Magneto resistance due to domain wall scattering and magneto size effect of thin Ni and Co films at low temperatures

Nickel and cobalt films illustrate alternative Bloch lines with cap switches. The strip magnetic domains become zigzag and bubbling cells for Ni and Co films, respectively, under an external field of 1.5 T. The magnetoresistances (MR) for currents parallel (CIW) to the domain walls is 15% less than those of the perpendicular (CPW) case. We also studied the magneto size effect by applying the magnetic field normal to the surface, from which the Sondheimer oscillation appears attributing to periodic striking of the surface for electrons traveling in circular motion on a plane canting to the surface. The experiments can be expressed by the magneto size effect inherited with very small specularity parameters.     

Pervaporation of benzene/cyclohexane mixtures using ion-exchange membrane containing copper ions

The sorption, diffusion, and pervaporation (PV) properties of benzene/cyclohexane (Bz/Cx) mixtures on cation-exchange membranes containing copper ions (Cu(II)) were investigated. The equilibrium sorption isotherms of pure vapors in the membranes and the partial solubility of binary solutions in the membranes were described using the UNIQUAC model. The τ_iM and τ_Mi values were 0.978 and 0.591 for Bz, and 0.922 and 0.475 for Cx. The transient regimes of vapor sorption were employed to calculate the concentration-dependent diffusion coefficients. Long’s model sufficiently explained the diffusivity of Bz and Cx in the membranes. The pre-exponential factors were 3×10⁻¹³ m²/s and the plasticization factors were 3.0 and 3.6 for Bz and Cx, respectively. Excellent agreement was found with the experimental results applying the solubility and diffusivity data to simulate the pervaporation performance (flux and selectivity) using the modified Maxwell–Stefan equation. The membrane containing Cu(II) demonstrates better facilitating capability for Bz transport than that with Na(I), mainly due to its preferential sorption property toward Bz. Replacing Na(I) with Cu(II) into a Neosepta membrane resulted in better separation efficiency and higher Bz flux throughout the entire Bz concentration range.     

Composition and thermal stability of SiO2-based hybrid materials TEOS-MTEOS system

Hybrid materials with different amounts of organics permanently bound on the inorganic network obtained in the TEOS-MTEOS (tetraethoxysilan-methyltriethoxysilan) system are used for obtaining coatings with different optical and mechanical properties. To study the thermal stability of the mentioned materials, compositions with different molar ratios of the precursors were prepared. The influence of the solvent and water amounts on the gelation process was also investigated. The gels obtained were characterised by IR spectrometry and their decomposition temperatures were determined by DTA/TG. Thermal stability of the gels is rather influenced by their composition than the conditions of the gelation process. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Freezing and folding behavior in simple off-lattice heteropolymers

We have performed parallel tempering Monte Carlo simulations using a simple continuum heteropolymer model for proteins. All 10 heteropolymer sequences which we have studied have shown first-order transitions at low temperature to ordered states dominated by single chain conformations. These results are in contrast with the theoretical predictions of the random energy model for heteropolymers, from which we would expect continuous transitions to glassy behavior at low temperatures.     

Intein-mediated biotinylation of proteins and its application in a protein microarray

We report here the first example using an intein-mediated expression system to generate biotinylated proteins suitable for immobilization onto avidin-functionalized glass slides. With this novel array, proteins are site-specifically immobilized on the glass surface and are able to retain their native activity. The advantage of the avidin/biotin linkage over his-tag/Ni-NTA strategies for protein immobilization is highlighted by its ability to withstand a variety of chemical conditions, which makes this new protein array compatible with most biological assays.     

Ambient-pressure vapor deposition of octanethiol self-assembled monolayers

Scanning tunneling microscopy was used to characterize self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) of octanethiol on Au(111), created using vapor deposition at elevated temperatures and ambient pressure. Monolayers contained large, close-packed ( radical3 x radical3)R30 degrees domains with sizes considerably larger than those typically formed from conventional solution-phase preparation and with crystallographically straight domain boundaries. New striped surface phases were also observed, including a 13 x radical3 phase with a density that was 69% of the close-packed density; these striped phases appeared topographically higher in STM images than close-packed monolayers.     

Nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopic study on ionic liquids of 1-alkyl-3-methylimidazolium salts

Chemical shifts of ¹H and ¹³C NMR of series of methylimidazolium salts (MIM⁺, X=Br⁻, BF₄⁻ and PF₆⁻) function on the length of alkyl groups on the ring, type of solvents and the concentration. The bromides series demonstrate more chemical shift variation on H2 upon the change of solvents and concentration. Unexpected H-D exchange reactions were also observed in the MIM⁺Br⁻ by using CD₃OD and D₂O. The exchange rates strongly depend on the length of the alkyl group, which could cause more steric factor to reduce the interaction between deuterium atom from solvent and C2 of the ring.     

Radiation dose contribution from coal-slags used as structural building material

A significant dose contribution on the population could be derived from coal slags used as isolation material. Extremely high natural activities are measured in the coal slag, derived from the region of the settlement Ajka, Hungary. In some buildings monitored, the elevated -doses were nearly 5–10 times higher than the world average ones. The annual average indoor radon concentrations from the slag exceeded 400 Bq/m³ and in some cases up to 1200 Bq/m³. Due to the elevated exposure and the radon concentrations in the dwellings the annual dose was estimated to 8–24 mSv/y more than 5–10 times of the world average one.     

A Novel Synthesis of tert- Alkyl Sulfides

tert- Alkyl sulfides are conveniently prepared from α-(1H-benzotriazol-1-yl)alkyl sulfides by displacement of the 1H-benzotriazol-1-yl group with Grignard reagents. The 1-[α-(alkylthio)alkyl]- and 1-[α-(arylthio)alkyl]-1H-benzotriazole intermediates are easily available by several routes: (i) displacement of the halogen from appropriate halides by sodium salts of thiols, (ii) condensation of 1H-benzotriazole and thiols with carbonyl compounds, or (iii) lithiation of N-substituted 1H-benzotriazoles and subsequent treatment with electrophiles.