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We have determined the physical ground state properties of the compounds CeRuPO and CeOsPO by means of magnetic susceptibility χ(T ), specific heat C(T ), electrical resistivity ρ(T ), and thermopower S(T ) measurements. χ(T ) reveals a trivalent 4f 1 cerium state in both compounds. For CeRuPO a pronounced decrease of ρ(T ) below 50 K indicates the onset of coherent Kondo scattering, which is confirmed by enhanced S(T ). The temperature and magnetic field dependence of χ(T ) and C(T ) evidence ferromagnetic (FM) order at T C = 15 K. Thus, CeRuPO seems to be one of the rare example of a FM Kondo lattice. In contrast, CeOsPO shows antiferromagnetic order at T N = 4.4 K despite only minor changes in lattice parameters and electronic configuration. Additional 31 P NMR results support these scenarios. LSDA+U calculations evidence a quasi two dimensional electronic band structure, reflecting a strong covalent bonding within the CeO and RuP layers and a weak ionic like bonding between the layers.

Linear poly(VPGVG) has been extensively studied over the years as a model for the structural protein elastin. Elastin is characterized by a lower critical solution temperature (LCST). This LCST can be influenced by several factors, mainly molecular weight, concentration, and pH. An ABA type block copolymer was synthesized using atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP), in which the VPGVG sequence is in the side chain of the A block and the B block is poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG). The LCST behavior of this series of elastin based side chain block copolymers was investigated by changing the degree of polymerization, polymer concentration, and pH. The effects of these parameters on the LCST of the side chain block copolymers were similar when compared with linear poly(VPGVG). The aggregates which were formed above the transition temperature were investigated using light scattering and cryo-SEM techniques.

A microfluidic high-resolution NMR flow probe based on a novel stripline detector chip is demonstrated. This tool is invaluable for the in situ monitoring of reactions performed in microreactors. As an example, the acetylation of benzyl alcohol with acetyl chloride was monitored. Because of the uncompromised (sub-Hz) resolution, this probe holds great promise for metabolomics studies, as shown by an analysis of 600 nL of human cerebrospinal fluid.