Growth of KH2PO4 crystals activated by organic phosphors

The conditions for growth of single crystals of potassium dihydrogen phosphate KH₂PO₄ activated by organic phosphors were investigated. Aqueous solutions of derivatives of naphthalic and perylenetetracar-boxylic acids were used as activators. A possible scheme of coherent matching of crystallochemical parameters of the KH₂PO₄ lattice with an organic activator molecule is proposed. The excitation and photoluminescence spectra of the activated crystals are measured in the range 200–600 nm. It is ascertained that the luminescence is related to the presence of organic phosphors in the KH₂PO₄ lattice.     

Inhibation of crystal growth during drying in gels derived from a cheap,mixed metal oxide precursor

The influence of addition of small amounts of either citric acid or lactic acid on the formation of crystalline matter in dried gels derived from a multi-component industrial sol–gel silica precursor has been studied. The sols were water-based and had formic acid as the main acid constituent. A pronounced decrease in the extent of crystallization was observed for both acids, with citric acid being more effective than lactic acid. The results are discussed based on the complexation behavior of the corresponding acids under the studied conditions, and the complexation behavior in solution can be directly linked to the extent of crystallization in the dried gels. However, the sol–gel kinetics followed that expected for a purely silica-based sol, which suggests that the kinetics is mainly controlled by the silica portion of the sol. The results are suggested to be of importance for the industrial use of these sols as binders, as pronounced crystallization in the gels upon drying may lead to mechanical stresses, and thus to a decreased binder performance.     

Directed antibody-engineering techniques and their applications in food immunoassays

The use of antibodies in immunodiagnostics has achieved new insights with recombinant technologies. This review summarizes the methods used to produce recombinant antibodies and those to tailor their properties. Finally, we address the advantages and the possibilities of recombinant antibodies in immunoanalytical applications through examples with the main focus on applications related to food quality and safety analysis.     

Combined synthesis and in situ coating of nanoparticles in the gas phase

Ga₂O₃ was-synthesized by doping a premixed H₂/O₂/Ar flat flame with diluted trimethyl gallium Ga(CH₃)₃ in a low-pressure reactor. The mean particle diameter d _p of the resulting metal oxide was characterized in-situ with a particle mass spectrometer (PMS), and was observed to range between 2.5 nm ≤ d _p ≤ 6.5 nm. XRD results show that the as-synthesized Ga₂O₃ nanoparticles are mostly amorphous, although, a few broad reflexes were observed that indicate the presence of some degree of crystallinity. Thermal annealing of the as-synthesized material at 1000 °C for 5 min yielded β-Ga₂O₃ with a monoclinic structure. UV–VIS measurements indicate strong absorption in the UV range (4.8 eV), which corresponds quite well to the direct band gap of bulk Ga₂O₃. Photoluminescence (PL) measurements of the as-synthesized metal oxide show a broad emission ranging from 350 nm to 600 nm with a maximum at 460 nm. Crystalline β-Ga₂O₃ exhibited stronger luminescence than as-synthesized particles.     

Promoter effect of BaO on CO oxidation on PdO surfaces

The effect of bulk BaO promoter on CO oxidation activity of palladium oxide phase was studied by density functional calculations. A series of BaO(100) supported Pd(x)O(y) thin layer models were constructed, and energy profiles for CO oxidation on the films were calculated and compared with corresponding profiles for the most stable PdO bulk surfaces PdO(100) and PdO(101). The most stable of the thin films typically exhibit the same PdO(100) and PdO(101) surface planes; the PdO(100) dominates already with double layer thickness. The supporting promoter improves the CO oxidation activity of the Pd(x)O(y) phase via a direct electronic effect and introduced structural strain and corrugation. Changes in CO adsorption strength are reflected in oxidation energy barriers, and the promoting effect of even 0.3 eV can be seen locally. Easier oxygen vacancy formation may partially facilitate the reaction.     

Effect of residual lignin and heteropolysaccharides in nanofibrillar cellulose and nanopaper from wood fibers

Unbleached (UN), oxygen-delignified and fully-bleached (FB) birch fibers with a residual lignin content of ca. 3, 2 and <1 %, respectively, were used to produce nanofibrillated cellulose (NFC) and nanopaper by using an overpressure device. The tensile index, elongation and elastic modulus of nanopaper were compared and the effect of residual cell wall components accessed. Under similar manufacturing conditions, UN NFC produced nanopaper with a density of 0.99 g/cm³, higher than that from FB NFC (0.7 g/cm³). This translated in much lower air permeability in the case of UN nanopaper (1 and 11 mL/min for UN and FB samples, respectively). Fundamentally, these observations are ascribed to the finer fibrils produced during microfluidization of UN fibers compared to those from lower yield counterparts (AFM roughness of 8 and 17 nm and surface areas of 124 and 98 m²/g for NFC from UN and FB fibers, respectively). As a result, values of stress at break and energy absorption of nanopaper from high yield fibers are distinctively higher than those from fully bleached NFC. Interactions of water with the surface and bulk material were affected by the chemical composition and structure of the nanofibrils. While UN nanopaper presented higher water contact angles their sorption capacity (and rate of water absorption) was much higher than those measured for nanopaper from FB NFC. These and other observations provided in this contribution are proposed to be related to the mechanoradical scavenging capacity of lignin in high shear microfluidization and the presence of residual heteropolysaccharides.