Growth of cadmium mercury thiocyanate single crystals using acetone–water mixed solvent and their characterization studies

Cadmium mercury tetrathiocyanate single crystals were grown from acetone–water (4:1) mixed solvent by slow evaporation solution technique. The structure of the grown crystal was confirmed by single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis. The crystalline perfection of cadmium mercury thiocyanate (CMTC) was ascertained by high-resolution X-ray diffraction (HRXRD) analysis. The presence of functional groups and the coordination of thiocyanate ion in the CMTC compound were confirmed by laser Raman spectroscopy. The optical transparency of CMTC single crystal was studied by UV–vis spectroscopy. Single-shot surface laser damage threshold of CMTC estimated using an Nd-YAG laser of wavelength 1064 nm was found to be 4.59 GW/cm² and second harmonic generation (SHG) output power was estimated through the Kurtz powder method. Dielectric constant and dielectric loss for various frequencies and temperatures were performed on CMTC single crystal.     

Influence of γ irradiation on the optical and mechanical properties of langasite

The optical (transmission and circular dichroism) spectra and mechanical (Vickers microhardness and fracture toughness K _1c ) properties of langasite La₃Ga₅SiO₁₄ crystals have been studied after γ irradiation and exposure for a month. It is shown that, as a result of irradiation crystals become more transparent in the range 310–640 nm, nonstructural defects with the energies of excited states in the range 2.06–4.13 eV decay and new structural defects with the excited-state energies in the range 4.14–5.00 eV are formed. Irradiation does not lead to a change in microhardness, while the coefficient K _1c increases from 0.32 to 0.36 MPa m^1/2.     

Syntheses and structural characterization of two novel α-diketone bisacylhydrazones

Benzil bis(3,4,5-trimethoxybenzohydrazone) (I) and 3,3-dimethoxybenzil bis(benzohydrazone) (II) were synthesized by condensation, acid catalyzed, of the proper -diketone and the corresponding hydrazide. Compound I crystallizes in the monoclinic system, space group P2₁/n, with a = 11.464(2), b = 21.098(4), c = 13.837(2) Å, = 109.50(1)° V = 3154.8(9) ų and D _c = 1.319 g/cm³ for Z = 4. Compound II crystallizes in the triclinic system, space group P , with a = 11.106(3), b = 11.728(10), c = 10.656(5) Å, = 91.86(2), = 92.68(3), = 110.00(2)° V = 1301.1(7) ų and D _c = 1.293 g/cm³ for Z = 2.     

Effect of D-, L-Phenylalanine on Growth Rate and Morphology of α L-Glutamic Acid

Abstract

The effect of L-and D-Phenylalanine(Phen) on the growth kinetics and morphology change of α L- Glutamic acid(L-Glu) was investigated using the method of single crystal in the flow system. With L-Phen the growth rate of L-Glu crystals in the direction parallel to the main plane decreased and the growth became to be irregular. However, no influence was observed in the direction of thickness. New face determined as (110), indicating that L-Phen adsorbs on that face. From crystallographic data the effect of L-Phen could be explained. However, more complicated mechanism for the morphology change was suggested. No effect of D-Phen means that the additive effect is highly stereo-selective.     

AES and FTIR characterization of sol–gel alumina films

In this work we obtained sol–gel alumina coatings on AISI 304 stainless steel substrates. Alumina sols were prepared by using aluminum isopropoxide (AI) as precursor, acetic acid (HOAc) as catalyst, ethanol (C₂H₅OH) or isopropanol (C₃H₈O) as solvent, and water. The as-prepared solutions were deposited on stainless steel substrates by means of the dip-coating technique. The obtained composites were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and Auger electron spectroscopy (AES). We observed that the concentration of AlO type bonds in the obtained alumina coatings depends on the solvent type used, temperature and peptization state of the sol, withdrawal speed, and number of dipping cycles. AES experiments showed that the interface formed between the alumina coating and substrate surface is in general formed by several layers of different chemical compositions.     

Mechanisms of relaxation of internal elastic stress arising during the reverse α → γ transformation upon slow heating of Fe–32 at % Ni alloy

The evolution of structural-phase states during the α → γ transformation upon slow heating of metastable Fe–32 at % Ni alloy has been studied. Experimental evidences in favor of the mechanism of dynamic γ → α → γ transformations as plastic relaxation of internal elastic stress, providing lattice reorientation and leading to the formation of a fine-grained structure, are found.     

