when annealed at 500 °C for 1 min, which are much better than that of Ag only contacts. Blue LEDs fabricated with the 500 °C-annealed Ag/Ru contacts give a forward voltage of 2.98 V at an injection current of 20 mA, which is lower than that (3.02 V) of LEDs with the 500 °C-annealed Ag only contacts. LEDs with the 500 °C-annealed Ag/Ru contacts show 25% higher output power (at 20 mA) than LEDs with the 500 °C-annealed Ag only contacts. X-ray photoemission spectroscopy examinations are performed to describe the improved electrical performance of the Ag/Ru contacts.     

Improvement of contrast ratio in saturated OPCPA system by using pump pulse shaping and time delay control

We theoretically investigated the temporal profile of a background pedestal in a single-stage optical parametric chirped pulse amplification (OPCPA) system, and showed that the amplified spontaneous emission (ASE) prepulse in the saturation regime degrades the contrast ratio. To improve the contrast ratio in a saturated OPCPA system, a method using pump pulse shaping and the time delay control between pump and seed pulses was utilized. Through numerical simulations, the effect of the rising time and the time delay of a pump pulse on the background pedestal was subsequently investigated in terms of the contrast ratio. From the simulation results, it was determined that an optimal rising time and the time delay of the pump pulse are critical for obtaining a high-contrast broadband laser pulse from a saturated OPCPA system.     

Simulation study of ghost image phenomenon induced by contrast enhancement film in plasma display panels

We have performed simulations of the ghost image phenomenon induced by a contrast enhancement film used for plasma display panels (PDPs). An optical imaging system was designed in order to investigate the ghost image qualitatively and quantitatively. We report on and discuss the effects of the material parameters and film orientation on the relative illuminance of the ghost image for a conventional louver-type contrast enhancement film adopting a trapezoidal black-stripe structure. The ghost image phenomenon is strongly affected by the film orientation relative to the PDP module and the difference between the refractive index of the ultraviolet curable urethane acrylate layer and that of the black stripes. We show that when the top side of the black stripes faces the PDP module and the refractive index difference is small, the ghost image phenomenon is weakened.     

Low-resistance Cr/Al Ohmic contacts to N-polar n-type GaN for high-performance vertical light-emitting diodes

We investigated the electrical properties of Cr(30 nm)/Al(200 nm) contacts to N-polar n-type GaN for high-performance vertical light-emitting diodes and compare them with those of Ti(30 nm)/Al(200 nm) contacts. Before annealing, both the samples show ohmic behaviors with a contact resistivity of 1.9-2.3 × 10⁻⁴ Ωcm². Upon annealing at 250 °C for 1 min in N₂ ambient, the Ti/Al contacts become non-ohmic, while the Cr/Al contacts remain ohmic with a contact resistivity of 1.4 × 10⁻³ Ωcm². Based on X-ray photoemission spectroscopy and secondary ion mass spectrometry results, ohmic formation and degradation mechanisms are briefly described and discussed.     

Total Synthesis of Eliglustat via Diastereoselective Amination of Chiral para-Methoxycinnamyl Benzyl Ether

Eliglustat (Cerdelga^®, Genzyme Corp. Cambridge, MA, USA) is an approved drug for a non-neurological type of Gaucher disease. Herein, we describe the total synthesis of eliglustat 1 starting from readily available 1,4-benzodioxan-6-carbaldehyde via Sharpless asymmetric dihydroxylation and diastereoselective amination of chiral para-methoxycinnamyl benzyl ethers using chlorosulfonyl isocyanate as the key steps. Notably, the reaction between syn-1,2-dibenzyl ether 6 and chlorosulfonyl isocyanate in the mixture of toluene and hexane (10:1) afforded syn-1,2-amino alcohol 5 at a 62% yield with a diastereoselectivity > 20:1. This observation can be explained by competition between the S_Ni and the S_N1 mechanisms, leading to the retention of stereochemistry.     

Identification of p-Coumaric Acid and Ethyl p-Coumarate as the Main Phenolic Components of Hemp (Cannabis sativa L.) Roots

Hemp (Cannabis sativa L.) contains a variety of secondary metabolites, including cannabinoids, such as psychoactive (−)-trans-Δ⁹-tetrahydrocannabinol. The present study was conducted to identify the major phenolic components contained in hemp root, which has been relatively under-researched compared to other parts of hemp. The aqueous ethanol extract of hemp roots was fractionated into methylene chloride (MC), ethyl acetate (EA), and water (WT) fractions, and high-performance liquid chromatography with photodiode array detection (HPLC-DAD) analysis was performed. The main ultraviolet (UV)-absorbing phenolic compound contained in the EA fraction was identified as p-coumaric acid by comparing the retention time and UV absorption spectrum with a standard. Silica gel column chromatography was performed to isolate a hydrophobic derivative of p-coumaric acid contained in the MC fraction. Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) analysis identified the isolated compound as ethyl p-coumarate. For comparative purposes, ethyl p-coumarate was also chemically synthesized by the esterification reaction of p-coumaric acid. The content of p-coumaric acid and ethyl p-coumarate in the total extract of hemp root was estimated to be 2.61 mg g⁻¹ and 6.47 mg g⁻¹, respectively, by HPLC-DAD analysis. These values correspond to 84 mg Kg⁻¹ dry root and 216 mg Kg⁻¹ dry root, respectively. In conclusion, this study identified p-coumaric acid and ethyl p-coumarate as the main phenolic compounds contained in the hemp roots.     

