On the Formation of a Protic Ionic Liquid in Nature

The practical utility of ionic liquids (ILs) makes the absence (heretofore) of reported examples from nature quite puzzling, given the facility with which nature produces many other types of exotic but utilitarian substances. In that vein, we report here the identification and characterization of a naturally occurring protic IL. It can be formed during confrontations between the ants S. invicta and N. fulva. After being sprayed with alkaloid‐based S. invicta venom, N. fulva detoxifies by grooming with its own venom, formic acid. The mixture is a viscous liquid manifestly different from either of the constituents. Further, we find that the change results as a consequence of formic acid protonation of the N centers of the S. invicta venom alkaloids. The resulting mixed‐cation ammonium formate milieu has properties consistent with its classification as a protic IL.     

Anomalous diffusion in living yeast cells

The viscoelastic properties of the cytoplasm of living yeast cells were investigated by studying the motion of lipid granules naturally occurring in the cytoplasm. A large frequency range of observation was obtained by a combination of video-based and laser-based tracking methods. At time scales from 10(-4) to 10(2) s, the granules typically perform subdiffusive motion with characteristics different from previous measurements in living cells. This subdiffusive behavior is thought to be due to the presence of polymer networks and membranous structures in the cytoplasm. Consistent with this hypothesis, we observe that the motion becomes less subdiffusive upon actin disruption.     

Great circle links and virtually fibered knots

We show that all two-bridge knot and link complements are virtually fibered. We also show that spherical Montesinos knot and link complements are virtually fibered. This is accomplished by showing that such manifolds are finitely covered by great circle link complements.     

Problem-driven scenario generation: an analytical approach for stochastic programs with tail risk measure

Mathematical Programming - Scenario generation is the construction of a discrete random vector to represent parameters of uncertain values in a stochastic program. Most approaches to scenario...     

Application of surface complexation modeling to the reactivity of iron(II) with nitroaromatic and oxime carbamate contaminants in aqueous TiO2 suspensions

This study reports on the application of surface complexation modeling to interpret observed kinetic trends for Fe(II) redox reactions with model nitroaromatic (4-chloronitrobenzene) and oxime carbamate (oxamyl) contaminants in aqueous TiO(2(s)) suspensions. Pseudo-first-order rate constants for reduction of the two probe contaminants (k(red), s(-1)) vary by several orders of magnitude with changing conditions (100-500 microM Fe(II), 0-15 g L(-1) TiO(2(s)), pH 2-9), but the relationship between reaction rates and Fe(II) speciation differs considerably for the two contaminants. For oxamyl, k(red) measurements are most strongly correlated with the volumetric total adsorbed Fe(II) concentration (moles Fe(II) adsorbed per liter of TiO(2(s)) suspension), whereas k(red) measurements for 4-chloronitrobenzene are proportional to the concentration of the hydrolyzed Fe(II) surface complex (equivalent TiOFe(II)OH(0)). The differing trends demonstrate that Fe(II) redox reactivity at the aqueous/TiO(2(s)) interface is influenced, in part, by specific molecular interactions with the target oxidant. Results are also geochemically relevant in that they demonstrate unambiguously that mononuclear Fe(II)-metal (hydr)oxide surface complexes are sufficiently reactive species to reduce nitroaromatic contaminants, an issue that remained open following earlier studies in Fe(III) (hydr)oxide suspensions because structural Fe(II) species are simultaneously present in such systems because of interfacial Fe(II)-to-Fe(III) electron transfer processes that occur on Fe(II) adsorption.     

Understanding the electron-stimulated surface reactions of organometallic complexes to enable design of precursors for electron beam-induced deposition

