Solubility Of Ag Research Articles

Characterization of CuAg Alloys with Low Ag Concentrations.

Copper-based alloys designed to combine high electronic and thermal conductivities with high mechanical strength find a wide range of applications in different fields. Among the principal representatives, strongly diluted CuAg alloys are of particular interest as innovative materials for the realization of accelerating structures when the use of high-gradient fields requires increasingly high mechanical and thermal performances to overcome the limitations induced by breakdown phenomena. This work reports the production and optical characterization of CuAg crystals at low Ag concentrations, from 0.028% wt to 0.1% wt, which guarantee solid solution hardening while preserving the exceptional conductivity of Cu. By means of Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) micro-spectroscopy experiments, the low-energy electrodynamics of the alloys are compared with that of pure Cu, highlighting the complete indistinguishability in terms of electronic transport for such low concentrations. The optical data are further supported by Raman micro-spectroscopy and SEM microscopy analyses, allowing the demonstration of the full homogeneity and complete solubility of solid Ag in copper at those concentrations. Together with the solid solution hardening deriving from the alloying process, these results support the advantage of strongly diluted CuAg alloys over conventional materials for their application in particle accelerators.

Interfacial Engineering for Oriented Crystal Growth toward Dendrite-Free Zn Anode for Aqueous Zinc Metal Battery.

Zn deposition with a surface-preferred (002) crystal plane has attracted extensive attention due to its inhibited dendrite growth and side reactions. However, the nucleation and growth of the Zn(002) crystal plane are closely related to the interfacial properties. Herein, oriented growth of Zn(002) crystal plane is realized on Ag-modified surface that is directly visualized by in situ atomic force microscopy. A solid solution HCP-Zn (~1.10 at. % solubility of Ag, 30 °C) is formed on the Ag coated Zn foil (Zn@Ag) and possesses the same crystal structure as Zn to reduce its nucleation barrier caused by their lattice mismatch. It merits oriented Zn deposition and corrosion-resistant surface, and presents long cycling stability in symmetric cells and full cells coupled with V2O5 cathode. This work provides insights into interfacial regulation of Zn anodes for high-performance aqueous zinc metal batteries.

Interfacial Engineering for Oriented Crystal Growth toward Dendrite‐Free Zn Anode for Aqueous Zinc Metal Battery

AbstractZn deposition with a surface‐preferred (002) crystal plane has attracted extensive attention due to its inhibited dendrite growth and side reactions. However, the nucleation and growth of the Zn(002) crystal plane are closely related to the interfacial properties. Herein, oriented growth of Zn(002) crystal plane is realized on Ag‐modified surface that is directly visualized by in situ atomic force microscopy. A solid solution HCP‐Zn (~1.10 at. % solubility of Ag, 30 °C) is formed on the Ag coated Zn foil (Zn@Ag) and possesses the same crystal structure as Zn to reduce its nucleation barrier caused by their lattice mismatch. It merits oriented Zn deposition and corrosion‐resistant surface, and presents long cycling stability in symmetric cells and full cells coupled with V2O5 cathode. This work provides insights into interfacial regulation of Zn anodes for high‐performance aqueous zinc metal batteries.

Decrease of steady-state solubility of Ag in Cu by high-pressure torsion at low temperature

Decrease of steady-state solubility of Ag in Cu by high-pressure torsion at low temperature

Effect of Ag agglomeration-driven nanovoids formation on fatigue reliability of Cu–Ag alloy flexible interconnects

Fatigue failure under cyclic deformation remains longstanding challenge in the flexible interconnect for the long term application. In this study, we design Cu–Ag alloy interconnects with excellent fatigue resistance by adopting nanovoid structures acquired by a simple post-annealing process. Nanovoids are generated during Ag agglomeration in the Cu matrix because of the low solubility of Ag in Cu, which enhances the fatigue property of a Cu–Ag alloy deposited on a polyimide film. The effect of high-density nanovoids located at the triple junction of the Cu and Ag grain boundaries on the mechanical fatigue lifetime is investigated by microstructure analysis (HAADF, HR-TEM and ASTAR™-coupled TEM). The fatigue damage of the Cu–Ag alloy has been observed to originate from grain boundary decohesion, unlike typical long fatigue cracks and extrusions. This can be attributed to the uniform distribution of nanovoids, which leads to stress concentration relief and consequently reduces the level of deformation.

