Spectroscopic investigations of OH- influence on near-infrared fluorescence quenching of Yb3+/Tm3+ co-doped sodium-metaphosphate glasses

Energy transfer processes were studied in two sets of Yb3+ and Tm3+ co-doped sodium-metaphosphate glasses, prepared in air and nitrogen atmospheres. Using Forster, Dexter, and Miyakawa theoretical models, the energy transfer parameters were calculated. The main ion-ion energy transfer processes analyzed were energy migration among Yb3+ ions, cross-relaxations between Yb3+ and Tm3+ ions, and interactions with OH- radicals. The results indicated that Yb -> Tm energy transfer favors 1.8 mu m emissions, and there is no evidence of concentration quenching up to 2% Tm2O3 doping. As expected, samples prepared in nitrogen atmosphere present higher fluorescence quantum efficiency than those prepared in air, and this feature is specially noted in the near-infrared region, where the interaction with the OH- radicals is more pronounced. (c) 2007 Published by Elsevier B.V.

Structural-electronic aspects related to the near-infrared light emission of Fe-doped silicon films

The need of efficient (fast and low consumption) optoelectronic devices has always been the driving force behind the investigation of materials with new or improved properties. To be commercially attractive, however, these materials should be compatible with our current micro-electronics industry and/or telecommunications system. Silicon-based compounds, with their matured processing technology and natural abundance, partially comply with such requirements-as long as they emit light. Motivated by these issues, this work reports on the optical properties of amorphous Si films doped with Fe. The films were prepared by sputtering a Si+Fe target and were investigated by different spectroscopic techniques. According to the experimental results, both the Fe concentration and the thermal annealing of the samples induce changes in their atomic structure and optical-electronic properties. In fact, after thermal annealing at similar to 750 degrees C, the samples partially crystallize with the development of Si and/or beta-FeSi(2) crystallites. In such a case, certain samples present light emission at similar to 1500 nm that depends on the presence of beta-FeSi(2) crystallites and is very sensitive to the annealing conditions. The most likely reasons for the light emission (or absence of it) in the considered Fe-doped Si samples are presented and discussed in view of their main structural-electronic characteristics. (C) 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Synthesis, Infrared Spectroscopy and Crystal Structure Determination of a New Decavanadate

Synthesis, infrared spectroscopy and crystal structure of a new potassium decavanadate decahydrate, K(6)[V(10)O(28)] 10H(2)O, has been reported The infrared spectrum is dominated by decavanadate polyanion and water bands The X-ray crystallography analysis found the compound crystallizes in a triclinic system with the parameters a = 10 5334 (4) angstrom, b = 10 6600 (4) angstrom, c = 17 7351 (5) angstrom, alpha = 76 940 (2)degrees, beta = 75 836 (2)degrees, gamma = 64 776 (2)degrees, V = 1,729 86 (11) A(3), Z = 2, space group P (1) over bar The polyanion consists of ten [VO(6)] octahedra sharing edges, in which the V-O distances are in good agreement with those reported for other decavanadates The crystal structure is stabilized by potassium cations and water molecules forming a complex pattern of hydrogen bonding and short contact ionic interactions

Biolabeling with nanoparticles based on Y(2)O(3):Nd(3+) and luminescence detection in the near-infrared

Neodymium based fluorescence presents several advantages in comparison to conventional rare earth or enzyme-substrate based fluorescence emitting sources (e.g.Tb, HRP). Based on this fact we have herein explored a Nd-based fluoroimmunoassay. We efficiently detected the presence of an oxidized low-density lipoprotein (oxLDL) in human plasma a well-known marker for cardiovascular diseases, which causes around 30% of deaths worldwide. Conventional fluoroimmunoassay uses time-resolved luminescence techniques, with detection in the visible range, to eliminate the fluorescence background from the biological specimens. By using an immunoassay based on functionalized Y(2)O(3):Nd(3+) nanoparticles, where the excitation and emission processes in the Nd(3+) ion occur in the near-infrared (NIR) region, we have succeeded in eliminating the interferences from the biological fluorescence background, avoiding the use of time-resolved techniques. This yields higher emission intensity from the Nd(3+)-nanolabels and efficient detection of anti-oxidized low-density lipoproteins (anti-oxLDL) by Y(2)O(3):Nd(3+)-antibody-antigen conjugation, leading to a novel biolabeling method. (C) 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

