Chemie und Prozesstechnik
Filtern
Dokumenttyp
- Zeitschriftenartikel (1173) (entfernen)
Sprache
- Englisch (1173) (entfernen)
Schlagworte
- Fluorescence (62)
- Quantum yield (49)
- Nanoparticles (39)
- Mechanochemistry (36)
- Quality assurance (31)
- Mass spectrometry (30)
- SAXS (30)
- Sensor (30)
- Imaging (29)
- XPS (29)
Organisationseinheit der BAM
- 1 Analytische Chemie; Referenzmaterialien (495)
- 6 Materialchemie (393)
- 8 Zerstörungsfreie Prüfung (242)
- 6.3 Strukturanalytik (170)
- 6.1 Oberflächen- und Dünnschichtanalyse (137)
- 1.1 Anorganische Spurenanalytik (119)
- 1.2 Biophotonik (104)
- 1.7 Organische Spuren- und Lebensmittelanalytik (77)
- 8.2 Zerstörungsfreie Prüfmethoden für das Bauwesen (70)
- 8.0 Abteilungsleitung und andere (66)
Paper des Monats
- ja (26)
Photon counting detectors (PCD) offer new possibilities for x-ray micro computed tomography (CT) in the field of non-destructive testing. For large and/or dense objects with high atomic numbers the problem of scattered radiation and beam hardening severely influences the image quality. This work shows that using an energy discriminating PCD based on CdTe allows to address these problems by intrinsically reducing both the influence of scattering and beam hardening.
Based on 2D-radiographic measurements it is shown that by energy thresholding the influence of scattered radiation can be reduced by up to in case of a PCD compared to a conventional energy-integrating detector (EID).
To demonstrate the capabilities of a PCD in reducing beam hardening, cupping artefacts are analyzed quantitatively. The PCD results show that the higher the energy threshold is set, the lower the cupping effect emerges. But since numerous beam hardening correction algorithms exist, the results of the PCD are compared to EID results corrected by common techniques. Nevertheless, the highest energy thresholds yield lower cupping artefacts than any of the applied correction algorithms.
As an example of a potential industrial CT application, a turbine blade is investigated by CT. The inner structure of the turbine blade allows for comparing the image quality between PCD and EID in terms of absolute contrast, as well as normalized signal-to-noise and contrast-to-noise ratio. Where the absolute contrast can be improved by raising the energy thresholds of the PCD, it is found that due to lower statistics the normalized contrast-to-noise-ratio could not be improved compared to the EID. These results might change to the contrary when discarding pre-filtering of the x-ray spectra and thus allowing more low-energy photons to reach the detectors.
Despite still being in the early phase in technological progress, PCDs already allow to improve CT image quality compared to conventional detectors in terms of scatter and beam hardening reduction.
We present an in situ triple coupling of synchrotron X-ray diffraction with Raman spectroscopy, and thermography to study milling reactions in real time. This combination of methods allows a correlation of the structural evolution with temperature information. The temperature information is crucial for understanding both the thermodynamics and reaction kinetics. The reaction mechanisms of three prototypical mechanochemical syntheses, a cocrystal formation, a C@C bond formation (Knoevenagel condensation), and the formation
of a manganese-phosphonate, were elucidated. Trends in the temperature development during milling are identified. The heat of reaction and latent heat of crystallization of the product contribute to the overall temperature increase. A decrease in temperature occurs via release of, for example, water as a byproduct.
Solid and liquid intermediates are detected. The influence of the mechanical impact could be separated from temperature effects caused by the reaction.
Comparing the photoluminescence (PL) properties of ensembles of nanocrystals like semiconductor quantum dots (QDs) with single particle studies is of increasing interest for many applications of These materials as reporters in bioimaging studies performed under very dilute conditions or even at the single particle level. Particularly relevant is here the PL quantum yield (ΦF), which determines the signal size together with the reporter’s molar extinction coefficient and is a direct measure for nanocrystal quality, especially for the inorganic surface passivation shell and its tightness, which can be correlated also with nanocrystal stability and the possible release of heavy metal ions. Exemplarily for red and green emitting CdTe nanocrystals, we present a method for the determination of ΦF of nanoparticle dispersions at ultralow concentration compared to cuvette measurements using fluorescence correlation spectroscopy (FCS), a single molecule method, and compared to molecular dyes with closely matching spectral properties and known ΦF. Our results underline the potential of this approach, provided that material-inherent limitations like ligand- and QD-specific aggregation affecting particle diffusion and QD drawbacks such as their complex and power-dependent blinking behavior are properly considered as shown here.
The increasing request for hair ethyl glucuronide (HEtG) in alcohol consumption monitoring according to cut-off levels set by the Society of Hair Testing (SoHT) has triggered a proficiency testing program based on interlaboratory comparisons (ILC). Here, the outcome of nine consecutive ILC rounds organised by the SoHT on the determination of HEtG between 2011 and 2017 is summarised regarding interlaboratory reproducibility and the influence of procedural variants. Test samples prepared from cut hair (1 mm) with authentic (in-vivo incorporated) and soaked (in-vitro incorporated) HEtG concentrations up to 80 pg/mg were provided for 27–35 participating laboratories. Laboratory results were evaluated according to ISO 5725-5 and provided robust averages and relative reproducibility standard deviations typically between 20 and 35% in reasonable accordance with the prediction of the Horwitz model. Evaluation of results regarding the analytical techniques revealed no significant differences between gas and liquid chromatographic methods In contrast, a detailed evaluation of different sample preparations revealed significantly higher average values in case when pulverised hair is tested compared to cut hair. This observation was reinforced over the different ILC rounds and can be attributed to the increased acceptance and routine of hair pulverisation among laboratories. Further, the reproducibility standard deviations among laboratories performing pulverisation were on average in very good agreement with the prediction of the Horwitz model. Use of sonication showed no effect on the HEtG extraction yield.
A series of new Ba-based coordination polymers (CPs) were mechanochemically synthesized by milling Ba-hydroxide samples with perfluorinated and fluorine-free benzene-dicarboxylic acids, including tetrafluoroisophthalic acid (H2mBDC-F4), tetrafluorophthalic acid (H2oBDC-F4), isophthalic acid (H2mBDC) and phthalic acid (H2oBDC). The new fluorinated CPs: [Ba(mBDC-F4)$0.5H2O] (1) and [Ba(oBDC-F4)·1.5H2O] (2) are compared to their nonfluorinated counterparts: [Ba(mBDC)·2.5H2O] (3), and [Ba(oBDC)·1H2O] (4). These materials are thoroughly characterized using powder X-ray diffraction. The products obtained by milling are all hydrated but vary in their water contents. Compositions and local structures are investigated by elemental analysis, thermal analysis, MAS NMR and attenuated total reflectioninfrared spectroscopy. These materials exhibit high thermal stabilities but small surface areas that remain unchanged even after thermal treatments.
Monitoring specific chemical properties is the key to chemical process control. Today, mainly optical online methods are applied, which require time- and cost-intensive calibration effort. NMR spectroscopy, with its advantage being a direct comparison method without need for calibration, has a high potential for closed-loop process control while exhibiting short set-up times. Compact NMR instruments make NMR spectroscopy accessible in industrial and rough environments for process monitoring and advanced process control strategies.
We present a fully automated data analysis approach which is completely based on physically motivated spectral models as first principles information (Indirect Hard Modelling – IHM) and applied it to a given pharmaceutical lithiation reaction in the framework of the European Union’s Horizon 2020 project CONSENS. Online low-field NMR (LF NMR) data was analysed by IHM with low calibration effort, compared to a multivariate PLS-R (Partial Least Squares Regression) approach, and both validated using online high-field NMR (HF NMR) spectroscopy.
Many applications of nanometer- and micrometer-sized particles include their surface functionalization with linkers, sensor molecules, and analyte recognition moieties like (bio)ligands. This requires knowledge of the chemical nature and number of surface groups accessible for subsequent coupling reactions. Particularly attractive for the quantification of these groups are spectrophotometric and fluorometric assays, which can be read out with simple instrumentation. In this respect, we present here a novel Family of cleavable spectrophotometric and multimodal reporters for conjugatable amino and carboxyl surface groups on nano- and microparticles. This allows determination of particle-bound labels, unbound reporters in the supernatant, and reporters cleaved off from the particle surface, as well as the remaining thiol groups on particle, by spectrophotometry and inductively coupled optical emission spectrometry (32S ICP-OES). Comparison of the performance of these cleavable reporters with conductometry and conventional labels, utilizing changes in intensity or Color of absorption or emission, underlines the analytical potential of this versatile concept which elegantly circumvents Signal distortions by scattering and Encoding dyes and enables straightforward validation by method comparison.
Cost-effective water cleaning approaches using improved Treatment technologies, for instance based on catalytic processes with high activity catalysts, are urgently needed. The aim of our study was to synthesize efficient Fenton-like photo-catalysts for rapid degradation of persistent organic micropollutants in aqueous medium. Iron-based nanomaterials were chemically synthesized through simple procedures by immobilization of either iron(II) oxalate (FeO) or iron(III) citrate (FeC) on magnetite (M) nanoparticles stabilized with polyethylene glycol (PEG). Various investigation techniques were performed in order to characterize the freshly prepared catalysts. By applying advanced oxidation processes, the effect of catalyst dosage, hydrogen peroxide concentration and UV-A light exposure were examined for Bisphenol A (BPA) conversion, at laboratory scale, in mild conditions. The obtained results revealed that BPA degradation was rapidly enhanced in the presence of low-concentration H2O2, as well as under UV-A light, and is highly dependent on the surface characteristics of the catalyst. Complete photo-degradation of BPA was achieved over the M/PEG/FeO catalyst in less than 15 minutes. Based on the catalytic performance, a hierarchy of the tested catalysts was established: M/PEG/FeO > M/PEG/FeC > M/PEG. The results of cytotoxicity assay using MCF-7 cells indicated that the aqueous samples after treatment are less cytotoxic.
