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Small-angle scattering was measured from activated carbon monoliths prepared from three different wood species (European beech, Pedunculate oak and Norwegian spruce). Substantial differences were found in the scattering images of axial and tangential slices, attributed to their characteristic phytogenic structures. The decrease in anisotropy in the nanostructured carbon matrix due to the activation process is also different among the three investigated types of wood. For quantitative characterization of the anisotropy and its decrease, the degree of alignment was calculated from the azimuthal scattering curves. A simple numeric model was constructed on the basis of direct information obtained by atomic force microscopy. Scattering patterns calculated from the model were compared with the experimental ones to explain the possible structural changes in the carbon skeleton.

Polyurethanes were prepared from 4,4′-methylenebis(phenyl isocyanate), 1,4-butanediol and poly(1,4-butanediol adipate) polyester polyol. The hydroxyl functional group ratio of polyol/total diol was kept constant at 0.4, while the ratio of the isocyanate and hydroxyl groups (NCO/OH ratio) changed between 0.90 and 1.15. The polymers were prepared by one-step bulk polymerization in an internal mixer. They were characterized using a number of methods including Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, wide- and small-angle X-ray scattering, differential scanning calorimetry, dynamic mechanical analysis, light transmittance and tensile testing. Changing the stoichiometry modifies the molecular weight in accordance with the laws of stepwise polymerization, and the relative concentration of end groups also changes at the same time. Competitive interactions among various groups including chain-end functional groups lead to the formation of slightly ordered phases of sub-nanometre size at both ends of the composition range. These structures assemble into larger units at the 10 nm level, which associate further to even larger entities of micrometre size causing scattering of light and a decreased transparency of the samples. The order of the primary units, together with the number and size of assemblies at both higher levels, decrease as the composition approaches equimolar stoichiometry. The amount of less ordered amorphous phase has a maximum in this range. The stiffness of the polymers is determined by the amount of this phase, while ultimate properties are influenced also by molecular weight and the number of physical crosslinks formed. Copyright © 2010 Society of Chemical Industry

The increasing interest in the effect of strontium in bone tissue repair has promoted the development of bioactive materials with strontium release capability. According to literature, hybrid materials based on the system PDMS-SiO2 have been considered a plausible alternative as they present a mechanical behavior similar to the one of the human bone. The main purpose of this study was to obtain a biocompatible hybrid material with simultaneous calcium and strontium release capability. A hybrid material, in the system PDMS-SiO2-CaO-SrO, was prepared with the incorporation of 0.05 mol of titanium per mol of SiO2. Calcium and strontium were added using the respective acetates as sources, following a sol-gel technique previously developed by the present authors. The obtained samples were characterized by FT-IR, solid-state NMR, and SAXS, and surface roughness was analyzed by 3D optical profilometry. In vitro studies were performed by immersion of the samples in Kokubo's SBF for different periods of time, in order to determine the bioactive potential of these hybrids. Surfaces of the immersed samples were observed by SEM, EDS and PIXE, showing the formation of calcium phosphate precipitates. Supernatants were analyzed by ICP, revealing the capability of the material to simultaneously fix phosphorus ions and to release calcium and strontium, in a concentration range within the values reported as suitable for the induction of the bone tissue repair. The material demonstrated to be cytocompatible when tested with MG63 osteoblastic cells, exhibiting an inductive effect on cell proliferation and alkaline phosphatase activity. (C) 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The last two decades have seen a remarkable growth in the design of new hybrid materials applied to different areas, from photonics to biomaterials, together with new coating materials with self-cleaning features. Among the various systems studied, the PDMS-SiO2 system remains as a good basis for further developments by adding other compounds such as transition metals. In this work, a detailed study of the influence of titanium or zirconium in the chemical structure and final microstructure of such hybrids was made. It was concluded that, due to the lower reactivity of the titanium alkoxide during the sol-gel preparation process, titanium is preferably located on the surface of secondary particles of silica, unlike the zirconium, which being more reactive, positions on the surface of the primary particles. This difference leads to xerogels with dissimilar characteristics and morphologies. (C) 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Effects of ursolic acid on the structural and morphological characteristics of dipalmitoyl lecithin(DPPC)-water system was studied by using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), small- and wide-angle X-ray scattering (SWAXS), freeze-fracture method combined with transmission electron-microscopy (FF-TEM) and infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR). The surface of the uncorrelated lipid system is rippled or grained and a huge number of small, presumably unilamellar vesicles are present if the UA/DPPC molar ratio is 0.1 mol/mol or higher. Besides the destroyed layer packing of regular multilamellar vesicles, non-bilayer (e.g. cubic or hexagonal) local structures are evidenced by SAXS and FF-TEM methods. The ability of UA to induce non-bilayer structures in hydrated DPPC system originates from the actual geometry form of associated lipid and UA molecules as concluded from the FT-IR measurements and theoretical calculations. Beside numerous beneficial e.g. chemopreventive and chemotherapeutic effect of ursolic acid against cancer, their impact to modify the lipid bilayers can be utilized in liposomal formulations.

A method has been developed to encapsulate bovine serum albumin (BSA)-coated gold quantum clusters (AuQC@BSA) in a multilamellar system of dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine (DPPC). Results have shown that intercalation of AuQC@BSA particles into lipid bilayers occurs in the presence of CaCl2. Intense red photoluminescence emission was observed after encapsulation of the clusters. A well-defined structure was found with periodic distances drastically larger than that in the pure DPPC/water system. Although Ca(2+) ions can change the dipole characteristics of the lipid bilayer surface, leading to unbinding between the bilayers of multilamellar DPPC/water system, the repulsion is shielded in the presence of AuQC@BSA particles. A coherent superlattice structure evolves due to mixed Ca(2+)-DPPC and Ca(2+)-AuQC@BSA interactions. Studies at different temperatures have suggested a correlation between the luminescence properties of the clusters and phase transition of the lipid layers. The temperature-dependent behavior assumes the connection between the coating and the lipid bilayer surface. Temperature-dependent features of lipid intercalated Au clusters provide new opportunities in their application.