The Fe3O4 origin of the “Biphase” reconstruction on α-Fe2O3(0 0 0 1)

The so-called Biphase termination on α-Fe₂O₃ has been widely accepted to be a structure with a 40 Å unit supercell composed of coexisting islands of Fe_1−xO and α-Fe₂O₃. Based on thermodynamic arguments and experimental evidence, including transmission electron diffraction, imaging, magnetic and spectroscopic information, it is found that the previously proposed structure model is inaccurate. The actual Biphase structure is instead a layered structure related to the reduction of α-Fe₂O₃ to Fe₃O₄. A model for the Biphase termination is proposed which does not contain islands of Fe_1−xO but instead consists of bulk α-Fe₂O₃ and a Fe₃O₄-derived overlayer. The proposed model is consistent with all current and previously reported experimental findings.     

Synthesis of magnetic rhenium sulfide composite nanoparticles

Rhenium sulfide nanoparticles are associated with magnetic iron oxide through coprecipitation of iron salts with tetramethylammonium hydroxide. Sizes of the formed magnetic rhenium sulfide composite particles are in the range 5.5-12.5 nm. X-ray diffraction and energy-dispersive analysis of X-rays spectra demonstrate the coexistence of Fe₃O₄ and ReS₂ in the composite particle, which confirm the formation of the magnetic rhenium sulfide composite nanoparticles. The association of rhenium sulfide with iron oxide not only keeps electronic state and composition of the rhenium sulfide nanoparticles, but also introduces magnetism with the level of 24.1 emu g^-1 at 14 kOe. Surface modification with monocarboxyl-terminated poly(ethylene glycol) (MPEG-COOH) has the role of deaggregating the composite nanoparticles to be with average hydrodynamic size of 27.3 nm and improving the dispersion and the stability of the composite nanoparticles in water.     

Synthesis of magnetite nanoparticles via a solvent-free thermal decomposition route

Superparamagnetic nanoparticles have been widely applied in various bio-medical applications. To date, it is still a challenge to synthesize nanosized Fe₃O₄ particles with controlled size and distribution. In this paper, a novel solvent-free thermal decomposition method is reported for synthesizing Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles. Size and morphology of the nanoparticles are determined by TEM while the structure of the nanoparticles is identified by FTIR, XPS and TGA measurements. Magnetic properties of the obtained particles are determined using VSM and SQUID measurement. The particle size of the Fe₃O₄ can be tailored by adjusting either reaction temperature or time. When the reaction temperature is increased to 330 °C and the reaction time is extended to 4 h, the average particle size of the obtained nanoparticles is ∼9 nm, while Ms value reaches ∼76 emu/g. The as synthesized Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles show well-established superparamagnetic properties with the blocking temperature at around 100 K.     

A new method for preparation of magnetite from iron oxyhydroxide or iron oxide and ferrous salt in aqueous solution

In this study, a new method is proposed for the preparation of Fe₃O₄ from iron oxyhydroxides (goethite, akaganeite, lepidocrocite, feroxyhyte and ferrihydrite) or iron oxide (hematite) and ferrous salt in aqueous solution. The product is magnetite with various particle sizes. Products are characterized by X-ray powder diffraction, IR spectra and vibrating sample magnetometery.     

Whole-body T2* mapping at 1.5 T

This study investigated the feasibility of an MRI protocol providing whole-body T2* maps at 1.5 T. Seven healthy volunteers (mean age=30.1+/-3.7, three women and four men) and two patients (both male, 53 and 46 years old) affected by transfusion-dependent anemias participated in the study. Coronally oriented images of five subsequent body levels were acquired using a fat-suppressed multiecho 2D gradient-echo sequence (12 echo times ranging from 4.8 to 76.3 ms were selected) and afterwards composed. Parametrical T2* maps of the whole body were reconstructed on a pixel-by-pixel basis. For both, healthy volunteers and patients, representative T2* values were computed from extended regions of interest (ROIs). Good-quality whole-body T2* maps were computed in all volunteers and patients. In healthy volunteers, T2* values were assessed in the cerebral white (58.5+/-4.2 ms) and gray (81.4+/-5.5 ms) matter, liver (34.3+/-7.0 ms), spleen (63.5+/-3.3 ms), kidneys (65.4+/-10.3 ms) and skeletal muscles (~30 ms). The liver presented faster relaxation rates in males as compared to females. One patient (serum ferritin concentration=927 microg/dl) showed shortened T2* values in liver (3.6+/-5.5 ms), spleen (3.1+/-4.8 ms), kidneys (11.1+/-7.1 ms) and muscles (25.1+/-3.4 ms). The second patient (serum ferritin concentration=346 microg/dl) presented reduced T2* values in liver (3.9+/-7.3 ms), spleen (20.1+/-9.8 ms) and kidneys (24.6+/-7.7 ms). The presented technique may find clinical application in the assessment of the iron burden in the entire body, and in monitoring of chelation therapies in patients treated with frequent blood transfusions.     

