This book gives an overview of recent developments in RS and SERS for sensing and biosensing considering also limitations, possibilities and prospects of this technique. Raman scattering (RS) is a widely used vibrational technique providing highly specific molecular spectral patterns. A severe limitation for the application of this spectroscopic technique lies in the low cross section of RS. Surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) spectroscopy overcomes this problem by 6-11 orders of magnitude enhancement compared with the standard RS for molecules in the close vicinity of certain rough metal surfaces. Thus, SERS combines molecular fingerprint specificity with potential single-molecule sensitivity. Due to the recent development of new SERS-active substrates, labeling and derivatization chemistry as well as new instrumentations, SERS became a very promising tool for many varied applications, including bioanalytical studies and sensing. Both intrinsic and extrinsic SERS biosensing schemes have been employed to detect and identify small molecules, nucleic acids and proteins, and also for cellular and in vivo sensing.

This edited, multi-author volume contains 14 selected, peer-reviewed contributions based on the presentations given at the 18th International Workshop on Quantum Systems in Chemistry, Physics, and Biology (QSCP XVIII), held at Casa da Cultura de Paraty, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in December 2013. It is divided into several sections written by leaders in the respective fields of quantum methodology applied to atomic molecular and condensed matter systems, each containing the most relevant material based on related topics. Recent advances and state-of-the-art developments in the quantum theory of atomic, molecular and condensed matter systems (including bio and nano structures) are presented.

From fabrication to testing and modeling this monograph covers all aspects on the materials class of magneto active polymers. The focus is on computational modeling of manufacturing processes and material parameters. As other smart materials, these elastomers have the ability to change electrical and mechanical properties upon application of magnetic fields. This allows for novel applications ranging from biomedical engineering to mechatronics.

This book highlights the present scenario of energy demand and power generation technologies in tropical countries. The tropics are well known to receive direct sunlight. Furthermore, different than four-season countries, tropical countries have a continuous summer-like season, and therefore, they are rich in clean energy sources, like solar and biomass. Home to 40% of the world's population, the demand for energy in these countries keeps increasing. With the present serious global concern on the environment, the choice of power generation is no doubt the cleanest possible resources. This book delves into the opportunity that various tropical countries have in pursuing environmentally friendly power generation systems.

This volume builds on the previous two editions, Environmental Photochemistry Part I and Part II, which reflect the diverse range of activities in this highly dynamic research field. The chapters cover fundamental topics, from photocatalyst materials, surface-modified materials, reaction kinetics and reactor modelling, to translational research activities on chemical synthesis, energy conversion and water treatment. The applications of the new generation of LED irradiation sources and spectroscopic methods for elucidating reaction pathways are also covered in detail. This new volume maintains the ethos of the previous editions by further contributing to readers' understanding of photochemical and photocatalytic processes for environmental applications.

This book presents a collection of selected reviews from PLMMP 2018 that address modern problems in the fields of liquids, solutions and confined systems, critical phenomena, as well as colloidal and biological systems. The papers focus on state-of-the-art developments in the contemporary physics of liquid matter, and are divided into four parts: (i) water and water systems, (ii) physical-chemical properties of liquid systems, (iii) aggregation in liquid systems, and (iv) biological aspects of liquid systems, irradiation influences on liquid systems. Taken together, they cover the latest developments in the broader field of liquid states, including interdisciplinary problems.

This monograph, which is the outcome of the ASI on High Pressure Chemistry, Biochemistry, and Materials Science, illustrates new developments in the field of high pressure science. In fact, for chemists, biochemists, and materials scientists, pressure as an experimental variable represents a tool which provides unique information about systems of materials. The main contributions to this volume present overview of the different subfields or applications of high pressure studies. In contrast, contributed papers offer more specialized aspects of various high pressure studies. The various contributions to this volume make clear the impressive range of fundamental and applied problems that can be studied by high pressure techniques, and also point towards a major growth of high pressure science and technology in the near future. The book focuses mainly on advances achieved in the six years since the previous ASI devoted to the high pressure field. The organization of this volume is as follows. The main lectures covering the three main areas of high pressure applications to chemistry, biochemistry, and materials science are followed by contributed papers. A summary of a panel discussion on the future of high pressure science and technology concludes this volume.

