Close‐Packed Two‐Dimensional Silver Nanoparticle Arrays: Quadrupolar and Dipolar Surface Plasmon Resonance Coupling

Silver nanoparticles (NPs) ranging in size from 40 to 100 nm were prepared in high yield by using an improved seed‐mediated method. The homogeneous Ag NPs were used as building blocks for 2D assembled Ag NP arrays by using an oil/water interface. A close‐packed 2D array of Ag NPs was fabricated by using packing molecules (3‐mercaptopropyltrimethoxysilane) to control the interparticle spacing. The homogeneous 2D Ag NP array exhibited a strong quadrupolar cooperative plasmon mode resonance and a dipolar red‐shift relative to individual Ag NPs suspended in solution. A well‐arranged 2D Ag NP array was embedded in polydimethylsiloxane film and, with biaxial stretching to control the interparticle distance, concomitant variations of the quadrupolar and dipolar couplings were observed. As the interparticle distance increased, the intensity of the quadrupolar cooperative plasmon mode resonance decreased and dipolar coupling completely disappeared. The local electric field of the 2D Ag NP array was calculated by using finite difference time domain simulation and qualitatively showed agreement with the experimental measurements.     

Microwave‐assisted polycondensation of 4‐octylaniline with dibromoarylene

The Pd‐catalyzed polycondensation of 4‐octylaniline with various dibromoarylenes was carried out under microwave heating. Microwave heating led to a decrease in the reaction time and an increase in the molecular weight of the polymers as compared to conventional heating. Microwave heating also allowed the catalyst loading to be reduced to 1 mol %, yielding polymerization results that were comparable to those under conventional heating and 5 mol % catalyst. Investigations regarding field‐effect transistors and organic photovoltaic cells using the obtained poly(arylamine) with azobenzene units revealed that increasing the molecular weight of the polymer led to improved device performance, including hole mobility and power conversion efficiency. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2015 , 53, 536–542     

Evaluation of the performance of a soft X-ray charger for the bipolar charging of nanoparticles

The use of soft X-rays in a neutrahzer represents an alternative technique that could replace conventional radioactive sources.In this study,we evaluated the charging characteristics of a soft X-ray aerosol neutralize!".In addition,the results from the evaluation of the soft X-ray charger were compared with results obtained using a neutralizer incorporating an ²⁴¹Am radioactive source.The tandem differential mobility analyzer technique was used previously to determine the size-dependent positive,negative,and neutral charge fractions of a soft X-ray neutralizer.This technique was used to show that the neutral fractions obtained using the soft X-ray charger agreed well with the predictions of bipolar diffusion charging theory,and that the soft X-ray charger could be used as a neutralizer for a scanning mobility particle sizer system.     

Analysis of G/D/1 Queueing Systems with Inputs Satisfying Large Deviation Principle under Weak* Topology

The large deviation principle (LDP) which has been effectively used in queueing analysis is the sample path LDP, the LDP in a function space endowed with the uniform topology. Chang [5] has shown that in the discrete-time G/D/1 queueing system under the FIFO discipline, the departure process satisfies the sample path LDP if so does the arrival process. In this paper, we consider arrival processes satisfying the LDP in a space of measures endowed with the weak^* topology (Lynch and Sethuraman [12]) which holds under a weaker condition. It is shown that in the queueing system mentioned above, the departure processes still satisfies the sample path LDP. Our result thus covers arrival processes which can be ruled out in the work of Chang [5]. The result is then applied to obtain the exponential decay rate of the queue length probability in an intree network as was obtained by Chang [5], who considered the arrival process satisfying the sample path LDP.     

On the option valuation and decomposition of exchange option

In this paper, we shall find the uniquerational price associated with the exchange option. Also, we find the decomposition of Snell envelope and value function of the American exchange option.     

Photoluminescence linewidth broadening due to alloy/thickness fluctuation of CdxZn1 − xSe/ZnSe triple quantum wells

Photoluminescence (PL) linewidth broadening of Cd_xZn_{1 − x}Se/ZnSe triple quantum wells, grown on GaAs substrates by molecular beam epitaxy (MBE), has been investigated. Various quantum well (QW) samples have been prepared with different QW thickness and composition (Cd-composition). Measured and calculated PL linewidth are compared. Both composition and thickness fluctuations are considered for the calculation with the parameters such as the volume of exciton, nominal thickness and composition of QWs. Surface roughness measured by atomic force microscopy (AFM) is used to estimate the interface roughness. Results show that when Cd-composition increases additional linewidth broadening due to Zn/Cd interdiffusion is enhanced.     

Rapid DNA hybridization analysis using a PDMS microfluidic sensor and a molecular beacon.

A rapid DNA analysis has been developed based on a fluorescence intensity change of a molecular beacon in a PDMS microfluidic channel. Recently, we reported a new analytical method of DNA hybridization involving a PDMS microfluidic sensor using fluorescence energy transfer (FRET). However, there are some limitations in its application to real DNA samples because the target DNA must be labelled with a suitable fluorescent dye. To resolve this problem, we have developed a new DNA microfluidic sensor using a molecular beacon. By monitoring the change in the restored fluorescence intensity along the channel length, it is possible to rapidly detect any hybridization of the molecular beacon to the target DNA. In this case, the target DNA does not need to be labelled. Our experimental results demonstrate that this microfluidic sensor using a molecular beacon is a promising diagnostic tool for rapid DNA hybridization analysis.     

Determinant formulas for class numbers in function fields

In this paper, by extending Kucera's idea to the function field case, we obtain several determinant formulas involving the real class number and the relative class number of any subfield of cyclotomic function fields. We also provide several examples using these determinant formulas.

     

Fourier-Feynman transform, convolution and first variation

We examine several interesting relationships and expressions involving Fourier-Feynman transform, convolution product and first variation for functionals in the Fresnel class F(B) of an abstract Wiener space B. We also prove a translation theorem and Parseval's identity for the analytic Feynman integral. This revised version was published online in June 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.