Antibiofilm properties of silver nanoparticles incorporated into polymethyl methacrylate used for dental applications.

Acrylic resins used in dental and biomedical applications do not have antimicrobial properties, their surface is susceptible to colonization of microorganisms. The aim of this study was to evaluate the antibiofilm properties of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) deposited in a polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) surface against a Staphylococcus aureus biofilm. The PMMA was impregnated with AgNPs by using the in-situ polymerization method. To determine the solubility of the incorporated silver (Ag+) atomic absorption spectrophotometry was used (AAS) at 24 h, 48 h, 7 days, and 30 days. Thirty specimens of PMMA with AgNPs and without NP (control group) were assembled in the CDC Biofilm Bioreactor system with a cell suspension of S. aureus. The specimens were removed at 6, 12, 24, 48, and 72 h to determine the viability profile and quantify the Arbitrary Fluorescence Units (AFU). The AgNPs showed an irregular and quasispherical shape with an average size of 25 nm. AAS analysis demonstrated a low solubility of Ag+. The formation of the S. aureus biofilm increased as the evaluation periods continued up to 72 h. The experimental group showed poor growth, and a decrease in the intensity of the fluorescence demonstrated a statistically significant inhibition of the formation of the biofilm (P < 0.05) in relation to the control group at 6, 12, 24, 48, and 72 h. AgNPs incorporated into PMMA decreased the growth and maturation of S. aureus biofilm.

Occurrence and precipitation mechanism of silver in pyrite from chimney fragments in the Edmond hydrothermal field, Central Indian Ridge

The enrichment of precious elements including Au and Ag in submarine hydrothermal sulfide deposits attracts more and more attention. Previous studies indicate that Au and Ag combine distinctly different ligands under the physico-chemical conditions of submarine hydrothermal systems, therefore, the factors controlling their precipitation may be different. In general, silver mineralization has been much less studied than gold mineralization in submarine hydrothermal sulfide deposits. The Ag mineralization process and precipitation mechanism of submarine hydrothermal sulfide deposits formed at Mid-ocean Ridges are still poorly constrained. In this study, we studied the occurrence and precipitation mechanism of Ag in sulfide deposits of Edmond hydrothermal field, located on the intermediate-spreading Central Indian Ridge (CIR).Three ore-forming stages were identified in chimney fragments collected in the Edmond hydrothermal field. The corresponding minerals are (stage I) anhydrite + barite + colloidal/porous pyrite (Py1) + fine-grained sphalerite; (stage II) marcasite; (stage III) euhedral pyrite (Py2) + coarse-grained sphalerite + chalcopyrite + isocubanite. Py1, characterized by colloidal, porous, and micro-sized anhedral morphology, was usually overgrown by marcasite, which is, in turn, surrounded by euhedral-subhedral Py2, usually coexisting with coarse-grained sphalerite, chalcopyrite, and isocubanite. Compared to marcasite and Py2, only Py1 contains abundant native silver nanoparticles. LA-ICP-MS analyses suggest that Py1 contains higher Pb, Cu, Ag, Mn, Tl, Mo, Au, and lower Co as compared to Py2. In-situ LA-ICP-MS and nanoSIMS analyses indicate that Py1 with higher Ag contents (101–586 ppm) has larger variation in sulfur isotopic compositions (0.8 to 6.6‰) than those of Py2 with lower Ag contents (0.22–15.5 ppm; δ34S values: 2.1 to 4.8‰ for Fe-rich samples and 0 to 2.8‰ for Zn-rich samples).Texture, mineral assemblage, pyrite trace element and sulfur isotopic compositions indicate a progressive decrease on the degree of fluid-seawater mixing as the temperature gradually increases during the growth of the chimneys in Edmond hydrothermal field. Phase diagram analysis indicates that the increase in pH and in particular cooling, due to the mixing of the hot hydrothermal fluid with cold seawater, can significantly decrease the solubility of Ag and be the effective mechanisms of silver precipitation. Our results suggest that mixing of hydrothermal fluid with seawater is the main Ag precipitation mechanism for submarine hydrothermal sulfide deposits formed at Mid-ocean Ridges.

