Hydrogen absorption in Ti45Zr35Ni17Cu3 amorphous and quasicrystalline alloy powders

Ti45Zr35Ni17Cu3 amorphous and icosahedral quasicrystal line (I-phase) powders were synthesized by mechanical alloying (MA) and subsequent annealing, the phase structure and hydrogen absorption properties of two powders were investigated. XRD analysis indicated that the MAed powder was an amorphous phase and annealed powder was an I-phase. Two alloy exhibited excellent hydrogen adsorption property and started to absorb hydrogen without induction time. PCT measurement showed that the plateau pressure of the amorphous powders was obviously higher than that of the I-phase powders. After the first hydrogen cycling, the partial amorphous phase changed to (Zr, Ti)H-2 phases, and the I-phase was steady. Similar hydride phases Ti2ZrH4 and (Zr, Ti)H-2 were also formed after the second hydrogen cycling for the amorphous and I-phase alloy powders.

Switch-on transient behavior of vanadium phthalocyanine based organic transistors

The authors investigated the switch-on transient properties of p-type vanadium phthalocyanine (VOPc) transistors, which were fabricated by weak epitaxy growth on ordered para-sexiphenyl (p-6P) layer. The overshoot phenomenon of drain current had been observed in the VOPc/p-6P transistors, which was explained by the filling of carriers in traps of organic films. The small overshoot value of about 35% and transient duration time of 2 ms demonstrated the low trap concentration in organic films, which were comparable to the reported hydrogenated amorphous-silicon thin-film transistors. Therefore, the VOPc/p-6P transistors can be applied in active matrix liquid crystal display as switch elements.

Organic photovoltaic cells with near infrared absorption spectrum

Organic photovoltaic cells with a strong absorption spectrum in the near infrared region were fabricated with the structure of indium tin oxide (ITO)/zinc phthalocynine (ZnPc)/lead phthalocynine (PbPc)/C-60/Al. PbPc has a broad and strong absorption, while the organic films of PbPc/C-60 showed an additional new absorption peak at 900 nm. The absorption in the near infrared region can harvest more photons to invert into photocurrent. Moreover, the introduction of ZnPc thin layer between ITO and PbPc further improved the new absorption peak and the collection of hole carriers at the electrode ITO, which increased the power conversion efficiencies to 1.95% and short-circuit current density to 9.1 mA/cm(2) under AM 1.5 solar spectrum.

Determination of Hg(II) in waters by on-line preconcentration using Cyanex 923 as a sorbent - Cold vapor atomic absorption spectrometry

Using a solid phase extraction mini-column home-made from a neutral extractant Cyanex 923, inorganic Hg could be on-line preconcentrated and simultaneously separated from methyl mercury. The preconcentrated Hg (11) was then eluted with 10% HNO3 and subsequently reduced by NaBH4 to form Hg vapor before determination by cold vapor atomic absorption spectrometry (CVAAS). Optimal conditions for and interferences on the Hg preconcentration and measurement were at 1% HCl, for a 25 mL sample uptake volume and a 10 mL min(-1) sample loading rate. The detection limit was 0.2 ng L-1 and much lower than that of conventional method (around 15.8 ng L-1). The relative standard deviation (RSD) is 1.8% for measurements of 40 ng L-1 of Hg and the linear working curve is from 20 to 2000 ng L-1 (with a correlation coefficient of 0.9996). The method was applied in determination of inorganic Hg in city lake and deep well water (from Changchun, Jilin, China), and recovery test results for both samples were satisfactory.

Determination of mercury with a flow injection quartz tube atomic absorption spectrometry

A method was developed for the determination of micro mercury in the soil, plants and the traditional Chinese medicine using flow injection quartz tube-atomic absorption spectrometry. The effect of the factors such as acidity,. the carrier solution, the flow rate of reductive solution and argon gas, etc. on the determination was studied. When vanadic oxide, nitric acid and sulfuric acid were used to decompose the sample reliable result could be obtained. The characteristic mass of the method is 59 pg, the detection limit is 0.028 mug/L, RSD is < 3.9% and the recovery is in the range of 94% &SIM; 102%.

Studies on the coordination of Pr(III) with adrenaline by potentiometry and absorption spectroscopy

The stability constant for complex of Pr(III) with adrenaline has been determined by potentiometric titration under biological conditions (37 degrees C and 0.15 mol/L NaCl). The absorption spectra of the Pr(III)-adrenaline system exhibit characteristic bands of Pr(III) at lower pH values. However, the charge transfer band which is due to the coordination of Pr(III) with adrenaline has been observed at higher pH values.

