Self-assembled molecular pattern by chemical lithography and interfacial chemical reactions

The fabrication of lipid-modified molecular patterns by Chemical Lithography combined with interfacial chemical reactions is reported. In this method, self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) of 4'-nitro-1,1'-biphenyl-4-thiol (NBT) were structured by Chemical Lithography which produced cross-linked 4'-amino-1,1'-biphenyl-4-thiol (cABT) monolayers within a nitro-terminated (NBT) matrix. The terminal amino groups in the cABT monolayer were diazotized to create diazo cations, and the lipid monolayer with negative charge was assembled on the diazo regions by electrostatic attraction. Under the exposure of UV light, the photoreaction occurs. The diazonium groups interacting with the lipid headgroups via electrostatic attraction decompose and release N2 which leads to the lipid monolayer covalently attaching to the cABT region. The presence of phosphorus in X-ray photoelectron spectra (XPS) reveals the binding of the phospholipid layer to the cABT surface. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) images display that lipid-modified molecular patterns with different sizes and shapes and with a thickness of ca. 2.5 nm have been formed. The resulting lipid-modified molecular patterns are considered to be a first step towards obtaining stable biointerfacing patterns and studying biomolecular recognition.     

A numerical study of high pressure,laminar, sooting,ethane–air coflow diffusion flames

A numerical study is conducted of ethane–air coflow diffusion flames at pressures from 2 to 15 atm. The model employed uses a detailed gas phase chemical kinetic mechanism that includes PAH formation and growth, and is coupled to a detailed sectional soot particle dynamics model. The model is able to accurately predict the trends observed experimentally with increasing pressure without any tuning of the model for different pressures. The model shows good agreement with the experimental data on both the flame wings and centerline regions. Peak wing and centerline soot volume fractions are found to scale with P^2.49 and P^2.02 respectively. This scaling compares well to that observed experimentally for methane–air and ethylene–air flames. As pressure is increased, the flame cross-sectional area decreases according to P^?1.0 due to a constant mass flux and a thinning of the flame, which is consistent with experimental observations. Soot formation along the wings is seen to be surface growth dominated, while PAH condensation dominates centerline soot formation. Surface growth and PAH condensation increase with increasing pressure primarily due to both of these processes being a function of surface area. This causes increases in soot volume fraction to further accelerate surface growth and PAH condensation, acting in a positive feedback manner. This positive feedback mechanism is initiated by increases in reaction rates caused by increases in gas phase density. Additionally, the significance of surface growth decreases with increasing pressure, while the role of PAH condensation increases.     

Colloidal quantum dot photovoltaics: the effect of polydispersity

The size-effect tunability of colloidal quantum dots enables facile engineering of the bandgap at the time of nanoparticle synthesis. The dependence of effective bandgap on nanoparticle size also presents a challenge if the size dispersion, hence bandgap variability, is not well-controlled within a given quantum dot solid. The impact of this polydispersity is well-studied in luminescent devices as well as in unipolar electronic transport; however, the requirements on monodispersity have yet to be quantified in photovoltaics. Here we carry out a series of combined experimental and model-based studies aimed at clarifying, and quantifying, the importance of quantum dot monodispersity in photovoltaics. We successfully predict, using a simple model, the dependence of both open-circuit voltage and photoluminescence behavior on the density of small-bandgap (large-diameter) quantum dot inclusions. The model requires inclusion of trap states to explain the experimental data quantitatively. We then explore using this same experimentally tested model the implications of a broadened quantum dot population on device performance. We report that present-day colloidal quantum dot photovoltaic devices with typical inhomogeneous linewidths of 100-150 meV are dominated by surface traps, and it is for this reason that they see marginal benefit from reduction in polydispersity. Upon eliminating surface traps, achieving inhomogeneous broadening of 50 meV or less will lead to device performance that sees very little deleterious impact from polydispersity.     

Hybrid passivated colloidal quantum dot solids

Colloidal quantum dot (CQD) films allow large-area solution processing and bandgap tuning through the quantum size effect. However, the high ratio of surface area to volume makes CQD films prone to high trap state densities if surfaces are imperfectly passivated, promoting recombination of charge carriers that is detrimental to device performance. Recent advances have replaced the long insulating ligands that enable colloidal stability following synthesis with shorter organic linkers or halide anions, leading to improved passivation and higher packing densities. Although this substitution has been performed using solid-state ligand exchange, a solution-based approach is preferable because it enables increased control over the balance of charges on the surface of the quantum dot, which is essential for eliminating midgap trap states. Furthermore, the solution-based approach leverages recent progress in metal:chalcogen chemistry in the liquid phase. Here, we quantify the density of midgap trap states in CQD solids and show that the performance of CQD-based photovoltaics is now limited by electron-hole recombination due to these states. Next, using density functional theory and optoelectronic device modelling, we show that to improve this performance it is essential to bind a suitable ligand to each potential trap site on the surface of the quantum dot. We then develop a robust hybrid passivation scheme that involves introducing halide anions during the end stages of the synthesis process, which can passivate trap sites that are inaccessible to much larger organic ligands. An organic crosslinking strategy is then used to form the film. Finally, we use our hybrid passivated CQD solid to fabricate a solar cell with a certified efficiency of 7.0%, which is a record for a CQD photovoltaic device.     

