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At least 541 records · Page 30

Effect of Carbon Doping on CO 2 –Reduction Activity of Single Cobalt Sites in Graphitic Carbon Nitride

Single atom catalysts have demonstrated interesting activity in a variety of applications. In this study, we prepared single C o2+ sites on graphitic carbon nitride (C 3 N 4 ), which was doped with carbon for enhanced activity in visible-light CO 2 reduction. The synthesized materials were characterized with a variety of techniques, including microscopy, X-ray powder diffraction, UV-vis spectroscopy, infrared spectroscopy, photoluminescence spectroscopy, and X-ray absorption spectroscopy. Here, doping C 3 N 4 with carbon was found to have profound effect on the photocatalytic activity of the single Co 2+ sites. At relatively low levels, carbon doping enhanced the photoresponse of C 3 N 4 in the visible region and improved charge separation upon photoactivation, thereby enhancing the photocatalytic activity. Furthermore, high levels of carbon doping were found to be detrimental to the photocatalytic activity of the single Co 2+ sites by altering the structure of C 3 N 4 and generating defect sites responsible for charge recombination.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Gallium Pnictides of the Alkaline Earth Metals, Synthesized by Means of the Flux Method: Crystal Structures and Properties of CaGa[subscript 2]Pn[subscript 2], SrGa[subscript 2]As[subscript 2], Ba[subscript 2]Ga[subscript 5]As[subscript 5], and Ba[subscript 4]Ga[subscript 5]Pn[subscript 8] (Pn = P or As)

The focus of this paper is on the structural characterization of the new Zintl phases CaGa{sub 2}P{sub 2}, CaGa{sub 2}As{sub 2}, SrGa{sub 2}As{sub 2}, and Ba{sub 2}Ga{sub 5}As{sub 5}, and the solid solution (Ba{sub 0.85(1)}Sr{sub 0.15}){sub 2}Ga{sub 5}As{sub 5}, all of which were synthesized from molten metal fluxes.CaGa{sub 2}P{sub 2}, CaGa{sub 2}As{sub 2}, and SrGa{sub 2}As{sub 2} have layered structures with polyanionic layers made of ethane-like Ga{sub 2}P6 and Ga{sub 2}As6 motifs fused through common edges; the polyanionic substructure in Ba{sub 2}Ga{sub 5}As{sub 5} consists of condensed Ga{sub 2}As6 units and GaAs{sub 4} tetrahedra. Ba{sub 4}Ga{sub 5}P{sub 8} and Ba{sub 4}Ga{sub 5}As{sub 8}, another pair of new compounds with channel-like 3D structures, were also synthesized from metal fluxes, and their structures were established from single-crystal X-ray and synchrotron powder diffraction. They are based on GaP{sub 4} and GaAs{sub 4} tetrahedra, with parts of their structures being heavily disordered. The electronic structures computed with the linear muffin-tin orbital (LMTO) method are discussed as well, alongside the thermopower and the electrical conductivity, measured on single crystals of Ba{sub 2}Ga{sub 5}As{sub 5} and the solid solution (Ba{sub 0.85(1)}Sr{sub 0.15}){sub 2} Ga{sub 5}As{sub 5}. They demonstrate that such an approach would be an effective way to fine-tune the transport properties.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Pore Structures in Detritusphere of Soils Under Switchgrass and Restored Prairie Vegetation Community

