Temperature oscillations of magnetization observed in nanofluid ferromagnetic graphite

We report on unusual magnetic properties observed in the nanofluid room-temperature ferromagnetic graphite (with an average particle size of l=10nm). More precisely, the measured magnetization exhibits a low-temperature anomaly (attributed to manifestation of finite size effects below the quantum temperature) as well as pronounced temperature oscillations above T=50K (attributed to manifestation of the hard-sphere type pair correlations between ferromagnetic particles in the nanofluid)

Migration of Electronic Energy from Chlorophyll b to Chlorophyll a in Solutions

Absorption, emission, and fluorescence excitation spectra of pure solutions of chlorophyll a (Chl a) and chlorophyll b (Chl b) in diethyl ether and of equimolecular mixed solutions of the two pigments, were determined at room temperature as functions of concentration (in the range from 5 × 10(-6) M to 4 × 10(-3) M) and of wavelength of the exciting light (in the regions 380-465 and 550-650 nm). The efficiency of energy transfer from Chl b to Chl a, derived from these data, was found to depend on the wavelength of exciting light. Furthermore, the transfer efficiency calculated from sensitization of Chl a fluorescence by Chl b was substantially smaller than that calculated from quenching of Chl b fluorescence by Chl a. Both these effects are tentatively explained as evidence of superposition of a “fast” energy transfer (taking place before the Boltzmann distribution of vibrational energy had been reached) upon the “delayed” transfer, which takes place after vibrational equilibration. The first-named mechanism is made possible by overlapping of the absorption bands of the two pigments; the second, by overlapping of the emission band of Chl b and the absorption band of Chl a. The first mechanism can lead to repeated transfer of excitation energy between pigment molecules, the second only to a one-time transfer from the donor to the acceptor. Both mechanisms could be of the same, second-order type, with the transfer rate proportional to r(-6). An alternative is for the fast mechanism to be of the first order, with the transfer rate proportional to r(-3), but spectroscopic evidence seems to make this alternative less probable

The role of reactive surface sites and complexation by humic acids in the interaction of clay mineral and iron oxide particles

Aggregation and dispersion of mineral particles spontaneously take place under changing environmental conditions in natural systems. The structure of particle network in soils, the retardation or release of colloidal particles, and their mobility and transport are inherently influenced by natural organic matter bound to the mineral matrix. Since the surface properties of clay mineral and metal oxide particles, and the electrified mineral-water interfaces play a major role in formation, structure and strength of aggregates, any surface modification, especially by polyanionic organic complexants such as humic substances, has a significant affect on particle interaction in a mineral assemblage. The permanently and/or conditionally charged clay minerals (montmorillonite and kaolinite) and iron oxides (hematite and magnetite), as known major mineral components in natural waters, were selected for studying their surface charge characteristics and pH dependent interactions. We discuss how the surface charge correlates with particle aggregation through some characteristic examples for homo and heterocoagulation of similar and dissimilar mineral particles under acidic condition (at pH similar to4) in the dilute and concentrated systems studied by means of light scattering and theology, respectively. The adsorption of a brown coal derived humic acid, and its influence on the surface charge character and particle aggregation of clay and iron oxide particles were also studied in dilute and concentrated suspensions. Humic acids can be bound to the most reactive surface sites of clay and oxide particles, i.e. to Al-OH mainly at the edges of clay lamellae, and to Fe-OH on iron oxides, in surface complexation reaction, therefore their role in particle aggregation is specific. Relations between surface complexation, surface charge modification, and particle aggregation in pure and mixed montmorillonite-iron oxide systems are explained. (C) 2003 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved