The effect of the silicon incorporation on the hydroxylapatite structure. A neutron diffraction study

Nominal stoichiometric hydroxylapatite, Ca₁₀(PO₄)₆(OH)₂ and silicon-substituted HA, containing 0.9 wt% in silicon, were prepared by the ceramic method. The samples were analyzed by elemental chemical analysis, Fourier transformed infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and the structural study was carried out by Rietveld analysis combining powder X-ray (XRD) and neutron diffraction (ND). The refinements of the occupancies at the 4e Wyckoff position shows that the OH⁻/O²⁻ ratio is higher when SiO₄⁴⁻ substitutes PO₄³⁻. The observation of the Fourier maps points out that also the HPO₄²⁻ formation from PO₄³⁻ is also higher when Si is included in the HA structure. For the first time, the atomic coordinates for the H atoms of HPO₄²⁻ anions are provided.     

Infrared and laser Raman spectral studies of bis(dl-aspartic acid) sulfate

The infrared and Raman spectra of bis(dl-aspartic acid) sulfate in the crystalline state are recorded at room temperature and the vibrational assignments of the observed wavenumbers are made. The presence of two carbonyl (CO) groups has been identified in the title complex and the two carbonyl groups are in different environment. The extensive intermolecular hydrogen bonding in the crystal has been identified by the shifting of bands due to the stretching and bending modes of the various functional groups. The sulfate group forms the anion. Its fundamentals continue to be degenerate except for the asymmetric bending mode and it suggests that the T(d) symmetry of SO(4)(2-) group has not been affected in the crystal.     

A neutron scattering study of the structure and water partitioning of selectively deuterated copolymer micelles

We present a scattering study of a selectively deuterated micelle-forming diblock copolymer. The copolymer comprises a partially deuterated polystyrene (d,h-PS) block and an imidazolium-functionalized PS (IL) block. In toluene solutions, the copolymers assemble into elongated micelles where the IL block forms the micelle core. Through dynamic light scattering (DLS) measurements, we obtain the overall size of the micelles. In our small-angle neutron scattering (SANS) studies, we use contrast matching to characterize the IL core and the PS shell of the micelles independently. The PS block forming the micelle shell exhibits either a starlike or brushlike conformation depending upon the size of the core to which it is tethered. We find the IL block to be in an extended conformation, driving the formation of slightly elongated and relatively stiff micelle cores. The elongated micelle core cross-sectional radius and length depend linearly on the length of the IL block. We find that the micelles can sequester a few water molecules for each IL repeat unit; the addition of water slightly increases the cross section of the elongated micelles.     

A small-angle neutron scattering study of adsorbed polymer structure in concentrated colloidal dispersions

Poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) adsorption on colloidal silica particles was studied by small-angle neutron scattering under the core-contrast-matching condition. The volume fraction profile of the adsorbed layer was derived by modeling the average layer scattering term. It was found that, with increasing colloid concentration, the adsorbed PEO layers collapse due to the repulsions between adsorbed layers on neighboring particles. At the same time, the correlation length in the adsorbed layer obtained by fitting the layer fluctuation scattering term was found to decrease, indicating that denser polymer layers are formed. These two observations are self-consistent.     

Liquid structure of vanadium tetrachloride from neutron diffraction study

Assuming the separation of the intermolecular scattering function into the radial and angular parts and using Egelstaffet al’s orientational model for tetrachlorides, the structure of liquid vanadium tetrachloride has been studied. It has been observed that such a separation is approximate for this liquid and the introduction of a third correction term is required to account for the molecular structure function. The chlorine-chlorine partial structure and effective angleaveraged intermolecular chlorine-chlorine potential in the liquid has been evaluated. Without taking the third correction term, introduced to generate theoretically the molecular structure function, the centre structure function has been obtained in an approximate way from the experimentally observed molecular structure function and from it the centre radial distribution function, centre direct correlation function and the angle-averaged vanadium-vanadium effective potential has been evaluated.     

A theoretical study of medium effects on the structure of the glycine analogue aminomethylphosphonic acid

alpha-Aminophosphonic acids are analogues of natural alpha-aminoacids and very promising agents for use in various pharmaceutical applications. However, in contrast to the numerous theoretical investigations on the structure of natural alpha-aminoacids, only very few studies on alpha-aminophosphonic acids have been performed. In the present work, we report a detailed investigation of the simplest compound, the glycine analogue aminomethylphosphonic acid (AMPA), by means of quantum mechanical calculations at the B3LYP/6-311++G(3df,2p)//B3LYP/6-31+G(d,p) and MP2/6-311++G(3df,2p)//B3LYP/6-31+G(d,p) levels. We focus on the structure of the neutral species looking at the evolution of non-ionized and ionized forms from gas phase to non-polar solvents and aqueous media. Continuum and discrete-continuum solvent models have been employed to account for the effects of the environment. The discussion is centered on: (1) the geometry and relative stability of possible conformers in gas phase and aqueous solution, (2) the free energy of tautomerization in different media, (3) the role of hydrogen bonds in liquid water, and (4) the free energy of transfer from water to a hydrophobic solvent such as cyclohexane. Systematic comparison between AMPA and Gly is performed. Though both systems exhibit many similarities, some important differences have also been found that may be explained, at least in part, by the higher acidity of phosphonic acids compared to carboxylic acids. In particular, in solvents lacking hydrogen-bond formation capability, Gly derivatives should mainly exist as non-ionized molecules while the equivalent AMPA derivatives should adopt a zwitterionic structure in media with dielectric constant above 10. This might have significant environmental or biological consequences that will need to be addressed.     

