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Structural, Optical and Electrical Properties of ITO Thin Films
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Sofi, A. H.; Shah, M. A.; Asokan, K.
2018-02-01
Transparent and conductive thin films of indium tin oxide were fabricated on glass substrates by the thermal evaporation technique. Tin doped indium ingots with low tin content were evaporated in vacuum (1.33 × 10-7 kpa) followed by an oxidation for 15 min in the atmosphere in the temperature range of 600-700°C. The structure and phase purity, surface morphology, optical and electrical properties of thin films were studied by x-ray diffractometry and Raman spectroscopy, scanning electron microcopy and atomic force microscopy, UV-visible spectrometry and Hall measurements in the van der Pauw configuration. The x-ray diffraction study showed the formation of the cubical phase of polycrystalline thin films. The morphological analysis showed the formation of ginger like structures and the energy dispersive x-ray spectrum confirmed the presence of indium (In), tin (Sn) and oxygen (O) elements. Hall measurements confirmed n-type conductivity of films with low electrical resistivity ( ρ) ˜ 10-3 Ω cm and high carrier concentration ( n) ˜ 1020 cm-3. For prevalent scattering mechanisms in the films, experimental data was analyzed by calculating a mean free path ( L) using a highly degenerate electron gas model. Furthermore, to investigate the performance of the deposited films as a transparent conductive material, the optical figure of merit was obtained for all the samples.
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Structure and dynamics of shear bands in amorphous–crystalline nanolaminates
DOE PAGES
Guo, Wei; Gan, Bin; Molina-Aldareguia, Jon M.; ...
2015-08-03
In this paper, the velocities of shear bands in amorphous CuZr/crystalline Cu nanolaminates were quantified as a function of strain rate and crystalline volume fraction. A rate-dependent transition in flow response was found in a 100 nm CuZr/10 nm Cu nanolaminates. When increasing the Cu layer thickness from 10 nm to 100 nm, the instantaneous velocity of the shear band in these nanolaminates decreases from 11.2 μm/s to <~500 nm/s. Finally, atom probe tomography and transmission election microcopy observation revealed that in post-deformed pillars both grain rotation in the crystalline portion and non-diffusive crystallization in the amorphous layer affect themore » viscosity of shear bands.« less
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Installation Restoration Program. Final Report Phase II, Stage 1 - Problem Confirmation Study, Norton Air Force Base, San Bernardino, California. Volume 2. Appendices.
DTIC Science & Technology
1985-07-01
surrogate halocarbons. A 10.2 Calibrate the system daily as Agency. combination of bromochloromethane, described in Section 7. 2-bromo- 1 - chloropropane ...described in Section 7. 2-bromo- 1 - chloropropane , and 0.3 Adjust the purge gas (nitrogen 8.3.2 The laboratory must develop 14-dichlorobutane is...46 UNCLSSIFIED F/G 13/2 UL mhmmhmhohEEEmhI wJI. 1.0S ’, LI U.2..12.2 1 . 111110 MICROCOPY RESOLUION ES CHART""., -6 -’S- . 1 °"°, 5- -i -1.0..-+-’.2,i
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The effect of electrolytes on dolomite dissolution: nanoscale observations using in situ Atomic Force Microscopy
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Urosevic, Maja; Ruiz-Agudo, Encarnacion; Putnis, Christine V.; Cardell, Carolina; Rodriguez-Navarro, Carlos; Putnis, Andrew
2010-05-01
Dissolution of carbonate minerals is one of the main chemical reactions occurring at shallow levels in the crust of the Earth and has a paramount importance for a wide range of geological and biological processes. Calcite (CaCO3), and to a lesser extent dolomite (CaMg(CO3)2), are the major carbonate minerals in sedimentary rocks and building stone materials. The dissolution of calcite has been thoroughly investigated over a range of conditions and solution compositions. In contrast, dolomite dissolution studies have been traditionally hampered by its low reaction rates compared to calcite and its poorly constrained relationship between cation ordering and reactivity (Morse and Arvidson, 2002). Yet important questions like the so-called 'dolomite problem' (e.g. Higgins and Hu, 2005) remain unresolved and more experimental work is needed in order to understand the role of other dissolved species, such as soluble salts, on the kinetics and mechanism of dolomite dissolution and precipitation. We have explored the effect of different electrolytes on the dissolution rate of dolomite by using in situ Atomic Force Microcopy (AFM). Experiments