Short communication: Comparison of growth kinetics at different temperatures of Streptococcus macedonicus and Streptococcus thermophilus strains of dairy origin

Within the genus Streptococcus, S. thermophilus and S. macedonicus are the 2 known species related to foods. Streptococci are widely used as starter cultures to rapidly lower milk pH. As S. macedonicus has been introduced quite recently, much less information is available on its technological potential. Because temperature is an important factor in fermented food production, we compared the growth kinetics over 24 h of 8 S. thermophilus and 7 S. macedonicus strains isolated from various dairy environments in Italy, at 4 temperatures, 30°C, 34°C, 37°C and 42°C. We used the Gompertz model to estimate the 3 main growth parameters; namely, lag phase duration (λ), maximum growth rate (µ_max), and maximum cell number at the stationary phase (N_max). Our results showed significant differences in average growth kinetics between the 2 species. Among the strains tested, 37°C appeared to be the optimal temperature for the growth of both species, particularly for S. macedonicus strains, which showed mean shorter lag phases and higher cell numbers compared with S. thermophilus. Overall, the growth curves of S. macedonicus strains were more similar to each other whereas S. thermophilus strains grew very differently. These results help to better define and compare technological characteristics of the 2 species, in view of the potential use of S. macedonicus in place of S. thermophilus in selected technological applications.     

Level scheduling of mixed-model assembly lines under storage constraints

In a mixed-model assembly line, different models of a common base product can be manufactured in intermixed production sequences. A famous solution approach for the resulting short-term sequencing problem is the so-called level scheduling problem, which aims at evenly smoothing the material requirements over time in order to facilitate a just-in-time supply. However, if materials are delivered in discrete quantities, the resulting spread of material usages implies that issued cargo carriers of a respective material remain at a station for a longer period of time. In practical applications with many materials required per station, this procedure might lead to bottlenecks with respect to the scarce storage space at stations. This paper investigates level scheduling under the constraint that the induced part usage patterns may not violate given storage constraints. The resulting sequencing problem is formalised and solved by suitable exact and heuristic solution approaches.     

Vibration signal analysis for condition monitoring of puffer‐type high‐voltage circuit breakers using wavelet transform

Nowadays, the goals of electrical supply utilities are to reduce equipment failures, extend service life, increase equipment reliability, and reduce their related operating and maintenance costs. The high‐voltage circuit breaker is an important element in the electrical network. In order to determine or to detect abnormal conditions inside a circuit breaker, powerful vibration analytical techniques have been proposed. In this paper, a vibrational analysis is carried out by analyzing the signal in the time–frequency domain under no‐load switching operations with a commercially available high‐voltage puffer‐type circuit breaker without opening its major parts. Vibration of the circuit breaker poles, operating mechanism, and various monitored parameters were recorded under normal and variable operating conditions. Moreover, a synthetic mechanical damage introduced deliberately is also investigated. The experimental result indicates that mechanical defects can be detected by analyzing the vibration signal. © 2011 Institute of Electrical Engineers of Japan. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Assay of Total Mercury in Commercial Food Supplements of Marine Origin by Means of DLLME/ICP-AES

In this work, we have developed a sensitive and cost-effective preconcentration and quantification methodology for total mercury (Hg) at trace levels in food supplements of marine origin. Dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction was successfully employed for the preconcentration of mercury at trace levels prior to inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry. The mercury was extracted as mercury-1, 5-diphenyl-3-formazathiol complex, at pH 1.0 mediated by multidroplet formation of microextraction solvent assisted by disperser solvent. The lower limit of detection obtained under the optimal conditions was 0.24 μg L⁻¹. The calibration graphs were linear up to 500 μg L⁻¹. The precision of the method in terms of relative standard deviation was 4.8% for the concentration of 100 μg L⁻¹. In order to validate the proposed method, a certified reference material RTC-QCI-049 was analyzed with the proposed procedure. Moreover, potential interference by 20 species was also evaluated.