Accelerated alpha-decay of uranium isotopes induced by exposure of aqueous solution of uranium salt with gold nanoparticles to laser radiation

Laser-induced accelerated alpha-decay of ²³²U nuclei under laser exposure of Au nanoparticles in aqueous solutions of uranium salt has been experimentally studied. It is demonstrated that the decrease in the alpha-activity depends strongly on the peak intensity of laser radiation in the liquid and reaches a maximum at 10¹²–10¹³Wcm^?2. The decrease in the alpha-activity of the exposed solutions is accompanied by deviation of gamma-activities of daughter nuclides of ²³²U from their equilibrium values. Experimental data on the accelerated alpha-decay of ²³⁸U under similar experimental conditions are also presented. Possible mechanisms of laser effect on the alpha-activity are discussed in terms of the amplification of the electric field of laser wave on metallic nanoparticles.     

Long-term variation in nuclide activities under laser ablation of metallic targets in aqueous solutions of uranium salt

The long-term variation in the activities of nuclides belonging to the uranium series after laser irradiation of metallic targets (Au, Be, Al, Ti) in aqueous solutions of UO₂Cl₂ has been experimentally investigated. It is found that the activity of ²³⁴Th, in contrast to unirradiated solution, continues to increase for 50 to 60 days after laser irradiation and, having reached a stationary level, remains at it for a long time (about 1 yr). The activity dynamics is modeled theoretically on the assumption that a fraction of ²³⁸U in the irradiated solution is under peculiar conditions, so that its half-life ismuch shorter than that of spontaneous α decay of this nuclide under normal conditions. Possible mechanisms of variation in the shape of the potential barrier for α-particles in the presence of nanoparticles formed by laser ablation of targets are discussed.     

Initiation of nuclear reactions under laser irradiation of Au nanoparticles in the aqueous solution of Uranium salt

Laser exposure of a suspension of either gold or palladium nanoparticles in aqueous solutions of UO₂Cl₂ of natural isotope abundance was experimentally studied. Picosecond Nd:YAG lasers at peak power of 10¹¹–10¹³ W/cm² at the wavelength of 1.06–0.355 μm were used as well as a visible-range Cu vapor laser at a peak power of 10¹⁰ W/cm². The composition of colloidal solutions before and after laser exposure was analyzed using atomic absorption and gamma spectroscopy in the 0.06–1 MeV range of photon energy. Real-time gamma spectroscopy was used to characterize the kinetics of nuclear reactions during laser exposure. It was found that laser exposure initiated nuclear reactions involving both ²³⁸U and ²³⁵U nuclei via different channels in H₂O and D₂O. The influence of saturation of both the liquid and nanoparticles by gaseous H₂ and D₂ on the kinetics of nuclear transformations was found. Possible mechanisms of observed processes are discussed.     

Multibubble sonoluminescence in aqueous salt solutions

The sonoluminescence from aqueous solutions containing various salts in the concentration range of 0 to 7 M has been examined using 3.5 ms pulses of 515 kHz ultrasound. In almost all cases the sonoluminescence intensity recorded increased with increasing salt level until a critical concentration (in the range of 1-2 M) was reached. At salt levels above the critical concentration the signal intensity decreased sharply with increasing salt concentration. It is not possible to satisfactorily account for the trends in terms of changes in solution viscosity, rate of bubble coalescence, water vapour pressure, air/water interfacial tension or ionic strength. However, a good correlation of the increase in the signal with the extent of gas solubilisation in the solutions with changing salt concentration was observed. Possible reasons for the signal increase with the addition of salts and the marked decrease at high salt concentrations are discussed.     

Excimer laser photofragmentation of metallic nanoparticles

Copper nanoparticles (Cu NPs) were prepared by different chemical methods possessing different sizes. While, silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs) were prepared by borohydride reduction method. The influences the changes in sizes of Ag NPs and Cu NPs were demonstrated by the absorption spectra. When Ag NPs and Cu NPs irradiated with 193 and 308 nm excimer laser, respectively; the maximum absorption decreased as the number of pulses increased up to 10 thousands pulse; due to the size reduction. The TEM photography gives good criteria about the size reduction process. Moreover, the mechanism of photofragmentation was described.     