were carried out by passing alkali halide, nitrate and sulfate salt solutions (NaCl, KCl, LiCl, NaI, NaNO3 and Na2SO4) with different ionic strengths (IS = 10-3, 10-2 and 10-1) over dolomite {1014} cleavage surfaces. We show that all electrolytes tested enhance dolomite dissolution. Moreover, the morphology and density of etch pits are controlled by the presence of different ions in solution. The etch pit spreading rate and dolomite dissolution rate depend on both (1) the nature of the electrolyte and (2) the ionic strength. This is in agreement with recent experimental studies on calcite dissolution (Ruiz-Agudo et al., 2010). This study highlights the role of electrolytes in dolomite dissolution and points to a common behavior for carbonate minerals. Our results suggest that soluble salts may play a critical role in the weathering of carbonate rocks, both in the natural environment, as well as in stone buildings and statuary, where the amount of solutes in pore waters is significant and can vary depending on evaporation and condensation phenomena. References Higgins, S.R.; Hu, X. Self-limiting growth on dolomite: Experimental observations with in situ atomic force microscopy. Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta, 2005, 69 (8), 2085-2094. Morse, J.W.; Arvidson, R.S. The dissolution kinetics of major sedimentary carbonate minerals. Earth-Science Reviews, 2002, 58, 51-84. Ruiz-Agudo, E.; Kowacz, M.; Putnis, C.V.; Putnis, A. The role of background electrolytes on the kinetics and mechanism of calcite dissolution. Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta, 2010, 74, 1256-1267.
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Layer-by-layer assembly of graphene oxide on thermosensitive liposomes for photo-chemotherapy.
PubMed
Hashemi, Mohadeseh; Omidi, Meisam; Muralidharan, Bharadwaj; Tayebi, Lobat; Herpin, Matthew J; Mohagheghi, Mohammad Ali; Mohammadi, Javad; Smyth, Hugh D C; Milner, Thomas E
2018-01-01
Stimuli responsive polyelectrolyte nanoparticles have been developed for chemo-photothermal destruction of breast cancer cells. This novel system, called layer by layer Lipo-graph (LBL Lipo-graph), is composed of alternate layers of graphene oxide (GO) and graphene oxide conjugated poly (l-lysine) (GO-PLL) deposited on cationic liposomes encapsulating doxorubicin. Various concentrations of GO and GO-PLL were examined and the optimal LBL Lipo-graph was found to have a particle size of 267.9 ± 13 nm, zeta potential of +43.9 ± 6.9 mV and encapsulation efficiency of 86.4 ± 4.7%. The morphology of LBL Lipo-graph was examined by cryogenic-transmission electron microscopy (Cryo-TEM), atomic force microcopy (AFM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The buildup of LBL Lipo-graph was confirmed via ultraviolet-visible (UV-Vis) spectrophotometry, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) analysis. Infra-red (IR) response suggests that four layers are sufficient to induce a gel-to-liquid phase transition in response to near infra-red (NIR) laser irradiation. Light-matter interaction of LBL Lipo-graph was studied by calculating the absorption cross section in the frequency domain by utilizing Fourier analysis. Drug release assay indicates that the LBL Lipo-graph releases much faster in an acidic environment than a liposome control. A cytotoxicity assay was conducted to prove the efficacy of LBL Lipo-graph to destroy MD-MB-231 cells in response to NIR laser emission. Also, image stream flow cytometry and two photon microcopy provide supportive data for the potential application of LBL Lipo-graph for photothermal therapy. Study results suggest the novel dual-sensitive nanoparticles allow intracellular doxorubin delivery and respond to either acidic environments or NIR excitation. Stimuli sensitive hybrid nanoparticles have been synthesized using a layer-by-layer technique and demonstrated for dual chemo-photothermal destruction of breast cancer cells. The hybrid nanoparticles are composed of alternating layers of graphene oxide and graphene oxide conjugated poly-l-lysine coating the surface of a thermosensitive cationic liposome containing doxorubicin as a core. Data suggests that the hybrid nanoparticles may offer many advantages for chemo-photothermal therapy. Advantages include a decrease of the initial burst release which may result in the reduction in systemic toxicity, increase in pH responsivity around the tumor environment and improved NIR light absorption. Copyright © 2017 Acta Materialia Inc. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
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Evaluation of Automated Configuration Management Tools in Ada Programming Support Environments.
