Preparation and evaluation of an experimental luting glass ionomer cement to be used in dentistry

The aim of this paper is to compare the fluoride-releasing and mechanical properties of an experimental luting glass ionomer cement, which has a modified composition and a commercial luting cement. The experimental powder was obtained by sol-gel process and then, it was used to prepare the experimental cements. The properties of cement pastes, such as setting time and working time, microhardness and diametral tensile strength were determined. Fluoride release from GICs was evaluated at time intervals of 1, 7, 14, 21 and 28 days in deionized water. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) analyses showed that the surface of the experimental cements is more homogeneous than commercial GICs. The mechanical properties and the measure of liberation of fluoride of the two cements were influenced by ratio powder:liquid and chemical composition of the precursor powders. Experimental cements released less fluoride than commercial cements. However, this liberation was more constant during the analyzed period. Thus, the results obtained in this study indicated that the composition of the experimental powder modified by the niobium can lead the formation of the polysalt matrix with good mechanical properties. In other words, we can say that experimental powder offered considerable promise for exploitation in dental field.

Microscopia de força atômica aplicada em imunoensaios

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

Potassium niobate thin films prepared through polymeric precursor method

Thin films of potassium niobate were deposited on (100) Si substrates by the polymeric precursor method (Pechini method). Annealing in static air was performed at 600degrees C for 20 h. The obtained films were characterized by X-ray diffraction and atomic force microscopy (AFM). Electrical characterization of the films pointed to ferroelectricity via hysteresis loop. The dielectric constant, dissipation factor and resistance were measured in frequency region from 10 Hz to 10 MHz. At 1 MHz, the dielectric constant was 158 and the dissipation factor was 0.11. (C) 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Ferroelectric characteristics of SrBi4Ti4O15 thin films grown on Pt/Ti/SiO2/Si substrates by the soft chemical method

Ferroelectric SrBi4Ti4O15 thin films were successfully prepared on a Pt(111)/Ti/SiO2/Si(100) substrate for the first time by spin coating, using the polymeric precursor method. X-ray diffraction patterns of the films indicate that they are polycrystalline in nature. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) analyses showed that the surface of these films is smooth, dense and crack-free with low surface roughness (6.4 nm). At room temperature and at a frequency of 1 MHz, the dielectric constant and the dissipation factor were, respectively, 150 and 0.022. The C-V characteristics of perovskite thin film prepared at low temperature show normal ferrolectric behaviour. The remanent polarization and coercive field for the films deposited were 5.4 mu C/cm(2) and 8 5 kV/cm, respectively. All the capacitors showed good polarization fatigue characteristics at least up to 1 x 10(10) bipolar pulse cycles indicating that SrBi4Ti4O15 thin films can be a promising material for use in nonvolatile memories. (c) 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Surface equilibrium angle for anisotropic grain growth in SnO2 systems

Usually, the kinetic models used in the study of sintered ceramic are performed by means of indirect physical tests, such as, results obtained from data of linear shrinkage and mass loss. This fact is justified by the difficulty in the determinations of intrinsic parameters of ceramic materials along every sintering process. In this way, the technique of atomic force microscopy (AFM) was used in order to determine the importance and the evolution of the dihedral angle in the sintering of 0.5 mol% MnO2-doped tin dioxide obtained by the polymeric precursor method.

Influence of cerium (IV) ions on the mechanism of organosilane polymerization and on the improvement of its barrier properties

In this work, the effect of cerium (IV) ammonium nitrate (CAN) addition on the polymerization of bis-[triethoxysilyl]ethane (BTSE) film applied on carbon steel was studied. The electrochemical characterization of the films was carried out in 0.1 mol L(-1) NaCl solution by open-circuit potential measurements, anodic and cathodic polarization curves and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). Morphological and chemical characterization were performed by atomic force microscopy (AFM), contact angle measurements, infrared-spectroscopy, nuclear magnetic resonance and thermogravimetric analysis. The results have clearly shown the improvement on the protective properties of the Ce(4+) modified film as a consequence of the formation of a more uniform and densely reticulated silane film. A mechanism is proposed to explain the accelerating role of Ce(4+) ions on the cross-linking of the silane layer. (C) 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Dependence of annealing time on structural and morphological properties of Ca(Zr0.05Ti0.95)O-3 thin films

Ca(Zr0.05Ti0.95)O-3 (CZT) thin films were prepared by the polymeric precursor method by spin-coating process. The films were deposited on Pt(1 1 1)/Ti/SiO2/Si(1 0 0) substrates and annealed at 650 degrees C for 2,4, and 6 It in oxygen atmosphere. Structure and morphology of the CZT thin films were characterized by the X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), atomic force microscopy (AFM) and field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FEG-SEM). XRD revealed that the film is free of secondary phases and crystallizes in the orthorhombic structure. The annealing time influences the grain size, lattices parameter and in the film thickness. (c) 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Photocatalyst TiO2-Co: the effect of doping depth profile on methylene blue degradation

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

Optimization of incubation time of protein Tc85 in the construction of biosensor: Is the EIS a good tool?

