This work has been supported by the excellence cluster &#34;The Hamburg Center for Ultrafast Imaging &#8211; Structure, Dynamics and Control of Matter at the Atomic Scale&#34; of the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft and by the Helmholtz Virtual Institute &#34;Dynamic Pathways in Multidimensional Landscapes&#34;.

1. Description of the Experimental Setup
A schematic of the gas-phase molecular beam setup and deflector is shown in Figure 221. It consists of
<ol>
	<li>A pulsed Even-Lavie valve29 containing the molecular sample. Other pulsed molecular beam valves can be used equally well as long as a cold molecular beam (O(1 K)) is formed. The following parameters are specific for the employed Even-Lavie valve. In the experiments presented here the valve is operated at 20 Hz repetition rate with high backing pressures (helium at ~50 bar) and expanded into a vacuum chamber evacuated to &#60;10-6&#160;mbar.</li>
	<li>A molecular beam skimmer (2 mm diameter) is placed 22 cm downstream from the valve, collimating the molecular beam and leading to differential pumping conditions between the pulsed valve and the rest of the vacuum system.</li>
	<li>Immediately after the skimmer the molecules enter the electrostatic deflection device. This consists of a rod (radius 3.0 mm) and a trough (radius of curvature 3.2 mm), each 24 cm long. The vertical gap between the electrodes in the center&#160;of the device is 2.3 mm. A potential difference between 0-26 kV is applied between the rod and trough, producing a strong inhomogeneous electric field with a nearly constant field gradient30, as indicated in the inset of Figure 2.</li>
	<li>Directly after the deflector molecules enter the interaction region through a second&#160;skimmer, providing a further differential pumping stage.</li>
	<li>The interaction region (evacuated to pressures &#60;10-9 mbar) contains a standard Wiley-McLaren time-of-flight (TOF) setup. Molecules are ionized by focused laser pulses in the center of the extraction region, between the repeller and extractor electrodes. Produced ions are accelerated towards a multichannel plate (MCP) detector, where a mass spectrum is recorded.</li>
	<li>Laser pulses are derived from an Nd:YAG pumped dye laser, providing typical output wavelengths around 283 nm (indole experiments) or 272 nm (3-fluorophenol experiments) and pulse energies of a few mJ. Pulse durations are on the order of 10 nsec and pulses are focused with a f = 750 mm lens to a spot size of ~100 &#956;m in the interaction region.</li>
	<li>The timing sequence is controlled by a digital delay generator providing the master clock. This triggers the Nd:YAG laser (flash lamps and Q-switch), the pulsed valve, and the digitizer card used to record mass spectra.</li>
	<li>Mass spectra are recorded on a digitizer card, triggered at the same time as the laser Q-switch. Molecular beam densities are extracted from appropriate mass gates in the recorded time-of-flight spectra.</li>
</ol>
2. Production and Characterization of a Conformer Selected Molecular Beam
<ol>
	<li>A cold molecular beam of the target molecules is created via supersonic expansion and characterized using spatial (x, y directions) and temporal (z direction) profiling.&#160;</li>
	<li>Load the sample reservoir of the pulsed valve with the chemical sample. Dissolve solid samples in an appropriate solvent and place a few drops on a small piece of filter paper which is inserted into the sample cartridge. Place liquid samples directly on the filter paper.</li>
	<li>Produce the supersonic expansion, using a high-purity high-pressure backing gas. Adjust the temperature of the sample reservoir within the valve such that the partial pressure of the sample is approximately 10 mbar. 
	Note: For liquid samples typically no heating is necessary. The valve opening time depends on the exact model of pulsed valve used, for the experiments presented here the Even-Lavie valve is operated with an electric pulse duration of 10 &#956;sec.</li>
	<li>Characterize the produced molecular beam with the electrostatic deflector turned off. Set the ionization laser to a known wavelength for resonance-enhanced multiphoton ionization (REMPI) of a particular conformer of the sample. Record a temporal profile of the molecular beam pulse by monitoring the total parent ion yield on the MCP detector as a function of valve-laser delay.</li>
	<li>Fix the valve-laser delay at the position of maximum intensity for all subsequent measurements.</li>
	<li>Record a transverse spatial profile of the molecular beam by monitoring the total parent ion yield as a function of the y position of the laser focus. Do this by moving the focusing lens perpendicular to the laser propagation direction, such that the focus moves in the y direction relative to the molecular beam.</li>
	<li>Repeat the temporal and spatial profiling for all conformers of interest in the beam. 
	Note: These typically have distinct REMPI resonances, such that each conformer can be probed separately. In the absence of a deflection field however, the temporal and spatial profiles are identical for all conformers.</li>
	<li>Characterization of the deflected beam. Turn on the high voltage supply to the deflector and record spatial profiles for all isomers. These should now be deflected according to mass-to-dipole moment ratio. 
	Note: For species undergoing large deflections it may be necessary to move the skimmer immediately following the deflector to ensure good transmission of the deflected beam into the detection region.</li>
	<li>Conduct experiments on the conformer or size-selected part of the molecular beam by ensuring the interaction (e.g.&#160;a crossing laser beam) takes place within the part of the molecular beam containing only the species of interest.</li>
</ol>

