Clathrate formation and dissociation in vapor/water/ice/hydrate systems in SBA-15, sol-gel and CPG porous media, as probed by NMR relaxation, novel protocol NMR cryoporometry, neutron scattering and ab initio quantum-mechanical molecular dynamics simulation

The Gibbs-Thomson effect modifies the pressure and temperature at which clathrates occur, hence altering the depth at which they occur in the seabed. Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) measurements as a function of temperature are being conducted for water/ice/hydrate systems in a range of pore geometries, including templated SBA-15 silicas, controlled pore glasses and sol-gel silicas. Rotator-phase plastic ice is shown to be present in confined geometry, and bulk tetrahydrofuran hydrate is also shown to probably have a rotator phase. A novel NMR cryoporometry protocol, which probes both melting and freezing events while avoiding the usual problem of supercooling for the freezing event, has been developed. This enables a detailed probing of the system for a given pore size and geometry and the exploration of differences between hydrate formation and dissociation processes inside pores. These process differences have an important effect on the environment, as they impact on the ability of a marine hydrate system to re-form once warmed above a critical temperature. Ab initio quantum-mechanical molecular dynamics calculations are also being employed to probe the dynamics of liquids in pores at nanometric dimensions.     

Studies of magnetite nanoparticles synthesized by thermal decomposition of iron (III) acetylacetonate in tri(ethylene glycol)

In this paper, water-soluble magnetite nanoparticles have been directly synthesized by thermal decomposition of iron (III) acetylacetonate, Fe(acac)₃ in tri(ethyleneglycol). Size and morphology of the nanoparticles are determined by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and dynamic light scattering (DLS) measurements while the crystal structure is identified using X-ray diffraction (XRD). Surface charge and surface coating of the nanoparticles are recognized using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray photoelectron spectra (XPS) and zeta potential measurements. Magnetic properties are determined using vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM) and superconducting quantum interference device (SQUID) measurements. The results show that as-prepared magnetite nanoparticles are relatively monodisperse, single crystalline and superparamagnetic in nature with the blocking temperature at around 100 K. The magnetite nanoparticles are found to be highly soluble in water due to steric and electrostatic interactions between the particles arising by the surface adsorbed tri(ethyleneglycol) molecules and associated positive charges, respectively. Cytotoxicity studies on human cervical (SiHa), mouse melanoma (B16F10) and mouse primary fibroblast cells demonstrate that up to a dose of 80 μg/ml, the magnetic nanoparticles are nontoxic to the cells. Specific absorption rate (SAR) value has been calculated to be 885 and 539 W/gm for samples with the iron concentration of 1 and 0.5 mg/ml, respectively. The high SAR value upon exposure to 20 MHz radiofrequency signifies the applicability of as-prepared magnetite nanoparticles for a feasible magnetic hyperthermia treatment.     

Weak temperature gradient effect on the stability of the circular Couette flow

We have investigated the influence of a weak radial temperature gradient in a wide gap and large aspect ratio Couette-Taylor system. The inner cylinder is rotating and can be heated or cooled, the outer cylinder is at rest and immersed in a large thermal bath. We found that a radial temperature gradient destabilizes the Couette flow leading to a pattern of traveling helicoidal vortices occurring only near the bottom of the system. The size of the pattern increases as the rotation frequency of the cylinder is increased. We have characterized the spatiotemporal properties of the pattern and we have shown that it behaves as a wall mode found in the simulation of the complex Ginzburg-Landau equation with homogeneous boundary conditions.     

Preparation of Mn<Subscript>3</Subscript>O<Subscript>4</Subscript> nanowires by calcining the precursor powders synthesized in a novel inverse microemulsion

Manganese oxide (hausmannite) nanowires were prepared by annealing precursor powders at a temperature of 800 °C for 3 h, which were produced in a novel inverse microemulsion (IμE) system. The microstructures of the as-prepared Mn₃O₄ nanowires were investigated by means of X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, and Raman spectra. It has been found that the Mn₃O₄ nanowires were relatively straight and their surfaces were smooth with a typical diameter of 75–150 nm. The formation mechanism of the Mn₃O₄ nanowires is discussed. Received: 30 May 2002 / Accepted: 7 October 2002 / Published online: 17 December 2002 RID="*" ID="*"Corresponding author. Fax: +86-25/359-5535, E-mail: wangqun@nju.edu.cn     

Field emission from nano-patterned amorphous carbon

Electron emission from nano-patterned amorphous carbon is realized in this paper. The patterned carbon consists of islands with size of tens of nanometers, and is formed by etching uniform carbon film in oxygen plasma using a bismuth island-like film as the mask. Uniform and stable electron emission is reproducibly obtained, and the emission efficiency is above 2% at an anode voltage of 3 kV. Small carbon particles between large islands are supposed to be necessary for stable electron emission.     

