Structural study of epitaxial NdBaCuO films by laser chemical vapor deposition.

Epitaxial NdBaCuO films were prepared on (100) LaAlO single crystal substrates by laser chemical vapor deposition (laser CVD). The effect of deposition temperature on preferred orientation, crystallinity, microstructure, deposition rate of films was investigated. The preferred orientation of the NdBCO films changed from , -axis to -axis, then back to , -axis, as the deposition temperature was increased from 993 to 1093 K.

Data-Driven Learning of Total and Local Energies in Elemental Boron.

The allotropes of boron continue to challenge structural elucidation and solid-state theory. Here we use machine learning combined with random structure searching (RSS) algorithms to systematically construct an interatomic potential for boron. Starting from ensembles of randomized atomic configurations, we use alternating single-point quantum-mechanical energy and force computations, Gaussian approximation potential (GAP) fitting, and GAP-driven RSS to iteratively generate a representation of the element's potential-energy surface.

Morphology and mechanical behavior of diamond films fabricated by IH-MPCVD.

Morphology of diamond films has been controlled intermediate frequency induction heated microwave plasma chemical vapor deposition (IH-MPCVD), which was transformed with various substrate temperatures ( = 923-1123 K) and CH/H ratios ( = 0.5-2 vol%). The coupling effects of and on the structure of diamond films have been studied.

Reproduction method for dried biomodels composed of poly (vinyl alcohol) hydrogels.

Models mimicking the realistic geometries and mechanical properties of human tissue are requiring ever-better materials. Biomodels made of poly (vinyl alcohol) are particularly in demand, as they can be used to realistically reproduce the characteristics of blood vessels. The reproducibility of biomodels can be altered due to dehydration that is observed after long periods of usage.

Magnetic Sponge with Neutral-Ionic Phase Transitions.

Phase transitions caused by the charge instability between the neutral and ionic phases of compounds, i.e., N-I phase transitions, provide avenues for switching the intrinsic properties of compounds related to electron/spin correlation and dipole generation as well as charge distribution.

Core-shell cylinder (CSC) nanotemplates comprising mussel-inspired catechol-containing triblock copolymers for silver nanoparticle arrays and ion conductive channels.

Catechol moieties, which are found in mussel-adhesive proteins, allow the interaction of various kinds of materials that results in substantial adhesion to a wide variety of materials and in the reduction of metal ions to solid metals. Various types of catechol-containing polymers mimicking adhesion and reduction properties have been reported, however, due to its reactivity to a wide variety of functional groups, only a few reports about the formation of block and sequence controlled copolymers containing catechol groups. This is the first report about the synthesis of triblock copolymers containing catechol groups by reversible-addition fragmentation transfer (RAFT) polymerization.

Preparation of Stable Silver Nanoparticles Having Wide Red-To-Near-Infrared Extinction.

The synthesis of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) within the interlayer space of transparent layered titania nanosheet (TNS) films is investigated. A considerable number of silver ions (≈70% against the cation exchange capacity of the TNS) are intercalated in the TNS films using methyl-viologen-containing TNSs as a precursor. The silver ion (Ag)-containing TNS films are treated with aqueous sodium tetrahydroborate (NaBH), resulting in a gradual color change to bright blue.

Resistive non-volatile memories fabricated with poly(vinylidene fluoride)/poly(thiophene) blend nanosheets.

Ferroelectric poly(vinylidene fluoride)/semiconductive polythiophene (P3CPenT) blend monolayers were developed at varying blend ratios using the Langmuir-Blodgett technique. The multilayered blend nanosheets show much improved surface roughness that is more applicable for electronics applications than spin-cast films. Because of the precisely controllable bottom-up construction, semiconductive P3CPenT were well dispersed into the ferroelectric PVDF matrix.

Synthesis and photochemical response of Ru(ii)-coordinated double-decker silsesquioxane.