Improved T2* assessment in liver iron overload by magnetic resonance imaging

In the clinical MRI practice, it is common to assess liver iron overload by T2* multi-echo gradient-echo images. However, there is no full consensus about the best image analysis approach for the T2* measurements. The currently used methods involve manual drawing of a region of interest (ROI) within MR images of the liver. Evaluation of a representative liver T2* value is done by fitting an appropriate model to the signal decay within the ROIs vs. the echo time. The resulting T2* value may depend on both ROI placement and choice of the signal decay model. The aim of this study was to understand how the choice of the analysis methodology may affect the accuracy of T2* measurements. A software model of the iron overloaded liver was inferred from MR images acquired from 40 thalassemia major patients. Different image analysis methods were compared exploiting the developed software model. Moreover, a method for global semiautomatic T2* measurement involving the whole liver was developed. The global method included automatic segmentation of parenchyma by an adaptive fuzzy-clustering algorithm able to compensate for signal inhomogeneities. Global liver T2* value was evaluated using a pixel-wise technique and an optimized signal decay model. The global approach was compared with the ROI-based approach used in the clinical practice. For the ROI-based approach, the intra-observer and inter-observer coefficients of variation (CoVs) were 3.7% and 5.6%, respectively. For the global analysis, the CoVs for intra-observers and inter-observers reproducibility were 0.85% and 2.87%, respectively. The variability shown by the ROI-based approach was acceptable for use in the clinical practice; however, the developed global method increased the accuracy in T2* assessment and significantly reduced the operator dependence and sampling errors. This global approach could be useful in the clinical arena for patients with borderline liver iron overload and/or requiring follow-up studies.     

Irreversibility line and flux pinning properties in iron-based high-Tc superconductor SmFeAsO0.85

The irreversibility line and flux pinning properties of high-T_c superconductor SmFeAsO_0.85 were studied using DC magnetization data. Polycrystalline SmFeAsO_0.85 was prepared in a high pressure synthesis apparatus under the pressure of 6 GPa. The results of DC susceptibility showed the superconducting transition at about 55 K. A critical current density J_c(B) was calculated using Bean’s critical state model. At low temperatures (20 K), J_c(B) showed a relatively high value with weak dependence on an applied magnetic field. At higher temperatures, a stronger dependence of the magnetic field was observed, which resulted from decrease in a critical current density probably due to the flux creep effect. The irreversibility line (IL) agreed well with the flux creep theory of Matsushita et al. A comparison of normalized pinning force density with the theoretical models showed that the irreversible behavior in SmFeAsO_0.85 is dominated mainly by normal point pinning (δT_c) and surface pinning mechanisms.     

火焰原子吸收光谱法测定水中铁的测量不确定度评定

通过对影响测定结果的不确定度因素的分析和量化,评价了火焰原子吸收光谱法测定水样中铁的不确定度。计算得水中铁含量测定结果的扩展不确定度为0.015mg/L(veff=17)。     

球墨铸铁中总碳量的测定--"全样分析法"

拟定了球墨铸铁中总碳量的分析方法“全样分析法”。此方法弥补了以往球墨铸铁总碳量分析结果严重偏低及不稳定的缺陷。     

悬浮液进样-火焰原子吸收光谱法测定藕粉中的钙、镁和铁

将悬浮液进样技术应用于火焰原子吸收光谱法,测定了藕粉中的钙,镁和铁的含量。将藕粉悬浮于琼脂胶体中制成悬浮液,直接喷入空气-乙炔火焰,用标准加入法测定,加标回收率Ca为97%—106%,Mg为87%—91%,Fe为92%—101%,相对标准偏差≤3.4%,方法简便,快速,准确。