The authors have nothing to disclose.

Throughout this manuscript, familiarity with ultra-high vacuum components, pulsed molecular beam valves and laser sources is assumed and the associated safety procedures should always be adhered to. Special care needs to be taken when handling the high voltage electrodes for the deflector. Their surfaces need to be polished to a high standard and must be absolutely clean to avoid arcing inside the vacuum chamber. Before first use the electrodes should be conditioned under vacuum. The voltage applied is slowly increased and the current throug...

Modern gas-phase molecular physics and physical chemistry experiments often use supersonic expansions of target molecules to produce rotationally cold molecular samples within a molecular beam. However, even at low rotational temperatures of 1 K, which can routinely be achieved using supersonic expansions, large molecules can still remain in multiple conformations within the beam1. Similarly the production of molecular clusters in a beam source does not result in a single species, but rather in the formation of a &#34;cluster soup&#34;, containing many different cluster stoichiometries, as well as remaining pure parent molecules. This makes the study of these systems with novel techniques such as imaging of molecular orbitals2, molecular-frame photoelectron angular distributions3-5 or electron6-10 and X-ray diffraction11-13 difficult, as these require pure, consistent, and homogenous samples in the gas-phase.
While several methodologies are now available to separate different conformers of charged species in the gas-phase (e.g. ion mobility drift tubes14,15) and charged clusters are easily separated by their mass-to-charge ratio, these techniques are not applicable to neutral species. We have recently demonstrated that these issues can be overcome with the use of an electrostatic deflection device16,17, allowing the separation of molecular conformers as well as clusters and the production of rotationally cold molecular beams.
The use of electrostatic deflection is a classic molecular beam technique, the origins of which go a long way back18,19. First ideas of utilizing electrostatic deflection for the separation of quantum states were introduced by Stern in 192620. While early experiments were conducted on small molecules at high temperatures, we demonstrate the application of this technique to large polar molecules and clusters at low temperatures16,21.
Polar molecules experience a force inside an inhomogenous electric field (E) due to the spatial differences in potential energy. This force<img fo:content-width="0.25in" src="/files/ftp_upload/51137/force.jpg" width="30px" /> is dependent on the effective dipole moment, &#956;eff, of the molecule and can be evaluated as
<img src="/files/ftp_upload/51137/51137eq1.jpg" /> (1) 
As different molecular conformers typically posses different dipole moments and differing numbers of solvent molecules within a cluster lead to different cluster masses and dipole moments, these species will experience a different acceleration in the presence of a strong inhomogeneous electric field. The resulting Stark effect force from an inhomogeneous electric field can therefore be used for the separation of conformers and quantum states22. This is indicated in Figure 1, showing the calculated Stark curves for the J = 0,1,2 rotational states of the cis and trans conformers of 3-fluorophenol, respectively. This leads to large differences in &#956;eff, as shown in Figures 1c and 1d, and hence a different acceleration is experienced by the two conformers in inhomogeneous electric fields. Therefore, an electrostatic deflection device can be used as a mass-to-dipole moment ratio (m/&#956;eff) separator, in analogy to a mass spectrometer acting as a mass-to-charge ratio (m/z) filter23.
Furthermore, these techniques allow the separation of rotational quantum states24,25. As the ground rotational states (blue curves in Figures 1a and 1b) exhibit the largest Stark shift, these will be deflected most and can be spatially separated from molecules in higher J states17. The coldest part of a molecular beam can therefore be selected, significantly aiding in many applications, such as alignment and orientation of target molecules17, 26-28.
In this contribution we show how an electrostatic deflection device can be used to spatially separate different species of large polar molecules and clusters. Example data is presented for the production of a pure beam of an individual conformer and of a solute-solvent cluster of well-defined size and ratio. Specifically we present data on 3-fluorophenol, where a pure beam containing only the trans conformer is produced, and on indole-water clusters, where the indole(H2O)1 cluster can be spatially separated from water, indole, indole(H2O)2 , etc.

