Effect of different pH values on growth solutions for the ZnO nanostructures

In this study, high quality zinc oxide (ZnO) nanostructures were synthesized on glass slide substrates using modified chemical bath deposition (M-CBD) method at low temperature. Through the M-CBD technique the air bubbles will be injected into aqueous growth solution. The RF magnetron sputtering method was utlized to grow ZnO seed layer on the glass substrates. The effect of different pH values of aqueous growth solution on the morphology, elemental chemical composition, crystal structural and the optical properties of ZnO nanostructures have been investigated using field emission-scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), Energy dispersive analysis (EDX), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and UV-Visible Spectrometer, respectively. It was observed that altering pH values from acidic to alkaline (basic) by using ammonia solution (NH₃) induced the significant change in morphology from nanorods like ZnO to nano-amber flush rose like ZnO structures. Furthermore, increased pH values had an effect on the influence intensity of the preferred orientation plane (002) and average transmittance spectrum. Whilst the absorption band edge has been shifted to a lower energy region due to the quantum size effect. It was also found that the crystal size fluctuated between 36.30 nm and 84.33 nm with a different values of pH from 6.7 to 12. The ZnO synthesized at 6.7 of pH provided the best results regarding the high aspect ratio,structural and optical properties. At this pH value, ZnO growth revealed the nanorod structure with small diameters, size and a higher energy band gap value.     

1 and 2-Photon Fluorescence Anisotropy Decay to Probe the Kinetic and Structural Evolution of Sol-Gel Glasses: A Summary

We review recent 1- and 2-photon fluorescence studies of the formation dynamics and structure of sol-gel glasses, from nanometre-sized particles to clusters, prepared from both aqueous silicates and tetramethylorthosilicate (TMOS), over a broad pH range. Through the careful choice of a fluorescent probe, anisotropy decay has been shown to provide both silica particle size and viscosity information and offers advantages over traditional techniques for silica particle sizing based on small-angle neutron, Xray, or light scattering. Subsequently, we are now able to observe the self-assembly mechanisms (or recently termed kinetic life history) of silica, produced under both acidic and alkaline conditions from sodium silicate solution (water glass) in the case of hydrogels and from alkoxides in the case of alcogels. The controlled preparation of hydrogels, often deemed a blackart, is also discussed in some detail, as are the potential applications and benefits of fluorescence anisotropy decay to industrial sol-gel systems. The insight into the sol-gel process provided by these new interpretations of fluorescence decay data, promises to have implications for both our fundamental understanding and the production of sol-gel systems in general.     

Microbial reduction of <Superscript>99</Superscript>Tc (as TcO<Subscript>4</Subscript><Superscript>−</Superscript>) in anaerobic alkaline conditions

The ability of bacteria to reduce pertechnetate in alkaline conditions was investigated using halophilic bacteria isolated from soda-lakes environments. Anaerobic halophilic bacteria were able to reduce as much as 0.25 mM pertechnetate, whereas no reduction took place without bacteria or in the presence of heat-killed bacteria. The results obtained showed reduction of Tc(VII)O₄ ^? to the Tc(V) and Tc(IV) at pH 10 in the carbonate-bicarbonate medium. About 57% of the total technetium was determined to be Tc(IV), 1–3% as a Tc(V) and 17–20% as a Tc(VII) after 1–3 days of incubation with bacteria. The microbial reduction of Tc(VII) in alkaline conditions has been suggested as a potential mechanism for the removal of Tc from contaminated environments or waste streams.     

Drivers of structural features in gene regulatory networks: From biophysical constraints to biological function

Living cells can maintain their internal states, react to changing environments, grow, differentiate, divide, etc. All these processes are tightly controlled by what can be called a regulatory program. The logic of the underlying control can sometimes be guessed at by examining the network of influences amongst genetic components. Some associated gene regulatory networks have been studied in prokaryotes and eukaryotes, unveiling various structural features ranging from broad distributions of out-degrees to recurrent “motifs”, that is small subgraphs having a specific pattern of interactions. To understand what factors may be driving such structuring, a number of groups have introduced frameworks to model the dynamics of gene regulatory networks. In that context, we review here such in silico approaches and show how selection for phenotypes, i.e., network function, can shape network structure.     