Purification of R-phycoerythrin from Porphyra haitanensis (Bangiales, Rhodophyta) using expanded-bed absorption

R-phycoerythrin (R-PE) was purified from leafy gametophyte of Porphyra haitanensis T. J. Chang et B. F. Zheng (Bangiales, Rhodophyta) by a simple, scaleable procedure. Initially, phycobiliproteins were extracted by repeated freeze-thaw cycles, resulting in release from the algal cells by osmotic shock. Next, R-PE was recovered by applying the crude extract with a high concentration of (NH4)(2)SO4 salt directly to the expanded-bed columns loaded with phenyl-sepharose. An expanded-bed volume twice the settled-bed volume was maintained; then low (NH4)(2)SO4 concentration was used to develop the column. After two rounds of hydrophobic interaction chromatography (HIC), R-PE was purified by anion-exchange column. The method was also successful with free-living conchocelis of P. haitanensis. The purified R-PE was identified with electrophoresis, and absorption and fluorescence emission spectroscopy. The results were in agreement with those previously reported. The yield with a spectroscopic purity (OD565/OD280) higher than 3.2 (the ratio of A(565)/A(620) <= 0.02) was 1.4 mg . g(-1) of leafy gametophyte of P. haitanensis. For the free-living conchocelis of P. haitanensis extract, R-PE could be purified successfully with only one round of HIC. The yield with a spectroscopic purity (OD565/OD280) higher than 3.2 (the ratio of A(565)/A(620) <= 0.02) was 5.0 mg . g(-1) of free-living conchocelis of P. haitanensis. The method described here is a scaleable technology that allows a large quantity of R-PE to be recovered from the unclarified P. haitanensis crude extract. It is also a high protein recovery technology, reducing both processing costs and times, which enhances the value of this endemic Porphyra of China.

Transient expression of lacZ in particle bombarded Gracilaria changii (Gracilariales, Rhodophyta)

Using a Biolistic PDS 1000/He system, healthy thalli of Gracilaria changii were bombarded with gold particles coated with plasmid DNA containing the lacZ reporter gene. Transient expression of lacZ was observed in bombarded thalli under the rupture-disc pressures of 4482, 6206, 7584 and 8963 KPa, two days after bombardment. Although G. changii exhibits a slight blue background, positive expression and the background colour can be clearly differentiated. The results indicate that lacZ could be a useful reporter gene and that SV40 promoter could be an effective promoter for Gracilaria transformation.

Transient expression of lacZ in bombarded unicellular green alga Haematococcus pluvialis

This paper reports for the first time the transient expression of a reporter gene, LacZ, in the unicellular green alga Haematococcus pluvialis. By employing the micro-particle bombardment method, motile cells in the exponential phase showed transient expression of lacZ. This was detected in bombarded motile cells under the rupture-disc pressures of 3103 KPa and 4137 KPa. Transient expression of LacZ gene could not be observed in non-motile cells of this alga under the same transformation condition. No LacZ background was found in either the motile cells or the non-motile cells. The study suggests a promising potential of the SV40 promoter and the lacZ reporter gene in genetic engineering of unicellular green algae.

Three-stage transformation of chlorophyll transient fluorescence pattern under sustained dehydration and the discovery of critical water content in seaweeds

The chlorophyll fluorescence kinetics of marine red alga Grateloupia turutunt Yamada, green alga Ulva pertusa Kjellm and brown alga Laminaria japonica Aresch during natural sustained dehydration were monitored and investigated. The pulse amplified modulation (PAM) system was used to analyze the distinct fluorescence parameters during thallus dehydration. Results proved that the fluorescence kinetics of different seaweed all showed three patterns of transformation with sustained water loss. These were: 1) peak kinetic pattern (at the early stage of dehydration fluorescence enhanced and quenched subsequently, representing a normal physiological state). 2) plateau kinetic pattern (with sustained water loss fluorescence enhanced continuously but quenching became slower, finally reaching its maximum). 3) Platform kinetic pattern (fluorescence fell and the shape of kinetic curve was similar to plateau kinetic pattern). A critical water content (CWC) could be found and defined as the percentage of water content just prior to the fluorescence drop and to be a significant physiological index for evaluation of plant drought tolerance. Once thallus water content became lower than this value the normal peak pattern can not be recovered even through rehydration, indicating an irreversible damage to the thylakoid membrane. The CWC value corresponding to different marine species were varied and negatively correlated with their desiccation tolerance, for example. Laminaria japonica had the highest CWC value (around 90%) and the lowest dehydration tolerance of the three. In addition, a fluorescence "burst" was found only in red algae during rehydration. The different fluorescence parameters F-o, F-v and F-v, F-m were measured and compared during water loss. Both F-o and F-v increased in the first stage of dehydration but F-v/F-m. kept almost constant. So the immediate response of in vivo chlorophyll fluorescence to dehydration was an enhancement. Later with sustained dehydration F-o increased continuously while F-v decreased and tended to become smaller and smaller. The major changes in fluorescence (including fluorescence drop during dehydration and the burst during rehydration) were all attributed to the change in F-o instead of F-v This significance of F-o indicates that it is necessary to do more research on F-o as well as on its relationship with the state of thylakoid membrane.