63 research outputs found
Ordered low-temperature structure in K4C60 detected by infrared spectroscopy
Infrared spectra of a K4C60 single-phase thin film have been measured between
room temperature and 20 K. At low temperatures, the two high-frequency T1u
modes appear as triplets, indicating a static D2h crystal-field stabilized
Jahn-Teller distortion of the (C60)4- anions. The T1u(4) mode changes into the
known doublet above 250 K, a pattern which could have three origins: a dynamic
Jahn-Teller effect, static disorder between "staggered" anions, or a phase
transition from an orientationally-ordered phase to one where molecular motion
is significant.Comment: 4 pages, 2 figures submitted to Phys. Rev.
No Far-Infrared-Spectroscopic Gap in Clean and Dirty High-T Superconductors
We report far infrared transmission measurements on single crystal samples
derived from BiSrCaCuO. The impurity scattering rate of
the samples was varied by electron-beam irradiation, 50MeV O ion
irradiation, heat treatment in vacuum, and Y doping. Although substantial
changes in the infrared spectra were produced, in no case was a feature
observed that could be associated with the superconducting energy gap. These
results all but rule out ``clean limit'' explanations for the absence of the
spectroscopic gap in this material, and provide evidence that the
superconductivity in BiSrCaCuO is gapless.Comment: 4 pages and 3 postscript figures attached. REVTEX v3.0. Accepted for
publication in Phys. Rev. Lett. IRDIRT
Gaps and excitations in fullerides with partially filled bands : NMR study of Na2C60 and K4C60
We present an NMR study of Na2C60 and K4C60, two compounds that are related
by electron-hole symmetry in the C60 triply degenerate conduction band. In both
systems, it is known that NMR spin-lattice relaxation rate (1/T1) measurements
detect a gap in the electronic structure, most likely related to
singlet-triplet excitations of the Jahn-Teller distorted (JTD) C60^{2-} or
C60^{4-}. However, the extended temperature range of the measurements presented
here (10 K to 700 K) allows to reveal deviations with respect to this general
trend, both at high and low temperatures. Above room temperature, 1/T1 deviates
from the activated law that one would expect from the presence of the gap and
saturates. In the same temperature range, a lowering of symmetry is detected in
Na2C60 by the appearance of quadrupole effects on the 23Na spectra. In K4C60,
modifications of the 13C spectra lineshapes also indicate a structural
modification. We discuss this high temperature deviation in terms of a coupling
between JTD and local symmetry. At low temperatures, 1/TT tends to a
constant value for Na2C60, both for 13C and 23Na NMR. This indicates a residual
metallic character, which emphasizes the proximity of metallic and insulting
behaviors in alkali fullerides.Comment: 12 pages, 13 figure
Reversible Pressure-Induced Amorphization in Solid C70 : Raman and Photoluminescence Study
We have studied single crystals of by Raman scattering and
photoluminescence in the pressure range from 0 to 31.1 GPa. The Raman spectrum
at 31.1 GPa shows only a broad band similar to that of the amorphous carbon
without any trace of the Raman lines of . After releasing the pressure
from 31.1 GPa, the Raman and the photoluminescence spectra of the recovered
sample are that of the starting crystal. These results indicate that
the molecules are stable upto 31.1 GPa and the amorphous carbon high
pressure phase is reversible, in sharp contrast to the results on solid
. A qualitative explaination is suggested in terms of inter- versus
intra-molecular interactions.Comment: To appear in Phys. Rev. Lett., 12 pages, RevTeX (preprint format), 3
figures available upon reques
Swift Heavy Ion Induced Modification Studies of C60 Thin Films
Modification induced by 110 MeV Ni ion irradiated thin film samples of C60 on
Si and quartz substrates were studied at various fluences. The pristine and
irradiated samples were investigated using Raman spectroscopy, electrical
conductivity and optical absorption spectroscopy. The Raman data and band gap
measurements indicate that swift ions at low fluences result in formations that
involve multiple molecular units like dimer or polymer. High fluence
irradiation resulted in sub-molecular formations and amorphous semiconducting
carbon, indicating overall damage of the fullerene molecules. These
sub-molecular units have been identified with nanocrystalline diamond and
nanocrystalline graphite like formations.Comment: 7 pages, 29 references and 9 figures submitted to J. Appl. Phy
Mapping of functionalized regions on carbon nanotubes by scanning tunneling microscopy
Scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) gives us the opportunity to map the
surface of functionalized carbon nanotubes in an energy resolved manner and
with atomic precision. But this potential is largely untapped, mainly due to
sample stability issues which inhibit reliable measurements. Here we present a
simple and straightforward solution that makes away with this difficulty, by
incorporating the functionalized multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNT) into a
few layer graphene - nanotube composite. This enabled us to measure energy
resolved tunneling conductance maps on the nanotubes, which shed light on the
level of doping, charge transfer between tube and functional groups and the
dependence of defect creation or functionalization on crystallographic
orientation.Comment: Keywords: functionalization, carbon nanotubes, few layer graphene,
STM, CITS, ST
Redox-controlled potassium intercalation into two polyaromatic hydrocarbon solids
Alkali metal intercalation into polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) has been studied intensely after reports of superconductivity in a number of potassium- and rubidium-intercalated materials. There are, however, no reported crystal structures to inform our understanding of the chemistry and physics because of the complex reactivity of PAHs with strong reducing agents at high temperature. Here we present the synthesis of crystalline K2Pentacene and K2Picene by a solid–solid insertion protocol that uses potassium hydride as a redox-controlled reducing agent to access the PAH dianions, and so enables the determination of their crystal structures. In both cases, the inserted cations expand the parent herringbone packings by reorienting the molecular anions to create multiple potassium sites within initially dense molecular layers, and thus interact with the PAH anion π systems. The synthetic and crystal chemistry of alkali metal intercalation into PAHs differs from that into fullerenes and graphite, in which the cation sites are pre-defined by the host structure
Distinct Pathogenesis and Host Responses during Infection of C. elegans by P. aeruginosa and S. aureus
The genetically tractable model host Caenorhabditis elegans provides a valuable tool to dissect host-microbe interactions in vivo. Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus utilize virulence factors involved in human disease to infect and kill C. elegans. Despite much progress, virtually nothing is known regarding the cytopathology of infection and the proximate causes of nematode death. Using light and electron microscopy, we found that P. aeruginosa infection entails intestinal distention, accumulation of an unidentified extracellular matrix and P. aeruginosa-synthesized outer membrane vesicles in the gut lumen and on the apical surface of intestinal cells, the appearance of abnormal autophagosomes inside intestinal cells, and P. aeruginosa intracellular invasion of C. elegans. Importantly, heat-killed P. aeruginosa fails to elicit a significant host response, suggesting that the C. elegans response to P. aeruginosa is activated either by heat-labile signals or pathogen-induced damage. In contrast, S. aureus infection causes enterocyte effacement, intestinal epithelium destruction, and complete degradation of internal organs. S. aureus activates a strong transcriptional response in C. elegans intestinal epithelial cells, which aids host survival during infection and shares elements with human innate responses. The C. elegans genes induced in response to S. aureus are mostly distinct from those induced by P. aeruginosa. In contrast to P. aeruginosa, heat-killed S. aureus activates a similar response as live S. aureus, which appears to be independent of the single C. elegans Toll-Like Receptor (TLR) protein. These data suggest that the host response to S. aureus is possibly mediated by pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMPs). Because our data suggest that neither the P. aeruginosa nor the S. aureus–triggered response requires canonical TLR signaling, they imply the existence of unidentified mechanisms for pathogen detection in C. elegans, with potentially conserved roles also in mammals
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