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    Dynamic Light Scattering on Nanoparticles in Microgravity in a Drop Tower
    (Heidelberg : Springer, 2022) Pyttlik, Andrea; Kuttich, Björn; Kraus, Tobias
    Gravity affects colloidal dispersions via sedimentation and convection. We used dynamic light scattering (DLS) to quantify the mobility of nanoparticles on ground and in microgravity. A DLS instrument was adapted to withstand the accelerations in a drop tower, and a liquid handling set-up was connected in order to stabilize the liquid temperature and enable rapid cooling or heating. Light scattering experiments were performed in the drop tower at ZARM (Bremen, Germany) during a microgravity interval of 9.1 s and compared to measurements on ground. Particle dynamics were analyzed at constant temperature and after a rapid temperature drop using a series of DLS measurements with 1 s integration time. We observed nanoparticles with average gold core diameters of 7.8 nm and non-polar oleylamine shells that were dispersed in tetradecane and had an average hydrodynamic diameter of 21 nm. The particles did not change their diameter in the observed temperature range. The particle dynamics inferred from DLS on ground and in microgravity were in good agreement, demonstrating the possibility to perform reliable DLS measurements in a drop tower.
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    Rhodamine 6G and 800 intermolecular heteroaggregates embedded in PMMA for near-infrared wavelength shifting
    (London [u.a.] : RSC, 2022) Castillo-Seoane, Javier; Gonzalez-Garcia, Lola; Obrero-Perez, José M.; Aparicio, Francisco J.; Borrás, Ana; González-Elipe, Agustín R.; Barranco, Ángel; Sanchez-Valencia, Juan R.
    The opto-electronic properties of small-molecules and functional dyes usually differ when incorporated into solid matrices with respect to their isolated form due to an aggregation phenomenon that alters their optical and fluorescent properties. These spectroscopic modifications are studied in the framework of the exciton theory of aggregates, which has been extensively applied in the literature for the study of molecular aggregates of the same type of molecules (homoaggregation). Despite the demonstrated potential of the control of the heteroaggregation process (aggregation of different types of molecules), most of the reported works are devoted to intramolecular aggregates, complex molecules formed by several chromophores attached by organic linkers. The intramolecular aggregates are specifically designed to hold a certain molecular structure that, on the basis of the exciton theory, modifies their optical and fluorescent properties with respect to the isolated chromophores that form the molecule. The present article describes in detail the incorporation of Rhodamine 6G (Rh6G) and 800 (Rh800) into polymeric matrices of poly-(methyl methacrylate), PMMA. The simultaneous incorporation of both dyes results in an enhanced fluorescent emission in the near-infrared (NIR), originating from the formation of ground-state Rh6G–Rh800 intermolecular heteroaggregates. The systematic control of the concentration of both rhodamines provides a model system for the elucidation of the heteroaggregate formation. The efficient energy transfer between Rh6G and Rh800 molecules can be used as wavelength shifters to convert effectively the light from visible to NIR, a very convenient wavelength range for many practical applications which make use of inexpensive commercial detectors and systems.
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    On the adhesion between thin sheets and randomly rough surfaces
    (Lausanne : Frontiers Media, 2022) Wang , Anle; Müser, Martin H.
    Thin, elastic sheets are well known to adapt to rough counterfaces, whereby adhesive interactions and pull-off stresses σp can be significant, yet no generally applicable, quantitative guideline has been suggested hitherto as to when a sheet should be considered thin enough to be sticky. Using computer simulations, we find that the dependence of σp on surface energy γ has a high and a low-pull-off-stress regime. For randomly rough surfaces, we locate the dividing line at the point, where γ is approximately half the elastic energy per unit area needed to make conformal contact, which is the same ratio as for semi-infinite elastic solids. This rule of thumb also applies to a certain degree for single-wavelength roughness, in which case the transition from low to high stickiness occurs when at the moment of maximum tension contact is not only broken at the height maxima but also at the saddle points.
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    Relationship between corrosion and nanoscale friction on a metallic glass
    (Frankfurt, M. : Beilstein-Institut zur Förderung der Chemischen Wissenschaften, 2022) Ma, Haoran; Bennewitz, Roland
    Metallic glasses are promising materials for microdevices, although corrosion and friction limit their effectiveness and durability. We investigated nanoscale friction on a metallic glass in corrosive solutions after different periods of immersion time using atomic force microscopy to elucidate the influence of corrosion on nanoscale friction. The evolution of friction upon repeated scanning cycles on the corroded surfaces reveals a bilayer surface oxide film, of which the outer layer is removed by the scanning tip. The measurement of friction and adhesion allows one to compare the physicochemical processes of surface dissolution at the interface of the two layers. The findings contribute to the understanding of mechanical contacts with metallic glasses under corrosive conditions by exploring the interrelation of microscopic corrosion mechanisms and nanoscale friction.