DTIC Science & Technology
1984-03-01
82174.> 00. r11 2-. 4-42% wqC)e 0 000 CU 00 u 0 4 V to 4- 1 ( 1 ) ( 1 )Cl 0- onI I-n 0 4)U- (a 0 ca IVI 4-) 0 aI 0 - 4- 1 U .,4 4.1 934 0 a - 1 0 0 0 qva 41 04...AD--R14@ 982 EVALUATION OF AUTOMATED CONFIGURATION MANAGEMENT TOOLS 1 /2 IN ADA PROGRAMMING..(U) AIR FORCE INST OF TECH WRIGHT-PATTERSON AFB OH...SCHOOL OF ENGI. M S ORNDORFF UNCLASSIFIED MAR 84 AFIT/GCS/EE/84M- 1 F/’G 5/i N EEEEEEEEEEomiE EEEEohEEmhEmhE II LA1111 J2. L I,..6 MICROCOPY RESOLUTION TEST
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Physical vs. photolithographic patterning of plasma polymers: an investigation by ToF-SSIMS and multivariate analysis
PubMed Central
Mishra, Gautam; Easton, Christopher D.; McArthur, Sally L.
2009-01-01
Physical and photolithographic techniques are commonly used to create chemical patterns for a range of technologies including cell culture studies, bioarrays and other biomedical applications. In this paper, we describe the fabrication of chemical micropatterns from commonly used plasma polymers. Atomic force microcopy (AFM) imaging, Time-of-Flight Static Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry (ToF-SSIMS) imaging and multivariate analysis have been employed to visualize the chemical boundaries created by these patterning techniques and assess the spatial and chemical resolution of the patterns. ToF-SSIMS analysis demonstrated that well defined chemical and spatial boundaries were obtained from photolithographic patterning, while the resolution of physical patterning via a transmission electron microscopy (TEM) grid varied depending on the properties of the plasma system including the substrate material. In general, physical masking allowed diffusion of the plasma species below the mask and bleeding of the surface chemistries. Multivariate analysis techniques including Principal Component Analysis (PCA) and Region of Interest (ROI) assessment were used to investigate the ToF-SSIMS images of a range of different plasma polymer patterns. In the most challenging case, where two strongly reacting polymers, allylamine and acrylic acid were deposited, PCA confirmed the fabrication of micropatterns with defined spatial resolution. ROI analysis allowed for the identification of an interface between the two plasma polymers for patterns fabricated using the photolithographic technique which has been previously overlooked. This study clearly demonstrated the versatility of photolithographic patterning for the production of multichemistry plasma polymer arrays and highlighted the need for complimentary characterization and analytical techniques during the fabrication plasma polymer micropatterns. PMID:19950941
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Atomic Forces for Geometry-Dependent Point Multipole and Gaussian Multipole Models
PubMed Central
Elking, Dennis M.; Perera, Lalith; Duke, Robert; Darden, Thomas; Pedersen, Lee G.
2010-01-01
In standard treatments of atomic multipole models, interaction energies, total molecular forces, and total molecular torques are given for multipolar interactions between rigid molecules. However, if the molecules are assumed to be flexible, two additional multipolar atomic forces arise due to 1) the transfer of torque between neighboring atoms, and 2) the dependence of multipole moment on internal geometry (bond lengths, bond angles, etc.) for geometry-dependent multipole models. In the current study, atomic force expressions for geometry-dependent multipoles are presented for use in simulations of flexible molecules. The atomic forces are derived by first proposing a new general expression for Wigner function derivatives ∂Dlm′m/∂Ω. The force equations can be applied to electrostatic models based on atomic point multipoles or Gaussian multipole charge density. Hydrogen bonded dimers are used to test the inter-molecular electrostatic energies and atomic forces calculated by geometry-dependent multipoles fit to the ab initio electrostatic potential (ESP). The electrostatic energies and forces are compared to their reference ab initio values. It is shown that both static and geometry-dependent multipole models are able to reproduce total molecular forces and torques with respect to ab initio, while geometry-dependent multipoles are needed to reproduce ab initio atomic forces. The expressions for atomic force can be used in simulations of flexible molecules with atomic multipoles. In addition, the results presented in this work should lead to further development of next generation force fields composed of geometry-dependent multipole models. PMID:20839297
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Intermediate Nucleation State of GaN Growth
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Zheng, L. X.; Xie, M. H.; Tong, S. Y.
