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La surveillance active (SA) des stades précoces des cancers de prostate (CaP) permet d’éviter le sur-traitement et ses effets secondaires associés. L’IRM multiparamétrique (IRMmp) est recommandée en standard au Royaume-Uni dans cette population. L’objectif de cette étude est de caractériser l’association des changements moléculaires avec la progression radiologique afin de trouver le moment optimal pour traiter les patients.

Highly ordered macroporous mixed metal oxides were prepared with very high mixed metal ratios using an optimized silicon alkoxide prehydrolysis process. The homogeneous solutions completely filled the interstitial voids in polymethyl methacrylate artificial opal templates. Subsequent template removal resulted in highly ordered aluminosilicate and titanosilicate inverse opal pore networks. The optimized process allowed the fabrication of periodic binary metal oxide frameworks with 2:1 Si:Al loadings and 1:1 Si:Ti loadings. The mixed metal oxides did not show any phase segregation during high-temperature template removal as evidenced by X-ray diffraction, energy-dispersive X-ray analysis, and Fourier-transform IR spectroscopy. The as-formed macroporous metal oxides demonstrate excellent substrate adherence and mechanical stability and showed refractive index modulation in direct relation to the silicon/heterometal ratio in the precursor sol.

AbstractThe development of molecular targeted anticancer drugs is rapidly changing cancer therapeutics. However, drug resistance to these novel agents remains a real clinical concern. Reports now indicate that resistance to many of these molecular targeted agents - including hormone therapies, trastuzumab, imatinib, and gefitinib - occurs via common resistance mechanisms. These include 1) inadequate target blockade due to sub-optimal drug delivery; 2) altered target expression at the DNA (gene amplification), mRNA or protein level; 3) an altered target such as a mutated kinase domain; 4) modified target regulating proteins (e.g. altered expression of coactivators and/or co-repressors for nuclear steroid hormone receptors); 5) signaling by alternative proteins (functional redundancy) or different signalling pathways. It is envisioned that the molecular evaluation of clinical anticancer drug resistance, which requires the detailed study of pharmacokinetics, pharmacogenetics and pharmacodynamics, will allow the development of rational reversal strategies and improved patient outcome.

Two Pd−Pt{111} single-crystal alloy surfaces have been prepared with 6.25% and 25% Pd bulk composition. Their surface structure and composition have been characterized both in ultrahigh vacuum (UHV) using low-energy electron diffraction (LEED), Auger electron spectroscopy (AES), and low-energy ion scattering (LEIS) and electrochemically using cyclic voltammetry (CV). Comparison has been made with the voltammetric response of Pt{111} and Pt{111} modified with a monolayer of palladium [Pd−Pt{111}]. The alloy crystals when clean and thermally annealed in UHV gave rise to sharp (1 × 1) LEED patterns. AES and LEIS revealed that a surface enrichment in palladium took place in agreement with an earlier study using polycrystalline Pd−Pt alloy samples. Gentle ion etching of the thermally equilibrated surface (to remove the selvedge region) followed by AES and LEIS analysis established that the bulk composition was in precise agreement with the nominal bulk composition expected on the basis of the amount of palladium introduced into the melt for the 25% alloy, but a slightly higher value was determined for the 6.25% alloy. Nonetheless, the veracity of the Clavilier method in producing high-quality single-crystal Pt−Pd alloy bead electrodes is confirmed. Electrochemical studies of the alloy surfaces in perchloric acid, perchloric acid containing chloride ions, and aqueous acidic copper chloride revealed a systematic and smooth gradation of voltammetric response when compared with results for Pt{111} and Pd−Pt{111}. For example, CV features associated with “Pt-like” and “Pd-like” regions can be identified readily and a scaling in their intensity can be related rather straightforwardly to the concentration of palladium in the surface.

Metallic nickel was electrodeposited from aqueous nickel(II) acetate dissolved in the lyotropic liquid crystalline phases of Brij 56 and Brij 78 surfactant templates to form metal films with hexagonal arrays of nanometer-sized channels. The applicability of these materials as inexpensive, large area and low-resistance current collectors was demonstrated by cyclic voltammetry. The redox charge capacity of the surface oxide in aqueous KOH was enhanced by 2 orders of magnitude over that of a nontemplated sample with no detectable impedance of the reaction rate.

