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The use of sequential catalytic growth (SCG) to encapsulate iron, nickel-iron and iron-cobalt phosphide catalyst nanoparticles periodically along the entire lengths of carbon nanotubes is demonstrated. The results show that the SCG mechanism can be used to grow carbon nanotubes that contain regularly spaced room-temperature-ferromagnetic nanoparticles.

The morphological changes in the F-11 neuroblastoma cell line cause differences in gangloside composition especially GD3 and O-acetylated GD3. The F-11 neuroblastoma cells are obtained from hybridization of a mouse neuroblastoma cell line and embryonic rat dorsal root ganglion cells. The formation of gangliosides in the cells can be controlled by the introduction of a foreign gene, which provides an important method for determining the biological function of gangliosides.

An innovative approach is described for the production of single-crystal iron oxide nanorings by using a solution-based route. An easily scaled-up method is described for preparing tailor-made iron oxide nanorings that have met the demands of a variety of applications ranging from medicine to magnetoelectronics.

The off-axis electron holography is employed to study the properties and structure of the magnetic nanomaterials. The magnetic nature of magnetotactic bacteria, magnetic nanoparticle chains and chiral bracelets is also studied.

We present an innovative approach to the production of single-crystal iron oxide nanorings employing a solution-based route. Single-crystal hematite (α-Fe[sub2]O[sub3]) nanorings were synthesized using a double anion-assisted hydrothermal method (involving phosphate and sulfate ions), which can be divided into two stages: (1) formation of capsule-shaped α-Fe[sub2]O[sub3] nanoparticles and (2) preferential dissolution along the long dimension of the elongated nanoparticles (the c axis of α-Fe[sub2]O[sub3]) to form nanorings. The shape of the nanorings is mainly regulated by the adsorption of phosphate ions on faces parallel to c axis of α-Fe[sub2]O[sub3] during the nanocrystal growth, and the hollow structure is given by the preferential dissolution of the α-Fe[sub2]O[sub3] along the c axis due to the strong coordination of the sulfate ions. By varying the ratios of phosphate and sulfate ions to ferric ions, we were able to control the size, morphology, and surface architecture to produce a variety of three-dimensional hollow nanostructures. These can then be converted to magnetite (Fe[sub3]O[sub4]) and maghemite (γ-Fe[sub2]O[sub3]) by a reduction or reduction-oxidation process while preserving the same morphology. The structures and magnetic properties of these single-crystal α-Fe[sub2]O[sub3], Fe[sub3]O[sub4], and γ-Fe[sub2]O[sub3] nanorings were characterized by various analytical techniques. Employing off-axis electron holography, we observed the classical single-vortex magnetic state in the thin magnetite nanorings, while the thicker rings displayed an intriguing three-dimensional magnetic configuration. This work provides an easily scaled-up method for preparing tailor-made iron oxide nanorings that could meet the demands of a variety of applications ranging from medicine to magnetoelectronics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hydrogen silsesquioxane ([HSiO 3/2 ] n )-based "spin-on-glass" has been deposited on a 316L substrate and cured in Ar/H 2 gas atmosphere at 600 °C to form a continuous surface coating with submicrometer thickness. The coating functionality depends primarily on the adhesion to the substrate, which is largely affected by the chemical interaction at the interface between the coating and the substrate. We have investigated this interface by transmission electron microscopy and electron energy loss spectroscopy. The analysis identified a 5-10 nm thick interaction zone containing signals from O, Si, Cr, and Fe. Analysis of the energy loss near edge structure of the present elements identified predominantly signal from [SiO 4 ] 4- units together with Fe 2+ , Cr 2+ , and traces of Cr 3+ . High-resolution transmission electron microscopy images of the interface region confirm a crystalline Fe 2 SiO 4 interfacial region. In agreement with computational thermodynamics, it is proposed that the spin-on-glass forms a chemically bonded silicate-rich interaction zone with the substrate. It was further suggested that this zone is composed of a corundum-type oxide at the substrate surface, followed by an olivine-structure intermediate phase and a spinel-type oxide in the outer regions of the interfacial zone.