Insights into early damage mechanisms during high-temperature gas corrosion provide important aspects for the prediction of the long-term stability of hightemperature materials exposed to a hot and corrosive environment. The current work presents a real time study concerning the combined oxidation and sulfidation of ferritic model alloys in a hot SO2 containing atmosphere using energy dispersive X-ray diffraction. The applied high temperature reactor allows the transmittance of high energetic X-rays in order to collect X-ray diffraction pattern of the sample surface in situ during the reaction with the reactive environment. The results revealed that the first phases crystallizing on iron with 2 wt% chromium and with 9 wt% chromium are oxides. The aging experiments at T = 650° C with 0.5% SO2 and 99.5% Ar were followed in situ and caused an external mixed oxide-sulfide layer on top of iron with 2 wt% chromium. On the higher alloyed material the external scale consists of iron oxides and the inner scale of mixed (Fe,Cr)-oxides and chromium-sulfides. The oxide content continuously increases parallel to an increase of the sulfide amount. Thus, the initially formed (Fe,Cr)-oxides do not have a protective character and support the transport of sulfur through the growing oxide scale.
Equipping ZIF particles with a polyelectrolyte membrane provides functional groups at their interface, enabling further conjugations necessary for applications such as targeted drug delivery. Previous approaches to coat ZIF particles with polyelectrolytes led to surface corrosion of the template material. This work overcomes previous limitations by performing a Layer-by-Layer (LbL) polyelectrolyte coating onto ZIF-8 and ZIF-67 particles in nonaqueous environment. Using the 2-methylimidazolium salt of polystyrensulfonic acid instead of the acid itself and polyethyleneimine in methanol led to intact ZIF particles after polyelectrolyte coating. This was verified by electron microscopy. Further, zetapotential and atomic force microscopy measurements confirmed a continuous polyelectrolyte multilayer built up. The here reported adaption to the well-studied (LbL) polyelectrolyte selfassembly process provides a facile method to equip ZIF particles with a nanometer thin polyelectrolyte multilayer membrane.
Wood treated with nano metal fluorides is found to resist fungal decay. Sol−gel synthesis was used to synthesize MgF2 and CaF2 nanoparticles. Electron microscopy images confirmed the localization of MgF2 and CaF2 nanoparticles in wood. Efficacy of nano metal fluoride-treated wood was tested against brown-rot fungi Coniophora puteana and Rhodonia placenta. Untreated wood specimens had higher
mass losses (∼30%) compared to treated specimens, which had average mass loss of 2% against C. puteana and 14% against R. placenta, respectively. Nano metal fluorides provide a viable alternative to current wood preservatives.
2-Amino-2-(hydroxymethyl)-1,3-propanediol (TRIS) and ethylene-diaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) are key components of biological buffers and are frequently used as DNA stabilizers in irradiation studies. Such surface or liquid phase studies are done with the aim to understand the fundamental mechanisms of DNA radiation damage and to improve cancer radiotherapy. When ionizing radiation is used, abundant secondary electrons are formed during the irradiation process, which are able to attach to the molecular compounds present on the surface. In the present study we experimentally investigate low energy electron attachment to TRIS and methyliminodiacetic acid (MIDA), an analogue of EDTA, supported by quantum chemical calculations. The most prominent dissociation channel for TRIS is through hydroperoxyl radical formation, whereas the dissociation of MIDA results in the formation of formic and acetic acid. These compounds are well-known to cause DNA modifications, like strand breaks. The present results indicate that buffer compounds may not have an exclusive protecting effect on DNA as suggested previously.
"INFRASTAR aims to develop knowledge, expertise and skills for optimal and reliable management of structures. The generic methodology is applied to bridges and wind turbines in relation to fatigue offering the opportunity to deal with complementary notions (such as old and new asset management, unique and similar structures, wind and traffic actions) while addressing 3 major challenges: 1/ advanced modelling of concrete fatigue behaviour, 2/new non destructive testing methods for early aged damage detection and 3/probabilistic approach of structure reliability under fatigue. Benefit of cross-experience and inter-disciplinary synergies creates new knowledge. INFRASTAR proposes innovative solutions for civil infrastructure asset management so that young scientists acquire a high employment profile in close dialogue between industry and academic partners. Modern engineering methods, including probabilistic approaches, risk and reliability assessment tools, will take into account the effective structural behaviour of existing bridges and wind turbines by exploiting monitored data. Existing methods and current state-of -the art is based on excessive conservatism which produces high costs and hinders sustainability. INFRASTAR improves knowledge for optimising the design of new structures, for more realistic verification of structural safety and more accurate prediction of future lifetime of the existing structures. That is a challenge for a sustainable development because it reduces building material and energy consumption as well as CO2 production. Within the global framework of optimal infrastructure asset management, INFRASTAR will result in a multi-disciplinary body of knowledge covering generic problems from the design stage process of the new civil infrastructures up to recycling after dismantlement. This approach and the proposed methods and tools are new and allow a step forward for innovative and effective process."
During cancer radiation therapy high‐energy radiation is used to reduce tumour tissue. The irradiation produces a shower of secondary low‐energy (<20 eV) electrons, which are able to damage DNA very efficiently by dissociative electron attachment. Recently, it was suggested that low‐energy electron‐induced DNA strand breaks strongly depend on the specific DNA sequence with a high sensitivity of G‐rich sequences. Here, we use DNA origami platforms to expose G‐rich telomere sequences to low‐energy (8.8 eV) electrons to determine absolute cross sections for strand breakage and to study the influence of sequence modifications and topology of telomeric DNA on the strand breakage. We find that the telomeric DNA 5′‐(TTA GGG)2 is more sensitive to low‐energy electrons than an intermixed sequence 5′‐(TGT GTG A)2 confirming the unique electronic properties resulting from G‐stacking. With increasing length of the oligonucleotide (i.e., going from 5′‐(GGG ATT)2 to 5′‐(GGG ATT)4), both the variety of topology and the electron‐induced strand break cross sections increase. Addition of K+ ions decreases the strand break cross section for all sequences that are able to fold G‐quadruplexes or G‐intermediates, whereas the strand break cross section for the intermixed sequence remains unchanged. These results indicate that telomeric DNA is rather sensitive towards low‐energy electron‐induced strand breakage suggesting significant telomere shortening that can also occur during cancer radiation therapy.
New Ca- and Sr-based coordination polymers (CPs) were mechanochemically synthesized by milling metal hydroxide samples (M = Ca, Sr) with tetrafluorophthalic acid (H2oBDC-F4) and isophthalic acid (H2mBDC). [Ca(oBDC-F4)(H2O)2] (1) exhibits a small surface area which is slightly increased after removing the crystal water. On the other hand, the hydrated sample of the nonfluorinated [Sr(mBDC)(H2O)3.4] (2) reveals a small BET surface area which remains unchanged even after the release of crystal water via thermal treatment. The new compounds 1 and 2 are similar to their Sr- and Ca-analogs, respectively. These findings are confirmed by thermal analysis, MAS NMR, and ATR-IR measurements, in addition to the Le Bail refinements for the measured powder X-ray data of 1 and 2. Ca- and Sr-CPs based on perfluorinated dicarboxylic systems and their nonfluorinated analogs diverse in structural and chemical properties depending on the geometries of the organic linkers and the presence of fluorine atoms. The fluorinations of organic ligands lead to the formation of fluorinated CPs with higher dimensionalities compared to their nonfluorinated counterparts. Conversely, the thermal stabilities of the latter are higher than those of the fluorinated CPs.
For assuring the safety and reliability of components and constructions in energy applications made of fiber-reinforced polymers (e.g., blades of wind turbines and tidal power plants, engine chassis, flexible oil and gas pipelines) innovative non-destructive testing methods are required. Within the European Project VITCEA complementary methods (shearography, microwave, ultrasonics and thermography) have been further developed and validated. Together with partners from the industry, test specimens have been constructed and selected on-site containing different artificial and natural defect artefacts. As base materials, carbon and glass fibers in different orientations and layering embedded in different matrix materials (epoxy, polyamide) have been considered. In this contribution, the validation of flash and lock-in thermography to these testing problems is presented. Data analysis is based on thermal contrasts and phase evaluation techniques. Experimental data are compared to analytical and numerical models. Among others, the influence of two different types of artificial defects (flat bottom holes and delaminations) with varying diameters and depths and of two different materials (CFRP and GFRP) with unidirectional and quasi-isotropic fiber alignment is discussed.
Morphology and structure of TixOy nanoparticles generated by femtosecond laser ablation in water
(2018)
In this work femto-second pulsed laser ablation in liquid (PLAL) procedure for the generation of titanium oxide nanoparticles (NP) is reported with the purpose of understanding morphology and structure of the newly generated NPs. Ablation duration was varied for optimization of NP generation processes between 10 and 90 min. Surface morphology of NPs as well as their size and shape (distribution) were analysed by various complementary electron microscopy techniques, i.e. SEM, TSEM and TEM. The crystalline structure of titanium oxide particles was investigated byXRD(two instruments operated in different geometries) and HR-TEM. Concentration of generated titanium oxide NPs in liquid was analysed by ICP-MS. A mix of crystalline (mainly anatase), partly crystalline and amorphous spherical titanium oxide NPs can be reported having a mean size between 10 and 20 nm, which is rather independent of the laser ablation (LA) duration. A second component consisting of irregularly shaped, but crystalline titanium oxide nanostructures is co-generated in the LA water, with more pronounced occurrence at longer LA times. The provenance of this component is assigned to those spherical particles generated in suspension and passing through the converging laser beam, being hence subject to secondary irradiation effects, e. g. fragmentation.
