National Institute Of Materials Physics - Romania

Cu-doped hydroxyapatite (CuHAp) thin films were obtained using spin coating method. To make these thin films, CuHAp suspensions obtained by sol-gel method were used. The coatings obtained were thermally treated at 500 degrees C. After the thermal treatment, the thin films were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Moreover, the stability of the suspensions before being used to obtain the thin films was certified by dynamic light scattering (DLS), zeta potential methods and ultrasound measurements. In the XRD patterns, the peaks associated with hexagonal hydroxyapatite were identified in accordance with JCPDS no. 09-0432. EDS and XPS results confirmed the presence of Cu ions in the samples. Data about the morphological features and chemical composition of CuHAp thin films were obtained by performing scanning electron microscopy (SEM) measurements. Our results suggest that the CuHAp thin films surface is continuous and homogenous. The presence of the functional groups in the CuHAp thin films was confirmed by Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and Raman spectroscopy studies. Information about the surface topography of the CuHAp thin films has been obtained using atomic force microscopy (AFM). The AFM images determined that the surface topography of the CuHAp thin layer is homogenous and continuous without presenting any unevenness or fissures. The cytotoxicity of CuHAp thin films was assessed using human gingival fibroblasts (HGF-1) cells. The results of the cell viability assays demonstrated that the thin films presented good biocompatible properties towards the HGF-1 cells. Additionally, the adherence and development of HGF-1 cells on the surface of CuHAp thin films were determined using AFM. The AFM surface topographies highlighted that the CuHAp thin film's surface favored the attachment and proliferation of HGF-1 cells on their surface.

In the current study, a porous composite material, hydroxyapatite/chitosan/microcrystalline-cellulose (CaHAp-CS-MCC), was successfully prepared and used for the adsorption of Eriochrome Black T (EBT) from water. X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), differential thermal analysis (DTA), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), specific surface area (SSA), and atomic force microscope (AFM) were used to evaluate the physicochemical properties of the prepared adsorbents. CaHAp-CS-MCC exhibited a decrease in crystallinity and reduction in crystallite size. CaHAp-CS-MCC surface exhibited cracks and pores. AFM displayed changes in surface micro-texture of CaHAp, formation of new surface structures, and variations in particle size and distribution. Upon grafting CaHAp with CS and MCC, its specific surface area decreased from 139.224 to 11.775 m2/g. BET suggested that filling CaHAp pores by CS and MCC contributed to the reduction in surface area. The pore volume values decreased from 2.56 x 10-1 (CaHAp) to 3.91 x 10-2 cm3/g (CaHAp-CS-MCC). Adsorption equilibrium was reached at about 40 min. The adsorption capacities values of CaHAp-CS-MCC and CaHAp were equal to 248 mg/g and 92 mg/g, respectively. The pseudo-second order and the Langmuir equations fitted well the adsorption phenomenon. The calculated thermodynamic parameters showed an exothermic and non-spontaneous system.

Bimetallic (Ta/Ti, V, Co, Nb) mesoporous MCM-41 nanoparticles were obtained by direct synthesis and hydrothermal treatment. The obtained mesoporous materials were characterized by XRD, XRF, N2 adsorption/desorption, SEM, TEM, XPS, Raman, UV-Vis, and PL spectroscopy. A more significant effect was observed on the mesoporous structure, typically for MCM-41, and on optic properties if the second metal (Ti, Co) did not belong to the same Vb group with Ta as V and Nb. The XPS showed for the TaTi-MCM-41 sample that framework titanium is the major component. The new nanoparticles obtained were used as catalysts for oxidation with hydrogen peroxide of olefinic compounds (1,4 cyclohexadiene, cyclohexene, styrene) and photodegradation of organic pollutants (phenol, methyl orange) from water. The results showed improvementsin activity and selectivity in oxidation reactions by the addition of the second metal to the Ta-MCM-41 catalyst. The slow addition of H2O2 was also beneficial for the selectivity of epoxide products and the stability of the catalysts. The band gap energy values decreased in the presence of the second metal, and the band edge diagram evidenced positive potential for all the conduction bands of the bimetallic samples. The highestlevels of photocatalytic degradation were obtained for the samples with TaTi and TaV.

