Study of the Properties of CdS:Al (R = [Al3+]/[Cd2+] = 0.30, 0.40, 0.50) Thin Films Grown by the CBD Method in an Ammonia-Free System.

CdS:Al thin films were fabricated on a glass substrate using the CBD method. The effect of aluminum incorporation on the structural, morphological, vibrational, and optical properties of CdS thin layers was investigated by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Raman spectroscopy (RS), atomic force microscopy (AFM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and UV-visible (UV-vis) and photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopies. XRD analysis of deposited thin films confirmed a hexagonal structure with a preferred (002) orientation in all samples. The crystallite size and surface morphology of the films are modified with aluminum content. Raman spectra exhibit fundamental longitudinal optical (LO) vibrational modes and their overtones. Optical properties were studied for each thin film. Here, it was observed that the optical properties of thin films are affected by the incorporation of aluminum into the CdS structure.

Preliminary study of the photodegradation of dyes using amorphous films of ZnO-CuO obtained by photochemical deposition in solid phase.

Here, we propose an original method of photochemical deposition for the synthesis of metal oxides from coordination complexes sensitive to UV light. The method consists of the synthesis of zinc oxide amorphous films doped with different concentrations of copper oxide followed by annealing at 600 °C. The photo-reactivity of the samples was evaluated by the decrease of the FT-IR spectroscopy bands. The films were analyzed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM-EDX) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) to study their morphology and structures, respectively. The results show an amorphous characteristic in the photo-deposits. The optical properties show a gradual decrease of both the optical band gap and the luminescent emissions of the ZnO photo-deposits when CuO doping increases. Both properties allow a shift in absorption towards the visible and a decrease in the rate of recombination of charge carriers. The photocatalytic activity was analyzed using methyl orange and methylene blue as pollutants under a lamp that emulates solar energy. The results show that the photocatalytic activity is favored by the insertion of CuO; 46.6 and 93.0% efficiency in the photodegradation of methyl orange and methylene blue, respectively, were reached at 1.0 mol % of CuO with respect to pure ZnO. These differences in degradation efficiency respond to the chemical stability of the dyes. Finally, the use of appropriate scavengers suggests an oxidative route in the dye degradation mechanism.

Relationship between Structural Characteristics of Cellulose Nanocrystals Obtained from Kraft Pulp.

Kraft pulp cellulose was hydrolyzed using sulfuric acid, under different thermophysical conditions of temperature, time, pulp concentration, and sonication time. The experimental design revealed the effect of these conditions and their interaction on the hydrolysis yield obtained. In addition, the top five cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) yields from this experiment design were analyzed. The results obtained indicated that CNCs possess a morphology that can be described as individualized rod particles, with average diameters less than 50 nm and different size distribution. In the analysis of CNCs features, significant Pearson correlations were established between the crystallinity of the CNC, CNC yield, and interplanar crystallites distance (Δd/d). The thermogravimetric (DTG) profiles exhibited two CNCs degradation stages, where the second stage CNCs degradation showed a significative correlation with CNC sulfur content. In our analysis, the crystallographic parameters exhibited a correlation with the mechanical behavior of the CNC, since the potential variation between the distances of the crystalline planes is related to the stress and deformation present in the crystallites of CNCs. This study provides new knowledge regarding CNCs, further enhancing information for CNC-based industries and the processability of CNCs for the development of new materials.

Gabapentin Inhibits Multiple Steps in the Amyloid Beta Toxicity Cascade.

Oligomeric ß-amyloid peptide (Aß) is one of the main neurotoxic agents of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Oligomers associate to neuronal membranes, forming "pore-like" structures that cause intracellular calcium and neurotransmitter dyshomeostasis, leading to synaptic failure and death. Through molecular screening targeting the C terminal region of Aß, a region involved in the toxic properties of the peptide, we detected an FDA approved compound, gabapentin (GBP), with neuroprotective effects against Aß toxicity. At micromolar concentrations, GBP antagonized peptide aggregation over time and reduced the Aß absorbance plateau to 28% of control. In addition, GBP decreased Aß association to membranes by almost half, and the effects of Aß on intracellular calcium in hippocampal neurons were antagonized without causing effects on its own. Finally, we found that GBP was able to block the synaptotoxicity induced by Aß in hippocampal neurons, increasing post-synaptic currents from 1.7 ± 0.9 to 4.2 ± 0.7 fC and mean relative fluorescence intensity values of SV2, a synaptic protein, from 0.7 ± 0.09 to 1.00 ± 0.08. The results show that GBP can interfere with Aß-induced toxicity by blocking multiple steps, resulting in neuroprotection, which justifies advancing toward additional animal and human studies.