<table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="687">
	<colgroup>
		<col />
		<col />
		<col />
		<col />
	</colgroup>
	<tbody>
		<tr height="63">
			<td height="63" style="height:63px;width:216px;">Vacuum system</td>
			<td style="width:175px;">various, e.g. Pfeiffer Vacuum, Varian, Edwards, Leybold</td>
			<td style="width:119px;"></td>
			<td style="width:177px;"></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="63">
			<td height="63" style="height:63px;width:216px;">Dye laser system</td>
			<td style="width:175px;">various, e.g. Coherent, Spectra Physics, Syrah, LIOP-TEC, Radiant Dyes&#8230;</td>
			<td style="width:119px;"></td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:216px;">Pulsed valve</td>
			<td style="width:175px;">Even-Lavie</td>
			<td style="width:119px;"></td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:216px;">High voltage power supply</td>
			<td style="width:175px;">eg. FUG</td>
			<td style="width:119px;">HCP 14-20000</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:216px;">Deflector</td>
			<td style="width:175px;"></td>
			<td style="width:119px;"></td>
			<td>Custom made</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:216px;">Time-of-flight spectrometer</td>
			<td style="width:175px;">Jordan TOF</td>
			<td style="width:119px;">C-677</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:216px;">TOF power supply</td>
			<td style="width:175px;">Jordan TOF</td>
			<td style="width:119px;">D-603</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:216px;">Focusing lens</td>
			<td style="width:175px;">e.g. Thorlabs</td>
			<td>LA4745</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:216px;">Translation stage</td>
			<td style="width:175px;">e.g. Vision Lasertechnik</td>
			<td style="width:119px;">8MT167-25</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:216px;">Digitizer</td>
			<td style="width:175px;">e.g. Agilent</td>
			<td style="width:119px;">Acquiris DC440</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:216px;">Digital delay generator</td>
			<td style="width:175px;">e.g. Stanford Systems</td>
			<td style="width:119px;">SRS DG645</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:216px;">Molecular beam skimmer</td>
			<td style="width:175px;">Beam Dynamics Inc.</td>
			<td style="width:119px;"></td>
			<td>http://www.beamdynamicsinc.com/</td>
		</tr>
	</tbody>
</table>