We designed micro-hollow cathode discharge prototypes under atmospheric pressure and investi-gated their acoustic characteristics. For the acoustic model of the discharge, we correlated the self-organisation effect of the current density distribution with the ideal model of an acoustic membrane. For validation of the obtained model, sound particle velocity spectroscopy was used to detect and analyse the acoustic emission experimentally. The results have shown a behaviour similar to the ideal acoustic membrane. Therefore, the acoustic excitation is decomposable into its eigenfrequencies and predictable. The model was unified utilising the gas exhaust velocity caused by the electrohydrodynamic force. The results may allow a contactless prediction of the current density distribution by measuring the acoustic emission or using the micro-discharge as a tunable acoustic source for specific applications as well.
An immunohistochemical method is described to visualize the distribution of metallothioneins 1/2 (MT 1/2) and metallothionein 3 (MT 3) in human ocular tissue. It is making use of (a) antibodies conjugated to gold nanoclusters (AuNCs) acting as labels, and (b) laser ablation (LA) coupled to inductively coupled plasma – mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). Water-soluble fluorescent AuNCs (with an average size of 2.7 nm) were synthesized and then conjugated to antibody by carbodiimide coupling. The surface of the modified AuNCs was then blocked with hydroxylamine to avoid nonspecific interactions with biological tissue. Immunoassays for MT 1/2 and MT 3 in ocular tissue sections (5 μm thick) from two post mortem human donors were performed. Imaging studies were then performed by fluorescence using confocal microscopy, and LA-ICP-MS was performed in the retina to measure the signal for gold. Signal amplification by the >500 gold atoms in each nanocluster allowed the antigens (MT 1/2 and MT 3) to be imaged by LA-ICP-MS using a laser spot size as small as 4 μm. The image patterns found in retina are in good agreement with those obtained by conventional fluorescence immunohistochemistry which was used as an established reference method.
The spectroscopic characterization by surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) has shown great potential in studies of heterogeneous catalysis. We describe a plug-in multifunctional optofluidic platform that can be tailored to serve both as a variable catalyst material and for sensitive optical characterization of the respective reactions using SERS in microfluidic systems. The platform enables the characterization of reactions under a controlled gas atmosphere and does not present with limitations due to nanoparticle adsorption or memory effects. Spectra of the gold-catalyzed reduction of p-nitrothiophenol by sodium borohydride using the plug-in probe provide evidence that the borohydride is the direct source of hydrogen on the gold surface, and that a radical anion is formed as an intermediate. The in situ monitoring of the photoinduced dimerization of p-aminothiophenol indicates that the activation of oxygen is essential for the plasmon-catalyzed oxidation on gold nanoparticles and strongly supports the central role of metal oxide species.
In order to provide further evidence of damage mechanisms predicted by the recent solid-state transformation creep (SSTC) model, direct observation of damage accumulation during creep of Al–3.85Mg was made using synchrotron X-ray refraction. X-ray refraction techniques detect the internal specific surface (i.e. surface per unit volume) on a length scale comparable to the specimen size, but with microscopic sensitivity. A significant rise in the internal specific surface with increasing creep time was observed, providing evidence for the creation of a fine grain substructure, as predicted by the SSTC model. This substructure was also observed by scanning electron microscopy
Online immunocapture ICP‑MS for the determination of the metalloprotein ceruloplasmin in human serum
(2018)
The human copper-protein ceruloplasmin (Cp) is the major copper-containing protein in the human body. The accurate determination of Cp is mandatory for the reliable diagnosis of several diseases. However, the analysis of Cp has proven to be difficult. The aim of our work was a proof of concept for the determination of a metalloprotein-based on online immunocapture ICP-MS. The immuno-affinity step is responsible for the enrichment and isolation of the analyte from serum, whereas the compound-independent quantitation with ICP-MS delivers the sensitivity,
precision, and large dynamic range. Off-line ELISA (enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay) was used in parallel to confirm the elution profile of the analyte with a structure-selective method. The total protein elution was observed with the 32S mass trace. The ICP-MS signals were normalized on a 59Co signal. The human copper-protein Cp could be selectively determined. This was shown with pure Cp and with a sample of human serum. The good correlation with off-line ELISA shows that Cp could be captured and eluted selectively from the anti-Cp affinity column and subsequently determined by the copper signal of ICP-MS.
Thermoresponsive polymer coatings can facilitate cell sheet fabrication under mild conditions by promoting cell adhesion and proliferation at 37 1C. At lower temperatures the detachment of confluent cell sheets is triggered without enzymatic treatment. Thus, confluent cell sheets with intact extracellular matrix for regenerative medicine or tissue engineering applications become available. Herein, we applied the previously identified structural design parameters of functional, thermoresponsive poly(glycidyl ether) brushes on gold to the more application-relevant substrate glass via the self-assembly of a corresponding block copolymer (PGE-AA) with a short surface-reactive, amine-presenting anchor block. Both, physical and covalent immobilization on glass via either multivalent ionic interactions of the anchor block with bare glass or the coupling of the anchor block to a polydopamine (PDA) adhesion layer on glass resulted in stable coatings. Atomic force microscopy revealed a high degree of roughness of covalently attached coatings on the PDA adhesion layer, while physically attached coatings on bare glass were smooth and in the brush-like regime. Cell sheets of primary human dermal fibroblasts detached reliably (86%) and within 20 ± 10 min from physically tethered PGE-AA coatings on glass when prepared under cloud point grafting conditions. The presence of the laterally inhomogeneous PDA adhesion layer, however, hindered the spontaneous temperature-triggered cell detachment from covalently grafted PGE-AA, decreasing both detachment rate and reliability. Despite being only physically attached, self-assembled monolayer brushes of PGE-AA block copolymers on glass are functional and stable thermoresponsive coatings for application in cell sheet fabrication of human fibroblasts as determined by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy.
In civil engineering concrete is the most used building material for making infrastructures like bridges and parking decks worldwide. It is as a porous and multiphase material made of aggregates with a defined grain size distribution, cement and water as well as different additives and admixtures depending on the application. Different grain sizes are important to ensure the needed density and compressive strength.
The resulting porous cement matrix contains a mixture of flour grains (aggregates with a grain size below 125 lm) and cement particles (particle size≈50lm). Harmful species like chlorides may penetrate together with water through the capillary pore space and may trigger different damage processes. The damage assessment of concrete structures in Germany is estimated due to the quantification of harmful elements regarding to the cement content only. In the evaluation of concrete using LIBS a two-dimensional scanning is necessary to consider the heterogeneity caused by the aggregates. Therefore, a LIBS system operating with a low energy NdCr:YAG laser, a pulse energy of 3 mJ, a wavelength of 1064 nm, a pulse width of 1.5 ns and a Repetition rate of 100 Hz has been used. Different Czerny-Turner spectrometers with CCD detectors in the UV and NIR range have been used for the detection. Large aggregates (macro-heterogeneity) can be excluded from the evaluation, whereas small aggregates in the range of the laser spot size (flour grains) cannot be spatially resolved. In this work the micro heterogeneity caused by flour grains and their impact on the quantification with LIBS will be discussed. To analyze the effect of changing grain sizes and ratios, the ablation behavior has been determined and compared. Samples with defined grain sizes were made and analyzed using LIBS.
The grain size distributions were analyzed with laser diffraction (LDA).
Understanding the mechanism of interactions of nanomaterials at biointerfaces is a crucial issue to develop new antimicrobial vectors. In this work, a series of water-soluble fullerene-polyglycerol sulfates (FPS) with different fullerene/polymer weight ratios and varying numbers of polyglycerol sulfate branches are synthesized, characterized, and their interactions with two distinct surfaces displaying proteins involved in target cell recognition are investigated. The combination of polyanionic branches with a solvent exposed variable hydrophobic core in FPS proves to be superior to analogs possessing only one of these features in preventing interaction of vesicular Stomatitis virus coat glycoprotein (VSV-G) with baby hamster kidney cells serving as a model of host cell. Interference with L-selectin-ligand binding is dominated by the negative charge, which is studied by two assays: a competitive surface plasmon resonance (SPR)-based inhibition assay and the leukocyte cell (NALM-6) rolling on ligands under flow conditions. Due to possible intrinsic hydrophobic and electrostatic effects of synthesized compounds, pico- to nanomolar half maximal inhibitory concentrations (IC50) are achieved. With their highly antiviral and anti-inflammatory properties, together with good biocompatibility, FPS are promising candidates for the future development towards biomedical applications.
During the last decades, X-ray (micro-)computed tomography has gained increasing attention for the description of porous skeletal and shell structures of various organism groups. However, their quantitative analysis is often hampered by the difficulty to discriminate cavities and pores within the object from the surrounding region. Herein, we test the ambient occlusion (AO) algorithm and newly implemented optimisations for the segmentation of cavities (implemented in the software Amira). The segmentation accuracy is evaluated as a function of (i) changes in the ray length input variable, and (ii) the usage of AO (scalar) field and other AO-derived (scalar) fields. The results clearly indicate that the AO field itself outperforms all other AO-derived fields in terms of segmentation accuracy and robustness against variations in the ray length input variable. The newly implemented optimisations improved the AO field-based segmentation only slightly, while the segmentations based on the AOderived fields improved considerably.
Additionally, we evaluated the potential of the AO field and AO-derived fields for the separation and classification of cavities as well as skeletal structures by comparing them with commonly used distance-map-based segmentations. For this, we tested the zooid separation within a bryozoan colony, the stereom classification of an ophiuroid tooth, the separation of bioerosion traces within a marble block and the calice (central cavity)-pore separation within a dendrophyllid coral. The obtained results clearly indicate that the ideal input field depends on the three-dimensional morphology of the object of interest. The segmentations based on the AO-derived fields often provided cavity separations and skeleton classifications that were superior to or impossible to obtain with commonly used distance-map-based segmentations. The combined usage of various AO-derived fields by supervised or unsupervised segmentation algorithms might provide a promising target for future research to further improve the results for this kind of high-end data segmentation and classification. Furthermore, the application of the developed segmentation algorithm is not restricted to X-ray (micro-)computed tomographic data but may potentially be useful for the segmentation of 3D volume data from other sources.
