Spin injection between epitaxial Co2.4Mn1.6Ga and an InGaAs quantum well

Electrical spin injection in a narrow [100] In0.2Ga0.8As quantum well in a GaAs p-i-n optical device is reported. The quantum well is located 300 nm from an AlGaAs Schottky barrier and this system is used to compare the efficiencies and temperature dependences of spin injection from Fe and the Heusler alloy Co2.4Mn1.6Ga grown by molecular-beam epitaxy. At 5 K, the injected electron spin polarizations for Fe and Co2.4Mn1.6Ga injectors are 31% and 13%, respectively. Optical detection is carried out in the oblique Hanle geometry. A dynamic nuclear polarization effect below 10 K enhances the magnetic field seen by the injected spins in both devices. The Co2.4Mn1.6Ga thin films are found to have a transport spin polarization of similar to 50% by point contact Andreev reflection conductivity measurements. (c) 2005 American Institute of Physics

Efficient low-loaded ternary Pd-In2O3-Al2O3 catalysts for methanol production

Pd-In2O3 catalysts are among the most promising alternatives to Cu-ZnO-Al2O3 for synthesis of CH3OH from CO2. However, the intrinsic activity and stability of In2O3 per unit mass should be increased to reduce the content of this scarcely available element and to enhance the catalyst lifetime. Herein, we propose and demonstrate a strategy for obtaining highly dispersed Pd and In2O3 nanoparticles onto an Al2O3 matrix by a one-step coprecipitation followed by calcination and activation. The activity of this catalyst is comparable with that of a Pd-In2O3 catalyst (0.52 vs 0.55 gMeOH h−1 gcat-1 at 300 °C, 30 bar, 40,800 mL h−1 gcat-1) but the In2O3 loading decreases from 98 to 12 wt% while improving the long-term stability by threefold at 30 bar. In the new Pd-In2O3-Al2O3 system, the intrinsic activity of In2O3 is highly increased both in terms of STY normalized to In specific surface area and In2O3 mass (4.32 vs 0.56 g gMeOH h−1 gIn2O3-1 of a Pd- In2O3 catalyst operating at 300 °C, 30 bar, 40,800 mL h−1 gcat-1).The combination of ex situ and in situ catalyst characterizations during reduction provides insights into the interaction between Pd and In and with the support. The enhanced activity is likely related to the close proximity of Pd and In2O3, wherein the H2 splitting activity of Pd promotes, in combination with CO2 activation over highly dispersed In2O3 particles, facile formation of CH3OH

CpG-ODN and MPLA Prevent Mortality in a Murine Model of Post-Hemorrhage-Staphyloccocus aureus Pneumonia

Infections are the most frequent cause of complications in trauma patients. Post-traumatic immune suppression (IS) exposes patients to pneumonia (PN). The main pathogen involved in PN is Methicillin Susceptible Staphylococcus aureus (MSSA). Dendritic cells () may be centrally involved in the IS. We assessed the consequences of hemorrhage on pneumonia outcomes and investigated its consequences on DCs functions. A murine model of hemorrhagic shock with a subsequent MSSA pneumonia was used. Hemorrhage decreased the survival rate of infected mice, increased systemic dissemination of sepsis and worsened inflammatory lung lesions. The mRNA expression of Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha (TNF-α), Interferon-beta (IFN-β) and Interleukin (IL)-12p40 were mitigated for hemorrhaged-mice. The effects of hemorrhage on subsequent PN were apparent on the pDCs phenotype (reduced MHC class II, CD80, and CD86 molecule membrane expression). In addition, hemorrhage dramatically decreased CD8+ cDCs- and CD8- cDCs-induced allogeneic T-cell proliferation during PN compared with mice that did not undergo hemorrhage. In conclusion, hemorrhage increased morbidity and mortality associated with PN; induced severe phenotypic disturbances of the pDCs subset and functional alterations of the cDCs subset. After hemorrhage, a preventive treatment with CpG-ODN or Monophosphoryl Lipid A increased transcriptional activity in DCs (TNF-α, IFN-β and IL-12p40) and decreased mortality of post-hemorrhage MSSA pneumonia

Impact of nanoparticle size and lattice oxygen on water oxidation on NiFeO<inf>x</inf>H<inf>y</inf>

NiFeOxHy are the most active catalysts for oxygen evolution in a base. For this reason, they are used widely in alkaline electrolysers. Several open questions remain as to the reason for their exceptionally high catalytic activity. Here we use a model system of mass-selected NiFe nanoparticles and isotope labelling experiments to show that oxygen evolution in 1 M KOH does not proceed via lattice exchange. We complement our activity measurements with electrochemistry–mass spectrometry, taken under operando conditions, and transmission electron microscopy and low-energy ion-scattering spectroscopy, taken ex situ. Together with the trends in particle size, the isotope results indicate that oxygen evolution is limited to the near-surface region. Using the surface area of the particles, we determined that the turnover frequency was 6.2 ± 1.6 s−1 at an overpotential of 0.3 V, which is, to the best of our knowledge, the highest reported for oxygen evolution in alkaline solution

Positioning system for particles in microfluidic structures

Weddemann A, Wittbracht F, Auge A, Hütten A. Positioning system for particles in microfluidic structures. MICROFLUIDICS AND NANOFLUIDICS. 2009;7(6):849-855.Fast continuous flow detection of biomolecules in lab-on-a-chip structures is a challenging task. Combining these molecules with small magnetic particles, the interaction between their stray field and, e.g., magneto-resistive sensors can be used to indirectly prove the biomolecules. To position the particles on top of a sensor array at the bottom of the flow channel, we propose a microfluidic structure of changing channel height combining hydrodynamic and gravitational effects. We present numerical calculations predicting an increase in the capture rate by more than 100% in comparison to a straight channel. We experimentally realize an optical analysis of the specific binding of biotin-functionalized Chemagen beads on a streptavidin-coated surface. To prove the binding is not due to the surface effects, a second uncoated bead species is employed