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- 2014 (6) (entfernen)
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- Aktive Thermografie (1)
- Artificial weathering (1)
- Bio-Interfaces (1)
- Bispidines (1)
- Carbohydrates (1)
- Chelates (1)
- Gabelsensor (1)
- Gas diffusion layer (GDL) (1)
- Geometrical tortuosity (1)
- Imaging agents (1)
We present a synchrotron X-ray tomographic study on the morphology of carbon fiber-based gas diffusion layer (GDL) material under compression. A dedicated compression device is used to provide well-defined compression conditions. A flat compression punch is employed to study the fiber geometry at different degrees of compression. Transport relevant geometrical parameters such as porosity, pore size and tortuosity distributions are calculated. The geometric properties notably change upon compression which has direct impact on transport conditions for gas and fluid flow. The availability of broad 3D paths, which are most important for the transport of liquid water from the catalyst layer through the GDL, is markedly reduced after compression. In a second experiment, we study the influence of the channel-land-pattern of the flow-field on shape and microstructure of the GDL. A flow-field compression punch is employed to reproduce the inhomogeneous compression conditions found during fuel cell assembly. While homogenously compressed underneath the land the GDL is much less and inhomogeneously compressed under the channel. The GDL material extends far into the channel volume where it can considerably influence gas and fluid flow. Loose fiber endings penetrate deeply into the channel and form obstacles for the discharge of liquid water droplets.
Der Large Hadron Collider (LHC) des europäischen Kernforschungszentrums CERN ist einer der weltweit größten und leistungsfähigsten Teilchenbeschleuniger. Um den Teilchenstrahl auf seiner Kreisbahn zu halten, werden mit Hilfe supraleitender Spulen sehr starke Magnetfelder erzeugt. Die hierzu benötigten hohen Ströme werden über Verbunddrähte aus Niob-Titan und Kupfer geleitet.
Die Drähte werden u.a. durch Ultraschallschweißungen miteinander verbunden. Eine mangelhafte Verbindung kann zur Erwärmung der Kontaktstelle und in Folge davon zum Zusammenbruch der Supraleitung führen. Auf Anfrage des CERN wurden an der BAM Untersuchungen zur Prüfbarkeit solcher Verbindungen bei Umgebungstemperatur durchgeführt. Es gelang, für einen Verbindungstypen einen Wirbelstromsensor für eine manuelle Prüfung zu entwickeln. Ein Prototyp des Sensors befindet sich beim CERN in der praktischen Erprobung. Das Sensorprinzip sowie Prüfergebnisse aus Labor und Praxis werden vorgestellt.
We developed new procedures for internal standardization and calibration to be used for laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) for elemental micro mapping imaging of biological samples like Western blot membranes and tissue sections. These procedures are based on printing of metal spiked inks onto the top of thin layer samples for simultaneous internal standardization and calibration of LA-ICP-MS. In the case of internal standardization the ink is spiked with indium as an internal standard and homogenously printed over the entire membrane (size 56 cm2) prior to LA-ICP-MS detection, a standard deviation (RSD) value of 2% was achieved. In the second approach the metal content of lanthanide tagged proteins and antibodies after biological work flows was quantified by LA-ICP-MS on nitro-cellulose membranes. In this case the inks spiked with varying metals were printed with different densities on the same nitrocellulose membranes in well-defined squares to produce matrix-matched calibration standards. For validation and calibration the ink squares were excised and the specific metal content was measured by liquid ICP-MS after solubilization of the membrane slice. For the printed calibration standard limits of detection (LOD) of <4 fmol for different metals and relative process standard deviations of 12% only were determined via LA-ICP-MS.
Carbohydrate functionalization of silver nanoparticles modulates cytotoxicity and cellular uptake
(2014)
Background
Increasing use of silver nanoparticles (Ag-NPs) in various products is resulting in a greater likelihood of human exposure to these materials. Nevertheless, little is still known about the influence of carbohydrates on the toxicity and cellular uptake of nanoparticles.
Methods
Ag-NPs functionalized with three different monosaccharides and ethylene glycol were synthesized and characterised. Oxidative stress and toxicity was evaluated by protein carbonylation and MTT assay, respectively. Cellular uptake was evaluated by confocal microscopy and ICP-MS.
Results
Ag-NPs coated with galactose and mannose were considerably less toxic to neuronal-like cells and hepatocytes compared to particles functionalized by glucose, ethylene glycol or citrate. Toxicity correlated to oxidative stress but not to cellular uptake.
Conclusions
Carbohydrate coating on silver nanoparticles modulates both oxidative stress and cellular uptake, but mainly the first has an impact on toxicity. These findings provide new perspectives on modulating the bioactivity of Ag-NPs by using carbohydrates.
Water-repellent renders were studied in order to evaluate their suitability for restoration applications. Water repellent admixtures, such as powdered siloxane-based products and metal soaps (zinc and calcium stearates), were mixed with a pozzolana-lime binder similar to historical binders with hydraulic properties. The chemical-physical and structural properties, the effectiveness and the durability of the water-repellent mortars in different environmental conditions were studied. The influence of the water repellent admixtures was evaluated by FT-IR analyses, by testing the mechanical properties and the behaviour in presence of water. The durability of the water-repellent mortars was evaluated after the exposure to artificial weathering (UV-light and water) and to immersion/drying cycles in saturated sodium sulphate solution. The nature of the water-repellent admixtures influenced both the hydration reactions and the chemical-physical properties of the mortars resulting in different resistance to the weathering and to salt crystallization.
Bispidines for dual imaging
(2014)
The efficient transformation of the hexadentate bispidinol 1 into carbamate derivatives yields functional bispidines enabling convenient functionalization for targeted imaging. The BODIPY-substituted bispidine 3 combines a coordination site for metal ions, such as radioactive 64CuII, with a fluorescent unit. Product 3 was thoroughly characterized by standard analytical methods, single crystal X-ray diffraction, radiolabeling, and photophysical analysis. The luminescence of ligand 3 was found to be strongly dependent on metal ion coordination: CuII quenches the BODIPY fluorescence, whereas NiII and ZnII ions do not affect it. It follows that, in imaging applications with the positron emitter 64CuII, residues of its origin from enriched 64Ni and the decay products 64NiII and 64ZnII, efficiently restore the fluorescence of the ligand. This allows for monitoring of the emitted radiation as well as the fluorescence signal. The stability of the 64CuII–3 complex is investigated by transmetalation experiments with ZnII and NiII, using fluorescence and radioactivity detection, and the results confirm the high stability of 64CuII–3. In addition, metal complexes of ligand 3 with the lanthanide ions TbIII, EuIII, and NdIII are shown to exhibit emission of the BODIPY ligand and the lanthanide ion, thus enabling dual emission detection.