Influence of pH on the transport of nanoscale zinc oxide in saturated porous media

Widespread use of nanoscale zinc oxide (nZnO) in various fields causes subsurface environment contamination. Even though the transport of dissolved zinc ions in subsurface environments such as soils and sediments has been widely studied, the transport mechanism of nZnO in such environments is poorly understood. In addition, nZnO is often combined with stabilizers or dispersing agents to prevent its aggregation in products. The purpose of this study is to determine the influence of pH on the transport properties of pristine nZnO and carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) stabilized nZnO (CMC–nZnO) suspensions in silica sand packed column under saturated flow conditions. Transport data were collected at different pHs (pHs: 3, 7, 9, and 11) under 1 mL/min flow rate conditions in a 1.1 cm diameter column. It is found that the transport trends of pristine nZnO and CMC–nZnO were different. For pristine nZnO, mobility of total Zn reached a minimum around its point of zero charge (pH 8.9). Whereas in the case of CMC–nZnO, the mobility of total Zn decreased as the pH of the solution pH increased from 3 to 11. ZnO and Zn ion mixture were separated using diafiltration membrane. It showed that most of the nZnO and CMC–nZnO exists as Zn ion at pH 3 before and after eluting from the sand packed column whereas at pH 11, they exist as particles. This study shows the strong influence of pH and stabilizing agents on nZnO transport. These factors should be considered during subsurface transport of nZnO.     

In‐plane deformations of the heme group in native and nonnative oxidized cytochrome c probed by resonance Raman dispersion spectroscopy

We determined the dispersion of the depolarization ratio (DPR) of several Raman bands of ferricytochrome c at different pH values using low‐ionic‐strength conditions. The experimental data predominantly cover the pre‐resonance and resonance region of Q‐band excitation. The selected pH values 7.5, 9.0, 10.0 and 11.0 correspond to the conformational states III, III*, IV, and V of the protein. While the existence of the states III, IV, and V is known for nearly 70 years, the nativelike state III* has only recently been obtained from optical measurements at low ionic strength [D. Verbaro, A. Hagarman, J. B. Soffer and R. Schweitzer‐Stenner, Biochemistry, 48, 2990, 2009]. We used group‐theoretical arguments to obtain in‐plane symmetry‐lowering deformations from the obtained DPRs of various Raman bands in the high‐wavenumber region of the obtained spectra. Thus, we found that a comparatively strong rhombic deformation along the B_1g mode, ν₁₈, is maintained at all pH values investigated. It most likely arises from static Jahn‐Teller distortion of the E‐symmetry ground state. While this distortion depends on the existence of a strong sixth ligand, its occurrence is rather independent of the nature of this ligand as long as a low‐spin configuration is maintained. The III → III* transition was found to modify A_1g‐type perturbations of the heme macrocycle. This is likely to reflect a decrease in nonplanar distortions such as ruffling and saddling. This drop in nonplanarity is slightly reversed by the subsequent transitions into states IV and V. Circular dichroism (CD) spectra of the Q‐band region suggest that the III → III* transition reduces the electronic contribution to the Q‐band splitting, which could reflect either a weakening or a reorientation of the internal electric field in the heme pocket. Our results underscore the relevance of state III* as a thermodynamic intermediate of the alkaline transition between states III and IV. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Temperature can enhance coherent oscillations at a Landau-Zener transition

We consider sweeping a system through a Landau-Zener avoided crossing, when that system is also coupled to an environment or noise. Unsurprisingly, we find that decoherence suppresses the coherent oscillations of quantum superpositions of system states, as superpositions decohere into mixed states. However, we also find an effect we call "Lamb-assisted coherent oscillations," in which a Lamb shift exponentially enhances the coherent-oscillation amplitude. This dominates for high-frequency environments such as super-Ohmic environments, where the coherent oscillations can grow exponentially as either the environment coupling or temperature are increased. The effect could be used as an experimental probe for high-frequency environments in such systems as molecular magnets, solid-state qubits, spin-polarized gases (neutrons or He3), or Bose condensates.     