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

The Fabrication and Characterization of a Nickel Nanoparticle Modified Boron Doped Diamond Electrode for Electrocatalysis of Primary Alcohol Oxidation

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

Cimentos endodônticos: análise morfológica imediata e após seis meses utilizando microscopia de força atômica

O objetivo deste trabalho foi analisar a morfologia dos cimentos Sealapex, Apexit, Sealer 26 (cimentos a base de hidróxido de cálcio) e Ketac Endo (cimento de ionômero de vidro), através da microscopia de força atômica, verificando-se as características de suas partículas após a obturação dos canais radiculares e após um período de seis meses de contato com o plasma sanguíneo humano. Utilizaram-se 16 dentes unirradiculares humanos extraídos e incluídos em blocos de resina após o preparo biomecânico. As raízes foram divididas em quatro grupos de quatro raízes cada e os canais radiculares obturados pela técnica de condensação lateral passiva com os cimentos em estudo. Verificou-se que o cimento Apexit foi o que mais sofreu desintegração após seis meses de imersão em plasma sanguíneo humano, seguido pelo Ketac Endo e Sealapex. Dentre todos os cimentos estudados, o Sealer 26 mostrou-se o mais uniforme e com a menor desintegração.

Surface morphology and optical characterization of OC1 OC6-PPV films

We report optical and morphological properties of poly(2-methoxy-5-hexyloxy-p-phenylenevinylene) (OC1OC6-PPV) films processed by casting, spin-coating (SC) and Langmuir-Blodgett (LB) techniques. The absorption spectra are practically the same, with an absorption maximum at approximately at 500 nm. For the photoluminescence (PL) spectra at low temperature (T=10K), a small but significant difference was noted in the cast film, in comparison with the LB and SC films. The zero-phonon transition shifted from 609 nm for the LB film to 615 and 621 nm for the SC and cast films, respectively. At room temperature, the PL spectra are similar for all films, and blue shifted by ca. 25 nm in comparison with the spectra at low temperature due to thermal disorder. Using atomic force microscopy (AFM) we inferred that the distinctive behavior of the cast film, probably associated with structural defects, is related to the large thickness of this film. The surface roughness, which was surprisingly higher for the LB film, apparently played no role in the emission properties of OC1OC6-PPV films.

Filmes finos de Titanato de Chumbo e Lantânio - PLT: influência do pH

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

Filmes finos de SrBi2Ta2O9 processados em forno microondas

Filmes finos de SrBi2Ta2O9 foram depositados em substratos de Pt/Ti/SiO2/Si e, pela primeira vez, sinterizados em forno microondas doméstico. Os padrões de difração de raios X mostraram que os filmes são policristalinos. O processamento por microondas permite utilizar baixa temperatura na síntese e obter filmes com boas propriedades elétricas. Ensaios de microscopia eletrônica de varredura (MEV) e de Força Atômica (MFA) revelam boa aderência entre filme e substrato, com microestrutura de superfície apresentando grãos finos e esféricos e rugosidade de 4,7 nm. A constante dielétrica e o fator de dissipação, para freqüência de 100 KHz, à temperatura ambiente, foram de 77 e 0,04, respectivamente. A polarização remanescente (2Pr) e o campo coercitivo (Ec) foram 1,04 miC/cm² e 33 kV/cm. O comportamento da densidade de corrente de fuga revela três mecanismos de condução: linear, ôhmico e outro mecanismo que pode ser atribuído à corrente de Schottky. Dos padrões de DRX, análises das imagens por MEV e topografia de superfície por MFA observa-se que 10 min de tratamento térmico a 550 ºC, em forno microondas, é tempo suficiente para se obter a cristalização do filme.

Microstructural, dielectric and ferroelectric properties of calcium-modified lead titanate thin films derived by chemical processes

Ferroelectric Pb1-xCaxTiO3 (x = 0.24) thin films were formed on a Pt/Ti/SiO2/Si substrate by the polymeric precursor method using the dip-coating technique for their deposition. Characterization of the films bq X-ray diffraction showed a perovskite single phase with a tetragonal structure after annealing at 700 degreesC. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) analyses showed that the film had a smooth and crack-free surface with low surface roughness. In addition, the PCT thin film had a granular structure with an 80 nm grain size. The thickness of the films observed by the scanning electron microscopy (SEM) is 550 nm and there is a good adhesion between the film and substrate. For the electrical measurements metal-ferroelectric-metal of the type capacitors were obtained, where the thin films showed good dielectric and ferroelectric properties. The dielectric constant and dissipation factor at 1 kHz and measured at room temperature were found to be 457 and 0.03. respectively. The remanent polarization and coercive field for the: deposited films were P-r = 17 muC/cm(2) and E-c = 75 kV/cm, respectively. Moreover. The 550-nm-thick film showed a current density in the order of 10(-8) A/cm(2) at the applied voltage of 2 V. The high values of the thin film's dielectric properties are attributed to its excellent microstructural quality and the chemical homogeneity obtained by the polymeric precursor method. (C) 2001 Elsevier science Ltd. All rights reserved.