spatial separation of molecular conformers and clusters

Gas-phase molecular physics and physical chemistry experiments commonly use supersonic expansions through pulsed valves for the production of cold molecular beams. However, these beams often contain multiple conformers and clusters, even at low rotational temperatures. We present an experimental methodology that allows the spatial separation of these constituent parts of a molecular beam expansion. Using an electric deflector the beam is separated by its mass-to-dipole moment ratio, analogous to a bender or an electric sector mass spectrometer spatially dispersing charged molecules on the basis of their mass-to-charge ratio. This deflector exploits the Stark effect in an inhomogeneous electric field and allows the separation of individual species of polar neutral molecules and clusters. It furthermore allows the selection of the coldest part of a molecular beam, as low-energy rotational quantum states generally experience the largest deflection. Different structural isomers (conformers) of a species can be separated due to the different arrangement of functional groups, which leads to distinct dipole moments. These are exploited by the electrostatic deflector for the production of a conformationally pure sample from a molecular beam. Similarly, specific cluster stoichiometries can be selected, as the mass and dipole moment of a given cluster depends on the degree of solvation around the parent molecule. This allows experiments on specific cluster sizes and structures, enabling the systematic study of solvation of neutral molecules.

The electrostatic deflection technique has been successfully applied to the separation of structural isomers16 and neutral clusters21, as well as the production of rotational quantum state selected molecular samples31. We demonstrate this with representative results for the separation of cis and trans conformers of 3-fluorophenol, and size selected indole(H2O)n clusters.
3-Fluorophenol conformers were separated in a molec...

Watch this Scientific Journal Video about Spatial Separation of Molecular Conformers and Clusters at JoVE.com

Spatial Separation of Molecular Conformers and Clusters

We present a technique that allows the spatial separation of different conformers or clusters present in a molecular beam. An electrostatic deflector is used to separate species by their mass-to-dipole moment ratio, leading to the production of gas-phase ensembles of a single conformer or cluster stoichiometry.

Gas-phase molecular physics and physical chemistry experiments commonly use supersonic expansions through pulsed valves for the production of cold ...

spatial-separation-of-molecular-conformers-and-clusters

Research

Education

JoVE Journal

JoVE Core

Engineering

Organic Chemistry

Physics

Unit 1

Electric Potential

Alcohols and Phenols

SCIENTISTS IN ACTION

8.8K Views.  CFEL, DESY. Presentiamo una tecnica che consente la separazione spaziale di diversi conformatori o ammassi presenti in un fascio molecolare. Un deflettore elettrostatico è usato per separare le specie dal loro rapporto massa-dipolo momento, portando alla produzione di insiemi in fase gassosa di un singolo conformere o stechiometria a grappolo.

Video: Spatial Separation of Molecular Conformers and Clusters

Molecular Beam Mass Spectrometry With Tunable Vacuum Ultraviolet (VUV) Synchrotron Radiation

Tunable soft ionization coupled to mass spectroscopy is a powerful method to investigate isolated molecules, complexes and clusters and their spectroscopy and dynamics1-4. Fundamental studies of photoionization processes of biomolecules provide information about the electronic structure of these systems. Furthermore determinations of ionization energies and other properties of biomolecules in the gas phase are not trivial, and these experiments provide a platform to generate these data. We have developed a thermal vaporization technique coupled with supersonic molecular beams that provides a gentle way to transport these species into the gas phase. Judicious combination of source gas and temperature allows for formation of dimers and higher clusters of the DNA bases. The focus of this particular work is on the effects of non-covalent interactions, i.e., hydrogen bonding, stacking, and electrostatic interactions, on the ionization energies and proton transfer of individual biomolecules, their complexes and upon micro-hydration by water1, 5-9.
We have performed experimental and theoretical characterization of the photoionization dynamics of gas-phase uracil and 1,3-dimethyluracil dimers using molecular beams coupled with synchrotron radiation at the Chemical Dynamics Beamline10 located at the Advanced Light Source and the experimental details are visualized here. This allowed us to observe the proton transfer in 1,3-dimethyluracil dimers, a system with pi stacking geometry and with no hydrogen bonds1. Molecular beams provide a very convenient and efficient way to isolate the sample of interest from environmental perturbations which in return allows accurate comparison with electronic structure calculations11, 12. By tuning the photon energy from the synchrotron, a photoionization efficiency (PIE) curve can be plotted which informs us about the cationic electronic states. These values can then be compared to theoretical models and calculations and in turn, explain in detail the electronic structure and dynamics of the investigated species 1, 3.