Hydrogen-assisted cracking is a critical combination of local microstructure, mechanical load and hydrogen concentration. Welded microstructures of low-alloyed creep-resistant Cr-Mo-V steels show different hydrogen trapping kinetics. This influences the adsorbed hydrogen concentration as well as the diffusion by moderate or strong trapping. A common approach to describe hydrogen traps is by their activation energy that is necessary to release hydrogen from the trap. In the present study, Cr-Mo-V steel T24 (7CrMoVTiB10-10) base material and TIG weld metal were investigated. Electrochemically hydrogen charged specimens
were analyzed by thermal desorption analysis (TDA) with different linear heating rates. The results show two different effects. At first, the microstructure effect on trapping is evident in terms of higher hydrogen concentrations in the weld metal and increased activation energy for hydrogen release. Secondly, it is necessary to monitor the real specimen temperature. A comparison between the adjusted heating rate and the real specimen temperature shows that the calculated activation energy varies by factor two. Thus, the trap character in case of the base material changes to irreversible at decreased temperature. Hence, the effect of the experimental procedure must be considered as well if evaluating TDA results. Finally, realistic temperature assessment is mandatory for calculation of activation energy via TDA.
Biotransformation processes of fluopyram (FLP), a new succinate dehydrogenase inhibitor (SDHI) fungicide, were investigated by electrochemistry (EC) coupled online to liquid chromatography (LC) and electrospray mass spectrometry (ESI-MS). Oxidative phase I metabolite production was achieved using an electrochemical flow-through cell equipped with a boron doped diamond (BDD) electrode. Structural elucidation and prediction of oxidative metabolism pathways were assured by retention time, isotopic patterns, fragmentation, and accurate mass measurements using EC/LC/MS, LC-MS/MS, and/or high resolution mass spectrometry (HRMS). The results obtained by EC were compared with conventional in vitro studies by incubating FLP with rat and human liver microsomes (RLM, HLM). Known phase I metabolites of FLP (benzamide, benzoic acid, 7-hydroxyl, 8-hydroxyl, 7,8-dihydroxyl FLP, lactam FLP, pyridyl acetic acid, and Z/E-olefin FLP) were successfully simulated by EC/LC/MS. New metabolites including an imide, hydroxyl lactam, and 7-hydroxyl pyridyl acetic acid oxidative metabolites were predicted for the first time in our study using EC/LC/MS and liver microsomes. We found oxidation by dechlorination to be one of the major metabolism mechanisms of FLP. Thus, our results revealed that EC/LC/MS-based metabolic elucidation was more advantageous on time and cost of analysis and enabled matrix-free detection with valuable information about the mechanisms and intermediates of metabolism processes.
This paper reviews state-of-the-art in nondestructive testing (NDT) and semidestructive testing (SDT) methods applicable for imaging the condition of structural timber. Both NDT and SDT imaging reveal defects, damages, and decay, while the extent of wood decay can also be quantified. Combined with an appropriate data interpretation concerning the internal defects, the mechanical properties of the material can also be assessed. The possibilities and limitations of the most relevant individual NDT and SDT methods, also in combination with each other, are outlined and compared. To facilitate comparison, many observations are reported based on the same test specimen.
A series of Ca-based coordination polymers were prepared mechanochemically by milling Ca(OH)2 with phthalic acid (H2oBDC), isophthalic acid (H2mBDC), and terephthalic acid (H2pBDC). The hydrated compounds [Ca(oBDC)(H2O)], [Ca(mBDC)(H2O)3.4], and [Ca(pBDC)(H2O)3] were prepared for the first time via mechanochemical routes. The refined structures were validated by extended X-ray absorption data. The new dehydrated compound [Ca(oBDC)] (1-H2O), obtained after the thermal post-treatment of 1 in a reversible phase transition process, was determined ab initio based on the powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD) data. The materials were thoroughly characterized using elemental analysis, thermal analysis, and spectroscopic methods: magic-angle spinning NMR and attenuated total reflection-infrared spectroscopy. The specific surface areas and sorption properties of the hydrated and dehydrated samples were determined using the isotherms of gas sorption and dynamic vapor sorption measurements.
The quality of research antibodies is an issue for decades. Although several papers have been published to improve the situation, their impact seems to be limited. This publication makes the effort to simplify the description of validation criteria in a way that the occasional antibody user is able to assess the validation level of an immunochemical reagent. A simple, 1-page checklist is supplied for the practical application of these criteria.
Mass spectrometry is applied as a tool for the elucidation of molecular structures. This premises that gas-phase structures reflect the original geometry of the analytes, while it requires a thorough understanding and investigation of the forces controlling and affecting the gas-phase structures. However, only little is known about conformational changes of oligonucleotides in the gas phase. In this study, a series of multiply charged DNA oligonucleotides (n¼15–40) has been subjected to a comprehensive tandem mass spectrometric study to unravel transitions between different ionic gas-phase structures. The nucleobase sequence and the chain length were varied to gain insights into their influence on the geometrical oligonucleotide organization. Altogether, 23 oligonucleotides were analyzed using collision-induced fragmentation. All sequences showed comparable correlation regarding the characteristic collision energy. This value that is also a measure for stability, strongly correlates with the net charge density of the precursor ions. With decreasing charge of the oligonucleotides, an increase in the fragmentation energy was observed. At a distinct charge density, a deviation from linearity was observed for all studied species, indicating a structural reorganization. To corroborate the proposed geometrical change, collisional cross-sections of the oligonucleotides at different charge states were determined using ion mobility-mass spectrometry. The results clearly indicate that an increase in charge density and thus Coulomb repulsion results in the transition from a folded, compact form to elongated structures of the precursor ions. Our data show this structural transition to depend mainly on the charge density, whereas sequence and size do not have an influence.
Rationale: The most commonly used fragmentation methods in tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS) are collision‐induced dissociation (CID) and higher energy collisional dissociation (HCD). While in CID the preselected ions in the trap are resonantly (and m/z exclusively) excited, in HCD the entire m/z range experiences the dissociative acceleration. The different excitation is reflected in different fragment distributions. Methods: As a test‐bed for particularly pronounced fragmentation specificity, here MS/MS experiments on several 4‐mer oligonucleotides were conducted employing both collision methods and the results were thoroughly compared. Oligonucleotides are shown to be sensitive probes to subtle changes, especially in the negative ion mode. A detailed analysis of these differences reveals insight into the dissociation mechanics. Results: Thedifferencesarerepresentedinheat‐maps,whichallowforadirectvisualinspection oflargeamountsofdata.Inthesefalsecolourrepresentationsthe,sometimessubtle,changesinthe individual dissociation product distributions become distinct. Another advantage of these graphic plots can be found in the formation of systematic patterns. These patterns reflect trends in dissociation specificity which allow for the formulation of general rules in fragmentation behavior. Conclusions: Instruments equipped with two different excitation schemes for MS/MS are today widely available. Nonetheless, direct comparisons between the individual results are scarcely made. Such comparative studies bear a powerful analytical potential to elucidate fragmentation reaction mechanism.
Zearalenone (ZEN) and its phase II sulfate and glucoside metabolites have been detected in food and feed commodities. After consumption, the conjugates can be hydrolyzed by the human intestinal microbiota leading to liberation of ZEN that implies an underestimation of the true ZEN exposure. To include ZEN conjugates in routine analysis, reliable standards are needed, which are currently not available. Thus, the aim of the present study was to develop a facilitated biosynthesis of ZEN-14-sulfate, ZEN-14-glucoside and ZEN-16-glucoside. A metabolite screening was conducted by adding ZEN to liquid fungi cultures of known ZEN conjugating Aspergillus and Rhizopus strains. Cultivation conditions and ZEN incubation time were varied. All media samples were analyzed for metabolite formation by HPLC-MS/MS. In addition, a consecutive biosynthesis was developed by using Fusarium graminearum for ZEN biosynthesis with subsequent conjugation of the toxin by utilizing Aspergillus and Rhizopus species. ZEN-14-sulfate (yield: 49%) is exclusively formed by Aspergillus oryzae. ZEN-14-glucoside (yield: 67%) and ZEN-16-glucoside (yield: 39%) are formed by Rhizopus oryzae and Rhizopus oligosporus, respectively. Purities of ≥73% ZEN-14-sulfate, ≥82% ZEN-14-glucoside and ≥50% ZEN-16-glucoside were obtained by 1H-NMR. In total, under optimized cultivation conditions, fungi can be easily utilized for a targeted and regioselective synthesis of ZEN conjugates.
From simple homopolymers to functionalized, 3-dimensional structured copolymers, the complexity of polymeric materials has become more and more sophisticated. With new applications for instance in the semiconductor or pharmaceutical industry, the requirements for the characterization have risen with the complexity of the used polymers. For each additional distribution, an additional dimension in analysis is needed. Small, often isomeric heterogeneities in topology or microstructure can usually not be simply separated chromatographically or distinguished by any common detector, but affect the properties of materials significantly. For a drug delivery system for example, the degree of branching and branching distribution is crucial for the formation of micelles. Instead of a complicated, time consuming and/or expensive 2d-chromatography or ion mobility spectrometry (IMS) method, that also has its limitations, in this work a simple approach using size exclusion chromatography (SEC) coupled with electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI) is proposed. The online coupling allows the analysis of reconstructed ion chromatograms (RIC) of each degree of polymerization. While a complete separation often cannot be achieved, the derived retention times and peak widths lead to information on the existence and dispersity of heterogeneities. Although some microstructural heterogeneities like short chain branching can for large polymers be characterized with methods such as light scattering, for oligomers where the heterogeneities just start to form and their influence is at the maximum, they are inaccessible with these methods. It is also shown, that with a proper calibration even quantitative information can be obtained. This method is suitable to detect small differences in e. g. branching, 3d-structure, monomer sequence or tacticity and could potentially be used in routine analysis to quickly determine deviations.
