Spinors, Inflation, and Non-Singular Cyclic Cosmologies

We consider toy cosmological models in which a classical, homogeneous, spinor field provides a dominant or sub-dominant contribution to the energy-momentum tensor of a flat Friedmann-Robertson-Walker universe. We find that, if such a field were to exist, appropriate choices of the spinor self-interaction would generate a rich variety of behaviors, quite different from their widely studied scalar field counterparts. We first discuss solutions that incorporate a stage of cosmic inflation and estimate the primordial spectrum of density perturbations seeded during such a stage. Inflation driven by a spinor field turns out to be unappealing as it leads to a blue spectrum of perturbations and requires considerable fine-tuning of parameters. We next find that, for simple, quartic spinor self-interactions, non-singular cyclic cosmologies exist with reasonable parameter choices. These solutions might eventually be incorporated into a successful past- and future-eternal cosmological model free of singularities. In an Appendix, we discuss the classical treatment of spinors and argue that certain quantum systems might be approximated in terms of such fields.     

Insight into chain dimensions in PEO/water solutions

Small‐Angle Neutron Scattering has been performed from poly(ethylene oxide) in deuterated water at temperature ranging from 10 to 80 °C. A simple fitting model was used to obtain a correlation length and a Porod exponent. The correlation length L characterizes the average distance between entanglements in the semidilute region and is proportional to the individual coil sizes in the dilute region. L was found to increase with temperature in the semidilute region but it decreases with temperature in the dilute region. This decrease is the precursor to the single‐chain collapse which applies to very dilute polymer solutions. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 45: 2196–2200, 2007     

Nitroxyl free radical binding to Si(1 0 0): a combined scanning tunneling microscopy and computational modeling study

The ultra-high vacuum scanning tunneling microscope (UHV-STM) was used to investigate the addition of the 2,2,6,6-tetramethyl-1-piperidinyloxy (TEMPO) radical to the Si(1 0 0) surface. Room temperature studies performed on clean Si(1 0 0)-2 × 1 confirm the proposed binding of the unpaired valence electron associated with the singly occupied molecular orbital (SOMO) of the molecule with a Si dangling bond. A strong bias dependence in the topography of isolated molecules was observed in the range of −2.0 to +2.5 V. Semiempirical and density functional calculations of TEMPO bound to a three-dimer silicon cluster model yield occupied state density isosurfaces below the highest occupied (HOMO) and unoccupied state densities isosurfaces above the lowest unoccupied molecular orbital (LUMO) which trend in qualitative agreement with the bias dependent STM topography. Furthermore, the placement of TEMPO molecules on dangling bonds was controlled with atomic precision on the monohydride Si(1 0 0) surface via electron stimulated desorption of H, demonstrating the compatibility of nitroxyl free radical binding chemistries with nanopatterning techniques such as feedback controlled lithography.     

Current Trend in Synthesis,Post‐Synthetic Modifications and Biological Applications of Nanometal‐Organic Frameworks (NMOFs)

Since the early reports of MOFs and their interesting properties, research involving these materials has grown wide in scope and applications. Various synthetic approaches have ensued in view of obtaining materials with optimised properties, the extensive scope of application spanning from energy, gas sorption, catalysis biological applications has meant exponentially evolved over the years. The far‐reaching synthetic and PSM approaches and porosity control possibilities have continued to serve as a motivation for research on these materials. With respect to the biological applications, MOFs have shown promise as good candidates in applications involving drug delivery, BioMOFs, sensing, imaging amongst others. Despite being a while away from successful entry into the market, observed results in sensing, drug delivery, and imaging put these materials on the spot light as candidates poised to usher in a revolution in biology. In this regard, this review article focuses current approaches in synthesis, post functionalization and biological applications of these materials with particular attention on drug delivery, imaging, sensing and BioMOFs.     

Some new methods for preparing 2,3- and 3,4-diaminopyridines

New methods of preparing 2,3-diaminopyridine ( 13 ) from 2-chloro-3-nitropyridine ( 11 ) and 3,4-diaminopy-ridine ( 8 ) from 4-ethoxy-3-nitropyridine hydrochloride ( 5 ) have been explored and evaluated.