氧氟沙星甲基化物的核磁共振波谱研究

结合1H NMR,13C NMR,DEPT,HSQC,HMBC谱和碳氟偶合裂分行为, 对氧氟沙星(ofloxacin, OFL)哌嗪部分的甲基化产物-甲基氧氟沙星(methyl-ofloxacin,Me-OFL)的结构进行归属,并探讨了Me-OFL在酸性及碱性溶液中的1H和13C谱的变化。碱性溶液中, 5H的化学位移较酸性向高场移动1.02, 推测此变化与形成C—H…O弱氢键有关。6C、13C、羰基碳7C和羧基碳15C分别向低场位移12.04,7.46,4.33,2.88 ppm, 推测此变化与羧基和羧酸根的转变有关。另外, 还比较了OFL哌嗪环4’N上质子化产物与烷基化产物的正电荷分布。当哌嗪环质子化形成季铵盐时,正电荷分布在氢原子上;当其烷基化形成季铵盐时, 正电荷分布在氮原子上。     

Influence of pH value on the quality of sol-gel derived ZnO films

In sol-gel derived ZnO films the pH value of the sol plays an important role in controlling their properties. In this study, the influence of adding monoethanolamine to zinc acetate solution in methanol on structural, surface morphology and optical properties has been investigated. Addition of monoethanolamine to zinc acetate solution transforms the nature of the sol from acidic to alkaline by changing the pH value from 6.4 to 10.6. The investigations indicate that high quality ZnO films are obtained by using sol having monoethanolamine to zinc acetate ratio of 1:1 and pH value of 10.6.     

Ca5N4高压新相的第一性原理研究

通过在氮中引入杂质离子,利用高压手段获得具有新奇结构的多氮化合物是目前被广泛应用的研究方法.钙氮材料在催化、光电方面有着广泛的应用.具有较低电离能的钙(Ca)元素很容易和氮原子形成离子键钙氮化物.高压为寻找新型钙氮化合物提供了全新的技术途径.因此,利用高压方法,通过改变配比的方式,寻找具有新奇特性的钙氮高压结构,是一项非常有意义的工作.本文利用基于密度泛函理论的结构搜索方法,在100 GPa条件下,通过预测得到了一个稳定的Ca5N4相.该结构内部氮原子之间以N-N共价单键键合,氮原子和钙原子之间是离子键相互作用,且钙氮之间的电荷转移量为1.26 e/N atom.能带结构计算表明P 21/c-Ca5N4是一个直接带隙为1.447 eV的半导体结构.最后,系统地给出了该结构的拉曼振动光谱,并指认了拉曼振动模式,为实验合成该结构提供了理论指导.     

Synthesis of bi-metallic Au–Ag nanoparticles loaded on functionalized MCM-41 for immobilization of alkaline protease and study of its biocatalytic activity

In this work, Au–Ag nanoparticles (Au–Ag-bi-MNPs) have been prepared on amine functionalized Si-MCM-41 (NH₂–Si-MCM-41) particles through a reduction of AgNO₃ and HAuCl₄ by NaBH₄ at ambient conditions. Au–Ag-bi-MNPs loaded on the NH2–Si-MCM-41, provide a good biocompatible surface for immobilization of the enzyme alkaline protease. This immobilization, presumably due to bonding between core shell nanoparticles and OH in serine 183 in alkaline protease seems to be of an ionic exchange nature. We found that the alkaline protease immobilized on the Au–Ag-bi-MNPs/Si-MCM-41 is an active biocatalyst, stable at different pH and temperature. The bio catalytic activity of free alkaline protease in solution was 64 U/mg (Units per milligram), whereas that of the alkaline protease immobilized on Au–Ag-bi-MNPs/Si-MCM-41 was 75 U/mg. This improvement of the biocatalytic activity may be due to a really increased activity per molecule of immobilized enzyme or to a purification of the enzyme. The alkaline protease molecules immobilized on the (Au–Ag)/ NH₂-MCM-41 surface retained as much as 80% of the catalytic activity recorded at pH=8, and showed significant catalytic activity of alkaline protease in the bioconjugate material. The biocatalytic materials were easily separated from the reaction medium by mild centrifugation and exhibits excellent reuse and stability characteristics over four successive cycles. The optimum temperature ranged from 35 ^°C–55 ^°C and pH=8 for bioactivity of the alkaline protease in the assembly system was observed to be higher than that of the free enzyme in solution. The enzyme biocatalytic activity was monitored by UV-visible spectroscopy. Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) and dispersive analysis of X-RAY (EDAX) were used to characterize the size and morphology of the prepared materials.     

