ITO Work Function Tunability by Polarizable Chromophore Monolayers.

The ability to tune the electronic properties of oxide-bearing semiconductors such as Si/SiO or transparent metal oxides such as indium-tin oxide (ITO) is of great importance in both electronic and optoelectronic device applications. In this work, we describe a process that was conducted on n-type Si/SiO and ITO to induce changes in the substrate work function (WF). The substrates were modified by a two-step synthesis comprising a covalent attachment of coupling agents' monolayer followed by in situ anchoring reactions of polarizable chromophores.

Molecular and Ionic Dipole Effects on the Electronic Properties of Si-/SiO-Grafted Alkylamine Monolayers.

In this work, we demonstrate the tunability of electronic properties of Si/SiO substrates by molecular and ionic surface modifications. The changes in the electronic properties such as the work function (WF) and electron affinity were experimentally measured by the contact potential difference technique and theoretically supported by density functional theory calculations. We attribute these molecular electronic effects mainly to the variations of molecular and surface dipoles of the ionic and neutral species.

Continuous thermal control of hydrophilicity/hydrophobicity changes of hybrid films and of their directionality: Kinetics and substrate effects.

A successful methodology for obtaining hybrid films which allow thermal triggering and continuous, irreversible, control of their hydrophilicity/hydrophobicity nature was developed. Two types of poly(dimethylsiloxane)-silica (PDMS@SiO) films were prepared for that purpose: A hydrophilic film in which the thermal treatment causes an irreversible gradual increase of hydrophobicity; and a hydrophobic film that turns more hydrophilic upon thermal treatment. The opposite directionality of the change is dictated by the film substrate, on which the same hybrid is deposited.

Impaired replication stress response in cells from immunodeficiency patients carrying Cernunnos/XLF mutations.

Non-Homologous End Joining (NHEJ) is one of the two major pathways of DNA Double Strand Breaks (DSBs) repair. Mutations in human NHEJ genes can lead to immunodeficiency due to its role in V(D)J recombination in the immune system. In addition, most patients carrying mutations in NHEJ genes display developmental anomalies which are likely the result of a general defect in repair of endogenously induced DSBs such as those arising during normal DNA replication.

Variable density effect of self-assembled polarizable monolayers on the electronic properties of silicon.

Electronic structures at the Si/SiO2/molecule interfaces were studied by Kelvin probe techniques (contact potential difference) and compared to theoretical values derived by the Helmholtz equation. Two parameters influencing the electronic properties of n-type <100> Si/SiO2 substrates were systematically tuned: the molecular dipole of coupling agent molecules comprising the layer and the surface coverage of the chromophoric layer. The first parameter was checked using direct covalent grafting of a series of trichlorosilane-containing coupling agent molecules with various end groups causing a different dipole with the same surface number density.