Surface-charge-governed ion transport in nanofluidic channels

A study of ion transport in aqueous-filled silica channels as thin as 70 nm reveals a remarkable degree of conduction at low salt concentrations that departs strongly from bulk behavior: In the dilute limit, the electrical conductances of channels saturate at a value that is independent of both the salt concentration and the channel height. Our data are well described by an electrokinetic model parametrized only by the surface-charge density. Using chemical surface modifications, we further demonstrate that at low salt concentrations, ion transport in nanochannels is governed by the surface charge.     

Edge resonance and zero group velocity Lamb modes in a free elastic plate

The local resonances of a free isotropic elastic plate are investigated using laser ultrasonic techniques. Experimental results are interpreted in terms of zero group velocity Lamb modes and edge mode. At a distance from the edge larger than the plate thickness a sharp resonance is observed at the frequency where the group velocity of the first symmetrical Lamb mode vanishes. Close to the edge of the plate, the resonance due to the edge mode dominates. Both zero group velocity and edge resonances appear at the theoretically predicted frequencies. These frequencies do not vary with the distance from the edge of the plate and the transition between the two modes of vibration, at about the plate thickness, is abrupt. Using a laser excitation on the edge, the amplitude profile of the normal displacement at the edge resonance frequency was determined.     

"Compression-only" behavior: a second-order nonlinear response of ultrasound contrast agent microbubbles

Oscillating phospholipid-coated ultrasound contrast agent microbubbles display a so-called "compression-only" behavior, where it is observed that the bubbles compress efficiently while their expansion is suppressed. Here, a theoretical understanding of the source of this nonlinear behavior is provided through a weakly nonlinear analysis of the shell buckling model proposed by Marmottant et al. [J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 118, 3499-3505 (2005)]. It is shown that the radial dynamics of the bubble can be considered as a superposition of a linear response at the fundamental driving frequency and a second-order nonlinear low-frequency response that describes the negative offset of the mean bubble radius. The analytical solution deduced from the weakly nonlinear analysis shows that the compression-only behavior results from a rapid change of the shell elasticity with bubble radius. In addition, the radial dynamics of single phospholipid-coated microbubbles was recorded as a function of both the amplitude and the frequency of the driving pressure pulse. The comparison between the experimental data and the theory shows that the magnitude of compression-only behavior is mainly determined by the initial phospholipids concentration on the bubble surface, which slightly varies from bubble to bubble.     

Laser-induced quenched phosphorescence detection in capillary electrophoresis.

The feasibility of laser-based excitation for quenched phosphorescence detection in capillary electrophoresis (CE) was explored for the first time by using a small-size, quadrupled Nd-YAG laser emitting 266 nm pulses (duration, 0.4 ns) at a repetition rate of 7.8 kHz. To provide a continuous phosphorescence background, the phosphorophore 1-bromo-4-naphthalene sulfonic acid (BrNS) was added to the separation buffer. Both experiments and theory show that in laser-induced phosphorescence (LIP) - in contrast with lamp-excited phosphorescence - one normally deals with such high triplet-state phosphorophore concentrations that triplet-triplet annihilation is the major deactivation pathway. This results in a lower quantum yield of the analyte-induced bimolecular quenching interaction and, thus, the observed quenching signal. The situation can be improved by using a cylindrical lens for excitation in order to reduce the irradiance. In this case limits of detection (LODs) similar to those obtained using lamp excitation (1x10(-8) M) were achieved, while the width of the detection window was reduced from about 4 mm to 1 mm. Even under exclusion of triplet-triplet annihilation, i.e., under conditions of low irradiance, for our setup the quenching yields in LIP were smaller than in lamp-based phosphorescence detection. This is due to the repetition rate of the laser (7.8 kHz), which is too high in view of the phosphorescence lifetime (ca. 300 micros at low irradiance). Theory shows that this disadvantageous effect will be fully eliminated if the repetition rate is decreased to 1 kHz.     

Quenched phosphorescence as alternative detection mode in the chiral separation of methotrexate by electrokinetic chromatography

Quenched phosphorescence was used, for the first time, as detection mode in the chiral separation of methotrexate (MTX) enantiomers by electrokinetic chromatography. The detection is based on dynamic quenching of the strong emission of the phosphorophore 1-bromo-4-naphthalene sulfonic acid (BrNS) by MTX under deoxygenated conditions. The use of a background electrolyte with 3 mg/mL 2-hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin and 20% MeOH in 25 mM phosphate buffer (pH 7.0) and an applied voltage of 30 kV allowed the separation of l-MTX and its enantiomeric impurity d-MTX with sufficient resolution. In the presence of 1 mM BrNS, a detection limit of 3.2 × 10⁻⁷ M was achieved, about an order of magnitude better than published techniques based on UV absorption. The potential of the method was demonstrated with a degradation study and an enantiomeric purity assessment of l-MTX. Furthermore, l-MTX was determined in a cell culture extract as a proof-of-principle experiment to show the applicability of the method to biological samples.     

