Ultrathin cobalt films on clean (7×7) and Au covered Si (111) substrates were prepared by molecular beam epitaxy. The structure was studied by using scanning tunnelling microscopy and low energy electron diffraction. Magnetic properties were determined with the magneto-optic Kerr effect. It was found that Co nucleates in grains that prefer to grow along the bunched step edges of the Si substrate ([112] direction), which induces a strong in-plane uniaxial anisotropy. By introducing Au buffer layers, the magnetic characteristics were improved by preventing the silicide reaction between Si and Co. Moreover, the tendency for step decoration disappears gradually results in the in-plane uniaxial anisotropy reduction.

In summary, CP is found to self-assemble into distinct morphological structures under different environmental conditions: this macro cyclic conjugated molecule self organized into nanospheres and nanofibers accompanying natural evaporation of its butanol and toluene solutions on mica, silica and HOPG, respectively. Intermolecular π-π bonding and electronic attraction is believed to be involved in the self-association processes, and affinity or likeness of the solvent molecules and the molecule-surface interactions may be responsible for the molecules to vary their assembly structures in response to the changes in their solvent and substrate. The constructions of nanosized fibers may found applications in the field of supramolecular electronics.

Highly porous silica ceramics were produced by gel casting with egg white protein (EWP) as a foaming agent and evaluated by measuring the porosity, mechanical strength and microstructure. After drying, the green bodies were debindered and sintered at 1300 degrees C for 4 h. The influences of the EWP content on the open porosity as well as the strength were investigated. The porosity of the obtained porous silica ceramics was within 70.2%-86.1%, and the bending strength decreased from 6.81 MPa to 5.48 MPa. It was found that the strength dependence of the porosity was well described by a modified exponential relation of the form sigma=sigma(0) exp(-BP), where P is the porosity and B is a constant (B = 1.37 was obtained by fitting the experimental data). This finding is in agreement with other literature data and seems to indicate a common feature of all porous ceramics.