Solubilization of Progesterone and its Derivatives into Gemini Surfactant Solutions

The solubilization of poorly water-soluble progesterone derivatives into micelles of a gemini surfactant was investigated in an aqueous medium. The aqueous solubility at different temperatures was determined spectroscopically using an ultraviolet visible light spectrophotometer. Thermodynamic parameters for the solubilization were calculated under the basis of the solubility change against temperature. The solubility of progesterone was quite low and remained constant below the critical micelle concentration (cmc) of the surfactant. On the other hand, the solubility increased considerably with increasing surfactant concentration above the cmc. It was suggested that the solubilizates were located in the vicinity of polar regions of micelles.

Energies and Atomic Structures of Grain Boundaries in Diamond: Comparison With Grain Boundaries in Silicon

Fairly different features of grain boundaries in diamond from those in Si were experimentally observed in diamond thin films. As the first step in order to understand the fundamental properties of grain boundaries in diamond, the energy and atomic structure of the {122} σ=9 tilt boundary have been calculated for the first time by using the tight-binding electronic theory. The results have been compared with the calculations of the same boundary and the {111} σ=3 boundary in Si. It has been shown that the σ=9 boundary in diamond has a very large interfacial energy caused by the large bond rigidity as compared with the boundaries in Si and the {111}σ=3 boundary in diamond. This point should be related to the observation that the {122}σ =9 boundary is rarely found in diamond thin films.

Atomic and Electronic Structures of Grain Boundary in Chemical Vapor Deposited Diamond Thin Film

High resolution electron microscopy and electron energy-loss spectrometry were used to investigate both atomic and electronic structures of grain boundaries in diamond thin films grown by chemical vapor deposition. The atomic structures of {112}σ3 and {114}σ9 <110= tilt boundaries in diamond show different features from those in other diamond structure semiconductors. The electron energy-loss spectra recorded from the grain boundary regions show extra intensity near the energy-loss corresponding to carbon 1s-to-π*; transition, as compared to the spectra recorded from neighboring crystalline regions. This gives the evidence that the dangling bonds are not fully reconstructed along <110= direction in the boundary structure. Atomic models are constructed for these boundaries with the presence of non-tetracoordinated atoms. The stability of the boundary structure is explained by the π-like bonding between the nontetracoordinated atoms.