[1l‐3,4‐Bis‐O‐(diphenylphosphino)‐1,2,5,6‐tetra‐O‐methyl‐chiro‐inositol‐κ2P,P′][η4‐(Z,Z)‐cycloocta‐1,5‐diene]rhodium(I) tetrafluoridoborate chloroform solvate

The title compound, [Rh(C₈H₁₂)(C₃₄H₃₈O₆P₂)]BF₄·CHCl₃, a novel asymmetric hydrogenation catalyst, crystallizes with two independent almost identical cations and anions. Cell‐packing interactions are provided by nonclassical hydrogen bonding between phenyl and chloroform H atoms and fluoro and chloro donors of the BF₄⁻ anion and the chloroform solvent molecule.     

2-D absolute OH concentration profiles in atmospheric flames using planar LIF in a bi-directional laser beam configuration

1 (6) rotational line in the A²Σ⁺(v^′=0)←X²Π(v^′′=0) band of OH at 309 nm. The requirements for obtaining a good signal-to-noise ratio for the technique are discussed and the possibilities of single-shot measurements are investigated. Received: 31 October 1996/Revised version: 3 December 1996     

Group IB organometallic chemistry: XXXIII. ArAuPPh3, ArAu(CNR), (ArAu)n and Ar4Cu2Au2 compounds in which the aryl group contains 2-MeO, 2,6-(MeO)2, 2-Me2N, 2-Me2NCH2 and (S)- or (R)-2-Me2NCHMe substituents as potential ligands

The synthesis and structural characterization by ¹H NMR and ¹⁹⁷Au Mössbauer spectroscopy as well as by chiral labelling of the built-in ligands of three different types of arylgold(I) compounds is described.¹⁹⁷Au Mössbauer data revealed that the benzyl- and arylgold(I) triphenylphosphine complexes which bear potential coordinating substituents at an ortho position still contain linearly coordinated Au^I with 2c-2e gold(I)carbon bonds. The observation of isochronous NME resonances in (S)-2-Me₂NCH(Me)C₆H₄AuPPh₃ confirms that no additional intramolecular AuN coordination occurs in solution. Preliminary results of an X-ray diffraction study of 2,6-(MeO)₂C₆H₃AuPPh₃ are reported (R = 0.040, PAuC₁ angle 172.6°. Unsymmetrical AuC₁C₂ and AuC₁C₆ angles of 126.4 and 117.4°, respectively).Pure, uncomplexed arylgold(I) compounds have been isolated from the reaction of diarylgoldlithium compounds (arylaurates) with trimethyltin bromide. (S)-2-Me₂NCHMeC₆H₄Au has a dimeric structure which most likely consists of two monomeric units associated by intermolecular AuN coordination thus forming a ten-membered chelate ring. The structure of insoluble 2-Me₂NCH₂C₆H₄Au and 2-Me₂NC₆H₄Au are less clear. The former compound probably has a structure similar to (S)-2-Me₂NCHMeC₆H₄Au (IS/QS values for two-coordinate Au^I centers). However, the strongly deviating IS and QS values of 2-Me₂NC₆H₄Au indicate that a polynuclear structure for this compound similar to that proposed for 2-Me₂NC₆H₄Cu cannot be excluded (a polymeric structure containing 2-Me₂NC₆H₄ groups which span three Au atoms by 3c-2e Au₂C bonds and AuN coordination).The mixed Au/Cu cluster (2-Me₂NCH₂C₆H₄)₄Au₂Cu₂ is accessible via the $\text{1}\text{2}$ reaction of (2-Me₂NCH₂C₆H₄)₄Au₂Li₂ with CuI. Molecular weight and ¹H NMR studies point to a tetranuclear structure in solution, while mass spectrometry shows fragment ions with m/e corresponding to (2-Me₂NCH₂C₆H₄)₃Au₂Cu₂⁺, (2-Me₂NCH₂C₆H₄)₃Cu₂Au⁺, (2-Me₂NCH₂C₆H₄)₂CuAu₂⁺ and of (2-Me₂NCH₂C₆H₄)₂Au⁺.     

High-throughput screening and optimization of photoembossed relief structures

A methodology for the rapid design, screening, and optimization of coating systems with surface relief structures, using a combination of statistical experimental design, high-throughput experimentation, data mining, and graphical and mathematical optimization routines was developed. The methodology was applied to photopolymers used in photoembossing applications. A library of 72 films was prepared by dispensing a given amount of sample onto a chemically patterned substrate consisting of hydrophilic areas separated by fluorinated hydrophobic barriers. Film composition and film processing conditions were determined using statistical experimental design. The surface topology of the films was characterized by automated AFM. Subsequently, models explaining the dependence of surface topologies on sample composition and processing parameters were developed and used for screening a virtual 4000-membered in silico library of photopolymer lacquers. Simple graphical optimization or Pareto algorithms were subsequently used to find an ensemble of formulations, which were optimal with respect to a predefined set of properties, such as aspect ratio and shape of the relief structures.