Molecular Beam Mass Spectrometry With Tunable Vacuum Ultraviolet VUV Synchrotron Radiation

A molecular beam coupled to tunable vacuum ultraviolet photoionization mass spectrometer at a synchrotron provides a convenient tool to explore the electronic structure of isolated gas phase molecules and clusters. Proton transfer mechanisms in DNA base dimers were elucidated with this technique.

Tunable soft ionization coupled to mass spectroscopy is a powerful method to investigate isolated molecules, complexes and clusters and their spectroscopy ...

Concurrent Quantitative Conductivity and Mechanical Properties Measurements of Organic Photovoltaic Materials using AFM

Organic photovoltaic (OPV) materials are inherently inhomogeneous at the nanometer scale. Nanoscale inhomogeneity of OPV materials affects performance of photovoltaic devices. Thus, understanding of spatial variations in composition as well as electrical properties of OPV materials is of paramount importance for moving PV technology forward.1,2 In this paper, we describe a protocol for quantitative measurements of electrical and mechanical properties of OPV materials with sub-100 nm resolution. Currently, materials properties measurements performed using commercially available AFM-based techniques (PeakForce, conductive AFM) generally provide only qualitative information. The values for resistance as well as Young's modulus measured using our method on the prototypical ITO/PEDOT:PSS/P3HT:PC61BM system correspond well with literature data. The P3HT:PC61BM blend separates onto PC61BM-rich and P3HT-rich domains. Mechanical properties of PC61BM-rich and P3HT-rich domains are different, which allows for domain attribution on the surface of the film. Importantly, combining mechanical and electrical data allows for correlation of the domain structure on the surface of the film with electrical properties variation measured through the thickness of the film.

Organic photovoltaic (OPV) materials are inherently inhomogeneous at the nanometer scale. Nanoscale inhomogeneity of OPV materials affects performance of photovoltaic devices. In this paper, we describe a protocol for quantitative measurements of electrical and mechanical properties of OPV materials with sub-100 nm resolution.

Organic photovoltaic  (OPV) materials are inherently inhomogeneous at the nanometer scale. Nanoscale  inhomogeneity of OPV materials affects performance ...

Ultrahigh Density Array of Vertically Aligned Small-molecular Organic Nanowires on Arbitrary Substrates

In recent years &pi;-conjugated organic semiconductors have emerged as the active material in a number of diverse applications including large-area, low-cost displays, photovoltaics, printable and flexible electronics and organic spin valves. Organics allow (a) low-cost, low-temperature processing and (b) molecular-level design of electronic, optical and spin transport characteristics. Such features are not readily available for mainstream inorganic semiconductors, which have enabled organics to carve a niche in the silicon-dominated electronics market. The first generation of organic-based devices has focused on thin film geometries, grown by physical vapor deposition or solution processing. However, it has been realized that organic nanostructures can be used to enhance performance of above-mentioned applications and significant effort has been invested in exploring methods for organic nanostructure fabrication.	
A particularly interesting class of organic nanostructures is the one in which vertically oriented organic nanowires, nanorods or nanotubes are organized in a well-regimented, high-density array. Such structures are highly versatile and are ideal morphological architectures for various applications such as chemical sensors, split-dipole nanoantennas, photovoltaic devices with radially heterostructured "core-shell" nanowires, and memory devices with a cross-point geometry. Such architecture is generally realized by a template-directed approach. In the past this method has been used to grow metal and inorganic semiconductor nanowire arrays. More recently &pi;-conjugated polymer nanowires have been grown within nanoporous templates. However, these approaches have had limited success in growing nanowires of technologically important &pi;-conjugated small molecular weight organics, such as tris-8-hydroxyquinoline aluminum (Alq3), rubrene and methanofullerenes, which are commonly used in diverse areas including organic displays, photovoltaics, thin film transistors and spintronics.	
Recently we have been able to address the above-mentioned issue by employing a novel "centrifugation-assisted" approach. This method therefore broadens the spectrum of organic materials that can be patterned in a vertically ordered nanowire array. Due to the technological importance of Alq3, rubrene and methanofullerenes, our method can be used to explore how the nanostructuring of these materials affects the performance of aforementioned organic devices. The purpose of this article is to describe the technical details of the above-mentioned protocol, demonstrate how this process can be extended to grow small-molecular organic nanowires on arbitrary substrates and finally, to discuss the critical steps, limitations, possible modifications, trouble-shooting and future applications.