The increasing demand for greener technologies in environmental remediation makes carbon materials from biomass and its derivatives some of the most attractive resources for a sustainable future. However, integrating these materials with stable free radicals remains challenging. This study presents a straightforward one-pot hydrothermal route using raw honey as the carbon source and 4-amino 2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidine-1-oxyl (4-amino-TEMPO) as the free radical. The addition of TEMPO derivative initiates Maillard reactions between its amino group and the carbonyl groups of the carbohydrates in honey, resulting in the formation of a functionalized hydrochar with a spherical morphology (similar to 8 mu m). The presence of free radicals within the carbonaceous matrix was confirmed by electron spin resonance spectroscopy, supported by infrared spectroscopy, elemental analysis, thermal analysis, scanning electron microscopy, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The free radical content was estimated at 0.4 mmol center dot g(-1). The material effectively removed methylene blue, fluorescein, and doxorubicin from water in the presence of green oxidants like hydrogen peroxide and sodium hypochlorite. After 24 h, removal efficiencies reached 92% for doxorubicin, 73% for methylene blue, and 23% for fluorescein. Moreover, the hydrochar demonstrated good regeneration capability, maintaining its dye removal efficiency over several cycles.

This work investigates the influence of composition on the thermal properties of the high entropy alloy family Cu5Cr35Fe35V20-X-5 (at. %), where X = Ti, Ta, W or Mo in the framework of acting as a thermal barrier between the W-based plasma-facing elements and the CuCrZr or Cu-based heat sink components of the fusion reactor. The alloys were produced by arc melting and their microstructure and mechanical properties were previously characterized by XRD, SEM, and Vickers hardness measurements. Thermal properties have been measured on as-cast at thermally treated alloys using the laser flash method in the temperature range 25 degrees C to 600 degrees C to determine the thermal diffusivity, alpha, thermal conductivity, lambda, and specific heat, C-p. Dilatometry experiments were also carried out to obtain the linear thermal expansion coefficient, CTE, as a function of temperature. For all materials, the thermal conductivity increases with temperature from 15 W/mK at RT to 28 W/mK at 600 degrees C and does not significantly depend on the thermal treatment for the Mo-HEA and W-HEA, but increases after aging for the Ta-HEA and Ti-HEA. These values are lower than those of W (similar to 122 W/mK at 600 degrees C) and much lower than for CuCrZr-IG (similar to 354 W/mK at 400 degrees C). The thermal expansion coefficients of these HEAs, similar to 10 x 10(-6) degrees C-1 at RT and similar to 2 x 10(-6) degrees C-1 at 650 degrees C are between those of CuCrZr and the W for the entire operative temperature range. These results indicate that the Cu5Cr35Fe35V20-X-5 (X = Ti, Ta, W, Mo) HEAs have a promising combination of the thermophysical properties, lambda, C-p and CTE, to act as thermal barrier in plasma-facing components that require the union of W- and Cu-based materials.

The synthesis of polycrystalline TiFe2Sn samples by a route including arc melting and spark plasma sintering with Hf, Y, and In substitutions at the Ti and Sn sites is investigated. For a reduced amount of substitution, around 2 at%, the samples are single phase, while for increased amounts, secondary phases segregate. As is characteristic of these compounds, the Fe-Ti atomic disorder generates a weak ferromagnetic ordering, which is also influenced by the type of substitutional atoms and the secondary phases in the samples with a higher Hf content. The Seebeck coefficient values show an increase for Ti0.98Hf0.02Fe2Sn and for samples with an adjusted Sn content, resulting in slightly increased power factor values. These values reach a maximum for Ti0.98Hf0.02Fe2Sn at approximately 300 K and for TiFe2Sn1.05 at approximately 325 K, namely, 2.69 x 10(-)(4) Wm(-1)K(-2) and 2.52 x 10(-)(4) Wm(-1)K(-2), respectively. The thermal conductivity of all the samples with substitutions increases with respect to the pristine sample. The highest figure of merit value of 0.016 is also obtained for Ti0.98Hf0.02Fe2Sn at 325 K.

