Characterization of Salting-Out Processes during CO2-Clathrate Formation Using Raman Spectroscopy: Planetological Application

Clathrate hydrates are particular solids that planetologists study in detail because those solids may be present in several bodies of the solar system, such as Mars, comets, and the icy satellites. The solids are formed by solid H₂O, like common water ice, but adopt open structures with cavities containing gas molecules. Clathrate hydrates are usually stable at relatively low temperature and high pressure, which are the typical conditions present inside these planetary objects. Their interest for astrobiology is that they represent potential sources of liquid water and gases when they decompose. The present work is focused on the crystallization of clathrates in Europa's (icy satellite of Jupiter) interior conditions. We postulate that clathrate hydrates may play an important role in its crust mineralogy and that it can explain some features of the satellite's surface due to their formation/destabilization. An in situ kinetic study by Raman Spectroscopy of the clathrate formation from salty solutions was performed in our laboratory. The chemical composition that we used mimics those obtained from Europa's surface during the Galileo mission. An effect of the salting-out process in the solution was monitored through the clathrate formational path. Our results demonstrate that this process may have geological consequences on Europa and confirm the suitability of Raman spectroscopy for planetary detection of clathrate hydrates and other ices.     

Raman spectra of osmotic solutes of halophiles

Organic osmotic solutes (compatible solutes) are accumulated within the cytoplasm of many microorganisms living in hypersaline environments to provide osmotic balance and to protect the cells against extreme osmotic pressure. Some hyperthermophilic prokaryotes also contain high intracellular concentrations of such compounds. A great diversity of organic osmotic solutes, including small sugars, sugar alcohols, amino acids, and amino acid derivatives, is found in nature. Thanks to the high concentrations in which these compounds are often present, Raman spectroscopy may be a useful technique for rapid analysis of such solute(s) both in individual organisms and in natural microbial communities in high‐salt environments, including the possible use of portable miniaturised Raman spectrometers outdoors. Here, we present a database of Raman spectra of some of the most commonly encountered compatible solutes, as well as some less common ones such as ectoine, hydroxyectoine, glycine betaine, glucosylglycerol, mannosylglycerate (potassium salt), and di‐myo‐inositol phosphate, complementing existing information on the Raman spectra of other such solutes such as glycerol, sucrose, and trehalose. Spectra were collected using excitation at 785 nm, and assignment of the major bands was proposed. The data presented complement our knowledge of the spectroscopic characteristics of biomolecules and enable the rapid assessment of the mode of osmotic adaptation used by halophilic microorganisms in culture; this information may be used to obtain information on the distribution of the different solutes in extreme environments on earth and has the added potential for astrobiological applications to estimate the presence of such solutes in stressed environments elsewhere in the universe. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

几种盐水溶液拉曼工作曲线的绘制

用激光拉曼光谱对几种常见盐水溶液进行测定 ,并采用了两种不同的方法对数据进行分析 ,结果表明强度比值法对Na2 CO3、NaHCO3、Na2 SO4 等具有强拉曼特征峰的盐水溶液适用 ,而频移参数法对NaCl溶液效果较好。同时观察到 ,当水溶液中盐度越大时 ,水拉曼峰的不对称性越明显。     

Coordination changes in crystalline and vitreous GeO2

Abstract

High pressure x ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) has been performed up to 29 GPa on crystalline and amorphous GeO₂. The modification of the x ray absorption near edge structure (XANES) as well as the variation of the Ge-O distance, indicate that the coordination of Ge changes from 4 to 6 above 6.5 GPa. The transition is confirmed by Raman spectroscopy.     

High pressure behavior of nano-crystalline CeO2 up to 35 GPa: a Raman investigation

The present paper reports the results of in situ Raman studies carried out on nano-crystalline CeO₂ up to a pressure of 35 GPa at room temperature. The material was characterized at ambient conditions using X-ray diffraction and Raman spectroscopy and was found to have a cubic structure. We observed the Raman peak at ambient at 465 cm^?1, which is characteristic of the cubic structure of the material. The sample was pressurized using a diamond anvil cell using ruby fluorescence as the pressure monitor, and the phase evolution was tracked by Raman spectroscopy. With an increase in the applied pressure, the cubic band was seen to steadily shift to higher wavenumbers. However, we observed the appearance of a number of new peaks around a pressure of about 34.7 GPa. CeO₂ was found to undergo a phase transition to an orthorhombic α -PbCl₂-type structure at this pressure. With the release of the applied pressure, the observed peaks steadily shift to lower wavenumbers. On decompression, the high pressure phase existed down to a total release of pressure.     

