A DNA crystal designed to contain two molecules per asymmetric unit

We describe the self-assembly of a DNA crystal that contains two tensegrity triangle molecules per asymmetric unit. We have used X-ray crystallography to determine its crystal structure. In addition, we have demonstrated control over the colors of the crystals by attaching either Cy3 dye (pink) or Cy5 dye (blue-green) to the components of the crystal, yielding crystals of corresponding colors. Attaching the pair of dyes to the pair of molecules yields a purple crystal.     

Vibrational sidebands and the Kondo effect in molecular transistors

Electron transport through molecular quantum dots coupled to a single vibrational mode is studied in the Kondo regime. We apply a generalized Schrieffer-Wolff transformation to determine the effective low-energy spin-spin-vibron interaction. From this model we calculate the nonlinear conductance and find Kondo sidebands located at bias voltages equal to multiples of the vibron frequency. Because of selection rules, the side peaks are found to have strong gate-voltage dependences, which can be tested experimentally. In the limit of weak electron-vibron coupling, we employ a perturbative renormalization group scheme to calculate analytically the nonlinear conductance.     

Raman Spectroscopic Signature of Ectoine Conformations in Bulk Solution and Crystalline State

Recent crystallographic results revealed conformational changes of zwitterionic ectoine upon hydration. By means of confocal Raman spectroscopy and density functional theory calculations, we present a detailed study of this transformation process as part of a Fermi resonance analysis. The corresponding findings highlight that all resonant couplings are lifted upon exposure to water vapor as a consequence of molecular binding processes. The importance of the involved molecular groups for water binding and conformational changes upon hydration is discussed. Our approach further shows that the underlying rapid process can be reversed by carbon dioxide saturated atmospheres. For the first time, we also confirm that the conformational state of ectoine in aqueous bulk solution coincides with crystalline ectoine in its dihydrate state, thereby highlighting the important role of a few bound water molecules.     

The Peierls instability in one-dimensional conductors with arbitrary bandfilling

Mean field calculations of the Peierls instability have been carried out for arbitrary bandfilling both in the case of free electrons as well as for the tightbinding approximation. New expressions for Δ(0) and T_p are derived which change the experimentally derived λ to a more reasonable value. Δ(0)/k_BT_p may differ significantly from the BCS value 1.76 in the tightbinding approximation.     

Simulation of the inherent turbulence and wake interaction inside an infinitely long row of wind turbines

The turbulence in the interior of a wind farm is simulated using large eddy simulation and the actuator line technique implemented in the Navier–Stokes equations. The simulations are carried out for an infinitely long row of turbines simulated by applying cyclic boundary conditions at the inlet and outlet. The simulations investigate the turbulence inherent to the wind turbines as no ambient turbulence or shear is added to this idealised case. The simulated data give insight into the performance of the wind turbines operating in the wake of others as well as details on key turbulent quantities. One of the key features of wakes behind wind turbines is the dynamic wake meandering, which is shown to be related to the wind turbine spacing and the vortex shedding from the turbine as a bluff body. The flow is analysed and reconstructed by applying proper orthogonal decomposition.