Structural Change in Au^3＋-Doped BK7 Glass Irradiated by Femtosecond Laser

We report on structural change in an Au^3＋-doped BK7 glass irradiated by an infrared femtosecond laser at 800 nm. A grating structure is inscribed in the glass sample. The glass sample is then annealed at various temperatures. Structural change of the grating is observed by an optical microscope. Absorption spectra indicate that colour centres are induced after the laser irradiation, and they decrease with increasing annealing temperature. Au nanoparticles are precipitated at high temperatures （≥ 600℃）. The mechanisms of the phenomena are discussed.     

Near-infrared emissions with widely different widths in two kinds of Er-doped oxide glasses with high refractive indices and low phonon energies

Er³⁺-doped alkali-barium-bismuth-tellurite (LKBBT) and alkali-barium-bismuth-gallate (LKBBG) glasses with high refractive indices and low phonon energies have been designed, fabricated, characterized and compared. Intense 1.53 μm emissions with widely different widths in the two kinds of glasses were observed and recorded under 980 nm diode laser excitation. The full-widths at half-maximum of the 1.53 μm emission bands in LKBBT and LKBBG glasses are 58 and 40 nm, and the lifetimes of them were measured to be 3.21 and 3.97 ms, respectively. The quantum efficiencies for the ⁴I_13/2 level in both glasses are almost 100%. The 1.53 μm broad and narrow emissions with high spontaneous emission probabilities and large emission cross-sections indicate that Er³⁺-doped LKBBT and LKBBG glasses are suitable materials in developing broadband optical amplifier and infrared laser, respectively.     

Derivation of quantum yields for visible emission transitions of Sm in heavy metal tellurite glass

Under the pumping of violet lighting emitting diode, quantum yields for multichannel transition emissions have been determined in Sm³⁺-doped heavy metal tellurite glass for the first time. For the derivation, the necessary fluorescence spectra were measured and calibrated in an integrating sphere connected to a CCD detector with a 400 μm-core optical fiber. The spectral power distribution of the sample was derived from the measured spectra first, and then the quantum yields of the visible emissions of Sm³⁺ were calculated based on the distribution. The total quantum yield for four emission transitions of Sm³⁺ in visible region is 4.07%. Integrating sphere with a CCD detector is proven to be a reliable and reproducible method to characterize luminescence and laser materials.     

Amorphous BeN as a new solid host for rare‐earth‐related luminescent materials

Beryllium‐nitride (BeN) thin films were prepared by sputtering a Be target in an atmosphere of pure nitrogen. The films were doped with samarium simply by placing a piece of Sm metal on the surface of the Be target. Under these deposition conditions the films present an amorphous structure and an optical bandgap of approx. 4 eV. They also exhibit visible light emission due to Sm³⁺ ions as a result of either photon or electron excitation. The present experimental results show that amorphous BeN films are suitable, and efficient, III‐nitride hosts for rare‐earth doping purposes. (© 2007 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Fabrication and magnetic properties of amorphous Co0.71Pt0.29 nanowire arrays

Highly ordered Co_0.71Pt_0.29 alloy nanowire arrays have been fabricated successfully by direct current electro-deposition into the pores of a porous anodic aluminum oxide (AAO) template. SEM and TEM images reveal that the nanowires of array are uniform, well isolated, and parallel to one another. The aspect ratio of nanowires is over 200. XRD and EDS pattern indicates that amorphous Co_0.71Pt_0.29 structure was formed during electro-deposition. In amorphous sample, magnetocrystal anisotropy is very small, therefore, shape anisotropy plays a dominant role which leads to strong perpendicular anisotropy. High coercivity (Hc=1.7 kOe) and squareness (Mr/Ms) around 0.7 were obtained in the samples when the field was applied parallel to the axis of the nanowires. However, when it changed to polycrystalline structure after annealing, due to the competition of magnetocrystal anisotropy and shape anisotropy, the sample did not display perpendicular anisotropy.