In Situ Infrared (FTIR) Study of the Mechanism of the Borohydride Oxidation Reaction on Smooth Pt Electrode

Although Pt has been thoroughly studied regarding its activity for the borohydride oxidation reaction (BOR), the BOR mechanism at Pt remains unclear: Depending on the applied potential, spontaneous BH(4)(-) hydrolysis can compete with the direct BOR. The goal of the present work is to provide more insight into the behavior of smooth Pt electrodes toward the BOR, by coupling in situ infrared reflectance spectroscopy with electrochemistry. The measurements were performed on a Pt electrode in 1 M NaOH/1 M NaBH(4), so as to detect the reaction intermediate species generated as a function of the applied potential. Several bands were monitored in the B-H ((v) over bar approximate to 1180, 1080, and 972 cm(-1)) and B-O ((v) over bar = 1325 and similar to 1425 cm(-1)) bond regions upon increased electrode polarization. These absorption bands, which appear sequentially and were already detected for similar measurements on Au electrodes, are assigned to BH(3), BH(2), and BO(2)(-) species. In light of these experimental data and previous results obtained in our group for Pt- or Au-based electrodes, possible initial elementary steps of the BOR on platinum electrodes are proposed and discussed according to the relevant literature data.

Evidence for diffusional coupling in electrochemical thin layers: implications for surface coverage calibration via electrochemical infrared spectroscopy

The time dependence of the concentration of CO2 in an electrochemical thin layer cavity is studied with Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) in order to evaluate the extent to which the thin layer cavity is diffusionally decoupled from the surrounding bulk electrolyte. For the model system of CO on Pt(111) in 0.1 M HClO4, it is found that the concentration of CO2, formed by electro-oxidation of CO, equilibrates rapidly with the surrounding bulk electrolyte. This rapid equilibration indicates that there is diffusion out of the thin layer, even on the short time scales of typical infrared experiments (1-3 min). However, since the measured CO2 absorbance intensity as a function of time is reproducible to within 10%, a new time-dependent method for surface coverage calibration using solution-phase species is proposed.

A surface-enhanced infrared absorption spectroscopic (SEIRAS) study of the oscillatory electro-oxidation of methanol on platinum

The oscillatory electro-oxidation of methanol was studied by means of in situ infrared (IR) spectroscopy in the attenuated total reflection (ATR) configuration using a platinum film on a Si prism as working electrode. The surface-enhanced infrared absorption (SEIRA) effect considerably improves the spectroscopic resolution, allowing at following the coverage of some adsorbing species during the galvanostatic oscillations. Carbon monoxide was the main adsorbed specie observed in the induction period and within the oscillatory regime. The system was investigated at two distinct time-scales and its dynamics characterized accordingly. During the induction period the main transformation observed as the system move through the phase space towards the oscillatory region was the decrease of the coverage of adsorbed carbon, coupled to the increase of the electrode potential. Similar transition characterizes the evolution within the oscillatory region, but at a considerably slower rate. Experiments with higher time resolution revealed that the electrode potential oscillates in-phase with the frequency of the linearly adsorbed CO vibration and that the amount of adsorbed CO oscillates with small amplitude. Adsorbed formate was found to play, if any, a very small role. Results are discussed and compared with other systems. (C) 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Alphanumeric LCD infrared control via computer’s parallel port

The present work will explain a method to achieve a remote controlled (via IR LED) alphanumeric Liquid Crystal Display. In modern times, the remote access of different devices has become quite popular, therefore, the aim of this project is to provide a useful tool that will integrate common and easy to access devices. The system includes a C language based user interface, an assembly language code for the AT89C51ED2 microcontroller instructions and some digital electronic circuits needed for the driving and control of both the LCD and the infrared communication, as well as the PC with a parallel port. The interaction of all the devices provides a whole system that can be helpful in different applications, or it can be separated into each one of its different stages to take the best advantage as possible.