Thermally Driven Structural Order of Oligo(Ethylene Glycol)-Terminated Alkanethiol Monolayers on Au(111) Prepared by Vapor Deposition

To probe the effects of deposition temperature on the formation and structural order of self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) on Au(111) prepared by vapor deposition of 2-(2-methoxyethoxy)ethanethiol (CH₃O(CH₂)₂O(CH₂)₂SH, EG2) for 24 h, we examined the surface structure and electrochemical behavior of the resulting EG2 SAMs using scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) and cyclic voltammetry (CV). STM observations clearly revealed that EG2 SAMs vapor-deposited on Au(111) at 298 K were composed of a disordered phase on the entire Au surface, whereas those formed at 323 K showed improved structural order, showing a mixed phase of ordered and disordered phases. Moreover, at 348 K, uniform and highly ordered EG2 SAMs on Au(111) were formed with a (2 × 3√3) packing structure. CV measurements showed sharp reductive desorption (RD) peaks at −0.818, −0.861, and −0.880 V for EG2 SAM-modified Au electrodes formed at 298, 323, and 348 K, respectively. More negative potential shifts of RD peaks with increasing deposition temperature are attributed to an increase in van der Waals interactions between EG2 molecular backbones resulting from the improved structural quality of EG2 SAMs. Our results obtained herein provide new insights into the formation and thermally driven structural order of oligo(ethylene glycol)-terminated SAMs vapor-deposited on Au(111).     

Phenotype-based screening rediscovered benzopyran-embedded microtubule inhibitors as anti-neuroinflammatory agents by modulating the tubulin–p65 interaction

Neuroinflammation is one of the critical processes implicated in central nervous system (CNS) diseases. Therefore, alleviating neuroinflammation has been highlighted as a therapeutic strategy for treating CNS disorders. However, the complexity of neuroinflammatory processes and poor drug transport to the brain are considerable hurdles to the efficient control of neuroinflammation using small-molecule therapeutics. Thus, there is a significant demand for new chemical entities (NCEs) targeting neuroinflammation. Herein, we rediscovered benzopyran-embedded tubulin inhibitor 1 as an anti-neuroinflammatory agent via phenotype-based screening. A competitive photoaffinity labeling study revealed that compound 1 binds to tubulin at the colchicine-binding site. Structure–activity relationship analysis of 1’s analogs identified SB26019 as a lead compound with enhanced anti-neuroinflammatory efficacy. Mechanistic studies revealed that upregulation of the tubulin monomer was critical for the anti-neuroinflammatory activity of SB26019. We serendipitously found that the tubulin monomer recruits p65, inhibiting its translocation from the cytosol to the nucleus and blocking NF-κB-mediated inflammatory pathways. Further in vivo validation using a neuroinflammation mouse model demonstrated that SB26019 suppressed microglial activation by downregulating lba-1 and proinflammatory cytokines. Intraperitoneal administration of SB26019 showed its therapeutic potential as an NCE for successful anti-neuroinflammatory regulation. Along with the recent growing demands on tubulin modulators for treating various inflammatory diseases, our results suggest that colchicine-binding site-specific modulation of tubulins can be a potential strategy for preventing neuroinflammation and treating CNS diseases.Subject terms: Drug discovery, Neurodegeneration     

Binary mixing of micelles using Pluronics for a nano-sized drug delivery system

Pluronics with different structural compositions and properties are used for several applications, including drug delivery systems. We developed a binary mixing system with two Pluronics, L121/P123, as a nano-sized drug delivery carrier. The lamellar-forming Pluronic L121 (0.1 wt%) was incorporated with Pluronic P123 to produce nano-sized dispersions (in case of 0.1 and 0.5 wt% P123) with high stability due to Pluronic P123 and high solubilization capacity due to Pluronic L121. The binary systems were spherical and less than 200-nm diameter, with high thermodynamic stability (at least 2 weeks) in aqueous solution. The CMC of the binary system was located in the middle of the CMC of each polymer. In particular, the solubilization capacity of the binary system (0.1/0.1 wt%) was higher than mono-systems of P123. The main advantage of binary systems is overcoming limitations of mono systems to allow tailored mixing of block copolymers with different physicochemical characteristics. These nano-sized systems may have potential as anticancer drug delivery systems with simple preparation method, high stability, and high loading capacity.     

Reaction pathway of liquid crystalline epoxy resin/aromatic diamine curing system

The reaction pathway of a monotropic liquid crystalline epoxy resin (HQEP2) was studied using FT‐IR and DSC. The reaction mechanism was correlated with the amine to epoxy ratio, curing temperature and morphology of the curing system. Experimental results showed that the linearly growing molecules lead to a nematogen but branching intermediates induced an isotropic texture.