Enhancing electrochemical reactions in organic synthesis: the impact of flow chemistry.

Utilizing electrons directly offers significant potential for advancing organic synthesis by facilitating novel reactivity and enhancing selectivity under mild conditions. As a result, an increasing number of organic chemists are exploring electrosynthesis. However, the efficacy of electrochemical transformations depends critically on the design of the electrochemical cell.

Accelerated Electrophotocatalytic C(sp )-H Heteroarylation Enabled by an Efficient Continuous-Flow Reactor.

Electrophotocatalytic transformations are garnering attention in organic synthesis, particularly for accessing reactive intermediates under mild conditions. Moving these methodologies to continuous-flow systems, or flow ElectroPhotoCatalysis (f-EPC), showcases potential for scalable processes due to enhanced irradiation, increased electrode surface, and improved mixing of the reaction mixture. Traditional methods sequentially link photochemical and electrochemical reactions, using flow reactors connected in series, yet struggle to accommodate reactive transient species.

Steep-slope transistors enabled with 2D quantum coupling stacks.

As down scaling of transistors continues, there is a growing interest in developing steep-slope transistors with reduced subthreshold slope (SS) below the Boltzmann limit. In this work, we successfully fabricated steep-slope MoStransistors by incorporating a graphene layer, inserted in the gate stack. For our comprehensive study, we have applied density functional theory to simulate and calculate the change of SS effected by different 2D quantum materials, including graphene, germanene and 2D topological insulators, inserted within the gate dielectric.

Supported Gold Nanoparticle-Catalyzed Selective Reduction of Multifunctional, Aromatic Nitro Precursors into Amines and Synthesis of 3,4-Dihydroquinoxalin-2-Ones.

The synthesis of 3,4-dihydroquinoxalin-2-ones via the selective reduction of aromatic, multifunctional nitro precursors catalyzed by supported gold nanoparticles is reported. The reaction proceeds through the in situ formation of the corresponding amines under heterogeneous transfer hydrogenation of the initial nitro compounds catalyzed by the commercially available Au/TiO-EtSiH catalytic system, followed by an intramolecular C-N transamidation upon treatment with silica acting as a mild acid. Under the present conditions, the Au/TiO-TMDS system was also found to catalyze efficiently the present selective reduction process.

Selective Reduction of Nitroarenes to Arylamines by the Cooperative Action of Methylhydrazine and a Tris(-heterocyclic thioamidate) Cobalt(III) Complex.

We report an efficient catalytic protocol that chemoselectively reduces nitroarenes to arylamines, by using methylhydrazine as a reducing agent in combination with the easily synthesized and robust catalyst tris(-heterocyclic thioamidate) Co(III) complex [Co(κ,-tfmp2S)], tfmp2S = 4-(trifluoromethyl)-pyrimidine-2-thiolate. A series of arylamines and heterocyclic amines were formed in excellent yields and chemoselectivity. High conversion yields of nitroarenes into the corresponding amines were observed by using polar protic solvents, such as MeOH and PrOH.

Selective Photoinduced Reduction of Nitroarenes to -Arylhydroxylamines.

We report the selective photoinduced reduction of nitroarenes to -arylhydroxylamines. The present methodology facilitates this transformation in the absence of catalyst or additives and uses only light and methylhydrazine. This noncatalytic photoinduced transformation proceeds with a broad scope, excellent functional-group tolerance, and high yields.

Highly Efficient Rapid Annealing of Thin Polar Polymer Film Ferroelectric Devices at Sub-Glass Transition Temperature.

An unexpected rapid anneal of electrically active defects in an ultrathin (15.5 nm) polar polyimide film at and below glass transition temperature ( ) is reported. The polar polymer is the gate dielectric of a thin-film-transistor.

Ferroelectricity in Polar Polymer-based FETs: A Hysteresis Analysis.

There is an increasing number of reports on polar polymer-based Ferroelectric Field Effect Transistors (FeFETs), where the hysteresis of the drain current - gate voltage (I-V) curve is investigated as the result of the ferroelectric polarization effect. However, separating ferroelectric effect from many of the factors (such as charge injection/trapping and the presence of mobile ions in the polymer) that confound interpretation is still confusing and controversial. This work presents a methodology to reliably identify the confounding factors which obscure the polarization effect in FeFETs.

Two-dimensional hybrid layered materials: strain engineering on the band structure of MoS/WSe hetero-multilayers.

In this paper, we report a comprehensive modeling and simulation study of constructing hybrid layered materials by alternately stacking MoS and WSe monolayers. Such hybrid MoS/WSe hetero-multilayers exhibited direct bandgap semiconductor characteristics with bandgap energy (E ) in a range of 0.45-0.

Influence of metal-MoS2 interface on MoS2 transistor performance: comparison of Ag and Ti contacts.

In this work, we compare the electrical characteristics of MoS2 field-effect transistors (FETs) with Ag source/drain contacts with those with Ti and demonstrate that the metal-MoS2 interface is crucial to the device performance. MoS2 FETs with Ag contacts show more than 60 times higher ON-state current than those with Ti contacts. In order to better understand the mechanism of the better performance with Ag contacts, 5 nm Au/5 nm Ag (contact layer) or 5 nm Au/5 nm Ti film was deposited onto MoS2 monolayers and few layers, and the topography of metal films was characterized using scanning electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy.

Self-assembled nanowire array capacitors: capacitance and interface state profile.

Direct characterization of the capacitance and interface states is very important for understanding the electronic properties of a nanowire transistor. However, the capacitance of a single nanowire is too small to precisely measure. In this work we have fabricated metal-oxide-semiconductor capacitors based on a large array of self-assembled Si nanowires.

