Surface analysis of erodible multilayered polyelectrolyte films: nanometer-scale structure and erosion profiles

Atomic force microscopy (AFM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) coupled with ellipsometry have been used to characterize the microscale and nanoscale structures of erodible multilayered films fabricated from degradable polyamine 1 and either sodium poly(styrene sulfonate) (SPS) or plasmid DNA. Striking differences were found in the topography, structures, and erosion profiles of these two materials upon incubation in PBS buffer at 37 degrees C. For films fabricated from SPS, AFM data are consistent with an erosion process that occurs uniformly without the generation of holes or pits over large, micrometer-scale areas. By contrast, films fabricated from plasmid DNA undergo structural rearrangements to present surface-bound particles ranging in size from 50 to 400 nm. Additional characterization of these particulate structures by SEM suggested that they are interpenetrated with or fused to underlying polyelectrolyte layers on the silicon surface, providing a potential mechanism to manipulate the adhesive forces with which these particles are bound to the surface. The erosion profile observed for polymer 1/SPS films suggests that it may be possible to design assemblies that release two film components with well-defined release kinetics. In the context of gene delivery, the presentation of condensed DNA as nanoparticles at these surfaces may be advantageous with respect to stimulating the internalization and processing of DNA by cells. A quantitative understanding of the factors influencing the fabrication, structure, and erosion profiles of these materials will be useful for the design of multilayered assemblies for specific applications in which controlled film erosion or the release of therapeutic materials is desired.     

Positron reemission brightness enhancement method

Numerical results are presented for a one-dimensional diffusion model for freely diffusing positrons in thin films with an initial exponential positron profile. The results are for two boundary conditions which are experimentally realizable. Since thermalized positrons generally obey this diffusion model, it should be possible to extract the bulk diffusion constant by fitting experimental measurements to the model's predictions. Recently, a scheme has been proposed for the brightness enhancement of slow positron beams. We discuss experimental methods for implementing this scheme and the various problems that may arise.Summer student at Brookhaven National Laboratory, 1980     

Some dynamical properties of a two-dimensional Wigner crystal

Results for the static part of the ground state energy of the square and hexagonal two-dimensional Wigner lattices are given. The hexagonal lattice has the lower energy. Phonon dispersion curves and the vibrational zeropoint energy are calculated for the hexagonal lattice. The dielectric susceptibility tensor of a two-dimensional Wigner crystal χ_αβ(q) has been determined in the long wavelength limit in the presence of a static magnetic field perpendicular to the crystal, and explicit expressions have been obtained for the hexagonal lattice. Applying the analysis developed by Chiu and Quinn, the results for the susceptibility have been used to obtain the dispersion relation for the plasma oscillations in the electron crystal on the assumption that the crystal is embedded in a dielectric medium. The dispersion curves have been calculated for differing magnitudes of the applied magnetic field.     

On the existence of oscillatory solutions to nonlinear differential equations

Summary A general change of variable technique is combined with appropriate energy functions to show the existence of oscillatory solutions to nonlinear ordinary second order differential equations. Entrata in Redazione il 21 marzo 1974. Research supported by National Research Council of Canada grants NRC-A-7673 and NRC-A-7197 and Defence Research Board of Canada grand DRB-9540-28.     

Probing local environments in paramagnetic europium-substituted Keggin solids by 31P magic angle spinning NMR spectroscopy

Paramagnetic Eu-substituted Keggin oxopolytungstates crystallize in different forms, determined by the nature of the counterions. The crystal packing is in turn responsible for the variations in the geometry of paramagnetic Eu sites with respect to the anion core. We probed the paramagnetic environments in a series of Eu-substituted Keggin solids, by 31P magic angle spinning NMR spectroscopy. 31P spinning sideband envelopes are dominated by the electron-nuclear dipolar interaction. For the compounds under investigation, both the magnitude and the asymmetry parameter of the electron-nuclear dipolar coupling tensor are sensitive to the mutual arrangements of paramagnetic Eu sites in the crystal lattice. and also report on the stoichiometry of the anion. The electron-nuclear dipolar coupling tensors were calculated from the crystallographic coordinates and the experimentally determined effective magnetic moments, assuming a point dipole approximation. The computed tensors are in very good agreement with the experimental spectra. Furthermore, the P-Eu distance estimates, accurate to within 0.06-0.12 A, can be obtained directly from the magnitude of the electron-nuclear dipolar coupling. This work demonstrates that 31P MAS NMR spectroscopy is a useful probe for investigating local environments in paramagnetic Keggin solids.