Zero resistance ammeter of metallic alloys in aqueous solutions

In the present work, the corrosion current density of a low carbon steel, a pure aluminum, a stainless steel, a copper–nickel alloy were obtained in 1 M NaOH, 1 M KCl, 1 M NaCl, 1 M H₂SO₄ solutions, respectively. The obtained corrosion data from the optical interferometry technique, as a zero resistance Ammeter were compared with corrosion data obtained on the same alloys, in the specified solutions, from an electronic zero resistance-Ammeter as well as from the linear polarization method. The comparison among the three techniques indicates that there is a contrast in the results among the investigated alloys. In general, the results of the optical interferometry were found to fall in between the corrosion values of the zero resistance ammeter and the linear polarization method, because the technique works based on the electromagnetic principle, in the absence of electronic noise. As a result, the optical interferometry can be considered as a useful zero resistance-Ammeter for measuring the corrosion current density of metallic electrodes in aqueous solutions, at the open circuit potential of the electrodes in the aqueous solutions.     

Corrosion behavior of bulk metallic glasses in different aqueous solutions

The corrosion behavior of as-cast fully amorphous, structural relaxed amorphous and crystallized Fe65.5Cr4Mo4Ga4P12C5B5.5 bulk metallic glasses (BMGs) in NaCl, HCl and NaOH solutions was investigated by electrochemical polarization and immersion methods. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy measurements was used to analyze the changes of the elements on the alloy surface before and after immersion in various solutions. The corrosion resistance of the Fe65.5Cr4Mo4Ga4P12C5B5.5 BMG was better than its structural r...     

Excitation of high energy levels under laser exposure of suspensions of nanoparticles in liquids

Laser exposure of suspensions of nanoparticles in liquids leads to excitation of high energy levels in both liquid and nanoparticle material. The emission spectrum of the colloidal solution under exposure of a suspension metallic nanoparticles in water to radiation of a Nd:YAG laser of a picosecond range of pulse duration is discussed. Excitation of nuclear energy levels and neutron release is experimentally studied on the model system of transmutation of Hg into Au that occurs under exposure of Hg nanodrops suspended in D₂O. The proposed mechanism involves: (i) emission of X-ray photons by Hg nanoparticles upon laser exposure, leading to neutron release from D₂O, (ii) initiation of Hg → Au transmutation by the capture of neutrons. The effect of transmutation is more pronounced using ¹⁹⁶Hg isotope instead of Hg of natural isotope composition. The influence of laser pulse duration on the degree of transmutation (from fs through ns range) is discussed.     

Crystallization of metallic nanoparticles on short DNA oligonucleotides in alkaline aqueous solution

Journal of Nanoparticle Research - A series of nickel phosphide catalysts with adjustable Brønsted acid sites and Lewis acid sites has been prepared by liquid-phase method using...     

稀土盐水溶液单泡声致发光中的特征光谱

在溶有稀有气体的稀土盐氯化铽水溶液中进行了单泡声致发光光谱的研究. 在固定驱动超声频率、不同驱动声压下, 观察到了一系列OH自由基从第一激发态A²∑⁺到基态X²Π 各振动能级跃迁所产生的谱线, 包括波长307 nm处的(0, 0)跃迁谱线, 335 nm处的(0, 1)跃迁谱线以及276 nm处的(1, 0) 跃迁谱线等. 实验结果表明较高的驱动声压有利于 276 nm处谱线的产生, 而较低的驱动声压则有利于 307 与 335 nm 处谱线的产生. 通过定义线状光谱与连续谱的光强比, 定量地表征了线状光谱在总光谱中的相对强度, 并给出了驱动声压对各跃迁谱线光强比的影响. 关键词： 单泡声致发光 驱动声压 线状光谱 光强比     