Influence of saline and pH on collagen type I fibrillogenesis in vitro: fibril polymorphism and colloidal gold labelling

We have produced different collagen type I fibrils by in vitro fibrillogenesis of acetic acid-soluble collagen within the pH range 2.5-9.0, in the presence and absence of 150 mM NaCl. The varying relatively stable molecular assemblies and polymorphic fibrillar end-products produced after 24 h incubation have been assessed and compared by the TEM study of specimens negatively stained with uranyl acetate. In the presence of 150 mM NaCl, the assembly of collagen at low pH (2.5) leads to the formation of initial molecular aggregates that progressively link together at slightly higher pH (5.0) to form sub-fibrils and spindle-shaped D-banded bundles of sub-fibrils. At pH 6.0 these D-banded bundles aggregate into larger spindle-shaped fibrils with lateral misalignment of the D-banding across the bundle. However, at pH 7.0 and 8.0, in the presence of 150 mM NaCl, the characteristic parallel-sided mature D-banded collagen type I fibres are formed. At pH 9.0 more loosely formed parallel-sided D-banded collagen fibrils are present, within which the spindle-shaped sub-fibrils can be defined by negative staining more convincingly than at pH 7-8. In the presence of 50 mM buffer at pH 2.5, but absence of 150 mM NaCl, collagen type I forms disorganized periodic initial molecular aggregates, which have a tendency to link together to form sub-fibrils. Flexuous collagen type I sub-fibrils predominate at pH 5.0, alongside large spindle-shaped fibrils that possess a regular transverse approximately 10 nm periodicity, with an oblique approximately 67 nm periodicity, significantly different to the D-banding periodicity. At pH 7.0 and pH 8 in the absence of saline loosely-formed flexuous and spindle-shaped fibres co-exist, with underlying sub-fibrils visible, but at pH 9.0 only disorganized flexuous fibrillar aggregates are present. Colloidal gold labelling of the characteristic D-banded collagen type I fibrils with 5 nm and 2 nm chemically reactive gold particles reveals a periodic labelling pattern, which is not apparent with 10 nm and 15 nm gold particles, due to steric hindrance. The flexuous and spindle-shaped collagen fibrils also bind 2 nm gold particles in a specific manner. In all cases, the specific chemisorption of gold onto the collagen fibrils is probably determined by the availability of repeating amino acid side chains of the collagen molecules along the fibril surface. The controlled production of varying stable collagen type I fibrillogenesis products is likely to be of value within numerous areas of biotechnology, biology and medicine, including experimental biomineralization.     

Reactivity of the insecticide chlorpyrifos‐methyl toward hydroxyl and perhydroxyl ion. Effect of cyclodextrins

The reactivity of Chlorpyrifos‐Methyl ( 1 ) toward hydroxyl ion and the α‐nucleophile, perhydroxyl ion was investigated in aqueous basic media. The hydrolysis of 1 was studied at 25 °C in water containing 10% ACN or 7% 1,4‐dioxane at NaOH concentrations between 0.01 and 0.6 M ; the second‐order rate constant is 1.88 × 10^?2 M ^?1 s^?1 in 10% ACN and 1.70 × 10^?2 M ^?1 s^?1 in 7% 1,4‐dioxane. The reaction with H₂O₂ was studied in a pH range from 9.14 to 12.40 in 7% 1,4‐dioxane/H₂O; the second‐order rate constant for the reaction of HOO^? ion is 7.9 M ^?1 s^?1 whereas neutral H₂O₂ does not compete as nucleophile. In all cases quantitative formation of 3,5,6‐trichloro‐2‐pyridinol ( 3 ) was observed indicating an S_N2(P) pathway. The hydrolysis reaction is inhibited by α‐, β‐, and γ‐cyclodextrin showing saturation kinetics; the greater inhibition is produced by γ‐cyclodextrin. The reaction with hydrogen peroxide is weakly inhibited by α‐ and β‐cyclodextrin (β‐CD), whereas γ‐cyclodextrin produces a greater inhibition and saturation kinetics. The kinetic data obtained in the presence of β‐ or γ‐cyclodextrin for the reaction with hydroxyl or perhydroxyl ion indicate that the main reaction pathway for the cyclodextrin‐mediated reaction is the reaction of HO^? or HOO^? ion with the substrate complexed with the anion of the cyclodextrin. The inhibition is attributed to the inclusion of the substrate with the reaction center far from the ionized secondary OH groups of the cyclodextrin and protected from external attack of the nucleophile. Sucrose also inhibits the hydrolysis reaction but the effect is independent of its concentration. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Investigation on the conformational changes of bovine serum albumin in a wide pH range from 2 to 12

