Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research

This article reports or, the international Nanofluid Property Benchmark Exercise, or INPBE. in which the thermal conductivity of identical samples of colloidally stable dispersions of nanoparticles or "nanofluids", was measured by over 30 organizations worldwide, using, a variety of experimental approaches, including the transient hot wire method, steady-state methods, and optical methods. The nanofluids tested in the exercise were comprised of aqueous and nonaqueous basefluids, metal and metal oxide particles, near-spherical and elongated particles, at low and high particle concentrations. The data analysis reveals that the data from most organizations lie within a relatively narrow band (+/- 10% or less) about the sample average with only few outliers. The thermal conductivity of the nanofluids was found to increase with particle concentration and aspect ratio. as expected from classical theory. There are (small) systematic differences in the absolute values of the nanofluid thermal conductivity among the various experimental approaches; however. such differences tend to disappear when the data are normalized to the Measured thermal conductivity of the basefluid. The effective medium theory developed for dispersed particles by Maxwell in 1881 and recently generalized by Nan et al. [J. Appl. Phys. 81, 6692 (1997)], was found to be in good agreement with the experimental data, suggesting that no anomalous enhancement of thermal conductivity was achieved in the nanofluids tested in this exercise.

X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) is a powerful tool to study surface properties (< 10 nm) and is being widely used in almost all branches of science and engineering. This review provides a pedagogical description of the fundamental understanding of XPS based surface characterization with the necessary background and key concepts, details on primary factors influencing surface analysis, issues in XPS analysis and identification of chemical bonding/oxidation state of elements. The basic theory of XPS and the most frequently used “core level peaks” analysis in the conventional use of XPS are presented, along with the details of valence band analysis. The challenges encountered during surface analysis, especially for phase composition identification, are briefly discussed. Further, a few selected recent applications of the XPS technique in various scientific fields are also highlighted. The recent development in the area of surface phase identification by valence band analysis using XPS, along with its advantages and challenges in the determination of nanoscale thin film phase composition are also detailed. This review also provides an overview of the significance of XPS as a tool for surface characterization in the field of material science, nanoscience, mining and mineral extraction, metallurgy, semiconductors, coatings, inorganic materials, tribology, organic materials, corrosion science and electrochemistry. The review should be an ideal material for researchers and also serves as an excellent reference for freshers who plan to begin research on this topic.

Functionalized and fully characterized graphene-based lubricant additives are potential 2D materials for energy-efficient tribological applications in machine elements, especially at macroscopic contacts. Two different reduced graphene oxide (rGO) derivatives, terminated by hydroxyl and epoxy-hydroxyl groups, were prepared and blended with two different molecular weights of polyethylene glycol (PEG) for tribological investigation. Epoxy-hydroxyl-terminated rGO dispersed in PEG showed significantly smaller values of the friction coefficient. In this condition, PEG chains intercalate between the functionalized graphene sheets, and shear can take place between the PEG and rGO sheets. However, the friction coefficient was unaffected when hydroxyl-terminated rGO was coupled with PEG. This can be explained by the strong coupling between graphene sheets through hydroxyl units, causing the interaction of PEG with the rGO to be non- effective for lubrication. On the other hand, antiwear properties of hydroxyl-terminated rGO were significantly enhanced compared to epoxy-hydroxyl functionalized rGO due to the integrity of graphene sheet clusters.

Effect of confinement is investigated on optical phonons of different symmetries in the nanoparticles of zinc oxide with wurtzite structure using Raman spectroscopy. An optical phonon confinement model is used for calculating the theoretical line shapes, which exhibit different asymmetric broadening and shifts, depending on the symmetries of phonon and their dispersion curves. The best fit to the data is found for particle diameters consistent with those estimated using x-ray diffraction.

