Synthesis of Au microwires by selective oxidation of Au–W thin-film composition spreads

Abstract

We report on the stress-induced growth of Au microwires out of a surrounding Au–W matrix by selective oxidation, in view of a possible application as ‘micro-Velcro’. The Au wires are extruded due to the high compressive stress in the tungsten oxide formed by oxidation of elemental W. The samples were fabricated as a thin-film materials library using combinatorial sputter deposition followed by thermal oxidation. Sizes and shapes of the Au microwires were investigated as a function of the W to Au ratio. The coherence length and stress state of the Au microwires were related to their shape and plastic deformation. Depending on the composition of the Au–W precursor, the oxidized samples showed regions with differently shaped Au microwires. The Au₄₈W₅₂ composition yielded wires with the maximum length to diameter ratio due to the high compressive stress in the tungsten oxide matrix. The values of wire length (35 μm) and diameter (2 μm) achieved at the Au₄₈W₅₂ composition are suitable for micro-Velcro applications.     

High-affinity, selective σ ligands of the 1,2,3,4-tetrahydro-1,4'-silaspiro[naphthalene-1,4'-piperidine] type: syntheses, structures, and pharmacological properties

The 1'-organyl-1,2,3,4-tetrahydrospiro[naphthalene-1,4'-piperidine] derivatives 1?a-4?a [for which organyl=benzyl (1?a), 4-methoxybenzyl (2?a), 2-phenylethyl (3?a), or 3-methylbut-2-enyl (4?a)] are high-affinity, selective σ? ligands. The corresponding sila-analogues 1?b-4?b (replacement of the carbon spirocenter with a silicon atom) were synthesized in multistep syntheses, starting from dichlorodivinylsilane, and were isolated as the hydrochlorides 1?b?HCl-4?b?HCl. Compounds 1?a?HCl-4?a?HCl and 1?b?HCl-4?b?HCl were structurally characterized by NMR spectroscopy (1H, 13C, 2?Si) in solution, and the C/Si analogues 3?a?HCl and 3?b?HCl were studied by single-crystal X-ray diffraction. These structural investigations were complemented by computational studies. The σ? and σ? receptor affinities of the C/Si pairs 1?a/1?b-4?a/4?b were studied with radioligand binding assays. The σ? receptor affinity of the silicon compounds 1?b-4?b is slightly higher than that of the corresponding carbon analogues 1?a-4?a. Because affinity for the σ? receptor is decreased by the C/Si exchange, the σ?/σ? selectivity of the silicon compounds is considerably improved, indicating that the C→Si switch strategy is a powerful tool for modulating both pharmacological potency and selectivity.     

Polarized recombination of acoustically transported carriers in GaAs nanowires

ABSTRACT: : The oscillating piezoelectric field of a surface acoustic wave (SAW) is employed to transport photoexcited electrons and holes in GaAs nanowires deposited on a SAW delay line on a LiNbO3 crystal. The carriers generated in the nanowire by a focused light spot are acoustically transferred to a second location where they recombine. We show that the recombination of the transported carriers occurs in a zinc blende section on top of the predominant wurtzite nanowire. This allows contactless control of the linear polarized emission by SAWs which is governed by the crystal structure. Additional polarization-resolved photoluminescence measurements were performed to investigate spin conservation during transport.     

Multi-photon imaging of amine-functionalized silica nanoparticles

A convenient and simple strategy for preparing water soluble, photoluminescent functionalized silica nanoparticles (M-dots) in the absence of fluorophores or metal doping is demonstrated. These M-dots can be used for bioimaging using one and two-photon microscopy. Because of their high photostability, low toxicity and high biocompatibility compared with Lumidot? CdSe/ZnS quantum dots, functionalized silica particles are superior alternatives for current bioimaging platforms. Moreover, the presence of a free amine group at the surface of the M-dots allows biomolecule conjugation (e.g. with antibodies, proteins) in a single step for converting these photoluminescent SiO(2) nanoparticles into multifunctional efficient vehicles for theragnostics.     

Cycloids for polishing along double-spiral toolpaths in configuration space

An automated polishing process of free-form surfaces requires a tool path that covers the entire surface equally and forms an overlapping pattern without visible artifacts. The recently presented double-spiral tool paths assure a coverage of the entire surface with a continuous, non-overlapping path and low variation in distance between adjacent traces of the path. We build upon this approach by constructing cycloids of flexible radii that fill the space between adjacent traces. The use of cycloids mimics the cyclic movement when polishing by hand. The approach operates in a precomputed configuration space (c-space) given in form of an adaptive quadrilateral heightfield mesh. Operating in c-space avoids having to deal with the issues of patch-boundary oscillations or long, stretched triangles in non-uniform rational b-spline surface or triangular mesh representations, respectively. Our algorithm computes appropriate spheroids that are intersected with the c-space to compute the cycloids. We derive a smooth representation of the cycloids using arcs in a rational Bézier formulation. We apply our approach to real-world examples to demonstrate its effectiveness in covering the entire surface with the desired polishing movements.     

Highly Active Dinuclear Copper Catalysts for Homogeneous Azide–Alkyne Cycloadditions

The main feature of the herein presented class of molecularly defined catalysts for the copper‐catalyzed azide–alkyne cycloaddition reaction is the presence of two copper centres in one catalyst molecule. We report the facile three‐step synthesis of two representative bis‐NHC‐dicopper complexes as well as their catalytic performance in the azide–alkyne cycloaddition. A screening with one of these complexes has proved its wide applicability and excellent performance as homogeneous catalyst in various organic solvents and with different alkyne and azide substrates.     

Compression and swelling of activated sludge cakes during dewatering

A drainage/filtration apparatus was developed for automatically determining sedimentation velocity and dewatering rate. Pressure-step testing was used to study filter cake compressibility, resistance, and swelling. Activated sludge was analysed, and the data indicate that the sludge is highly compressible even at low pressures (10 kPa). Furthermore, compressed sludge cakes swell if the pressure is released. Hence, the average specific cake resistance decreases if the pressure is released, though the resistance is higher after the compression cycle than before. Sludge must be dewatered under low pressure, because higher pressure only compresses the cake and does not improve the dewatering rate.