Nuclear organisation of sperm remains remarkably unaffected in the presence of defective spermatogenesis.

Organisation of chromosome territories in interphase nuclei has been studied in many systems and positional alterations have been associated with disease phenotypes (e.g. laminopathies, cancer) in somatic cells.

Fabrication, characterization and simulation of high performance Si nanowire-based non-volatile memory cells.

We report the fabrication, characterization and simulation of Si nanowire SONOS-like non-volatile memory with HfO(2) charge trapping layers of varying thicknesses. The memory cells, which are fabricated by self-aligning in situ grown Si nanowires, exhibit high performance, i.e.

Nanotechnology and molecular cytogenetics: the future has not yet arrived.

Quantum dots (QDs) are a novel class of inorganic fluorochromes composed of nanometer-scale crystals made of a semiconductor material. They are resistant to photo-bleaching, have narrow excitation and emission wavelengths that can be controlled by particle size and thus have the potential for multiplexing experiments. Given the remarkable optical properties that quantum dots possess, they have been proposed as an ideal material for use in molecular cytogenetics, specifically the technique of fluorescent in situ hybridisation (FISH).

The large-scale integration of high-performance silicon nanowire field effect transistors.

In this work we present a CMOS-compatible self-aligning process for the large-scale-integration of high-performance nanowire field effect transistors with well-saturated drain currents, steep subthreshold slopes at low drain voltage and a large on/off current ratio (>10(7)). The subthreshold swing is as small as 45 mV/dec, which is substantially beyond the thermodynamic limit (60 mV/dec) of conventional planar MOSFETs. These excellent device characteristics are achieved by using a clean integration process and a device structure that allows effective gate-channel-source coupling to tune the source/drain Schottky barriers at the nanoscale.

Comparative genomics in chicken and Pekin duck using FISH mapping and microarray analysis.

Background: The availability of the complete chicken (Gallus gallus) genome sequence as well as a large number of chicken probes for fluorescent in-situ hybridization (FISH) and microarray resources facilitate comparative genomic studies between chicken and other bird species. In a previous study, we provided a comprehensive cytogenetic map for the turkey (Meleagris gallopavo) and the first analysis of copy number variants (CNVs) in birds. Here, we extend this approach to the Pekin duck (Anas platyrhynchos), an obvious target for comparative genomic studies due to its agricultural importance and resistance to avian flu.

Quantum dots as new-generation fluorochromes for FISH: an appraisal.

In the field of nanotechnology, quantum dots (QDs) are a novel class of inorganic fluorochromes composed of nanometre-scale crystals made of a semiconductor material. Given the remarkable optical properties that they possess, they have been proposed as an ideal material for use in fluorescent in-situ hybridization (FISH). That is, they are resistant to photobleaching and they excite at a wide range of wavelengths but emit light in a very narrow band that can be controlled by particle size and thus have the potential for multiplexing experiments.

Nuclear organisation in totipotent human nuclei and its relationship to chromosomal abnormality.

Studies of nuclear organisation, most commonly determining the nuclear location of chromosome territories and individual loci, have furthered our understanding of nuclear function, differentiation and disease. In this study, by examining eight loci on different chromosomes, we tested hypotheses that: (1) totipotent human blastomeres adopt a nuclear organisation akin to that of committed cells; (2) nuclear organisation is different in chromosomally abnormal blastomeres; and (3) human blastomeres adopt a ;chromocentre' pattern. Analysis of in vitro fertilisation (IVF) conceptuses permits valuable insight into the cell biology of totipotent human nuclei.

Release of interleukin-6 and its soluble receptors by activated peripheral blood monocytes is elevated in hypocholesterolemic hemodialysis patients.

Background: A reverse association between cholesterol level and cardiovascular disease mortality is observed in hemodialysis (HD) patients; this paradoxical relationship may be explained by the coexistence of inflammation. Interleukin-6 (IL-6) is a central regulator of inflammation; its action is augmented by the soluble IL-6 receptor (sIL-6R) and inhibited by the soluble gp130 (sgp130). In order to investigate the potential association of inflammation with cholesterol levels in the HD population, release of soluble IL-6 components by peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) was measured in two groups of HD patients with distinctly different lipid profile and in a control group.

Comparison of Dam tagging and chromatin immunoprecipitation as tools for the identification of the binding sites for S. pombe CENP-C.

We have established the identity of the Schizosaccharomyces pombe homologue of vertebrate CENP-C and Saccharomyces cerevisiae MIF2p and have used it to compare Dam tagging and chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChiP)as tools for the mapping of protein binding sites on DNA. ChiP shows that S. pombe CENP-C binds to the central core and inner repeats of the S.

Exploring inflammation in hemodialysis patients: persistent and superimposed inflammation. A longitudinal study.

Background: Inflammation is frequently elevated, and seems to be episodic in hemodialysis (HD) patients. Whether, its episodic character is due to the temporal variability, in periods free of clinical events, of the inflammatory indices or due, to the acute phase response induced by common inflammatory stimuli, has not been investigated yet in a longitudinal study. This study explores inflammation forms, characteristics and causes which are probably related to the high cardiovascular disease (CVD) morbidity in HD patients.

The variability and accurate assessment of microinflammation in haemodialysis patients.

Background: Systemic microinflammation is correlated with atherosclerosis. It needs a reliable assessment. This study explores the temporal variations of three inflammatory indexes [C-reactive protein (CRP), serum amyloid A (SAA) and interleukin-6 (IL-6)] in a period free of clinical events and tests the reliability of their multiple measurements for the assessment of microinflammation in haemodialysis (HD) patients, a population at high risk of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease.