Scattering from infinite rough tubular surfaces

We study the Helmholtz equation in the exterior of an infinite perturbed cylinder with a Dirichlet boundary condition. Existence and uniqueness of solutions are established using the variational technique introduced (SIAM J. Math. Anal. 2005; 37 (2):598–618). We also provide stability estimates with explicit dependence of the constants in terms of the frequency and the perturbed cylinder thickness. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

InAs/GaSb/AlSb resonant tunneling spin device concepts

We discuss device concepts for creating spin-polarized current sources without external magnetic fields, using non-magnetic 6.1 Å semiconductor resonant tunneling structures. Spin filters, spin pumps, and spin transistors that exploit structural and bulk inversion asymmetries will be examined.     

N,N‐dimethylaminopyridine as initiator in the copolymerization of diglycidylether of bisphenol A with six‐membered cyclic carbonates

N,N‐Dimethylaminopyridine (DMAP) was used as initiator to cure mixtures of diglycidylether of bisphenol A (DGEBA) and 1,3‐dioxan‐2‐one (TMC) or 5,5‐dimethyl‐1,3‐dioxan‐2‐one (DMTMC). The curing was studied by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and Fourier transform infrared in the attenuated‐total‐reflection mode (FTIR/ATR). FTIR/ATR was used to monitor the competitive reactive processes and to quantify the evolution of the groups involved in the curing. We observed the formation of five‐membered cyclic carbonates and anionic carbonate groups that remain unreacted at the chain ends. The formation of these groups was explained by the attack of the anionic propagation species on the methylene carbon of the carbonate group, which leads to an alkyl‐oxygen rupture. By performing the cure in the thermobalance we could evaluate the loss of CO₂ produced in the samples containing carbonates. The kinetics were studied by DSC and analyzed with isoconversional procedures. The addition of carbonates slows down the curing rate. Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and dynamic mechanical thermal analysis (DMTA) experiments were used to evaluate the properties of the materials obtained. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 44: 2873–2882, 2006     

Gold ultra-microelectrode arrays: application to the steady-state voltammetry of hydroxide ion in aqueous solution.

Gold ultra-microelectrode arrays are used to explore the electrochemical oxidation of hydroxide ions and are shown to be analytical useful. Two types of ultra-microelectrode arrays are used; the first consist of 256 individual electrodes of 5 microm in radius, 170 of which are electrochemically active in a cubic arrangement which are separated from their nearest neighbour by a distance of 100 microm. The second array compromises 2597 electrodes of 2.5 microm in radius and of which 1550 of which are electrochemically active in a hexagonal arrangement separated by the nearest neighbour by 55 microm. Well defined voltammetric waves are found with peak currents proportional to the concentration of hydroxide ions in the range 50 microM to 1 mM. Detection limits of 20 microM using the 170 ultra-microelectrode and 10 microM with the 1550 ultra-microelectrode array are shown to be possible but with a higher sensitivity of 4 mA M(-1) observed using the 1550 ultra-microelectrode array compared to 1.2 mA M(-1) with the 170 ultra-microelectrode array.     

2-Mercaptobenzimidazole (2-benzimidazolethiol) as a colorimetric reagent for palladium

Summary A spectrophotometric method for the determination of palladium using 2-mercaptobenzimidazole is described. The orange-yellow colour developed in aqueous medium atph 1.0–2.6 by the addition of an alcoholic solution of the reagent, is measured at 380 m. The system is found to obey Beer's law. The interference limits of diverse ions are also given.     

Organoruthenaborane Chemistry. X. The SM2-catalysed formation of [ l-(η6-C6Me6)-isocloso-RuB9H9], and some B-phenylamino derivatives. NMR and X-ray diffraction studies

The action of SMe₂ on the ten-vertex nido-ruthenaborane [6-(η⁶-C₆Me₆)RuB₉H_l3] ( 1 ) provides a high-yield route to the unsubstituted isocloso-ruthenaborane [1-(η⁶-C₆Me₆)RuB₉H₉] (2). The benzene analogue [1-(η⁶-C₆Me₆)RuB₉H₉] is prepared similarly. By contrast, reaction of (1) with PhNH₂ gives a variety of B-phenylamino isocloso derivatives, including orange crystals of [1-(η⁶-C₆Me₆)-2-(PhNH)-isocloso-1-RuB 9 H₈] ( 3 ), red-orange [1-(η⁶-C₆Me₆)-2,3-(PhNH)₂-isocloso-1-RuB₉H₇] ( 4 ) and dark-red [1-(η⁶-C₆Me₆)-5,6,7-(PhNH)₃-isocloso-1-RuB₉H₆] ( 5 ). Detailed ¹H and ¹¹B nmr properties of these various compounds are described. The structure of ( 3 ) has been established by a single-crystal X-ray diffraction study of the solvate [1-(η⁶-C₆Me₆)-2-(PhNH)-isocloso-1-RuB₉H₈] · 1/2 CH₂Cl₂; the crystals were monoclinic, space group C2/c, with a = 1895.1(3), b = 1556.6(3), c = 1716.4(3) pm, β = 104.37(1)° and z = 8.     

Factor Xa: Simulation studies with an eye to inhibitor design

Factor Xa is a serine protease which activates thrombin and plays a key regulatory role in the blood-coagulation cascade. Factor Xa is at the crossroads of the extrinsic and intrinsic pathways of coagulation and, hence, has become an important target for the design of anti-thrombotics (inhibitors). It is not known to be involved in other processes than hemostasis and its binding site is different to that of other serine proteases, thus facilitating selective inhibition. The design of high-affinity selective inhibitors of factor Xa requires knowledge of the structural and dynamical characteristics of its active site. The three-dimensional structure of factor Xa was resolved by X-ray crystallography and refined at 2.2 Å resolution by Padmanabhan and collaborators. In this article we present results from molecular dynamics simulations of the catalytic domain of factor Xa in aqueous solution. The simulations were performed to characterise the mobility and flexibility of the residues delimiting the unoccupied binding site of the enzyme, and to determine hydrogen bonding propensities (with protein and with solvent atoms) of those residues in the active site that could interact with a substrate or a potential inhibitor. The simulation data is aimed at facilitating the design of high-affinity selective inhibitors of factor Xa.     

Electronic structure of IPR and non-IPR endohedral metallofullerenes: Connecting orbital and topological rules

The electronic structure of endohedral metallofullerenes is rationalized by connecting the apparently independent orbital and topological rules that explain the stability of this family of fullerenes. The separation of the 12 pentagons of the fullerene, which is maximized in order to minimize the Coulomb repulsion, is found to be correlated with the orbital energies of the cage that accepts the electron transfer from the internal cluster. An explanation for the absence of non-IPR cages in large-size EMFs is also provided.