The conformation of bovine serum albumin largely depends on its microenvironment pH and affects its physical functions and applications. In this study, we investigated the effects of pH (wide range 2–12) on the conformation of bovine serum albumin based on spectroscopic signals by various spectroscopic means including fluorescence, synchronous fluorescence, resonance light scattering, UV-visible absorption, and circular dichroism. The changes in spectroscopic signals, such as peak position and intensity, showed that the structure of bovine serum albumin varied significantly with pH. The conformation of bovine serum albumin was compact at pH 6–7, as indicated by the largest peak position values and peak intensities in the fluorescence, synchronous fluorescence, and RLS spectra. The structure of bovine serum albumin became loose in the acidic or alkaline environment, as indicated by the decreased peak position values and peak intensities. The microenvironment of the amino acid residues of bovine serum albumin also varied with pH, as indicated by the changing peak position values. At pH 7, the hydrophobicity of the tyrosine and tryptophan residues was the weakest, as indicated by the minimum synchronous fluorescence signals. In addition, the secondary structure of bovine serum albumin, especially α-helix, varied with pH. The content of α-helix reached the maximum value of 68% at pH 6–8, whereas it decreased in the acidic or alkaline environment. The study provides valuable details for studying the physiological function and applications of serum albumins.     

丹酰-L-苯丙氨酸和L-苯丙氨酸对小牛肠碱性磷酸酶抑制作用动力学的比较性研究

利用紫外分光光度法揭示了丹酰-L-苯丙氨酸对小牛肠碱性磷酸酶的选择性抑制作用,并比较性地研究了丹酰-L-苯丙氨酸和L-苯丙氨酸对小牛肠碱性磷酸酶的动力学抑制过程.结果表明在37℃和碱性磷酸酶工作的最佳pH值(pH 10.4)的条件下,丹酰-L-苯丙氨酸与L-苯丙氨酸类似,能够有效抑制小牛肠碱性磷酸酶的活性;利用双倒数曲线拟合,判定丹酰-L-苯丙氨酸与L-苯丙氨酸的抑制类型均为反竞争性抑制,两者的抑制常数Ki均为mmol级.对丹酰-L-苯丙氨酸抑制小牛肠碱性磷酸酶的作用研究,不仪有助于进一步阐明L-苯丙氨酸埘组织特异性碱性磷酸酶的选择性抑制机理,而且丹酰基团的存在也为荧光标定碱性磷酸酶的特效抑制剂提供了可能.     

应用激光诱导击穿光谱检测污水溶液中的砷

工业冶炼过程中产生的废水中含有As等重金属元素,对环境造成污染并对人类身体健康形成危害,有必要对其进行实时、在线的监测。激光诱导击穿光谱(LIBS)是一种新型的元素测量技术,具有快速检测等优点。文章作者搭建了一套激光诱导击穿光谱实验装置,采用Nd∶YAG激光器产生的脉冲激光击穿样品产生等离子体,其发射的光谱被中阶梯光栅光谱仪分光,并用ICCD进行光电探测。对从现场采集的含砷工业废水开展了LIBS探测实验,并定性分析出了As元素的特征谱线。根据一系列含As浓度不同的污水样品的LIBS实验结果,获得元素浓度与谱线强度的关系曲线(定标曲线)。采用定标曲线可以对未知含As浓度的工业废水进行定量分析。结果表明,采用LIBS方法能够实现对污水溶液中的As元素的快速检测,具有广泛的应用前景。     

A method for in vivo assessment of reversible rat pancreatic ischemia using 31P NMR spectroscopy at 2.0 tesla

A surgical method is described which allows in vivo assessment of reversible rat pancreatic ischemia using ³¹P NMR spectroscopy at 2.0 T. Phosphorous-31 NMR spectra acquired during the ischemic period show the expected increase in inorganic phosphate with a concomitant decrease in ATP levels and pH as compared to controls. Upon reperfusion, inorganic phosphate and ATP returned to control levels while pH recovered to a more alkaline value. This method provides a means of studying in vivo changes in high energy metabolite associated with acute pancreatitis (AP) and maintains the secretory ability of the gland so that different forms of AP, such as those arising from pancreatic juice edema, can be studied.     