SUMMARY In nature, selenium is actively cycled between oxic and anoxic habitats, and this cycle plays an important role in carbon and nitrogen mineralization through bacterial anaerobic respiration. Selenium-respiring bacteria (SeRB) are found in geographically diverse, pristine or contaminated environments and play a pivotal role in the selenium cycle. Unlike its structural analogues oxygen and sulfur, the chalcogen selenium and its microbial cycling have received much less attention by the scientific community. This review focuses on microorganisms that use selenate and selenite as terminal electron acceptors, in parallel to the well-studied sulfate-reducing bacteria. It overviews the significant advancements made in recent years on the role of SeRB in the biological selenium cycle and their ecological role, phylogenetic characterization, and metabolism, as well as selenium biomineralization mechanisms and environmental biotechnological applications.

We observe a dramatic enhancement of thermal conductivity in a nanofluid containing magnetite particles of average diameter of 6.7nm under the influence of an applied magnetic field. The maximum enhancement in the thermal conductivity observed is 300% (k∕kf=4.0) at a particle loading of 6.3vol%. The increase in thermal conductivity is attributed to the effective conduction of heat through the chainlike structures formed in the nanofluid. This finding is consistent with the theoretical prediction of enhanced thermal conductivity in nanofluid containing fractal aggregates [R. Prasher et al., Appl. Phys. Lett.89, 143119 (2006)].

Abstract If the medium surrounding a nano‐grain does not support the vibrational wavenumbers of a material, the optical and acoustic phonons get confined within the grain of the nanostructured material. This leads to interesting changes in the vibrational spectrum of the nanostructured material as compared to that of the bulk. Absence of periodicity beyond the particle dimension relaxes the zone‐centre optical phonon selection rule, causing the Raman spectrum to have contributions also from phonons away from the Brillouin‐zone centre. Theoretical models and calculations suggest that the confinement results in asymmetric broadening and shift of the optical phonon Raman line, the magnitude of which depends on the widths of the corresponding phonon dispersion curves. This has been confirmed for zinc oxide nanoparticles. Microscopic lattice dynamical calculations of the phonon amplitude and Raman spectra using the bond‐polarizability model suggest a power‐law dependence of the peak‐shift on the particle size. This article reviews recent results on the Raman spectroscopic investigations of optical phonon confinement in several nanocrystalline semiconductor and ceramic/dielectric materials, including those in selenium, cadmium sulphide, zinc oxide, thorium oxide, and nano‐diamond. Resonance Raman scattering from confined optical phonons is also discussed. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley &amp; Sons, Ltd.

Polycrystalline powder of (Na 0.5 Bi 0.5 )TiO 3 (NBT) was prepared by a high-temperature solid-state reaction route. Preliminary x-ray diffraction analysis carried out at room temperature showed the formation of a single phase compound with a rhombohedral crystal system. Scanning electron micrograph reveals the polycrystalline nature of the material with size anisotropy. Dielectric study showed an existence of diffuse phase transition around 300 °C. The ac conductivity spectrum obeyed the Jonscher power law. The temperature dependent pre-exponential factor ( A ) shows peak and frequency exponent ( n ) possesses a minimum at transition temperature. The bulk conductivity of the material indicates an Arrhenius type of thermally activated process with three different conduction mechanisms as different activation energies are observed. The hopping charge carriers dominate at low temperature, small polaron and oxygen vacancy dominates at intermediate temperature and ionic conduction at higher temperatures. Studies of impedance spectroscopy indicate that the dielectric relaxation is of non-Debye type. In situ high-temperature Raman spectroscopy shows discontinuous changes in the phonon frequencies across the rhombohedral–tetragonal transition. In addition, anomalous changes in the intensity and the linewidth of a lattice mode are found around 350 °C.

