Assessment of the comagmaticity of gabbroids and syenites of the Arsentyevsky massif (Western Transbaikalia)

Object . The results of geochronological and isotope-geochemical studies of the Arsentyevsky titaniferous gabbro-syenite massif of the Western Transbaikalia, which previously referred to the gabbro-syenite series of a two-phase structure are presented. The rocks of the massif contain an increased concentration of titanomagnetite, ilmenite, magnetite and in some cases apatite and are considered as complex iron-titanium ores. Methods. The studies were performed by silicate analysis me­thods, XRF and ICP-MS; age determination for zircons was carried out by LA-ICP-MS and SHRIMP-II methods. The composition of minerals on the X-ray microarray analyzer MAP-3 and electron microscope LEO-1430 was studied. Results. In the basites, a standard trend is observed for the evolution of compositions from melanocratic to terminal leucocratic differen­ces with an increase in the content of silica, alumina, and sodium, and a decrease in magnesium and calcium. Syenites differ from anorthosites in the content of impurity elements including rubidium, niobium, strontium and REE The geochronological studies of rocks of Arsent’evsky gabbro-syenite massif, showed a significant time gap in the formation of gabbroids rela­tive to syenites. The U-Pb age of the gabbroids was 279.5 ± 2.0 Ma, alkali feldspar syenites have age 229.4 ± 2.8 Ma, and biotite syenites - 226 ± 2.4 Ma. Conclusion. The obtained results by age and data on the geochemical features of the rocks made it possible to conclude that there was no genetic relationship between basites and syenites. Petrochemical and geochemical features of biotite and alkali-feldspar syenites proved to be close to the rocks of the Mesozoic Kunaleisky complex

Multifunctional Carbon Nanotube Reinforced Polymer/Fiber Composites: Fiber-Based Integration and Properties

Carbon nanotubes are one of the most versatile nanomaterials currently used to modify the properties of both thermoplastic and thermoset-based composites, both with and without the use of a fibrous reinforcement phase. Electrically and thermally conductive by nature, their addition to traditional fiber-reinforced polymer composites has not only heralded increased mechanical properties in terms of flexural, tensile, impact, and interlaminar properties, but also allowed imparting inherent conductivity to the final composites, allowing the creation of specialized, isotropic, anisotropic, and hierarchically graded composites with applications ranging from self-diagnostic damage detection, de-icing to energy storage and conversion. The purpose of this book chapter is to focus on the methods used to integrate carbon nanotubes, both anistropically and anisotropically via techniques that focus solely on the fibrous reinforcement phase and not the matrix, into fiber-reinforced polymer composite materials. The chapter aims to review the properties that may result from such integration of the various techniques, provide a current state of the art of the multifunctional properties, which have been achieved thus far, and outline possible future dimensions of investigation and application

High-efficiency freezing-induced loading of inorganic nanoparticles and proteins into micron- and submicron-sized porous particles

We demonstrate a novel approach to the controlled loading of inorganic nanoparticles and proteins into submicron- and micron-sized porous particles. The approach is based on freezing/thawing cycles, which lead to high loading densities. The process was tested for the inclusion of Au, magnetite nanoparticles, and bovine serum albumin in biocompatible vaterite carriers of micron and submicron sizes. The amounts of loaded nanoparticles or substances were adjusted by the number of freezing/thawing cycles. Our method afforded at least a three times higher loading of magnetite nanoparticles and a four times higher loading of protein for micron vaterite particles, in comparison with conventional methods such as adsorption and coprecipitation. The capsules loaded with magnetite nanoparticles by the freezing-induced loading method moved faster in a magnetic field gradient than did the capsules loaded by adsorption or coprecipitation. Our approach allows the preparation of multicomponent nanocomposite materials with designed properties such as remote control (e.g. via the application of an electromagnetic or acoustic field) and cargo unloading. Such materials could be used as multimodal contrast agents, drug delivery systems, and sensors

Microstructured optical waveguide-based endoscopic probe coated with silica submicron particles

Microstructured optical waveguides (MOW) are of great interest for chemical and biological sensing. Due to the high overlap between a guiding light mode and an analyte filling of one or several fiber capillaries, such systems are able to provide strong sensitivity with respect to variations in the refractive index and the thickness of filling materials. Here, we introduce a novel type of functionalized MOWs whose capillaries are coated by a layer-by-layer (LBL) approach, enabling the alternate deposition of silica particles (SiO2) at different diameters—300 nm, 420 nm, and 900 nm—and layers of poly(diallyldimethylammonium chloride) (PDDA). We demonstrate up to three covering bilayers consisting of 300-nm silica particles. Modifications in the MOW transmission spectrum induced by coating are measured and analyzed. The proposed technique of MOW functionalization allows one to reach novel sensing capabilities, including an increase in the effective sensing area and the provision of a convenient scaffold for the attachment of long molecules such as protein