The influence of aging on shape memory effect in Ti‑50.7at.%Ni and Ti‑51.7at.%Ni single crystals

The shape memory effect (SME) during stressassisted thermal cycles under compressive load in [001]-oriented Ti-50.7at.%Ni and Ti-51.7at.%Ni single crystals aged at 823 K for 1 h has been studied. Ti3Ni4 particles with a diameter of 300–400 nm were precipitated with volume fractions of 11 and 22% and interparticle distances of 300–500 nm and 50–150 nm, respectively. In quenched single crystals, the SME parameters were determined by the transformation type (thermal-induced martensitic transformation (MT) or strain glass transition). In contrast, the SME parameters of aged single crystals were determined by the volume fraction of particles and interparticle distances. Differing volume fractions of particles and interparticle distances led to different temperatures ( M0s ) for the formation of B19′-martensite, different strain (εrev), different dependences of the interval of forward MT ( Δσ1) and thermal hysteresis ( ΔT1= Aσf−Mσs and ΔT2= Aσs−Mσf) on applied stresses, and changes in the morphology of martensite crystals. Practically, these differences do not affect the stresses (σmin and σmax) required to achieve the minimum strain and maximum reversible strain (εrev) and strain growth coefficient (dεrev/dσ). The influence of aging on the dependence of the SME parameters on the chemical composition was analysed in comparison with quenched crystals

FLIM-FRET Imaging of Caspase-3 Activity in Live Cells Using Pair of Red Fluorescent Proteins

We report a new technique to detect enzyme activity inside cells. The method based on Fluorescence Lifetime Imaging (FLIM) technology allows one to follow sensor cleavage by proteolytic enzyme caspase-3. Specifically, we use the FLIM FRET of living cells via the confocal fluorescence microscopy. A specially designed lentivector pLVT with the DNA fragment of TagRFP-23-KFP was applied for transduction of A549 cell lines. Computer simulations are carried out to estimate FRET efficiency and to analyze possible steric restrictions of the reaction between the substrate TagRFP-23-KFP and caspase-3 dimer. Successful use of the fuse protein TagRFP-23-KFP to register the caspase-3 activation based on average life-time measurements is demonstrated. We show that the average life-time distribution is dramatically changed for cells with the modified morphology that is typical for apoptosis. Namely, the short-lived component at 1.8-2.1 ns completely disappears and the long-lived component appears at 2.4-2.6 ns. The latter is a fingerprint of the TagRFP molecule released after cleavage of the TagRFP-23-KFP complex by caspase-3. Analysis of life-time distributions for population of cells allows us to discriminate apoptotic and surviving cells within single frame and to peform statistical analysis of drug efficiency. This system can be adjusted for HTS by using special readers oriented on measurements of fluorescence life-time

The Effect of Thermal Treatment on Microstructure and Thermal-Induced Martensitic Transformations in Ni44Fe19Ga27Co10 Single Crystals

Heat treatments of single crystals of Ni44Fe19Ga27Co10 (at.%) shape memory alloys cause various microstructures of the high-temperature phase. The nanodomain structure, consisting of regions of the L21- and B2-phases, and nanosized particles are the main parameters that change during heat treatments and determine the mechanism of nucleation and growth of martensite crystals, the size of thermal-induced martensite lamellae, the temperature Ms, and the temperature intervals of the martensitic transformation. In the as-grown single crystals, the high-temperature phase has only the L21-structure and the MT occurs at low (Ms = 125 K) temperatures due to the motion of the practically single interphase boundary in narrow temperature ranges of 3–7 K. The reduction in the volume fraction of the L21-phase to 40% and the formation of nanodomains (20–50 nm) of the L21-and B2-phases due to annealing at 1448 K for 1 h with quenching causes an increase in the MT temperatures by 80 K. The MT occurs in wide temperature ranges of 40–45 K because of multiple nucleation of individual large (300–500 µm) martensite lamellae and their growth. After aging at 773 K for 1 h, the precipitation of nanosized particles of the ω-phase in such a structure additionally increases the MT temperatures by 45 K. The MT occurs due to the multiple nucleation of packets of small (20–50 μm) martensite lamellae

Orientation Dependence of B19’-Martensite Reorientation Stress and Yield Stress in TiNi Single Crystals

This paper deals with the effect of crystal orientation on the B19’-martensite reorientation stress and yield stress in compression in TiNi single crystals with different Ni contents varying from 50.4 to 51.2 at.%. It was experimentally shown that the martensite yield stress appears to be higher for the [111]B2-oriented single crystals than for the [001]B2-oriented single crystals regardless of Ni content. The difference between martensite yield stress for the two investigated orientations increases with the growth of Ni content. The maximum difference between martensite yield stress σcrM for two investigated orientations is 996 MPa at Ni content of 51.2 at.% (σcrM = 1023 MPa for the [001]B2-orientation and σcrM = 2019 MPa for the [111]B2-orientation). As a result of comparison with the B2-austenite yield stress, it was found that this is not an ordinary case. The [001]B2 orientation is a high-strength in B2-austenite and a low-strength in B19’-martensite. It was experimentally shown that the B19’-martensite reorientation stresses weakly depend on the orientation and chemical composition compared with the martensite yield stress. The reasons for the orientation dependence of the martensite yield stress in compression and the deformation mechanisms of B19’-martensite are discussed

The Effect of Thermal Treatment on Microstructure and Thermal-Induced Martensitic Transformations in Ni₄₄Fe₁₉Ga₂₇Co₁₀ Single Crystals

Heat treatments of single crystals of Ni44Fe19Ga27Co10 (at.%) shape memory alloys cause various microstructures of the high-temperature phase. The nanodomain structure, consisting of regions of the L21- and B2-phases, and nanosized particles are the main parameters that change during heat treatments and determine the mechanism of nucleation and growth of martensite crystals, the size of thermal-induced martensite lamellae, the temperature Ms, and the temperature intervals of the martensitic transformation. In the as-grown single crystals, the high-temperature phase has only the L21-structure and the MT occurs at low (Ms = 125 K) temperatures due to the motion of the practically single interphase boundary in narrow temperature ranges of 3–7 K. The reduction in the volume fraction of the L21-phase to 40% and the formation of nanodomains (20–50 nm) of the L21-and B2-phases due to annealing at 1448 K for 1 h with quenching causes an increase in the MT temperatures by 80 K. The MT occurs in wide temperature ranges of 40–45 K because of multiple nucleation of individual large (300–500 µm) martensite lamellae and their growth. After aging at 773 K for 1 h, the precipitation of nanosized particles of the ω-phase in such a structure additionally increases the MT temperatures by 45 K. The MT occurs due to the multiple nucleation of packets of small (20–50 μm) martensite lamellae