Direct observation of charge inversion by multivalent ions as a universal electrostatic phenomenon

We have directly observed reversal of the polarity of charged surfaces in water upon the addition of tri- and quadrivalent ions using atomic force microscopy. The bulk concentration of multivalent ions at which charge inversion reversibly occurs depends only very weakly on the chemical composition, surface structure, size and lipophilicity of the ions, but is dominated by their valence. These results support the theoretical proposal that spatial correlations between ions are the driving mechanism behind charge inversion.Comment: submitted to PRL, 26-04-2004 Changed the presentation of the theory at the end of the paper. Changed small error in estimate of prefactor ("w" in first version) of equation

A provisional database for the silicon content of foods in the United Kingdom

Si may play an important role in bone formation and connective tissue metabolism. Although biological interest in this element has recently increased, limited literature exists on the Si content of foods. To further our knowledge and understanding of the relationship between dietary Si and human health, a reliable food composition database, relevant for the UK population, is required. A total of 207 foods and beverages, commonly consumed in the UK, were analysed for Si content. Composite samples were analysed using inductively coupled plasma&ndash;optical emission spectrometry following microwave-assisted digestion with nitric acid and H2O2. The highest concentrations of Si were found in cereals and cereal products, especially less refined cereals and oat-based products. Fruit and vegetables were highly variable sources of Si with substantial amounts present in Kenyan beans, French beans, runner beans, spinach, dried fruit, bananas and red lentils, but undetectable amounts in tomatoes, oranges and onions. Of the beverages, beer, a macerated whole-grain cereal product, contained the greatest level of Si, whilst drinking water was a variable source with some mineral waters relatively high in Si. The present study provides a provisional database for the Si content of UK foods, which will allow the estimation of dietary intakes of Si in the UK population and investigation into the role of dietary Si in human health.<br /

Nanofriction mechanisms derived from the dependence of friction on load and sliding velocity from air to UHV on hydrophilic silicon

This paper examines friction as a function of the sliding velocity and applied normal load from air to UHV in a scanning force microscope (SFM) experiment in which a sharp silicon tip slides against a flat Si(100) sample. Under ambient conditions, both surfaces are covered by a native oxide, which is hydrophilic. During pump-down in the vacuum chamber housing the SFM, the behavior of friction as a function of the applied normal load and the sliding velocity undergoes a change. By analyzing these changes it is possible to identify three distinct friction regimes with corresponding contact properties: (a) friction dominated by the additional normal forces induced by capillarity due to the presence of thick water films, (b) higher drag force from ordering effects present in thin water layers and (c) low friction due to direct solid-solid contact for the sample with the counterbody. Depending on environmental conditions and the applied normal load, all three mechanisms may be present at one time. Their individual contributions can be identified by investigating the dependence of friction on the applied normal load as well as on the sliding velocity in different pressure regimes, thus providing information about nanoscale friction mechanisms

Structure of nanoparticles embedded in micellar polycrystals

We investigate by scattering techniques the structure of water-based soft composite materials comprising a crystal made of Pluronic block-copolymer micelles arranged in a face-centered cubic lattice and a small amount (at most 2% by volume) of silica nanoparticles, of size comparable to that of the micelles. The copolymer is thermosensitive: it is hydrophilic and fully dissolved in water at low temperature (T ~ 0{\deg}C), and self-assembles into micelles at room temperature, where the block-copolymer is amphiphilic. We use contrast matching small-angle neuron scattering experiments to probe independently the structure of the nanoparticles and that of the polymer. We find that the nanoparticles do not perturb the crystalline order. In addition, a structure peak is measured for the silica nanoparticles dispersed in the polycrystalline samples. This implies that the samples are spatially heterogeneous and comprise, without macroscopic phase separation, silica-poor and silica-rich regions. We show that the nanoparticle concentration in the silica-rich regions is about tenfold the average concentration. These regions are grain boundaries between crystallites, where nanoparticles concentrate, as shown by static light scattering and by light microscopy imaging of the samples. We show that the temperature rate at which the sample is prepared strongly influence the segregation of the nanoparticles in the grain-boundaries.Comment: accepted for publication in Langmui

Isolation of a wide range of minerals from a thermally treated plant: Equisetum arvense, a Mare’s tale