We synthesized [2]rotaxanes with a pyrrole moiety from a [2]rotaxane with a 1,3-diynyl moiety. The conversion of the 1,3-diynyl moiety of the axle component to the pyrrole moiety was accomplished by a Cu-mediated cycloaddition of anilines. The cycloaddition reaction was accelerated when the [2]rotaxane was used as the substrate. The effect of the structure of the pyrrole moiety on the rate of the shuttling was studied.

Rotacatenane is an interlocked compound composed of two mechanically interlocked macrocyclic components, i.e., a [2]catenane, and one axle component. In this paper we describe the selective synthesis of isomeric rotacatenanes. Two [2]rotaxanes with different phenanthroline moieties were synthesized by the oxidative coupling of an alkyne with a bulky blocking group, which proceeded in the cavity of the macrocyclic phenanthroline-Cu complex. The metal template method was used to install another cyclic component: the tetrahedral Cu(I) complex, which was composed of a [2]rotaxane and an acyclic phenanthroline derivative, was synthesized, and the cyclization of the phenanthroline derivative gave the rotacatenane. The sequential isomers of rotacatenanes were distinguished by (1)H and (13)C NMR spectroscopy.

[3]Rotaxanes with two axle components and one ring component were synthesized by the combination of a coupling reaction using a transition-metal catalyst and a metal-template approach. Thus, [2]rotaxanes were prepared by the oxidative dimerization of alkyne promoted by macrocyclic phenanthroline-CuI complexes. The [2]rotaxane was reacted with a Cu(I) salt and an acyclic ligand to generate a tetrahedral Cu(I) complex. Metal-free [3]rotaxane was isolated by the end-capping reaction of the acyclic ligand, followed by the removal of Cu(I) ion. The stability of the tetrahedral Cu(I) complexes depended on the size of both the ring component and the acyclic ligand, which was correlated with the yield of the corresponding [3]rotaxane.

The discovery of two-dimensional electron gases (2DEGs) in SrTiO3-based heterostructures provides new opportunities for nanoelectronics. Herein, we create a new type of oxide 2DEG by the epitaxial-strain-induced polarization at an otherwise nonpolar perovskite-type interface of CaZrO3/SrTiO3. Remarkably, this heterointerface is atomically sharp and exhibits a high electron mobility exceeding 60,000 cm(2) V(-1) s(-1) at low temperatures. The 2DEG carrier density exhibits a critical dependence on the film thickness, in good agreement with the polarization induced 2DEG scheme.

A polyamide containing N-methylpyrrole (Py) and N-methylimidazole (Im), designated PIPA, binds with high affinity and specificity to specific nucleotide sequences in the minor groove of double-helical DNA. Based on a recent report of the synthesis of PIPA for telomere visualization, the present paper focused on the size of the connecting part (hinge region) of two PIPA segments of the tandem hairpin PIPA, Dab(Im-Im-Py)-Py-Py-Py-Im-[Hinge]-Dab(Im-Im-Py)-Py-Py-Py-Im-βAla-NH(CH2)3N(CH3)-(CH2)3NH-[Dye]. The present paper also describes the characterization of binding by measuring the thermal melting temperature and surface plasmon resonance and by specific staining of telomeres (TTAGGG)n in human cells. Microheterogeneity was also investigated by high-resolution mass spectrometry. We found that the optimal compound as the hinge segment for telomere staining was [-NH(C2H4O)2(C2H4)CO-] with tetramethylrhodamine as the fluorescent dye.

Control of the local magnetic fields desirable for spintronics and quantum information technology is not well developed. Existing methods produce either moderately small local fields or one field orientation. We present designs of patterned magnetic elements that produce remanent fields of 50 mT (potentially 200 mT) confined to chosen, submicrometer regions in directions perpendicular to an external initializing field. A wide variety of magnetic-field profiles on nanometer scales can be produced with the option of applying electric fields, for example, to move a quantum dot between regions where the magnetic-field direction or strength is different. We have confirmed our modeling by measuring the fields in one design using electron holography.