Na5AlF2(PO4)2: Darstellung,Kristallstruktur und Ionenleitfähigkeit

Na₅AlF₂(PO₄)₂: Synthesis, Crystal Structure and Ionic Conductivity Two different procedures (precipitation from aqueous solution and solid state reaction) for the synthesis of hitherto unknown Na₅AlF₂(PO₄)₂ were optimized. The crystal structure was determined using diffractometer data (P3 , a = b = 10.483(1), c = 6.607(1) Å, MoKα, 1080 independent reflections, R_w = 0.025). PO₄-tetrahedra and AlO₄F₂-“octahedra” are connected via common vertices forming a twodimensionally extended heteropolyanion. Sodium is located in interconnected spacings of the [AlF₂(PO₄)₂]-part of the structure. Ionic conductivity as expected because of these structural features was affirmed experimentally.     

Computational thinking and constructionism: creating difference equations in spreadsheets

The invention of the computer has led to the establishment of a new research paradigm, computation, which has recently become more and more popular in scientific exploration. However, computation is not well represented in high school and university curricula in science and engineering, although it applies to a wide range of disciplines beyond computer science and software engineering. In light of the increasing need to provide students with computational education, this paper presents a novel way to develop computational thinking among students. The proposed approach is based on the implementation of Papert's theory of constructionism in electronic spreadsheets. In this approach, students build their knowledge while constructing the difference equation that describes a physical (or engineering) phenomenon, based on specific cases investigated in the spreadsheet. The method does not require the students to write code or perform complex calculations in the spreadsheet and makes it possible to teach advanced subjects at a relatively early stage. The method is demonstrated through contents taken from the secondary and tertiary curricula in mechanics and electromagnetism.     

Mechanistic studies of the phosphine-catalyzed homodimerization of ketoketenes

The mechanism of PBu₃-catalyzed homodimerization of ketoketenes has been explored and compared with that of the previously reported trialkylphosphite-mediated reactions. NMR studies of the PBu₃-catalyzed reaction implicated the involvement of tetravalent phosphonium intermediates. Phosphonium intermediates in the catalytic cycle were trapped through reaction with trimethylsilyl chloride and 4-chlorobenzaldehyde, and the resulting products were characterized. A method for the stoichiometric generation of phosphonium enolates was developed as a result of these studies. No evidence was obtained for the involvement of pentacovalent phosphorane intermediates in trialkylphosphine-catalyzed ketoketene homodimerization reactions, in contrast with the mechanism of the trialkylphosphite-mediated homodimerization of dimethylketene. An X-ray crystal structure analysis of methylphenylketene dimer showed that it possesses Z-geometry about the exocyclic olefin.     

Effect of superradiance on transport of diffusing photons in cold atomic gases

We show that in atomic gases cooperative effects like superradiance and subradiance lead to a potential between two atoms that decays like 1/r. In the case of superradiance, this potential is attractive for close enough atoms and can be interpreted as a coherent mesoscopic effect. The contribution of superradiant pairs to multiple scattering properties of a dilute gas, such as photon elastic mean free path and group velocity, is significantly different from that of independent atoms. We discuss the conditions under which these effects may be observed and compare our results to recent experiments on photon transport in cold atomic gases.     

Halogenation of 2-Hydroxynicotinic Acid

A convenient method to prepare 5-halo-2-hydroxy-nicotinic acid is described.     

Adsorption and stability of streptavidin on cluster-assembled nanostructured TiOx films

The study of the adsorption of proteins on nanostructured surfaces is of fundamental importance to understand and control cell-surface interactions and, notably, cell adhesion and proliferation; it can also play a strategic role in the design and fabrication of nanostructured devices for postgenomic and proteomic applications. We have recently demonstrated that cluster-assembled nanostructured TiO x films produced by supersonic cluster beam deposition possess excellent biocompatibility and that these films can be functionalized with streptavidin, allowing the immobilization of biotinylated retroviral particles and the realization of living-cell microarrays for phenotype screening. Here we present a multitechnique investigation of the adsorption mechanisms of streptavidin on cluster-assembled TiO x films. We show that this nanostructured surface provides an optimal balance between adsorption efficacy and protein functionality. By using low-resolution protein arrays, we demonstrate that a layer of adsorbed streptavidin can be stably maintained on a cluster-assembled TiO x surface under cell culture conditions and that streptavidin retains its biological activity in the adsorbed layer. The adsorption mechanisms are investigated by atomic force microscopy in force spectroscopy mode and by valence-band photoemission spectroscopy, highlighting the potential role of the interaction of the exposed carboxyl groups on streptavidin with the titanium atoms of the nanostructured surface.