We developed a new sensing motif for the detection and quantification of creatinine, which is an important small molecule marker of renal dysfunction. This novel sensor motif is based on our intelligent polymerized crystalline colloidal array (IPCCA) materials, in which a three-dimensional crystalline colloidal array (CCA) of monodisperse, highly charged polystyrene latex particles are polymerized within lightly cross-linked polyacrylamide hydrogels. These composite hydrogels are photonic crystals in which the embedded CCA diffracts visible light and appears intensely colored. Volume phase transitions of the hydrogel cause changes in the CCA lattice spacings which change the diffracted wavelength of light. We functionalized the hydrogel with two coupled recognition modules, a creatinine deiminase (CD) enzyme and a 2-nitrophenol (2NPh) titrating group. Creatinine within the gel is rapidly hydrolyzed by the CD enzyme in a reaction which releases OH(-). This elevates the steady-state pH within the hydrogel as compared to the exterior solution. In response, the 2NPh is deprotonated. The increased solubility of the phenolate species as compared to that of the neutral phenols causes a hydrogel swelling which red-shifts the IPCCA diffraction. This photonic crystal IPCCA senses physiologically relevant creatinine levels, with a detection limit of 6 microM, at physiological pH and salinity. This sensor also determines physiological levels of creatinine in human blood serum samples. This sensing technology platform is quite general. It may be used to fabricate photonic crystal sensors for any species for which there exists an enzyme which catalyzes it to release H(+) or OH(-).

Views Icon Views Article contents Figures & tables Video Audio Supplementary Data Peer Review Share Icon Share Twitter Facebook Reddit LinkedIn Tools Icon Tools Reprints and Permissions Cite Icon Cite Search Site Citation S. Banerjee, M. Mandal, N. Gayathri, M. Sardar; Enhancement of ferromagnetism upon thermal annealing in pure ZnO. Appl. Phys. Lett. 29 October 2007; 91 (18): 182501. https://doi.org/10.1063/1.2804081 Download citation file: Ris (Zotero) Reference Manager EasyBib Bookends Mendeley Papers EndNote RefWorks BibTex toolbar search Search Dropdown Menu toolbar search search input Search input auto suggest filter your search All ContentAIP Publishing PortfolioApplied Physics Letters Search Advanced Search |Citation Search

The silver (0.5-3 at %) substituted nanosize hydroxyapatites (AgHAs) were synthesized by microwave processing. The X-ray diffraction (XRD) peaks are very broad, indicating that the AgHAs were of nanosize (30 nm). Transmission electron microscopy analysis shows needle-like morphology of AgHA, having length 60-70 nm and width 15-20 nm. The AgHA phase was stable up to 700 degrees C without any secondary phases. The antibacterial effect of AgHA against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus was observed by spread plate method, even for low concentration of silver ions (0.5%) with 1 x 10(5) cells/mL of respective bacterial culture, after a 48 h incubation period. However, some colonies of E. coli were seen with a high dose of 1 x 10(8) cells/mL after 24 h. The zone of inhibition by disc diffusion test method was found to vary with the amount of silver in the sintered AgHA pellets, for both the bacteria, after 24 h of inoculation. Osteoblast cell attachment in varying density was noticed on AgHA samples with 0.5, 1.0, and 1.5% silver substitution. However, osteoblast spreading was significantly greater on 0.5% AgHA compared to 1.0 or 1.5% substituted AgHA samples. Thus, the low amount of AgHA has a potential of minimizing the risk of bacterial contamination, without compromising the bioactivity, and is expected to display greater biological efficacy in terms of osseointegration.

ABSTRACT Data are reviewed on the formation of third phase in the extraction of acti-nide(IV.VI) nitrates by neutral organophosphorus extractants, mainly tributyl phosphate. The data are critically evaluated and the effect of variables on the third phase formation is discussed. The variables are the concentrations of nitric acid and the extractant, temperature, the nature of diluent, addition of modifiers and the ionic strength of the aqueous phase. Also discussed are systems involving two extracted actinide ions.

