D. H. Van Winkle

Digital imaging studies of submicron colloidal spheres confined into a single layer between two smooth glass plates: Two dimensional melting

Abstract Digital imaging is used to study the particle positions and trajectories of a layer of highly charged 0.3 μm diameter polystyrene spheres in water suspension, rigidly confined into two-dimensions between two smooth glass plates. As the in-plane sphere density is varied, we find a two-stage melting transition in which we observe separate divergences in the orientational and translational order at different densities, separated by roughly 4%. The topological defect statistics are complex, but qualitatively consistent with the predictions of Halperin and Nelson.

Effect of temperature on the growth of ultrathin films of p-sexiphenyl on KCl(001)

Ultrathin films of p-sexiphenyl, formed by vapor-deposition onto KCl(001) substrates, have been investigated by x-ray diffraction (XRD) and atomic force microscopy (AFM). Analysis of the XRD data shows that the temperature of the alkali halide substrate during deposition affects the orientations of the molecules within the adsorbed films. AFM images contribute independent evidence consistent with the XRD results. The results are reproducible and suggest that ultrathin films of p-6P molecules can be grown with desired molecular orientations by carefully selecting the appropriate substrate temperature during deposition.

Investigation of the morphology of the initial growth of the aromatic molecule p-quaterphenyl on NaCl (001)

Investigations of the structural properties of the initial layers of p-quaterphenyl (p-4P) vapor deposited onto NaCl (001) have been carried out using atomic force microscopy (AFM), grazing incidence x-ray diffraction (GIXRD), and helium atom scattering (HAS). A series of AFM images reveal accumulations of p-4P molecules around surface defects. Film thicknesses determined from height analyses of these images are in reasonable agreement with those found using GIXRD. The GIXRD studies indicate that p-4P films vapor-deposited at ambient temperature are composed of crystallites oriented with the long molecular axis nearly perpendicular to the NaCl (001) surface. For a nominally three-monolayer film, the b axis of the crystallites appears preferentially oriented along the substrate’s [110] azimuth, but with increasing thickness the x-ray features resemble those from two-dimensional (2D) powders. The diffraction peaks found in the HAS investigation at ∼50 K for a thick film grown at ∼200 K are similarly consist...

Capillary gel electrophoresis of nucleic acids in pluronic F127 copolymer liquid crystals

SummaryThe liquid crystalline gel phases of solutions of Pluronic F127, a triblock copolymer, were recently introduced as an alternative to disordered solutions of random coil polymers as replaceable media for capillary gel electrophoresis (CGE). Pluronic F127, from BASF, is a copolymer of poly(ethylene oxide) and poly(propylene oxide) with the approximate formula (EO)106 (PO)70 (EO)106. Polymer chains aggregate into spherical micelles in aqueous solutions, with poly(propylene oxide) chains creating a hydrophobic core surrounded by brushes of hydrated poly(ethylene oxide) tails. Crowding at high concentrations promotes ordering of micelles. Solutions in the range of about 14–24 % polymer are self-supporting, gel-like cubic liquid crystals at 25–30°C, but when cooled they become low viscosity liquids that are easily loaded into capillaries. This article reviews applications of Pluronic F127 media for capillary gel electrophoresis separations of nucleic acids of several types including oligonucleotides, double stranded DNA fragments, and supercoiled plasmid DNAs.

Scaling analysis of polyacrylamide gel surfaces synthesized in the presence of surfactants

Surfaces of polyacrylamide hydrogels synthesized in the presence of surfactants were imaged by atomic force microscopy (AFM), and the surface morphology was studied by numerical scaling analysis. The gels were formed by polymerizing acrylamide plus a cross-linker in the presence of surfactants, which were then removed by soaking in distilled water. Gels formed in the presence of over 20% surfactant (by weight) formed clear, but became opaque upon removal of the surfactants. Other gels formed and remained clear. The surface morphology of the gels was studied by several one- and two-dimensional numerical scaling methods. The surfaces were found to be self-affine on short length scales, with a roughness (Hurst) exponent in the range from 0.85 to 1, crossing over to a constant root-mean-square surface width at long scales. Both the crossover length between these two regimes and the saturation value of the surface width increased significantly with increasing surfactant concentration, coincident with the increase in opacity. We propose that the changes in the surface morphology are due to a percolation transition in the system of voids formed upon removal of the surfactants from the bulk.

Polar catastrophe and the structure of KTa1-xNbxO₃ surfaces: Results from elastic and inelastic helium atom scattering

The structure and dynamics of cleaved (001) surfaces of potassium tantalates doped with niobium, KTa1-xNbxO₃ (KTN), with x ranging from 0% to 30%, were measured by helium atom scattering (HAS). Through HAS time-of-flight (TOF) experiments, a dispersionless branch (Einstein phonon branch) with energy of 13-14 meV was observed across the surface Brillouin zone in all samples. When this observation is combined with the results from earlier experimental and theoretical studies on these materials, a consistent picture of the stable surface structure emerges: After cleaving the single-crystal sample, the surface should be composed of equal areas of KO and TaO₂/NbO₂ terraces. The data, however, suggest that K⁺ and O²⁻ ions migrate from the bulk to the surface, forming a charged KO lattice that is neutralized primarily by additional K⁺ ions bridging pairs of surface oxygens. This structural and dynamic modification at the (001) surface of KTN appears due to its formally charged KO(-1) and TaO₂/NbO₂(+1) layers and avoids a “polar catastrophe.” This behavior is contrasted with the (001) surface behavior of the fluoride perovskite KMnF₃ with its electrically neutral KF and MnF₂ layers.

Nematic Bubbles in Freely Suspended Liquid Crystal Films

Abstract Nematic bubbles form in smectic freely suspended liquid crystal films when they are heated well above the bulk smectic to nematic transition temperature. In thin films, nematic droplets form and cause rapid film rupture. In some films, individual layers are seen to sweep off the surface, depending on the temperature, the thickness and the substrate. In thick films, these droplets occasionally remain stable for long periods. The shape of the droplets (in plane and perpendicular to the plane) allows determination of the local surface tension. A variety of dynamics are seen as a precursor to film rupture. Occasionally, isotropic regions are seen to form on these thick films before they rupture.