Thermodynamic modeling and solidified microstructure of Ag—Sn—Zr ternary system

The phase equilibria of the Ag—Sn—Zr ternary system were investigated over the whole composition via thermodynamic modeling coupled with key experiments. Twenty-two equilibrated alloys were prepared to determine the isothermal sections of the Ag—Sn—Zr system at 500, 700 and 900 °C by means of X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy with energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM/EDS), and eight as-cast alloys were prepared to study the solidification behavior of the alloys. The solubilities of Zr, Sn and Ag in binary compounds of the Ag—Sn, Ag—Zr and Sn—Zr systems were measured. No ternary compound was found. Based on the thermodynamic descriptions of three constitutive binary systems as well as the experimental phase equilibria data obtained from the present work, thermodynamic assessment of the Ag—Sn—Zr system was carried out by the CALPHAD (Calculation of phase diagrams) approach. A set of thermodynamic parameters of the Ag—Sn—Zr system were obtained. The calculated isothermal sections are in good agreement with most of the reliable experimental data. The liquidus projection and reaction scheme of the Ag—Sn—Zr system over the whole composition were also presented. The solidification behaviors of as-cast alloys were simulated under Gulliver—Scheil non-equilibrium condition. The simulated and experimental results are consistent with each other.

Coupled Solubility of Cu and Ag in Chloride-Bearing Hydrothermal Fluids (350–650°С, 1000–1500 bar)

Coupled Solubility of Cu and Ag in Chloride-Bearing Hydrothermal Fluids (350–650°С, 1000–1500 bar)

COUPLED SOLUBILITY OF Cu and Ag IN CHLORIDE-BEARING HYDROTHERMAL FLUIDS (350-650 °С, 1000 - 1500 BAR)

The coupled solubility of Cu(cr) and Ag(cr) was measured in acidic chloride solutions at 350 °С/1000 bar, 450 °С/1000 bar and 653 °С/1450 bar in a wide range of chloride concentrations (0.02m HCl + (0-15m) NaCl). The experiments were performed using autoclave (350, 450 °С) and ampoule (653 °С) techniques, the dissolved metal concentrations were measured after quenching the experimental system. The equilibrium constants of the reaction combining the dominant forms of transport of the metals are determinedCu(cr) + AgCl2- = Ag(cr) + CuCl2- K°(Cu-Ag) . The calculated reaction constant is independent of chloride concentration. It is known that AgCl2- predominates in the studied chloride concentration range. Therefore, the main cupper form of occurrence is CuCl2- in all experimental fluids with chloride content up to 47 wt.%, which is close to the NaCl saturation limit. The constant of the coupled Cu and Ag solubility was determined for the experimental PT-parameters as lg K°(Cu-Ag) = 2.65±0.20 (350 °С/1000 bar), 2.28±0.10 (450 °С/1000 bar), 1.49±0.34 (653 °С/1450 bar). These data, together with values from the literature for temperatures from 200 to 900 °С and pressure up to 2000 bar were fitted to the density model equation: lg K°(Сu-Ag) = 1.066 + 1.108∙103∙T(K)-1 + 3.585lgd(w) – 1.443∙lg d(w)103T(K)-1, where d(w) is the pure water density. According to these data, copper is much more soluble in chloride solutions compared to silver, but the difference in the solubility decreases with the temperature increase. Reliable literature data on the silver solubility constant allow to calculate the copper solubility oneCu(к) + HCl° + Cl- = CuCl2-+ 0.5H2(р-р) K°(Cu) ,lg K°(Cu) = 1.39±0.20 (350 °С, 1000 bar), 1.91±0.10 (450 °С, 1000 bar), 2.06±0.34 (653 °С, 1450 bar). The new values of K°(Cu) are combined with reliable literature data to calculate the density model parameters. The obtained density model equation can be used to calculate the copper solubility constant up to 800 °C and pressures to 2000 bar: lg K°(Сu) = 6.889 – 3.298∙103∙T(K)-1 + 8.694∙lg d(w) – 4.807∙lg d(w)∙103∙T(K)-1. The solubility of chalcopyrite in the system with mineral buffer assemblages pyrite-hematite-magnetite and K-feldspar-muscovite-quartz is discussed.

Toxic Effects of Silver Ions on Early Developing Zebrafish Embryos Distinguished from Silver Nanoparticles.