Time-dependent in situ measurement of atmospheric corrosion rates of duplex stainless steel wires
(2018)
Corrosion rates of strained grade UNS S32202 (2202) and UNS S32205 (2205) duplex stainless steel wires have been measured, in situ, using time-lapse X-ray computed tomography. Exposures to chloride-containing (MgCl2) atmospheric environments at 50 °C (12–15 M Cl− and pH ~5) with different mechanical elastic and elastic/plastic loads were carried out over a period of 21 months. The corrosion rates for grade 2202 increased over time, showing selective dissolution with shallow corrosion sites, coalescing along the surface of the wire. Corrosion rates of grade 2205 decreased over time, showing both selective and pitting corrosion with more localised attack, growing preferentially in depth. The nucleation of stress corrosion cracking was observed in both wires.
Unprecedented Ionization Processes in Mass SpectrometryProvide Missing Link between ESI and MALDI
(2018)
In the field of mass spectrometry,producing intact, highly-charged protein ions from surfaces is a conundrum with significant potential payoff in application areas ranging from bio-medical to clinical research. Here, we report on the ability to form intact, highly-charged protein ions on high vacuum time-of-flight mass spectrometers in the linear and reflectron modes achievable using experimental conditions that allow effective matrix removal from both the sample surfaces and from the charged clusters formed by the laser Ablation event. The charge states are the highest reported on high vacuum mass spectrometers, yet they remain at only around athird of the highest charge obtained using laser ablation with a suitable matrix at atmospheric pressure. Other than physical instrument modifications, the key to forming abundant and stable highly-charged ions appears to be the volatility of the matrix used. Cumulative results suggest mechanistic links between the ionization process reported here and traditional ionization methods of electrospray ionization and matrix-assisted laser desorp-tion/ionization.
A magnetically stabilized DC arc device, designed for operation with OES spectrometers was used to determine the elements Ag, Al, B, Ba, Be, Ca, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Ga, In, K, Li, Mg, Mn, Mo, Na, Nb, Ni, Si, Sn, Sr, Ti, V, Zr at trace levels of some μg kg−1 up to some 10 mg kg−1 in graphite powders. The coil for the generation of the homogeneous magnetic field was placed outside the closed arc chamber. The time programs of variable current strengths of the magnetic coil (up to 6 A) and of the arc (up to 17 A) which was burning in air were computer controlled. Halogenating gases (mainly CCl2F2, alternatively SF6 and NF3) were used as chemical modifiers to allow an effective release of the carbide forming trace elements. The mass flow controlled modifier gas was led through a special carrier electrode near the arc plasma. The emission radiation was guided by an optical fiber alternatively into two different ICP spectrometers in which the ICP torches were removed. The synergistic interaction of the magnetic field with the halogenating modifier gases resulted in a significant improvement in the analytical performance of the optimized analytical method. All our results for 22 trace elements were in good agreement with the means of an inter-laboratory comparison by BAM for certification of a pure graphite powder material; this holds also for our results for two other graphite materials. The optimized method showed an analytical performance suitable for comprehensive trace analysis of pure graphite. The instrumentation could be integrated into modern DC arc emission spectrometers to improve their analytical capabilities substantially.
Proline has been widely used for various cocrystallization applications, including pharmaceutical cocrystals. Combining enantiopure and racemic flurbiprofen and proline, we discovered 18 new crystal structures. Liquid-assisted grinding proved highly efficient to explore all the variety of crystal forms. A unique combination of stateof-the-art characterization techniques, comprising variable temperature in situ X-ray diffraction and in situ ball-milling, along with other physicochemical methods and density functional theory calculations, was indispensable for identifying all the phases. Analyzing the results of in situ ball-milling, we established a stepwise mechanism for the formation of several 1:1 cocrystals via an intermediate 2:1 phase. The nature of the solvent in liquidassisted grinding was found to significantly affect the reaction rate and, in some cases, the reaction pathway.
The aldoximes C11H9NO (I) and C15H11NO (II), synthesized in ca 90%yield, by
treatment of 1-naphthaldehyde or phenanthrene-9-carbaldehyde, respectively,
with hydroxylamine hydrochloride and sodium carbonate, have been characterized
by IR, 1H, 13C and DEPT-135 NMR spectroscopies, and also by singlecrystal
X-ray diffraction analysis. The molecules of (I) and (II) are
conformationally similar, with the aldoxime substituent groups lying outside
the planes of the naphthalene or phenanthrene rings, forming dihedral angles
with them of 23.9 (4) and 27.9 (6)°, respectively. The crystal structures of both
(I) and (II) are similar with a single intermolecular O—H...N hydrogenbonding
interaction, giving rise to the formation of one-dimensional polymeric
chains extending along the 21 (b) screw axes in each.
An artificial digestion of silver nitrate is reported. It is shown that AgSCN nanoparticles emerge from ionic silver in saliva and remain present during the entire digestion process. The particles were characterized by infrared spectroscopy and small- and wide-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS/WAXS) regarding their composition and size distribution.
We found cascade IR generation in Al laser induced plasma. This generation includes doublet transitions 3s25s 2S1∕2→ 3s24p 2P1∕2,3∕2 → 3s24s 2S1∕2; corresponding to strong lines at 2110 and 2117 nm, and much weaker lines at 1312–1315 nm. The 3s25s2S 1∕2 starting IR generation level is directly pumped from the 3s23p 2P3∕2 ground level. The starting level for UV generation at 396.2 nm (transitions 3s24s 2S1∕2 → 4p 2P3∕2) is populated due to the fast collisional processes in the plasma plume. These differences led to different time and special dependences on the lasing in the IR and UV spectral range within the aluminum laser induced plasma.
In this article the question of the certification of calibration samples for the characterisation of advanced thin film materials is addressed within the framework of reliable process control or quality management purposes. Reference measurement techniques can be used in order to address the gap in appropriate certified reference materials (CRMs) for thin film analyses. They allow for qualifying out-of-production samples originating from an operating production line as calibration samples. As a template for this procedure, CIGS [Cu(In,Ga)Se2] layers, that are absorber layers for high efficiency thin-film solar cells, have been used for establishing and validating reference-free X-ray fluorescence (XRF) analysis and Auger-electron spectroscopy (AES) as reference measurement techniques. The focus was on determining the average mole fractions in the CIGS layers obtaining results traceable to the SI unit system. Reference-free XRF is physically traceable and is based upon radiometrically calibrated instrumentation and knowledge of atomic fundamental data. Sputter-assisted AES can be established as a chemically traceable method after careful calibration using a certified reference material (CRM) based on a total number counting method.
For the first time, an international comparison was conducted on the determination of the purity of a high purity element. Participants were free to choose any analytical approach appropriate for their institute’s applications and services. The material tested was a high purity zinc, which had earlier been assessed for homogeneity and previously used in CCQM-K72 for the determination of six defined metallic impurities. Either a direct metal assay of the Zn mass fraction was undertaken by EDTA titrimetry, or an indirect approach was used wherein all impurities, or at least the major ones, were determined and their sum subtracted from ideal purity of 100 %, or 1 kg/kg. Impurity assessment techniques included glow discharge mass spectrometry, inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry and carrier gas hot extraction/combustion analysis. Up to 91 elemental impurities covering metals, non-metals and semi-metals/metalloids were quantified. Due to the lack of internal experience or experimental capabilities, some participants contracted external laboratories for specific analytical tasks, mainly for the analysis of non-metals. The reported purity, expressed as zinc mass fraction in the high purity zinc material, showed excellent agreement for all participants, with a relative standard deviation of 0.011 %. The calculated reference value, w(Zn) = 0.999 873 kg/kg, was assigned an asymmetric combined uncertainty of + 0.000025 kg/kg and – 0.000028 kg/kg. Comparability amongst participating metrology institutes is thus demonstrated for the purity determination of high purity metals which have no particular difficulties with their decomposition / dissolution process when solution-based analytical methods are used, or which do not have specific difficulties when direct analysis approaches are used. Nevertheless, further development is required in terms of uncertainty assessment, quantification of non-metals and the determination of purity of less pure elements and/or for those elements suffering difficulties with the decomposition process.
A frequently studied environmental contaminant is the active substance diclofenac, which is removed insufficiently in sewage treatment plants. Since its inclusion in the watch list of the EU Water Framework Directive, the concentrations in surface waters will be determined throughout Europe. For this, still, more precise analytical methods are needed. As a reference, HPLC-MS is frequently employed. One of the major metabolites is 4’-hydroxydiclofenac (4’-OH-DCF). Also, diclofenac lactam is important for assessing degradation and transformation. Aceclofenac (ACF), the glycolic acid ester of diclofenac is used as a drug, too, and could potentially be cleaved to yield diclofenac again. In various sewage treatment plant influent samples, diclofenac, 4’-OH-DCF, DCF lactam and ACF could be determined with detection limits of 3 µg/L, 0.2 µg/L, 0.17 µg/L and 10 ng/L, respectively.
Single-cell analysis by ICP-MS/MS as a fast tool for cellular bioavailability studies of arsenite
(2018)
Single-cell inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (SC-ICP-MS) has become a powerful and fast tool to evaluate the elemental composition at a single-cell level. In this study, the cellular bioavailability of arsenite (incubation of 25 and 50 μM for 0-48 h) has been successfully assessed by SC-ICP-MS/MS for the first time directly after re-suspending the cells in water. This procedure avoids the normally arising cell membrane permeabilization caused by cell fixation methods (e.g. methanol fixation). The reliability and feasibility of this SC-ICP-MS/MS approach with a limit of detection of 0.35 fg per cell was validated by conventional bulk ICP-MS/MS analysis after cell digestion and parallel measurement of sulfur and phosphorus.
