Magnetic response of microbially synthesized transition metal- and lanthanide-substituted nano-sized magnetites

The magnetic susceptibility (κ_RT) and saturation magnetization (M_S) of microbially synthesized magnetites were systematically examined. Transition metal (Cr, Mn, Co, Ni and Zn)- and lanthanide (Nd, Gd, Tb, Ho and Er)-substituted magnetites were microbially synthesized by the incubation of transition metal (TM)- and lanthanide (L)-mixed magnetite precursors with either thermophilic (TOR-39) or psychrotolerant (PV-4) metal-reducing bacteria (MRB). Zinc incorporated congruently into both the precursor and substituted magnetite, while Ni and Er predominantly did not. Microbially synthesized Mn- and Zn-substituted magnetites had higher κ_RT than pure biomagnetite depending on bacterial species and they exhibited a maximum κ_RT at 0.2 cationic mole fraction (CMF). Other TMs’ substitution linearly decreased the κ_RT with increasing substitution amount. Based on the M_S values of TM- and L-substituted magnetite at 0.1 and 0.02 CMF, respectively, Zn (90.7 emu/g for TOR-39 and 93.2 emu/g for PV-4)- and Mn (88.3 emu/g by PV-4)-substituted magnetite exhibited higher M_S than standard chemical magnetite (84.7 emu/g) or pure biomagnetite without metal substitution (76.6 emu/g for TOR-39 and 80.3 emu/g for PV-4). Lanthanides tended to decrease M_S, with Gd- and Ho-substituted magnetites having the highest magnetization. The higher magnetization of microbially synthesized TM-substituted magnetites by the psychrotroph, PV-4 may be explained by the magnetite formation taking place at low temperatures slowing mechanics, which may alter the magnetic properties compared to the thermophile, through suppression of the random distribution of substituted cations.     

Epitaxial LSMO films grown on MgO single crystalline substrates

The manganite La_0.67Sr_0.33MnO₃ (LSMO) layers are deposited on single crystal MgO(0 0 1) substrates using a magnetron dc sputtering. The crystalline perfection of the layers, both the as-prepared and the annealed, are characterized by X-ray diffraction technique, rocking curve measurements, Rutherford backscattering spectroscopy (RBS) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). TEM analyses give evidence of the epitaxial growth of the annealed LSMO with a nanocrystalline surface layer. The temperature dependence of resistance in the 77-340 K range is measured by a standard four-probe technique. While the as-prepared film does not show any transition from paramagnetic to ferromagnetic state, the film annealed in oxygen shows steep R(T) dependence with a peak at 330 K and maximal slope (dR/dT) at 290 K where the maximal sensitivity is 3% K⁻¹.     

Time- and space-resolved spectroscopy of dynamic hohlraum interiors

A dynamic hohlraum is created when an annular z-pinch plasma implodes onto a cylindrical 0.014 g/cc 6-mm-diameter CH₂ foam. The impact launches a radiating shock that propagates toward the axis at 350 μm/ns. The radiation trapped by the tungsten z-pinch plasma forms a 200 eV hohlraum that provides X-rays for indirect drive inertial confinement fusion capsule implosion experiments. We are developing the ability to diagnose the hohlraum interior using emission and absorption spectroscopy of Si atoms added as a tracer to the central portion of the foam. Time- and space-resolved Si spectra are recorded with an elliptical crystal spectrometer viewing the cylindrical hohlraum end-on. A rectangular aperture at the end of the hohlraum restricts the field of view so that the 1D spectrometer resolution corresponds approximately to the hohlraum radial direction. This enables distinguishing between spectra from the unshocked radiation-heated foam and from the shocked foam. Typical spectral lines observed include the Si Lyα with its He-like satellites and the He-like resonance sequence including Heα, Heβ, and Heγ, along with some of their associated Li-like satellites. Work is in progress to infer the hohlraum conditions using collisional–radiative modeling that accounts for the radiation environment and includes both opacity effects and detailed Stark broadening calculations. These 6-mm-scale radiation-heated plasmas might eventually also prove suitable for testing Stark broadening line profile calculations or for opacity measurements.     

Vector-valued perturbed equilibrium problems

The goal of this paper is to prove some general vector-valued perturbed equilibrium principles and some existence results of vector equilibrium points for bifunctions satisfying a new natural notion of lower semi-continuity. We obtain these results by going through a new concept of approximative equilibrium point.     

Determination of trace amounts of cobalt in water by solid-phase spectrophotometry after preconcentration on a nitroso R salt chelating resin

A sensitive method for the determination of microamounts of cobalt by ion-exchanger spectrophotometry has been developed. The chromogenic agent, Nitroso-R-Salt (NRS), was loaded on an anionic-exchange resin (Amberlite CG-400). The absorbance of the NRS-cobalt complex on the chelating resin was measured at 508 nm. The best conditions for the preconcentration of cobalt on the resin before the spectrophotometric determination were a pH value of 6, temperature of 80 °C, and heating times of 45 or 90 min for 50 and 400 ml of sample, respectively. The detection limits were 27 ng/ml (50-ml samples) and 1.8 ng/ml (400-ml samples). Interference by other metals was investigated. The method is useful for determination of cobalt in natural waters.     

Fatty acid derived phosphorus‐containing polyesters via acyclic diene metathesis polymerization

The acyclic diene metathesis (ADMET) polymerization of a phosphorus‐containing α,ω‐diene prepared from a plant oil derived building block is reported. Different ruthenium based metathesis catalysts and conditions were tested to optimize the ADMET polymerization of this monomer. Undecylenyl undecenoate was used as fully renewable comonomer to obtain polyesters with different phosphorus contents and to increase the renewable content of the final polymers. Copolymerization caused marked variations in the molecular weights leading to polyesters from 6 to 38 KDa. The effect of the ADMET polymerization temperature in the thermal properties of the copolymers was studied and their thermal degradation and flame retardant properties were evaluated. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 47: 5760–5771, 2009     

Formation of a tricyclic nucleoside from deoxyguanosine via an O6-N1-transposition

The synthesis of a tricyclic deoxynucleoside by reaction of β-substituted ethanols with an activated deoxyguanosine is described. Its formation is rationnalised by an O⁶-N¹-transposition.