This book examines the electronic structure of earth-abundant and environmentally friendly materials for use as absorber layers within photovoltaic cells. The corroboration between high-quality photoemission measurements and density of states calculations yields valuable insights into why these materials have demonstrated poor device efficiencies in the vast literature cited. The book shows how the materials' underlying electronic structures affect their properties, and how the band positions make them unsuitable for use with established solar cell technologies. After explaining these poor efficiencies, the book offers alternative window layer materials to improve the use of these absorbers. The power of photoemission and interpretation of the data in terms of factors generally overlooked in the literature, such as the materials' oxidation and phase impurity, is demonstrated. Representing a unique reference guide, the book will be of considerable interest and value to members of the photoemission community engaged in solar cell research, and to a wider materials science audience as well.

This book describes the tremendous progress that has been made in the development of gas separation membranes based both on inorganic and polymeric materials. Materials discussed include polymer inclusion membranes (PIMs), metal organic frameworks (MOFs), carbon based materials, zeolites, as well as other materials, and mixed matrix membranes (MMMs) in which the above novel materials are incorporated. This broad survey of gas membranes covers material, theory, modeling, preparation, characterization (for example, by AFM, IR, XRD, ESR, Positron annihilation spectroscopy), tailoring of membranes, membrane module and system design, and applications. The book is concluded with some perspectives about the future direction of the field.

Collates the most relevant and up to date information on renewable energy systems in a user friendly format for undergraduate and high school students Focused on power production technologies from renewable energy sources. An introduction to how sources of renewable energy work; their advantages and drawbacks. Timely text with the need for fast adoption of renewable energy technologies around the world. Diverse audience including students with some scientific background such as final year in high school wanting to know more about combatting climate change.

This book highlights the positive and negative impacts that hemp fibre and textiles have on environment, while studying the effects of climate change on the growth of fibre hemp. Human-induced climate change challenge the availability of textile fibres, whereas today's apparel industry leaves behind a substantial environmental footprint. Sustainable hemp textiles can lighten it. The book describes the environmental impact of hemp and how climate change influences future hemp growth. Hemp is considered in most literature as a sustainable alternative for the commonly used fibres polyester and cotton. However, most research does not go farther than the environmental impacts of hemp, and there is currently a lack of knowledge/literature that examines the possibilities of hemp growth under changing climate conditions.

Composite materials are engineered from two or more constituents with significantly altered physical or chemical properties within the finished structure. Due to their special mechanical and physical properties they have the potential to replace conventional materials. This book, written by experts from all over the world, presents fundamentals and recent advances on ceramic matrix composites.

This volume provides a detailed overview of water pollution and control of several selected Chinese reservoirs. It explores sediment contamination as well as algal blooms and their impact on water quality. Several chapters also discuss various methods of quality control, such as mixing-oxygenation combined with microbial remediation technologies. Due to their broad geographical distribution and different nutrition levels, the investigated reservoirs, the Jinpen, Shibianyu, Fenhe, Zhelin and Zhoucun reservoirs, can be regarded as representative for China. This comprehensive work will appeal to researchers, advanced students and reservoir managers.

Dealing with the basics, theory and applications of dynamic pulsed-field-gradient NMR NMR (PFG NMR), this book describes the essential theory behind diffusion in heterogeneous media that can be combined with NMR measurements to extract important information of the system being investigated. This information could be the surface to volume ratio, droplet size distribution in emulsions, brine profiles, fat content in food stuff, permeability/connectivity in porous materials and medical applications currently being developed. Besides theory and applications it will provide the readers with background knowledge on the experimental set-ups, and most important, deal with the pitfalls that are numerously present in work with PFG-NMR. How to analyze the NMR data and some important basic knowledge on the hardware will be explained, too.