A double-decker silsesquioxane based bis(terpyridine) ruthenium(ii) complex (2Tpy/Ru-DDSQ), a member of the polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane (POSS) class, has been synthesized. Its structure has been characterized using comprehensive techniques such as nuclear magnetic resonance (H NMR) spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and UV-visible spectroscopy. This work not only deals with the synthesis of 2Tpy/Ru-DDSQ but also provides the first comprehensive investigation based on the photoluminescence and electrochemical features of a POSS member.

Synthesis and Crystal Structure of Suboxide Solid Solutions, TiGaBiO.

Single crystals of suboxide solid solutions TiGaBiO (x = 1.42-1.74; δ = 0.

Isolation and characterization of Cepa2, a natural alliospiroside A, from shallot (Allium cepa L. Aggregatum group) with anticancer activity.

Exploration of new and promising anticancer compounds continues to be one of the main tasks of cancer research because of the drug resistance, high cytotoxicity and limitations of tumor selectivity. Natural products represent a better choice for cancer treatment in comparison with synthetic compounds because of their pharmacokinetic properties and lower side effects. In the current study, we isolated a steroidal saponin, named Cepa2, from the dry roots of shallot (Allium cepa L.

Pore configuration landscape of granular crystallization.

Uncovering grain-scale mechanisms that underlie the disorder-order transition in assemblies of dissipative, athermal particles is a fundamental problem with technological relevance. To date, the study of granular crystallization has mainly focussed on the symmetry of crystalline patterns while their emergence and growth from irregular clusters of grains remains largely unexplored. Here crystallization of three-dimensional packings of frictional spheres is studied at the grain-scale using X-ray tomography and persistent homology.

The Pre-Eclampsia Ontology: A Disease Ontology Representing the Domain Knowledge Specific to Pre-Eclampsia.

Pre-eclampsia (PE) is a clinical syndrome characterized by new-onset hypertension and proteinuria at ≥20 weeks of gestation, and is a leading cause of maternal and perinatal morbidity and mortality. Previous studies have gathered abundant data about PE such as risk factors and pathological findings. However, most of these data are not semantically structured.

A Decaheme Cytochrome as a Molecular Electron Conduit in Dye-Sensitized Photoanodes.

In nature, charge recombination in light-harvesting reaction centers is minimized by efficient charge separation. Here, it is aimed to mimic this by coupling dye-sensitized TiO nanocrystals to a decaheme protein, MtrC from MR-1, where the 10 hemes of MtrC form a ≈7-nm-long molecular wire between the TiO and the underlying electrode. The system is assembled by forming a densely packed MtrC film on an ultra-flat gold electrode, followed by the adsorption of approximately 7 nm TiO nanocrystals that are modified with a phosphonated bipyridine Ru(II) dye (RuP).

Nanoporous Metal Papers for Scalable Hierarchical Electrode.

are developed using Japanese washi paper as a template to create hierarchical porous electrodes. This method is used to create a trimodal -nanoporous Au electrode, as a well as a hierarchical NiMn electrode that achieves high electrochemical capacitance and a rapid rate of oxygen evolution.

Pseudo-binary electrolyte, LiBH4-LiCl, for bulk-type all-solid-state lithium-sulfur battery.

The ionic conduction and electrochemical and thermal stabilities of the LiBH4-LiCl solid-state electrolyte were investigated for use in bulk-type all-solid-state lithium-sulfur batteries. The LiBH4-LiCl solid-state electrolyte exhibiting a lithium ionic conductivity of [Formula: see text] at 373 K, forms a reversible interface with a lithium metal electrode and has a wide electrochemical potential window up to 5 V. By means of the high-energy mechanical ball-milling technique, we prepared a composite powder consisting of elemental sulfur and mixed conductive additive, i.

A 31 mW, 280 fs passively mode-locked fiber soliton laser using a high heat-resistant SWNT/P3HT saturable absorber coated with siloxane.