We studied the base voltammetry of Pt(111) modified by irreversibly adsorbed Bi in both 0.1 M HClO4 and 0.1 M NaOH. By comparing the cyclic voltammograms in both electrolytes for the same Biir coverages, we found the following. (i) For highly Biir covered surfaces, significantly higher Hupd coverages are found in alkaline solution, indicating that the Hupd charge cannot be unambiguously correlated to the Biir coverage. (ii) In line with our previous model of enhanced adsorption of OHad on Pt sites adjacent to Biir, we also propose the enhanced formation of surface oxide layers on Pt(111)−Biir electrodes. CO stripping experiments on surfaces with different Biir surface coverages in perchloric acid showed that on a highly Bi covered Pt(111) surface the CO oxidation starts at higher potentials than on a surface with lower Bi coverage. This finding implies that in the Langmuir−Hinshelwood surface reaction for CO oxidation both reaction partners compete for the same adsorption sites, that is, Pt(111)−Biir does not represent a bifunctional surface.

The combination of electrochemical methods with the use of well-defined kinked metal surfaces allows the experimentalist to examine many fundamental aspects of asymmetric reactions at solid surfaces in a new and detailed manner. For example, by systematically changing both the stereogenic center on a particular chemisorbing molecule and also the molecular architecture of the metal surface, relationships between adsorption geometry and reactive sites on the metal surface may be deduced. In addition, by measuring the differential rate of chemisorption of chiral auxiliaries on R and S metal surfaces insights in to the mechanism of the so-called “Orito” reaction (whereby enantioselective hydrogenation of α-ketoesters is observed) may be deduced. In the present article, a brief resumé of the relevant electrochemical and heterogeneous catalysis literature is expounded together with an analysis of the problem of chirality in two dimensions in order to show that, by utilizing an electrochemical surface science approach, the nature of asymmetric surface reactivity my be tackled in a systematic and accessible manner. Important questions regarding the surface stability or otherwise of chiral modifiers under reaction conditions may be addressed together with the relevance of surface structure in the chemisorption of such species. Some conclusions regarding the mechanism of the Orito reaction on the basis of new experimental data are discussed.

The lyotropic mesophases formed by the “amphitropic” surfactant triethylammoniodecyloxycyanobiphenyl bromide in water have been studied using optical microscopy, X-ray diffraction, and NMR. Only a lamellar mesophase occurs, but this has a wide temperature and composition range. There is a marked decrease in the estimated bilayer thickness (decrease in alkyl chain “ordering”, increase of micelle surface curvature) with an increase of temperature, particularly at the lower surfactant concentrations. This is likely to arise from the occurrence of a defect-full lamellar phase with water-filled holes rather than a conventional structure with continuous bilayers. The influence on the liquid crystals of added thermotropic mesogens (pentylcyanobiphenyl and heptyloxycyanobiphenyl) has been compared with that of a conventional alkane, hexane. The mesogenic additives stabilize the (defective) lamellar phase, while hexane destabilizes it. The phase behavior and the NMR and the X-ray data all suggest that in the mesophase there are significant anisotropic attractive interactions between the oxycyanobiphenyl moieties, which are increased when the mesogenic additives are present. Some pointers for future directions in the search for true amphitropic mesophases are given.

The influence of added electrolytes (NaBr, NaCl, Na2SO4, Na3PO4, Na2HPO4, NaSCN) on the lyotropic mesophase behavior of triethylammoniodecyloxycyanobipenyl bromide (OCB-C10NEt3) has been studied using optical microscopy, X-ray diffraction, and NMR. Optical microscopy was employed to map the existence regions of the lamellar mesophase, while X-ray diffraction gave its interaggregate dimensions, and NMR was employed to monitor water ordering. Only lamellar and micellar phases have been observed. In all of the electrolytes except NaSCN, partial miscibility of surfactant and water is induced above a certain concentration. This usually involves the separation of a dilute surfactant solution from a more concentrated one. It does not occur within the extensive lamellar phase region. X-ray diffraction and NMR results demonstrate that the major influence of the electrolytes is to reduce the area per headgroup within the aggregates. The effects of the electrolytes follow the Hofmeister series and are attributed to adsorption or desorption of anions at the aggregate surface rather than to changes in “water structure”. Sodium thiocyanate causes the occurrence of a “re-entrant” isotropic phase, in part because the lamellar phase is stabilized to low concentrations. The displacement of OCB groups from the micellar surface by SCN ions is suggested to account for this, which, if valid, offers a potential route to obtaining true amphitropic mesophases (i.e., materials with both thermotropic and lyotropic liquid crystalline order).