Currently, effects of nanomaterials and their ions, such as silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs) and silver ions (Ag+), on living organisms are not yet fully understood. One of the vital questions is whether nanomaterials have distinctive effects on living organisms from any other conventional chemicals (e.g., their ions), owing to their unique physicochemical properties. Due to various experimental protocols, studies of this crucial question have been inconclusive, which hinders rational design of effective regulatory guidelines for safely handling NPs. In this study, we chronically exposed early developing zebrafish embryos (cleavage-stage, 2 hours post-fertilization, hpf) to a dilution series of Ag+ (0-1.2 μM) in egg water (1 mM NaCl, solubility of Ag+ = 0.18 μM) until 120 hpf. We systematically investigated effects of Ag+ on developing embryos and compared them with our previous studies of effects of purified Ag NPs on developing embryos. We found the concentration- and time-dependent effects of Ag+ on embryonic development, and only half of the embryos developed normally after being exposed to 0.25 μM (27 μg/L) Ag+ until 120 hpf. As the Ag+ concentration increases, the number of embryos that developed normally decreases, while the number of embryos that became dead increases. The number of abnormally developing embryos increases as the Ag+ concentration increases from 0 to 0.3 μM and then decreases as the concentration increases from 0.3 to 1.2 μM because the number of embryos that became dead increases. The concentration-dependent phenotypes were observed, showing fin fold abnormality, tail and spinal cord flexure, and yolk sac edema at low Ag+ concentrations (≤0.2 μM) and head and eye abnormalities along with fin fold abnormality, tail and spinal cord flexure, and yolk sac edema at high concentrations (≥0.3 μM). Severities of phenotypes and the number of abnormally developing embryos were far less than those observed in Ag NPs. The results also show concentration-dependent effects on heart rates and hatching rates of developing embryos, attributing to the dose-dependent abnormally developing embryos. In summary, the results show that Ag+ and Ag NPs have distinctive toxic effects on early developing embryos, and toxic effects of Ag+ are far less severe than those of Ag NPs, which further demonstrates that the toxicity of Ag NPs toward embryonic development is attributed to the NPs themselves and their unique physicochemical properties but not the release of Ag+ from the Ag NPs.

Enhancement of strength and electrical conductivity for hypo-eutectic Cu-12Ag alloy

A thermo-mechanical treatment was designed for a hypo-eutectic Cu-12Ag alloy in order to enhance its tensile strength, as high as 1189 MPa, at the relatively minimal cost of the electrical conductivity, as good as 71.9%IACS, the combination of strength and conductivity being far superior to other Cu-Ag alloys ever reported in the literature. To understand detailed mechanisms, a Cu-7Ag alloy and a Cu-12Ag alloy, which is beyond the maximum solubility (8 wt%) of Ag in Cu, were chosen for comparison and homogenized at 777 °C for an hour followed by aging at 400 ℃. The peak-aged alloys were then cold-rolled with a 99% reduction. Cu-7Ag showed higher hardness than that of Cu-12Ag at peak aging. However, Cu-12Ag showed higher strength and conductivity than those of Cu-7Ag after cold rolling. The elongated dispersed Ag phases in Cu-12Ag attributed extra strengthening, while keeping a minimal reduction of the conductivity after cold rolling.

Solubility of aerosol minor and trace elements in Xiamen Island, Southeast China: Size distribution, health risk and dry deposition

Aerosol element solubility is essential to evaluate the damage to the environment and human health. In this work, the size distribution of total and soluble elements in eight particle size ranges with diameter <0.25, 0.25–0.44, 0.44–1.0, 1.0–1.4, 1.4–2.5, 2.5–10, 10–16 and >16 μm was investigated in Xiamen Island, southeast China from March 2018 to June 2020. The results showed that both total and soluble elements exhibited significant size dependence without obvious seasonal variations, and their relative contributions to PM1 mass were much lower than in particles larger than 1 μm. The correlations between some elements in soluble fraction were quite different from those in total fraction and the correlations also varied with particle size due to their different solubility. The solubility of Al, Fe, Ag and Cr was relatively low compared with other elements. Moreover, the solubility of Na, Mg, Ca, Mn and Ag was less dependent on particle size while Al, Fe and other trace elements exhibited the highest solubility in PM1 and the lowest in PM>10. Overall, the solubility of elements is primarily a function of aerosol origin and size. The carcinogenic risks of metal exposure via inhalation for children (3.31 × 10−6) and adults (4.42 × 10−6) were slightly higher than the guideline of cancer risk with >60 % from V. As for non-carcinogenic risk, the hazard index values for children and adults were 1.59 and 0.53, respectively, with Mn, V and Ni together accounting for >85 % of the risk. >85 % of the size-dependent dry deposition fluxes of the selected soluble elements over the Xiamen Bay were contributed by particles larger than 10 μm due to their high deposition velocities. The atmospheric inputs of bioavailable Fe and Cu to the sea exceeded the required amounts relative to inorganic nitrogen to meet the growth of phytoplankton.

