A novel synthesis of perovskite bismuth ferrite nanoparticles

Abstract. Biochar is the solid by-product of biomass pyrolysis. It is a promising soil conditioner and can be a material with high aggregate economic value, since its performance can improve plant’s nutrient utilization and reduce the usage of conventional fertilizers. Biochar can be used in the formulation of new types of fertilizers as polymeric microbeads. These microbeads can be enriched with biochar and nutrients in its matrix to form fertilizers of slow release of nutrients. Thus, as a promising agricultural material, it is important to assess the environmental hazards caused by the implementation of these microbeads. In this context, seeds were sown in a soil-less Petri dish with microbeads produced with biochar from sugarcane enriched with or without phosphate. The seeds germination and its vitality were evaluated by the first germination count (FGC) and the germination speed index (GSI). The short-term effects showed that the microbeads, in general, assessed by the means of FGC, GSI and mass gain showed the best performance, suggesting that the environment created by these materials provided the best chemical and physical interaction with the embryonic axes.

Synthesis and preliminary characterization of Poly(Propylene)Imine hexadecylamine dendrimer (DAB-Am-16) modified with methyl acrylate

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

Cerâmicas porosas a base de zircônia na forma de filmes suportados preparados a partir de emulsões

Pós-graduação em Química - IQ

Chitosan nanoparticles loaded the herbicide paraquat: The influence of the aquatic humic substances on the colloidal stability and toxicity

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

Synthesis, Characterization, and Antifungal Activities of Amphiphilic Derivatives of Diethylaminoethyl Chitosan against Aspergillus flavus

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

Synthesis of Structured Lipids by Enzymatic Interesterification of Milkfat and Soybean Oil in a Basket-Type Stirred Tank Reactor

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

Synthesis of Bi-based superconductor by microwave-assisted hydrothermal method

In this work we studied the synthesis of BSCCO-2212 superconducting phase associating a quite similar method developed by Pechini with the microwave-assisted hydrothermal method. To study the influence of the microwaves on the properties of BSCCO system, we synthesized two samples by such method. For one sample we used carbonates and for the other one we used nitrates as chemical reagents. We also produced a reference sample just using carbonates by Pechini's method to compare their morphological and superconducting properties. The structural properties of the samples were analyzed by scanning electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction. The Bi-2212 phase is predominant in all samples and despites the nitrates-like sample has a broader distribution of grain size in comparison with the reference sample, its magnetic behaviour is closer to that presented by the reference one.

Mechanochemical synthesis of CaTiO3 from CaCO3 - TiO2 mixture

The synthesis of calcium titanate, CaTiO3, was performed by mechanical activation and thermal treatment. Milling for up to 360 minutes in a planetary ball mill mechanically activated an equimolar mixture of CaCO 3 and TiO2 powders. A small amount of mechanically activated mixtures was pressed into briquettes and calcined at 850°C for two hours. The effect of mechanical activation on the solid-state reaction was studied using X-ray powder diffraction and differential thermal analysis. The change of morphology and size of powder particles due to milling, were determined by SEM, while BET analysis was used to determine the specific surface area of the powder. The sintering process was followed by a dilatometer during thermal treatment up to 1300°C. The main conclusion of the analysis of conducted investigations is that CaTiO3 ceramics can be obtained from an activated mixture at a much lower temperature than reported in the literature owing to acceleration of the chemical reaction and sintering.

The Aerosol OT + n-butanol + n-heptane + water system: Phase behavior, structure characterization, and application to Pt70Fe30 nanoparticle Synthesis

A phase diagram of the pseudo-ternary Aerosol OT (AOT) + n-butanol/n-heptane/water system, at a mass ratio of AOT/n-butanol = 2, is presented. Conductivity measurements showed that within the vast one-phase microemulsion region observed, the structural transition from water-in-oil to oil-in-water microemulsion occurs continuously without phase separation. This pseudo-ternary system was applied to the synthesis of carbon-supported Pt 70Fe30 nanoparticles, and it was found that nanoparticles prepared in microemulsions containing n-butanol have more Fe than those prepared in ternary microemulsions of AOT/n-heptane/water under similar conditions. It was verified that introducing n-butanol as a cosurfactant into the AOT/n-heptane/water system lead to complete reduction of the Fe ions that allowed obtaining alloyed PtFe nanoparticles with the desired composition, without the need of preparing functionalized surfactants and/or the use of inert atmosphere. © 2007 American Chemical Society.

Solid-state compounds of 2-methoxybenzylidenepyruvate with some bivalent metal ions - Synthesis, characterization and thermal behavior studies

Solid-state M-2-MeO-BP compounds, where M represents bivalent Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn and 2-MeO-BP is 2-methoxybenzylidenepyruvate have been synthesized. Simultaneous thermogravinietry-differential thermal analysis (TG-DTA), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), X-ray powder diffractometry, infrared spectroscopy, elemental analysis and complexometry were used to characterize and to study the thermal stability and thermal decomposition of these compounds. The results led to information about the composition, dehydration, crystallinity and thermal decomposition of the isolated compounds.