Zinc oxide (ZnO) nanoparticles (NPs) in the size range ∼7–35 nm are synthesized by ball-milling technique, and microstructural and optical properties of the NPs are studied using varieties of techniques. Results from ball-milled NPs are compared with those of the commercially available ZnO nanopowder. X-ray diffraction pattern of the milled NPs indicates lattice strain in the NPs. High-resolution transmission electron microscopy analysis reveal severe lattice distortion and reduction in lattice spacing in some of the NPs. Optical absorption spectra of milled NPs show enhanced absorption peaked at 368 nm, which is blueshifted with reference to starting ZnO powder. Room-temperature photoluminescence spectra show five peaks consisting of ultraviolet and visible bands, and relative intensity of these peaks drastically changes with increasing milling time. Raman spectra of milled powders show redshift and broadening of the Raman modes of ZnO, and a new Raman mode evolve in the milled NPs. A correlation between the microstructure and optical properties of ZnO NPs is made on the basis of these results. Our results clearly demonstrate that commercially available ZnO nanopowders do not exhibit nanosize effects due to relatively large size of the ZnO NPs. Implications of these results are discussed.

Generally, silver is considered as a noble metal used for treating burn wound infections, open wounds and cuts. However, the emerging nanotechnology has made a remarkable impact by converting metallic silver into silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) for better applications. The advancement in technology has improved the synthesis of NPs using biological method instead of physical and chemical methods. Nonetheless, synthesizing AgNPs using biological sources is ecofriendly and cost effective. Till date, AgNPs are widely used as antibacterial agents; therefore, a novel idea is needed for the successful use of AgNPs as therapeutic agents to uncertain diseases and infections. In biomedicine, AgNPs possess significant advantages due to their physical and chemical versatility. Indeed, the toxicity concerns regarding AgNPs have created the need for non-toxic and ecofriendly approaches to produce AgNPs. The applications of AgNPs in nanogels, nanosolutions, silver based dressings and coating over medical devices are under progress. Still, an improvised version of AgNPs for extended applications in an ecofriendly manner is the need of the hour. Therefore, the present review emphasizes the synthesis methods, modes of action under dissipative conditions and the various biomedical applications of AgNPs in detail.

The isometric pyrochlore structure, ${A}_{2}{B}_{2}{\mathrm{O}}_{7},$ is generally susceptible to radiation damage, but certain compositions are remarkably resistant to radiation damage. In the binary system ${\mathrm{Gd}}_{2}({\mathrm{Ti}}_{2\ensuremath{-}x}{\mathrm{Zr}}_{x}){\mathrm{O}}_{7},$ the radiation resistance increases dramatically with the substitution of Zr for Ti, until the pure end member ${\mathrm{Gd}}_{2}{\mathrm{Zr}}_{2}{\mathrm{O}}_{7}$ cannot be amorphized, even at doses as high as \ensuremath{\sim}100 dpa. Although zirconate pyrochlores are generally considered to be radiation resistant, we report results for the amorphization of a zirconate pyrochlore ${\mathrm{La}}_{2}{\mathrm{Zr}}_{2}{\mathrm{O}}_{7}$ by ion beam irradiation (\ensuremath{\sim}5.5 dpa at room temperature). The critical amorphization temperature ${T}_{c}$ is low, \ensuremath{\sim}310 K. The susceptibility to ion-beam-induced amorphization and structural disordering for zirconate pyrochlores is related to the structural deviation from the ideal fluorite structure, as reflected by the x parameter of the ${\mathrm{O}}_{48f}.$

The unusually large enhancement of thermal conductivity (k/k(f)∼4.0, where k and k(f) are the thermal conductivities of the nanofluid and the base fluid, respectively) observed in a nanofluid containing linear chain-like aggregates provides direct evidence for efficient transport of heat through percolating paths. The nanofluid used was a stable colloidal suspension of magnetite (Fe(3)O(4)) nanoparticles of average diameter 6.7 nm, coated with oleic acid and dispersed in kerosene. The maximum enhancement under magnetic field was about 48φ (where φ is the volume fraction). The maximum enhancement is observed when chain-like aggregates are uniformly dispersed without clumping. These results also suggest that nanofluids containing well-dispersed nanoparticles (without aggregates) do not exhibit significant enhancement of thermal conductivity. Our findings offer promising applications for developing a new generation of nanofluids with tunable thermal conductivity.

