Inclusion of carbon nanotubes in a TiO2 sol-gel matrix

We report here the successful inclusion of carbon nanotubes (CNs) into a TiO₂ matrix prepared by a sol-gel method. The presence of CNs in the sol-gel matrix and the structure of the film were analyzed principally by transmission electron microscopy. Complementary information about the behavior of embedded carbon nanotubes versus heat treatment and ion irradiation were obtained by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The elaboration of an inorganic matrix containing embedded carbon nanotubes leads to a new nanocomposite. The possible applications of this nanocomposite are discussed.     

Sol-gel preparation and optical properties of SiO2-Ta2O5 glass

Tantalum-doped silica glass was fabricated by the sol-gel process in order to obtain a glass with a high refractive index for optical use. A crack-free, clear glass rod was successfully prepared from a low-density gel and used as the core material for fabricating optical fibers. Transmission loss in the fabricated fibers was high, in the range of 10³-10⁴ dB/km, which may be caused by coloration due to the multivalency of tantalum; however, the loss was reduced by nearly one order of magnitude by heat treatment at 800 °C, that is, to 75 dB/km at a wavelength of 0.8 μm.     

A SAXS study of the nanostructural characteristics of TEOS-derived sonogels upon heat treatment up to 1100 °C

Xerogels obtained from the acid-catalyzed and ultrasound stimulated hydrolysis of TEOS were submitted to heat treatment at temperatures ranging from 60 to 1100 °C and studied by small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS). The SAXS intensity as a function of the modulus of the scattering vector q was obtained in the range from q₀=0.19 to q_m=4.4 nm⁻¹. At 60 °C the xerogels exhibit an apparent surface fractal structure with a fractal dimension D_S∼2.5 in a length scale ranging from 1/q₁∼1 to 1/q_m∼0.22 nm. This structure becomes extremely rough at 120 °C (D_S∼3) and at 150 °C, it apparently converts to a mass fractal with a fractal dimension D∼2.4. This may mean an emptying of the pores with preservation of a share of the original mass fractal structure of the wet aged gel, for it had presented a mass fractal dimension D∼2.2. A well characterized porous structure formed by 2.0 nm mean size pores with smooth surface of about 380 m²/g is formed at 300 °C and remains stable until approximately 800 °C. At 900 °C the SAXS intensity vanishes indicating the disappearance of the pores in the probed length scale. The elimination of the nanopores occurs by a mechanism in which the number of pores diminishes keeping constant their mean size. The xerogels exhibit a foaming phenomenon above 900 °C and scatter following Porod's law as does a surface formed by a coarse structure.     

Conformational Transformation Exhibited by the Peptide Extracted from Crystalline Region of Bombyx mori Silk Fibroin in Solid and Solution States

The conformational transformation of a 30-residue peptide H（Ala-Gly-Ser-Gly-AIa-Gly）5OH, i.e., （AGSGAG）5, extracted from highly crystalline region of Bombyx mori （B. mori） silk fibroin was described by using the high resolution solid state 13^C NMR, and CD spectroscopies. Based on the conformation-dependent 13^C NMR chemical shifts of the Ala, Gly and Ser residues and the line-shape analysis of the conformation sensitive Ala Cβ resonance, the peptide revealed a strong preference for silk Ⅱ structural form, i,e,, an antiparallel fl-sheet structure （φ= - 140±20°and ψ= 135±20°） in solid state. On the contrary, the CD spectra of this peptide in the two non-native hexafluorinated fibre spinning solvents, hexafluoroisopropanol （HFIP） and hexafluoroacetone （HFA）, exhibited the existence of an unusual tightly-folded conformation resembling 310-helix （φ=- 60±20° and ψ=-30±20°）, as judged from the R ratio of [θ]222/[θ]203 in HFIP solution, whereas a dynamically averaged unordered structure in HFA, Taken together, the information inclined to hypothesis that the primary structure of the highly crystalline regions of B. mori silk fibroin may be easily accessible to the large conformational changes, which in turn may be critical for facilitating the structural transformation from unprocessed silk fibroin （silk I form） to processed silk fiber （silk Ⅱform）.     