Effect of heat treatment on pore structure in nano-crystalline NiO: A small angle neutron scattering study

Nano-crystalline nickel oxide powder was synthesized by a precipitation route. Powder samples were heat treated at 300, 600 and 900 °C, and pore structure evolution was followed by small angle neutron scattering (SANS) technique. SANS measurements were carried out also on pelleted samples in order to study the modifications of pore morphology due to heat treatment. SANS data reveal scattering from pores at two different length scales. The pore structure at various heat treatment temperatures does not follow any scaling behavior.     

A neutron diffraction study on the intercalation of deuteropyridine into tantalumdisulfide

The intercalation of C₅D₅N into the lattice of 2HTaS₂ was followed by neutron powder diffraction using deuteropyridine as liquid phase. Disordered second-stage nuclei were found to initiate the reaction. Model calculations established that the nuclei contain about 30% first-stage layers and that the pyridine orientations are identical in the first- and second-stage compounds. Tracer exchange measurements indicate two pyridine fractions.     

Characteristic lengths and the structure of salt free polyelectrolyte solutions. A small angle neutron scattering study

We have studied salt free semi dilute polyelectrolyte solutions by small angle neutron scattering. Specific labelling associated with an extrapolation method has allowed the separation of the form factor of a single polyelectrolyte chainS ₁(q) and the structure factorS ₂(q). Two lengths are deduced from these two factors: the persistence lengthb _t which characterizes the electrostatic interactions along the chain by a fitting ofS ₁(q) with calculation of the scattering function for a wormlike chain, and fromS ₂(q),q _m ^–1 which characterizes the interactions between chains. These two lengths vary in the same way with the concentration of polyions (b _t C _p ^–1/2 ,q _m ^–1 C _p ^–1/2 ) and a constant relation exists between them: only one length is then necessary to describe the structure of polyelectrolyte soltuion on this semidilute concentration range.Laboratoire Commun CEA-CNRS.     

The structure of glycerol in the liquid state: a neutron diffraction study

Neutron diffraction coupled with hydrogen/deuterium isotopic substitution has been used to investigate the structure of the pure cryoprotectant glycerol in the liquid state at 298 K and 1 atm. The neutron diffraction data were used to constrain a 3 dimensional computational model that is experimentally relevant using the empirical potential structure refinement (EPSR) technique. These simulations lead to a model structure of the glycerol molecule that is consistent with the experimental data. Interestingly, from interrogation of this structure, it is found that the number of hydrogen bonds per molecule is larger than had previously been suggested. Furthermore, converse to previous work, no evidence for intra-molecular hydrogen bonds is found. These results highlight the importance and relevance of using experimental data to inform computational modelling of even simple liquid systems.     

The crystal structure of RbHSeO4: A neutron diffraction study of the paraelectric phase

The structure of the paraelectric phase of RbHSeO₄ has been determined at 387 K by neutron diffraction. The structure consists of chains of hydrogen bonded SeO₄ groups extending along the crystallographic b axis. Two different hydrogen bonds have been characterized, with OO distances of 2.524(4) and 2.583(3) Å. In the shorter OHO hydrogen bond the hydrogen atom is disordered, suggesting that the ordering of hydrogen participates directly in the phase transition to the ferroelectric phase.     

A study of the extraction of phosphovanadomolybdic acid and application to the neutron activation analysis of phosphorus in steels

Ancient silver-copper-tin alloyed Gaulish coins have been analyzed using 14 MeV neutron activation analysis. The method used takes into account all the differences in composition, geometry, position of irradiation and counting that may exist between the sample and the reference. The results of the analysis are accurate and permit interesting numismatic conclusions.     

Micelle formation of N-decanoylglycine and N-decanoyl-L-alanine oligomer potassium-salts and the micellar structure. A small-angle neutron scattering study

 Potassium salts of N-decanoylglycine and N-decanoyl-L-alanine oligopeptides (monomer, dimer and trimer) were synthesized. For these oligomer salts in aqueous solutions, the microstructures of micelles have been investigated by small-angle neutron-scattering (SANS). In the calculation of SANS intensity data, the thickness of the hydrophilic layer was altered by changing the conformation of the oligomer moiety (helical and β-sheet structures). For micelles of the trimer salts, the helical structure models provide the best fit to the observed SANS intensity data. For micelles of the monomer-and dimer-salts, the β-sheet model provides the best fit to the observed data. For the monomer-and dimer-micelles, the aggregation number (n) is not dependent on the species of amino acid residue, imply-ing that the decanoyl group plays a critical role in micelle formation. However, for the trimer micelles, the n value is dependent on the species of amino acid residue. Received: 11 July 1996 Accepted: 11 September 1996     

A neutron scattering and nuclear magnetic resonance study of the structure of GeO2-P2O5 glasses

Germanophosphate (GeO2-P2O5) glasses were studied with neutron diffraction, phosphorus, and oxygen nuclear magnetic resonance, calorimetry, viscosity measurements, and first-principles calculations. These data sets were combined to propose a structural model of GeO2-P2O5 glasses, which includes tetrahedrally coordinated phosphorus, formation of octahedrally coordinated germanium as P2O5 content increases, an absence of trigonally coordinated oxygen, and hence an absence of rutile-like GeO2 domains. The structural model was then used to propose explanations for both the observed composition dependence of the glass transition temperature and the fragility of the GeO2-P2O5 liquids.