Standard practice in electron beam-induced deposition (EBID) is to use precursors designed for thermal processes, such as chemical vapor deposition (CVD). However, organometallic precursors that yield pure metal deposits in CVD often create EBID deposits with high levels of organic contamination. This contamination negatively impacts the deposit’s properties (e.g., by increasing resistivity or decreasing catalytic activity) and severely limits the range of potential applications for metal-containing EBID nanostructures. To provide the information needed for the rational design of precursors specifically for EBID, we have employed an ultra-high vacuum (UHV) surface science approach to identify the elementary reactions of organometallic precursors during EBID. These UHV studies have demonstrated that the initial electron-induced deposition of the surface-bound organometallic precursors proceeds through desorption of one or more of the ligands present in the parent compound. In specific cases, this deposition step has been shown to proceed via dissociative electron attachment, involving low-energy secondary electrons generated by the interaction of the primary beam with the substrate. Electron beam processing of the surface-bound species produced in the initial deposition event usually causes decomposition of the residual ligands, creating nonvolatile fragments. This process is believed to be responsible for a significant fraction of the organic contaminants typically observed in EBID nanostructures. A few ligands (e.g., halogens) can, however, desorb during electron beam processing while other ligands (e.g., PF₃, CO) can thermally desorb if elevated substrate temperatures are used during deposition. Using these general guidelines for reactivity, we propose some design strategies for EBID precursors. The ultimate goal is to minimize organic contamination and thus overcome the key bottleneck for fabrication of relatively pure EBID nanostructures.     

Development of a selective chemical etch to improve the conversion efficiency of Zn-rich Cu2ZnSnS4 solar cells

Improvement of the efficiency of Cu(2)ZnSnS(4) (CZTS)-based solar cells requires the development of specific procedures to remove or avoid the formation of detrimental secondary phases. The presence of these phases is favored by the Zn-rich and Cu-poor conditions that are required to obtain device-grade layers. We have developed a selective chemical etching process based on the use of hydrochloric acid solutions to remove Zn-rich secondary phases from the CZTS film surface, which are partly responsible for the deterioration of the series resistance of the cells and, as a consequence, the conversion efficiency. Using this approach, we have obtained CZTS-based devices with 5.2% efficiency, which is nearly twice that of the devices we have prepared without this etching process.     

Composition analysis of an ethylene–propylene block copolymer by fractionation and turbidity measurements at the lower critical solubility gap

The composition of an ethylene-propylene block copolymer with a nominal 15% content of ethylene by weight (EP?B15%) has been investigated through fractionation near the lower critical solution temperature (LCST). Observation of the solution heated above the boiling point of the solvent indicated that some polymer was phase separating, apparently continuously, between the LCSTs of polyethylene (PE) an polypropylene (PP) of similar molecular weight. IR and DSC analysis of three fractions obtained by twice separating the concentrated phase from the dilute phase gave the following result: EP?B15% consists of an ethylene-rich block copolymer (93% E), an EP copolymer of intermediate composition, and a propylene-rich copolymer (94% P). The three fractions constitute respectively 12%, 12%, and 76% of the total weights. In order to choose a suitable temperature for fractionation, a turbidity analysis of the solution of the initial polymer is made continuously during phase separation. The trace of turbidity against temperature shows three peaks of turbidity at temperatures T₀, T₁ and T₂, which can be associated with the above fractions. A mixture of PE, PP, and a 33% E random copolymer gives a turbidity trace with characteristic temperatures very similar to that of EP-B15% in the same solvent. Fractionation from several solvents or mixtures of solvents indicated that the composition of the fractions did not depend significantly on the nature of the solvent. Conditions for obtaining a quantitative analysis of a mixture from a thermogram are discussed. Turbidity analysis during phase separation and fractionation at the LCST can be a useful tool in analyzing and separating complex mixtures before use of powerful analytical techniques such as NMR or IR spectroscopy.     

A Comparison of PE Surfaces Modified by Plasma Generated Neutral Nitrogen Species and Nitrogen Ions

The surface modification of polyethylene (PE) by neutral nitrogen species (ground and excited state N₂ as well as atomic N; modified nitrogen plasma treatment) has been compared to the effect of nitrogen ion bombardment using X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS) and contact angle measurements. XPS results indicate that a greater nitrogen concentration was grafted during the modified nitrogen plasma treatment of PE, an effect that was attributed to surface sputtering during ion beam modification. The distribution of nitrogen-containing functionalities was strongly dependent upon the treatment strategy; the modified nitrogen plasma treatment lead predominantly to imine groups being formed at the PE surface, while amine groups were the dominant species produced during ion beam modification. The presence of electron irradiation during the modified nitrogen plasma treatment of PE did not modify the rate of nitrogen incorporation or change the nature of N-containing functional groups produced but did lead to a systematic decrease in contact angle.