Coating Distribution Analysis on Gas Diffusion Layers for Polymer Electrolyte Fuel Cells by Neutron and X-ray High-Resolution Tomography.

Coating load and distribution in gas diffusion layers (GDLs) for polymer electrolyte fuel cells (PEFCs) have a major influence on mass transport losses. To be able to optimize the coating distribution and get more accurate data about the influence of the coating on the PEFC performance, better characterization techniques are necessary. Common analysis techniques are limited to selected sections of the material, or they are not sensitive to small amounts of coating.

From Tc to Tc; facile syntheses of bis-arene complexes [Tc(arene)] from pertechnetate.

Bis-arene complexes of technetium represent a fundamental class of organometallic compounds. Due to complex synthetic routes, no detailed insights into their properties have been reported so far. Reacting [TcO] with arenes in the exclusive presence of AlCl gives highly stable [Tc(arene)] in good yields.

pH-jump induced leucine zipper folding beyond the diffusion limit.

The folding of a pH-sensitive leucine zipper, that is, a GCN4 mutant containing eight glutamic acid residues, has been investigated. A pH-jump induced by a caged proton (o-nitrobenzaldehyde, oNBA) is employed to initiate the process, and time-resolved IR spectroscopy of the amide I band is used to probe it. The experiment has been carefully designed to minimize the buffer capacity of the sample solution so that a large pH jump can be achieved, leading to a transition from a completely unfolded to a completely folded state with a single laser shot.