Growth and characterization of InxBi2−xTe3 single crystals

The V–VI group narrow band gap compounds are known to have important photoconductivity and thermoelectric properties. Among these, Bi₂Te₃ is the most potential material for thermoelectric devices having a direct band gap of 0.16 eV. There has been ample study reported on crystal growth and polycrystalline thin films of both pure and indium doped Bi₂Te₃ pertaining to its basic semiconducting, optoelectronic and thermoelectric properties. It has been shown that on exceeding certain limiting concentration of indium in Bi₂Te₃, the conductivity changes from p-type to n-type. However, there is hardly any work reported in literature on crystal growth, dislocation etching and optical band gap of In_xBi_2?xTe₃ (x=0.1, 0.2, 0.5) single crystals. The authors have grown their single crystals using the zone melting method. The freezing interface temperature gradient of 70 °C/ cm^?1 has been found to yield the best quality crystals obtainable at the growth rate of 0.4 cm/h. The as-grown crystals have been observed to exhibit certain typical features on their top free surfaces. The crystals have been characterized using XRD technique. A chemical dislocation etchant has been used for estimating perfection in terms of dislocation density in the crystals. The optical absorption was measured in the wave number range 500 to 4000 cm^?1. The transitions in all the cases were observed to be allowed direct type. The detailed results are reported in the paper.     

The Second Stage of the α → γ Transformation during Slow Heating of Metastable Fe–Ni Alloys. Fine Structure of Dispersed γ-Martensite Plates

Crystallography Reports - The structure of the Fe–Ni alloy formed in the initial stage of transformation of the internal structure of α crystal during heating has been analyzed. A...     

Synthesis and characterization of CoFe2O4–PVP nanocomposites

Cobalt ferrite–poly(N-vinyl-2-pyrrolidone) nanocomposites were prepared by drying a dispersion of cobalt ferrite (CoFe₂O₄) nanoparticles and poly(N-vinyl-2-pyrrolidone). Magnetic measurements indicate a superparamagnetic behavior. Zero-field-cooling magnetization experiments at 100 Oe show different trends depending on the CoFe₂O₄ nanoparticles size. For the smaller ones (3.9 nm), the blocking temperatures shift to lower temperatures with increasing concentration; however, this shift is not observed for the larger ones (6.6 nm). These differences can be related to the anisotropy constant of the CoFe₂O₄ nanoparticles and the interparticle dipolar interactions.     

Measurements of dendrite tip growth and sidebranching in succinonitrile–acetone alloys

Experiments are carried to investigate free dendritic growth of succinonitrile–acetone alloys in an undercooled melt. The measurements include the steady dendrite tip velocity and radius, the non-axisymmetric amplitude coefficient of the fins near the tip, and the envelope width, projection area, and contour length of the sidebranch structure far from the tip. It is found that the measured dendrite tip growth Péclet numbers agree well with the predictions from a stagnant film model that accounts for thermosolutal convection in the melt. The measured tip selection parameter, σ^?, is verified to be independent of the alloy composition, but shows a strong dependence on the imposed undercooling. The universal amplitude coefficient, A₄, is measured to be equal to 0.004, independent of the undercooling, but the early onset of sidebranching prevents its accurate determination for more concentrated alloys. For the self-similar sidebranch structure far from the tip, scaling laws are obtained for the measured geometrical parameters. While melt convection causes some widening of the sidebranch envelope, and the early onset of sidebranching for alloy dendrites results in a 25% upward shift of the envelope width, the projection area and, hence, the mean width of a sidebranching dendrite, as well as its contour length in the sidebranch plane, obey universal power laws that are independent of the convection intensity and the alloy composition.     

Nucleation and growth of needle-like fluorapatite crystals in bioactive glass–ceramics

The nucleation behaviors of glass–ceramics with different Ca–mica (Ca_0.5Mg₃AlSi₃O₁₀F₂)/fluorapatite ratios were investigated. By using differential thermal analysis (DTA), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscope with an energy dispersive spectrometer (SEM/EDS), the effect of CaO and P₂O₅ addition on the nucleation behaviors was studied. Results showed that the addition of CaO and P₂O₅ promoted nucleation process and led to the formation of different nucleation phases. After further heat treatment, Ca₅(PO₄)₃F crystals were of needle-like morphology, instead of particle-like reported in previous studies. This can be attributed to the one-dimensional rapid growth of fluorapatite along the c-axis. The values of the Avrami parameter, n, and the dimensionality of crystal growth, m, are found to be 2 and 1, respectively, which indicated that the bulk nucleation is the dominant mechanism in crystallization, and one-dimensional growth of fluorapatite is preferred. Since needle-like fluorapatite crystals are of the same morphology to hydroxyapatites in human bones, the glass–ceramics thus prepared show excellent bioactivity in vivo.     