Use of near-infrared Raman spectroscopy to detect IgG and IgM antibodies against Toxoplasma gondii in serum samples of domestic cats

Near-infrared Raman spectroscopy (NIRS) is a particularly promising technique that is being used in recent years for many biomedical applications. Optical spectroscopy has gained increasing prominence as a tool for quantitative analysis of biological samples, clinical diagnostic, concentration measurements of blood metabolites and therapeutic drugs, and analysis of the chemical composition of human tissues. Toxoplasmosis is an important zoonosis in public health, and domestic cats are the most important transmitters of the disease. This disease can be detected by several serological tests, which usually have a high cost and require a long time. The goal of this work was to investigate a new method to diagnosis Toxoplasma gondii infections using NIRS. In order to confirm antibody detection, 24 cat blood scrum samples were analyzed by the Raman spectra, from which 23 presented positive serology to toxoplasmosis and one was a reference negative serum. Characteristic Raman peaks allowed differentiation between negative and positive sera, confirming the possibility of antibody detection by Raman spectroscopy. These results give the first evidence that this technique can be useful to quantify antibodies in cat sera.

Deriving the magnitude of niobium off-center displacement in ferroelectric niobates from infrared spectroscopy

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Morfologia em alta resolução espacial de estrelas de tipo Mira e R Corenae Borealis

Mira and R Coronae Borealis (R CrB) variable stars are evolved objects surrounded by circumstellar envelopes (CSE) composed of the ejected stellar material. We present a detailed high-spatial resolution morfological study of the CSE of three stars: IRC+10216, the closest and more studied Carbon-Rich Mira; o Ceti, the prototype of the Mira class; and RY Sagitarii (RY Sgr), the brightest R CrB variable of the south hemisphere. JHKL near-infrared adaptive optics images of IRC+10216 with high dynamic range and Vband images with high angular resolution and high depth, collected with the VLT/NACO and VLT/FORS1 instruments, were analyzed. NACO images of o Ceti were also analyzed. Interferometric observations of RY Sgr collected with the VLTI/MIDI instrument allowed us to explore its CSE innermost regions (»20 40 mas). The CSE of IRC+10216 exhibit, in near-infrared, clumps with more complex relative displacements than proposed in previous studies. In V-band, the majority of the non-concentric shells, located in the outer CSE layers, seem to be composed of thinner elongated shells. In a global view, the morphological connection between the shells and the bipolar core of the nebulae, located in the outer layers, together with the clumps, located in the innermost regions, has a difficult interpretation. In the CSE of o Ceti, preliminar results would be indicating the presence of possible clumps. In the innermost regions (.110 UA) of the CSE of RY Sgr, two clouds were detected in different epochs, embedded in a variable gaussian envelope. Based on a rigorous verification, the first cloud was located at »100 R¤ (or »30 AU) from the centre, toward the east-north-east direction (modulo 180o) and the second one was almost at a perpendicular direction, having aproximately 2£ the distance of the first cloud. This study introduces new constraints to the mass-loss history of these kind of variables and to the morphology of their innermost CSE regions

