Infrared and Raman spectroscopic characterization of the borate mineral colemanite – CaB3O4(OH)3·H2O – implications for the molecular structure

Colemanite CaB3O4(OH)3 H2O is a secondary borate mineral formed from borax and ulexite in evaporate deposits of alkaline lacustrine sediments. The basic structure of colemanite contains endless chains of interlocking BO2(OH) triangles and BO3(OH) tetrahedrons with the calcium, water and extra hydroxide units interspersed between these chains. The Raman spectra of colemanite is characterized by an intense band at 3605 cm-1 assigned to the stretching vibration of OH units and a series of bands at 3182, 3300, 3389 and 3534 cm-1 assigned to water stretching vibrations. Infrared bands are observed in similar positions. The BO stretching vibrations of the trigonal and tetrahedral boron are characterized by Raman bands at 876, 1065 and 1084 cm-1. The OBO bending mode is defined by the Raman band at 611 cm-1. It is important to characterize the very wide range of borate minerals including colemanite because of the very wide range of applications of boron containing minerals.

Wet chemical formation of nanoparticles of binary perovskites through isothermal gel to crystallite conversion

Coarse BO2·xH2O (2 < x < 80) gels, free of anion contaminants react with A(OH)2 under refluxing conditions at 70�100°C giving rise to crystallites of single phased, nanometer size powders of ABO3 perovskites (A = Ba, Sr, Ca, Mg, Pb; B = Zr, Ti, Sn). Solid solutions of perovskites could be prepared from compositionally modified gels or mixtures of A(OH)2. Donor doped perovskites could also be prepared from the same method so that the products after processing are often semiconducting. Faster interfacial diffusion of A2+ ions into the gel generates the crystalline regions whose composition is controllable by the A/B ratio as well as the A(OH)2 concentration.

稀土固体剂量计材料的合成、发光及剂量光学性质

采用高温固相扩散反应合成了稀土元素激活的碱土硼酸盐MB4O7:RE（M=Sr， Ba；RE＝D又Tb，Tm， Ho）；过渡金属硼酸盐Zn4B6O13：RE（RE＝Dy,Tb，Tm，Ho）； Zn（BO2）2:RE（RE＝Dy,Tb，Tm，Ho）；碱土磷酸盐M3（PO4）2:RE（M=Sr，Ba；RE＝Du, Tb）。通过）。RD和琅光谱对其结构进行了表征。测定了上述化合物的红外、荧光、余辉、漫反射和热释光谱及剂量学性质。研究了高能60Co伽玛射线和p-射线辐照下，稀土离子激活的碱土硼酸盐 MB407：Dy（M=Sr，Ba）；过渡金属硼酸盐Zn4B6O13:Dy；Zn（BO2）2：Dy，Zn毋o承：Tb； 碱土磷酸盐Sr3（PO4）2:Dy的三维热释光谱及MB4O7:Dy（M=Sr，B）的电子顺磁共 振谱（EPR）的性质。发现稀土离子激活剂的浓度在一定的范围内增加时，能够改变陷阱的分布，不同深度陷阱的相对分布发生变化，使峰温向高温方向移动，这可提高剂量器的 热稳定性。发现稀土离子对材料的热释发光亦存在浓度碎灭作用。通过热释发光曲线；结合定量公式，计算了一些硼酸盐化合物的动力学参数。首次应用荧光、三维热释光谱等手段确证了高能60Co伽玛射线和p-射线辐 照没有导致稀土离子D3+和Tb3+的价态变化，即未改变为二价或四价化合物。研究了这类电子俘获材料的存储机理和辐照前后，基质和稀土离子的物理、化学 变化。通过电子顺磁共振谱卿）分析了缺陷的类型，即在高能60Co伽玛射线和p 一射线辐照下，存在空穴和电子两类陷阱中心。热释发光曲线与电子顺磁共振谱 的快衰退部分对应着浅陷阱能级，而慢衰退部分对应着深陷阱能级，陷阱能级是 连续分布的。在个人防护和临床治疗剂量范围内，筛选出7个60Co伽玛射线和中能x一射 线辐照下具有应用前景的高效热释发光材料，为深入研究打下基础。研究了高能p-射线辐照下，两．种潜在的具有应用前景的用于辐射加工剂量范围的p-射线固体剂量计材料。

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.

Comparative Genomics of Early-Diverging Brucella Strains Reveals a Novel Lipopolysaccharide Biosynthesis Pathway

Brucella species are Gram-negative bacteria that infect mammals. Recently, two unusual strains (Brucella inopinata BO1(T) and B. inopinata-like BO2) have been isolated from human patients, and their similarity to some atypical brucellae isolated from Australian native rodent species was noted. Here we present a phylogenomic analysis of the draft genome sequences of BO1(T) and BO2 and of the Australian rodent strains 83-13 and NF2653 that shows that they form two groups well separated from the other sequenced Brucella spp. Several important differences were noted. Both BO1(T) and BO2 did not agglutinate significantly when live or inactivated cells were exposed to monospecific A and Mantisera against O-side chain sugars composed of N-formyl-perosamine. While BO1(T) maintained the genes required to synthesize a typical Brucella O-antigen, BO2 lacked many of these genes but still produced a smooth LPS (lipopolysaccharide). Most missing genes were found in the wbk region involved in O-antigen synthesis in classic smooth Brucella spp. In their place, BO2 carries four genes that other bacteria use for making a rhamnose-based O-antigen. Electrophoretic, immunoblot, and chemical analyses showed that BO2 carries an antigenically different O-antigen made of repeating hexose-rich oligosaccharide units that made the LPS water-soluble, which contrasts with the homopolymeric O-antigen of other smooth brucellae that have a phenol-soluble LPS. The results demonstrate the existence of a group of early-diverging brucellae with traits that depart significantly from those of the Brucella species described thus far. IMPORTANCE This report examines differences between genomes from four new Brucella strains and those from the classic Brucella spp. Our results show that the four new strains are outliers with respect to the previously known Brucella strains and yet are part of the genus, forming two new clades. The analysis revealed important information about the evolution and survival mechanisms of Brucella species, helping reshape our knowledge of this important zoonotic pathogen. One discovery of special importance is that one of the strains, BO2, produces an O-antigen distinct from any that has been seen in any other Brucella isolates to date.