Development and market introduction of new nanomaterials trigger the need for an adequate risk assessment of such products alongside suitable risk communication measures. Current application of classical and new nanomaterials is analyzed in context of regulatory requirements and standardization for chemicals, food and consumer products. The challenges of nanomaterial characterization as the main bottleneck of risk assessment and regulation are presented. In some areas, e.g., quantification of nanomaterials within complex matrices, the establishment and adaptation of analytical techniques such as laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry and others are potentially suited to meet the requirements. As an example, we here provide an approach for the reliable characterization of human exposure to nanomaterials resulting from food packaging. Furthermore, results of nanomaterial toxicity and ecotoxicity testing are discussed, with concluding key criteria such as solubility and fiber rigidity as important parameters to be considered in material development and regulation. Although an analysis of the public opinion has revealed a distinguished rating depending on the particular field of application, a rather positive perception of nanotechnology could be ascertained for the German public in general. An improvement of material characterization in both toxicological testing as well as end-product control was concluded as being the main obstacle to ensure not only safe use of materials, but also wide acceptance of this and any novel technology in the general public.
The recently reported luminescent chromium(III) complex 13+ ([Cr(ddpd)2]3+; ddpd=N,N’-dimethyl-N,N’-dipyridine-2-yl-pyridine-2,6-diamine) shows exceptionally strong near-IR emission at 775 nm in water under ambient conditions (F=11%) with a microsecond lifetime as the ligand design in 13+ effectively eliminates non-radiative decay pathways, such as photosubstitution, back-intersystem crossing, and trigonal twists. In the absence of energy acceptors, such as dioxygen, the remaining decay pathways are energy transfer to high energy solvent and ligand oscillators, namely OH and CH stretching vibrations. Selective deuteration of the solvents and the ddpd ligands probes the efficiency of these oscillators in the excited state deactivation. Addressing these energytransfer pathways in the first and second coordination sphere furnishes a record 30% quantum yield and a 2.3 millisecond lifetime for a metal complex with an earth-abundant metal ion in solution at room temperature.
We designed and synthesized triphenylamine based and coumarin fused rhodamine hybrid dyes and characterized using 1H, 13C NMR and HR-LCMS analysis. Both the newly synthesized hybrid dyes were found to show red shifted absorption as well as emissions and large Stokes shift (40e68 nm) as compared to the small Stokes shift (25e30 nm) of reported dyes Rhodamine B and 101. Photophysical properties of these dyes were studied in different solvents and according to the solvents acidity or basicity they preferred to remain in their spirocyclic or open form in different ratio. We studied the spirocyclic as well as open form derivatives of these dyes for their viscosity sensitivity in three different mixture of solvents i.e. polar-protic [EtOH-PEG 400], polar-aprotic [toluene-PEG 400] and non-polaraprotic [toluene-paraffin]. They are found to show very high viscosity sensitivity in polar-protic mixture of solvents [EtOH-PEG 400] and hence concluded that both polarity as well as viscosity factor worked together for the higher emission enhancement rather than only viscosity factor. As these dyes showed very high viscosity sensitivity in their spirocyclic as well as open form, they can be utilized as viscosity sensors in visible as well as deep red region. We also correlated our experimental finding theoretically by using Density Functional theory computations.
A non-invasivemethod has been carried out to show the capabilities and limitations of Diffuse Reflectance Infrared Fourier Transform Spectroscopy (DRIFTS) for identifying of colourants and binders in modern reverse glass paintings. For this purpose, the reverse glass paintings “Zwei Frauen am Tisch” (1920–22), “Bäume” (1946) (both by Heinrich Campendonk), “Lofoten” (1933) (Edith Campendonk-van Leckwyck) and “Ohne Titel” (1954) (Marianne Uhlenhuth), were measured. In contrast to other techniques (e.g. panel and mural painting), the paint layers are applied in reverse succession. In multi-layered paint systems, the front paint layer may no longer be accessible. The work points out the different spectral appearance of a given substance (gypsum, basic lead white) in reverse glass paintings. However, inverted bands, band overlapping and derivative-shaped spectral features can be interpreted by comparing the spectra fromthe paintingswith spectra frompure powders and pigment/linseed oil mock-ups. Moreover, the work focuses on this method's capabilities in identifying synthetic organic pigments (SOP). Reference spectra of three common SOP (PG7, PY1, PR83) were obtained from powders and historical colour charts.We identified PR83 and PY1 in two reverse glass paintings, using the measured reference spectra. The recorded DRIFTS spectra of pure linseed oil, gum Arabic, mastic, polyvinyl acetate resin and bees wax can be used to classify the binding media of the measured paintings.
An immunohistochemical method is described to visualize the distribution of metallothioneins 1/2 (MT 1/2) and metallothionein 3 (MT 3) in human ocular tissue. It is making use of (a) antibodies conjugated to gold nanoclusters (AuNCs) acting as labels, and (b) laser ablation (LA) coupled to inductively coupled plasma – mass spectrometry (ICP-MS).Water-soluble fluorescent AuNCs (with an average size of 2.7 nm) were synthesized and then conjugated to antibody by carbodiimide coupling. The surface of the modified AuNCs was then blocked with hydroxylamine to avoid nonspecific interactions with biological tissue. Immunoassays for MT 1/2 and MT 3 in ocular tissue sections (5 μm thick) from two post mortem human donors were performed. Imaging studies were then performed by fluorescence using confocal microscopy, and LA-ICP-MS was performed in the retina to measure the signal for gold. Signal amplification by the >500 gold atoms in each nanocluster allowed the antigens (MT 1/2 and MT 3) to be imaged by LA-ICP-MS using a laser spot size as small as 4 μm. The image patterns found in retina are in good agreement with those obtained by conventional fluorescence immunohistochemistry which was used as an established reference method.
The aim of this study was to identify specific chemical bonds and characteristic structures in melanoidins formed from D-glucose and L-alanine between 130 and 200 °C. The results might be used to control the type and amount of melanoidin produced during food processing. For this purpose, complementary techniques, such as FTIR, NMR, EPR, and MALDI-ToF, were employed. At 160 °C color, solubility and UV/Vis absorption change characteristically and consequently, structural transformations could be observed in FTIR and NMR spectra. For example, sharp signals of N-H, C-N, and C-H oscillations in the L-alanine spectrum are prone to inhomogeneous broadening in melanoidins prepared above 150 °C. These changes are caused due to formation of heterogeneous macromolecular structures and occur during condensation reactions that lead to an increasing loss of water from the melanoidins with increasing temperatures. Additionally, MALDI-ToF-MS indicates the polymerization of glyoxal/glyoxylic acid and EPR shows the formation of radical structures.
Pulse thermography (PT) has proven to be a valuable non-destructive testing method to identify and quantify defects in fiber-reinforced polymers. To perform a quantitative defect characterization, the heat diffusion within the material as well as the material parameters must be known. The heterogeneous material structure of glass fiber-reinforced polymers (GFRP) as well as the semitransparency of the material for optical excitation sources of PT is still challenging. For homogeneous semitransparent materials, 1D analytical models describing the temperature distribution are available.
Here, we present an analytical approach to model PT for laterally inhomogeneous semitransparent materials.We show the validity of the model by considering different configurations of the optical heating source, the IR camera, and the differently coated GFRP sample. The model considers the lateral inhomogeneity of the semitransparency by an additional absorption coefficient. It includes additional effects such as thermal losses at the samples surfaces, multilayer systems with thermal contact resistance, and a finite duration of the heating pulse. By using a sufficient complexity of the analytical model, similar values of the material parameters were found for all six investigated configurations by numerical fitting.
Quantitative analysis of complex proteins is a challenging task in modern bioanalytical chemistry. Commonly available isotope labels are still suffering from limitations and drawbacks, whereas new metal labels open numerous possibilities in mass spectrometric analyses. In this work, we have developed a newmetal labeling strategy to tag glycan structures of proteins, more particularly antibodies. The oligosaccharide glycans were selectively trimmed to the last N-acetylglucosamine to which an artificial azide containing galactose residue was bound. This azide can be used for subsequent cycloaddition of an alkyne. Therefore, we developed a lanthanide-containing macrocyclic reagent to selectively connect to this azido galactose. In summary, the glycan structures of an antibody can be labeled with a metal functionality using this approach. Furthermore, the functionality of the antibodies can be fully maintained by labeling the Fc glycans instead of using labeling reagents that target amino or thiol groups. This approach enables the possibility of using elemental, besides molecular mass spectrometry, for quantitative analyses or imaging experiments of antibodies in complex biological samples.
High-Amplitude Surge of a Pitching Airfoil: Complementary Wind- and Water-Tunnel Measurements
(2018)
RECENT interest in gust response, rotorcraft forward flight and wind energy, among other applications, has focused on streamwise oscillations of nominally two-dimensional airfoils in attached and separated flows. The airfoil may be simultaneously held at constant incidence or execute some maneuver, such as pitch.
