Martin Luther University of Halle-Wittenberg

About: Martin Luther University of Halle-Wittenberg is a education organization based out in Halle, Germany. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Liquid crystal. The organization has 20232 authors who have published 38773 publications receiving 965004 citations. The organization is also known as: MLU & University of Wittenberg.

Molecular Design of Nonchiral Bent-Core Liquid Crystals with Antiferroelectric Properties

Abstract: Novel bent-core (banana-shaped) liquid crystals without Schiff-base units have been synthesized and investigated by polarized light optical microscopy, differential scanning calorimetry, X-ray scattering, and electrooptical investigations. These molecules are 4-(4-alkylbenzoyloxy)benzoates and 4-(4-alkoxybenzoyloxy)benzoates of resorcinol, 3,4‘-dihydroxybiphenyl, and 4,4‘ ‘-dihydroxy-1,1‘:3‘,1‘ ‘-terphenyl. Three different mesophases were found depending on the molecular structure and the length of the terminal alkyl chains: a rectangular columnar phase, a highly ordered low-temperature mesophase, and an antiferroelectric switchable fluid smectic mesophase designated as SmCPA. The influence of the molecular structure on the occurrence of the SmCPA phase was investigated. The spontaneous polarization of these molecules is quite high (PS = 500−700 nC cm-2) and specially those molecules with long alkyl chains and short bent-core structures have low melting points and broad regions of this switchable mesopha...

The product of the ybde gene of the escherichia coli chromosome is involved in detoxification of silver ions

Abstract: Transcription of the ybcZ–ylcA ylcBCD–ybdE region of the Escherichia coli K38 chromosome was analysed by Northern RNA–DNA hybridization, RT-PCR and primer extension. Transcription of a dicistronic ybcZ–ylcA mRNA and a tetracistronic ylcBCD–ybdE mRNA was induced by silver and was initiated from the sigma-70 promoters ylcAp and ylcBp. Expression of β-galactosidase activity from a Φ(ylcBp–lacZ) operon fusion was also induced by Ag+ and Cu2+, but not by Zn2+. In-frame deletion of ybdE from the chromosome yielded a silver-sensitive E. coli mutant strain which did not differ in its copper resistance from its wild-type strain. On the other hand, deletion of the copA gene for the copper-exporting P-type ATPase CopA resulted in copper sensitivity, but not in silver sensitivity. A ΔybdE ΔcopA double mutant strain behaved towards copper as the ΔcopA strain and towards silver as the ΔybdE strain. Thus, in E. coli, the YlcBCD–YbdE system may be involved in silver- but not in copper resistance, and CopA may be involved in copper- but not in silver resistance.

Coherent kinetic control over crystal orientation in macroscopic ensembles of polymer nanorods and nanotubes.

Abstract: We show that the crystal orientation in polymer nanotubes and nanorods inside porous templates is controlled by the kinetics of nucleation and growth under 2D confinement. Two clear limiting cases are identified: In separated nanostructures, any crystal orientation allowing the growth of lamellar crystals along the pores appears statistically. If a bulklike surface film connects the nanostructures, macroscopic arrays with uniform crystal orientation are obtained, in which the dominant growth direction of the crystals is aligned with the long axes of the pores of the template.