Root detritusphere, that is, the soil in the vicinity of decomposing root residues, plays an important role in soil microbial activity and C sequestration. Pore structure (size distributions and connectivity of soil pores) in the detritusphere serves as a major driver for these processes and, in turn, is influenced by the physical characteristics of both soil and roots. This study compared pore structure characteristics in the root detritusphere of soils of contrasting texture and mineralogy subjected to > 6 years of contrasting vegetation: monoculture switchgrass and polyculture prairie systems. Soil samples were collected from five experimental sites in the US Midwest representing three soil types. Soil texture and mineralogy were measured using a hydrometer and x-ray powder diffraction, respectively. The intact cores were scanned with x-ray computed micro-tomography to identify visible soil pores, biopores, and particulate organic matter (POM). We specifically focused on pore structure within the detritusphere around the POM of root origin. Results showed that the detritusphere of coarser textured soils, characterized by high sand and quartz contents, had lower porosity in the vicinity of POM compared with finer textured soils. POM vicinities in finer textured soils had high proportions of large (> 300 μm diameter) pores, and their pores were better connected than in the coarser soils. Lower porosity in the outer (> 1 mm) parts of the detritusphere of switchgrass than of prairie suggested soil compaction by roots, with the effect especially pronounced in the coarser soils. Here, the results demonstrated that soil texture and mineralogy played a major, while vegetation played a more modest, role in defining the pore structure in the root detritusphere.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

Lattice Dynamics of Sb 2 Se 3 from Inelastic Neutron and X-Ray Scattering

The lattice dynamics of orthorhombic Sb 2 Se 3 is studied by a combination of inelastic neutron and 121 Sb nuclear inelastic scattering giving access to the total and Sb partial density of phonon states (DPS). The Se partial DPS is determined from the difference between the total and Sb partial DPS. The total DPS is determined at 39, 150, and 300 K, and an analysis of the temperature-induced mode shifts in combination with low-temperature powder diffraction data is provided. Using an earlier reported theoretical approach, the corresponding total and partial DPS of Sb 2 Se 3 are calculated by first-principles calculations. Herein, a detailed analysis of the Grüneisen parameter, element-specific and bulk Debye temperatures, and the mean force constants as derived from the experimental data and discrete Fourier transform calculations is provided. In general, the calculations underestimate the strength of the covalent Sb-Se bonds.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

Controlled release of losartan from acid- and heat-treated halloysite nanotubes

In this work, a simple method was used to sustained release of losartan (LOS) as a high blood pressure-controller drug using halloysites (HNT) as a carrier. The present work can be considered as an effective method because of using HNT as a natural source, which is available, inexpensive, safe with specific structure that led to release of drug, gradually. This carrier was improved by calcination and etching processes and their effect was investigated on loading amount and in vitro release of drug from HNT. The products were characterized by various analyses such as: BET (Brunauer–Emmett–Teller), TG (thermal gravimetry), TEM (transmission electron microscopy), and XRD (X-ray powder diffraction). According to the studies, two processes improving had no effect on structure and morphology of HNT and only increased the lumen size of them. It should be noted, removal water molecules through calcination had binary effect on halloysites: enlargement of lumen and decreasing the drug loading. Besides, release rate was investigated and it showed that maximum and minimum release rate of LOS are assigned to simple HNT and etched-HNT (EHNT), respectively. Kinetics studies confirmed that releasing the LOS molecules from HNT followed by diffusion process that is identified as Fickian diffusion.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗

Anchorage of curcumin onto PVP enhances anti-tumor effect of curcumin

Curcumin, a natural polyphenol compound, exhibits wide range of pharmacological activities. However, its poor aqueous solubility, weak stability, and rapid metabolism limit its potential development. In this study, solid dispersion of curcumin with PVP was developed. This study aimed to evaluate the loading capacity, stability, solubility, and anti-tumor activity of PVP-Cur solid dispersion. Scanning electron microscope (SEM), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), X-ray powder diffraction (XRPD), and fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy were used to investigate physical characterization of PVP-Cur. Loading capacity, stability, and solubility of PVP-Cur were evaluated by spectrophotometer. The biological effects of PVP-Cur on tumor cell proliferation and apoptosis were analyzed using CCK-8 assay and 7-AAD/AnnexinV-APC assay, respectively. PVP-cur-induced activation of caspase-3 and caspase-9 were evaluated by in vitro caspase activity assay and western blotting. It was interesting to note that PVP: curcumin in the ratios of 6:1 or 8:1 exhibited the highest loading capacity. Anchorage of curcumin onto PVP increased its solubility and stability. Compared with curcumin alone, PVP-Cur displayed an increased ability in abrogating tumor cell proliferation and inducing tumor cell apoptosis via mitochondria signaling, which was attributed by the enhanced cellular uptake of PVP-Cur. Anchorage of curcumin onto PVP was an effective way to increase the solubility and stability of curcumin. PVP-Cur increased anti-tumor ability and cellular uptake relative to curcumin, indicating that PVP-Cur is a promising candidate for anti-cancer drug development.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗

Rationalization of solidification mechanism of Nd–Fe–B magnets during laser directed-energy deposition [Rationalization of solidification mechanism of neodymium-iron-boron magnets obtained after laser directed-energy deposition process]

Here, near-net fabrication techniques are highly beneficial to minimize rare earth metal usage to fabricate dense fully functional magnets. In this study, feasibility of using the directed-energy deposition technique for fabrication of magnets is evaluated. The results show that despite the ability to fabricate highly reactive materials in the laser deposition process, the magnetic coercivity and remanence of the hard magnets is significantly reduced. X-ray powder diffraction in conjunction with electron microscopy showed that the material experienced a primary Nd 2 Fe 17 B x solidification. Consequently, the absence of the hard magnetic phase resulted in deterioration of the build properties.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Syntheses and Crystal Structures of Rare-Earth Oxyapatites Ca 2 RE 8 (SiO 4 ) 6 O 2 (RE = Pr, Tb, Ho, Tm)

Four different rare-earth oxyapatites of Ca 2 RE 8 (SiO 4 ) 6 O 2 (RE = Pr, Tb, Ho, Tm) were synthesized using a solution-based method followed by drying, calcination, and high-temperature sintering in air. X-ray powder diffraction and Raman spectroscopy were performed on the synthesized oxyapatites. Here, the RE oxyapatites crystallize in the hexagonal space group P6 3 /m with similar unit cell parameters, increasing linearly with larger RE cations. The unit cell volumes increase linearly whereas the densities decrease nonlinearly with larger RE cations. Raman spectra showed intense bands of the symmetric bending and stretching modes of SiO 4 at ~ 400 and 860 cm -1 regions, respectively. The bands generally shifted to higher frequencies with smaller RE cations in the structures.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Synthesis of dysprosium oxychloride (DyOCl)

Dysprosium oxychloride, DyOCl, was synthesized using a simple dehydration method with DyCl3·6H2O. X-ray powder diffraction data was used to determine the crystal structure. The DyOCl compound is isostructural to the matlockite (PbFCl) crystal structure and crystallizes in the tetragonal P4/nmm (#129) space group. The crystal structure contains the alternating cationic layers of (DyO)n and anionic layers of nCl– along the c-axis. The structural data including unit cell, volume, and density of DyOCl were compared to other REOCl data from Inorganic Crystal Structure Database (ICSD) and our previous study on TbOCl. Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) was performed, and the vibrations of DyOCl possibly from Dy–O and Dy–Cl were observed at 543 and 744 cm-1. Scanning electron microscopy analysis (SEM) showed irregularly shaped crystals.

Chong, Saehwa↗

Magnetic Properties of Co-doped Bismuth Oxide (δ-Bi{sub 2}O{sub 3}) at Low Temperature

