Thermally activated conduction in molecular junctions

We report temperature dependence measurements on the conductance of individual molecular wires. The results show for the first time in a molecular junction the theoretically predicted transition from coherent superexchange tunneling conductance to an activated hopping mechanism as temperature is increased.     

Mechanism of oxidation at a copper–polyethylene interface. II. Penetration of copper ions in the polyethylene matrix

Two surface analysis techniques (Rutherford backscattering and surface composition by analysis of neutral and ion impact radiation) have been applied to the study of interfacial copper transport in the oxidation of polyethylene films over copper surfaces. Analysis of films oxidized several thousand hours at 40, 57, and 87°C shows maximum concentrations of copper species in the polymer matrix of ～0.1M extending to depths of several thousand angstroms. These results, together with previous infrared spectroscopic studies, allow some significant conclusions and hypotheses to be drawn as regards the roles of heterogeneous and homogeneous catalytic processes which occur in the thermal-oxidative degradation of polyethylene–copper systems.     

Evolution of the interface and metal film morphology in the vapor deposition of Ti on hexadecanethiolate hydrocarbon monolayers on Au

The combination of in situ X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, infrared reflection spectroscopy, atomic force microscopy, and time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry are used to probe the nature of the evolving interface chemistry and metal morphology arising from Ti vapor deposition onto the surface of a CH(3)(CH(2))(15)S/Au{111} self-assembled monolayer (SAM) at ambient temperature. The results show that for a deposition rate of approximately 0.15 Ti atom.nm(-2).s(-1) a highly nonuniform Ti overlayer is produced via a process in which a large fraction of impinging Ti atoms do not stick to the bare SAM surface. The adsorbed atoms form isolated Ti clusters and react with CH(3) groups to form carbide products at the cluster-SAM interfaces. Further growth of Ti clusters appears to be concentrated at these scattered reaction centers. The SAM molecules in the local vicinity are subsequently degraded to inorganic products, progressing deeper into the monolayer as the deposition proceeds to give an inorganic/organic nanocomposite. A continuous overlayer does not form until metal coverage approaches approximately 50 Ti atoms per SAM molecule. These data indicate that for applications such as molecular device contacts the use of Ti may be highly problematic, suffering from both a highly nonuniform contact area and the presence of extensive inorganic products such as nonstoichiometric carbides and hydrides.     

A computational analysis of the alkane pyrolysis mechanism: Sensitivity analysis of individual reaction steps

The previously reported extensive mechanism for the pyrolysis of propane and n-butane around 800 K is reexamined in the light of a recent reevaluation of the rate constant data base, and the sensitivity of model simulations to variations in the rate parameters is studied. The pyrolysis rates of butane and the product distribution of propane remain in good agreement with the available experiments, while the rate of propane and the product distribution of butane now show significant differences. The linear sensitivity analysis of the reaction matrix demonstrates an intimate coupling between initiation, hydrogen abstraction, radical decomposition, and recombination reactions as primarily responsible for the overall behavior of the mechanism. The role of unsaturated radicals in the self-inhibition of the pyrolysis process is quantitatively established. The study of the sensitivity coefficients for butane product formation has permitted pinpointing those specific reaction steps in the mechanism which are most likely responsible for the remaining discrepancies between model and experiment. This particular example demonstrates the usefulness of sensitivity calculations for the isolation of reactions for which improvements in rate parameter values are needed.     

Differential inhibition of postnatal brain,spinal cord and body growth by a growth hormone antagonist

Background  

Growth hormone (GH) plays an incompletely understood role in the development of the central nervous system (CNS). In this study, we use transgenic mice expressing a growth hormone antagonist (GHA) to explore the role of GH in regulating postnatal brain, spinal cord and body growth into adulthood. The GHA transgene encodes a protein that inhibits the binding of GH to its receptor, specifically antagonizing the trophic effects of endogenous GH.     

Spontaneous waveguide Raman spectroscopy of self-assembled monolayers in silica micropores

Advances in nanoscience are critically dependent on the ability to control and probe chemical and physical phenomena in confined geometries. A key challenge is to identify confinement structures with high surface area to volume ratios and controlled surface boundaries that can be probed quantitatively at the molecular level. Herein we report an approach for probing molecular structures within nano- to microscale pores by the application of spontaneous Raman spectroscopy. We demonstrate the method by characterization of the structural features of picomole quantities of well-organized octadecyltrichlorosilane (OTS) monolayers self-assembled on the interior pore surfaces of high aspect ratio (1 μm diameter × 1-10 cm length), near-atomically smooth silica microstructured optical fibers (MOFs). The simple Raman backscattering collection geometry employed is well suited for a wide variety of diagnostic applications as demonstrated by tracking the combustion of the hydrocarbon chains of the OTS self-assembled monolayer (SAM) and spectral confirmation of the formation of an adsorbed monolayer of human serum albumin (HSA) protein. Using this MOF Raman approach, molecular processes in precisely defined, highly confined geometries can be probed at high pressures and temperatures, with a wide range of excitation wavelengths from the visible to the near-IR, and under other external perturbations such as electric and magnetic fields.