We experimentally demonstrate the tunable thermal property of a magnetically polarizable nanofluid that consists of a colloidal suspension of magnetite nanoparticles with average diameter of 6.7nm. Controlling the linear aggregation length from nano- to micron scales, the thermal conductivity (TC) of the nanofluid has been enhanced up to 216%, using 4.5vol% of nanoparticles. Repeated magnetic cycling shows that the TC enhancement is reversible. It has been confirmed that the large enhancement in TC is due to the efficient transport of heat through percolating nanoparticle paths. Our findings offer promising applications in “smart” cooling devices.

Nanosize hydroxyapatite (nHAp) doped with varying levels of Fe(3+) (Fe-nHAp of average size 75 nm) was synthesized by hydrothermal and microwave techniques. The samples were characterized for physiochemical properties by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometer (ICP-OES), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM), mechanical and dielectric properties. The biological properties like hemocompatibility, antibacterial efficacy, in vitro bioactivity and the cell proliferation of the samples were determined. XRD pattern of the samples were of single phase hydroxyapatite. As the content of Fe(3+) increased, the crystallite size as well as crystallinity decreased along with a morphological change from spherulites to rods. The dielectric constants and Vickers hardness were enhanced on Fe(3+) doping. The VSM studies revealed that the saturation magnetization (M(s)) and retentivity (M(r)) were found to increase for Fe-nHAp. nHAp impregnated with an antibiotic as a new system for drug delivery in the treatment of chronic osteomyelitis was also attempted. The in vitro drug release with an antibiotic amoxicillin and anticancer drug 5-fluorouracil showed sustained release for the lowest concentration of Fe(3+), while with an increase in the content; there was a rapid release of the drug. The hemolytic assay of Fe(3+) doped samples revealed high blood compatibility (<5% hemolysis). The antibacterial activities of the antibiotic impregnated materials were tested against a culture of E. coli, S. epidermidis and S. aureus by agar diffusion test. The in vitro bioactivity test using simulated body fluid (SBF) showed better bone bonding ability by the formation of an apatite layer on the doped samples. The growth of the apatite layer on the samples surface has been confirmed by EDS analysis. The proliferative potential of MG63 cells by MTT assay confirmed the noncytotoxicity of the samples.

Body temperature is a very useful parameter for diagnosing diseases. There is a definite correlation between body temperature and diseases. We have used Infrared Thermography to study noninvasive diagnosis of peripheral vascular diseases. Temperature gradients are observed in the affected regions of patients with vascular disorders, which indicate abnormal blood flow in the affected region. Thermal imaging results are well correlated with the clinical findings. Certain areas on the affected limbs show increased temperature profiles, probably due to inflammation and underlying venous flow changes. In general the temperature contrast in the affected regions is about 0.7 to 1 degrees C above the normal regions, due to sluggish blood circulation. The results suggest that the thermal imaging technique is an effective technique for detecting small temperature changes in the human body due to vascular disorders.

BACKGROUND: Diabetic neuropathy consists of multiple clinical manifestations of which loss of sensation is most prominent. High temperatures under the foot coupled with reduced or complete loss of sensation can predispose the patient to foot ulceration. The aim of this study was to look at the correlation between plantar foot temperature and diabetic neuropathy using a noninvasive infrared thermal imaging technique. METHODS: Infrared thermal imaging, a remote and noncontact experimental tool, was used to study the plantar foot temperatures of 112 subjects with type 2 diabetes selected from a tertiary diabetes centre in South India. RESULTS: Patients with diabetic neuropathy (defined as vibration perception threshold (VPT) values on biothesiometry greater than 20 V) had a higher foot temperature (32-35 °C) compared to patients without neuropathy (27-30 °C). Diabetic subjects with neuropathy also had higher mean foot temperature (MFT) (p=.001) compared to non-neuropathic subjects. MFT also showed a positive correlation with right great toe (r=0.301, p=.001) and left great toe VPT values (r=0.292, p=.002). However, there was no correlation between glycated hemoglobin and MFT. CONCLUSIONS: Infrared thermal imaging may be used as an additional tool for evaluation of high risk diabetic feet.