We report a simple method for fabricating an ultrahigh density array of vertically ordered small-molecular organic nanowires. This method allows for synthesis of complex heterostructured hybrid nanowire geometries, which can be inexpensively grown on arbitrary substrates. These structures have potential applications in organic electronics, optoelectronics, chemical sensing, photovoltaics and spintronics.

In  recent years &pi;-conjugated  organic semiconductors have emerged as the active material in a number of  diverse applications including large-area, ...

Measurement and Analysis of Atomic Hydrogen and Diatomic Molecular AlO, C2, CN, and TiO Spectra Following Laser-induced Optical Breakdown

In this work, we present time-resolved measurements of atomic and diatomic spectra following laser-induced optical breakdown. A typical LIBS arrangement is used. Here we operate a Nd:YAG laser at a frequency of 10 Hz at the fundamental wavelength of 1,064 nm. The 14 nsec pulses with anenergy of 190 mJ/pulse are focused to a 50 &#181;m spot size to generate a plasma from optical breakdown or laser ablation in air. The microplasma is imaged onto the entrance slit of a 0.6 m spectrometer, and spectra are recorded using an 1,800 grooves/mm grating an intensified linear diode array and optical multichannel analyzer (OMA) or an ICCD. Of interest are Stark-broadened atomic lines of the hydrogen Balmer series to infer electron density. We also elaborate on temperature measurements from diatomic emission spectra of aluminum monoxide (AlO), carbon (C2), cyanogen (CN), and titanium monoxide (TiO).
The experimental procedures include wavelength and sensitivity calibrations. Analysis of the recorded molecular spectra is accomplished by the fitting of data with tabulated line strengths. Furthermore, Monte-Carlo type simulations are performed to estimate the error margins. Time-resolved measurements are essential for the transient plasma commonly encountered in LIBS.

Measurement and Analysis of Atomic Hydrogen and Diatomic Molecular AlO, C2, CN, and TiO Spectra Following Laser-induced Optical Breakdown

Time-resolved atomic and diatomic molecular species are measured using LIBS. The spectra are collected at various time delays following the generation of optical breakdown plasma with Nd:YAG laser radiation&#160;and are analyzed to infer electron density and temperature.

In this work, we present time-resolved measurements of atomic and diatomic spectra following laser-induced optical breakdown. A typical LIBS arrangement ...

Probing C84-embedded Si Substrate Using Scanning Probe Microscopy and Molecular Dynamics

This paper reports an array-designed C84-embedded Si substrate fabricated using a controlled self-assembly method in an ultra-high vacuum chamber. The characteristics of the C84-embedded Si surface, such as atomic resolution topography, local electronic density of states, band gap energy, field emission properties, nanomechanical stiffness, and surface magnetism, were examined using a variety of surface analysis techniques under ultra, high vacuum (UHV) conditions as well as in an atmospheric system. Experimental results demonstrate the high uniformity of the C84-embedded Si surface fabricated using a controlled self-assembly nanotechnology mechanism, represents an important development in the application of field emission display (FED), optoelectronic device fabrication, MEMS cutting tools, and in efforts to find a suitable replacement for carbide semiconductors. Molecular dynamics (MD) method with semi-empirical potential can be used to study the nanoindentation of C84-embedded Si substrate. A detailed description for performing MD simulation is presented here. Details for a comprehensive study on mechanical analysis of MD simulation such as indentation force, Young&#39;s modulus, surface stiffness, atomic stress, and atomic strain are included. The atomic stress and von-Mises strain distributions of the indentation model can be calculated to monitor deformation mechanism with time evaluation in atomistic level.