Characterization of the 310-helix in model peptides by HRMAS NMR spectroscopy

A tetra- and a hepta-homopeptide from the C(alpha)-tetrasubstituted Aib (alpha-aminoisobutyric acid) residue were covalently linked to the POEPOP resin by the fragment-condensation approach. The conformational preferences of the two model peptides were determined for the first time on a solid support by means of high-resolution magic angle spinning NMR spectroscopy. The results obtained indicate that the Aib homopeptides adopt a regular 3(10)-helical structure even when they are covalently bound to a polymeric matrix, and thus confirm the remarkable conformational stability of the peptides rich in this amino acid. An ATR-FTIR spectroscopic investigation, performed in parallel, also confirmed that these polymer-bound peptides do indeed adopt a helical conformation. The results of this study open the possibility to exploit the peptide-resin conjugates based on C(alpha)-tetrasubstituted alpha-amino acids as helpful, structurally organized templates in molecular recognition studies or as catalysts in asymmetric synthesis.     

Vanadia-silica xerogels: optical and structural properties

Vanadium doped silica gels were prepared from tetraethyl orthosilicate and three different inorganic vanadium precursors with formal oxidation states of V³⁺, V⁴⁺ and V⁵⁺ respectively. Optical and EPR studies were carried out on the dried gels to understand the changes in the oxidation state and coordination of vanadium in the doped silica gel matrix. The observed optical and EPR results provide very strong evidence to establish that irrespective of the starting material, vanadium is stabilized as vanadyl ion in the gel monoliths. EPR studies on the powdered samples corroborate the optical data on the gel samples and confirmed that the stabilized vanadyl ion is situated in a distorted octahedral geometry in these silica gels.     

Physico-chemical control of sol-gel transition of titanium alkoxide-based materials studied by rheology

Viscoelastic characterization of titania-based sol-gel materials are investigated. Small amplitude oscillatory measurements are used to determine the gelation time t_g and the critical exponent of the frequency dependence of the loss and storage moduli. The scaling exponent is analyzed in order to estimate a fractal dimension at t_g. Hydrolysis molar ratio, titanium concentration and temperature parameters have an effect on the gelation time but not on the structure of the critical gel (gel at gelation time). However the acetylacetone concentration used as an inhibitor to control the reactivity of titanium seems to modify both the kinetic process and the gel structure.     

Magnetic resonances of Fe and Ni nanoparticles in films of silicon suboxide produced by ion irradiation of triethoxysilane gels containing Fe or Ni solute atoms

The structure and magnetic properties of composite films obtained by ion irradiation or thermal treatment of triethoxysilane gels containing iron or nickel in solution are investigated by means of X-ray diffraction, electron microscopy and electron spin resonance. Ion irradiated gels are converted into silica glasses containing metallic nanoparticles with a narrow range of sizes. These particles exhibit a magnetic resonance with a preferential alignment of magnetic moments perpendicular to the surface. This unusual out of plane anisotropy seem to be ascribed to an interaction of the moments with radiation defects. The magnetization in irradiated film is comparable to that in films of same materials submitted to a thermal conversion at 1000 °C in vacuum. But the latter films are porous and contain particles of metal and silicide or silicate with a wider range of sizes.     

Multinuclear NMR study of phosphosilicate gels derived from POCl3 and Si(OC2H5)4

Solid state ¹H, ²⁹Si and ³¹P MAS NMR have been used to investigate the microstructure of phosphosilicate gels prepared by a modified sol-gel method involving hydrolysis of silicon precursors in a solely aqueous environment at 50 °C. Gels with molar compositions 5, 10, 20 and 30 mol% P₂O₅ in P₂O₅-SiO₂ were studied. After drying to 400 °C the gels have very similar structures formed by a siloxane framework containing silanol groups and trapped molecules of orthophosphoric acid together with a very small amount, of pyrophosphoric acid. Unlike the gel samples previously synthesized by the hydrolysis of the silicon precursor in alcoholic solution at room temperature, the co-polymerization of phosphorus and silicon is much reduced. Although co-polymerization increases with phosphorus content, it still represents less than 50% of the phosphorus in the 30 mol% P₂O₅ gel. Furthermore there is no evidence for six-coordinated silicon in the glassy matrix.     

The effect of photo-irradiation in hydrolysis and condensation of silicon alkoxide

A silicon alkoxide-water-ethanol mixed solution was irradiated with ultraviolet rays, and the change of the silicon alkoxide molecular structure was evaluated by ²⁹Si nuclear magnetic resonance and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopies. Silicon alkoxide was hydrolyzed and the Si-OH bonds were produced by UV irradiation without any chemical catalyst for hydrolysis. The Si-O-Si bonds were also produced, and viscosity of the alkoxide solution became higher due to condensation of alkoxide.