Modelling of spreading process: effect from hydrogen bonds

Lubricant spreading on solid substrates has drawn considerable attention not only for the microscopic wetting theory but also for the dramatic application in head-disk interface of magnetic storage drive systems. Molecular dynamic simulation based on a coarse-grained bead-spring model has been used to study such a spreading process. The spreading profiles indicate that the hydrogen bonds among lubricant molecules and the hydrogen bonds between lubricant molecules and polar atoms of solid substrates will complicate the spreading process in a tremendous degree. The hydrogen bonds among lubricant molecules will strengthen the lubricant combination intensity, which may hinder most molecules from flowing down to the substrates and diffusing along the substrates. And the hydrogen bonds between lubricant molecules and polar atoms of solid substrates will confine the lubricant molecules around polar atoms, which may hinder the molecules from diffusing along the substrates and cause precursor film to vanish.     

Research on identifying the order of fringe pattern traces using angular scan and zone search method

A method for automatically identifying the order of fringe pattern traces is presented. It uses the simplified Otsu algorithm for obtaining the threshold, the angular scan in the range of 45~ for searching the trace positions, and the zone search technique for identifying different traces. Experimental results show that the proposed method may reliably obtain the order of fringe pattern traces orientating from almost 45° to 90°.     

372-mJ long pulse pyrotechnically pumped laser

A pyrotechnically pumped Nd glass laser is demonstrated by the use of pyrotechnic flashlamps composed of several chemical materials arranged in a stable plane concave resonator cavity. The flashlamp was made of chemical mixture with oxidant, fuel, and binder. The emission spectrum of pyrotechnic flame covered most of the absorption bands of Nda＋ in phosphate glass. Under 4.56-g chemical mixture pumping, long pulse output power of about 5.5 W was achieved.     

Electrospray ionization mass spectra of monoimidazole/polyamine conjugates

Imidazole/polyamine amides are biologically important molecules due to their specific DNA binding activity, and much attention has been attracted to the synthesis of their derivatives or analogues. In the present studies, the fragmentation of a series of synthetic monoimidazole/polyamine amides was investigated using electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI-MS) combined with tandem mass spectrometry (ESI-MS/MS). All of the monoimidazole/polyamine amides produced the fragment ion m/z 183 except for the monoimidazole/ethyldiamine amide. The diamine amides produced this ion after the elimination of an alkene, the triamine amides produced it via their corresponding diamine amide fragments, and the tetraamine amide via its triamine and then diamine amide fragments. The characterization of the mass spectra for the different polyamine amides allowed identification of a specific product from the N-acylation of spermidine, and should assist further study of the polyamine amides in DNA binding action.     

Measurement of ascorbic acid in single human neutrophils by capillary zone electrophoresis with electrochemical detection

A method has been developed for the determination of ascorbic acid (AA) in individual human neutrophils by capillary zone electrophoresis with electrochemical detection at a carbon fiber microdisk bundle electrode. The natively easily oxidized substances such as glutathione, dopa, dopamine, serotonin, epinephrine do not interfere with the determination of ascorbic acid. A procedure of treating capillaries, which can overcome the influence of the adsorption of the substances in cells on the inner surface wall of the capillary on the migration time and the number of theoretical plates of interests, has been described. The average amount of AA in an individual neutrophil is 0.557 fmol, which is consistent with the literature value.     

Starlike nanostructures of polyoxometalates K3[PMo12O40].nH2O synthesized and assembled by an inverse microemulsion method

In a nonionic inverse microemulsion system, surfactant (C12-18EO9)/cyclohexane/water, heteropolyanions [PMo12O40]3- react with K+ to form K3[PMo12O40].nH2O nanorods and assemble as three-dimensional starlike nanostructures.     

Contrasting friction and diffusion in molecularly thin confined films

We study, using fluorescence correlation spectroscopy, translational diffusion in molecularly thin liquids confined within a surface forces apparatus. The diffusion coefficient decreases exponentially from the edges towards the center of the Hertzian contact and further suggests the presence of a small number of distinct diffusion processes. This holds alike a crystallizable fluid (OMCTS) and a glass-former (1,2-propane diol), both of which displayed static friction. We conclude that friction, the average of an ensemble of molecules, masked massively heterogeneous molecular mobility.