Fast, inexpensive, and reliable HPLC method to determine monomer fractions in poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate)

The determination of the monomer fractions in polyhydroxyalkanoates is of great importance for research on microbial-produced plastic material. The development of new process designs, the validation of mathematical models, and intelligent control strategies for production depend enormously on the correctness of the analyzed monomer fractions. Most of the available detection methods focus on the determination of the monomer fractions of the homopolymer poly(3-hydroxybutyrate). Only a few can analyze the monomer content in copolymers such as poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate), which usually require expensive measuring devices, a high preparation time or the use of environmentally harmful halogenated solvents such as chloroform or dichloromethane. This work presents a fast, simple, and inexpensive method for the analysis of poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate) with high-performance liquid chromatography. Samples from a bioreactor experiment for the production of poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate) with Cupriavidus necator H16 were examined regarding their monomer content using the new method and gas chromatography analysis, one of the most frequently used methods in literature. The results from our new method were validated using gas chromatography measurements and show excellent agreement. Key points ∙ The presented HPLC method is an inexpensive, fast and environmentally friendly alternative to existing methods for quantification of monomeric composition of PHBV. ∙ Validation with state of the art GC measurement exhibits excellent agreement over a broad range of PHBV monomer fractions

Liquid hydridosilane precursor prepared from cyclopentasilane via sonication at low temperatures without the action of light

AbstractWe report on a liquid hydridosilane precursor ink prepared via the ultrasonically induced ring-opening polymerisation of cyclopentasilane (Si5H10) without irradiation by ultraviolet light. The sonication is carried out in N2 atmosphere at temperatures between 20 and 75°C. We use size exclusion chromatography (SEC) to show polymer growth and estimate molecular mass with increasing sonication time. In combination with UV–vis transmission measurements, further SEC analysis is used to compare solutions subjected to either purely thermal or ultrasonic treatment at the same process temperature and for the same duration. Our findings provide strong evidence showing that the initiation of the polymerisation is sonocatalytic in nature and not thermic due to the macroscopic temperature of the solution. The liquid precursor is used to produce homogeneous hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a-Si:H) thin films via spin coating and pyrolytic conversion. The optoelectronic properties of the films are subsequently improved by hydrogen radical treatment. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) is used to determine a compact film morphology and electrical conductivity measurements show that the layers attain a light-to-dark photosensitivity ratio of 2×103 making them suitable for application in optoelectronic devices

Algorithmic Interpretations of Fractal Dimension

We study algorithmic problems on subsets of Euclidean space of low fractal dimension. These spaces are the subject of intensive study in various branches of mathematics, including geometry, topology, and measure theory. There are several well-studied notions of fractal dimension for sets and measures in Euclidean space. We consider a definition of fractal dimension for finite metric spaces which agrees with standard notions used to empirically estimate the fractal dimension of various sets. We define the fractal dimension of some metric space to be the infimum delta>0, such that for any eps>0, for any ball B of radius r >= 2eps, and for any eps-net N, we have |B cap N|=O((r/eps)^delta). Using this definition we obtain faster algorithms for a plethora of classical problems on sets of low fractal dimension in Euclidean space. Our results apply to exact and fixed-parameter algorithms, approximation schemes, and spanner constructions. Interestingly, the dependence of the performance of these algorithms on the fractal dimension nearly matches the currently best-known dependence on the standard Euclidean dimension. Thus, when the fractal dimension is strictly smaller than the ambient dimension, our results yield improved solutions in all of these settings. We remark that our definition of fractal definition is equivalent up to constant factors to the well-studied notion of doubling dimension. However, in the problems that we consider, the dimension appears in the exponent of the running time, and doubling dimension is not precise enough for capturing the best possible such exponent for subsets of Euclidean space. Thus our work is orthogonal to previous results on spaces of low doubling dimension; while algorithms on spaces of low doubling dimension seek to extend results from the case of low dimensional Euclidean spaces to more general metric spaces, our goal is to obtain faster algorithms for special pointsets in Euclidean space

Highly Reflective Dielectric Back Reflector for Improved Efficiency of Tandem Thin-Film Solar Cells

We report on the prototyping and development of a highly reflective dielectric back reflector for application in thin-film solar cells. The back reflector is fabricated by Snow Globe Coating (SGC), an innovative, simple, and cheap process to deposit a uniform layer of TiO2 particles which shows remarkably high reflectance over a broad spectrum (average reflectance of 99% from 500 nm to 1100 nm). We apply the highly reflective back reflector to tandem thin-film silicon solar cells and compare its performance with conventional ZnO:Al/Ag reflector. By using SGC back reflector, an enhancement of 0.5 mA/cm2 in external quantum efficiency of the bottom solar cell and an absolute value of 0.2% enhancement in overall power conversion efficiency are achieved. We also show that the increase in power conversion efficiency is due to the reduction of parasitic absorption at the back contact; that is, the use of the dielectric reflector avoids plasmonic losses at the reference ZnO:Al/Ag back reflector. The Snow Globe Coating process is compatible with other types of solar cells such as crystalline silicon, III–V, and organic photovoltaics. Due to its cost effectiveness, stability, and excellent reflectivity above a wavelength of 400 nm, it has high potential to be applied in industry