2001-03-01
Homoexpitaxial nucleation of GaN during molecular-beam epitaxy is followed by scanning tunneling microcopy (STM). We observe a metastable nucleation state, which manifests as “ghost” islands in STM images. These “ghost” islands can be irreversibly driven into normal islands by continuous STM imaging. It is further established that the “ghost” island formation is related to the presence of excess Ga atoms on the surface: Normal islands are only seen under the N-rich or stoichiometric flux condition, whereas “ghost” islands are observed under Ga-rich conditions. For intermediate excess-Ga coverages, both normal and “ghost” islands are present, however, they show distinctly different sizes, suggesting different nucleation states for the two. A growth model is proposed to account for the formation of metastable, “ghost” islands. Kinetic Monte Carlo simulation is carried out and main features of the surface are reproduced. We acknowledge financial support from HK RGC under grant Nos. 7396/00P, 7142/99P, and 7121/00P.
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Mechanism of morphology transformation during annealing of nanostructured gold films on glass.
PubMed
Karakouz, Tanya; Tesler, Alexander B; Sannomiya, Takumi; Feldman, Yishay; Vaskevich, Alexander; Rubinstein, Israel
2013-04-07
Nanostructured, just-percolated gold films were prepared by evaporation on bare glass. Annealing of the films at temperatures close to or higher than the softening temperature of the glass substrate induces morphological transformation to discrete Au islands and gradual embedding of the formed islands in the glass. The mechanism and kinetics of these processes are studied here using a combination of in situ high-temperature optical spectroscopy; ex situ characterization of the island shape by high-resolution scanning electron microscopy (HRSEM), atomic force microcopy (AFM) and cross-sectional transmission electron microscopy (TEM); and numerical simulations of transmission spectra using the Multiple Multipole Program (MMP) approach. It is shown that the morphological transformation of just-percolated, 10 nm (nominal thickness) Au films evaporated on glass and annealed at 600 °C, i.e., in the vicinity of the substrate glass transition temperature (Tg = 557 °C), proceeds via three processes exhibiting different time scales: (i) fast recrystallization and dewetting, leading to formation of single-crystalline islands (minutes); the initial spectrum characteristic of a continuous Au film is transformed to that of an island film, displaying a surface plasmon (SP) absorption band. (ii) Reshaping and faceting of the single-crystalline islands accompanied by formation of circumferential glass rims around them (first few hours); the overall optical response shows a blue shift of the SP band. (iii) Gradual island embedding in the glass substrate (tens of hours), seen as a characteristic red shift of the SP band. The influence of the annealing atmosphere (air, vacuum) on the embedding process is found to be minor. Numerical modeling of the extinction cross-section corresponding to the morphological transformations during island recrystallization and embedding is in qualitative agreement with the experimental data.
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A novel and facile synthesis of carbon quantum dots via salep hydrothermal treatment as the silver nanoparticles support: Application to electroanalytical determination of H2O2 in fetal bovine serum.
PubMed
Jahanbakhshi, Mojtaba; Habibi, Biuck
2016-07-15
A simple, low-cost, and green process was used for the synthesis of carbon quantum dots (CQDs) through the hydrothermal treatment of salep as a novel bio-polymeric carbon source in presence of only pure water. The silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) were embedded on the surface of CQDs by ultra-violate (UV) irradiation to the CQDs and silver nitrate mixture solution. The as-synthesized CQDs and AgNPs decorated CQDs nanohybrid (AgNPs/CQDs) were characterized by UV-vis and photoluminescence spectroscopy, Fourier transform-infrared spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy, atomic force microcopy, X-ray diffraction, and field emission scanning electron microscopy. Then, the AgNPs/CQDs nanohybrid was casted on the glassy carbon electrode in order to prepare an amperometric hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) sensor. The electrochemical investigations show that the AgNPs/CQDs nanohybrid possesses an excellent performance toward the H2O2 reduction. In the optimum condition, the linear range of H2O2 determination was achieved from 0.2 to 27.0μM with high sensitivity (1.5μA/µM) and the limit of detection was obtained about 80nM (S/N=3). Finally, the prepared nanohybrid modified electrode was effectively applied to the H2O2 detection in the disinfected fetal bovine serum samples, and the recovery was obtained about 98%. The achieved results indicate that the AgNPs/CQDs nanohybrid with high reproducibility, repeatability, and stability has a favorable capability in electrochemical sensors improvement. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
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Interplay between Switching Driven by the Tunneling Current and Atomic Force of a Bistable Four-Atom Si Quantum Dot.
