Spin-dependent photophysics in polymers lightly doped with fullerene derivatives: photoluminescence and electrically detected magnetic resonance

Lightly fullerene-doped polymers are suitable composite systems to study spin-dependent bimolecular interactions among charge excitations due to their long lifetimes in these systems. These interactions can affect the photocurrent as well as the open-circuit voltage in an organic solar cell. Combining photoluminescence detected magnetic resonance (PLDMR) and electrically detected magnetic resonance (EDMR) spectroscopies we study films and devices of poly(p-phenylene vinylene) polymers poly[2-methoxy-5-(3′,7′-dimethyloctyloxy)-1,4-phenylene vinylene] (MDMO-PPV) and superyellow PPV (SY-PPV) lightly doped with various fullerene derivatives [6,6]-phenyl C61 butyric acid methyl ester (PCBM), bis[60]PCBM (bis-PCBM), indene-C60 bisadduct (ICBA), and [6,6]-phenyl C71 butyric acid methyl ester (PC70BM). (i) We demonstrate strong fullerene triplet exciton (TE) production in SY-PPV:fullerene blends, whereas this is absent in MDMO-PPV:PCBM and only very weak in MDMO-PPV:ICBA. The low TE production in blends with MDMO-PPV is attributed to a weaker singlet-singlet energy-transfer coupling and an unfavorable triplet level alignment between the blend components. (ii) The fullerene TE spectra are analyzed on the basis of a single type of triplet excitation in PCBM, bis-PCBM, and ICBA, and two triplet species in PC70BM which are attributed to the α- and β-type isomers of the latter molecule. (iii) The sign change with increasing temperature of the g∼2 sharp central line in photo-EDMR, which is observed both in pristine SY-PPV and in blends with fullerene, is correlated to a transition from dominant TE-polaron annihilation to nongeminate polaron recombination processes

Climate and environmental change drives Ixodes ricinus geographical expansion at the northern range margin

Background Global environmental change is causing spatial and temporal shifts in the distribution of species and the associated diseases of humans, domesticated animals and wildlife. In the on-going debate on the influence of climate change on vectors and vector-borne diseases, there is a lack of a comprehensive interdisciplinary multi-factorial approach utilizing high quality spatial and temporal data. Methods We explored biotic and abiotic factors associated with the latitudinal and altitudinal shifts in the distribution of Ixodes ricinus observed during the last three decades in Norway using antibodies against Anaplasma phagocytophilum in sheep as indicators for tick presence. Samples obtained from 2963 sheep from 90 farms in 3 ecologically different districts during 1978 – 2008 were analysed. We modelled the presence of antibodies against A. phagocytophilum to climatic-, environmental and demographic variables, and abundance of wild cervids and domestic animals, using mixed effect logistic regressions. Results Significant predictors were large diurnal fluctuations in ground surface temperature, spring precipitation, duration of snow cover, abundance of red deer and farm animals and bush encroachment/ecotones. The length of the growth season, mean temperature and the abundance of roe deer were not significant in the model. Conclusions Our results highlight the need to consider climatic variables year-round to disentangle important seasonal variation, climatic threshold changes, climate variability and to consider the broader environmental change, including abiotic and biotic factors. The results offer novel insight in how tick and tick-borne disease distribution might be modified by future climate and environmental change

Spin transport parameters in Ni80 Fe20/ Ru and Ni80 Fe20/ Ta bilayers

We present a systematic study of the spin transport properties in two different bilayer systems, Ni80Fe20/Ru and Ni80Fe20/Ta, combining ferromagnetic resonance (FMR) and inverse spin Hall effect (ISHE) voltage measurements. We have estimated the effective spin mixing conductance g↑↓ by analyzing the permalloy (Py) thickness dependence of the FMR linewidth obtaining g↑↓=(3.8±0.7)×1015cm-2 and g↑↓=(1.3±0.4)×1015cm-2 for Py/Ru and Py/Ta, respectively. Analyzing the Ta thickness dependence of the ISHE voltage, we have been able to extract the spin diffusion length, λSD=1.5±0.5 nm, and spin Hall angle, ΘSH=-0.03±0.01, of Ta. From the two series of Py/Ta bilayers - with thickness variation of ferromagnetic and nonmagnetic layers, respectively - we demonstrate a path to estimate the spin diffusion length from the experimental data, independent of the spin Hall angle and the microwave field amplitude.Fil: Gomez, Javier Enrique. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Ciudad Universitaria. Unidad Ejecutora Instituto de Nanociencia y Nanotecnología. Unidad Ejecutora Instituto de Nanociencia y Nanotecnología - Nodo Bariloche | Comisión Nacional de Energía Atómica. Unidad Ejecutora Instituto de Nanociencia y Nanotecnología. Unidad Ejecutora Instituto de Nanociencia y Nanotecnología - Nodo Bariloche; ArgentinaFil: Zerai Tedlla, B.. Universiteit Antwerp; BélgicaFil: Alvarez, Nadia Roxana. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Ciudad Universitaria. Unidad Ejecutora Instituto de Nanociencia y Nanotecnología. Unidad Ejecutora Instituto de Nanociencia y Nanotecnología - Nodo Bariloche | Comisión Nacional de Energía Atómica. Unidad Ejecutora Instituto de Nanociencia y Nanotecnología. Unidad Ejecutora Instituto de Nanociencia y Nanotecnología - Nodo Bariloche; ArgentinaFil: Alejandro, Gabriela. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Ciudad Universitaria. Unidad Ejecutora Instituto de Nanociencia y Nanotecnología. Unidad Ejecutora Instituto de Nanociencia y Nanotecnología - Nodo Bariloche | Comisión Nacional de Energía Atómica. Unidad Ejecutora Instituto de Nanociencia y Nanotecnología. Unidad Ejecutora Instituto de Nanociencia y Nanotecnología - Nodo Bariloche; ArgentinaFil: Goovaerts, E.. Universiteit Antwerp; BélgicaFil: Butera, Alejandro Ricardo. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Ciudad Universitaria. Unidad Ejecutora Instituto de Nanociencia y Nanotecnología. Unidad Ejecutora Instituto de Nanociencia y Nanotecnología - Nodo Bariloche | Comisión Nacional de Energía Atómica. Unidad Ejecutora Instituto de Nanociencia y Nanotecnología. Unidad Ejecutora Instituto de Nanociencia y Nanotecnología - Nodo Bariloche; Argentina. Comisión Nacional de Energía Atómica. Gerencia del Área de Energía Nuclear. Instituto Balseiro; Argentin

The early Middle Pleistocene archeopaleontological site of Wadi Sarrat (Tunisia) and the earliest record of Bos primigenius

10.1016/j.quascirev.2014.02.01