The electro-oxidation of d- and l-glucose has been investigated using the chiral electrode Pt{643}^R and its enantiomorph Pt{643}^S. Both electrodes are demonstrated to be enantioselective. We ascribe this behavior to the inherent (left or right) “handedness” of kink sites present at the surface. In contrast, no difference in d- and l-glucose oxidation could be detected using stepped Pt{211} and Pt{332} electrodes. Stepped surfaces are achiral, since they lack the prerequisite necessary for the observation of chirality, namely kink sites. For Pt{531}, a surface which contains only kink sites, a diastereomeric product excess of ~80% is estimated for d- and l-glucose oxidation. This compares with a value of ~60% for Pt{643}. Hence, the chiral discrimination appears to scale with the surface density of kink sites. These findings constitute the first experimental proof that chiral discrimination is an intrinsic property of kinked single-crystal surfaces.

Nanostructured platinum films were electrodeposited onto microelectrodes from an hexagonal lyotropic liquid crystalline plating mixture. Cyclic voltammetry in dilute sulfuric acid and copper underpotential deposition confirmed that the resulting platinum films had high surface areas (with roughness factors of ca. 210) as a direct consequence of their electrochemically accessible nanostructure. The microelectrodes were shown to combine a high real surface area with efficient mass transport characteristics. This combination of properties is unique and may be of significance to the fields of electrochemistry and electroanalysis.

A systematic investigation into the effects of deposition conditions on the electrochemical properties and nanostructure of high surface area (up to ~460 m² cm^-3) mesoporous platinum films (HI-ePt) obtained by electroreduction of hexachloroplatinic acid (HCPA) from an hexagonal lyotropic liquid crystalline phase is reported. The surface area, repeat distance, and regularity of the nanostructure and the surface morphology of the films were shown to depend on the deposition conditions. In particular, the deposition potential was found to have a notable effect on the film surface area and on the uniformity of nanostructure. The results obtained are explained by variations in the efficiency of the deposition process and the relative contributions of competing reactions. Increasing the temperature of electrodeposition was found to increase significantly the surface areas of the films and to increase the repeat distance of the nanostructure. In addition, a roughening of the films on both a micro- and a nanometer scale was observed with an increase in temperature. We also found that the thickness of the electrodeposited films scaled linearly and that the volumetric surface area was constant, with the charge passed during the electrodeposition process, indicating uniform accessibility of the pore system.

The temperature dependence of the enantioselective adsorption of d- and l-glucose on a chiral Pt{643}^S electrode is reported. The contribution to the electro-oxidation current of the initial adsorption of the glucose molecule on {111} terrace sites is used to determine a difference in the activation energy of adsorption between d- and l-glucose on Pt{643}^S. A value of approximately 1.4 kJ mol^-1 is obtained. When this value is converted into a diastereomeric product ratio, the mole percentage of the major product is evaluated as being 64%. Although small, it is speculated that optimization of the average terrace width of the chiral electrode surface will lead to an increase in the stereoselectivity of the reaction. These measurements constitute the first quantitative determination of enantiomeric selectivity at a metal electrode in the absence of a chiral promoter.

A new series of side-chain liquid crystal copolymers has been prepared, poly[4-[[[[[(4-methoxyphenyl)azo]phenyl-4]oxy]-8-octyl]oxy]styrene]-co-poly[4-[[α-[[[(4-nitrophenyl)azo]phenyl-4]oxy]-ω-alkyl]oxy]styrene]s, containing electron rich and electron deficient mesogenic groups. The length of the spacer attached to the electron rich group, 4-methoxyazobenzene, is held at 8 methylene units, while that attached to the electron deficient group, 4-nitroazobenzene, is varied in length from 3 to 12 methylene units. The thermal properties of the polymers have been characterized using polarized light microscopy and differential scanning calorimetry. All the copolymers exhibit a smectic A phase. The thermal properties of the copolymers are compared with those of the corresponding homopolymers. The glass transition temperatures of the copolymers are typically within experimental error of the weighted average of those of the respective homopolymers. By contrast, the smectic A−isotropic transition temperatures of the copolymers are significantly higher than the average of those of the corresponding homopolymers. These differences are expressed as reduced deviations and rationalized in terms of a specific interaction between the unlike mesogenic units in the copolymer.