PubMed
Yamazaki, Shiro; Maeda, Keisuke; Sugimoto, Yoshiaki; Abe, Masayuki; Zobač, Vladimír; Pou, Pablo; Rodrigo, Lucia; Mutombo, Pingo; Pérez, Ruben; Jelínek, Pavel; Morita, Seizo
2015-07-08
We assemble bistable silicon quantum dots consisting of four buckled atoms (Si4-QD) using atom manipulation. We demonstrate two competing atom switching mechanisms, downward switching induced by tunneling current of scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) and opposite upward switching induced by atomic force of atomic force microscopy (AFM). Simultaneous application of competing current and force allows us to tune switching direction continuously. Assembly of the few-atom Si-QDs and controlling their states using versatile combined AFM/STM will contribute to further miniaturization of nanodevices.
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A Comparison of Classical Force-Fields for Molecular Dynamics Simulations of Lubricants
PubMed Central
Ewen, James P.; Gattinoni, Chiara; Thakkar, Foram M.; Morgan, Neal; Spikes, Hugh A.; Dini, Daniele
2016-01-01
For the successful development and application of lubricants, a full understanding of their complex nanoscale behavior under a wide range of external conditions is required, but this is difficult to obtain experimentally. Nonequilibrium molecular dynamics (NEMD) simulations can be used to yield unique insights into the atomic-scale structure and friction of lubricants and additives; however, the accuracy of the results depend on the chosen force-field. In this study, we demonstrate that the use of an accurate, all-atom force-field is critical in order to; (i) accurately predict important properties of long-chain, linear molecules; and (ii) reproduce experimental friction behavior of multi-component tribological systems. In particular, we focus on n-hexadecane, an important model lubricant with a wide range of industrial applications. Moreover, simulating conditions common in tribological systems, i.e., high temperatures and pressures (HTHP), allows the limits of the selected force-fields to be tested. In the first section, a large number of united-atom and all-atom force-fields are benchmarked in terms of their density and viscosity prediction accuracy of n-hexadecane using equilibrium molecular dynamics (EMD) simulations at ambient and HTHP conditions. Whilst united-atom force-fields accurately reproduce experimental density, the viscosity is significantly under-predicted compared to all-atom force-fields and experiments. Moreover, some all-atom force-fields yield elevated melting points, leading to significant overestimation of both the density and viscosity. In the second section, the most accurate united-atom and all-atom force-field are compared in confined NEMD simulations which probe the structure and friction of stearic acid adsorbed on iron oxide and separated by a thin layer of n-hexadecane. The united-atom force-field provides an accurate representation of the structure of the confined stearic acid film; however, friction coefficients are consistently under-predicted and the friction-coverage and friction-velocity behavior deviates from that observed using all-atom force-fields and experimentally. This has important implications regarding force-field selection for NEMD simulations of systems containing long-chain, linear molecules; specifically, it is recommended that accurate all-atom potentials, such as L-OPLS-AA, are employed. PMID:28773773
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A Comparison of Classical Force-Fields for Molecular Dynamics Simulations of Lubricants.