原位低温拉曼光谱技术在储层流体包裹体分析中的应用

准确获取流体包裹体中盐的类型一直是包裹体研究的重要问题。采用原位低温拉曼光谱技术对民丰洼陷深部天然气储层流体包裹体进行了分析。常温拉曼光谱综合分析表明,包裹体中流体为含甲烷的盐水溶液。在—180℃下对包裹体进行了原位低温拉曼光谱分析,结果显示包裹体中含有NaCl,CaCl_2,MgCl_2等盐类,其中以NaCl为主,CaCl_2含量很少,MgCl_2含量极少。根据沉积成岩过程分析了包裹体中流体的成因,解释了储层成岩作用的机理。研究结果表明,原位低温拉曼光谱是获取储层包裹体中流体性质的一种有效方法。在包裹体原位低温拉曼光谱分析技术基础上,结合沉积成岩过程,可以给储层的成岩作用类型和成岩反应机理给出重要证据。     

Ab Initio Calculations and Raman and SERS Spectral Analyses of Amphetamine Species

Abstract

For the first time, the differences between the spectra of amphetamine and amphetamine-H⁺ and between different conformers are thoroughly studied by ab initio model calculations, and Raman and surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) spectra are measured for different species of amphetamine. The spectra of amphetamine and amphetamine-H⁺ samples were obtained and assigned according to a comparison of the experimental spectra and the ab initio MO calculations, performed using the Gaussian 03W program (Gaussian, Inc., Pittsburgh, PA). The analyses were based on complete geometry minimization of the conformational energy of the S-plus-amphetamine molecule and the S-plus-amphetamine-H⁺ ion. The harmonic frequency calculations provide information about the characteristic features of the Raman spectra and the nature of the bonding in the molecule. It is concluded that vibrational bands from salt anions with internal bonds (sulfates, hydrogen phosphates, etc.) need to be taken into account when employing these spectra for identification purposes. These results also show how Raman spectroscopy can assist the forensic community in drug profiling studies. Furthermore, because their spectra are different, discrimination between the free and protonated forms of amphetamine salts can be observed. Here, we provide evidence for this difference and show experimentally how it has been overseen.     

拉曼光谱检测生物大分子损伤的研究进展

拉曼光谱是基于拉曼散射效应而发展起来的一种光谱分析技术,体现的是分子的振动或转动信息。由于拉曼光谱技术与常规化学分析技术相比,具有对样品无损、样品制备简单和所需样品量少等特点,广泛用于生物大分子结构变化的研究。拉曼光谱不仅可以用于蛋白质、核酸和脂类等生物大分子损伤的快速检测,而且可以用于癌症的诊断与手术治疗。通过对比正常组织与癌变组织的拉曼光谱,可以找到两种组织特征吸收峰的差异,从而为癌症的最终确诊和确定肿瘤切除范围提供重要信息。文章综述了拉曼光谱检测生物大分子损伤的研究进展,介绍了利用表面增强拉曼光谱、傅里叶变换拉曼光谱和紫外共振拉曼光谱等技术在检测蛋白质二级结构、膜脂及DNA损伤中的应用,并展望了未来拉曼光谱技术的发展前景。     

Study of both fingerprint and high wavenumber Raman spectroscopy of pathological nasopharyngeal tissues

