Impact of N on the atomic-scale Sb distribution in quaternary GaAsSbN-capped InAs quantum dots

The use of GaAsSbN capping layers on InAs/GaAs quantum dots (QDs) has recently been proposed for micro- and optoelectronic applications for their ability to independently tailor electron and hole confinement potentials. However, there is a lack of knowledge about the structural and compositional changes associated with the process of simultaneous Sb and N incorporation. In the present work, we have characterized using transmission electron microscopy techniques the effects of adding N in the GaAsSb/InAs/GaAs QD system. Firstly, strain maps of the regions away from the InAs QDs had revealed a huge reduction of the strain fields with the N incorporation but a higher inhomogeneity, which points to a composition modulation enhancement with the presence of Sb-rich and Sb-poor regions in the range of a few nanometers. On the other hand, the average strain in the QDs and surroundings is also similar in both cases. It could be explained by the accumulation of Sb above the QDs, compensating the tensile strain induced by the N incorporation together with an In-Ga intermixing inhibition. Indeed, compositional maps of column resolution from aberration-corrected Z-contrast images confirmed that the addition of N enhances the preferential deposition of Sb above the InAs QD, giving rise to an undulation of the growth front. As an outcome, the strong redshift in the photoluminescence spectrum of the GaAsSbN sample cannot be attributed only to the N-related reduction of the conduction band offset but also to an enhancement of the effect of Sb on the QD band structure.     

Design,Synthesis and Evaluation of 2,4-Diaminoquinazoline Derivatives as Potential Tubulin Polymerization Inhibitors

Microtubules are highly dynamic polymers composed of α- and β-tubulin proteins that have been shown to be potential therapeutic targets for the development of anticancer drugs. Currently, a wide variety of chemically diverse agents that bind to β-tubulin have been reported. Nocodazole (NZ) and colchicine (COL) are well-known tubulin-depolymerizing agents that have close binding sites in the β-tubulin. In this study, we designed and synthesized a set of nine 2,4-diaminoquinazoline derivatives that could occupy both NZ and COL binding sites. The synthesized compounds were evaluated for their antiproliferative activities against five cancer cell lines (PC-3, HCT-15, MCF-7, MDA-MB-231, and SK-LU-1), a noncancerous one (COS-7), and peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC). The effect of compounds 4 e and 4 i on tubulin organization and polymerization was analyzed on the SK-LU-1 cell line by indirect immunofluorescence, western blotting, and tubulin polymerization assays. Our results demonstrated that both compounds exert their antiproliferative activity by inhibiting tubulin polymerization. Finally, a possible binding pose of 4 i in the NZ/COL binding site was determined by using molecular docking and molecular dynamics (MD) approaches. To our knowledge, this is the first report of non-N-substituted 2,4-diaminoquinazoline derivatives with the ability to inhibit tubulin polymerization.     

Removal of fluoride from electronic industrial effluentby RO membrane separation

The electronics industry generates large amounts of fluoride-containing effluents. The objective of this studyis to study the feasibility of applying reverse osmosis (RO) membrane separation to reduce fluoride load to less than 1 kg/d. The effect of transmembrane pressure on the removal of fluoride ion has been investigated in detail, and the design parameters of a small RO separation unit were estimated. The present study indicated that the rejection of fluoride ion is typically higher than 98%, considering that the RO membrane was fully regenerated after each set of experiments. The effect of upstream concentration on the required mechanical pressure was determined by estimating the theoretical osmotic pressure of the feed solution. For industrial effluents, the process developed in this work allows us to reduce the treated volume from 6 m³/d to 0.36 m³/d without any pretreatment or adding additional compounds. The cost of the designed RO separation plant (€76,000) is much less than that of the conventional treatment (€533/m³) that deals mainly with volumes rather than specific     

The geology and mineralogy of a range of kaolins from the Santa Cruz and Chubut Provinces, Patagonia (Argentina)

In the Santa Cruz and Chubut provinces, Patagonia, Argentina, kaolin deposits were formed by “in situ” alteration of volcaniclastic rocks, such as the Bajo Grande, Chon Aike or Marifil Formations, or by erosion, transportation, and deposition of residual clays in small basins. This paper describes the genesis; geology; mineralogy; major, minor, and trace element geochemistry; grain size distribution; and specific surface area of natural and washed kaolins in an attempt to understand their behavior in the ceramic process. The sedimentary clays of the Baqueró Fm Lower Member, related to the Bajo Grande basement, are kaolinitic–smectitic, very fine-grained, and with a very high specific surface area. The clays related to the Chon Aike or Marifil Fms are kaolinitic, showing intermediate values of specific surface area and a coarser particle size distribution, associated with quite a fine-grained texture. The Baqueró Fm Upper Member received a considerable pyroclastic supply, fostering the development of a fine-grained clay in which kaolinite (± halloysite) with higher values of kaolinite crystal order prevailed. Primary kaolins – derived from weathering of pyroclastic sequences of Chon Aike and Marifil Fms – are coarse-grained, composed of kaolinite + quartz ± halloysite and exhibit a very low specific surface area. Alteration of mostly crystalline pyroclastics yielded ordered kaolinite and illite (+ halloysite) with a fine particle size distribution and intermediate values of specific surface area. Alteration of mainly vitreous pyroclastics produced halloysite (+ kaolinite) with a fine-grained texture and moderately high values of specific surface area. A supergene origin of primary kaolins is inferred on the basis of palaeoclimatic and geochemical evidence that corroborates stable isotopic data. The mineralogy, grain size, and textural characteristics of clays are controlled by parent rock composition (primary kaolins) or by provenance and proximity to source areas (sedimentary kaolins).     

Titania-Supported Gold Catalysts: Comparison between the Photochemical Phenol Oxidation and Gaseous CO Oxidation Performances

A series of Au/TiO₂ samples with gold loadings ranging from 0.11% to 1.26% have been prepared by deposition–precipitation, characterised by means of XRD, S_BET, XRF, TEM, XPS and DR UV–Vis techniques and tested in the gaseous CO oxidation and photocatalytic degradation of phenol in aqueous media. The catalytic performances of the solids on both reactions depend on the gold content. Besides this, the gold particle size plays a determinant role in the catalytic activity for the CO reaction, but apparently its influence on the photocatalytic activity appears to be negligible and only very small gold particles seem to participate on the photocatalytic process. On the other hand, the electronic properties of the solids, measured by its band gap energy, are a key factor in the photochemical activity but do not have a clear influence in the CO oxidation reaction.     

流动控制结晶器内钢液运动的规律

在连铸实验装置上 ,以低熔点Pb Sn Bi合金和硅油分别模拟钢液和保护渣 ,对流动控制结晶器内钢液流动规律进行了实验研究。结果表明 ,流动控制结晶器能够控制弯月面的波动和水口区域的流动状态 ,对改善连铸坯表面及内部质量具有良好的作用。