Silica is the second most abundant biomineral being exceeded in nature only by biogenic CaCO3. Many land plants (such as rice, cereals, cucumber, etc.) deposit silica in significant amounts to reinforce their tissues and as a systematic response to pathogen attack. One of the most ancient species of living vascular plants, Equisetum arvense is also able to take up and accumulate silica in all parts of the plant. Numerous methods have been developed for elimination of the organic material and/or metal ions present in plant material to isolate biogenic silica. However, depending on the chemical and/or physical treatment applied to branch or stem from Equisetum arvense; other mineral forms such glass-type materials (i.e. CaSiO3), salts (i.e. KCl) or luminescent materials can also be isolated from the plant material. In the current contribution, we show the chemical and/or thermal routes that lead to the formation of a number of different mineral types in addition to biogenic silica

Permeability reduction in porous materials by in situ

The effect of in situ formed silica gel on the permeability of a porous material was investigated experimentally. Gelling solutions of tetra-methyl-ortho-silicate (TMOS) and methanol in water were imbibed into dry sandstone plates and cured for several days. The permeability of the untreated sandstone is on the order of 1 µm^2, whereas the intrinsic permeability of the silica alcogel is 5–6 orders of magnitude lower. The method of beam bending was employed to measure concurrently the permeability D and Young’s modulus Ep of cylindrical gel rods, prepared from the TMOS-based sol-gel solutions. Second, the permeabilities and moduli of the treated sandstones were measured. For both types of samples the gel structure was varied by varying the concentration of the TMOS in a solution and the pH of the water used. The parameters D and Ep follow from a detailed analysis of the measured relaxation of the load that is applied to the sample under constant deflection. In case of the gels, the relaxation was interpreted using common expressions for hydrodynamic relaxation and viscoelastic (VE) relaxation. It was found that the permeability of the gels decreases with increasing silica content and that acid-catalyzed gels exhibit a significantly lower permeability than base-catalyzed gels. The modulus Ep increases with increasing silica content and aging time. The relaxation data of the sandstone—treated with gel—exhibited a more complex behavior. The normalized load curves showed hydrodynamic relaxation as well as strong and fast VE relaxation. The relaxation data for the rock samples treated with the lowest concentration gel was fitted successfully with the predictions. For higher concentrations the fit was less accurate, but the permeability estimates were within an order of magnitude. The overall permeability of the treated rock is higher than the intrinsic permeability of the gels; this indicates that the gel does not completely fill the pore space. Nevertheless, the permeability is reduced by a factor 10^4 with respect to untreated sandstone, and therefore the gel adequately blocks the pores

Facile control of silica nanoparticles using a novel solvent varying method for the fabrication of artificial opal photonic crystals

In this work, the Stöber process was applied to produce uniform silica nanoparticles (SNPs) in the meso-scale size range. The novel aspect of this work was to control the produced silica particle size by only varying the volume of the solvent ethanol used, whilst fixing the other reaction conditions. Using this one-step Stöber-based solvent varying (SV) method, seven batches of SNPs with target diameters ranging from 70 to 400 nm were repeatedly reproduced, and the size distribution in terms of the polydispersity index (PDI) was well maintained (within 0.1). An exponential equation was used to fit the relationship between the particle diameter and ethanol volume. This equation allows the prediction of the amount of ethanol required in order to produce particles of any target diameter within this size range. In addition, it was found that the reaction was completed in approximately 2 h for all batches regardless of the volume of ethanol. Structurally coloured artificial opal photonic crystals (PCs) were fabricated from the prepared SNPs by self-assembly under gravity sedimentation

Stress-corrosion mechanisms in silicate glasses

The present review is intended to revisit the advances and debates in the comprehension of the mechanisms of subcritical crack propagation in silicate glasses almost a century after its initial developments. Glass has inspired the initial insights of Griffith into the origin of brittleness and the ensuing development of modern fracture mechanics. Yet, through the decades the real nature of the fundamental mechanisms of crack propagation in glass has escaped a clear comprehension which could gather general agreement on subtle problems such as the role of plasticity, the role of the glass composition, the environmental condition at the crack tip and its relation to the complex mechanisms of corrosion and leaching. The different processes are analysed here with a special focus on their relevant space and time scales in order to question their domain of action and their contribution in both the kinetic laws and the energetic aspects.Comment: Invited review article - 34 pages Accepted for publication in J. Phys. D: Appl. Phy