The Synthesis of Silicon Carbide in Rhombohedral Form with Different Chemicals

This study describes the attempt at producing silicon carbide using a simpler and less costly method. Within the study, XRD, EDX, and FTIR analyses were performed to determine the structural properties of the product, and SEM analyses were used to identify its surface properties. The characteristics such as porosity and surface area were determined through BET analysis. The starting reagents were compared with the product using FTIR analysis, whereas the product was compared with a sample of SiC procured from a supplier who manufactures high-purity products through BET analysis. In EDX analysis, approximately 72 pct Si and 28 pct C were identified. The vibrational peaks of the synthesized product (characteristics Si-C bonds) were observed at around 1076 cm(-1) (FTIR analysis). At the same time, the outcomes were compared with major publications in the literature

Spatially resolved spectroscopic differentiation of hydrophilic and hydrophobic domains on individual insulin amyloid fibrils

The formation of insoluble β-sheet-rich protein structures known as amyloid fibrils is associated with numerous neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease. A detailed understanding of the molecular structure of the fibril surface is of interest as the first contact with the physiological environment in vivo and plays a decisive role in biological activity and associated toxicity. Recent studies reveal that the inherent sensitivity and specificity of tip-enhanced Raman scattering (TERS) renders this technique a compelling method for fibril surface analysis at the single-particle level. Here, the reproducibility of TERS is demonstrated, indicating its relevance for detecting molecular variations. Consequently, individual fibrils are systematically investigated at nanometer spatial resolution. Spectral parameters were obtained by band-fitting, particularly focusing on the identification of the secondary structure via the amide III band and the differentiation of hydrophobic and hydrophilic domains on the surface. In addition multivariate data analysis, specifically the N-FINDR procedure, was employed to generate structure-specific maps. The ability of TERS to localize specific structural domains on fibril surfaces shows promise to the development of new fibril dissection strategies and can be generally applied to any (bio)chemical surface when structural variations at the nanometer level are of interest