Electron and light microscopical investigation of defect structures in mesophases of pharmaceutical substances

 Transmission electron microscopy of freeze fractured and replicated samples (TEM) and polarizing light microscopy (PLM) are used to investigate the defect structures of the thermotropic and lyotropic mesophases of the non-steroidal antiinflammatory drug fenoprofen sodium and of the thermotropic mesophase of the nonionic surfactant sucrose oleate (O1570). All mesophases have a layered, smectic structure. The thermotropic liquid crystal of feno-profen sodium is an interdigitated smectic A phase (smectic Ad) having the highest viscosity of the investigated samples. The thermotropic mesophase of the sugar ester is also of the type smectic A, likely to be of subtype smectic A2 (bilayered smectic structure). The lyotropic mesophase is of lamellar liquid crystalline nature and has a much lower viscosity than the thermotropic mesophases. In the PLM the lyotropic fenoprofen mesophase has a strong tendency to form a pseudoisotropic texture, indicating a strong tendency to form undisturbed layered structures. Other textures exhibited in the PLM are fan-shaped texture and maltese-cross texture. Confocal domains, cylinders, pits and peaks as well as screw dislocations are found in great number in the TEM. However, no greater regions of undisturbed lamellar arrangement in the lyotropic mesophase could be detected. The only texture of the thermotropic fenoprofen mesophase visible in the PLM is the fan-shaped texture, indicating confocal domains as predominant structural elements. However, no confocal domains (tori or Dupin cyclides) are found in the TEM. In the PLM the sugar–ester mesophase exhibited a fan-shaped texture, maltese crosses and oily streaks as dominant textures. In the TEM only a few +π and −π disclinations and imperfect confocal domains could be detected. The discrepancies in the appearance of defect structures and textures between the mesophases as well as the discrepancies in the findings in the PLM and in the TEM investigations are caused by the different sample preparation and the different viscosities of the mesophases. Received: 28 May 1997 Accepted: 2 September 1997     

Atomic force microscopy and transmission electron microscopy of cellulose from Micrasterias denticulata; evidence for a chiral helical microfibril twist

Atomic force microscopy (AFM), tapping mode atomic force microscopy (TM-AFM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) have been used to image the cell wall, ultrathin sections of whole cells and cellulose microfibrils prepared from the green alga Micrasterias denticulata. Measurements of the microfibril dimensions are in agreement with earlier observations carried out by electron microscopy. Images at the molecular level of the surface of the microfibrils were obtained with AFM and show regular periodicities along the microfibril axis that correspond to the fibre and glucose repeat distances of cellulose. Twisted regions visible at intervals along the microfibrils dried down onto substrates were noted to be right-handed in over 100 observations by TEM, AFM and TM-AFM. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

PHOTOEMISSION WITHIN AND BEYOND THE ONE-STEP MODEL

Photoemission in the vacuum ultraviolet photon regime has proved to be an effective tool for the investigation of valence band surface electronic structure. The interpretation cannot be exclusively confined to the valence bands but has to consider cross sections with realistic final states consistently designed within the one-step model. Therefore especially in the surface sensitive photoemission, several effects hide the final goal of deducing the energetic and wavefunction structure together with microscopic potential parameters through a convincing agreement of calculated with measured spectra. The final states band structure is much less well understood than the valence band structure under consideration. The optical potential, which controls the surface sensitivity through the underlying damping mechanisms, widely relies on empirical assumptions. Furthermore, the photon field is not only strongly influenced but in the vicinity of the plasma frequency also deteriorated by the electronic response. In view of high resolution spectroscopy the accuracy of the data interpretation is affected, and in fact, band-mapping methods are no longer valid. Examples of recent calculations to account for these effects are reviewed.     

Electron microscopic phase analysis of BN-thin films

A series of BN films was deposited by means of r.f. magnetron sputtering of a h-BN target onto Si(1OO) surfaces. Hereby, the substrate bias voltage was varied. Special interest is focussed to the influence of the deposition parameters on the orientation of the growing hexagonal BN film with respect to the substrate. For structural investigation, cross section samples were prepared. In addition to HRTEM and diffraction investigations, especially electron energy loss spectroscopy (EELS) was applied successfully for phase identification. For negative bias voltages of U _B =–300 V and U _B =–350V, we found a phase system consisting of a first-grown 25 nm thick layer of hexagonal structure with the c axis parallel to the substrate surface followed by the cubic phase.Dedicated to Professor Dr. rer. nat. Dr. h.c. Hubertus Nickel on the occasion of his 65th birthday     

Characterization of Magnetic Nanoiron Oxides for the Removal of Metal Ions from Aqueous Solution

ABSTRACT

Two nanostructured hybrid materials are reported that include uncoated magnetic nanoiron oxides and magnetic nanoiron oxides treated with rose leaf extract. Atomic and molecular absorption spectrometry were used to evaluate the sensitivity of these materials for the isolation of Cr(VI), Zn(II), Pb(II), and Ca(II) from aqueous solution. The structure and physicochemical properties of the resulting nanohybrids were characterized by scanning electron microscopy coupled with energy-dispersive spectroscopy, atomic force microscopy, and X-ray diffraction. The results show that following 15?min of contact in acidic solution, the uncoated magnetic nanoiron oxides removed approximately 90% of Cr(VI), while the magnetic nanoiron oxides coated with rose leaf extract removed 92% of the analyte. These correspond to most industrial wastewater conditions. For the removal of Ca(II) and Zn(II), it was necessary to adjust the pH to neutral to maximize the efficiency. Pb(II) showed maximum removal efficiency when the solution is basic. The simple rose extract suspension was also used for metal removal with high capacity. The results demonstrate that the magnetic nanoiron oxides were uniformly distributed in the rose leaf extract. The extract served as a capping agent due to the presence of polyphenolics.     

Influence of the Oxide Content in the Catalytic Power of Raney Nickel in Hydrogen Generation

The influence of oxides in the hydrogen evolution on Raney nickel electrocatalysts was characterized by electrochemical impedance measurements. In addition, these materials show competitive overpotentials for hydrogen evolution with a modified Watts bath as a binder for the Raney nickel. The optimum result was ?190?mV of overpotential at 100?mA?cm^?2. Oxygen in the Raney Ni catalyst affects its electroactivity toward hydrogen evolution. The source of oxygen is related to the presence of chloride ions in the modified Watts bath. A Watts bath binds Raney Ni particles to the surface of the catalysts and chloride regulates the oxygen content in the nickel binder during electrodeposition. High oxygen content increases the hydrogen evolution overpotential of the electrode. The electroactivity of the synthesized porous coatings was evaluated by polarization curves and impedance plots. In addition, surface characterization by X-ray diffraction, field emission–scanning electron microscopy equipped with energy-dispersive analysis, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy is reported.     

Graphene-modified Monolithic Capillary Column for the Microextraction of Trace Benzodiazepines in Biological Samples

A graphene monolithic column was fabricated in a capillary using π-electron-rich poly(N-vinylcarbazole-divinylbenzene) as the supporter through in situ one-step polymerization for the enrichment of trace benzodiazepines in biological samples. This new three-dimensional monolith showed uniformity and a continuous column bed; more importantly, it retained the unique properties of graphene that are typically associated with individual graphene sheets. Based on the large delocalized π-electron system, graphene forms π–π stacking interactions with benzodiazepines and benzene rings of poly(N-vinylcarbazole-divinylbenzene), which not only enhance the extraction performance for benzodiazepines compared to the neat polymer but also provide chemical stability of the graphene monolith. Moreover, several factors likely to affect the extraction, including ionic strength, sample pH, sample volume, and eluant volume were studied in detail. The optimized method gave a linear range of 0.005–1?ng?mL^?1, and detection limits of 1.12–2.35?ng?L^?1. Finally, the graphene monolith was successfully applied to the separation and enrichment of benzodiazepines from urine and hair samples coupled with high-performance liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry. The recoveries were in the range of 78.6–85.6% for urine and 87.2–94.3% for hair with relative standard deviations of 3.4–6.9 and 2.9–8.3%, respectively.     

