Spectral Properties of Thioflavin T and Its Complexes with Amyloid Fibrils

Comparative analysis of the absorption and fluorescence spectra and fluorescence excitation spectra of thioflavin T (ThT) in various solvents and in the composition of amyloid fibrils has shown that ThT, when excited in the region of the long-wavelength absorption band, fluoresces in the spectral region with a maximum at 478–484 nm. The appearance in aqueous and alcohol solutions of a fluorescence band with a maximum near 440 nm has been attributed to the presence in the composition of the ThT preparations of an impurity with an absorption band in the 340–350-nm range. The literature data showing that in glycerol ThT has a wide fluorescence spectrum with two maxima are due to the artifact connected with the use of a high concentration of the dye. It has been suggested that the cause of the low quantum yield of ThT aqueous and alcohol solutions is the breakage of the system of conjugated bonds due to the reorientation of the benzothiozole and benzaminic rings of ThT in the excited state with respect to one another. The main factor determining the high quantum yield of fluorescence of ThT incorporated in fibrils is the steric restriction of the rotation of the rings about one another under these conditions. The suggestions made have been verified by the quantum-chemical calculation of the ThT molecule geometry in the ground and excited states.     

Electronic structure and Fermi surface of Bi2Sr2CaCu2O8

Applying angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy of high angular and energy resolution we have measured the electronic structure of single crystals of Bi₂Sr₂CaCu₂O₈ near the Fermi energy. Along the high symmetry direction X a band is observed to disperse upwards and to cross the Fermi level, whose unoccupied part constitutes the hole-like carriers responsible for the superconductivity. From spectra along the M direction we find evidence for an electron pocket around the M point. The measured band widths appear to be drastically reduced compared with band structure calculations indicating strong electronic correlation effects. From the observation of Fermi-Dirac-like cut-offs in the spectra due to band crossings through the Fermi level we can confirm the existence and, in particular, the shape of the Fermi surface as calculated by band structure calculations.     

Fluorescence of Xe2 molecules in the vacuum-ultraviolet

Fluorescence of the Xe₂ continuum between 1460 and 1800 Å has been observed during excitation of Xe₂ molecules with CO fourth positive bands from a microwave discharge lamp. Fluorescence spectra at different Xe and added gas pressures show that in collisions with Xe or Kr atoms, the excited Xe₂ diatoms are efficiently relaxed to low vibrational levels of the ¹Σ_u⁺ and ³Σ_u⁺ potentials without being quenched noticeably. With Kr the rate constant for relaxation out of the primarily excited high vibrational levels is found to be about 3×10^?11 cm³ molecule^?1 s^?1.     

Pyrolysis studies of aromatic polyesters

The products of pyrolysis, at 400°C in vacuo (1 Pa), of poly(ethyleneterephthalate) (PET) and poly(butyleneterephthalate) (PBT) were studied. The products were identified by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry technique. The highly volatile products of PET contained acetaldehyde, benzene, toluene, styrene and ethylbenzene and in the case of PBT, butadiene, tetrahydrofuran, vinylcyclohexene and ethylbenzene were the major products. A qualitative analysis of the products of low volatility revealed that the main components were benzoic acid, terephthalic acid, monovinyl esters of terephthalic acid and higher oligomers in the case of PET, whereas benzoic acid, monobutenyl esters of terephthalic acid and higher oligomers were the main products from PBT. The results obtained were in good agreement with those obtained from pyrolysis experiments, carried out directly in the mass spectrometer. Mechanisms to explain the occurrence of the different products are proposed.     

Die Verwendung alkoholischer Lösungen bei der flammenphotometrischen Analyse

Zusammenfassung Wenn man die Genauigkeit und Empfindlichkeit der flammenphotometrischen Bestimmung von Calcium und Magnesium bei der Verwendung einfacher Flammenphotometer besonders steigern will, so eignen sich hierzu die alkoholischen Lösungen von einigen bestimmten Salzen dieser Metalle. So tritt mit steigenden Verbrennungswärmen der homologen Alkohole: Methyl-, Äthyl-, Propyl-, Butyl-, Amylalkohol usw. eine Steigerung der Linienemission ein. Für Calcium und Magnesium ergibt sich in amylalkoholischer Lösung gegenüber Wasser eine Erhöhung des Photostromes des Selenmeßinstrumentes um das Dreifache. Da Ca(NO₃)₂ und CaCl₂, sowie Mg(NO₃)₂, MgCl₂ und MgSO₄ bis zu großen Konzentrationen in Amylalkohol löslich sind, eignen sich diese Salze für die flammenphotometrische Bestimmung von Calcium bzw. Magnesium. Zu den Messungen wird ein Flammenphotometer von Dr. Lange, Berlin, verwendet, das für das Versprühen brennbarer Probeflüssigkeiten umgebaut wurde. Bisher wurde diese Methode zur Bestimmung kleinster Mengen von Ca(NO₃)₂ in technischen Produkten mit großem Erfolg verwendet. Die Reproduzierbarkeit liegt bis 1,00% bei ± 0,02% Ca(NO₃)₂. Für Magnesium liegen die Verhältnisse etwas ungünstiger.

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Summary If it is desired to increase considerably the accuracy and sensitivity of the flame photometric determination of calcium and magnesium when a simple flame photometer is used, it is well to use alcohol solutions of several particular salts of these metals. Thus, with increasing heats of combustion of the homologous alcohols: methyl-, ethyl-, propyl-, butyl-, amyl alcohol, etc., there is an increase of the line emission. For calcium and magnesium, there is a threefold increase of the photocurrent of the selenium instrument when amyl alcohol is used as solvent rather than water. Since calcium nitrate and chloride and likewise magnesium nitrate, chloride, and sulfate are soluble to high concentrations in amyl alcohol, these salts are suitable for the flame photometric determination of these metals. A flame photometer by Dr. Lange of Berlin was employed for the measurements; it was remodeled for the spraying of combustible liquid samples. Up to the present, this method has been employed with great success for determining extremely small amounts of calcium nitrate in technical products. The reproducibility is up to 1% at ± 0.02% calcium nitrate. The results are not so favorable in the case of magnesium.

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Résumé Si l'on désire augmenter beaucoup la sensibilité et la précision de la détermination par photométrie de flamme du calcium et du magnésium à l'aide d'un photomètre à flamme simple, il est commode d'employer des solutions alcooliques de certains sels de ces métaux. Ainsi l'augmentation des chaleurs de combustion des alcools homologues: méthylique, éthylique, propylique, butylique, amylique etc. entraine une augmentation dans l'émission spectrale. Pour le calcium et le magnésium le courant photoélectrique d'une cellule au sélénium est triplé quand on emploie comme solvant l'alcool amylique à la place de l'eau. Puisque le nitrate de calcium, ie chlorure de magnésium ainsi que le sulfate et le nitrate de ce métal, sont très solubles dans l'alcool amylique, ces sels conviennent pour déterminer ces métaux par photométrie de flamme. On a employé pour ces mesures un photomètre de flamme du Dr. Lange de Berlin. Il était modifié pour permettre la pulvérisation de liquides combustibles. Jusqu'à présent cette méthode a été employée avec succès pour la détermination de très petites quantités de nitrate de calcium dans des produits techniques. Jusqu'à 1% la reproductibilité est ± 0,02%. Les résultats ne sont pas aussi favorables dans le cas du magnésium.

     

Non-reactive metal/semiconductor interfaces: a combined AES,AFM andPAC study

Thin In films on Ge(100), Si(100) andSi(111) are investigated using Auger-electron spectroscopy (AES), atomic force microscopy (AFM) andperturbed -angular correlation (PAC) spectroscopy, respectively. The growth mode of the metal films is characterized by in situ AES measurements, indicating distinct differences between the different substrate surfaces. Additional AFM investigations are used to monitor the film topography at higher metal coverage. Finally, the local crystalline structure of the films is studied by the PAC technique.