Self-assembled structures of alkanethiols on gold-coated cantilever tips and substrates for atomic force microscopy: Molecular organisation and conditions for reproducible deposition

Measurements of surface-liquid interactions (contact-angle goniometry) and tip-surface adhesion forces (atomic force microscopy) combined with infrared spectroscopic studies have been used to investigate surface-preparation and solution-deposition conditions for the reproducible formation of self-assembled molecular structures on gold-coated tips and substrates for atomic force microscopy. Preliminary data show that surface-saturated self-assembled monolayers form reproducibly on prolonged (>20 h) exposure of gold-coated glass substrates to ethanolic solutions of ω-functionalised alkanethiols in the concentration range 80-160 mmol dm⁻³. The data also show that exposure for 16 h to alkanethiol concentrations in the range 160-240 mmol dm⁻³ promote bilayer formation whereas concentrations of 240-320 mmol dm⁻³ result in the deposition of multilayers, the average orientation of which is parallel to that of the first molecular layer; the use of parent 1-undecanethiol solutions at concentrations of 1-80 mmol dm⁻³ results in incomplete monolayer coverage.     

Stabilizing the monodromy of an open book decomposition

We prove that any mapping class on a compact oriented surface with non-empty boundary can be made pseudo-Anosov and right-veering after a sequence of positive stabilizations.      

Thio sol–gel synthesis of titanium disulfide thin films and powders using titanium alkoxide precursors

Titanium alkoxides react at room temperature with H₂S to form an amorphous titanium alkoxy-sulfide precursor which can be converted to TiS₂ by heat-treatment in a flowing H₂S gas stream. The reaction of titanium isopropoxide (Ti(OPrⁱ)₄) with H₂S in n-butylamine solvent has been studied using infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), gas chromatography/mass spectroscopy (GC/MS), XRD and EDAX measurements. Based on these studies, it is shown that a partially sulfidized alkoxide precursor forms through the partial replacement of some alkoxy groups by hydrosulfide moieties. The alkoxy-hydrosulfide is believed to form following a thiolysis–condensation mechanism similar to the hydrolysis–condensation process that occurs during the oxide sol–gel reaction. The alkoxy-hydrosulfide species then undergoes complete sulfidization at 800 °C in a stream of H₂S to yield pure, hexagonal TiS₂ in either film or powder forms.     

Theory of optimal consumption and portfolio selection under a Capital-at-Risk (CaR) and a Value-at-Risk (VaR) constraint

The solution to the optimal portfolio selection and consumptionrule subject to Capital-at-Risk and Value-at-Risk constraintsis derived via the use of stochastic dynamic programming.