Raman and IR spectra of pure and doped forsterite single crystals

Forsterite single crystals were grown by the Czochralski technique in air. The lattice parameters were determined by X-ray power diffraction. The IR and Raman spectra of pure and doped (V3+, V5+, and Ni4+) Mg2SiO4 single crystals were measured at room temperature. We studied the phonon properties and discussed the influence of dopants

Rat duodenal motility in vitro: Prokinetic effects of DL-homocysteine thiolactone and modulation of nitric oxide mediated inhibition

Homocysteine is a significant but modifiable risk factor for vascular diseases. As gastrointestinal smooth musculature is similar to blood vessel muscles, we investigated how elevated homocysteine levels affect nitric oxide-mediated neurotransmission in the gut. There is accumulated evidence that a dysfunction of NO neurons in the myenteric plexus may cause various diseases in the gastrointestinal tract such as achalasia, diabetic gastroparesis and infantile hypertrophic pyloric stenosis. In the present study, we aimed to assess the effects of homocysteine on NO-mediated responses in vitro, and to examine the effects of DL-homocysteine thiolactone on the spontaneous motility of rat duodenum and nitrergic neurotransmission. DL-homocysteine thiolactone concentration of 10 μmol/L leads to the immediate increase in tone, amplitude and frequency of spontaneous movements in isolated rat duodenum. L-NAME (30 μmol/L) leads to an increase in basal tone, amplitude and frequency of spontaneous contractions. The relaxations induced by EFS were significantly reduced in duodenal segments incubated in DL-homocysteine thiolactone compared with the control group. EFS-induced relaxations were inhibited by L-NAME in both experimental and control groups. These results suggest that a high level of homocysteine causes an important impairment of non-adrenergic non-cholinergic innervation of the rat duodenum. [Projekat Ministarstva nauke Republike Srbije, br. 175043

Modification of the structural and optical properties of commercial ZnO powder by mechanical activation

Mechanical activation was used as a method for modification of the structural and optical properties of commercial ZnO powder. For this purpose zinc oxide powder was mechanically treated by grinding in a high-energy vibro-mill in a continual regime in air up to 300 minutes. Starting and modified ZnO samples were characterized using XRD, BET and TEM measurements. Optical properties of these samples were investigated by Raman and photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy. The color of commercial ZnO powder was white while mechanically activated ZnO powder was dark yellow, indicating the presence of nonstoichiometry. In the Raman spectra of non-activated sample Raman modes of bulk ZnO were observed, while the spectra of modified samples point out structural and stoichiometric changes. The PL spectra of modified samples excited by 325 and 442 nm lines of a He-Cd laser show great difference with respect to the spectra of the original sample. This study confirms that change in the defect structure of the ZnO crystal lattice introduced by mechanical activation affects the optical properties of this material

Modification of the structural and optical properties of commercial ZnO powder by mechanical activation

Mechanical activation was used as a method for modification of the structural and optical properties of commercial ZnO powder. For this purpose zinc oxide powder was mechanically treated by grinding in a high-energy vibro-mill in a continual regime in air up to 300 minutes. Starting and modified ZnO samples were characterized using XRD, BET and TEM measurements. Optical properties of these samples were investigated by Raman and photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy. The color of commercial ZnO powder was white while mechanically activated ZnO powder was dark yellow, indicating the presence of nonstoichiometry. In the Raman spectra of non-activated sample Raman modes of bulk ZnO were observed, while the spectra of modified samples point out structural and stoichiometric changes. The PL spectra of modified samples excited by 325 and 442 nm lines of a He-Cd laser show great difference with respect to the spectra of the original sample. This study confirms that change in the defect structure of the ZnO crystal lattice introduced by mechanical activation affects the optical properties of this material

Structural characterization of mechanically activated MgO-TiO2 system

In this article the influence of ball miling process on structure of MgO-TiO2 system was investigated. The mixtures of MgO-TiO2 powders were mechanically activated in a planetary ball mill for the time period from 0 to 120 minutes. The influence of mechanical activation on the lattice vibrational spectra was studied by Raman spectroscopy at room temperature. Structural investigations have been performed on produced powders. Nitrogen adsorption method was used to determine the BET specific surface area and pore size distribution. Unusual results have been obtained: specific surface area continuously decreased up to 40 minutes of activation and increased after that, reaching its minimun value of 5.5 m2/g. The Raman spectra of activated powders have shown that anatase modes have been decreasing in intensity and broadening as the time of activation extended. Also, the additional modes attributed to TiO2 II, srilankite and rutile phases started to appear as a consequence of activation

Métodos para la determinación de la carga última en vigas de acero en I sometidas a una carga concentrada excéntrica

Experimental tests show that most eccentrically patch loaded steel I-girders have a collapse mode quite different from that of centrically loaded girders. Concerning engineering practice, the most important difference between collapse modes is in ultimate load. The reduction in ultimate load with an increase in load eccentricity is obvious in some eccentrically loaded girders. Under certain circumstances, for a certain combination of influential parameters, eccentrically loaded girders behave as if loaded in the web plane, with no or no significant reduction in ultimate load due to load eccentricity. Dealing with such a big number of mutually dependant parameters that influence collapse mode and level of ultimate load reduction due to load eccentricity, still without theoretical formulation of collapse mechanism, two approaches for ultimate load determination are analysed: empirical mathematical expressions and artificial neural networks forecast models. Results of two procedures are compared. Recommendations for application in engineering practice are given.Las pruebas experimentales muestran que la mayoría de vigas en I de acero cargadas excéntricamente tienen un modo de colapso muy diferente del de las vigas cargadas centradas. En cuanto a la práctica de ingeniería, la diferencia más importante entre los modos de colapso es la carga final. La reducción de la carga última con un aumento de la excentricidad de carga es evidente en algunas vigas cargadas excéntricamente, mientras que bajo ciertas circunstancias, para una determinada combinación de parámetros influyentes, las vigas cargadas excéntricamente se comportan como si se carga en el plano del alma, con ninguna reducción significativa en la carga última debido a la carga excéntrica. Se analizan dos métodos para la determinación de la carga máxima: expresiones matemáticas empíricas y redes neuronales artificiales. Los resultados de ambos procedimientos se comparan. Se dan recomendaciones para su aplicación en la práctica

Synthesis of Anatase Nanopowders by Sol-gel Method and Influence of Temperatures of Calcination to Their Photocatalitic Properties

The titanium dioxide (TiO2) nanopowders were produced by sol-gel technique from tetrabutyl titanate as a precursor, varying the temperature of calcination (from 500 to 550 degrees C with the step of 10 degrees C). XRPD results have shown that all synthesized nanopowders are dominantly in anatase phase. The analysis of the shift and linewidth of the most intensive anatase E-g Raman mode confirmed the XRPD results and added the presence of small amount of highly disordered brookite phase in all samples. The analysis of pore structure from nitrogen sorption experimental data described all samples as mesoporous, with mean pore diameters in the range of 1.5 and 4.5 nm. Nanopowder properties have been related to the photocatalytic activity, tested in degradation of the textile dye (C.I. Reactive Orange 16). The sample calcined at temperature of 510 degrees C showed the best photocatalytic performance

The effects of nonstoichiometry on optical properties of oxide nanopowders

In this paper we illustrate the change of optical properties of mechanically activated wurtzite ZnO powder and laser synthesized anatase TiO2 nanopowder due to the nonstoichiometry caused by mechanical activation and/or laser irradiation in vacuum. Both of the investigated materials are widely used in optoelectronics and the examination of their optical properties under different preparation and environmental conditions is of great practical interest