Shell-driven magnetic stability in core-shell nanoparticles

The magnetic properties of ferromagnetic-antiferromagnetic Co-CoO core-shell nanoparticles are investigated as a function of the in-plane coverage density from 3.5% to 15%. The superparamagnetic blocking temperature, the coercivity, and the bias field radically increase with increasing coverage. This behavior cannot be attributed to the overall interactions between cores. Rather, it can be semiquantitatively understood by assuming that the shells of isolated core-shell nanoparticles have strongly degraded magnetic properties, which are rapidly recovered as nanoparticles come into contact.     

Lens rigidity in scattering by non-trapping obstacles

We prove that if two non-trapping obstacles in \(\mathbb {R}^n\) satisfy some rather weak non-degeneracy conditions and the scattering rays in their exteriors have (almost) the same travelling times or (almost) the same scattering length spectrum, then they coincide.     

Synthesis of S-Alkylisothiuronium Halides by Reaction of Thiourea with ω-(4-Hydroxyaryl)alkyl Halides

A number of new S-alkylisothiuronium salts were synthesized by reaction of -[4-hydroxy(methoxy)aryl]alkyl halides with thiourea. The resulting isothiuronium salts in aqueous solution react with sodium (potassium) halides to form halogen exchange products.     

Phase structure of silanol-modified ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymers

For (ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer)-tetraethoxysilane and (ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer)-polydimethylsiloxane systems, the solubility of components has been studied in a wide range of temperatures and compositions. Phase diagrams have been constructed, pair interaction parameters have been calculated, and diffusion coefficients and activation energies of diffusion have been estimated. The temperature and concentration ranges of a change in solubility related to chemical interactions between the components have been revealed, and the structure of the modified copolymers has been studied. On the basis of the kinetic data on the movement of isoconcentration planes in diffusion zones of component mixing, time intervals corresponding to the onset of the chemical reaction between the components have been determined and the apparent activation energies of the process have been computed. Complex-shaped binodal and boundary curves have been interpreted within the framework of the classical Flory-Huggins theory.     

SrZn11: a new binary compound with the BaCd11 structure

Single crystals of strontium undecazinc, SrZn₁₁, were obtained when decomposing SrZn₂ under conditions of high pressure and high temperature. The new binary Sr–Zn compound crystallizes in the space group I4₁/amd (BaCd₁₁ structure type) with one Sr position (m2) and three Zn sites (m2, .2/m., 1). The structure is described in terms of all‐face‐capped Zn₈ tetrahedra as the central building unit, defined by the Zn atoms on .2/m. and 1. The building units are condensed into chains by the central tetrahedra sharing edges, and the chains are interconnected by shared capping atoms. The resulting three‐dimensional framework of Zn atoms yields channels that are occupied by Sr and Zn atoms on the high‐symmetry m2 positions.     

Self-chemical ionization of diethylzinc

The self-chemical ionization of diethylzinc is examined by Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance (FT-ICR) mass spectrometry and semiempirical molecular orbital calculations. Electron impact of diethylzinc neutral produces the radical cation, C(4)H(15)Zn(+) (m/z x 122), which reacts further with the neutral (C(2)H(5))(2)Zn to give the following product ions: Zn(+) (m/z x 64), C(2)H(5)Zn(+) (m/z x 93), C(4)H(9)Zn(+) (m/z x 121), C(4)H(11)Zn(2)(+) (m/z x 187), and C(6)H(15)Zn(2)(+) (m/z x 215). To determine the structure and pathways for production of these ions, monoisotopic (12)C(4)H(15)(64)Zn(+), (64)Zn(+) and (12)C(2)H(5)(64)Zn(+) were individually isolated and reacted with the neutral background. We also performed semiempirical molecular orbital calculations (ZINDO/1). The molecular orbital calculations and experimental data are consistent in predicting that the ethyl group on the diethylzinc cation carries the positive charge. Copyright 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Scalable Formation of Concentrated Monodisperse Lignin Nanoparticles by Recirculation-Enhanced Flash Nanoprecipitation

A highly controllable and scalable process for fabrication of large amounts of concentrated lignin nanoparticles (LNPs) is reported. These lignin core nanoparticles are formed through flash nanoprecipitation, however, scaling up of the fabrication process requires fundamental understanding of their operational formation mechanism and surface properties. It is shown how a semicontinuous synthesis system with a recirculation loop makes it possible to produce flash precipitated lignin nanoparticles in large amounts for practical applications. The roles of the process parameters, including flow rates and lignin concentration, are investigated and analyzed. The results indicate that the LNPs are formed by a process of continuous burst nucleation at the point of mixing without diffusive growth, which yields nanoparticles of highly uniform size following a modified LaMer nucleation and growth mechanism. This mechanism makes possible facile process control and scale-up. Effective control of the resulting nanoparticle size is achieved through the initial concentration of lignin in the injected solution. The impressive capability to produce suspensions of any predesigned multimodal distribution is demonstrated. The resulting nanofabrication technique can produce large volumes of concentrated LNP suspensions of high stability and tightly controlled size distributions for biological or agricultural applications.     

Novel surface tension isotherm for surfactants based on local density functional theory

In this Letter we report a new general method for calculating of surface tension isotherms in the presence of surfactants, based on a local density functional. We illustrate this method by deriving the interfacial tension isotherm for nonionic surfactants at an air-water or oil-water interface by using the self-consistent field theory of polymer brushes. We consider a particular case of local density functional to calculate explicitly how the interfacial tension and the surfactant adsorption depend on the surfactant bulk concentration. Experimental data for the surface tension and the surfactant adsorption isotherm for nonionic surfactants were interpreted with the help of the new isotherm. Very good agreement between the adsorption of n-dodecyl pentaoxyethylene glycol ether (C12E5) at an air-water interface, calculated from the surface tension isotherm and small-angle neutron-scattering is obtained.     

Capillary electrophoresis of peptides and proteins in isoelectric buffers: an update

Capillary electrophoresis in acidic, isoelectric buffers is a novel methodology allowing fast protein and peptide analysis in uncoated capillaries. Due to the low pH adopted and to the use of dynamic coating with cellulose derivatives, silanol ionization is essentially suppressed and little interaction of macromolecules with the untreated wall occurs. In addition, due to the low conductivity of quasi-stationary, isoelectric buffers, high-voltage gradients can be applied (up to 800 V/cm) permitting fast peptide analysis with a high resolving power due to minimal diffusional peak spreading. Four such buffers are here described: cysteic acid (Cys-A, pI 1.85), iminodiacetic acid (IDA, pI 2.23), aspartic acid (Asp, pI 2.77) and glutamic acid (Glu, pI 3.22). A number of applications are reported, ranging from food analysis to the study of folding/unfolding transitions of proteins.