Distinct Au and Ag precipitation mechanism in the Xiayingfang Au–Ag deposit, North China Craton

The Yan-Liao Au polymetallic ore belt, located in the northern margin of the North China Craton, hosts a number of sizeable hydrothermal Au–Ag deposits with abundant Pb-, Sb-, Bi-minerals. These minerals are closely linked to the Au and Ag precipitation, but are rarely studied. The Xiayingfang deposit (22.5 Mt @ 1.9 g/t Au and 9.9 g/t Ag) is a typical Au–Ag deposit in this ore belt, and has characteristic Pb–Sb–Bi–Au–Ag-mineral assemblages. We conducted an integrated study on the mineral assemblages and geochemical components and sulfur isotopes to constrain the Au–Ag precipitation mechanism at Xiayingfang.The Xiayingfang mineralization can be divided into three stages: (I) quartz-pyrite, (II) quartz-polymetallic sulfide, and (III) quartz-sphalerite-galena-electrum (main Au–Ag ore stage), which comprises the sphalerite-galena-native bismuth-pyrite-electrum (IIIA) and galena-freibergite-bournonite-pyrrhotite-electrum (IIIB) substages. The δ34SV-CDT of the paragenetic pyrite and galena pairs reveals a general temperature drop from 300 to 330 °C (Stage I), through 250–290 °C (Stage II), to 170–250 °C (Stage III). The Stage I and II fluid temperature is higher than the melting point of Bi-melt (271 °C) and Au–Bi eutectic (241 °C), which probably caused the “liquid bismuth collector model”. Bi-minerals are widely distributed in later Stage II, and are represented by the coexisting native bismuth and maldonite with dissolution pits on the surface (occurring as droplet-shape or eutectic texture in Stage II galena), which indicates the temperature evolved to lower than 241 °C. Such inference is also supported by fluid inclusion data (216–286 °C for Stage II). The pH generally shifts from the felspar-illite buffer (∼7.0) in Stages I and II to the illite-calcite buffer (ca. 5.2–5.6) in Stage IIIA, which could lead to Au solubility decrease (but minor impact on Ag solubility) in the fluid, favoring electrum precipitation (19.0–31.2 wt% Ag). Moreover, oxygen fugacity drop is revealed by pyrite stable from the Stage IIIA (–41 to –46) to pyrrhotite stable in Stage IIIB (≤–46), which may have markedly decreased both Au and Ag solubility in the fluid. Meanwhile, freibergite coexisting with bournonite and galena in Stage IIIB is highly heterogeneous under EPMA element map, suggesting that it was mainly derived from retrograde and solid-state reactions. These reactions could effectively remobilize Ag from galena and Pb–Sb–Ag-sulfosalts via decomposition and exsolution during fluid cooling. These processes may have contributed to the second-phase precipitation of electrum with a steep rise of Ag (57.5–77.8 wt%) in Stage IIIB. The different mechanisms of Au and Ag precipitation at Xiayingfang are also consistent with the different Au-/Ag- mineral assemblages, i.e., electrum-pyrite-chalcopyrite-enargite assemblages in Stages I and II, and electrum-maldonite-freibergite in Stage III.

The solubility of Cu, Ag and Au in magmatic sulfur-bearing fluids as a function of oxygen fugacity