High wavenumber (HW) Raman spectroscopy has weaker fluorescence background compared with fingerprint (FP) region. This study aims to evaluate the discrimination feasibility of nasopharyngeal non‐cancerous and nasopharyngeal cancer (NPC) tissue with both FP and HW Raman spectroscopy. HW Raman spectra of nasopharyngeal tissue were obtained for the first time. Raman spectra were collected to differentiate nasopharyngeal non‐cancerous (n = 37) from NPC (n = 41) tissues in FP (800–1800cm⁻¹), HW (2700–3100cm⁻¹), and integrated FP/HW region. First, to assess the utility of this method, the averaged Raman spectral intensities and intensity ratios of corresponding Raman bands were analyzed in HW and FP regions, respectively. The results show that intensities as well as the ratios of specific Raman peaks might be helpful in distinguishing nasopharyngeal non‐cancerous from NPC tissue with the HW Raman spectroscopy, as with FP Raman reported before. The multivariate statistical method based on the combination of principal component analysis–liner discriminant analysis (PCA‐LDA), together with leave‐one‐patient‐out, cross‐validation diagnostic algorithm, was used for discriminating nasopharyngeal non‐cancerous from NPC tissue, generating sensitivities of 87.8%, 85.4%, and 95.1% and specificities of 86.5%, 91.9%, and 89.2%, respectively, with Raman spectroscopy in the FP, HW, and integrated FP/HW regions. The posterior probability of classification results and receiver operating characteristic curves were utilized to evaluate the discrimination of PCA‐LDA algorithm, verifying that HW Raman spectroscopy has a positive effect on the differentiation for the diagnosis of NPC tissue by integrated FP/HW Raman spectroscopy. What's more, the potential of Raman spectroscopy used for differentiating different pathology NPC tissues was also discussed. The results demonstrate that both FP and HW Raman spectroscopy have the potential for diagnosis and detection in early nasopharyngeal carcinoma, and HW Raman spectroscopy may improve the discrimination of NPC tissue compared with FP region alone, providing a promising diagnostic tool for the diagnosis of NPC tissue. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

用受激拉曼泵浦方法高效制备v=2振动激发态氘分子

We report the preparation of D₂ molecules in v=2 level in molecular beam condition. A single longitudinal mode laser system was used for excitation of D₂ from (v=0, j=0) to (v=2, j=0) with the scheme of stimulated Raman pumping. An excitation efficiency of 25.2% has been achieved, which was determined by the scheme of resonance-enhanced multiphoton ionization. Dependence of relative excitation efficiency on laser energy has been measured. We found that the increasing rate of excitation efficiency became slower as pulse energy of Stokes laser increase, while the excitation efficiency still increases approximately linearly with pump pulse energies up to 60 mJ. The spectral line shapes of Raman transition was also measured at different laser energies and considerable dynamical Stark effect was observed. A single peak was found on the three dimension surface of relative excitation efficiency, indicating the process occurred in the present study is a process of stimulated Raman pumping instead of stimulated adiabatic Raman passage.     

Rapid synthesis and characterization of ultra‐thin shell Au@SiO2 nanorods with tunable SPR for shell‐isolated nanoparticle‐enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SHINERS)

The recently reported shell‐isolated nanoparticle‐enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SHINERS) is considered as the next generation of advanced spectroscopy for its surface and molecular generality. With the aim to utilize the virtues of shell‐isolated strategy and advance the SHINERS technique, we introduce a silane‐based rapid synthesis method of silica‐coating Au nanorods (Au@SiO₂ NRs) with manoeuvrable ultra‐thin shell and tunable SPR. The results demonstrate that the SPR of Au NRs could be optimized to obtain large Raman enhancement using either 633 nm or 785 nm laser. Differing from previously reported Au@SiO₂ NRs synthesis method, we can tune the silica shell thickness within several nanometers to maximize the Raman signal while effectively eliminating the exterior interference. And this advanced synthesis method has also significantly reduced the silica‐coating time from one day to ca. 1 h. This method as a new development of SHINERS technique has successfully got enhanced signal in solution Raman tests of malachite green, giving a great potential to be extended to in‐situ measurement for daily life detection. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Improvement in efficiency of solar cell by removing Cu2－xSe from CIGS film surface

CIGS thin films are deposited by sputtering and selenization. The synthesis of semiconducting polycrystalline thin films and characteristics of devices based on the CIGS absorbing layers are investigated. Their microstructures are characterized by x-ray diffraction and Raman spectroscopy. The results reveal that there exist metallic Cu_2-xSe compounds in CIGS film surfaces and the compounds are thought to be responsible for the degradation of the open circuit voltage of solar cells. The optimization of selenization temperature profile and copper content in the precursor surfaces is studied, concluding that the conversion efficiency may be improved by removing metallic Cu_2-xSe compounds from the surfaces of CIGS thin films.     

