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Cross-linked organiс-inorganic sulfo-containing membranes of various compositions based on acrylic monomers (acrylonitrile, acrylic acid, 3-sulfopropylacrylate potassium salt, ethylene glycol diacrylate) and sol-gel systems of tetraethoxysilane have been developed. Synthesis of the polymer matrix was carried out by UV-initiated polymerization of the monomer mixture and the inorganic component was formed in situ while conducting the sol-gel process of the precursor. FTIR, SEM, EDS, DMA, impedance spectroscopy were used to characterize the synthesized materials. The influence of inorganic component content on the properties of the membranes was investigated. DMA results show that an increase in silica content leads to a decrease in packing density and an increase in structural heterogeneity in sulfo-containing polyacrylate/silica membranes. The highest values of proton conductivity 1.12 ꞏ 10−2 Sm/cm at 60 °C were found in membranes containing 3 wt.%. of the added sol-gel system. Further increase of silica content does not increase the proton conductivity of the membranes. The proton transfer activation energies in the membranes were calculated from the temperature dependence of proton conductivity. The obtained cross-linked sulfo-containing organic-inorganic materials can be used for the development of proton-conducting membranes for fuel cells.

In this study, the red iron paints used in ancient manuscripts for rubrics and miniatures were fabricated and investigated. The commercial three different iron pigments (red ochre (Fe2O3), red bolus (Fe2O3.xSiO2.yAl2O3), and hematite (Fe2O3)) and three binding media (gum Arabic, fish glue and parchment glue) were used for the preparation of analogous to historical red iron paints. The obtained model red iron paints were analyzed with the aim to create a short data library which could be used for the characterization of different model compositions of red paints as well as real historical and archaeological red paints. The obtained red paints and binding media were characterized using Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), scanning electron microscopy coupled with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM/EDX), X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis and thermal (TG/DSC) analysis techniques. The accelerated aging test was also applied for the analogous to historical red iron paints. These results are useful to develop red paint guidelines for the storage and display for improved conservation and accessibility of manuscripts.

In this study we demonstrate, that sol–gel route is suitable to quicker obtain calcium hydroxyapatite (Ca10(PO4)6(OH)2, CHAp) coatings on crystalline Si substrate by modified dip-coating technique. The substrate was dip-coated by precursor and dried for 10 minutes at 200 °C with following cooling using the heating block for 110 min and annealing at 650 °C. Ethylendiamintetraacetic acid and 1,2-ethandiol, and triethanolamine and polyvinyl alcohol were used as complexing agents and as gel network forming agents, respectively. The obtained coatings were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), FTIR spectroscopy and contact angle measurements (CAM).

Layered double hydroxides having different cationic (Mg2+, Co2+, Al3+) composition were successfully synthesized by the low supersaturation method. The samples were thermally decomposed and reconstructed using water and nitrate media at different temperatures. X-ray powder diffraction analysis, X-ray fluorescence analysis, thermogravimetry and BET/BJH methods were used to investigate the differences between the directly obtained layered materials and those after the reconstruction process.DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5755/j01.ms.23.2.15184

n this manuscript we suggest a three-dimensional reconstruction technique to fully characterize structural performance of solid materials. The described technique extrapolates, measures and interprets the 3-dimensional data which is extracted from SEM images, obtained from different angles. Further, finer results were achieved by extrapolating of spatial data from three or more sample images using visual reconstruction software applications. Gold particles, silicon wafers and dendrites were selected as model materials for the spatial 3D surface reconstruction. For comparison and proof-of-concept, stereoscopy technique was also included into the research.DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5755/j01.ms.21.4.11101

In this study the self-arrangement of Ag nanoplates on (3-Aminopropyl)triethoxysilane (APTES) silanized silica coatings was investigated. Silica coatings were made by sol-gel method and silanized in two different ways. The first one includes silanization in acidic 2-propanol solution, the other one – in dry toluene. Coatings were silanized by using different amounts of APTES in case of silanization in 2-propanol. Silver nanoplates layer of functionalized silica coatings was obtained via self-assembly. Coatings were investigated by atomic force microscopy (AFM), water contact angle measurements (CA), FT-IR analysis, and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Research showed that dense Ag nanoplates arrangement occurs when there is a high amount of amino groups on the surface.DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5755/j01.ms.22.2.8405

In this study, a novel conservation method was developed for the protection of historical outdoor ceramics. The historical ceramics from monastery of “San Filippo di Fragalà” (Sicily, Italy) were chosen for this study. Polymeric films on the surface of ceramics specimens were formed using Silres BS 16 as a precursor. For the comparison, the material Paraloid B-82, which is already known in the conservation practice, was also used for the formation of protective coatings on historical ceramics. The investigated samples were characterized by SEM, TG, EDX, XRD methods and contact angle measurements. The results obtained showed that ceramic samples were successfully preserved and saturated by Silres BS 16 with forming effective polymeric coatings on ancient ceramics surfaces. Keywords: Ancient ceramics, conservation, Silres BS 16, SEM, TG, contact angle.DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5755/j01.ms.21.2.6823

In this study, an aqueous sol-gel synthesis method was applied for the preparation of strontium aluminate (Sr3Al2O6 and SrAl12O19) ceramics. The structural properties of these compounds were investigated by X-ray powder diffraction analysis. The obtained data were analysed employing Rietveld method. Optical properties of sol-gel derived cerium-doped strontium aluminates showed emission maxima at 480 nm and 317 nm for Sr3Al2O6:Ce and SrAl12O19:Ce, respectively.DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5755/j01.ms.19.4.2670

In the present review, the usefulness of aqueous sol-gel processes in the synthesis of garnet crystal structure compounds is discussed. The processing and characterization of yttrium aluminium garnet (YAG), lanthanide-doped YAG, lanthanide aluminium and gallium garnet materials, mixed-metal garnets and garnets containing silicon are described. The synthesis of garnet materials comprising nanoscale architectures is also discussed.http://dx.doi.org/10.5755/j01.ms.17.4.782

In the present work, the sinterability and formation of nanosized yttrium iron garnet (Y3Fe5O12), yttrium perovskite ferrite (YFeO3), cobalt, nickel and zinc iron spinel (CoFe2O4, NiFe2O4 and ZnFe2O4, respectively) powders by an aqueous sol-gel processes are investigated. The metal ions, generated by dissolving starting materials of transition metals in the diluted acetic acid were complexed by 1,2-ethanediol to obtain the precursors for the transition metal ferrite ceramics. The phase purity of synthesized nano-compounds was characterized by infrared spectroscopy (IR) and powder X-ray diffraction analysis (XRD). The microstructural evolution and morphological features of obtained transition metal ferrites were studied by scanning electron microscopy (SEM).http://dx.doi.org/10.5755/j01.ms.17.3.598

The synthesis of nanostructured films of 20 mol% Y2O3 stabilized ZrO2 on corundum (Al2O3) substrates was performed from different sols using dip-coating technique. All obtained samples were repeatedly annealed at 800 °C temperature after each dipping procedure and fully characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis. XRD data exhibited that at 800 °C temperature nano-sized Y0.2Zr0.8O2 thin films with cubic (Fm-3m) crystal structure have been formed. The morphological features of obtained coatings were investigated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM). The surface tension and hydrophility of the synthesized films were determined by contact angle measurements (CAM).http://dx.doi.org/10.5755/j01.ms.17.2.491