We report a substantial increase in the heat resistance in a connector-type single-wall carbon nanotube (SWNT) saturable absorber by sealing SWNT/P3HT composite with siloxane. By applying the saturable absorber to a passively mode-locked Er fiber laser, we successfully demonstrated 280 fs, 31 mW pulse generation with a fivefold improvement in heat resistance.

Marked performance improvement of 256 QAM transmission using a digital back-propagation method.

We demonstrate substantial performance improvements in 256 QAM transmission in terms of both data rate and distance that we realized by using a digital back-propagation (DBP) method. 160 Gbit/s-160 km and 64 Gbit/s-560 km transmissions were successfully achieved with a polarization-multiplexed 256 QAM signal, in which the symbol rate and transmission distance were greatly increased by compensating for the interplay between dispersion and nonlinearity, which is responsible for the transmission impairment especially for a higher symbol rate and longer distance.

Direct deposition of two nanomaterials with the same surface charge using a liquid-liquid interface.

Two negatively charged nanoparticles (SDS-coated SWCNT and polydiacetylene nanocrystals) were sequentially adsorbed onto the same water-hexane interface. The absorbed film can be transferred onto a solid substrate. Repeating the adsorption and transfer process enables assembly of the two nanoparticles in a layer-by-layer growth fashion up to three bi-layers.

A novel route for fabricating metal-polymer composite nanoparticles with phase-separated structures.

Au nanoparticles (NPs) and polymer composite particles with phase-separation structures were prepared based on phase separation structures. Au NPs were successfully synthesized in amphiphilic block-copolymer micelles, and then composite particles were formed by a simple solvent evaporation process from Au NPs and polymer solution. The phase separated structures (Janus and Core-shell) were controlled by changing the combination of polymers having differing hydrophobicity.

Real-time observation and control of pentacene film growth on an artificially structured substrate.

Suppression of nucleation around a gold electrode during pentacene growth on a SiO2 channel is found by photoemission electron microscopy. Mass flow is driven by the difference between the molecular orientations on SiO2 and gold. The poor connectivity at the channel/electrode boundary causes degradation in the performance of a field-effect transistor, which is found to be improved by self-assembled monolayer treatment on the electrode (see figure; thickness in monolayers (ML)).

Interface atomic-scale structure and its impact on quantum electron transport.

Local structure, chemistry, and bonding at interfaces often radically affect the properties of materials. A combination of scanning transmission electron microscopy and density functional theory calculations reveals an atomic layer of carbon at a SiC/Ti3 SiC2 interface in Ohmic contact to p-type SiC, which results in stronger adhesion, a lowered Schottky barrier, and enhanced transport. This is a key factor to understanding the origin of the Ohmic nature.

Atomic dipole moment distribution of Si atoms on a Si111-(7 x 7) surface studied using noncontact scanning nonlinear dielectric microscopy.

A local atomic electric dipole moment distribution of Si atoms on Si(111)-(7 x 7) surface is clearly resolved by using a new technique called noncontact scanning nonlinear dielectric microscopy. The dc-bias voltage dependence of the atomic dipole moment on the Si(111)-(7 x 7) surface is measured. At the weak applied voltage of -0.

Simultaneous treatment of PVC and oyster-shell wastes by mechanochemical means.

This work presents a new process for dechlorinating poly-vinyl chloride (PVC) by the use of oyster-shell waste. The process consists of milling of PVC waste with oyster-shell waste, followed by washing the milled sample with water. The milling of PVC and oyster-shell mixture results in size reduction and rupture in bonds, leading to mechanically induced reactions between the two to form CaCl2 and hydrocarbon with C=C bonds.

High energy-resolution electron energy-loss spectroscopy study of the electric structure of double-walled carbon nanotubes.

Electron energy-loss spectra were obtained from two double-walled carbon nanotubes (DWCNTs) with an energy resolution of 85 meV. The spectra showed multiple peak structures between 2 and 3 eV. However, peak positions are different for these two DWCNTs.