Composition and thermal stability of SiO2-based hybrid materials TEOS-MTEOS system

Hybrid materials with different amounts of organics permanently bound on the inorganic network obtained in the TEOS-MTEOS (tetraethoxysilan-methyltriethoxysilan) system are used for obtaining coatings with different optical and mechanical properties. To study the thermal stability of the mentioned materials, compositions with different molar ratios of the precursors were prepared. The influence of the solvent and water amounts on the gelation process was also investigated. The gels obtained were characterised by IR spectrometry and their decomposition temperatures were determined by DTA/TG. Thermal stability of the gels is rather influenced by their composition than the conditions of the gelation process. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Radiation dose contribution from coal-slags used as structural building material

A significant dose contribution on the population could be derived from coal slags used as isolation material. Extremely high natural activities are measured in the coal slag, derived from the region of the settlement Ajka, Hungary. In some buildings monitored, the elevated -doses were nearly 5–10 times higher than the world average ones. The annual average indoor radon concentrations from the slag exceeded 400 Bq/m³ and in some cases up to 1200 Bq/m³. Due to the elevated exposure and the radon concentrations in the dwellings the annual dose was estimated to 8–24 mSv/y more than 5–10 times of the world average one.     

DFT analysis: Fe4 cluster and Fe(110) surface interaction studies with pyrrole,furan, thiophene,and selenophene molecules

DFT studies of both the Fe₄ cluster and the Fe(110) surface interaction with pyrrole, furan, thiophene, and selenophene showed that selenophene forms a stabler adsorbate iron complex than the other heterocyclic molecules; this is consistent with the binding energy data that were calculated between the Fe cluster and the Fe(110) surface with the heterocycles. Furthermore, when the adsorption of the compounds with the iron cluster was analyzed by molecular orbital studies, the orbitals of selenophene overlapped more strongly with the Fe atom than that of the other molecules. In TD-DFT, the π → π* peak observed for the molecules disappeared when they formed complexes, and there appeared a charge transfer band (ligand to metal), thus confirming the coordination of these molecules with the cluster. The data suggest that the chemisorption is an exothermic process.     

CIRCULAR DICHROISM SPECTRA OF SYSTEM I PARTICLES FROM NORMAL CHLOROPLASTS AND CAROTENOID-DEFICIENT MUTANTS OF MAIZE

Abstract— Circular dichroism (CD) spectra were studied in System I particles prepared by digitonin fragmentation of chloroplasts of normal maize and carotenoid-deficient mutants. CD bands of pigment molecules were found to be higher in particles than in solutions. This phenomenon was most pronounced for the particles containing the carotenoid composition of normal chloroplast lamellae. The CD signal of chlorophylls bound to particles of carotenoid-deficient chloroplasts was closer to that found in solutions. This indicates that aggregation and/or binding of chlorophylls in carotenoid-deficient mutants may be less extensive than in normal chloroplasts.     

Quantum interference and ballistic transmission in nanotube electron waveguides

The electron transport properties of well-contacted individual single-walled carbon nanotubes are investigated in the ballistic regime. Phase coherent transport and electron interference manifest as conductance fluctuations as a function of Fermi energy. Resonance with standing waves in finite-length tubes and localized states due to imperfections are observed for various Fermi energies. Two units of quantum conductance 2G(0) = 4e(2)/h are measured for the first time, corresponding to the maximum conductance limit for ballistic transport in two channels of a nanotube.     

Fabrication of ZnO:Mn nanoparticles with organic shell in a highly alkaline aqueous environment

Synthesis of undoped and Mn doped ZnO nanoparticles by an inclusive co precipitation method and in situ capping with heteromultifunctional organic stabilizer mercaptosuccinic acid (MSA) in a core shell structure, in highly alkaline aqueous matrix have been accomplished. Near room temperature synthesis resulted in high quality monophasic wurtzite hexagonal structure of rod shaped nanoparticles of bare ZnO:Mn with no signature of dopant as separate phase. MSA capping resulted in nanoball like formation. Thermo gravimetric analysis (TGA) and FTIR confirmed MSA capping. ZnO: Mn particles emit in orange and red when excited by UV and blue light. Surface modification makes the nanoparticles hydrophilic with active organic surface easy for bioconjugation with any ligand and can have applications in drug delivery or as nanoscale fluorescent probe in a biological system.     

Assessment of indoor radiation dose received by the residents of natural high background radiation areas of coastal villages of Kanyakumari district,Tamil Nadu,India

Radiation exposure and effective dose received through two routes of exposure, viz. external and internal, via inhalation, by residents of 10 villages belonging to Natural High Background Radiation Areas (NHBRA) of coastal regions of Kanyakumari District and Tamil Nadu in India were studied. While the indoor gamma radiation levels were monitored using Thermo Luminescent Dosimeters (TLDs), the indoor radon and thoron gas concentrations were measured using twin chamber dosimeters employing Solid State Nuclear Track Detectors (SSNTDs, LR-115-II). The average total annual effective dose was estimated and found to be varying from 2.59 to 8.76 mSv.