The (Bi{sub 2}O{sub 3}){sub 1−x−y}(Gd{sub 2}O{sub 3}){sub x}(Lu{sub 2}O{sub 3}){sub y} material compounds were prepared by using the solid-state reaction technique under normal air conditions. The heat treatments of the ternary samples were performed firstly at 800 °C for 48 h and then at 750 °C for 100 h. The structural, morphological, and magnetic properties of the materials were characterized by X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscope, and a Quantum Design PPMS-9T system, respectively. From the XRD results, it was found that the phases of all of the samples consisted of the fluorite-type face-centered cubic δ-Bi{sub 2}O{sub 3} phase. It was observed that the microstructure of the samples is uniformly distributed on the samples’ surface. The temperature dependence of magnetization (M–T) measurements showed that the magnetization rose sharply at the critical temperature. The calculated critical temperature values vary from 22.19 to 56.61 K for the samples. All of the samples displayed the paramagnetic behavior. The paramagnetic behavior started from 300 K to very low temperature which varied from 22.19 to 56.61 K. The coercive rise on the magnetization below 22.19 K or 56.61 K with decreasing temperature causes a phase transformation in the δ-Bi{sub 2}O{sub 3} system. This sudden increment was considered as a ferromagnetic or ferrimagnetic phase transition.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗

Graphene Oxide/Polyaniline/Manganese Oxide Ternary Nanocomposites, Facile Synthesis, Characterization, and Application for Indigo Carmine Removal

Graphene oxide/polyaniline/manganese oxide ternary nanocomposites (GO/PANI/Mn{sub 2}O{sub 3}) have been successfully synthesized in one-pot method by in situ chemical oxidative polymerization of aniline in acidic medium using MnO{sub 2} as an oxidant. The obtaining nanocomposites have been characterized by transmission electron microscope, Fourier transform infrared, X-ray powder diffraction, and thermogravimetric analysis. The adsorption isotherms of indigo carmine (IC) onto; PANI, GO/PANI, PANI/MnO{sub 2}, and GO/PANI/Mn{sub 2}O{sub 3} have been evaluated under different adsorption conditions. The adsorption isotherm models of Langmuir, Freundlich, and Temkin were applied and the fit linear was obtained with Langmuir model. It was found that adsorption capacities followed the order: GO/PANI > GO/PANI/Mn{sub 2}O{sub 3} > PANI > PANI/MnO{sub 2} with the values of 88.73, 76.40, 60.45 and 22.52 mg/g. Moreover, the kinetics of the adsorption process was investigated and fit linear was obtained with pseudo-second-order model. The adsorption process was exothermic and spontaneous as revealed from the thermodynamic studies.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Improvement of the Magnetization and Coercivity of La{sub 0.67}Ca{sub 0.33}MnO{sub 3} Induced by Substitution of Nickel for Manganese

La{sub 0.67}Ca{sub 0.33}Mn{sub 1−x}Ni{sub x}O{sub 3} (0 ≤x ≤ 0.3) is synthesized by solid-state reaction at low temperatures, followed by calcination in air. The precursor and its calcined products are characterized by thermogravimetry and differential scanning calorimetry, x-ray powder diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, and vibrating sample magnetometer. A high-crystallized La{sub 0.67}Ca{sub 0.33}Mn{sub 1−x}Ni{sub x}O{sub 3} with an orthorhombic structure is obtained when the precursor is calcined at 900{sup ∘}C in air for 3 h. Crystallite size of La{sub 0.67}Ca{sub 0.33}Mn{sub 1−x}Ni{sub x}O{sub 3} increases with the increase of Ni content, attributed to the decrease of lattice strains of the La{sub 0.67}Ca{sub 0.33}Mn{sub 1−x}Ni{sub x}O{sub 3} with the increase in Ni content. Nickel substitution can markedly improve coercivity and specific magnetization of La{sub 0.67}Ca{sub 0.33}Mn{sub 1−x}Ni{sub x}O{sub 3}. The coercive field (9 Oe) of La{sub 0.67}Ca{sub 0.33}Mn{sub 0.7}Ni{sub 0.3}O{sub 3} is higher, even at 293 K, indicating that La{sub 0.67}Ca{sub 0.33}Mn{sub 0.7}Ni{sub 0.3}O{sub 3} continues being ferromagnetic above 260 K (Curie temperature for LCMO).