The relative freestream is spatially uniform but temporally unsteady, and this can be accomplished in a ground-test facility in two ways. The first method is to vary the output of the prime mover, such as the rotational speed of the impeller or the blower driving a wind tunnel, or (alternatively) to vary the pressure drop in the tunnel, thereby varying the flow speed in the test section, despite nominally constant primemover revolutions per minute. The second method is used to keep the tunnel’s operating speed constant, as well as to move the test article in the streamwise direction, fore and aft (for example, via an electric linear motor), such that the relative freestream speed felt by the test article varies according to some waveform. Typically, the latter approach is chosen in water tunnels, where there is too much tunnel-circuit inertia to vary the flow speed directly but where the usually low tunnel test section flow speeds enable large excursions in the relative freestream by oscillation of the test article. In fact, outright reverse flow is possible by moving the test article in the laboratory frame at a higher speed than the water-tunnel flow speed. In either case, a sinusoidal relative-speed waveform is the most intuitively realizable, and this can be combined with similar oscillations in the airfoil incidence angle or other kinematics. Although the two methods of realizing streamwise oscillations are mechanically distinct, experimental comparisons between an oscillating test article in a water tunnel and a stationary test article in a wind tunnel with a louvermechanismhave demonstrated agreement in themeasured lift and drag histories. Such experimentswere performed by Granlund et al. for a 10% freestream amplitude oscillation and fixed airfoil incidence, comparing a free-surface water tunnel and a closed-circuit wind tunnel. After buoyancy was subtracted from the wind-tunnel data (resulting from the louver pressure drop) and the model inertia subtracted from the water-tunnel data (resulting from acceleration of the test article), the remaining lift and drag histories matched well at the low freestream oscillation amplitude regime. The work of Granlund et al. was later extended to high-advance-ratio streamwise oscillations of 50% amplitude by Greenblatt et al., where the aerodynamic histories of the water-tunnel and wind-tunnel facilities were compared in combined pitch and freestreamoscillations (governed by relative pitch phase), pure pitch oscillations, and purely freestream oscillations. Agreement between the two facilities’ data for fixed-incidence streamwise oscillations was reasonably good, and in fact, better than agreement in just the static lift and drag, evidently owing to differences in blockage and model-support systems. Additionally, Greenblatt et al. determined there was no strong coupling between simultaneous freestream oscillations and pitch oscillations on resultant lift and moment coefficients.
Abstract: Hybrid silicon-based organic/inorganic (multi)block
copolymers are promising polymeric precursors to create
robust nano-objects and nanomaterials due to their sol–gel active moieties via self-assembly in solution or in bulk. Such nano-objects and nanomaterials have great potential in bio-medicine as nanocarriers or scaffolds for bone regeneration as well as in materials science as Pickering emulsifiers, pho-
tonic crystals or coatings/films with antibiofouling, antibac-
terial or water- and oil-repellent properties. Thus, this Review outlines recent synthetic efforts in the preparation of these hybrid inorganic/organic block copolymers, gives an
overview of their self-assembled structures and finally presents recent examples of their use in the biomedical field and
material science.
Structural changes of highly active Pd/MeOx (Me = Fe, Co, Ni) during catalytic methane combustion
(2018)
Fe2O3, Co3O4 and NiO nanoparticles were prepared via a citrate method and further functionalized with Pd by impregnation. The pure oxides as well as Pd/Fe2O3, Pd/Co3O4, and Pd/NiO (1, 5 and 10 wt % Pd) were employed for catalytic methane combustion under methane lean (1 vol %)/oxygen rich (18 vol %, balanced with nitrogen) conditions. Already, the pure metal oxides showed a high catalytic activity leading to complete conversion temperature of T100 ≤ 500 °C. H2-TPR (Temperature-programmed reduction) experiments revealed that Pd-functionalized metal oxides exhibited enhanced redox activity compared to the pure oxides leading to improved catalytic combustion activity at lower temperatures. At a loading of 1 wt % Pd, 1Pd/Co3O4 (T100 = 360 °C) outperforms 1Pd/Fe2O3 (T100 = 410 °C) as well as 1Pd/NiO (T100 = 380 °C). At a loading of 10 wt % Pd, T100 could only be slightly reduced in all cases. 1Pd/Co3O4 and 1Pd/NiO show reasonable stability over 70 h on stream at T100. XPS (X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy) and STEM (Scanning transmission electron microscopy) investigations revealed strong interactions between Pd and NiO as well as Co3O4, respectively, leading to dynamic transformations and reoxidation of Pd due to solid state reactions, which leads to the high long-term stability.
Fuel contamination of soils display complex and variable hydrocarbon mixtures with different volatility and toxicity characteristics. A recently suggested headspace procedure for the structure-based quantification of volatile hydrocarbons is evaluated regarding repeatability, reproducibility, and practical robustness. Three aliphatic and three aromatic fractions covering the boiling range between 69 and 216°C were defined as summation parameters by their respective equivalent carbon number ranges. A standard mixture of 35 aliphatic and aromatic hydrocarbons was used for calibration on basis of selected mass fragments specific for the aliphatics and aromatics, respectively. Two standard soils were fortified with the standard mixture or different fuels, respectively, and submitted to the analytical procedure. Limit of detection (LOD) and limit of quantification (LOQ) were for all fractions lower than 0.1 and 0.3 mg/kg, respectively. Analyte recovery was linear up to between 20 and 110 mg hydrocarbons/kg soil depending on the fraction. Hydrocarbon recovery ranged between 80% and 110% depending on the fraction and the repeatability was typically better than 10%. Finally, the impact of extraction solvent variation, column solid-phase polarity, and alternative summation of fractions were investigated. The procedure was applied to liner samples taken from a site contaminated with aviation fuel and its practicability is discussed.
Slags from the nonferrous metals industry have great potential to be used as feedstocks for the production of alkali-activated materials. Until now, however, only very limited information has been available about the structural characteristics of these materials. In the work presented herein, synthetic slags in the CaO–FeOx–SiO2 system, representing typical compositions of Fe-rich slags, and inorganic polymers (IPs) produced from the synthetic slags by activation with alkali Silicate solutions have been studied by means of X-ray absorption near-edge structure (XANES) spectroscopy at the Fe K-edge. The iron in the slags was largely Fe2+, with an average coordination number of approximately 5 for the iron in the amorphous fraction. The increase in average oxidation number after alkali-activation was conceptualized as the consequence of slag dissolution and IP precipitation, and employed to calculate the degrees of reaction of the slags. The degree of reaction of the slags increased with increasing amorphous fraction. The iron in the IPs had an average coordination number of approximately 5; thus, IPs produced from the Fe-rich slags studied here are not Fe-analogs of aluminosilicate geopolymers, but differ significantly in terms of structure from the latter.
Powder X-ray diffraction is a time-consuming and challenging task, especially for preparation of sensitive phases like ettringite and calcium-silicate-hydrate (C-S-H) phases. Fine-grained ultrahigh-performance concrete (UHPC) with an average grain size <100 μm could be investigated directly without time-consuming milling. As a proof of concept, small UHPC cylinders with plain surfaces were investigated with a newly designed sample holder. The comparison with conventionally prepared powder shows the feasibility of fast qualitative phase analysis using this approach. As a great benefit, a depth-dependent analysis, as well as a comparison of surface layers and core material, was carried out.
Polymers with intrinsic microporosity are promising candidates for the active separation layer in gas separation membranes. Here, the vibrational density of states (VDOS) for PIM-1, the prototypical polymer with intrinsic microporosity, is investigated by means of inelastic neutron scattering. The results are compared to data measured for a more conventional high-performance polyimide used in gas separation membranes (Matrimid). The measured data show the characteristic low frequency excess contribution to VDOS above the Debye sound wave level, generally known as the Boson peak in glass-forming materials. In comparison to the Boson peak of Matrimid, that of PIM-1 is shifted to lower frequencies. This shift is discussed considering the microporous, sponge-like structure of PIM-1 as providing a higher compressibility at the molecular scale than for conventional polymers. For an annealed PIM-1 sample, the Boson peak shifts to higher frequencies in comparison to the un-annealed sample. These changes in the VDOS of the annealed PIM-1 sample are related to changes in the microporous structure as confirmed by X-ray scattering.
Chemical functionalization for quantitative spectroscopic labeling on macroscopically flat surfaces
(2018)
This chapter highlights the application of chemical derivatization (CD) to facilitate the quantification of surface functional groups being an important issue for a wide field of applications. The selective attachment of a chemical label to a surface functional group being afterwards exclusively detectable by a highly sensitive technique overcomes the problem of characterizing low amounts of functional groups on macroscopically flat surfaces. The most frequently employed methods include CD X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, ultraviolet/visible absorption, and fluorescence spectroscopy, as well as time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry. Herein, the basic conditions for the different techniques regarding the specific surface functional group which need to be quantified are discussed. Additionally, the substrate highly influences the compatibility of the corresponding method. Because not just the quantification but also the preparation of the desired application is important, a summary of different preparation methods for glass, polymer and gold substrates is presented.
Time-resolved phase-contrast microscopy is employed to visualize spatio-temporal thermal transients induced by tight focusing of a single Ti:sapphire fs-laser pulse into a solid dielectric sample. This method relies on the coupling of the refractive index change and the sample temperature through the thermo-optic coefficient dn/dT. The thermal transients are studied on a timescale ranging from 10 ns up to 0.1 ms after laser excitation. Beyond providing direct insights into the laser–matter interaction, analyzing the results obtained also enables quantifying the local thermal diffusivity of the sample on a micrometer scale. Studies conducted in different solid dielectrics, namely amorphous fused silica (a-SiO2), a commercial borosilicate glass (BO33, Schott), and a custom alkaline earth silicate glass (NaSi66), illustrate the applicability of this approach to the investigation of various glassy materials.
