Muvva D. Prasad

Hydrophobic collapse overrides Coulombic repulsion in ferricytochrome c fibrillation under extremely alkaline condition.

Tuning of both hydrophobic and electrostatic interactions is thought to be important for the initial nucleation and stability of protein aggregates that self-assemble to produce amyloid fibrils. Importance of a critical balance of these two interactions has indeed been determined under various solution conditions of fibrillation, the acidic pH, in particular. To find out if fibrillar protein structures could be obtained under extreme alkaline conditions, cytochrome c was allowed to fibrillate in 0.1 N NaOH at 50 or 60 °C. Fibers do grow in alkali, but the fibrillation process depends little on the ionic strength of the solution. Illustrative fibril morphology readily obtained even in the absence of solvent cations poses the question as to how the severity of electrostatic repulsions is overcome to initiate aggregation. It appears that intermolecular hydrophobic collapse is so overwhelming that electrostatic repulsions are subdued, and the negative charges on protein molecules are relocated in a way conducive to fiber growth. This proposal seems consistent with computer simulation studies indicating central role of hydrophobic interactions. Morphologically, branched fibrils characterized by a wide distribution of diameter are assembled by winding two or more protofibrils. The results should guide selection of model parameters in theoretical studies of fibrillation.

Strain rate sensitivity of bulk multi-phase nanocrystalline Al–W-based alloy

High-energy ball milling of conventional coarse-grained aluminium and nanocrystalline W in an Al-10 at.%W composition results in the formation of a two-phase mixture of Al and W with nanocrystalline features. Subsequent compaction of these powders using spark plasma sintering (SPS) at 748 K resulted in the formation of an Al12W phase in the nanocrystalline aluminium matrix. It is suggested that the mere attainment of nanocrystallinity was not enough to trigger a reaction between Al and W to form Al12W but that sufficient thermal activation was also required, as supplied during SPS. The second-phase particles (~175 nm in size) are uniformly distributed in the nanocrystalline Al matrix having a grain size of ~40 nm. The nanocomposite possessed a high hardness of 5.42 ± 0.33 GPa and an elastic modulus of 145 ± 5 GPa, both measured using depth-sensing nanoindentation. At room temperature, this novel nanocomposite exhibited a strain rate sensitivity (SRS) of 0.024 ± 0.001 and an activation volume in the range of 3.78–3.88 b3. Interfacial regions, viz. grain boundaries and triple junctions in the matrix and the reinforcement, matrix/particle boundaries, etc. could be influential factors in deciding the SRS and the activation volume. A scanning probe microscope image of the nanoindent shows a plastic flow region around the periphery of the indent.

Mechanical properties of in situ consolidated nanocrystalline multi-phase Al–Pb–W alloy studied by nanoindentation

Abstract Formation of chunks of various sizes ranging between 2 and 6 mm was achieved using high-energy ball milling in Al–1at.%Pb–1at.%W alloy system at room temperature during milling itself, aiding in in situ consolidation. X-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) studies indicate the formation of multi-phase structure with nanocrystalline structural features. From TEM data, an average grain size of 23 nm was obtained for Al matrix and the second-phase particles were around 5 nm. A high strain rate sensitivity (SRS) of 0.071 ± 0.004 and an activation volume of 4.71b3 were measured using nanoindentation. Modulus mapping studies were carried out using Berkovich tip in dynamic mechanical analysis mode coupled with in situ scanning probe microscopy imaging. The salient feature of this investigation is highlighting the role of different phases, their crystal structures and the resultant interfaces on the overall SRS and activation volume of a multi-phase nc material.

Fabrication of High‐Resolution 4,82‐Type Archimedean Nanolattices Composed of Solution Processable Spin Cross‐Over Fe(II) Metallosupramolecular Polymers

This paper presents the synthesis of two highly soluble Fe(II) metallosupramolecular polymers with two counter anions from a novel back-to-back coupled hybrid ligand. The spin cross-over (SCO) temperature of polymers with BF4 and ClO4 counter anions is T1/2 = 313 K and T1/2 = 326 K, respectively. By following the top-down approach, one of the polymers (with ClO4 counter anion) is successfully solution processed using a lithographically controlled wetting technique to create laser readable high-resolution Archimedean (4,8(2) ) nanolattices (consist of diamagnetic octagons and SCO squares). The thickness and top area of each SCO square are ≈75 nm and ≈2 × 2 μm(2) , respectively.

Low temperature growth of ZnO nanostructures on flexible polystyrene substrates for optical, photoluminescence and wettability applications

The growth of ZnO nanostructures on flexible polystyrene substrates by a simple vacuum thermal evaporation process is reported. The ZnO films are deposited on polystyrene surfaces of 6 μm thickness which are initially anchored on glass substrates. The as-deposited films are annealed at temperatures up to 180 °C for 6–24 h after which the polystyrene is lifted off from the glass substrates to yield nanostructured films on a flexible substrate. At 180 °C there is transformation of the partially oxidized as-deposited films into nearly stoichiometric ZnO. This is accompanied by the formation of nanostructures such as nanorods, nanotubes and nanodoughnuts. The films, which were 50–200 nm in thickness, are polycrystalline in nature and also exhibit Zn/ZnO core–shell structures under favorable conditions. The nanostructures exhibit transmission greater than 80% in the visible and near infrared regions and band gaps of the order of 4 eV. The films exhibit strong blue photoluminescence and the peak position as well as intensity of emission can be tuned by varying thickness and annealing conditions. To demonstrate the flexibility, the ZnO coated polystyrene substrates were wrapped around a LED to show UV blocking property. Wettability studies indicate that films are hydrophobic with water contact angles between 92°–95°.

Pulsed laser deposited MnCo2O4 protective layer on SS430 for solid oxide fuel cell application

The growth and oxidation study of pulsed laser deposited MnCo2O4 protective layer on SS430 substrate for solid oxide fuel cell application is demonstrated. MnCo2O4 has been achieved in three different ways including, deposition at higher substrate temperature (700°C), and deposition at room temperature on pre-oxidized and untreated SS430 substrate followed by annealing at 700°C for 2 hrs. X-ray diffraction and Raman spectroscopy has been applied to demonstrate the kind of phases developed in each case. These three samples were subjected to heat treatment at 750°C for 5 hr. The extent of undesired Fe2O3 phase formation in the post deposition heat treated samples is discussed based on Raman spectroscopic results.

Passive optical waveguiding tubular pharmaceutical solids and Raman spectroscopy/mapping of nano-/micro-scale defects

Self-assembled one dimensional pharmaceutical solids composed of caffeine, carbamazepine and glibenclamide drugs exhibit optical waveguiding tendency due to the efficient two dimensional lateral optical confinement effect. Additionally, the confined optical waves within the tubes were used to probe the nano-/micro-scale defect sites inherited during the tube self-assembly process via Raman spectroscopy.