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗

Unordinary Ferromagnetic Phase Transitions in Mn- and Fe-doped Half-Heusler CoTiSb

Unordinary ferromagnetic character and high Curie temperature around 900 K have been detected for CoTi {sub 1−x}M{sub x}Sb (M = Mn and Fe, x = 0.1) multiphases systems. The synthesis process was carried out at high temperature in evacuated quartz tubes. The x-ray powder diffraction analysis through Rietveld method was applied to refine the crystal structure. By manipulating the search match program, three nanocrystalline phases of CoTiSb (64.5%), CoSb (15.5%), and TiSb{sub 2} (20.5%) for Mn-doped system and CoTiSb (33%), Ti{sub 3}Sb (35.3%), and CoTi{sub 2} (30.7%) for Fe-doped system were recognized. The term “phase” was used to address the coexistence of different stable chemical compositions for the same half-Heusler alloy. The scanning electron microscope (SEM) and the high-resolution transmission electron microscope (HR-TEM) were applied to characterize the morphology, size, shape, crystallinity and lattice spacing. Good matching was detected between the obtained d values using electron diffraction data and those calculated from x-ray analysis. Well defined nanocrystalline structure with average interatomic distances equaling 0.229 nm, 0.286 nm together with many successive rings with sharp diffraction spots characterized the Fe-doped system. In contrast, partially distorted structured planes and smeared halo surrounded by weak rings were detected in the Mn-doped system. Thermo-magnetic measurements (M-T) were performed for both systems. In addition to Curie transition, many magnetic phase transitions were detected and confirmed through the ΔM/ ΔT vs. T relationship. The field-dependence magnetization (M-H) was measured at different temperatures. The M-H hysteresis loops showed the ferromagnetic character for both systems. Tentative magnetic phase diagrams are suggested as a guide for future research.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗

Crystal Structure and Phase Relations of the R{sub 2}Fe{sub 14}B–Y{sub 2}Fe{sub 14}B (R = Nd and Pr) Systems

The phase relations in the R{sub 2}Fe{sub 14}B–Y{sub 2}Fe{sub 14}B (R = Nd and Pr) systems have been investigated by means of X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), differential thermal analysis (DTA), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) equipped with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS). Crystal structure parameters for all studied alloys (R{sub 1−x}Y{sub x}){sub 2}Fe{sub 14}B (R = Nd and Pr) have been determined by Rietveld refinements. Their structures are similar to that of the Nd{sub 2}Fe{sub 14}B phase with tetragonal structure (space group P4{sub 2}/mnm). The continuous solid solutions are formed in these systems. The lattice parameters and unit cell volumes of the (R{sub 1−x}Y{sub x}){sub 2}Fe{sub 14}B (R = Nd and Pr) solid solutions decrease gradually with increasing Y content. The DTA results present that the decomposition temperature of (R{sub 1−x}Y{sub x}){sub 2}Fe{sub 14}B (R = Nd and Pr) rises with x ranging from 0 to 1.0. The vertical sections of the R{sub 2}Fe{sub 14}B–Y{sub 2}Fe{sub 14}B (R = Nd and Pr) systems are presented in this work.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗

Low-Temperature Short-Time SPS Processes to Produce Fine-Grained High-Coercivity Barium Hexaferrite Ceramics from Polyol Nanoparticles

Barium hexaferrite (BaFe{sub 12}O{sub 19}) ceramics were obtained by combination of polyol-synthesized precursors subsequently consolidated by spark plasma sintering (SPS) at a low temperature (800 {sup ∘}C). X-ray powder diffraction studies showed the influence of the experimental parameters to produce a virtually single- or multiphase material. The room temperature magnetic properties exhibited interesting variety of properties, including exchange coupling (spring magnet) between hexaferrite and other magnetic phases. The saturation magnetization and coercive field, at room temperature, are in the 34–70 emu/g and 4.1–5.0 kOe ranges, respectively. The combination of strong coercive field and magnetization resulted in a maximum energy product [(BH)max] = 10.9 kJ/m{sup 3} for the sample with the highest BaFe{sub 12}O{sub 19} content.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗

Effect of the Fe/Ba Ratio and Sintering Temperature on Microstructure and Magnetic Properties of Barium Ferrites Prepared by Hydrothermal Method

Magnetoplumbite-type (M-type) hexagonal barium ferrite particles were synthesized by a hydrothermal method. The structure and magnetic properties of barium ferrites were investigated systematically, which indicated that the ratio of Fe/Ba (R{sub F/B}) and sintering temperature have an important effect on structure and performance. Phase composition, micro-morphology, and magnetic properties of the particles were investigated by X-ray powder diffraction (XRD) analysis, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and vibrating sample magnetometry (VSM). When the ratio of Fe/Ba (R{sub F/B}) is even low or high, inferior images of XRD could be attained with certain impurities. When R{sub F/B} = 8, the single phase could be obtained without impurities. Micro-morphology of the particles exhibits the uniform plane hexagonal structures of nano-sized M-type ferrites when sintered at 800 °C. Saturation magnetization (M{sub s}) reaches the maximum value at R{sub F/B} = 7 (M{sub s} = 45.07 emu/g). The value of coercivity (H{sub c}) increases with the growth of R{sub F/B}, and H{sub c} is up to 6207 Oe when R{sub F/B} = 7. The effect of R{sub F/B} and temperature on magnetization (M{sub s}) and coercivity (H{sub c}) was studied in this paper.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗

SPION@APTES@FA-PEG@Usnic Acid Bionanodrug for Cancer Therapy

In this work, we aimed to develop stable usnic acid (UA)-conjugated superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPIONs) as a potential drug carrier for in vitro analysis of MCF-7 (breast cancer cell line), HeLa (cervix cancer cell line), L929 (mouse fibroblast cell line), U87 (glioblastoma cell line, brain cancer), and A549 (human lung cancer cell line) cell lines. SPIONs were synthesized via the polyol method and functionalized with APTES using the Stöber method. Carboxylated polyethylene glycol (PEG-COOH), folic acid (FA), and carboxylated luteolin (CL) were conjugated on the surface via a carboxylic/amine group using the nanoprecipitation method, respectively. X-ray powder diffraction analysis confirmed the purity of the product with crystallite size of around 11 nm. Fourier-transformed infrared spectrophotometer (FT-IR) analyses explained the conjugation of all functional groups to the surface of SPIONs. The percentages of inorganic and organic content in the products were investigated via thermal gravimetric analyzer (TGA). For morphological analysis, a transmission electron microscope (TEM) was used. The superparamagnetic property of the product was also confirmed by vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM).

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗

Excess Conductivity Investigation of Y{sub 3}Ba{sub 5}Cu{sub 8}O{sub 18±δ} Superconductors Prepared by Various Parameters of Planetary Ball Milling Technique

Superconducting samples of type Y{sub 3}Ba{sub 5}Cu{sub 8}O{sub 18±δ} were elaborated by using a planetary high-energy ball milling (HEBM) technique with various parameters. Phases, microstructure, and superconductivity have been examined using X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and electrical resistivity measurements. SEM investigation shows the occurrence of nanoentities embedded into the superconducting matrix for samples prepared by a ball milling technique. The main objective of this study is to investigate the influence of ball milling parameters on the fluctuation-induced conductivity (FIC). The electrical resistivity versus temperature, ρ(T), above T{sub c} was analyzed using Lawrence–Doniach (LD) and Aslamazov–Larkin (AL) models. Different fluctuation regimes indicated by short-wave fluctuation (SWF) and three-dimensional (3D), two-dimensional (2D), one-dimensional (1D), and critical region (CR) fluctuations were identified. The coherence length at zero temperature, the effective layer thickness, the critical magnetic fields, and the critical current densities are determined. The superconducting parameters strongly depend on the planetary ball milling technique, and the results are explained in relevancy to the microstructure. It was found that the achievement of a microstructure with well-dispersed nanoentities is an effective way for introducing pinning centers for enhancing critical current density and flux pinning capability of bulk Y-358.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