PubMed
Ewen, James P; Gattinoni, Chiara; Thakkar, Foram M; Morgan, Neal; Spikes, Hugh A; Dini, Daniele
2016-08-02
For the successful development and application of lubricants, a full understanding of their complex nanoscale behavior under a wide range of external conditions is required, but this is difficult to obtain experimentally. Nonequilibrium molecular dynamics (NEMD) simulations can be used to yield unique insights into the atomic-scale structure and friction of lubricants and additives; however, the accuracy of the results depend on the chosen force-field. In this study, we demonstrate that the use of an accurate, all-atom force-field is critical in order to; (i) accurately predict important properties of long-chain, linear molecules; and (ii) reproduce experimental friction behavior of multi-component tribological systems. In particular, we focus on n -hexadecane, an important model lubricant with a wide range of industrial applications. Moreover, simulating conditions common in tribological systems, i.e., high temperatures and pressures (HTHP), allows the limits of the selected force-fields to be tested. In the first section, a large number of united-atom and all-atom force-fields are benchmarked in terms of their density and viscosity prediction accuracy of n -hexadecane using equilibrium molecular dynamics (EMD) simulations at ambient and HTHP conditions. Whilst united-atom force-fields accurately reproduce experimental density, the viscosity is significantly under-predicted compared to all-atom force-fields and experiments. Moreover, some all-atom force-fields yield elevated melting points, leading to significant overestimation of both the density and viscosity. In the second section, the most accurate united-atom and all-atom force-field are compared in confined NEMD simulations which probe the structure and friction of stearic acid adsorbed on iron oxide and separated by a thin layer of n -hexadecane. The united-atom force-field provides an accurate representation of the structure of the confined stearic acid film; however, friction coefficients are consistently under-predicted and the friction-coverage and friction-velocity behavior deviates from that observed using all-atom force-fields and experimentally. This has important implications regarding force-field selection for NEMD simulations of systems containing long-chain, linear molecules; specifically, it is recommended that accurate all-atom potentials, such as L-OPLS-AA, are employed.
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Subatomic Features on the Silicon (111)-(7x7) Surface Observed by Atomic Force Microscopy.
PubMed
Giessibl; Hembacher; Bielefeldt; Mannhart
2000-07-21
The atomic force microscope images surfaces by sensing the forces between a sharp tip and a sample. If the tip-sample interaction is dominated by short-range forces due to the formation of covalent bonds, the image of an individual atom should reflect the angular symmetry of the interaction. Here, we report on a distinct substructure in the images of individual adatoms on silicon (111)-(7x7), two crescents with a spherical envelope. The crescents are interpreted as images of two atomic orbitals of the front atom of the tip. Key for the observation of these subatomic features is a force-detection scheme with superior noise performance and enhanced sensitivity to short-range forces.
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Dielectrophoretic immobilization of proteins: Quantification by atomic force microscopy.
PubMed
Laux, Eva-Maria; Knigge, Xenia; Bier, Frank F; Wenger, Christian; Hölzel, Ralph
2015-09-01
The combination of alternating electric fields with nanometer-sized electrodes allows the permanent immobilization of proteins by dielectrophoretic force. Here, atomic force microscopy is introduced as a quantification method, and results are compared with fluorescence microscopy. Experimental parameters, for example the applied voltage and duration of field application, are varied systematically, and the influence on the amount of immobilized proteins is investigated. A linear correlation to the duration of field application was found by atomic force microscopy, and both microscopical methods yield a square dependence of the amount of immobilized proteins on the applied voltage. While fluorescence microscopy allows real-time imaging, atomic force microscopy reveals immobilized proteins obscured in fluorescence images due to low S/N. Furthermore, the higher spatial resolution of the atomic force microscope enables the visualization of the protein distribution on single nanoelectrodes. The electric field distribution is calculated and compared to experimental results with very good agreement to atomic force microscopy measurements. © 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.
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Thermal Casimir-Polder forces on a V-type three-level atom
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Xu, Chen-Ran; Xu, Jing-Ping; Al-amri, M.; Zhu, Cheng-Jie; Xie, Shuang-Yuan; Yang, Ya-Ping
2017-09-01
We study the thermal Casimir-Polder (CP) forces on a V-type three-level atom. The competition between the thermal effect and the quantum interference of the two transition dipoles on the force is investigated. To shed light onto the role of the quantum interference, we analyze two kinds of initial states of the atom, i.e., the superradiant state and the subradiant state. Considering the atom being in the thermal reservoir, the resonant CP force arising from the real photon emission dominates in the evolution of the CP force. Under the zero-temperature condition, the quantum interference can effectively modify the amplitude and the evolution of the force, leading to a long-time force or even the cancellation of the force. Our results reveal that in the finite-temperature case, the thermal photons can enhance the amplitude of all force elements, but have no influence on the net resonant CP force in the steady state, which means that the second law of thermodynamics still works. For the ideal degenerate V-type atom with parallel dipoles under the initial subradiant state, the robust destructive quantum interference overrides the thermal fluctuations, leading to the trapping of the atom in the subradiant state and the disappearance of the CP force. However, in terms of a realistic Zeeman atom, the thermal photons play a significant role during the evolution of the CP force. The thermal fluctuations can enhance the amplitude of the initial CP force by increasing the temperature, and weaken the influence of the quantum interference on the evolution of the CP force from the initial superradiant (subradiant) state to the steady state.
