pH-Responsive Near-Infrared Emitting Gold Nanoclusters

Near-infrared (NIR) fluorophores with pH-responsive properties suggest merits in biological analyses. This work establishes a general and effective method to obtain pH-responsive NIR emissive gold nanoclusters by introducing aliphatic tertiary amine (TA) groups into the ligands. Computational study suggests that the pH-responsive NIR emission is associated with electronic structure change upon protonation and deprotonation of TA groups. Photo-induced electron transfer between deprotonated TA groups and the surface Au-S motifs of gold nanoclusters can disrupt the radiative transitions and thereby decrease the photoluminescence intensity in basic environments (pH=7–11). By contrast, protonated TA groups curb the electron transfer and restore the photoluminescence intensity in acidic environments (pH=4–7). The pH-responsive NIR-emitting gold nanoclusters serve as a specific and sensitive probe for the lysosomes in the cells, offering non-invasive emissions without interferences from intracellular autofluorescence.     

Fragmentation dynamics within shear bands--a model for aging tectonic faults?

A numerical model for packing of fragmenting blocks in a shear band is introduced, and its dynamics is compared with that of a tectonic fault. The shear band undergoes a slow aging process in which the blocks are being grinded by the shear motion and the compression. The dynamics of the model have the same statistical characteristics as the seismic activity in faults. The characteristic magnitude distribution of earthquakes appears to result from frictional slips at small and medium magnitudes, and from fragmentation of blocks at the largest magnitudes. Aftershocks to large-magnitude earthquakes are local recombinations of the fragments before they reach a new quasi-static equilibrium. The aftershocks satisfy Omori's law. Local precursor activity at a few times the normal background level appears at a short time before a major earthquake. Seismic gaps appear as a natural consequence of the aging process of a fault. Explanation of the heat flux and principal stress direction anomalies at the faults both involve the value of fracture stress of the blocks in the gouge. The final form of a tectonic fault is predicted to involve a gouge dominated by fine-grained and rather rounded blocks so that it cannot withstand large shear stresses. Received 26 July 2000     

Random networks of fibres display maximal heterogeneity in the distribution of elastic energy

Above a small length scale, the distribution of local elastic energies in a material under an external load is typically Gaussian, and the dependence of the average elastic energy on strain defines the stiffness of the material. Some particular materials, such as granular packings, suspensions at the jamming transition, crumpled sheets and dense cellular aggregates, display under compression an exponential distribution of elastic energies, but also in this case the elastic properties are well defined. We demonstrate here that networks of fibres, which form uncorrelated non-fractal structures, have under external load a scale invariant distribution of elastic energy (epsilon) at the fibre-fibre contacts proportional to 1/epsilon. This distribution is much broader than any other distribution observed before for elastic energies in a material. We show that for small compressions it holds over 10 orders of magnitude in epsilon. In such a material a few 'hot spots' carry most of the elastic load. Consequently, these materials are highly susceptible to local irreversible deformations, and are thereby extremely efficient for damping vibrations.     

Facile aqueous synthesis and stabilization of nearly monodispersed gold nanospheres by poly(L‐proline)

A facile strategy is developed to synthesize Au nanoparticles (Au‐NPs) using water‐soluble poly(L ‐proline) (PLP). The synthesized NPs were characterized by TEM, FTIR and NMR spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, and circular dichroism. It was found that PLP has a “dual” role as an efficient reductant of Au(III) and simultaneously as a stabilizing agent of Au‐NPs. The influence of PLP molecular weight, temperature, initial Au(III) concentration, and Au(III)/PLP molar ratio on the size and dispersity of Au‐NPs is examined. It was found that the unique extended secondary structure of PLP II resulted in the facile formation of highly crystalline Au‐NPs in water at a very low Au(III)/PLP molar ratio. These Au‐NPs have the smallest dimensions and size distributions among NPs synthesized so far by polymeric materials in aqueous media, and exhibit enduring colloidal stability. Therefore, by utilizing biocompatible and benign materials in water, we managed to obtain Au‐NPs, so as the final product is ready‐to‐use for biomedical applications. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem, 2013     

Shear Stress in a Couette Flow of Liquid-Particle Suspensions

The mechanisms of momentum transfer and shear stress of liquid-particle suspensions in two-dimensional Couette flow are studied using direct numerical simulation by lattice-Boltzmann techniques. The results obtained display complex flow phenomena that arise from the two-phase nature of the fluid including a nonlinear velocity profile, layering of particles, and apparent slip near the solid walls. The general rheological behaviour of the suspension is dilatant. A detailed study of the various momentum transfer mechanisms that contribute to the total shear stress indicates that the observed shear thickening is related to enhanced relative solid phase stress for increasing shear rates.     

Quantum repulsive Nonlinear Schrödinger models and their ‘Superconductivity’

The fundamental role played by the quantum repulsive Nonlinear Schrödinger (NLS) equation in the evolution of our understanding of the phenomenon of superconductivity in appropriate metals at very low temperatures is surveyed. The first major work was that in 1947 by N. N. Bogoliubov, who studied the very physical 3-space-dimensions problem and super fluidity; and the survey takes the form of an actual dedication to that outstanding scientist who died four years ago. The 3-space-dimensions NLS equation is not integrable either classically or quantum mechanically. But a number of recently discovered closely related lattices in one space dimension (one space plus one time dimension) are integrable as both classical lattices and quantum lattices while their continuum limits are the now well-known fundamental and integrable system the quantum ‘Bose gas’. These models are all examined in this paper in a physical application of recent so-called ‘quantum groups’ theory, itself fundamental to integrability theory. The ‘superfluid’ phase transitions shown by these lattices, as well as by the bose gas, all at zero temperature in 1 + 1 dimensions, are analysed in terms of the behaviour of certain lattice correlation functions which are either quantum or, in the case of the so-called XY-model, classical correlation functions. Although the repulsive NLS models in 1 + 1 are integrable, they do not have actual soliton solutions. Nevertheless the material as surveyed here is a fundamental application of soliton-theory in the broader context of integrability or near-integrability which has had profound effects in the evolution of current understandings in all of modern theoretical physics.     

Insulator-to-metal transition in doped polyacetylene

A field-theoretic model of the insulator-to-metal transition in doped polyacetylene is presented. The likelihood of an inhomogeneous distribution of charge in the (CH)_x fibrils is stressed.     

Properties of small antiferromagnetic Ising clusters

Magnetic properties of small antiferromagnetic clusters have been studied by using the Ising model with nearest-neighbour interactions. The number of atoms in the clusters varied between 6 and 30. Several cluster geometries were analysed in detail with the result that there is no generic phase diagram. In an external magnetic field magnetisation can increase with increasing temperature in a considerable temperature range. Magnetisation was found to strongly depend on both the overall geometry of the cluster and on the symmetry of the underlaying lattice structure.