The infrared and laser Raman spectra of K2Zn(SO4)2 · 6H2O

The Raman spectra of the single crystal of K₂Zn(SO₄)₂·6H₂O belonging toC _2h ⁵ space group in the 40–1200 cm⁻¹ region in different scattering geometries and their spectra ofthe microcrystalline salt in the 1500-50 cm⁻¹ region have been reported. The dynamics of the crystal has been described in terms of 186 phonon modes under the unit cell approximation. The weak bands in the region 400–900 cm⁻¹ have been assigned to the libratory modes of H₂O molecules in contradiction to the assignments reported by Ananthanarayanan. The ambiguities existing in the literature about the assignments ofν ₂ ^c andν ₅ ^c modes of [Zn(H₂O)₆]²⁺ have also been removed. The translatory and libratory modes of different units of the crystal have been identified and assignments are made using farir and Raman data on various isomorphous tutton salts. It has been inferred that both SO ₄ ²⁻ tetrahedron and [Zn(H₂O)₆]²⁺ octahedron undergo linear as well as angular distortions from their free state symmetries in the crystal.     

Temperature dependence of Bi2O3 structural parameters close to the α–δ phase transition

This article presents the results of in situ X-ray powder diffraction, Raman spectroscopy, and electrical impedance spectroscopy of the α-phase of Bi₂O₃, at 0.1 MPa in the temperature range below and above the α–δ-phase transition. This work demonstrated subtle nonlinear temperature variations of the cell parameters, of the hard-mode Raman shift, and of the activation energy of electrical conductivity in the temperature range about 100–120°C below the α–δ phase transition temperature T _Tr ≈ 725°C in Bi₂O₃. At T < 600°C, the linear variation of the inverse dielectric susceptibility (χ ^?1) correlates well with the hard mode frequency shift Δ(ω ²) of Raman A_1g mode as Δ(χ ^?1)/Δ(ω ²) ≈ 5.5 × 10^?7 cm². A structural model describing the mechanism of O^2? anion distribution and electric dipole disordering in the vicinity of T _Tr is discussed.     

Transcutaneous in vivo Raman spectroscopy of breast tumors and pretumors

Breast cancer is the most common cancer amongst women worldwide. Early detection of this cancer results in better prognosis. Owing to the disadvantages of currently available screening tools for early detection of this cancer, rapid and sensitive alternatives such as optical spectroscopic techniques are being extensively explored. Detection of premalignant lesions using these techniques has been reported. However, premalignant lesions are risk indicators and may not be true predictors of tumor development. Therefore, the current study aims at correlation between spectral changes and tumor appearance. In this context, transcutaneous in vivo spectra were acquired from same carcinogen‐induced rats immediately before carcinogen treatment, 3, 8–10, and 12–14 weeks after carcinogen treatment and from frank tumors. These were analyzed using multivariate statistical tools principal component analysis and principal component linear discriminant analysis. Further, a complex test data set consisting of spectra from rats of varying ages, tumor appearance times, and tumor induction protocols was used to test the feasibility of correctly identifying controls and pretumors using Raman spectroscopy. Results suggest feasibility of distinguishing pretumor spectra from controls. Taking into consideration the heterogeneity of afflicted breast, rat‐wise analysis was performed wherein a rat was declared ‘will develop tumor’, even if one spectrum was found abnormal. Using this criterion, in vivo Raman spectroscopy could predict tumor appearance with 82% sensitivity and 95% specificity. Prospectively, combined with emerging technologies like deep Raman spectroscopy and fiber‐probe‐based whole sample imaging, Raman spectroscopy may prove as an invaluable adjunct to currently available breast cancer screening tools. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Fabrication of titanium dioxide nanofibers via anodic oxidation

In this work, titanium dioxide (TiO₂) nanofibers were obtained from anodic oxidation process. A piece of titanium sheet was anodized in 1.0 M sodium chloride (NaCl) solution, at 30 V. The as-anodized sample was calcinated at 400 °C for one hour. Subsequently the sample was characterized using field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), high resolution X-ray diffraction (HR-XRD), and Raman spectroscopy. Interestingly, results showed rutile phase dominates over anatase phase, which is rarely reported. In addition, the possible chemical reactions that lead to the formation of nanofibers were proposed. It was found that the nanofibers having an average length of 3 μm, also diameter of 83 nm.     

