{New cationic Ag(I) complexes were prepared by reaction of AgBF4 with two thioether-functionalized bis-(diphenylphosphino) amine ligands, Ph2PN(p-ArSMe)PPh2 (L1) and Ph2PN(n-PrSMe)PPh2 (L2), and compared with those obtained from the unfunctionalized ligands Ph2PN(Ph)PPh2 (L3) and Ph2PN(n-Bu)PPh2 (L4), respectively. The complex {[}Ag-3(mu(3)-Cl)(2)(mu(2)-L1-P, P)(3)](BF4) (1 center dot BF4) contains a triangular array of Ag centres supported by three bridging L1 ligands and two triply-bridging chlorides. In contrast, ligand L2 led to the coordination polymer {[}\{Ag-2(mu(3)-L2,-P,P,S)(2)(MeCN)(2)\}\{Ag-2(mu(2)-L2-P,P)(2)(MeCN)(2) \}(BF4)(4)](n) (2) in which the tethered thioether group connects intermolecularly a Ag2 unit to the diphosphine bridging the other Ag2 unit. With L3 and L4, two similar complexes were obtained, {[}Ag-2(mu(2)-L3)(BF4)(2)] (3) and {[}Ag-2(mu(2)-L4)(BF4)(2)] (4), respectively, with bridging diphosphine ligands and a BF4 anion completing the coordination sphere of the metal. Complexes 1 center dot BF4 center dot CH2Cl2, 2 center dot THF, 3 center dot 3CH(2)Cl(2) and 4 have been fully characterized, including by single crystal X-ray diffraction.}

Transport properties of natural (noncompressed) cork were evaluated for water and ethanol in both vapor and liquid phases. The permeability for these permeants has been measured, as well as the sorption and diffusion coefficients. This paper focuses on the differences between the transport of gases' relevant vapors and their liquids (water and ethanol) through cork. A transport mechanism of vapors and liquids is proposed. Experimental evidence shows that both vapors and liquids permeate not only through the small channels across the cells (plasmodesmata), as in the permeation of gases, but also through the walls of cork cells by sorption and diffusion as in dense membranes. The present study also shows that cork permeability for gases was irreversibly and drastically decreased after cork samples were exposed to ethanol or water in liquid phase.

We have projected and fabricated a microfluidic platform for DNA sensing that makes use of an optical colorimetric detection method based on gold nanoparticles. The platform was fabricated using replica moulding technology in PDMS patterned by high-aspect-ratio SU-8 moulds. Biochips of various geometries were tested and evaluated in order to find out the most efficient architecture, and the rational for design, microfabrication and detection performance is presented. The best biochip configuration has been successfully applied to the DNA detection of Mycobacterium tuberculosis using only 3. l on DNA solution (i.e. 90. ng of target DNA), therefore a 20-fold reduction of reagents volume is obtained when compared with the actual state of the art. © 2013 Elsevier B.V.

Phosphogypsum (PG) is a pollutant residue resulting from the production of phosphoric acid in the phosphated fertilizers industry. About 180 millions of tons of PG are generated worldwide per year, which originates storage problems because of the environmental restrictions and the high costs of storage spaces. Taking into account the mineralizer properties of PG it has been studied a way to valorize this residue as an alternative material in the production of Portland cement clinker. The PG and the raw-materials (limestone, marl, sand and iron oxide) were chemical, mineralogical and thermally characterized by X-ray fluorescence (XRF), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and differential thermal analysis and termogravimetric analysis (DTA/TGA). After milling, the phosphogypsum was mixed with the raw-materials in different amounts up to 10% weight. The raw mixtures were submitted to two types of firing schedules, heating up to 1500°C without any holding time or heating up to 1350°C and holding for 20 minutes. After firing, the clinkers were analyzed by optical microscopy, milled and characterized in terms of chemical and mineralogical compositions. The clinkers were used to produce cement mortar according to NP EN 196-1 standard. The resultant test specimens were mechanically tested at 2 and 28 days according to the same standard. The obtained results show a reduction of about 140°C in the clinkerization temperature, when a raw mixture with 5% phosphogypsum was used. Standard clinkers, without phosphogypsum addition, which were fired at 1500°C, originated test specimens with a compressive strength of 48.1MPa at 28 days. Test specimens produced with clinker containing 5% phosphogypsum present higher compressive strength values at 28 days, being 55.1MPa for clinkers produced at 1500°C, and 49.4 MPa for clinkers produced at 1350°C. © (2013) Trans Tech Publications, Switzerland.

A high-gain amplifier topology, with all single n-type enhancement transistors, is proposed in this paper. This type of circuits are essential in transparent TFT technologies, such as GIZO and ZnO that lack complementary type transistor. All circuits were simulated using BSIM3V3 model of a 0.35 μm CMOS technology, due to the absence of a complete electrical model for the TFTs. Results reveal that the proposed circuit promise more gain, lower power consumption and higher bandwidth than the existing solutions under identical bias conditions. © 2013 IEEE.

Transparent TFT technologies, with amorphous semiconductor oxides are lacking a complementary type transistor. This represents a real challenge, when the design of high-gain amplifiers are considered, without resorting to passive resistive elements. However, some solutions do exist to overcome the lack of a p-type transistor. This paper then presents a comparison analysis of two high-gain single-stage amplifier topologies using only n-type enhancement transistors. In these circuits, high gain is achieved using positive feedback for the load impedance. The comparison is carried out in terms of bandwidth, power consumption and complexity under identical bias conditions. Further, the same load impedance is used to develop a novel high-gain multiplier. All the circuits are simulated using a 0.35 μm CMOS technology, as it is easy to test the reliability of the methods, since CMOS transistors have trustworthy models. © 2013 IEEE.