OBJECTIVES Environmental particles < 10 microns average aerodynamic diameter (PM10) are associated with mortality, exacerbation of airways diseases, and decrement in lung function. It is hypothesised that PM10 particles, along with other pathogenic particles, generate free radicals at their surface in reactions involving iron, and that this is a factor in the pathogenicity of PM10 particles. Id...

With using the carbon nano-tube (CNT) of high chemical activity, nano-TiCx particles with different growth shapes were synthesized through the self-propagating high temperature in the 80 wt.% metal (Cu, Al, and Fe)-Ti-CNT systems. The growth shapes of the TiCx particles are mainly octahedron in the Cu- and Al-Ti-CNT systems, while mainly cube- and sphere-like in the Fe-Ti-CNT system.

Synthesis of high-purity single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) is demonstrated by a laser heating catalytic CVD method. This method makes it possible to produce SWNTs without the use of an electric furnace or hot filament. SWNTs were synthesized from alcohol using Fe/Co catalyst particles supported on zeolite and Mo/Co particles deposited directly on a substrate Synthesis of high purity SWNTs ...

In this research controlled coating of magnetite (Fe3O4) nanoparticles with SiO2 was investigated. The Fe3O4 nanoparticles were synthesized via chemical co-precipitation and then coated by silica according to Stober method. Effects of tetra ethyl ortho silicate (TEOS) concentration and ethanol to TEOS on the coating thickness were inves...

Concrete, the solid that forms at room temperature from mixing Portland cement with water, sand, and aggregates, suffers from time-dependent deformation under load. This creep occurs at a rate that deteriorates the durability and truncates the lifespan of concrete structures. However, despite decades of research, the origin of concrete creep remains unknown. Here, we measure the in situ creep b...

Despite the wide application of nanoscale zero valent iron (nZVI) for the treatment of a plethora of pollutants through reductive reactions, reactivity evaluation of nZVI towards dehalogenation has not been standardized. In this light, it was desired to develop a simple colorimetric assay, for versatile laboratory application, using merely a spectrophotometer for color intensity determination. ...

Controlling the motion of nano and microscale objects in a fluid environment is a key factor in designing optimized tiny machines that perform mechanical tasks such as transport of drugs or genetic material in cells, fluid mixing to accelerate chemical reactions, and cargo transport in microfluidic chips. Directed motion is made possible by the coupled translational and rotational motion of asy...

A major challenge in the development of new battery materials is understanding their fundamental mechanisms of operation and degradation. Their microscopically inhomogeneous nature calls for characterization tools that provide operando and localized information from individual grains and particles. Here, we describe an approach that enables imaging the nanoscale distribution of ions during elec...