François Normandin

Growth, structure, and properties of epitaxial thin films of first-principles predicted multiferroic Bi2FeCrO6

The authors report the structural and physical properties of epitaxial Bi2FeCrO6 thin films on epitaxial SrRuO3 grown on (100)-oriented SrTiO3 substrates by pulsed laser ablation. The 300nm thick films exhibit both ferroelectricity and magnetism at room temperature with a maximum dielectric polarization of 2.8μC∕cm2 at Emax=82kV∕cm and a saturated magnetization of 20emu∕cm3 (corresponding to ∼0.26μB per rhombohedral unit cell), with coercive fields below 100Oe. The results confirm the predictions made using ab initio calculations about the existence of multiferroic properties in Bi2FeCrO6.

Dynamic Control of MOF‐5 Crystal Positioning Using a Magnetic Field

Paolo alcaro , * F rancois F Normandin , Masahide akahashi , T Paolo Scopece , Heinz Amenitsch , Stefano Costacurta , Cara M. Doherty , Jamie S. Laird , Matthew D. H. Layabio , F Lisi , Anita J. Hill , and Dario Buso *

Structural and multiferroic properties of epitaxial γ-Fe 2 O 3 -BiFeO 3 /Bi 3.25 La 0.75 Ti 3 O 12 composite bi-layers

Multiferroic properties of γ -Fe2O3–BiFeO3/Bi3.25La0.75Ti3O12 epitaxial composite bi-layers grown on SrRuO3/SrTiO3(1 1 1) are compared with the properties of single phase BiFeO3 and Bi3.25La0.75Ti3O12 thin films. The composite bi-layers show well-saturated hysteresis loops with a low coercive field, a high fatigue resistance and high saturation magnetization. The insulating Bi3.25La0.75Ti3O12 underlayer reduces significantly both the leakage current and the coercive field of the heterostructure (200 kV cm −1 ) at the expense of a lower polarization (20 µ Cc m −2 ), while the epitaxial γ -Fe2O3 secondary phase that develops within the relaxed epitaxial BiFeO3 matrix allowed for a high saturation magnetization. (Some figures in this article are in colour only in the electronic version)

Extraction of nucleic acids from bacterial spores using bead-based mechanical lysis on a plastic chip

This paper describes an experimentally simple and efficient way of integrating bead‐based mechanical cell lysis on a plastic chip. The chip is fabricated from machined slides of poly(methylmethacrylate) and accommodates a metal disk along with solid microbeads in a designated lysis chamber. Magnetic actuation of the metal disk induces collisions and frictional forces within the lysis matrix causing cell disruption. The efficiency of nucleic acid extraction was investigated using spores of Bacillus atrophaeus subsp. globigii and the amount of genomic DNA in the lysates has been quantified by real‐time PCR. Compared to a standardized DNA extraction method based on BD GeneOhm™ Lysis Kit, the yield was dependent on the composition of the lysis matrix, including size and relative amount of microbeads, along with instrumental parameters, such as duration and frequency of agitation. The interplay of these parameters should allow for optimizing lysis protocols to faithfully disrupt any particular type of cell without affecting the genetic material to be extracted.

Advanced EWOD-based digital microfluidic system for multiplexed analysis of biomolecular interactions

This paper presents a low-cost technique for the fabrication of complex electrowetting-on-dielectric (EWOD) digital microfluidic devices. Using this original technology, we have developed devices in which 560 electrodes are used to mix and split nl-size liquid droplets and transport them to 100 analysis spots patterned on a disposable plastic top plate. We demonstrate the multiplexing capability of the developed devices by creating on-chip arrays of droplets with various concentration gradients. Finally, automated biomolecular immobilization and hybridization assays are performed in nl-size droplets under numerous conditions simultaneously with only a limited number of stock solutions.

Fabrication of Microfluidic Devices in Thermoplastic Elastomeric Materials for DNA Detection on Thermal Plastic Substrate

Thermoplastic elastomer (TPE) based microfluidic devices integrated with a microfluidic pumping manifold which consists of 4 electromagnetic valves (EMV) were fabricated. The back and forth shuttling flow and its application in the DNA hybridization process were validated on a thermal plastic Zeonor 1060R substrate. The flow rate can be as fast as 23μl/min when the channel width and the channel height are in 100μm, and 25μm, respectively. The DNA hybridization process is detected by using a fluorescence microscopy. Remarkable DNA hybridization is achieved with the continuous flow of the target DNA at a concentration of 10 nM within the first 1 min by using this device.