Magma-derived fluids containing chlorine and sulfur are critical for the transport of ore metals to porphyry ore-forming environments. However, experimental data on the speciation and the solubility of ore metals in these fluids at conditions relevant to the arc magmatism are scarce. In particular, the effect of redox conditions on ore metal speciation and solubilities in sulfur-bearing fluids has not yet been experimentally constrained. We performed experiments to determine the effect of oxygen fugacity (fO2) on the solubility of Cu, Ag and Au in high-temperature, low- density, low-salinity fluids and hypersaline brine. The experiments were conducted at T = 900 °C, P = 2000 bar varying fO2 in 7 steps between 0.5 log units below the Ni-NiO buffer (NNO − 0.5) to NNO + 2.5. A prototype rapid-quench Molybdenum-Hafnium Carbide (MHC) externally heated pressure vessel assembly was used, which was fitted with a Shaw membrane for precise control of fO2. The fluid phase was sampled as synthetic fluid inclusions (SFI) by in situ fracturing of quartz chips during the experiments. As capsule material, Au97Ag2Cu1 alloy was used, which imposed activities of 0.962, 0.0082 and 0.0097 for Au, Ag and Cu, respectively. The apparent solubility of Cu and Ag at the imposed metal activities increases by a factor of 7 in the H2O-NaCl-KCl-S low-salinity fluid with fO2 increasing from NNO − 0.5 to NNO + 2.5. The addition of 0.198 m HCl increases the overall solubility of Cu by a factor of 1.2–2.4. The apparent solubility of Au decreases by a factor of 9 as fO2 changes from NNO − 0.5 to NNO + 2.5. The relationship between the logarithms of the apparent Cu and Ag solubilities and fO2 is linear and the slope of the fitted line corresponds to 1+ oxidation state of these metals indicating that they are dominantly complexed by ligands that are S-free (e.g., chloride). Thermodynamic model calculations indicate that the dominant species for Cu and Ag are NaCuCl2 and NaAgCl2, respectively. For Au, the dominant species is predicted to be NaAu(HS)2 at low and intermediate fO2 conditions, and AuCl and NaAuCl2 at oxidizing conditions. The measured gold solubilities at intermediate fO2 do not indicate significant Au complexation with S species containing S in intermediate oxidation states. Considering previous studies on silicate melts and our experimental data for volatiles, we conclude that Cu and Ag likely have constant fluid/melt partition coefficients in the typical fO2 range of arc magmatism because they dissolve in the same oxidation state in the fluid and the melt (1+) and are dominantly chloride complexed in the fluid.

Enhanced Thermoelectric Properties of Cu2SnSe3-Based Materials with Ag2Se Addition.

In this work, (Ag, In)-co-doped Cu2SnSe3-based compounds are prepared using a self-propagating high-temperature synthesis process. Ag2Se and as-synthesized (Ag, In)-co-doped Cu2SnSe3-based powders are mixed in a proportion according to the formula of Cu1.85Ag0.15Sn0.91In0.09Se3/x Ag2Se (x = 0, 3, 4, and 5%), which is followed by a subsequent plasma-activated sintering (PAS) to obtain consolidated composite bulks. A sandwich experiment is designed to reveal the evolution of the microstructure and phase composition of the composite samples during the PAS process. We investigate the reaction mechanism between Ag2Se and Cu2SnSe3-based matrix as well as the influence of Ag2Se on the phase composition, microstructure, and thermoelectric transport properties of the composites. Ag2Se addition is proven to be effective to improve Ag solubility in the Cu1.85Ag0.15Sn0.91In0.09Se3 matrix and introduce a CuSe secondary phase and an Ag-rich phase at grain boundaries. The electrical conductivity of Cu1.85Ag0.15Sn0.91In0.09Se3/x Ag2Se (x = 0, 3, 4, and 5%) composites decreases while the Seebeck coefficient increases with increasing Ag2Se addition, resulting in an optimized power factor. Moreover, benefiting from the collective phonon scattering at various defects induced by Ag2Se addition, the composite samples exhibit significantly suppressed lattice thermal conductivity, which reaches as low as 0.11 W m-1 K-1 at 700 K for the x = 5% sample. A peak figure-of-merit (ZT) of 1.26 at 750 K and an average ZT of 0.75 at 300-800 K are obtained for Cu1.85Ag0.15Sn0.91In0.09Se3/5% Ag2Se. This work provides an efficient way to improve average ZT values of Cu2SnSe3-based compounds for promising power generation at intermediate temperatures.