Raman spectroscopic detection of Nickel impact on single Streptomyces cells – possible bioindicators for heavy metal contamination

Heavy metal contamination of soil has an immense impact on the surrounding environment, such as the ground water, and hence, has become an important issue within bioremediation. Therefore, heavy metal contamination has to be determined preferably cost‐efficiently, rapidly, and reliably. Here, soil bacteria of the genus Streptomyces are used as bioindicators for heavy metal contamination investigated via micro‐Raman spectroscopy. A single cell approach is studied to avoid time‐consuming culturing and plate counting. Bacteria of Streptomyces galilaeus were incubated in Ni²⁺ enriched media and single cell spectra were recorded. Supervised statistics linear discriminant analysis was used to evaluate the influence of the culture age and the anion on bacterial cells, which has been determined to be minor compared with the spectral impact of Ni²⁺. The identification of the Raman spectra according to different Ni²⁺ concentration ranges is accomplished with a prediction accuracy of about 88%. Therefore, we conclude that Streptomyces can be used as a bioindicator to predict Ni²⁺ concentrations in the micromolar range. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

In situ monitoring of the solution‐mediated polymorphic transformation of glycine: characterization of the polymorphs and observation of the transformation rate using Raman spectroscopy and microscopy

The aim of this work was to investigate the mechanism and progression of the solution‐mediated polymorphic transformation and crystallization of glycine. The identification of the α‐ and γ‐forms of glycine crystals was performed using powder X‐ray diffraction (PXRD), Raman microscopy and in situ probe Raman spectroscopy. The influence of the addition of NaCl and of the process parameters such as saturation temperature, seed size and stirring speed on the transformation behavior from the metastable α‐ form to the stable γ‐ form was examined. In situ probe Raman spectroscopy was used to monitor the solid‐phase properties—polymorphic composition. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) with a ZnSe window was used to track the liquid‐phase concentration at different times. Besides, the polymorphic transformation of glycine in the solvent was also examined in situ using a microscope with a heating/cooling stage. The integration of the different offline and in situ analytical measurement techniques greatly assisted in accurately and quantitatively perceiving the fundamental phenomena that govern the transformation process. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Studies on the Fluorescence Fiber-Optic DNA Biosensor Using <Emphasis Type="Italic">p</Emphasis>-Hydroxyphenylimidazo[f]1,10-phenanthroline Ferrum(III) as Indicator

A complex Fe(phen)₂·PHPIP·3ClO₄·2H₂O, where phen = 1,10-phenanthroline and PHPIP = p-hydroxyphenylimidazo[f]1,10-phenanthroline, was synthesized and acted as a good fluorescence indicator based on its interaction with double-duplex DNA. Then a fiber-optic DNA biosensor of fluorimetric detection was developed based on the recognition of target DNA in DNA hybridization assays. A probe ssDNA was covalently immobilized onto the surface of quartz optical fibers and then the probe ssDNA hybridized with complementary ssDNA introduced into the local environment of the sensor. The hybridization with complementary strands was monitored in real time by fluorimetric detection. Several factors affecting the probe immobilization, target DNA hybridization, and indicator binding reactions were optimized to maximize the sensitivity and shorten the assay time. Using this method, a sequence of the 16-mer oligonucleotides could be quantified over the range from 4.98 × 10⁻⁷ to 4.88 × 10⁻⁶ M and a detection limit of 1.08 × 10⁻⁷ M. And the designed optic-fiber biosensor could be conveniently regenerated by thermal denature. The utility of the novel hybridization indicator could provide a simple, rapid, low toxicity and reusable detection.     

Fiber optic probes for linear and nonlinear Raman applications – Current trends and future development

This review focuses on fiber optic probes for linear and nonlinear Raman spectroscopy, especially for medical applications. It aims at providing an overview over contemporary technology, recent first clinical trials, and helps identifying future developments necessary to bring the emerging technology to clinical end users. After a short introduction to linear and nonlinear Raman spectroscopic modalities, general design considerations will be discussed and compared to common fiber probe setups. Subsequently, examples for medical applications of fiber optic Raman probes will be given concentrating on probes for linear Raman spectroscopy as these devices are technologically more mature compared to their counterparts based on nonlinear Raman spectroscopy. The review also includes a brief summary of first multimodal fiber optic probes and highlights their benefits for clinical applications. Finally, probes are introduced which employ either nonlinear Raman spectroscopy or surface enhanced spectroscopy.