Reaction procedures have been improved to achieve higher yields and shorter reaction times: one possibility is the usage of microwave reactors. In the literature, this is under discussion, for example, nonthermal effects resulting from the microwave radiation are claimed. Especially for the synthesis of nanomaterials, it is of crucial importance to be aware of influences on the reaction pathway. Therefore, we compare the syntheses of ultra-small silver nanoparticles via conventional and microwave heating. We employed a versatile one-pot polyol synthesis of poly(acrylic acid)-stabilized silver nanoparticles, which display superior catalytic properties. No microwave-specific effects in terms of particle size distribution characteristics, as derived by small-angle X-ray scattering and dynamic light scattering, are revealed. Because of the characteristics of a closed system, microwave reactors give access to elevated temperatures and pressures. Therefore, the speed of particle formation can be increased by a factor of 30 when the reaction temperature is increased from 200 to 250 °C. The particle growth process follows a cluster coalescence mechanism. A postsynthetic incubation step at 250 °C induces a further growth of the particles while the size distribution broadens. Thus, utilization of microwave reactors enables an enormous decrease of the reaction time as well as the opportunity of tuning the particle size. Possibly, decomposition of the stabilizing ligand at elevated temperatures results in reduced yields. A compromise between short reaction times and high yields can be found at a temperature of 250 °C and a corresponding reaction time of 30 s.
The present study shows the potential of high-resolution imaging and nano-Fourier-transform infrared (nano-FTIR) spectroscopy for corrosion science. The protective oxidation layers of different chlorine-gas treated silicon
carbides (SiCs) were characterized with these techniques. A nitrified SiC showed the highest resistant strength against chlorine corrosion at 1000 °C compared to the other SiCs. Nano-FTIR spectroscopy with a lateral resolution below 40 nm detected differences in the crystallinity of the bulk-SiC and in the transitional region to the protective layer. Furthermore, high-resolution imaging provides deep insight in the interfacial layer between bulk-SiC and the protective oxidation layer on sub-micrometer scale.
Laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) has been revealed as a convenient technique for trace elemental imaging in tissue sections, providing elemental 2D distribution at a quantitative level. For quantification purposes, in the last years several approaches have been proposed in the literature such as the use of CRMs or matrix matched standards. The use of Isotope Dilution (ID) for quantification by LA-ICP-MS has been also described, being mainly useful for bulk analysis but not feasible for spatial measurements so far. In this work, a quantification method based on ID analysis was developed by printing isotope-enriched inks onto kidney slices from rats treated with antitumoral Pt-based drugs using a commercial ink-jet device, in order to perform an elemental quantification in different areas from bio-images. For the ID experiments ¹⁹⁴Pt enriched platinum was used. The methodology was validated by deposition of natural Pt standard droplets with a known amount of Pt onto the surface of a control tissue, where could be quantified even 50 pg of Pt, with recoveries higher than 90%. The amount of Pt present in the whole kidney slices was quantified for cisplatin, carboplatin and oxaliplatin-treated rats. The results obtained were in accordance with those previously reported. The amount of Pt distributed between the medullar and cortical areas was also quantified, observing different behavior for the three drugs.
Optical elemental analysis in the gas phase typically relies on electrically driven plasmas. As an alternative approach, laser-induced plasmas (LIPs) have been suggested but have so far been only scarcely used.
Here, a novel signal enhancement strategy for laser-based airborne plasma optical Emission spectroscopy for gas phase analytics is presented. In contrast to an electrically driven plasma, in the laser-induced analogue dynamic matter transport equilibrium builds up. The latter results in a rarefied density regime in the plasma core itself, surrounded by an area of compressed matter. The central rarefaction leads to a decrease in plasma intensity and analyte number density, both of which are detrimental for analytical purposes. Since the repetitive ignition of LIPs is a transient process, a restoration of the former gaseous medium by other dynamically equilibrated diffusion processes would be favourable. The presented combination of an airborne LIP and an ultrasonic acoustic resonator yields a fourfold signal enhancement while the Background contribution of ubiquitous air is at the same time effectively suppressed. Since the entire enhancement effect occurs without contact, no additional sources for abrasive sample contamination are introduced.
Previously applied methods for the quantification of sulphur in copper and other pure metals revealed a lack of SI-traceability and additionally showed inconsistent results, when different methods were compared.
Therefore, a reference procedure is required which allows SI-traceable values accompanied by a Sound uncertainty budget. In this study a procedure was developed for the quantification of total sulphur in copper at low concentration levels using inductively coupled plasma-isotope dilution mass spectrometry (ICP-IDMS). The major part of the copper matrix was separated by adding ammonia which forms a complex with the copper while releasing the sulphur followed by chromatographic separation using a weak cation resin. After that the sulphur fraction was further purified by chromatographic means using first an anion exchange method and second a chelating resin. The developed procedure shows high performance, especially concerning high efficiency in matrix removal (>99.999%) while keeping the recovery of sulphur above 80%. Procedure blanks are in the order of 3–53 ng resulting in LOD and LOQ values of 0.2 mg g1 and 0.54 mg g1, respectively. The procedure is sufficient to facilitate value assignment of the total sulphur mass fraction in reference materials. Additionally, relative measurement uncertainties were calculated to be below 1% and the measurement results were traceable to the SI. The procedure reported in this study is a new reference procedure for sulphur measurement in copper, being fit for two major purposes, certification of reference materials and assignment of reference values for inter-laboratory comparison.
The degradation of the chemotherapy drug 5-fluorouracil by a non-pristine metal surfaces is studied.Using density functional theory, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and X-ray absorption spectroscopy we show that the drug is entirely degraded by medical-grade silver surfaces, already at body temperature,and that all of the fluorine has left the molecule, presumably as HF. Remarkably, this degradation is even more severe than that reported previously for 5-fluorouracil on a pristine monocrystalline silver surface(in which case 80% of the drug reacted at body temperature) [1]. We conclude that the observed reaction is due to a reaction pathway, driven by H to F attraction between molecules on the surface, which results in the direct formation of HF; a pathway which is favoured when competing pathways involving reactive Ag surface sites are made unavailable by environmental contamination. Our measurements indicate that realistically cleaned, non-pristine silver alloys, which are typically used in medical applications, can result in severe degradation of 5-fluorouracil, with the release of HF – a finding which may have important implications for the handling of chemotherapy drugs.
For the first time, X-ray refraction techniques are proven for the identification of void formation in Ti-6Al-4V parts produced by selective laser melting. The topology and volume fraction of pores are measured in samples produced with different laser energy density. Unique X-ray refraction methods identify different kinds of defects, characteristic to the regions below and above the Optimum laser energy density, namely unprocessed powder (unmolten powder particles, balling effect, and Fusion defects) from empty keyhole pores. Furthermore, it is possible to detect small inhomogeneities (voids or cracks) with sizes below the spatial resolution of optical microscopy and X-ray computed tomography.
Data processing in the calibration-free laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) is usually based on the solution of the radiative transfer equation along a particular line of sight through a plasma plume. The LIBS data processing is generalized to the case when the spectral data are collected from large portions of the plume. It is shown that by adjusting the optical depth and width of the lines the spectra obtained by collecting light from an entire spherical homogeneous plasma plume can be least-square fitted to a spectrum obtained by collecting the radiation just along a plume diameter with a relative error of 10 −11 or smaller (for the optical depth not exceeding 0.3) so that a mismatch of geometries of data processing and data collection cannot be detected by fitting. Despite the existence of such a perfect least-square fit, the errors in the line optical depth and width found by a data processing with an inappropriate geometry can be large. It is shown with analytic and numerical examples that the corresponding relative errors in the found elemental number densities and concentrations may be as high as 50% and 20%, respectively. Safe for a few found exceptions, these errors are impossible to eliminate from LIBS data processing unless a proper solution of the radiative transfer equation corresponding to the ray tracing in the spectral data collection is used.
In order to investigate their microcracking behaviour, the microstructures of several β-eucryptite ceramics, obtained from glass precursor and cerammed to yield different grain sizes and microcrack densities, were characterized by laboratory and synchrotron x-ray refraction and tomography. Results were compared with those obtained from scanning electron microscopy (SEM). In SEM images, the characterized materials appeared fully dense but computed tomography showed the presence of pore clusters. Uniaxial tensile testing was performed on specimens while strain maps were recorded and analyzed by Digital Image Correlation (DIC). X-ray refraction techniques were applied on specimens before and after tensile testing to measure the amount of the internal specific surface (i.e., area per unit volume). X-ray refraction revealed that (a) the small grain size (SGS) material contained a large specific surface, originating from the grain boundaries and the interfaces of TiO2 precipitates; (b) the medium (MGS) and large grain size (LGS) materials possessed higher amounts of specific surface compared to SGS material due to microcracks, which decreased after tensile loading; (c) the precursor glass had negligible internal surface. The unexpected decrease in the internal surface of MGS and LGS after tensile testing is explained by the presence of compressive regions in the DIC strain maps and further by theoretical arguments. It is suggested that while some microcracks merge via propagation, more close mechanically, thereby explaining the observed X-ray refraction results. The mechanisms proposed would allow the development of a strain hardening route in ceramics.
Fluorescent sensory MIP (molecularly imprinted polymer) particles were combined with a droplet-based 3D microfluidic system for the selective determination of a prototype small-molecule analyte of environmental concern, 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid or 2,4-D, at nanomolar concentration directly in water samples. A tailor-made fluorescent indicator cross-linker was thus designed that translates the binding event directly into an enhanced fluorescence signal. The phenoxazinone-type cross-linker was co-polymerized into a thin MIP layer grafted from the surface of silica microparticles following a RAFT (reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer) polymerization protocol. While the indicator cross-linker outperformed its corresponding monomer twin, establishment of a phase-transfer protocol was essential to guarantee that the hydrogen bond-mediated signalling mechanism between the urea binding site on the indicator cross-linker and the carboxylate group of the analyte was still operative upon real sample analysis. The latter was achieved by integration of the fluorescent core-shell MIP sensor particles into a modular microfluidic platform that allows for an in-line phasetransfer assay, extracting the analyte from aqueous sample droplets into the organic phase that contains the sensor particles. Real-time fluorescence determination of 2,4-D down to 20 nM was realized with the system and applied for the analysis of various surface water samples collected from different parts of the world.