The influence of repellent coatings on surface free energy of glass plate and cotton fabric

The aim of this research was to determine the influence of chemical finishes on the surface properties of glass plate, considered as a model homogeneous smooth surface and cotton fabric as a non-ideal heterogeneous rough surface. Microscopic slides and 100% cotton fabric in plain weave were coated with fluorocarbon polymers (FCP), paraffin waxes with zirconium salts (PWZ), methylolmelamine derivatives (MMD), polysiloxanes with side alkyldimethylammonium groups (PSAAC) and aminofunctional polysiloxanes (AFPS). From the goniometer contact angle measurements of different liquids, the surface free energy of the coated glass plates was calculated according to approaches by Owens-Wendt-Kaelble, Wu, van Oss-Chaudhury-Good, and Li-Neumann-Kwok. The results showed that all the coatings decreased the surface free energy of the substrate, which was also influenced by the liquid combination and the theoretical approach used. In spite of the fact that the liquid contact angles were much higher on the coated fabric samples than on glass plates and resulted in the lower values of work of adhesion, a very good correlation between the coatings deposited on both substrates was obtained. The presence of repellent coatings FCP, PWZ and MMD converted the solid surface from polar to highly apolar by masking the functional groups of glass and cellulose. PSAAC and AFPS coatings did not decrease the solid surface free energy to such an extent as the former three coatings due to their monopolar character.     

Angle of incidence effects in a molecular solid

We investigate the influence of the angle of incidence on the sputter yield when bombarding molecular solid, benzene, with C₆₀. Our simulations show that at normal incidence, essentially all of the projectile energy is deposited into the substrate within ∼2.5 nm of the surface. However, at 75° incident angle, only 35% of the projectile energy is deposited within a depth of less than 1.5 nm of the surface while 65% of the projectile energy is reflected. Therefore, important aspects of the collision process which are dependent upon energy deposition, such as sputter yield, ejection depth, and molecule dissociation, may change as the incident angle changes.     

Preparation and characterization of slice-like Cu2(OH)3NO3 superhydrophobic structure on copper foil

Superhydrophobic structure was prepared on copper foil via a facile solution-immersion method. Thus slice-like Cu₂(OH)₃NO₃ crystal was prepared on the surface of the copper foil by sequential immersing in an aqueous solution of sodium hydroxide and cupric nitrate. And the superhydrophobic structure was obtained by modifying the slice-like Cu₂(OH)₃NO₃ crystal with 1H,1H,2H,2H-perfluorodecyltriethoxysilane (FAS-17). The morphologies, chemical compositions and states, and hydrophobicity of the surface-modifying films on the copper foil substrates were analyzed by means of scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and water contact angle measurement. Moreover, the thermal stability of the slice-like structure was also evaluated using thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). It was found that roughening of the copper foil surface helped to increase the hydrophobicity to some extent, but no superhydrophobicity was obtained unless the slice-like Cu₂(OH)₃NO₃ crystal formed on the Cu substrate was modified with 1H,1H,2H,2H-perfluorodecyltriethoxysilane. Besides, the superhydrophobicity of the FAS-17-modified slice-like Cu₂(OH)₃NO₃ structure was closely related to the surface morphology. And this hydrophobic structure retained good superhydrophobic stability at elevated temperature and in long-term storage as well, which should be critical to the application of Cu-matrix materials in engineering.     

一种基于光栅的滚转角测量新方法

提出了一种利用一维平面透射光栅作为敏感器件的滚转角测量新方法。利用聚焦透镜及光电位置探测器组成接收测量单元, 避免了直线度误差带来的影响; 利用光栅的±1级衍射光束构成双光路差动测量, 基本避免了俯仰、偏摆角的串扰, 实现了误差分离, 同时增强了抗干扰能力。通过详细的理论分析, 论证了方案的可行性, 并在此基础上通过实验得到了定标曲线, 其线性相关度为1, 滚转角测量的角度分辨率可以达到0.6″。测量方法简单灵活, 仅需更换不同线数的光栅便可满足不同测量精度的要求。     

Direct angle resolved photoemission spectroscopy and superconductivity of strained high-T c films

Since 1997 we systematically perform direct angle resolved photoemission spectroscopy (ARPES) on in-situ grown thin (<30 nm) cuprate films. Specifically, we probe low-energy electronic structure and properties of high-T _c superconductors (HTSC) under different degrees of epitaxial (compressive vs. tensile) strain. In overdoped and underdoped in-plane compressed (the strain is induced by the choice of substrate) ≈15 nm thin La_{2 − x} Sr _x CuO₄ (LSCO) films we almost double T _c to 40 K, from 20 K and 24 K, respectively. Yet the Fermi surface (FS) remains essentially two-dimensional. In contrast, ARPES data under tensile strain exhibit the dispersion that is three-dimensional, yet T _c drastically decreases. It seems that the in-plane compressive strain tends to push the apical oxygen far away from the CuO₂ plane, enhances the two-dimensional character of the dispersion and increases T _c, while the tensile strain acts in the opposite direction and the resulting dispersion is three-dimensional. We have established the shape of the FS for both cases, and all our data are consistent with other ongoing studies, like EXAFS. As the actual lattice of cuprates is like a ‘Napoleon-cake’, i.e. rigid CuO₂ planes alternating with softer ‘reservoir’, that distort differently under strain, our data rule out all oversimplified two-dimensional (rigid lattice) mean field models. The work is still in progress on optimized La-doped Bi-2201 films with enhanced T _c.      