We have synthesized two series of gemini diammonium surfactants with chain terminating p-oxycyanobiphenyl (OCB) groups (I) or conventional structures (II). The thermotropic mesomorphic behavior of series II has been examined using optical microscopy, differential scanning calorimetry, and X-ray diffraction. All the compounds form one or more smectic phases, at least one of which resembles the smectic T (ST) phase reported by Alami et al. (Liq. Cryst., 1993, 13, 201), where the ionic headgroups form an ordered array, but the chains have some disorder. The exact chain packing differs from that of the ST structure. The lyotropic mesophases formed with water have been investigated for both I and II by optical microscopy and X-ray diffraction (I only). Series II compounds form hexagonal (H1), intermediate (INT) and/or cubic (V1) and lamellar (Lα) phases; the size of the spacer group (m) has little influence on this. The OCB compounds all form Lα as the only lyotropic mesophase. These results show that the insertion of the rigid terminal OCB moiety has a much larger influence on mesophase structure (and by implication on micelle shape) than the spacer group for m ≤ 6.

Details of the transitional properties of four homologous series of U-shaped liquid crystal materials, the benzene-1,2-di-(4-carboxyalkoxybenzylidene-4-n-alkylanilines), are presented. The spacers incorporate 3 to 6 methylene units, whilst terminal aliphatic chain lengths are varied from 1 to 12 units. Members of the two homologous series with an odd number of methylene units in the spacer form nematic and smectic phases as a function of terminal chain length. Materials with an even number of methylene units in the spacer are purely smectogenic, and in both series the first two homologues form only smectic B phases. For all four series the higher homologues show the phase sequence SF/I-SC-SA-I. X-ray diffraction studies have shown that these smectic phases are composed of molecules arranged in bilayers.

We show that the dielectric loss spectra of the planarly-aligned nematic phase of a liquid-crystalline siloxane side-chain polymer consist of a single broad curve, as predicted by theory.

It is shown that dielectric relaxation spectroscopy provides a convenient means of studying the anisotropic reorientational dynamics of the mesogenic head groups in thermotropic liquid-crystalline side chain polymers. Their alignment behaviour in directing a.c. electric fields of different amplitudes and frequencies is examined, and samples having a macroscopic alignment which is fully homeotropic, fully planar or any desired intermediate alignment have been prepared. The nature and extent of alignment in such samples has been determined by dielectric spectroscopy. In addition both the temperature and pressure variations of the average dielectric relaxation times for certain relaxation processes have been determined and a bulk alignment phenomenon in the absence of a directing electric field is reported.

Lead(II) salts of aliphatic diacetylenic carboxylic acids are found to form highly ordered smectic phases which thermodynamic data indicate are similar to those reported for the saturated lead(II)alkanoates. At room temperature the materials exist as glassy mesophases which can be readily polymerized by U.V. radiation to yield highly coloured poly(diacetylenes).

Two series of asymmetric dimers, the α-(4-n-butylanilinebenzylidene-4'-oxy)-ω-(4-nitroazobenzene-4'-oxy) alkanes and the α (4-dimethylaminoanilinebenzyl-idene-4'-oxy)-ω-(4-nitroazobenzene-4'-oxy)alkanes have been synthesized. Their thermal properties are compared with those of the symmetric dimers, the α,ω-bis(4-nitroazobenzene-4'-oxy)alkanes and the αω-bis(4-n-butylanilinebenzyl-idene-4'-oxy)alkanes. The asymmetric dimers exhibit a semectic A phase for which the ratio of the layer spacing to the molecular length is approximately 0.5; this is thought to imply an intercalated structure in which different parts of the molecule interleave. We propose that this structure is stabilized by a charge transfer interaction.

The first twelve members of the n-alkyl 2,5-bis-(4'-cyanobiphenyloxybutyloxy)-benozates have been prepared. The compounds are nematogenic; in addition the first three members exhibit a smectic A phase. The nematic-isotropic transition temperatures decrease with little or no alternation on increasing the number of methylene groups in the lateral chain; this is analogous to the behaviour found in monomeric and polymeric mesogens possessing lateral alkyl chains.

The changes that occur in the amplitudes and shapes of the dielectric loss spectra for a nematogenec side-chain siloxane polymer on going form the nemative to the isotropic phase via the biphasic region, and on going ffrom the unaligned to the homeotropically aligned mesophase are described.