Estudo sistemático de estrelas variáveis na era dos grandes surveys

The interest in the systematic analysis of astronomical time series data, as well as development in astronomical instrumentation and automation over the past two decades has given rise to several questions of how to analyze and synthesize the growing amount of data. These data have led to many discoveries in the areas of modern astronomy asteroseismology, exoplanets and stellar evolution. However, treatment methods and data analysis have failed to follow the development of the instruments themselves, although much effort has been done. In present thesis, we propose new methods of data analysis and two catalogs of the variable stars that allowed the study of rotational modulation and stellar variability. Were analyzed the photometric databases fromtwo distinctmissions: CoRoT (Convection Rotation and planetary Transits) and WFCAM (Wide Field Camera). Furthermore the present work describes several methods for the analysis of photometric data besides propose and refine selection techniques of data using indices of variability. Preliminary results show that variability indices have an efficiency greater than the indices most often used in the literature. An efficient selection of variable stars is essential to improve the efficiency of all subsequent steps. Fromthese analyses were obtained two catalogs; first, fromtheWFCAMdatabase we achieve a catalog with 319 variable stars observed in the photometric bands Y ZJHK. These stars show periods ranging between ∼ 0, 2 to ∼ 560 days whose the variability signatures present RR-Lyrae, Cepheids , LPVs, cataclysmic variables, among many others. Second, from the CoRoT database we selected 4, 206 stars with typical signatures of rotationalmodulation, using a supervised process. These stars show periods ranging between ∼ 0, 33 to ∼ 92 days, amplitude variability between ∼ 0, 001 to ∼ 0, 5 mag, color index (J - H) between ∼ 0, 0 to ∼ 1, 4 mag and spectral type CoRoT FGKM. The WFCAM variable stars catalog is being used to compose a database of light curves to be used as template in an automatic classifier for variable stars observed by the project VVV (Visible and Infrared Survey Telescope for Astronomy) moreover it are a fundamental start point to study different scientific cases. For example, a set of 12 young stars who are in a star formation region and the study of RR Lyrae-whose properties are not well established in the infrared. Based on CoRoT results we were able to show, for the first time, the rotational modulation evolution for an wide homogeneous sample of field stars. The results are inagreement with those expected by the stellar evolution theory. Furthermore, we identified 4 solar-type stars ( with color indices, spectral type, luminosity class and rotation period close to the Sun) besides 400 M-giant stars that we have a special interest to forthcoming studies. From the solar-type stars we can describe the future and past of the Sun while properties of M-stars are not well known. Our results allow concluded that there is a high dependence of the color-period diagram with the reddening in which increase the uncertainties of the age-period realized by previous works using CoRoT data. This thesis provides a large data-set for different scientific works, such as; magnetic activity, cataclysmic variables, brown dwarfs, RR-Lyrae, solar analogous, giant stars, among others. For instance, these data will allow us to study the relationship of magnetic activitywith stellar evolution. Besides these aspects, this thesis presents an improved classification for a significant number of stars in the CoRoT database and introduces a new set of tools that can be used to improve the entire process of the photometric databases analysis

Modified LPE system used to diffuse Cd to obtain InSb infrared detectors

We are presenting here p/n junctions obtained with a modified opened liquid-phase epitaxy (LPE) system, used to diffuse indium antimonide (InSb) doped with Cd over InSb doped with Te wafers, in order to make InSb infrared (IR) sensors. This technique has several advantages: the diffusion can be performed in bigger substrate areas improving the device production; this method decreases the device manipulation, decreasing human mistakes and increasing the process reproducibility. The opened LPE in this work produced sensors in the first case with vapor of the diffusion material, coming from a microholed carbon boat full of the diffusion material, over which is positioned the substrate at atmospheric pressure. In the second, the diffusion material is on the bottom of a quartz recipient, and the InSb/Te wafer works as its cover, and vacuum was used. The IR sensors produced with the first method measured 8.9 x 10(7) cm Hz(1/2)/W as detectivity value and higher IR spectral response at 4.6 mu m, and those produced with the second 2.8 x 10(9) cm Hz(1/2)/W, at 4.4 mu m. Besides the electrical-optical properties, the structural properties of diffused layers were investigated by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron and atomic force microscopy (SEM, AFM), energy-dispersive and secondary ion mass spectroscopy (EDS, SIMS). (C) 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.