Small angle neutron scattering studies on protein denaturation induced by different methods

Small angle neutron scattering (SANS) has been used to study conformational changes in protein bovine serum albumin (BSA) as induced by varying temperature and in the presence of protein denaturating agents urea and surfactant. BSA has prolate ellipsoidal shape and is found to be stable up to 60°C above which it denaturates and subsequently leads to aggregation. The protein solution exhibits a fractal structure at temperatures above 64°C, with fractal dimension increasing with temperature. BSA protein is found to unfold in the presence of urea at concentrations greater than 4 M and acquires a random coil Gaussian chain conformation. The conformation of the unfolded protein in the presence of surfactant has been determined directly using contrast variation SANS measurements by contrast matching surfactant molecules. The protein acquires a random coil Gaussian conformation on unfolding with its radius of gyration increasing with increase in surfactant concentration      

Onset of itinerant ferromagnetism associated with semiconductor-metal transition in Ti<Subscript><Emphasis Type="Italic">x</Emphasis></Subscript>Nb<Subscript>1 − <Emphasis Type="Italic">x</Emphasis></Subscript>CoSn half Heusler solid solution compounds

In this paper, the magnetic and transport properties of the Ti _x Nb_{1 − x} CoSn solid solution compounds with half Heusler cubic MgAgAs-type structure have been studied. This work shows the onset of ferromagnetism associated with a semiconductor to metal transition. The transition occurs directly from ferromagnetic metal to semiconducting state as it is the case in the TiCo _x Ni_{1 − x} Sn series studied previously. A weak quantity of Ti in NbCoSn is suffcient to allow the appearance of ferromagnetic order and metallic state. The variations of the Curie temperature as a function of saturation and effective paramagnetic moments are related to the itinerant ferromagnetism model. A comparison is made with the TiCoSn _x Sb_{1 − x} series (also studied previously), where the transition from TiCoSn ferromagnetic metal to non-magnetic semiconductor TiCoSb occurs through an intermediate metallic Pauli-like state.      

Structural investigation of viscoelastic micellar water/CTAB/NaNO<Subscript>3</Subscript> solutions

A highly viscoelastic worm-like micellar solution is formed in hexadecyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) in the presence of sodium nitrate (NaNO₃). A gradual increase in micellar length with increasing NaNO₃ was assumed from the rheological measurements where the zero-shear viscosity (η ₀) versus NaNO₃ concentration curve exhibits a maximum. However, upon increase in temperature, the viscosity decreases. Changes in the structural parameters of the micelles with addition of NaNO₃ were inferred from small angle neutron scattering measurements (SANS). The intensity of scattered neutrons in the low q region was found to increase with increasing NaNO₃ concentration. This suggests an increase in the size of the micelles and/or decrease of intermicellar interaction with increasing salt concentration. Analysis of the SANS data using prolate ellipsoidal structure and Yukawa form of interaction potential between micelles indicate that addition of NaNO₃ leads to a decrease in the surface charge of the ellipsoidal micelles which induces micellar growth. Cryo-TEM measurements support the presence of thread-like micelles in CTAB and NaNO₃.      

Central neurocytoma: typical magnetic resonance spectroscopy findings and atypical ventricular dissemination

PURPOSE: Central neurocytomas (CNCs) are rare neuronal tumors that have a favorable prognosis and lower rate of recurrence compared with other intraventricular neoplasms. Although it may be difficult to distinguish CNC on conventional neuroimaging, typical MR spectroscopy (MRS) features have been reported. We describe the MRI and MRS features of CNC. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Eight patients with CNC were reviewed. Three patients underwent presurgical in vivo single-voxel MRS at short echo time (TE, 35 ms) and multi-voxel MR spectroscopic imaging at long TE (144 ms). The surgically resected tumor specimen of one of these patients was also studied ex vivo using high-resolution magic angle spinning (HRMAS) nuclear magnetic resonance. RESULTS: All eight tumors were located in the lateral ventricles. In six patients, CNC extended into the third ventricle, and in two patients the tumor showed further contiguous intraventricular dissemination into the fourth ventricle. In all three patients who underwent MRS, a characteristic metabolite peak was detected at 3.55 parts per million (ppm) at both long and short TE. HRMAS confirmed the presence of elevated glycine (Gly) at 3.55 ppm, without increase in the concentration of myo-inositol found at the same chemical shift. Elevated choline (at 3.2 ppm) was also seen in all three patients. CONCLUSION: On MRS, CNCs have a typical appearance with a metabolite peak at 3.55 ppm due to increased Gly, and this feature may be helpful in presurgical diagnosis. Although they are rare benign intraventricular tumors, in atypical cases, CNCs can show extensive intraventricular dissemination into the fourth ventricle.     

高压下碱式聚苯胺的理论吸收谱

利用改进的Ginder-Epstein模型计算了碱式聚苯胺在参数V2,0不同取值下的自洽变分基态,结果表明芳环扭角和能隙随此参数的减小而缩减.据此,用这个参数的减小来表示垂直于主链方向加压,估算聚合物压强与芳环扭角的对应关系并对自洽变分基态作拟合,给出了V2.0与压强之间的经验公式.最后作出高压吸收谱:加压至饱和压强7.69 GPa时,π-π*吸收峰由2.17 eV蓝移至0.74 eV.此理论谱供压力定标参考.