Effect of the structure of titanium–magnesium catalysts on the morphology of polyethylene produced

The structure and formation of polyethylene (PE) particles on supported titanium–magnesium catalysts having different structural characteristics (sizes of microcrystallites, mesopores, and subparticles) were studied for the first time. Scanning electron microscopy was used to identify structural elements of the polymer particles formed over such catalysts and to reveal morphological changes in the growing polymer particles when the yield was increased from approximately 0.2 g PE/g catalyst to approximately 13 kg PE/g catalyst. A relationship was found between structural characteristics of the porous catalyst particles, morphology of the nascent polymer particles, and bulk density of the polymer powder. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2017 , 55, 2298–2308     

Self-assembly and morphological characterization of two-component functional amyloid proteins

Functional amyloid has been increasingly applied as self-assembling nanostructures to construct multifunctional biomaterials. However, little has been known how different side domains, varied fusion positions and subunits affect self-assembly and morphologies of amyloid fibrils. Here, we constructed three groups of two-component amyloid proteins based on CsgA, the major protein components of Escherichia coli biofilms, to bridge these gaps. We showed that all fusion proteins have amyloid features, as indicated by Congo red assay. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) indeed reveals that these fusion proteins are able to self-assemble into fibrils, with an average diameter of 0.5-2 nm and length of hundreds of nanometers to several micrometers. The diameter of fibrils increases with the increase of the molecular weight of fusion domains, while the dynamic assembly of recombinant proteins was delayed as a result of the introduction of fusion domains. Moreover, fusion of the same functional domains but at intermediate position seems to cause the most interference on fibril assembly compared with those fused at C or Nterminus, as mainly short and irregular fibrils were detected. This phenomenon appears more pronounced for randomly coiled mussel foot proteins (Mfps) than for rigid chitin-binding domain (CBD). Finally, increase of the molecular weight of tandem repeats in protein monomer seemed to increase the fibril diameter of the resultant fibrils, but either reduction of the tandem repeats of CsgA to one single belta-sheet loop or increase in the number of tandem repeats of CsgAs from one to four produced shorter and intermittent fibrils compared with CsgA control protein. These studies therefore provide insights into self-assembly of two-component amyloid proteins and lay the foundation for rational design of multifunctional molecular biomaterials.     

Characterization of Sixteenth to Nineteenth Century Ottoman Silk Brocades by Scanning Electron Microscopy–Energy Dispersive X-Ray Spectroscopy and High-Performance Liquid Chromatography

Historical textiles in the Topkap? Museum, which are called silk kaftans and brocades by art historians from the sixteenth and nineteenth were characterized by scanning electron microscopy–energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM–EDX) and high-performance liquid chromatography with diode array detection for identification of metal threads and dyestuffs. In the most Ottoman textiles, metal threads, especially belonging to the sultans, were used as the gold gild. Although the chemical composition of the samples on the surface may easily be obtained by SEM–EDX, the thickness of the thin gold layer on metal threads cannot be obtained directly. Hence, the goal of this project is to describe whether metal threads are gilded or not and to measure coating thickness. A new method was developed for measuring the thickness of gold layer, and the modeling was reformed. The SEM–EDX results were interpreted in accordance with the theoretical models. The coating thickness of metal threads was subsequently measured in ancient textiles. The thickness, depth, and valuable metal composition in the threads of the artistic objects were obtained by this approach. Dye analysis was used to characterize the presence of indigotin, carminic acid, ellagic acid, and luteolin in the historical textiles.