Binol salt as a completely removable graphene surfactant

For the first time, stable aqueous dispersions of graphene sheets can be prepared via exfoliation/in situ reduction of graphene oxide in the presence of binol salt, a stabilizing surfactant that can be completely removed without affecting the properties of graphene sheets.     

A Dark Energy Model with Generalized Uncertainty Principle in the Emergent, Intermediate and Logamediate Scenarios of the Universe

This work is motivated by the work of Kim et al. (Mod. Phys. Lett. A 23:3049, 2008), which considered the equation of state parameter for the new agegraphic dark energy based on generalized uncertainty principle coexisting with dark matter without interaction. In this work, we have considered the same dark energy interacting with dark matter in emergent, intermediate and logamediate scenarios of the universe. Also, we have investigated the statefinder, kerk and lerk parameters in all three scenarios under this interaction. The energy density and pressure for the new agegraphic dark energy based on generalized uncertainty principle have been calculated and their behaviors have been investigated. The evolution of the equation of state parameter has been analyzed in the interacting and non-interacting situations in all the three scenarios. The graphical analysis shows that the dark energy behaves like quintessence era for logamediate expansion and phantom era for emergent and intermediate expansions of the universe.     

Generalized second law of thermodynamics for FRW cosmology with power-law entropy correction

In this work, we have considered the power-law correction of entropy on the horizon. If the flat FRW Universe is filled with the n components fluid with interactions, the GSL of thermodynamics for apparent and event horizons have been investigated for equilibrium and non-equilibrium cases. If we consider a small perturbation around the de Sitter spacetime, the general conditions of the validity of GSL have been found. Also if a phantom dominated Universe has a pole-like type scale factor, the validity of GSL has also been analyzed. Further we have obtained constraints on the power-law parameter α in the phantom and quintessence dominated regimes. Finally we obtain conditions under which GSL breaks down in a cosmological background.     

First mixed hydrazide/hydroxylamide metal aggregates

The first organometallic clusters of mixed hydrazide/hydroxylamide clusters of zinc, [Zn(MeZn)(4)(HNNMe(2))(2)(ONEt(2))(4)] and {Zn(EtZn)(4)[HNN(CH(2))(5)](2)(ONEt(2))(4)} were synthesized in one-pot synthesis protocols from dialkylzinc solutions, substituted hydrazines and N,N-diethylhydroxylamine; competing for the Zn atoms, the different binding properties of hydrazide and hydroxylamide ligands in these heteroleptic clusters are discussed.     

Interaction Between DBI-Essence and Other Dark Energies

The present work considers interaction between DBI-essence and other candidates of dark energies like modified Chaplygin gas, hessence, tachyonic field, and new agegraphic dark energy. The potentials of the fields have been reconstructed under interaction and their evolutions have been viewed against cosmic time t and scalar field φ. Equation of state parameters have also been obtained. The nature of potentials and the equation of state parameters of the dark energies have been found graphically in presence of interaction (both small and large interaction).     

Self-catalytic growth of horizontal and straight Si nanowires on Si substrates using a sputter deposition technique

We report on the growth of horizontal and straight Si nanowires (NWs) on Si substrate using sputter deposition of the Si layer followed by thermal annealing at 1000 °C and above. The growth of horizontal NWs was achieved without the use of any metal catalyst. Uniform cylindrical shaped Si NWs with a diameter in the range of 50–60 nm and a length of up to 8 μm were synthesized. The as-synthesized Si NWs have a Si core covered with a thin amorphous native oxide layer, as revealed by high resolution transmission electron microscopy. The aspect ratio of these Si NWs is in the range of 100–160. Micro-Raman studies on the NWs reveal a tensile strain on the Si NW core due to presence of a thin oxide layer. From the Raman shift, we calculate a strain of 1.0% for the catalyst free Si NW. FTIR analysis indicates the presence of interstitial oxygen atoms in the Si NWs, as expected from oxidation of Si NWs. For comparison, metal catalyst (Au) assisted Si NWs have also been grown on Si(100) substrate by a similar process. These NWs have a similar diameter and a marginally higher aspect ratio. A model for the growth mechanism of horizontal NWs is presented. This represents one of the first examples of direct horizontal growth of straight Si NWs on commonly used Si substrates suitable for nanoelectronic device fabrication.     

Design,synthesis, anticancer,antibacterial, and antifungal evaluation of 4-aminoquinoline-1,3,5-triazine derivatives

A series of 4-aminoquinoline 1,3,5-triazine derivatives were synthesized and evaluated for anticancer activity against cancer cell lines HeLa, MCF-7, HL-60, HepG2 where these derivatives exert significant anticancer activity. The molecules found nontoxic against MCF-12A. The molecules also showed potent inhibition of EGFR-TK as compared to eroltinib in enzyme-based assay. The newly synthesized derivatives were screened for their in vitro antibacterial and antifungal activity against Bacillus subtilis, Bacillus cereus, Staphylococcus aureus, Proteus vulgaris, Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Candida albicans, Aspergillus niger, Aspergillus fumigatus using cefixime and fluconazole as standard. Antibacterial screening results suggest that compound 7c showed potent activity against S. aureus, P. aeruginosa, and P. vulgaris. In antifungal screening, compound 7b showed significant activity against A. niger, A. fumigatus and moderate activity against C. albicans.     

Ultrafast FRET to Study Spontaneous Micelle‐to‐Vesicle Transitions in an Aqueous Mixed Surface‐Active Ionic‐Liquid System

The spontaneous micelle‐to‐vesicle transition in an aqueous mixture of two surface‐active ionic liquids (SAILs), namely, 1‐butyl‐3‐methylimidazolium n‐octylsulfate ([C₄mim][C₈SO₄]) and 1‐dodecyl‐3‐methylimidazoium chloride ([C₁₂mim]Cl) is described. In addition to detailed structural characterization obtained by using dynamic light scattering, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and cryogenic TEM techniques, ultrafast fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) from coumarin 153 (C153) as a donor (D) to rhodamine 6G (R6G) as an acceptor (A) is also used to study micelle–vesicle transitions in the present system. Structural transitions of SAIL micelles ([C₄mim][C₈SO₄] or [C₁₂mim]Cl micelles) to mixed SAIL vesicles resulted in significantly increased D –A distances, and therefore, increased timescale of FRET. In [C₄mim][C₈SO₄] micelles, FRET between C153 and R6G occurs on an ultrafast timescale of 3.3 ps, which corresponds to a D –A distance of about 15 Å. As [C₄mim][C₈SO₄] micelles are transformed into mixed micelles upon the addition of a 0.25 molar fraction of [C₁₂mim]Cl, the timescale of FRET increases to 300 ps, which suggests an increase in the D –A distance to 31 Å. At a 0.5 molar fraction of [C₁₂mim]Cl, unilamellar vesicles are formed in which FRET occurs on multiple timescales of about 250 and 2100 ps, which correspond to D –A distances of 33 and 47 Å. Although in micelles and mixed micelles the obtained D –A distances are well correlated with their radius, in vesicles the obtained D –A distance is within the range of the bilayer thickness.