A New Fluorinated Polymer Having Two Connected Rings in the Main Chain: Synthesis and Characterization of Fluorinated Poly(1,3-cyclohexadiene)

The high electronegativity and small size of the fluorine atom and the high stability of C-F bonds impart interesting properties and applications to fluorine containing polymers. The unique properties of fluoropolymers include high thermal stability, improved chemical resistance, low surface energies, low coefficients of friction, and low dielectric constants. Applications of fluorinated polymers include use as noncorrosive materials, polymer processing aids, chemically resistant and antifouling coatings, as well as interlayer dielectrics. Fluorine-containing polymers can be directly synthesized via polymerization of fluorine-containing monomers or by post-polymerization modification. The latter method can be used to attach fluorinated species, such as perfluoroalkyl groups, onto conventional polymer chains, thereby imparting properties of fluorine-containing polymers into conventional polymers and widening their range of potential applications.

HIGH TEMPERATURE RARE EARTH COMPOUNDS: SYNTHESIS, CHARACTERIZATION AND APPLICATIONS IN DEVICE FABRICATION

As the area of nanotechnology continues to grow, the development of new nanomaterials with interesting physical and electronic properties and improved characterization techniques are several areas of research that will be remain vital for continued improvement of devices and the understanding in nanoscale phenomenon. In this dissertation, the chemical vapor deposition synthesis of rare earth (RE) compounds is described in detail. In general, the procedure involves the vaporization of a REClx (RE = Y, La, Ce, Pr, Nd, Sm, Gd, Tb, Dy, Ho) in the presence of hydride phase precursors such as decaborane and ammonia at high temperatures and low pressures. The vapor-liquid-solid mechanism was used in combination with the chemical vapor deposition process to synthesize single crystalline rare earth hexaboride nanostructures. The crystallographic orientation of as-synthesized rare earth hexaboride nanostructures and gadolinium nitride thin films was controlled by judicious choice of specific growth substrates and modeled by analyzing x-ray diffraction powder patterns and crystallographic models. The rare earth hexaboride nanostructures were then implemented into two existing technologies to enhance their characterization capabilities. First, the rare earth hexaboride nanowires were used as a test material for the development of a TEM based local electrode atom probe tomography (LEAP) technique. This technique provided some of the first quantitative compositional information of the rare earth hexaboride systems. Second, due to the rigidity and excellent conductivity of the rare earth hexaborides, nanostructures were grown onto tungsten wires for the development of robust, oxidation resistant nanomanipulator electronic probes for semiconductor device failure analysis.

Synthesis and Photodynamic Effect of New Highly Photostable Decacationically Armed [60]- and [70]Fullerene Decaiodide Monoadducts To Target Pathogenic Bacteria and Cancer Cells

Novel water-soluble decacationically armed C-60 and C-70 decaiodide monoadducts, C-60- and C-70[>M(C3N6+C3)(2)], were synthesized, characterized, and applied as photosensitizers and potential nano-PDT agents against pathogenic bacteria and cancer cells. A high number of cationic charges per fullerene cage and H-bonding moieties were designed for rapid binding to the anionic residues displayed on the outer parts of bacterial cell walls. In the presence of a high number of electron-donating iodide anions as parts of quaternary ammonium salts in the arm region, we found that C-70[>M(C3N6+C3)(2)] produced more HO center dot than C-60[>M(C3N6+C3)(2)], in addition to O-1(2). This finding offers an explanation of the preferential killing of Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria by C-60[>M(C3N6+C3)(2)] and C-70[>M(C3N6+C3)(2)], respectively. The hypothesis is that O-1(2) can diffuse more easily into porous cell walls of Gram-positive bacteria to reach sensitive sites, while the less permeable Gram-negative bacterial cell wall needs the more reactive HO center dot to cause real damage.

Expression of genes from the lignin synthesis pathway in guineagrass genotypes differing in cell-wall digestibility

Rapid decline in cell-wall digestibility hinders efficient use of warm-season grasses. The objective of this study was to identify genes whose expressions are related to the slope of decline in cell-wall digestibility. Eleven guineagrass genotypes were harvested at three ages and classified according to fibre digestibility. Extreme genotypes were separated into groups with either FAST or SLOW decline in fibre digestibility. Expression of transcripts from six genes from the lignin synthesis pathway was quantified by real-time PCR. Fast decline in fibre digestibility was associated with higher DM yield after 90 d of regrowth. Apart from lower fibre digestibility and higher lignin content for the FAST group, there were no other differences between the two groups for the chemical composition of stems and leaves. Maturity affected differently the expression of two of the six genes, cinnamate 4-hydroxylase and caffeoyl-CoA O-methyltransferase (C4H and CCoAOMT). Genotypes with fast decline in fibre digestibility had greater increase in the expression of C4H and CCoAOMT from 30 to 60 d of regrowth, than genotypes with slower decline. Expression of C4H and CCoAOMT appears to be related to the decline in cell-wall digestibility with advance in maturity of guineagrass.