Emerging switchable ultraviolet photoluminescence in dehydrated Zn/Al layered double hydroxide nanoplatelets.

Layered double hydroxides show intriguing physical and chemical properties arising by their intrinsic self-assembled stacking of molecular-thick 2D nanosheets, enhanced active surface area, hosting of guest species by intercalation and anion exchanging capabilities. Here, we report on the unprecedented emerging intense ultraviolet photoluminescence in Zn/Al layered double hydroxide high-aspect-ratio nanoplatelets, which we discovered to be fully activated by drying under vacuum condition and thermal desorption as well. Photoluminescence and its quenching were reproducibly switched by a dehydration-hydration process. Photoluminescence properties were comprehensively evaluated, such as temperature dependence of photoluminescence features and lifetime measurements. The role of 2D morphology and arrangement of hydroxide layers was demonstrated by evaluating the photoluminescence before and after exfoliation of a bulk phase synthetized by a coprecipitation method.

Ferromagnetic Mn-doped Si0.3Ge0.7 nanodots self-assembled on Si(100).

Densely packed epitaxial Mn-doped Si(0.3)Ge(0.7) nanodots self-assembled on Si(100) have been obtained. Their structural properties were studied using reflection high-energy electron diffraction, energy dispersive x-ray diffraction, atomic force microscopy, extended x-ray absorption fine structure measurements and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy. Mn(5)Ge(1)Si(2) crystallites embedded in Si(0.3)Ge(0.7) were found. They exhibit a ferromagnetic behaviour with a Curie temperature of about 225 K.

Crystallization process of carbonate substituted hydroxyapatite nanoparticles in toothpastes upon physiological conditions: an in situ time-resolved X-ray diffraction study.

The crystallization process in recently developed toothpastes, containing nanoparticles of carbonate substituted hydroxyapatite (nano-CHA), was investigated. For this purpose, the non-conventional Energy Dispersive X-Ray Diffraction technique, that demonstrated to be a powerful tool to follow in situ phase transformations, was applied, for the first time, to products of pharmaceutical-cosmetic interest. Two types of toothpastes, containing 15 and 20 wt% of nano-CHA, respectively, have been studied. It was observed that, after mixing the toothpastes with water and saliva in order to reproduce in vivo conditions, a crystallization of nano-CHA takes place. Such process occurs in a characteristic time of (22 +/- 1) min for the toothpaste containing 15 wt% of nano-CHA and of (3.9 +/- 0.5) min for the one containing 20% of nano-CHA. For both toothpastes, a 10% increase in grain dimensions was observed over an average characteristic time of (55 +/- 5) min.

Energy dispersive X-ray diffraction study of phase development during hardening of calcium phosphate bone cements with addition of chitosan.

The aim of this work was to study the phase transformation during the setting reaction of two calcium phosphate bone cements based on either alpha tricalcium phosphate (alpha-TCP) or tetracalcium phosphate (TetCP) initial solid phase, and a magnesium carbonate-phosphoric acid solution as the hardening liquid. Low molecular weight (38.2 kDa) chitosan was used to retard the cement's setting reaction. To follow the kinetics of the phase development, an energy dispersive X-ray diffraction technique was applied. This technique allowed the collection of diffraction patterns from the cement pastes in situ starting from 1 min of the setting process. In the case of the TetCP-based cement, the appearance and evolution of an intermediate phase was detected.