Nanodiamonds with novel properties: A biological study

This paper discusses the prospects for using modified detonation nanodiamonds with novel properties as a new promising material for the development of nanotechnologies intended for biological and medical purposes. The authors report that nanodiamonds synthesized by detonation can be used to further purify commercial protein preparations and that enzymes adsorbed on diamond nanoparticles retain their activity. The paper presents results of in vivo experiments with nanodiamonds administered to animals via different routes.     

Joint determination of 238Pu, 239, 240Pu, 241Pu, and 90Sr in soil

A procedure for determination of ²³⁸Pu, ^{239, 240}Pu, ²⁴¹Pu, and ⁹⁰Sr in soil is reported. ²⁴¹Pu was determined by liquid scintillation counting in the same Pu sample that was obtained from the initial soil sample by coprecipitation with neodymium fluoride and used for α-spectrometric measurements. ⁹⁰Sr was determined by the carbonate method after ion-exchange separation of plutonium. The ⁹⁰Sr activity in the sample was estimated using two measurements of the Cherenkov radiation of ⁹⁰Y, the first made just after separation of ⁹⁰Sr from ⁹⁰Y. This technique allows monitoring of ⁹⁰Y accumulation, excluding contributions from foreign radionuclides. Original Russian Text & V.N. Zabrodskii, Yu.I. Bondar’, A.S. Komarovskaya, V.N. Kalinin, 2006, published in Radiokhimiya, 2006, Vol. 48, No. 1, pp. 87–91.     

Highly refractory mixture for lining crucibles of induction furnaces for melting high-temperature steel

A dry corundum mixture for lining crucibles of induction furnaces of the powder metallurgy shop of the Dneprospetsstal' Plant that increases the durability of the lining in melting high-temperature powder steels is described. The economic effect of using the mixture amounts to 230,000 karb. per ton of melted steel.     

Nature of Linear Spectral Properties and Fast Electronic Relaxations in Green Fluorescent Pyrrolo[3,4-c]Pyridine Derivative

The electronic nature of 4-hydroxy-1H-pyrrolo[3,4-c]pyridine-1,3,6(2H,5H)-trione (HPPT) was comprehensively investigated in liquid media at room temperature using steady-state and time-resolved femtosecond transient absorption spectroscopic techniques. The analysis of the linear photophysical and photochemical parameters of HPPT, including steady-state absorption, fluorescence and excitation anisotropy spectra, along with the lifetimes of fluorescence emission and photodecomposition quantum yields, revealed the nature of its large Stokes shift, specific changes in the permanent dipole moments under electronic excitation, weak dipole transitions with partially anisotropic character, and high photostability. Transient absorption spectra of HPPT were obtained with femtosecond resolution and no characteristic solvate relaxation processes in protic (methanol) solvent were revealed. Efficient light amplification (gain) was observed in the fluorescence spectral range of HPPT, but no super-luminescence and lasing phenomena were detected. The electronic structure of HPPT was also analyzed with quantum-chemical calculations using a DFT/B3LYP method and good agreement with experimental data was shown. The development and investigation of new pyrrolo[3,4-c]pyridine derivatives are important due to their promising fluorescent properties and potential for use in physiological applications.     

Adequacy of a stochastic model for choosing ligands for alloy electrodeposition from solutions of mixed-ligand and multivalent ion complexes

The adequacy of a stochastic model for choosing ligands which makes it possible to determine the regions of allowable values of the stability constants of complexes, the reduction of which occurs with the formation of an alloy, and choose ligands on the basis of these data is verified. Experimental data for alloy electrodeposition from solutions with complexes of different ligands and complexes of multivalent ions that are in published data show a good agreement with predictions by this model, which made it possible to formulate an important-for-practice condition of choosing ligands for joint reduction of complexes and the formation of an alloy.     

Nanodiamonds as Carriers for Address Delivery of Biologically Active Substances

Surface of detonation nanodiamonds was functionalized for the covalent attachment of immunoglobulin, and simultaneously bovine serum albumin and Rabbit Anti-Mouse Antibody. The nanodiamond-IgG^I125 and RAM-nanodiamond-BSA^I125 complexes are stable in blood serum and the immobilized proteins retain their biological activity. It was shown that the RAM-nanodiamond-BSA^I125 complex is able to bind to the target antigen immobilized on the Sepharose 6B matrix through antibody–antigen interaction. The idea can be extended to use nanodiamonds as carriers for delivery of bioactive substances (i.e., drugs) to various targets in vivo.     

Development of novel nanocomposite adsorbent based on potassium nickel hexacyanoferrate-loaded polypropylene fabric

A nanocomposite adsorbent based on potassium nickel hexacyanoferrate-loaded polypropylene fabric was synthesized for selective removal of Cs ions from contaminated waters by a two-stage synthesis: radiation-induced graft polymerization of acrylic acid monomer onto the nonwoven polypropylene fabric surface with subsequent in situ formation of potassium nickel hexacyanoferrate (KNiHCF) nanoparticles within the grafted chains. Data of scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy confirmed the formation of KNiHCF homogeneous phase on the fabric surface, which consisted of crystalline cubic-shaped nanoparticles (70 to 100 nm). The efficiency of the synthesized adsorbent for removal of cesium ions was evaluated under various experimental conditions. It has demonstrated a rapid adsorption process, high adsorption capacity over a wide pH range, and selectivity in Cs ion removal from model solutions with high concentration of sodium ions.