This study investigates polycrystalline samples of TiFe2-xRexSn (with x = {0, 0.02, 0.04, 0.06, 0.2}) synthesized using conventional arc-melting and spark plasma sintering. Structural and morphological analysis shows that low Re substitutions result in good phase purity with minor traces of secondary phases, while higher Re content leads to the segregation of additional phases. The magnetism and electrical resistivity of the samples are affected by inherent Fe-Ti atomic disorder, with the effects of secondary phases becoming more prominent in the samples with higher Re content. The Seebeck coefficient values increase only for TiFe1.98Re0.02Sn, while the power factor increases for x = {0, 0.02, 0.04}, reaching maximal values for x = 0.02 at similar to 300 K and x = 0.04 at similar to 325 K, i.e., (2.22 +/- 0.2) x 10(-4) Wm(-1) K-2. The thermal conductivity of the samples increases with x, resulting in modest values of the figure of merit, with the maximum achieved for x = 0.02 at 325 K, i.e., 0.015 +/- 0.002. (c) The Author(s) 2024

Iron oxide nanoparticles were synthesized using a vortex microfluidic system and subsequently functionalized with a primary shell of salicylic acid, recognized for its ability to increase the stability and biocompatibility of coated materials. In the second stage, the vortex platform was placed in a magnetic field to facilitate the growth and development of a porous silica shell. The selected drug for this study was micafungin, an antifungal agent well regarded for its effectiveness in combating fungal infections and identified as a priority compound by the World Health Organization (WHO). The resulting nanocomposite system was characterized using various techniques, including Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), dynamic light scattering (DLS), Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) analysis, UV-Vis spectroscopy, and Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry (FT-ICR MS). The synthesis method produced nanoparticles with dimensions of 5-7 nm, highlighting the advantages of the chosen approach. A desorption profile was established using a continuous-flow, UV-Vis analysis system, indicating that the bioactive compound was released slowly; after two hours, approximately 50% of the loaded micafungin was detected in the release medium. Furthermore, the results obtained from the FT-ICR MS analysis provided molecular-level confirmation, thereby supporting the release mechanism of micafungin from the nanosystem.

Nanocomposites based on Fe3O4 and carbonaceous nanoparticles (CNPs), including carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and graphene derivatives (graphene oxide (GO) and reduced graphene oxide (RGO)), such as Fe3O4@GO, Fe3O4@RGO, and Fe3O4@CNT, have demonstrated considerable potential in a number of health applications, including tissue regeneration and innovative cancer treatments such as hyperthermia (HT). This is due to their ability to transport drugs and generate localized heat under the influence of an alternating magnetic field on Fe3O4. Despite the promising potential of CNTs and graphene derivatives as drug delivery systems, their use in biological applications is hindered by challenges related to dispersion in physiological media and particle agglomeration. Hence, a solid foundation has been established for the integration of various synthesis techniques for these nanocomposites, with the wet co-precipitation method being the most prevalent. Moreover, the dimensions and morphology of the composite nanoparticles are directly correlated with the value of magnetic saturation, thus influencing the efficiency of the composite in drug delivery and other significant biomedical applications. The current demand for this type of material is related to the loading of a larger quantity of drugs within the hybrid structure of the carrier, with the objective of releasing this amount into the tumor cells. A second demand refers to the biocompatibility of the drug carrier and its capacity to permeate cell membranes, as well as the processes occurring within the drug carriers. The main objective of this paper is to review the synthesis methods used to prepare hybrids based on Fe3O4 and CNPs, such as GO, RGO, and CNTs, and to examinate their role in the formation of hybrid nanoparticles and the correlation between their morphology, the dimensions, and optical/magnetic properties.