溶液pH对羟基苯硫酚同分异构体脱羟基反应影响的SERS研究

金属纳米结构因表面等离激元(SPR)而产生光学增强和催化效应已成为表面科学研究热点之一。SPR和电化学联用可以诱导催化一些非常规反应,并且不同pH值电解质溶液可改变表面吸附分子的存在形式,影响SPR光催化反应。以羟基苯硫酚的同分异构体为探针,采用电化学表面增强拉曼光谱(SERS)研究了取代基羟基位置、溶液pH值等对其在银电极表面吸附和SPR催化反应行为。结果表明,不同羟基取代基位置的羟基苯硫酚SPR催化脱羟基反应对溶液pH值的敏感程度不同,邻羟基苯硫酚(OHTP)的C—O键谱峰强度的变化与溶液pH值相关,其O端更易与金属作用而吸附在表面,且随pH增大而增强。对羟基苯硫酚(PHTP)在碱性条件下被完全抑制的脱羟基反应在间羟基苯硫酚(MHTP)和OHTP中均可发生。MHTP在中性(pH 7)溶液中SPR催化脱羟基反应效率最高,约为酸性(pH 2)的1.36倍,碱性(pH 12)的2.70倍。OHTP在碱性(pH 12)溶液中SPR催化脱羟基反应效率最高,约为酸性(pH 2)的13.71倍,中性(pH 7)的4.95倍。SPR催化脱羟基主要源于非去质子化条件以及形成Ag—O键这两种途径。酸性条件下MHTP及OHTP的脱羟基反应主要是未去质子化的羟基反应,碱性条件主要因去质子化后形成Ag—O键所致。中性条件下,两种贡献同时发生。对MHTP而言,由于位阻效应仅部分分子去质子化后形成Ag—O键而促进SPR催化脱羟基,因此pH 7溶液中两种效应的同时作用导致催化效率最高。对于OHTP分子,去质子化状态的O端更易与电极表面发生作用,且pH升高羟基呈现的去质子化程度更加彻底,更有利于发生脱羟基反应,在pH 12溶液中脱羟基反应主要由于形成Ag—O键,其效率亦最高。同分异构体结构以及介质酸碱度对SPR催化脱羟基反应的研究对于拓宽SPR催化反应类型及从分子水平解析其机理具有重要意义。     

Cyclodextrin-based aggregates and characterization by microscopy

Cyclodextrin-based aggregates have been widely investigated with microscopies such as STM, AFM, SEM, TEM, and fluorescent microscopy to obtain the direct morphology and structure of samples. In the present review, we discuss various types of cyclodextrin aggregates, that is, native and modified cyclodextrins, inclusion complexes and their aggregates of cyclodextrins, cyclodextrin rotaxanes and polyrotaxanes, cyclodextrin nanotubes and their secondary assembly, and other high-order aggregates of cyclodextrins. Especially, we focus on the use of microscopy to characterize above aggregates. The application of modern microscopy tools promotes the investigation on cyclodextrins.     

Power ultrasonic transducers with extensive radiators for industrial processing

High-power ultrasonics (HPU) is a green emerging technology that offers a great potential for a wide range of industrial processes. Nevertheless such potential have remained restricted during many years to a limited number of applications which reached commercial development. The possible major problem for extending the range of HPU industrial applications has been the lack of power ultrasonic transducers for large-scale application, adapted to the requirements of each specific problem with high efficiency and power capacity.A new family of HPU transducers with extensive radiators have been recently introduced. It comprises a variety of transducer types designed with the radiators adapted to different specific uses in fluids and multi-phase media. Such transducers implement high power capacity, high efficiency and radiation pattern control. In addition, their design incorporate strategies to eliminate or reduce modal interactions produced at high power as a consequence of their nonlinear behaviour. The introduction of such new transducers has significantly contributed to the development at semi-industrial and industrial level of a number of processes in the food and beverage industry, in environment and in manufacturing. This paper deals with the basic structure and main characteristics of such transducers as well as their performance in the developed application processes.