Search results for "Interfaces"
showing 10 items of 1258 documents
Surface preparation influence on the initial stages of MOCVD growth of TiO2 thin films
2006
In situ chemical surface analyses using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), completed by ex situ atomic force microscopy (AFM) analyses, were performed in order to compare the initial stages of MOCVD growth of TiO 2 thin films on two different surface types. The first type was a silicon native oxide free hydrogen terminated surface and the second one was a silicon dioxide surface corresponding to a thin layer of 3.5 nm thick in situ thermally grown on silicon substrate. Si(100) was used as substrate, and the growths of TiO 2 thin films were achieved with titanium tetraisopropoxide (TTIP) as precursor under a temperature of 675 °C, a pressure of 0.3 Pa and a deposition time of 1 h. Whate…
Bimodal Acidity at the Amorphous Silica/Water Interface
2015
International audience; Understanding the microscopic origin of the acid base behavior of mineral surfaces in contact with water is still a challenging task, for both the experimental and the theoretical communities. Even for a relatively simple material, such as silica, the origin of the bimodal acidity behavior is still a debated topic. In this contribution we calculate the acidity of single sites on the humid silica surface represented by a model for the hydroxylated amorphous surface. Using a thermodynamic integration approach based on ab initio molecular dynamics, we identify two different acidity values. In particular, some convex geminals and some type of vicinals are very acidic (pK…
Theory of the growth mode for a thin metallic film on an insulating substrate
2002
We have developed a novel theory predicting the growth mode of a thin metallic film on an insulating substrate. This combines ab initio electronic structure calculations for several ordered metal/insulator interfaces (varying both coverage and substrate lattice constant), with a thermodynamic approach based on microscopic calculations. We illustrate this approach for Ag film deposited on MgO(0 0 1) substrate. Ab initio calculations predict high mobility of adsorbed silver atoms on the perfect magnesia surface even at low temperatures. Our theoretical analysis clearly demonstrates that the growth of metallic islands is predominant at the initial stage of silver deposition, which agrees with …
Bioprospective of Sorbus aucuparia leaf extract in development of silver and gold nanocolloids
2010
At the present time the bioprospective field is a dynamic area of research. The rapid biosynthesis of silver and gold nanoparticles without using toxic chemicals is reported here. Sorbus aucuparia is omnipresent in Europe. The aqueous leaves extract of the plant were used as reducing agent for the synthesis of silver and gold nanoparticles from their salt solutions. The synthesized nanoparticles were spherical, triangular and hexagonal in shape with an average size of 16 and 18nm for silver and gold, respectively. Different extract quantities, metal concentrations, temperatures and contact times were investigated to find their effect on nanoparticles synthesis. The resulting silver and gold…
Laser-Ablation-Induced Synthesis of SiO2-Capped Noble Metal Nanoparticles in a Single Step
2010
Here we describe a simple, powerful technique based on the laser ablation of a target immersed in a water solution of a metal salt. With this method, nanoparticles of different metals and alloys can be processed very quickly. Both the target and the salt solution can be chosen to produce metal nanoparticles of different sizes, surface-oxidized nanoparticles (silica-silver, for example), or even more complex structures to be defined by the researcher on one or more steps because the technique combines the advantages of both physical and chemical methods. We have applied this technique to the fabrication of inert silica-metal (silver, gold, and silver-gold) nanoparticles with a strong surface…
Switchable Bactericidal Effects from Novel Silica-Coated Silver Nanoparticles Mediated by Light Irradiation
2011
Here we report on the triggering of antibacterial activity by a new type of silver nanoparticle coated with porous silica, Ag@silica, irradiated at their surface plasmon resonant frequency. The nanoparticles are able to bind readily to the surface of bacterial cells, although this does not affect bacterial growth since the silica shell largely attenuates the intrinsic toxicity of silver. However, upon simultaneous exposure to light corresponding to the absorption band of the nanoparticles, bacterial death is enhanced selectively on the irradiated zone. Because of the low power density used for the treatments, we discard thermal effects as the cause of cell killing. Instead, we propose that …
Obtaining the Compatibility between Musicians Using Soft Computing
2010
Modeling the musical notes as fuzzy sets provides a flexible framework which better explains musicians’ daily practices. Taking into account one of the characteristics of the sound: the pitch (the frequency of a sound as perceived by human ear), a similarity relation between two notes can be defined. We call this relation compatibility. In the present work, we propose a method to asses the compatibility between musicians based on the compatibility of their interpretations of a given composition. In order to aggregate the compatibilities between the notes offered and then obtain the compatibility between musicians, we make use of an OWA operator. We illustrate our approach with a numerical e…
SAXS Study on Myoglobin Embedded in Amorphous Saccharide Matrices
2011
We report on Small Angle X-ray Scattering (SAXS) measurements performed on samples of carboxy-myoglobin and met-myoglobin embedded in low hydrated matrices of four different saccharides (trehalose, sucrose, maltose and lactose). Results confirm the already reported occurrence of inhomogeneities, which are not peculiar of trehalose samples, but appear also in maltose and lactose, and in some cases also sucrose, being dependent on the sample hydration and on the presence of sodium dithionite. This behaviour confirms our previous interpretation about the nature of the inhomogeneities, and prompt it as a possible general behaviour for highly concentrated sugar matrices.
Sonic Gestures Applied to a Percussive Dialogue in TanGram using Wii Remotes
2009
TanGram, is an original music score composed by Carlos D. Perales for Percussion Quartet and Nintendo Wii Remotes used as a wireless interface for Live Electronics. This paper examines how this composition explores exiting research in interaction and communication between instruments and digital sound processing discourse to produce a unique music mixed-media score, to explore the sonic possibilities of a multi-timbrical instrument with the integration of the visual gestures of an accessible device using processes of real-time gestural mimesis. .
Creating Digital Musical Instruments With and for Children: Including Vocal Sketching as a Method for Engaging in Codesign
2020
International audience; A class of master of science students and a group of preschool children codesigned new digital musical instruments based on workshop interviews involving vocal sketching, a method for imitating and portraying sounds. The aim of the study was to explore how the students and children would approach vocal sketching as one of several design methods. The children described musical instruments to the students using vocal sketching and other modalities (verbal, drawing, gestures). The resulting instruments built by the students were showcased at the Swedish Museum of Performing Arts in Stockholm. Although all the children tried vocal sketching during preparatory tasks, few …