Optical Properties of Deep Ice at the South Pole - Absorption

We discuss recent measurements of the wavelength-dependent absorption coefficients in deep South Pole ice. The method uses transit time distributions of pulses from a variable-frequency laser sent between emitters and receivers embedded in the ice. At depths of 800 to 1000 m scattering is dominated by residual air bubbles, whereas absorption occurs both in ice itself and in insoluble impurities. The absorption coefficient increases approximately exponentially with wavelength in the measured interval 410 to 610 nm. At the shortest wavelength our value is about a factor 20 below previous values obtained for laboratory ice and lake ice; with increasing wavelength the discrepancy with previous measurements decreases. At around 415 to 500 nm the experimental uncertainties are small enough for us to resolve an extrinsic contribution to absorption in ice: submicron dust particles contribute by an amount that increases with depth and corresponds well with the expected increase seen near the Last Glacial Maximum in Vostok and Dome C ice cores. The laser pulse method allows remote mapping of gross structure in dust concentration as a function of depth in glacial ice.Comment: 26 pages, LaTex, Accepted for publication in Applied Optics. 9 figures, not included, available on request from [email protected]

The AMANDA Neutrino Telescope and the Indirect Search for Dark Matter

With an effective telescope area of order 10^4 m^2, a threshold of ~50 GeV and a pointing accuracy of 2.5 degrees, the AMANDA detector represents the first of a new generation of high energy neutrino telescopes, reaching a scale envisaged over 25 years ago. We describe its performance, focussing on the capability to detect halo dark matter particles via their annihilation into neutrinos.Comment: Latex2.09, 16 pages, uses epsf.sty to place 15 postscript figures. Talk presented at the 3rd International Symposium on Sources and Detection of Dark Matter in the Universe (DM98), Santa Monica, California, Feb. 199

Paramagnetic centers in amorphous and microcrystalline silicon irradiated with 2 МeV electrons

Amorphous and microcrystalline silicon are well known materials for thin film large area electronics. The defects in the material are an important issue for the device quality and the manufacturing process optimization. We study defects in thin film silicon with electron spin resonance (ESR). In order to vary the defect density in a wide range 2 MeV electron bombardment at 100 K was applied with dose as high as 10¹⁸ e*cm⁻². Samples were investigated after deposition, after irradiation and between the annealing steps. The spin density (Ns) in the material was varied over 3 orders of magnitude. Strong satellites with g≈2.010 and g≈2.000 were observed on the shoulders of the dangling bond line. The initial Ns and the shape of the resonance line were restored after annealing.Аморфний і мікрокристалічний кремній є широко відомими матеріалами для виробництва тонкоплівкової електроники великої площі. Дефекти у даних матеріалах відіграють вирішальну роль для якості пристроїв і оптимізації виробничих процесів. Ми досліджували тонкоплівковий гідрогенований кремній методом вимірів електронного парамагнитного резонансу (ЕПР). Для зміни щільності дефектів у широкому диапазоні зразки було опромінено електронами з енергією 2 МеВ. Зразки було досліджено після осадження, після опромінення і між етапами відпалу. Щільність спинів (Ns) в матеріалі змінювалась в межах 3-х порядків величини. З обох боків від центрального резонансу, що характеризує обірвані зв’язки кремнію, спостеригались потужні додаткові резонансні лінії (g≈2.010 и g≈2.000). Після відпалу форма резонансних ліній і щільність спинів поверталися до вихідних показників.Аморфный и микрокристаллический кремний являются широко известными материалами для производства тонкопленочной электроники большой площади. Дефекты в данных материалах играют решающую роль для качества приборов и оптимизации производственных процессов. Мы исследовали тонкопленочный гидрогенированный кремний методом измерений электронного парамагнитного резонанса (ЭПР). Для изменения плотности дефектов в широких пределах образцы облучались электронами с энергией 2 МэВ. Образцы исследовались после осаждения, после облучения и между стадиями отжига. Плотность спинов (Ns) в материале изменялась в пределах 3-х порядков величины. По обе стороны от центрального резонанса, характеризующего оборванные связи кремния, наблюдались мощные дополнительные резонансные линии (g≈2.010 и g≈2.000). После отжига форма резонансных линий и плотность спинов возвращались к исходным значениям