Small-angle X-ray scattering study of the smart thermo-optical behavior of zirconyl aqueous colloids

The smart thermo-optical systems studied here are based on the unusual thermoreversible sol-gel transition of zirconyl chloride aqueous solution modified by sulfuric acid in the molar ratio Zr/SO4:3/1. The transparency to the visible light changes during heating due to light scattering. This feature is related to the aggregates growth that occurs during gelation. These reversible changes can be controlled by the amount of chloride ions in solution. The thermoreversible sol-gel transition temperature increases from 323 to 343 K by decreasing the molar ratio Cl/Zr from 7.0 to 1.3. In this work the effect of the concentration of chloride ions on the structural characteristics of the system has been analyzed by in situ SAXS measurements during the sol-gel transition carried out at 323 and 333 K. The experimental SAXS curves of sols exhibit three regions at small, medium and high scattering vectors characteristics of Guinier, fractal and Porod regimes, respectively. The radius of primary particles, obtained from the crossover between the fractal and Porod regimes, remains almost invariable with the chloride concentration, and the value (4 Angstrom) is consistent with the size of the molecular precursor. During the sol-gel transition the aggregates grow with a fractal structure and the fractal dimensionality decreases from 2.4 to 1.8. This last value is characteristic of a cluster-cluster aggregation controlled by a diffusion process. Furthermore, the time exponent of aggregate growth presents values of 0.33 and 1, typical of diffusional and hydrodynamic motions. A crossover between these two regimes is observed.

Thermal behaviour of corn starch granules under action of fungal alpha-amylase

Corn starch, partially hydrolyzed by fungal alpha-amylase was investigated by using thermal analysis, microscopy and X-ray diffraction. After enzymatic treatment lower degradation onset temperatures were observed. DSC analysis showed almost similar range of gelatinization temperature, however, the enthalpies of gelatinization increased for the partially hydrolyzed starch granules. According to the X-ray diffraction analysis, stronger cereal pattern peaks were recognized after enzymatic digestion. The results suggested that the hydrolysis was more pronounced in the amorphous part of the starch granules.

Synthesis, characterization and thermal behaviour of solid 2-methoxybenzoates of trivalent metals

Solid-state Ln(L)(3) compounds, where Ln stands for trivalent Eu, Gd, Tb, Dy, Ho, Er, Tm, Yb, Lu and Y and L is 2-methoxybenzoate have been synthesized. Simultaneous thermogravimetry and differential thermal analysis (TG-DTA), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), X-ray powder diffractometry, infrared spectroscopy and complexometry were used to characterize and to study the thermal behaviour of these compounds. The results provided information on the composition, dehydration, coordination mode, structure, thermal behaviour and thermal decomposition.

Synthesis, thermal properties and spectroscopic study of solid mandelate of light trivalent lanthanides

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Strong violet-blue light photoluminescence emission at room temperature in SrZrO3: Joint experimental and theoretical study

Ultrafine ordered and disordered SrZrO3 powders were prepared by the polymeric precursor method. The structural evolution from structural disorder to order was monitored by X-ray diffraction and X-ray absorption near-edge spectroscopy. Complex cluster vacancies [ZrO5 center dot V-O(Z)] and [SrOII center dot V-O(Z)] (where V-O(Z) = V-O(X), V-O(center dot) and V-O(center dot center dot)) were proposed for disordered powders. The intense violet-blue light photoluminescence emission measured at room temperature in the disordered powders was attributed to complex cluster vacancies. High-level quantum mechanical calculations within the density functional theory framework were used to interpret the experimental results. (C) 2008 Acta Materialia Inc. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Synthesis, characterization and thermal behaviour of solid-state 3-methoxybenzoates of heavy trivalent lanthanides and yttrium(III)

Solid-state Ln(L)(3) compounds, where Ln stands for trivalent Tb, Dy, Ho, Er, Tm, Yb, Lu and Y, and L is 3-methoxybenzoate, have been synthesized. X-ray powder diffractometry, infrared spectroscopy, complexometry and elemental analysis were used to characterize the compounds. In order to study the thermal behaviour of these compounds simultaneous thermogravimetry and differential thermal analysis (TG-DTA) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) were used. The results provided information on the composition, dehydration, polymorphic transformation, thermal stability and thermal decomposition of the synthesized compounds.

Quantitative Phase Analyses Through The Rietveld Method with X-Ray Powder Diffraction Data of Heat-Treated Carbamazepine Form III

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Optical and dielectric relaxor behaviour of Ba(Zr0.25Ti0.75)O-3 ceramic explained by means of distorted clusters

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Synthesis, characterization and thermal behaviour of solid-state tartrates of heavy trivalent lanthanides and yttrium(III)

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

First principles calculations on the origin of violet-blue and green light photoluminescence emission in SrZrO3 and SrTiO3 perovskites

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Synthesis, characterization and thermal behaviour of heavy lanthanide and yttrium pyruvates in the solid state

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Hadronic spectroscopy: Light and heavy mesons

We calculate the spectrum of the masses of light and heavy mesons, using a potential that shows confinement and asymptotic freedom for quark-antiquark pairs. From the analysis of the results we estimate the masses of mesons with hottom not yet found experimentally. We discuss the behaviour of the confinement potential under Lorentz transformation and calculate the spin-dependent corrections. We also calculate the electromagnetic decay rates and the leptonic and hadronic decay widths for some mesons. © 1985 Società Italiana di Fisica.

Doping of polyaniline and derivatives induced by X-ray radiation

Thin films of chemically synthesized polyaniline and poly(o-methoxyaniline) were exposed to ionizing X-ray radiation and characterized by radiation induced conductivity measurements, ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy, electron paramagnetic resonance, electrical conductivity and solubility measurements. Samples irradiated in vacuum or dry Oxygen atmosphere did not have their electronic spectra changed. However, under humid atmosphere the energy of the excitonic transition was decreased and accompanied by a great conductivity increase. The results indicate that doping of polyaniline can be induced by X-ray radiation which might be of great interest for applications on lithography and microelectronics.

Thermal behaviour and analytical study of the production of TiSnOx from the mixed 8-hydroxyquinolinates

Solubility and pH precipitation studies were carried out to obtain the binuclear complex {[TiO(C9H6NO)2][Sn(C9H6NO) 2]} involving 8-hydroxyquinoline as chelating agent. The compound, the individual mononuclear complexes and their physical mixture were evaluated by means of techniques such as TG, DTA, elemental analysis, X-ray diffraction, IR spectroscopy. The properties of the original compounds and also the thermoanalytical conditions exerted a great influence on the degree of crystallinity and on the crystalline phase of the mixed oxide obtained as final product of the thermal decomposition.