It is shown how the broad and asymmetric dielectric loss spectra obtained for a nematogenic side-chain siloxane polymer can be fitted by the superposition of two Fuoss-Kirkwood curves. The degree of director alignment and the second rank orientational order parameters of the sample are estimated by relating the intensities of the two curves to the intensities of the loss processes as given by the generalization of the Nordio-Rigatti-Segre theory to the case of arbitrary director alignment. It appears that the nematic phase of the material studied has a high degree of planar director alignment and that the order parameters are much smaller than those observed for low molar mass nematogens.

A series of side-chain liquid crystal copolymers have been prepared based on a polystyrene backbone and having 4-nitro-4'-oxyazobenzenealkyloxy and 4-methoxy-4'-oxyazobenzenealkyloxy pendant groups. All the polymers exhibit solely smectic behaviour. The thermal stability of the smectic phase is significantly enhanced in the copolymers when compared to the homopolymers. This is compared to the behaviour of the analogous monomeric compounds. The enhancement of the thermal stability is attributed to a specific interaction, possibly charge transfer.

The thermotropic mesomorphism of tetrakis(μ-(2,2-(dioctyl(acetato))-O,O')bis-[copper(II)] has been investigated by optical microscopy and X-ray diffraction. This compound was found to form a hexagonal discotic phase analogous to those reported for the copper(II) salts of n-alkanoic acids, but in contrast to these materials the mesophase of the branched chain compound was found to extend to below room temperature. Complexation of the copper(II) branched chain carboxylate with the difunctional ligands pyrazine and 4,4'-dipyridyl resulted in liquid-crystalline materials whose mesophase structure could not be established. The possibility of these complexes existing as polymeric/oligomeric entities is discussed.

The isotropic phase of nematogenic liquid crystals exhibits strong pretransitional behaviour which diverges rapidly as the transition to the nematic phase is approached. Similarly nematogenic mixtures also show pronounced pretransitional effects although these can be dramatically reversed on the formation of the biphasic regime when isotropic and nematic phases coexist. Here we develop a theory for such effects using approximations taken from previous molecular field theories of nematogenic mixtures. In particular we consider the composition dependence of the divergence temperature for binary nematogenic mixtures and its relation to those of the pure components. A variety of mixtures with particles of different shape are treated, namely rods and spheres, laths and spheres, rods and rods, as well as rods and laths. We also predict the temperature dependence of the field-induced order parameters, often used to monitor pretransitional behaviour, for certain mixtures in both the homogeneous isotropic phase and the subsequent biphasic regime. The predictions of the theory are found to be in good accord with those investigations of pretransitional behaviour which are available for nematogenic mixtures.

Six series of a family of non-symmetric dimers, the α-(4-cyanobiphenyl-4'-yloxy)-ω-(4-n-alkylanilinebenzylidene-4'-oxy)alkanes, have been prepared. In three of the series, the number of methylene groups in the flexible alkyl spacer has been varied from 3 to 12 while the terminal alkyl chain is held constant at either 2, 6 or 10. In the remaining series, the effect of increasing the terminal chain length has been studied by holding the spacer length constant at 3, 4 or 5 methylene units while varying the length of the terminal chain from 0 to 10 carbon atoms. The phase behaviour and transitional properties of these series have been investigated using optical microscopy and differential scanning calorimetry, while the structures of the mesophases have been studied using X-ray diffraction on both powder and aligned samples. This study has revealed novel phase behaviour involving intercalated smectic phases stabilized by the mixed mesogenic group interaction. We have identified the first examples of intercalated smectic C, smectic I, crystal B and crystal J phases and have assigned the layer stacking sequences in the crystal B phases. An extension to the current nomenclature used to describe smectic phases is proposed in order to include these new structural modifications such that, for example, SAc, refers to the intercalated smectic A phase. The specific interaction between the two unlike groups has a much smaller influence on the nematic-isotropic transition temperatures than it has on the structures of the smectic phases. Quantitative estimates of the nematic-isotropic transition temperatures based on the Marcelja-Luckhurst theory provide further evidence for a specific interaction between the unlike mesogenic groups. Finally, the thermal behaviour of binary mixtures of the analogous symmetric dimers is also found to be governed by the mixed core interaction and intercalated smectic phases are observed in these mixtures.

We have studied the lyotropic liquid-crystalline behaviour of cationic surfactants containing a potentially thermotropic moiety, a terminal cyanobiphenyloxy group. Both mono-alkyl and mid-chain substituted dialkyl surfactants have been examined using optical microscopy and NMR spectroscopy. Incorporation of the cyanobiphenyloxy group destabilizes the hexagonal and bicontinuous cubic phases, with only an extensive lamellar region being observed. For the dialkyl surfactant there is a range of compositions where two lamellar phases co-exist, one water-rich and the second surfactant-rich.

The underpotential deposition (UPD) of copper has been used to characterize the structure of palladium films supported on Pt(111). Depending upon the nature of the anions in solution (HSO4^-, Cl^-, Br^-), a variety of adsorption behaviors are revealed. In pure sulfuric acid, palladium islands give rise to copper stripping peaks some 100−150 mV negative of the copper desorption states associated with Pt(111). As already deduced from hydrogen electrosorption measurements, palladium islands form at coverages of palladium <1 monolayer (mL), and long-range (111) order is preserved within regions of the surface free of palladium, even at coverages close to the completion of the first monolayer. The palladium films themselves are stable up to 0.6 V (Cu²⁺/Cu), but desorption is facilitated at 0.8 V (Cu²⁺/Cu), leaving behind a somewhat disordered Pt/Pd phase. In contrast, copper UPD in the presence of strongly adsorbing anions (Cl^-, Br^-) leads to a much narrower range of stability [0.3 V (Cu²⁺/Cu)] for the palladium film although, from inspection of copper UPD data, island growth of palladium for θPd < 1 mL is again implied with significant preservation of long-range Pt(111) order. It is reported that desorption of multilayer palladium films may be catalyzed by Cl^- and Br^- anions, resulting ultimately in a highly ordered palladium monolayer. Further oxidative desorption of the ordered palladium monolayer produces new copper adsorption states associated with place exchange between the halide and the palladium monolayer and also copper UPD onto the resulting Cu−Pd surface alloy. Repetitive potential cycles between 0.1 and 0.8 V (Cu²⁺/Cu) transform all palladium islands into a Cu−Pd surface alloy. Further oxidative desorption beyond this stage generates a disordered copper-rich Cu−Pd alloy phase and palladium-free regions of Pt(111). After complete desorption of palladium, the UPD voltammogram of Pt(111)−copper is fully restored with no evidence of surface perturbation having occurred. The relevance of these findings in the context of halide-catalyzed dissolution of palladium surfaces is discussed.

Sidechain liquid-crystalline polymers were prepared by the derivatization of three poly(4-hydroxystyrene) fractions of different molecular weights (Mw = 1.0 × 104, 2.2 × 104 and 3.0 × 104). 4-Cyanoazobenzene and 4-cyanobiphenyl were incorporated as mesogenic groups with ether-linked methylene spacers of varying length. The polymers all exhibited a smectic A phase, with the exception of the propyl member of the cyanobiphenyl series for which no liquid-crystalline behavior was observed. For short spacers the thermal properties were insensitive to molecular weight changes in the backbone, whereas small but consistent differences in the transition temperatures and entropies were observed as the number of methylene groups in the spacer increased.

Les données de l’essai prosper ont été analysées pour déterminer (a) le lien entre le délai de détérioration de la qdv et la réponse de l’antigène prostatique spécifique (psa) et (b) l’association entre la qdv et la survie sans métastase (mfs).

The effect of hexachloroplatinic acid (HCPA) on the liquid crystalline phase boundaries of ternary systems containing a nonionic surfactant and water was investigated. The temperature and composition ranges of the liquid crystalline phases were affected dramatically by the presence of HCPA. In particular it was found that the presence of the platinum compound enhanced significantly the stability of the more highly curved phases (I1 micellar cubic and HI phases).

Direct liquid crystal templating from non-ionic polyoxyethylene surfactants has been utilised to produce well-defined birefringent films of nanostructured cadmium telluride films which displayed good optical properties as evidenced by UV/VIS reflectance spectroscopy.

Direct liquid crystal templating from non-ionic polyoxyethylene surfactants has been utilised to produce well-defined birefringent films of nanostructured cadmium telluride films which displayed good optical properties as evidenced by UV/VIS reflectance spectroscopy.

Classification of the active surface sites of platinum catalysts responsible for low temperature N₂O decomposition, in terms of steps, kinks and terraces, has been achieved by controlled addition of bismuth to as-received platinum/graphite catalysts.