Effects of salt on solute association behavior in nanoconfined aqueous solutions

Using molecular dynamics simulations, we have studied the effects of salt on the association behavior of solute molecules in nanoconfined aqueous solutions. Three types of solute association states – dispersion, reversible and aggregation states – are still observed in nanoconfined aqueous solutions in the presence of salt. With the increase of ion concentration, the tendency toward the formation of larger clusters is enhanced and the solute critical aggregation number decreases. We even found the transformation of solute association state from the dispersion to the reversible state or from the reversible to the aggregation state within an intermediate range of solute number. This phenomenon is similar to the salting out process and is attributed to the decrease of free water molecules induced by the ion polarization.     

Combination method for monitoring the characteristics of aqueous suspensions of metallic nanoparticles

We have used a combination of physical diagnostics methods (laser probe, absorption spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy) to study an aqueous suspension of silver nanoparticles, formed by laser ablation of a metal target in the atmosphere. We have established that application of the methods described allows us to obtain the most complete information about the state of nanosized metal particles in optically transparent media. Translated from Zhurnal Prikladnoi Spektroskopii, Vol. 75, No. 6, pp. 896–901, November–December, 2008.     

Production of metal nanoparticles from aqueous solutions in the arc plasma

Three ways of nanoparticle production in the plasma of an arc initiated over aqueous salt solutions of metals (Ni, Cu) are discussed. It is found that the magnetic agglomeration of nanoparticles plays a key role in the ferromagnet. Jointed nanostructures measuring 50 × 50 × 200 nm, which are cemented by nickel being deposited during the nanoparticle growth, turn out to be single-domain. In contrast to nickel nanoparticles, copper ones (25–586 nm across) are sensitive to the electrolyte composition and parameters of the discharging capacitor.     

Interaction of high-power laser pulses with glasses containing implanted metallic nanoparticles

Sodium calcium silicate glasses with Ag⁺ implanted ions are studied. The ion implantation conditions are as follows: the energy is 60 keV, the dose is 7×10¹⁶ cm⁻², and the ion current density is 10 μA/cm². Ion implantation provides the formation of a composite layer that incorporates silver nanoparticles in the surface region of glass. The size distribution of nanoparticles over the depth in the composite layer is strongly nonuniform. The effect of a high-power pulsed excimer laser on the composite layer is investigated. It is found that, under laser irradiation, the size of silver nanoparticles in the implanted layer decreases but the size distribution of nanoparticles over the depth remains nonuniform, even though it becomes slightly narrower compared to that observed prior to irradiation. The experimental results are interpreted in terms of the effects of the melting of glass and metallic particles on a nanosecond scale. __________ Translated from Fizika Tverdogo Tela, Vol. 43, No. 11, 2001, pp. 2100–2106. Original Russian Text Copyright ? 2001 by Stepanov, Popok, Hole, Bukharaev.     

Preparation of silver nanoparticles by laser ablation in polyvinylpyrrolidone solutions

We performed laser ablation of a silver plate in polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) aqueous solutions to prepare silver nanoparticles. Secondary laser irradiation onto the prepared colloidal solutions was also carried out. It was revealed that the formation efficiency was increased by addition of PVP as well as the stability of nanoparticles. The result of shadowgraph measurements suggested that the increased ablation efficiency by PVP is attributable to increased secondary etching efficiency by the solvent-confined plasma toward the silver plate. On the other hand, the size decrease of the nanoparticles by addition of PVP was more remarkable during the secondary irradiation process than in the laser ablation (nanoparticle preparation) process. This result indicates that emitted materials interact less sufficiently with PVP molecules in the laser ablation process than in the secondary laser irradiation process.     