Synthesis,characterization, and mesomorphic investigation of vinyl ester-substituted chalcones and effect of lateral ‒NO2 and ‒OCH3 group

A novel homologous series of α-4-(4′-n-alkoxy cinnamoyloxy) phenyl β-2″-nitro, 3″–4″ di methoxy benzoyl ethylenes, H_2n+1CnO?C₆H₄?CH?CH?COO?C₆H₄?CO?CH?CH?C₆H₂(NO₂) (OCH₃)₂ (n = 1–8, 10, 12, 14, 16, 18) has been synthesized. All these compounds have been characterized by suitable spectroscopic techniques. C₁ homologue is nonmesogenic, while C₂ homologue shows enantiotropic nematogenic property and the rest of the homologous (C₃?C₁₈) displayed enantiotropically smectogenic plus nematogenic phase. Phase transition temperatures and textures of the LC phase were determined by an optical polarizing microscopy (POM) equipped with a heating stage. The mesomorphic properties of these compounds were confirmed by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) analysis.     

Bridgman and Czochralski growth of Ge?Si alloy crystals

Ge_1–xSi_x crystals were grown with the Bridgman and the Czochralski method over a wide concentration range. With the Bridgman process single crystals up to 40 at.% Si were possible. The reasons for polycrystalline growth were the permanent contact of the interface with the crucible wall in combination with curvature towards the crystal and inclusions of high Si concentration. Analysis of striations in Czochralski grown material showed that in this process the crystal does not continuously grow in one direction but consists of piece-wise grown crystals in which the composition permanently changes. According to that fact the main reason for polycrystalline growth in the Czochralski process is common due to lattice mismatch between the seed and equilibrium concentration transients in the crystal corresponding to the microscopic growth rates.     

Single crystal growth from the melt and magnetic properties of hexaferrites–aluminates

Single crystals of aluminum substituted barium hexaferrite were grown by the floating zone method with optical heating. Single crystals were produced from a melt of stoichiometric composition. The process was carried out under a pressure of 50 atm of oxygen. In the system BaO–(x)Al₂O₃–(6?x)Fe₂O₃ the region of single phase crystal growth from the melt is limited by the value x=3. For higher substitutions single-phase crystallization is not observed. The grown single crystals are cylindrical boules with a diameter of 4–5 mm and with lengths up to 50 mm. To avert cracking the crystals have been annealed during the process of growth at 1100 °C. The content of FeO in the composition of single crystals of barium hexaferrite, grown by zone melting under an oxygen pressure of 50 atm, is approximately 0.3 wt%. In the system of hexaferrite–aluminates the macroscopic magnetic moment of the material disappears at x=3.     

Crystallization of mutant forms of the γ subunit of archaeal translation initiation factor 2

Archaeal translation initiation factor 2 (aIF2) is homologous to its eukaryotic counterpart (eIF2). It is a heterotrimeric protein consisting of α, β, and γ subunits. The protein e/aIF2 forms a ternary complex with guanosine 5′-triphosphate and the initiator methionyl-tRNA (Met-tRNA_i) and delivers the latter to the ribosome. In archaea, translation initiation factor 2 has an additional function. The γ subunit of aIF2 binds mRNAs with a triphosphate at the 5′-end and prevents 5′-to-3′ directional mRNA decay. To determine the mRNA-binding site on the surface of aIF2γ, mutations were introduced into the protein sequence at sites of possible interactions with mRNA. The crystals of the mutant forms of aIF2γ were obtained, and X-ray diffraction data sets suitable for structure determination at atomic resolution were collected.     

Growth of CuSO4 · 5H2O single crystals and study of some of their properties

Large single crystals of copper sulfate pentahydrate CuSO₄ · 5H₂O of optical quality have been grown; they can be applied as broadband UV optical filters. Their transmission spectra are measured. The crystal thermal stability is investigated and the onset temperature of dehydration is determined to be 46°C.     

Synthesis and characterization of diselenide crosslinked polymeric micelles via Diels–Alder click reaction

ABSTRACT

A well-defined amphiphilic block copolymer, poly (ethylene oxide)-b-(poly (furfuryl methacrylate) (PEO-b-PFMA) was prepared by single electron transfer living radical polymerization using tris(dimethylamino)ethyl amine (Me6TREN) as a ligand. The block copolymer formed sub-100 nm micelles in water with PEO as a shell and PFMA as a core. Diels–Alder click type reaction was employed to form core-crosslinked micelles using a diselenide-containing crosslinker without any catalyst. The block copolymer and micelles were characterized by gel permeation chromatography, nuclear magnetic resonance, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, dynamic light scattering analysis and transmission electron microscopy. The stability of core-crosslinked micelles under reductive-oxidative condition was also investigated. The diselenide crosslinked micelles displayed good stability against extensive dilution but decomposed under the presence of hydrogen peroxide or glutathione. The redox responsive core-crosslinked micelles can be a promising carrier for drug delivery applications.