Un nuevo antioxidante: 6,6'-(butano-1,1-diil)bis(4-metil-benceno-1,2-diol)

A novel compound, 6,6'-(butane-1,1-diyl)bis(4-methylbenzene-1,2-diol) (BMB), was synthesized through an acid-catalyzed condensation reaction between 4-methylcatechol (HPC) and butyraldehyde. When evaluated by the Rancimat and deep frying methods, BMB exhibited a stronger antioxidant activity than TBHQ. Its DPPH radical scavenging activity was also fairly higher than TBHQ, but lower compared to its mother phenol, HPC, due to its relative ease of binding DPPH•. BMB had the strongest scavenging ability of the 4-methylcatechol analogues reported to date. It could be used effectively to retard lipid peroxidation in both moderate and high temperature food preparations.Un nuevo compuesto, 6,6'-(butano-1,1-diil)bis(4-metilbenceno-1,2-diol) (BMB) fue sintetizado mediante una reacción de condensación catalizada por ácido entre el 4-metilcatecol (HPC) y el butiraldehído. Cuando se evaluó mediante los métodos Rancimat y de fritura, el BMB mostró una actividad antioxidante más fuerte que el TBHQ. Su actividad de eliminación de radicales DPPH también fue bastante mayor que la del TBHQ, pero menor en comparación con el fenol de partida, HPC, debido a su relativa facilidad para unirse a DPPH•. BMB tiene una actividad de eliminación más fuerte que los análogos de 4-metilcatecol reportados hasta la fecha. Podría usarse eficazmente para retardar la peroxidación de lípidos en la preparación de alimentos a temperatura moderada y alta

Optical spectroscopy study of Nd(O,F)BiS2 single crystals

We present an optical spectroscopy study on F-substituted NdOBiS$_2$ superconducting single crystals grown using KCl/LiCl flux method. The measurement reveals a simple metallic response with a relatively low screened plasma edge near 5000 \cm. The plasma frequency is estimated to be 2.1 eV, which is much smaller than the value expected from the first-principles calculations for an electron doping level of x=0.5, but very close to the value based on a doping level of 7$\%$ of itinerant electrons per Bi site as determined by ARPES experiment. The energy scales of the interband transitions are also well reproduced by the first-principles calculations. The results suggest an absence of correlation effect in the compound, which essentially rules out the exotic pairing mechanism for superconductivity or scenario based on the strong electronic correlation effect. The study also reveals that the system is far from a CDW instability as being widely discussed for a doping level of x=0.5.Comment: 5 pages, 5 figure

Observation of momentum-confined in-gap impurity state in Ba0.6_{0.6}K0.4_{0.4}Fe2_2As2_2: evidence for anti-phase s±s_{\pm} pairing

We report the observation by angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy of an impurity state located inside the superconducting gap of Ba$_{0.6}$K$_{0.4}$Fe$_2$As$_2$ and vanishing above the superconducting critical temperature, for which the spectral weight is confined in momentum space near the Fermi wave vector positions. We demonstrate, supported by theoretical simulations, that this in-gap state originates from weak non-magnetic scattering between bands with opposite sign of the superconducting gap phase. This weak scattering, likely due to off-plane Ba/K disorders, occurs mostly among neighboring Fermi surfaces, suggesting that the superconducting gap phase changes sign within holelike (and electronlike) bands. Our results impose severe restrictions on the models promoted to explain high-temperature superconductivity in these materials.Comment: 8 pages, 5 figures. Accepted for publication in Physical Review

Observation of Weyl nodes in TaAs

In 1929, H. Weyl proposed that the massless solution of Dirac equation represents a pair of new type particles, the so-called Weyl fermions [1]. However the existence of them in particle physics remains elusive for more than eight decades. Recently, significant advances in both topological insulators and topological semimetals have provided an alternative way to realize Weyl fermions in condensed matter as an emergent phenomenon: when two non-degenerate bands in the three-dimensional momentum space cross in the vicinity of Fermi energy (called as Weyl nodes), the low energy excitation behaves exactly the same as Weyl fermions. Here, by performing soft x-ray angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy measurements which mainly probe bulk band structure, we directly observe the long-sought-after Weyl nodes for the first time in TaAs, whose projected locations on the (001) surface match well to the Fermi arcs, providing undisputable experimental evidence of existence of Weyl fermion quasiparticles in TaAs.Comment: 10 pages, 4 figures, see also related papers on TaAs arXiv:1501.00060, arXiv:1502.0468

Co-reductive fabrication of carbon nanodots with high quantum yield for bioimaging of bacteria

A simple and straightforward synthetic approach for carbon nanodots (C-dots) is proposed. The strategy is based on a one-step hydrothermal chemical reduction with thiourea and urea, leading to high quantum yield C-dots. The obtained C-dots are welldispersed with a uniform size and a graphite-like structure. A synergistic reduction mechanism was investigated using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The findings show that using both thiourea and urea during the one-pot synthesis enhances the luminescence of the generated C-dots. Moreover, the prepared C-dots have a high distribution of functional groups on their surface. In this work, C-dots proved to be a suitable nanomaterial for imaging of bacteria and exhibit potential for application in bioimaging thanks to their low cytotoxicity

Layered Double Hydroxide Modified Bone Cement Promoting Osseointegration via Multiple Osteogenic Signal Pathways

Poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) bone cement has been widely used in orthopedic surgeries including total hip/knee replacement, vertebral compression fracture treatment, and bone defect filling. However, aseptic loosening of the interface between PMMA bone cement and bone often leads to failure. Hence, the development of modified PMMA that facilitates the growth of bone into the modified PMMA bone cement is key to reducing the incidence of aseptic loosening. In this study, MgAl-layered double hydroxide (LDH) microsheets modified PMMA (PMMA&LDH) bone cement with superior osseointegration performance has been synthesized. The maximum polymerization reaction temperature of PMMA&LDH decreased by 7.0 and 11.8 °C, respectively, compared with that of PMMA and PMMA&COL-I (mineralized collagen I modified PMMA). The mechanical performance of PMMA&LDH decreased slightly in comparison with PMMA, which is beneficial to alleviate stress-shielding osteolysis, and indirectly promote osseointegration. The superior osteogenic ability of PMMA&LDH has been demonstrated in vivo, which boosts bone growth by 2.17- and 18.34-fold increments compared to the PMMA&COL-I and PMMA groups at 2 months, postoperatively. Moreover, transcriptome sequencing revealed four key osteogenic pathways: p38 MAPK, ERK/MAPK, FGF, and TGF-β, which were further confirmed by IPA, qPCR, and Western blot assays. Hence, LDH-modified PMMA bone cement is a promising biomaterial to enhance bone growth with potential applications in relevant orthopedic surgeries