Search

This study reports on the potential-induced charge and mass transfer between an ultrathin polypyrrole (PPy) film and an electrolyte by simultaneous in situ X-ray reflectivity (XRR) and electrochemistry (EC) utilizing their sensitivity to electrons. An about 30 nm thin PPy film was deposited on a silicon single crystal by fast potential cycling, providing a dense film of an extraordinary small surface roughness. XRR was recorded from the PPy film in an aqueous 0.1 M perchloric acid at electric potentials between −0.2 V and +0.5 V vs Ag/AgCl. The PPy film shows typical reversible and linear changes in film thickness and electron density arising from the potential-dependent electrolyte incorporation. By introducing EC-XRR, a comprehensive analysis combining in situ XRR and EC, the net number of electrons passing through the PPy-electrolyte interface was deduced along with the potential-induced thickness variations, indicating a complex exchange mechanism. Evidently, along with the anion transfer, parallel charge compensation by protons and a volume and electron compensating counterflow of solvent molecules take place. Complementary time-dependent EC-XRR scans indicate that these exchange mechanisms are individual in two potential ranges. The low actuation along with a high pseudocapacitance suggest the fast potentiodynamically deposited PPy film as a promising supercapacitor material.

Copper oxide (CuO) nanofibres are utilised to sense the toxic and abrasive gas hydrogen sulfide (H2S) in the ppm (parts per million) range. The detection by CuO is based on a significant increase in the conductance upon the formation of CuS, and is thereby selective and sensitive towards H2S. Nanofibres outperform thin films of CuO by compensating the volumetric stress which occurs during sensing. Here, sensors are presented exhibiting up to 600 cycles of sensing and regeneration. To get further insights into the degradation of the fibres upon the reaction with H2S the sensors were analysed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), resistance and linear sweep voltammetry (LSV) measurements before and after cycling. SEM and TEM revealed a drastic change in morphology of the CuO fibres resulting in an undefined aggregate of nanoparticles after 600 cycles. Resistance and LSV measurements showed that the contacting and the measurement process itself are crucial factors for optimising long-term use of CuO-based H2S sensors.

A structural characterisation of the first [01-15] grown 6H SiC crystals is presented. They show a different micro domain structure outside the facetted region as compared to conventionally [0001] grown crystals. It is imposed by the reduced rotational symmetry for this direction which favours the activation of a low number of glide systems.

Not Available

Not Available

Not Available

Not Available

Not Available

The Lp(a) lipoprotein is a complex particle composed of a low density lipoprotein (LDL)-like lipoprotein and the disulfide bonded Lp(a) glycoprotein. The complex represents a quantitative genetic trait. SDS gel electrophoresis under reducing conditions of sera followed by immunoblotting with affinity-purified polyclonal anti-Lp(a) demonstrated inter-and intra-individual size heterogeneity of the glycoprotein with apparent Mr in the range 400–700 kDa. According to their relative mobilities compared to apo B-100 the Lp(a) patterns were categorized into phenotypes F, B, S1, S2, S3 und S4 and into the respective double-band phenotypes. This size heterogeneity seems to be controlled by multiple alleles designated LpF, LpB, LpS1, LpS2, LpS3, LpS4 and a null allele (Lpo) at a single locus. Phenotype frequencies observed in 441 unrelated subjects were in good agreement with those expected from the genetic hypothesis. Comparison of Lp(a) lipoprotein concentrations in the different phenotypes revealed a highly significant association of phenotypes B, S1 and S2 with high, and phenotypes S3 und S4 with intermediate Lp(a) concentrations. A third mode is represented by the null phenotype were no Lp(a) band is detected upon immunoblotting and Lp(a) lipoprotein is low or absent. We conclude that the same gene locus is involved in determining Lp(a) glycoprotein phenotype and Lp(a) lipoprotein concentrations in plasma. This major gene seems to be the Lp(a) glycoprotein structural gene locus.