Leakage reduction through optimization of regular layout parameters

Regular layouts that follow restrictive design rules are essential to robust CMOS design in order to alleviate many manufacturing induced effects, such as the effect of non-rectangular gate (NRG) due to sub-wavelength lithograph. NRG dramatically increases the leakage current by more than 15X compared to that of ideal physical layout. To mitigate such a penalty, we developed a technique to optimize regular layout through restrictive design rule parameters and to benchmark post-lithography circuit performance. We propose a procedure to systematically optimize key layout parameters in regular layout to minimize the leakage energy with minimal over head to active energy, circuit speed and area. The proposed layout optimization technique is demonstrated with a 65 nm technology and projected for 45 nm and 32 nm technology nodes. Experimental results show that more than 70% reduction in leakage can be achieved with area penalty of ～10% and 9–12% overhead on circuit speed and active energy.     

An OCO3- trianionic pincer tungsten(VI) alkylidyne: rational design of a highly active alkyne polymerization catalyst

Synthesis, characterization, and catalytic alkyne polymerization results for the first trianionic pincer alkylidyne complex, [(t)BuOCO]W≡CC(CH(3))(3)(THF)(2) (6), are described. Complex 6 is a highly active catalyst for the polymerization of acetylenes and exhibits a high turnover number (4371), activity (1.05 × 10(6) g(PPA) mol(cat)(-1) h(-1)),and yield (87%) for the polymerization of 1-ethynyl-4-fluorobenzene.     

Novel Chemosensor for the Visual Detection of Copper(II) in Aqueous Solution at the ppm Level

A new water-soluble, multisite-coordinating ligand LH(7) was prepared by the condensation of tris(hydroxymethyl)aminomethane with 2,6-diformyl-p-cresol. LH(7) is a selective chemosensor for Cu(2+), under physiological conditions, with visual detection limits of 20 ppm (ambient light conditions) and 4 ppm (UV light conditions). LH(7) can also be used in biological cell lines for the detection of Cu(2+).     

Novel one pot synthesis of 2-amino-4-chloroquinolines via Smiles rearrangement

We have developed a novel one pot synthesis of 4-chloroquinolin-2-ylamines via Smiles rearrangement under milder condition. The key transformation involves O-alkylation of 4-chloro-1H-quinolin-2-ones with chloroacetamide followed by Smiles rearrangement. The scope of this methodology is further extended to the synthesis of 4-chloroquinolin-2-ylmethylamines and 2-(4-chloroquinolin-2-ylamino)ethanols. This methodology has furnished good yields of 2-amino-4-chloroquinolines.     

Synchronization in coupled Ikeda delay systems

In this work, we demonstrate the use of a Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) as a physical platform for realizing chaotic delay differential equations (DDE). Moreover, using our platform, we also experimentally study the synchronization between two time delayed systems. We illustrate two different experimental approaches – one is hardware co-simulation (using a Digilent Atlys with a Xilinx Spartan-6 FPGA) and the other is analog output (using a Terasic DE2-115 with an Altera Cyclone IV E FPGA).     

Phase equilibria in carbon dioxide expanded solvents: Experiments and molecular simulations

We present complementary molecular simulations and experimental results of phase equilibria for carbon dioxide expanded acetonitrile, methanol, ethanol, acetone, acetic acid, toluene, and 1-octene. The volume expansion measurements were done using a high-pressure Jerguson view cell. Molecular simulations were performed using the Gibbs ensemble Monte Carlo method. Calculations in the canonical ensemble (NVT) were performed to determine the coexistence curve of the pure solvent systems. Binary mixtures were simulated in the isobaric-isothermal distribution (NPT). Predictions of vapor-liquid equilibria of the pure components agree well with experimental data. The simulations accurately reproduced experimental data on saturated liquid and vapor densities for carbon dioxide, methanol, ethanol, acetone, acetic acid, toluene, and 1-octene. In all carbon dioxide expanded liquids (CXL's) studied, the molecular simulation results for the volume expansion of these binary mixtures were found to be as good as, and in many cases superior to, predictions based on the Peng-Robinson equation of state, demonstrating the utility of molecular simulation in the prediction of CXL phase equilibria.     

Enantioselective conjugate radical addition to alpha'-hydroxy enones

Enantioselective conjugate radical addition to alpha'-hydroxy alpha,beta-unsaturated ketones, compounds containing bidentate donors, has been investigated. It has been found that radical additions to alpha'-hydroxy alpha,beta-unsaturated ketones in the presence of Mg(NTf2)2 and bisoxazoline ligand 5a proceeded cleanly, yielding the addition products in high chemical yields and good enantiomeric excesses.     

Studies of Interaction Between Cyanine Dye T-284 and Fibrillar Alpha-Synuclein

A key feature of Parkinson’s disease is the formation and accumulation of amyloid fibrils of the natively unfolded protein α-synuclein (ASN) inside neurons. Recently we have proposed novel sensitive monomethinecyanine dye T-284 as fluorescent probe for quantitative detection of ASN amyloid fibrils. In this study the T-284 dye complex with ASN fibril was characterized by means of fluorescence anisotropy, atomic force microscopy and time-resolved fluorescence techniques to give further insights into the mode of dye interaction with amyloid fibrils. The fluorescence anisotropy of T-284 was shown to noticeably increase upon addition of aggregated proteins indicating on stable dye/amyloid fibril complex formation. AFM imaging of fibrillar wild-type ASN revealed differences in heights between ASN fibrils alone and in presence of the T-284 dye (6.37 ± 1.0 nm and 8.0 ± 1.1 nm respectively), that is believed to be caused by embedding of T-284 dye molecules in the “binding channel” running along the fibril. Fluorescence decay analysis of the T-284 in complexes with fibrillar ASN variants revealed the fluorescence lifetime values for T-284/fibril complexes to be an order of magnitude higher as compared to the free dye. Also, the fluorescence decay of free T-284 was bi-exponential, while dye bound to protein yields tri-exponential decay. We suppose that in complexes with fibrillar ASN variants T-284 dye might exist in different “populations” due to interaction with fibrils in different conformers and ways. The exact binding mode of T-284 with ASN fibrils needs further studies. Studied parameters of dye/amyloid fibril complexes are important for the characterization and screening of newly-developed amyloid-sensitive dyes.     

Enhanced performance of a wide-aperture copper vapour laser with hydrogen additive in neon buffer gas

A wide-aperture copper vapour laser was demonstrated at ∼10 kHz rep-rate with hydrogen additive in its buffer gas. Maximum power in excess of ∼50 W (at 10 kHz) was achieved by adding 1.96% hydrogen to the neon buffer gas at 20 mbar total gas pressure. This increase in output power was about 70% as compared to ∼30 W achieved with pure neon at 5.5 kHz rep-rate. The 70% enhancement achieved was significantly higher than the maximum reported value of 50% so far in the literature. The enhancement was much higher (about 150%) as compared to its 20 W power at 10 kHz rep-rate using pure neon as the standard CVL operation.