Formation of InP nanoparticles by laser ablation in an aqueous environment

Indium phosphide (InP) semiconductor nanoparticles were obtained by laser ablation of a crystalline wafer in water. The transmission electron microscopy micrographs of the nanoparticles show that their size is in the range of 100 nm. In the Raman spectrum of the nanoparticles, the characteristic peaks of InP have been observed in the vicinity of 300 and 340 cm⁻¹. The binding energies as measured from the X-ray photoemission spectra are consistent with values for InP crystal as well as indium oxides.     

Synthesis of nanoporous structures in metallic materials under laser action

We defined conditions of the laser-aided formation of nanoporous structures with nanopores ranging in size from 40 to 50 nm using laser pulses of 10.6 μm wavelength at a pulse-repetition rate of up to (4-5)×10³ Hz for a model metallic material (a two-component alloy “brass of 62%”). It has been established that the exposure to a uniform laser light at depths of up to 25-30 μm results in the formation of nanopores with a relatively uniform distribution across the surface. The resulting pattern contains both solitary pores and ramified porous channels. The nanopores are uniformly distributed within a subgrain, being fairly stable in size and shape. The nanopore size and shape feature larger non-uniformity on the subgrain boundary. The resulting metallic structures show promise for use as catalysts and ultrafiltration membranes.     

Laser diagnostics of the Bubston phase in the bulk of aqueous salt solutions

Stable gas nanobubbles in the bulk of NaCl aqueous solutions and clusters of these nanobubbles have been investigated at different ion concentrations by four independent laser techniques (phase microscopy, dynamic light scattering, optical breakdown, and measurement of angular dependences of the light scattering matrix). The results obtained by these radically different techniques are in good agreement. It is found that the nanobubble size is practically constant and amounts to approximately 100nm in the range of ion concentrations 10^?6<C <1M. It is shown that a necessary condition for nanobubble nucleation is the saturation of solution with dissolved air. It is revealed that nanobubble clusters form a thermodynamically nonequilibrium phase with a lifetime of several months.     

The production and oxidation of uranium nanoparticles produced via pulsed laser ablation

Depleted uranium samples were ablated using five nanosecond pulses from a Nd:YAG laser and produced films of ∼1600 Å thickness that were deposited with an angular distribution typical of a completely thermal ablation (cos¹ θ). The films remained contiguous for many months in vacuum but blistered due to tensile stress induced in the films several days after being brought into air. While under vacuum (2 × 10⁻¹⁰ Torr base pressure) the films were allowed to oxidize from the residual gases, of which water vapor was found to be the primary oxidizer. During the oxidation, the samples were monitored with both X-ray and ultraviolet photoemission spectroscopy (XPS and UPS) and were found to oxidize following Langmuir kinetics. That a 2D-surface growth model described the oxidation indicates that, even at these low pressures, oxygen accumulation on the surface is a much faster process than diffusion into the bulk. While bulk diffusion did occur, the oxygen present at the surface saturated the measurements taken using photoemission and diffusion was difficult to observe. A method for determining oxide concentration via photoemission from the valence level, as opposed to the more conventional core levels, is also presented.     

Continuous synthesis of colloidal silver nanoparticles by electrochemical discharge in aqueous solutions

This article presents an electrochemical discharge (ECD) method that consists of a combination of chemical methods and electric arc discharges. In the method, 140 V is applied to an Ag electrode from a DC power supply. The arc-discharge between the electrodes produces metallic silver nanoparticles and silver ions in the aqueous solution. Compared with the original arc discharge, this ECD method creates smaller nanoparticles, prevents clumping of the nanoparticles, and shortens the production time. The citrate ions also reduce the silver ions to silver nanoparticles. In addition, the citrate ions cap the surface of the produced silver nanoparticles and the zeta potential increases. In this article, the weight loss of the electrodes and the reduction of silver ions to silver nanoparticles as a function of citrate concentration and electric conductivity of the medium are discussed. Furthermore, the properties of the colloidal silver prepared with ECD are analyzed by UV–Vis spectroscopy, dynamic light scattering, electrophoresis light scattering, and scanning electron microscopy. Finally, a continuous production apparatus is presented for the continuous production of colloidal silver.