Probing C84-embedded Si Substrate Using Scanning Probe Microscopy and Molecular Dynamics

This paper reports the nanomaterial fabrication of a fullerene Si substrate inspected and verified by nanomeasurements and molecular dynamic simulation.

This paper reports an array-designed C84-embedded Si substrate fabricated using a controlled self-assembly method in an ultra-high vacuum chamber. The ...

Nanostructured Ag-zeolite Composites as Luminescence-based Humidity Sensors

Small silver clusters confined inside zeolite matrices have recently emerged as a novel type of highly luminescent materials. Their emission has high external quantum efficiencies (EQE) and spans the whole visible spectrum. It has been recently reported that the UV excited luminescence of partially Li-exchanged sodium Linde type A zeolites [LTA(Na)] containing luminescent silver clusters can be controlled by adjusting the water content of the zeolite. These samples showed a dynamic change in their emission color from blue to green and yellow upon an increase of the hydration level of the zeolite, showing the great potential that these materials can have as luminescence-based humidity sensors at the macro and micro scale. Here, we describe the detailed procedure to fabricate a humidity sensor prototype using silver-exchanged zeolite composites. The sensor is produced by suspending the luminescent Ag-zeolites in an aqueous solution of polyethylenimine (PEI) to subsequently deposit a film of the material onto a quartz plate. The coated plate is subjected to several hydration/dehydration cycles to show the functionality of the sensing film.

A protocol for the synthesis of moisture-responsive luminescent Ag-zeolite composites is described in this report.

Small silver clusters confined inside zeolite matrices have recently emerged as a novel type of highly luminescent materials. Their emission has high ...

Plasma-assisted Molecular Beam Epitaxy of N-polar InAlN-barrier High-electron-mobility Transistors

Plasma-assisted molecular beam epitaxy is well suited for the epitaxial growth of III-nitride thin films and heterostructures with smooth, abrupt interfaces required for high-quality high-electron-mobility transistors (HEMTs). A procedure is presented for the growth of N-polar InAlN HEMTs, including wafer preparation and growth of buffer layers, the InAlN barrier layer, AlN and GaN interlayers and the GaN channel. Critical issues at each step of the process are identified, such as avoiding Ga accumulation in the GaN buffer, the role of temperature on InAlN compositional homogeneity, and the use of Ga flux during the AlN interlayer and the interrupt prior to GaN channel growth. Compositionally homogeneous N-polar InAlN thin films are demonstrated with surface root-mean-squared roughness as low as 0.19 nm and InAlN-based HEMT structures are reported having mobility as high as 1,750 cm2/V&#8729;sec for devices with a sheet charge density of 1.7 x 1013 cm-2.

Molecular beam epitaxy is used to grow N-polar InAlN-barrier high-electron-mobility transistors (HEMTs). Control of the wafer preparation, layer growth conditions and epitaxial structure results in smooth, compositionally homogeneous InAlN layers and HEMTs with mobility as high as 1,750 cm2/V&#8729;sec.

Plasma-assisted molecular beam epitaxy is well suited for the epitaxial growth of III-nitride thin films and heterostructures with smooth, abrupt ...

An Analog Macroscopic Technique for Studying Molecular Hydrodynamic Processes in Dense Gases and Liquids

An analog, macroscopic method for studying molecular-scale hydrodynamic processes in dense gases and liquids is described. The technique applies a standard fluid dynamic diagnostic, particle image velocimetry (PIV), to measure: i) velocities of individual particles (grains), extant on short, grain-collision time-scales, ii) velocities of systems of particles, on both short collision-time- and long, continuum-flow-time-scales, iii) collective hydrodynamic modes known to exist in dense molecular fluids, and iv) short- and long-time-scale velocity autocorrelation functions, central to understanding particle-scale dynamics in strongly interacting, dense fluid systems. The basic system is composed of an imaging system, light source, vibrational sensors, vibrational system with a known media, and PIV and analysis software. Required experimental measurements and an outline of the theoretical tools needed when using the analog technique to study molecular-scale hydrodynamic processes are highlighted. The proposed technique provides a relatively straightforward alternative to photonic and neutron beam scattering methods traditionally used in molecular hydrodynamic studies.

