On the kinetics of the removal of ligands from films of colloidal nanocrystals by plasmas.

This paper describes the kinetic limitations of etching ligands from colloidal nanocrystal assemblies (CNAs) by plasma processing. We measured the etching kinetics of ligands from a CNA model system (spherical ZrO2 nanocrystals, 2.5-3.5 nm diameter, capped with trioctylphosphine oxide) with inductively coupled plasmas (He and O2 feed gases, powers ranging from 7 to 30 W, at pressures ranging from 100 to 2000 mTorr and exposure times ranging between 6 and 168 h). The etching rate slows down by about one order of magnitude in the first minutes of etching, after which the rate of carbon removal becomes proportional to the third power of the carbon concentration in the CNA. Pressure oscillations in the plasma chamber significantly accelerate the overall rate of etching. These results indicate that the rate of etching is mostly affected by two main factors: (i) the crosslinking of the ligands in the first stage of plasma exposure, and (ii) the formation of a boundary layer at the surface of the CNA. Optimized conditions of plasma processing allow for a 60-fold improvement in etching rates compared to the previous state of the art and make the timeframes of plasma processing comparable to those of calcination.

Calcination does not remove all carbon from colloidal nanocrystal assemblies.

Removing organics from hybrid nanostructures is a crucial step in many bottom-up materials fabrication approaches. It is usually assumed that calcination is an effective solution to this problem, especially for thin films. This assumption has led to its application in thousands of papers. We here show that this general assumption is incorrect by using a relevant and highly controlled model system consisting of thin films of ligand-capped ZrO2 nanocrystals. After calcination at 800 °C for 12 h, while Raman spectroscopy fails to detect the ligands after calcination, elastic backscattering spectrometry characterization demonstrates that ~18% of the original carbon atoms are still present in the film. By comparison plasma processing successfully removes the ligands. Our growth kinetic analysis shows that the calcined materials have significantly different interfacial properties than the plasma-processed counterparts. Calcination is not a reliable strategy for the production of single-phase all-inorganic materials from colloidal nanoparticles.

Ion beam analyses of carbon nanotubes.

The utility of ion beam analysis (IBA) techniques to quantitatively determine impurities in carbon nanotubes (CNTs) over a wide range of atomic numbers is demonstrated. Such techniques have not previously been used to monitor impurities and their effects in this unique material. Despite the difficulty in mounting the samples (which generally are formed into a powdery aggregate rather in a thin film), it is shown that reliable and accurate measurements of impurity concentrations can be achieved. Particle-induced X-ray emission (PIXE) and elastic recoil detection (ERD) analyses were used to characterize both metallic and very light (e.g., hydrogen) impurities in CNTs. This paper reports the first direct measurement of hydrogen in CNTs using an IBA technique. This is significant because CNTs are being actively investigated for hydrogen storage technology for energy applications.

Effects of long-term exposure to Cu2+ and Cd2+ on the pentose phosphate pathway dehydrogenase activities in the ovary of adult Bufo arenarum: possible role as biomarker for Cu2+ toxicity.

The effects of copper and cadmium on metabolism through the pentose phosphate pathway were evaluated in Bufo arenarum toad ovary. The effects of the two metals on dehydrogenases from this pathway were evaluated by three experiments: (1) in samples obtained from control females with addition of the metals to the reaction mixture (in vitro), (2) in samples obtained from control females and after long-term exposure of females to 4 and 100 microg/L of Cu or Cd in the incubation media (in vitro after exposure to the metals in vivo), and (3) 14CO2 production through the pentose phosphate pathway was evaluated after [U-14C]glucose microinjection on ovulated oocytes (in vivo after microinjection of the metals). Results from (1) evidenced inhibition of both enzyme activities but only above 1.5 mM Cu and Cd added to the reaction mixture. In (2) both glucose 6-phosphate dehydrogenase and 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase activities decreased in samples from the ovaries of females exposed in vivo to Cu, in a concentration-dependent manner (up to 90% in females exposed to 100 microg/L Cu: 2.12 +/- 1.57 NADPH micromol/min microg protein x 10(-5) vs 19.97 +/- 8.54 in control females). Cd treatment of the toads only rendered an inhibitory effect on 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase activity after exposure to 4 microg/L of the bivalent cation. (3) In vivo 14CO2 evolution significantly decreased in oocytes coinjected with 6.3 x 10(-3) mM Cu (calculated intracellular final concentration of the metal injected) and radioactive glucose. Cu and Cd concentration in samples from exposed females were always under detection limit by particle-induced X-ray emission. The results presented here are in agreement with a role for both glucose 6-phosphate dehydrogenase and 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase activities determination as biomarkers of effect and exposure for Cu but not for Cd toxicity.

Acumulación de Zn en ovocitos de sapo Bufo arenarum: efecto sobre el metabolismo de carbohidratos / Accumulation of Zn in oocytes of Bufo arenarum frog: effect about the carboydrates metabolism

La exposición de hembras de sapo Buffo arerarum a aguas del río Reconquista (Provincia de Buenos Aires, Argentina) conduce a la acumulación de zinc (Zn) en sus ovarios. Las hembras tratadas de esta forma son capaces de ovular cuando son inyectadas con macerado de hipófisis, al igual que hembras controles. Los ovocitos obtenidos de hembras tratadas son capaces de fertilizar y desarrollar normalmente hasta el estadío de gástrula, mientras que presentan un 27 por ciento de inhibición del desarrollo embrionario a partir del estadío denominado respuesta muscular. In vivo la microinyección de Zn en ovocitos controles simultáneamente con [U-14C] Glucosa evidenció disminución en la síntesis de glucógeno y en la oxidación de la glucosa a través de la vía de las pentosas. La actividad de la enzima glucosa-6-fosfato deshidrogenasa en ausencia de agregado de Zn fue de 371,8 x 10 -3 U/ml.min. La enzima fue inhibida en vitro por el metal en forma dependiente de la concentración. Utilizando una concentración igual a 1,53mM de Zn, similar a la incorporada en ovario y a la microinyectada en los ensayos con glucosa radiactiva, se alcanzó un 62 por ciento de la máxima inhibición correspondiente a 3mM de Zn (248,7x10-3U/ml.min). Estos resultados concuerdan con un efecto inhibitorio del Zn sobre el desarrollo embrionario, mediado probablemente por una deficiente producción de NADPH, ribosa-5 fosfato y ATP en los ovocitos.