Dirac electron states formed at the heterointerface between a topological insulator and a conventional semiconductor.

Topological insulators are a class of semiconductor exhibiting charge-gapped insulating behaviour in the bulk, but hosting a spin-polarized massless Dirac electron state at the surface. The presence of a topologically protected helical edge channel has been verified for the vacuum-facing surface of several topological insulators by means of angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy and scanning tunnelling microscopy. By performing tunnelling spectroscopy on heterojunction devices composed of p-type topological insulator (Bi1−xSbx)2Te3 and n-type conventional semiconductor InP, we report the observation of such states at the solid-state interface. Under an applied magnetic field, we observe a resonance in the tunnelling conductance through the heterojunction due to the formation of Landau levels of two-dimensional Dirac electrons at the interface. Moreover, resonant tunnelling spectroscopy reveals a systematic dependence of the Fermi velocity and Dirac point energy on the composition x. The successful formation of robust non-trivial edge channels at a solid-state interface is an essential step towards functional junctions based on topological insulators.

Conformational and quantum analysis of dental adhesive carboxylic acid and carboxylic acid anhydride monomers.

The conformational and quantum analyses of dental adhesive carboxylic acid and carboxylic acid anhydride monomers were preformed. Conformational analyses were carried out by a molecular mechanics calculation. 4-META and 4-AETA showed more compact conformation than 4-MET. Quantum analyses were performed by semi-empirical molecular orbital calculation. 4-MET had a higher dipole moment, polarizability, and HOMO and LUMO energy than 4-META and 4-AETA. The bond lengths and bond orders of the carbonyl groups of the trimellitic acid moiety of 4-MET were different from those of carbonyl groups of the trimellitate anhydride moieties of 4-META and 4-AETA. Oxygen of the methacryloyl or acryloyl groups showed the highest electron densities among the oxygen atoms for all monomers. The superdelocalizabilities of oxygen atoms of the trimellitic acid moiety of 4-MET were greater than that of oxygen of the methacryloyl group. A small change in the bond length of the Ca-O bond showed a large difference in the steric energies of 4-MET/Ca salt.

Analysis of polymerization behavior of dental dimethacrylate monomers by differential scanning calorimetry.

The polymerization and copolymerization activity of dental monomers was investigated using the dynamic differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) method. As aliphatic dimethacrylate monomers, ethyleneglycol dimethacrylates with different lengths of ethyleneglycol and urethane dimethacrylates were used. As aromatic dimethacrylates, Bis-GMA (2,2-bis[4-(3-methacryloxy-2-hydroxypropoxy)phenyl]propane), BMPEPP (2,2-bis(4-methacryloxy poly-ethoxyphenyl)propane), and DMB (1,2-dimethacryloyloxy benzene) were used. Ethyleneglycol dimethacrylates showed sharp exothermic peaks, and the maximum temperatures (Tp) at the exothermic peaks of the DSC curves decreased according to the lengths of ethyleneglycols. Among urethane dimethacrylates, UDMA (dimethacryloxyethyl 2,2,4-trimethylhexamethylene diurethane) and DMPHU (di-(2-methacryloxypropyl) hexamethylene diurethane) showed sharp exothermic peaks, but DMEHU (di-(2-methacryloxyethyl) hexamethylene diurethane) showed an endothermic peak as well as exothermic peaks. This suggests that reactions other than polymerization occurred in the case of DMEHU. The polymerization activity of aromatic dimethacrylates was lower than that of ethyleneglycol dimethacrylates and urethane dimethacrylates. The copolymerization activity of TEGDMA (triethyleneglycol dimethacrylate) and DMB was also investigated using the dynamic DSC method. The DSC curves of the copolymerization between DMB and UDMA or BMPEPP showed broad peaks, but the DSC curves of the copolymerization between TEGDMA and UDMA or BMPEPP showed sharp peaks. The copolymerization activity of TEGDMA was better than that of DMB.

Effectiveness of the addition of water-soluble photoinitiator into the self-etching primers on the adhesion of a resin composite to polished dentin and enamel.

The effectiveness of the addition of a photoinitiator into self-etching primer was investigated by measuring the tensile bond strength between a resin composite and dentin or enamel. The addition of camphorquinone to 5 M (5 wt% MDP -35 wt% HEMA aqueous solution) or 30 M (30 wt% MDP -35 wt% HEMA aqueous solution) did not increase the bond strengths of resin composite to dentin or enamel. On the other hand, the bond strength to dentin was increased by the addition of a water-soluble photoinitiator, 2-hydroxy-3-(3,4-dimethyl-9-oxo-9H-thioxanthen-2-yloxy)-N,N, N-trimethyl-1- propanaminium chloride (QTX) to 5 M or 30 M. The bond strengths to enamel were not influenced by the addition of QTX to 5 M or 30 M.

Efficacy of self-etching primers containing carboxylic acid monomers on the adhesion between composite resin and dentin.

A study was conducted to examine the efficacy of carboxylic acid monomers as self-etching primers by measuring the tensile bond strengths between composite resin and dentin. Several kinds of carboxylic acid monomers, such as o-(N-methacryloyl amino)benzoic acid (o-MABA), m-(N-methacryloyl amino)benzoic acid (m-MABA), p-(N-methacryloyl amino)benzoic acid (p-MABA), 4-methacryloxy phthalic acid (4-MPA), 2-(N-methacryloyl amino) terephthalic acid (2-MATPA), and 5-(N-methacryloyl) amino)isophthalic acid (5-MAIPA), were prepared. 4-methacryloxyethyl trimellitic anhydride (4-META) was also used as a component of the self-etching primer. The DMSO solutions of these monomers were used as self-etching primers. The tensile bond strengths between composite resin and dentin were measured after 24 h immersion in water at 37 degrees C. When DMSO was used as a self-etching primer, the bond strengths were below 5 MPa. Among the monocarboxylic acid monomers, m-MABA gave the highest mean bond strength at 60 s application, and 5MAIPA gave the highest mean bond strength at 30 s application among the dicarboxylic acid monomers, although the differences among the values were not always significant. The smear layer was partially dissolved by treatment with the self-etching primer.

Influence of self-etching primer treatment on the adhesion of resin composite to polished dentin and enamel.

OBJECTIVE: This study investigated the effectiveness of the self-etching primer treatment on the adhesion of resin composite to both dentin and enamel. METHODS: Two types of self-etching primer were prepared. One was an aqueous solution of 2-methacryloyloxyethyl phenyl hydrogen phosphate (Phenyl-P) and 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate (HEMA), and the other was an aqueous solution of 10-methacryloxydecyl dihydrogen phosphate (MDP) and HEMA. Influence of the concentration of Phenyl-P and MDP, and that of the application time on the adhesiveness were examined by measuring the tensile bond strengths of resin composite to dentin and enamel. The data were analyzed using the analysis of variance and Scheffe's test for multiple comparison among the means. RESULTS: After the 20P and 30P treatment for 30 s, bond strengths to dentin were significantly higher than those after 5P and 10P treatment for 30 s. The 30M treatment of dentin for 15 s significantly increased the bond strength compared with 5P, 10P and 20P for 15 s. In enamel, bond strength with 30P for 60 s was significantly higher than with 5P for 60 s and 30P for 15 s. The 30M for 60 s resulted in significantly higher bond strength than for 15 s. The smear layers on the dentin and enamel were partially dissolved by the self-etching primer treatment. A hybrid layer with a thickness of 1-1.5 microns was formed in dentin-bonded specimens. SIGNIFICANCE: The self-etching primer containing Phenyl-P or MDP showed good adhesion to dentin and enamel, and this primer is a promising material for resin composite restoration.