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Automation of the CHARMM General Force Field (CGenFF) I: bond perception and atom typing
PubMed Central
Vanommeslaeghe, K.; MacKerell, A. D.
2012-01-01
Molecular mechanics force fields are widely used in computer-aided drug design for the study of drug-like molecules alone or interacting with biological systems. In simulations involving biological macromolecules, the biological part is typically represented by a specialized biomolecular force field, while the drug is represented by a matching general (organic) force field. In order to apply these general force fields to an arbitrary drug-like molecule, functionality for assignment of atom types, parameters and charges is required. In the present article, which is part I of a series of two, we present the algorithms for bond perception and atom typing for the CHARMM General Force Field (CGenFF). The CGenFF atom typer first associates attributes to the atoms and bonds in a molecule, such as valence, bond order, and ring membership among others. Of note are a number of features that are specifically required for CGenFF. This information is then used by the atom typing routine to assign CGenFF atom types based on a programmable decision tree. This allows for straightforward implementation of CGenFF’s complicated atom typing rules and for equally straightforward updating of the atom typing scheme as the force field grows. The presented atom typer was validated by assigning correct atom types on 477 model compounds including in the training set as well as 126 test-set molecules that were constructed to specifically verify its different components. The program may be utilized via an online implementation at https://www.paramchem.org/. PMID:23146088
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Automation of the CHARMM General Force Field (CGenFF) I: bond perception and atom typing.
PubMed
Vanommeslaeghe, K; MacKerell, A D
2012-12-21
Molecular mechanics force fields are widely used in computer-aided drug design for the study of drug-like molecules alone or interacting with biological systems. In simulations involving biological macromolecules, the biological part is typically represented by a specialized biomolecular force field, while the drug is represented by a matching general (organic) force field. In order to apply these general force fields to an arbitrary drug-like molecule, functionality for assignment of atom types, parameters, and charges is required. In the present article, which is part I of a series of two, we present the algorithms for bond perception and atom typing for the CHARMM General Force Field (CGenFF). The CGenFF atom typer first associates attributes to the atoms and bonds in a molecule, such as valence, bond order, and ring membership among others. Of note are a number of features that are specifically required for CGenFF. This information is then used by the atom typing routine to assign CGenFF atom types based on a programmable decision tree. This allows for straightforward implementation of CGenFF's complicated atom typing rules and for equally straightforward updating of the atom typing scheme as the force field grows. The presented atom typer was validated by assigning correct atom types on 477 model compounds including in the training set as well as 126 test-set molecules that were constructed to specifically verify its different components. The program may be utilized via an online implementation at https://www.paramchem.org/ .
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The quest for inorganic fullerenes
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Pietsch, Susanne; Dollinger, Andreas; Strobel, Christoph H.; Park, Eun Ji; Ganteför, Gerd; Seo, Hyun Ook; Kim, Young Dok; Idrobo, Juan-Carlos; Pennycook, Stephen J.
2015-10-01
Experimental results of the search for inorganic fullerenes are presented. MonSm- and WnSm- clusters are generated with a pulsed arc cluster ion source equipped with an annealing stage. This is known to enhance fullerene formation in the case of carbon. Analogous to carbon, the mass spectra of the metal chalcogenide clusters produced in this way exhibit a bimodal structure. The species in the first maximum at low mass are known to be platelets. Here, the structure of the species in the second maximum is studied by anion photoelectron spectroscopy, scanning transmission electron microscopy, and scanning tunneling microcopy. All experimental results indicate a two-dimensional structure of these species and disagree with a three-dimensional fullerene-like geometry. A possible explanation for this preference of two-dimensional structures is the ability of a two-element material to saturate the dangling bonds at the edges of a platelet by excess atoms of one element. A platelet consisting of a single element only cannot do this. Accordingly, graphite and boron might be the only materials forming nano-spheres because they are the only single element materials assuming two-dimensional structures.