The series Topics in Current Chemistry Collections presents critical reviews from the journal Topics in Current Chemistry organized in topical volumes. The scope of coverage is all areas of chemical science including the interfaces with related disciplines such as biology, medicine and materials science. The goal of each thematic volume is to give the non-specialist reader, whether in academia or industry, a comprehensive insight into an area where new research is emerging which is of interest to a larger scientific audience. Each review within the volume critically surveys one aspect of that topic and places it within the context of the volume as a whole. The most significant developments of the last 5 to 10 years are presented using selected examples to illustrate the principles discussed. The coverage is not intended to be an exhaustive summary of the field or include large quantities of data, but should rather be conceptual, concentrating on the methodological thinking that will allow the non-specialist reader to understand the information presented. Contributions also offer an outlook on potential future developments in the field.

This thesis presents experimental and theoretical investigations of the connection between the time asymmetry in the short-time evolution of particle clusters and the intrinsic irreversibility of turbulent flows due to the energy cascade. The term turbulence describes a special state of a continuous medium in which many interacting degrees of freedom are excited. One of the interesting phenomena observed in turbulent flows is their time irreversibility. When milk is stirred into coffee, for example, highly complex and interwoven structures are produced, making the mixing process irreversible. This behavior can be analyzed in more detail by studying the dispersion of particle clusters. Previous experimental and numerical studies on the time asymmetry in two-particle dispersion indicate that particles separate faster backwards than forwards in time, but no conclusive explanation has yet been provided. In this thesis, an experimental study on the short-time behavior of two- and four-particle dispersion in a turbulent water flow between two counter-rotating propellers is presented. A brief but rigorous theoretical analysis reveals that the observed time irreversibility is closely linked to the turbulence energy cascade. Additionally, it is demonstrated experimentally that the addition of minute amounts of polymers to the flow has a significant impact on multi-particle dispersion due to an alteration of the energy cascade.

The volumes of this classic series, now referred to simply as "Zechmeister" after its founder, Laszlo Zechmeister, have appeared under the Springer Imprint ever since the series' inauguration in 1938. The series has featured contributions by seven Nobel laureates: D.H.R. Barton, D. Crowfoot Hodgkin, L. Pauling, K. Alder, O. Diels, P. Karrer, H. von Euler-Chelpin.
The volumes contain contributions on various topics related to the origin, distribution, chemistry, synthesis, biochemistry, function or use of various classes of naturally occurring substances ranging from small molecules to biopolymers. Each contribution is written by a recognized authority in the field and provides a comprehensive and up-to-date review of the topic in question. Addressed to biologists, technologists, and chemists alike, the series can be used by the expert as a source of information and literature citations and by the non-expert as a means of orientation in a rapidly developing discipline.

This volume describes the application of fluorescence spectroscopy in polymer research. The first chapters outline the basic principles of the conformational and dynamic behavior of polymers and review the problems of polymer self-assembly. Subsequent chapters introduce the theoretical principles of advanced fluorescence methods and typical examples of their application in polymer science. The book closes with several reviews of various fluorescence applications for studying specific aspects of polymer-solution behavior. It is a useful resource for polymer scientists and experts in fluorescence spectroscopy alike, facilitating their communication and cooperation.

State-of-the-art survey by leading experts in the field. Major foci are superheavy nuclei and neutron-rich exotic nuclei. In addition new developments in nuclear fission and nuclear cluster decay are shown. Finally developments in relativistic heavy ion collisions and the physics of supercritical fields are detailed.

This book discusses the tribological, rheological and optical properties of liquid-crystal nanomaterials as well as lubricant media. It also describes the formation of liquid-crystal materials and the application of cholesteric liquid-crystal compounds in technical friction units and in human and animal joints. Further, it shows the connection between the tribological and other physical properties of liquid-crystal cholesterol compounds and develops a lubricity conceptual model of cholesteric-nematic, liquid-crystalline nanostructures on the basis of physical and energetic interpretations. This general model is valid for all surfaces and friction pairs, including biopolymers, and could lead to applications of cholesteric liquid-crystalline nanomaterials in different friction units and tribosystems as well as in the treatment of joint diseases.