Obtaining Nanoparticles of Chilean Natural Zeolite and its Ion Exchange with Copper Salt (Cu2+) for Antibacterial Applications.

This article describes the production of nanoparticles of Chilean natural zeolite, using three size reduction methods: Ball mill, microgrinding, and microfluidization. Morphological characterization of samples indicated an average diameter of 37.2 ± 15.8 nm of the zeolite particles. The size reduction and chemical treatments did not affect the morphology or integrity of the zeolite. An increase of the zeolite samples' Si/Al ratio was observed after the acid treatment and was confirmed by SEM-EDX analysis. Moreover, the effectiveness of the copper salt ion exchange (Cu2+) to the zeolite nanoparticles was analyzed by SEM-EDX. XRD analysis indicated that clinoptilolite and mordenite are the main phases of Chilean natural zeolite, and the crystalline structure was not affected by the modification processes. The FTIR characterization showed the presence of chemical bonds of copper with the zeolite nanoparticle framework. The ion-exchanged zeolite nanoparticles were evaluated for antibacterial behavior by the disc diffusion method. Additionally, the minimum inhibitory concentration and minimum bactericidal concentration were obtained. Microbiological assays with copper-exchanged nanozeolites showed an antimicrobial activity with a bactericidal effect against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus, which are the primary pathogens of food and are also resistant to multiple drugs. In this study, a new application for natural nanozeolites is demonstrated, as the incorporated copper ions (Cu2+) in nanozeolites registered a productive antibacterial activity.

Dissolution and Hydrolysis of Bleached Kraft Pulp Using Ionic Liquids.

Forestry industries in Chile are facing an important challenge-diversifying their products using green technologies. In this study, the potential use of Ionic Liquids (ILs) to dissolve and hydrolyze eucalyptus wood (mix of Eucalyptus nitens and Eucalyptus globulus) kraft pulp was studied. The Bleached Hardwood Kraft Pulp (BHKP) from a Chilean pulp mill was used together with five different ILs: 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride [bmim][Cl], 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium acetate [bmim][Ac], 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium hydrogen sulfate [bmim][HSO4], 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride [emim][Cl], 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium acetate [emim][Ac]. Experimentally, one vacuum reactor was designed to study the dissolution/hydrolysis process for each ILs; particularly, the cellulose dissolution process using [bmim][Cl] was studied proposing one molecular dynamic model. Experimental characterization using Atomic Force Microscopy, conductometric titration, among other techniques suggest that all ILs are capable of cellulose dissolution at different levels; in some cases, the dissolution evolved to partial hydrolysis appearing cellulose nanocrystals (CNC) in the form of spherical aggregates with a diameter of 40-120 nm. Molecular dynamics simulations showed that the [bmim][Cl] anions tend to interact actively with cellulose sites and water molecules in the dissolution process. The results showed the potential of some ILs to dissolve/hydrolyze the cellulose from Chilean Eucalyptus, maintaining reactive forms.

Isolation and Characterization of Cellulose Nanocrystals from Rejected Fibers Originated in the Kraft Pulping Process.

In the final process of the bleached kraft pulp there are some cellulose fibers that are separated from the main fibers stream; these fibers are rejected and considered as a low quality fibers, these fibers are known as rejected fiber (RF). In the present work the potential use of these fibers for Cellulose Nanocrystals (CNCs) synthesis was studied. The physical and chemical properties of synthesized CNCs were characterized through different techniques such as Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), X-Ray Diffraction (XRD), Fourier-Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), and Thermogravimetric Analysis (TGA). Results demonstrate the feasibility of CNCs synthesis with a yield of 28.1% and 36.9%, and crystallinity of 73.5% and 82.7%. Finally, the morphology and synthesis conditions suggest that this industrial reject fiber (RF) could be used as a source for the CNCs production, thus adding value to the kraft process and opening new possibilities for innovation in the pulp industry.

On non-Kupka points of codimension one foliations on ℙ3.

We study the singular set of a codimension one holomorphic foliation on ℙ 3 . We find a local normal form for these foliations near a codimension two component of the singular set that is not of Kupka type. We also determine the number of non-Kupka points immersed in a codimension two component of the singular set of a codimension one foliation on ℙ 3.