An experimentally accessible analog method for studying molecular hydrodynamic processes in dense fluids is presented. The technique uses particle image velocimetry of vibrated, high-restitution grain piles and allows direct, macroscopic observation of dynamical processes known and predicted to exist in strongly interacting, high density gases and liquids.

An analog, macroscopic method for studying molecular-scale hydrodynamic processes in dense gases and liquids is described. The technique applies a ...

Fabrication of Schottky Diodes on Zn-polar BeMgZnO/ZnO Heterostructure Grown by Plasma-assisted Molecular Beam Epitaxy

Heterostructure field effect transistors (HFETs) utilizing a two dimensional electron gas (2DEG) channel have a great potential for high speed device applications. Zinc oxide (ZnO), a semiconductor with a wide bandgap (3.4 eV) and high electron saturation velocity has gained a great deal of attention as an attractive material for high speed devices. Efficient gate modulation, however, requires high-quality Schottky contacts on the barrier layer. In this article, we present our Schottky diode fabrication procedure on Zn-polar BeMgZnO/ZnO heterostructure with high density 2DEG which is achieved through strain modulation and incorporation of a few percent Be into the MgZnO-based barrier during growth by molecular beam epitaxy (MBE). To achieve high crystalline quality, nearly lattice-matched high-resistivity GaN templates grown by metal-organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) are used as the substrate for the subsequent MBE growth of the oxide layers. To obtain the requisite Zn-polarity, careful surface treatment of GaN templates and control over the VI/II ratio during the growth of low temperature ZnO nucleation layer are utilized. Ti/Au electrodes serve as Ohmic contacts, and Ag electrodes deposited on the O2 plasma pretreated BeMgZnO surface are used for Schottky contacts.

Attainment of high-quality Schottky contacts is imperative for achieving efficient gate modulation in heterostructure field effect transistors (HFETs). We present the fabrication methodology and characteristics of Schottky diodes on Zn-polar BeMgZnO/ZnO heterostructures with high-density two dimensional electron gas (2DEG), grown by plasma-assisted molecular beam epitaxy on GaN templates.

Heterostructure field effect transistors (HFETs) utilizing a two dimensional electron gas (2DEG) channel have a great potential for high speed device ...

Assembling Molecular Shuttles Powered by Reversibly Attached Kinesins

This protocol describes how to create kinesin-powered molecular shuttles with a weak and reversible attachment of the kinesins to the surface. In contrast to previous protocols, in this system, microtubules recruit kinesin motor proteins from solution and place them on a surface. The kinesins will, in turn, facilitate the gliding of the microtubules along the surface before desorbing back into the bulk solution, thus being available to be recruited again. This continuous assembly and disassembly leads to striking dynamic behavior in the system, such as the formation of temporary kinesin trails by gliding microtubules.
Several experimental methods will be described throughout this experiment: UV-Vis spectrophotometry will be used to determine the concentration of stock solutions of reagents, coverslips will first be ozone and ultraviolet (UV) treated and then silanized before being mounted into flow cells, and total internal reflection fluorescence (TIRF) microscopy will be used to simultaneously image kinesin motors and microtubule filaments.

We present a protocol to build molecular shuttles, where surface-adhered kinesin motor proteins propel dye-labelled microtubules. Weak interactions of the kinesins with the surface enables their reversible attachment to it. This creates a nanoscale system which exhibits dynamic assembly and disassembly of its components while retaining its functionality.

This protocol describes how to create kinesin-powered molecular shuttles with a weak and reversible attachment of the kinesins to the surface. In contrast ...