Effect of silver doping on structural and optical properties of starch capped ZnS nanoparticles synthesized by microwave irradiation

Cost effective facile method of synthesis of silver (Ag) doped zinc sulfide (ZnS) nanoparticles encapsulated by starch is reported in this communication. Synthesis involves chemical co-precipitation method using zinc acetate and thioacetamide as ZnS precursors, silver nitrate as dopant salt, starch as capping agent and water as solvent. Ag is an active metal which gets easily oxidized by the general methods of doping. The effect of efficient heating by microwaves has been utilized in the present work. Energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) analysis of the samples implied a solubility of Ag in ZnS lattice. The X-ray diffraction (XRD) patterns of the Ag doped samples retained the same cubic crystal structure as ZnS nanocrystals. Substitutional incorporation of Silver into the ZnS lattice is confirmed by positional shifts of XRD peaks. The mean size of the nanocrystallites calculated using Scherrer equation is about 3 nm. Raman spectra also implied the formation of nanoform of cubic ZnS. Energy band gaps are found to decrease in UV–Vis study for Ag doped samples. The absorption spectra of all samples show quantum confinement effect. The transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and Fourier transform infra red (FTIR) spectroscopy studies for the selected sample reveal that the synthesized particles were stabilized by starch as capping agent.

Electrodeposition of Cu-Ag Alloy Films at n-Si(001) and Polycrystalline Ru Substrates

Electrodeposition of Cu-Ag films from acidic sulfate bath was conducted at n-Si(001) and polycrystalline Ru substrates. Significant nucleation overpotential of 0.4 V is observed with the Cu-Ag bath at n-Si(001) substrate, whereas the electrodeposition of Cu-Ag at Ru substrate is influenced by Ru oxides at the surface. Incomplete coverage of Si substrate by Cu-Ag deposit was observed from the deposition systems without Ag(I), or with 0.1 mM Ag(I), comparing with the compact Cu-Ag film obtained with the deposition bath containing 0.01 mM Ag(I). Layered and faceted Cu-Ag deposit was observed at small Cu deposition overpotential with the Ru substrate. Phase composition of the Cu-Ag deposits at n-Si(001) substrate from electrolyte with various Ag(I) concentrations is examined by XRD. Limited solubility of Ag (0.4 at.%) was observed in fcc-Cu until phase separation occurs. The classical model for nucleation kinetics in electrodeposition was used to examine the potentiostatic transients of the Cu-Ag electrodeposition at n-Si(001) substrate.

Nanostructured lipid carrier to overcome stratum corneum barrier for the delivery of agomelatine in rat brain; formula optimization, characterization and brain distribution study

The current work attempted to achieve bypassed hepatic metabolism, controlled release, and boosted brain distribution of agomelatine by loading in NLC and administering via transdermal route. Agomelatine-loaded NLC (AG-NLC) was fabricated employing melt-emulsification technique and optimized using central composite design. The optimized AG-NLC had 183.16 ± 6.82 nm particle size, 0.241 ± 0.0236 polydispersity index, and 83.29 ± 2.76% entrapment efficiency. TEM and FESEM visually confirmed the size and surface morphology of AG-NLC, respectively. DSC thermogram confirmed the conversion of AG from crystalline to amorphous form, which indicates improved solubility of AG when loaded in NLC. For further stability and improved applicability, AG-NLC was converted into a hydrogel. The texture analysis of AG-NLC-Gel showed appropriate gelling property in terms of hardness (142.292 g), cohesiveness (0.955), and adhesiveness (216.55 g.sec). In comparison to AG-suspension-Gel (38.036 ± 6.058%), AG-NLC-Gel (89.440 ± 2.586%) exhibited significantly higher (P < 0.005) skin permeation profile during the 24 h study. In the CLSM study, Rhodamine-B loaded AG-NLC-Gel established skin penetration up to the depth of 45 µm, whereas AG-Suspension-Gel was restricted only to a depth of 25 µm. γ-scintigraphy in wistar rats revealed ~ 55.38% brain distribution potential of 99mTc-AG-NLC-Gel at 12 h, which was 6.31-fold higher than 99mTc-AG-Suspension-Gel. Overall, the gamma scintigraphy assisted brain distribution study suggests that NLC-Gel system may improve the brain delivery of agomelatine, when applied transdermally.

Are Vapor-Like Fluids Viable Ore Fluids for Cu-Au-Mo Porphyry Ore Formation?

Abstract Ore formation in porphyry Cu-Au-(Mo) systems involves the exsolution of metal-bearing fluids from magmas and the transport of the metals in magmatic-hydrothermal plumes that are subject to pressure fluctuations. Deposition of ore minerals occurs as a result of cooling and decompression of the hydrothermal fluids in partly overlapping ore shells. In this study, we address the role of vapor-like fluids in porphyry ore formation through numerical simulations of metal transport using the Gibbs energy minimization software, GEM-Selektor. The thermodynamic properties of the hydrated gaseous metallic species necessary for modeling metal solubility in fluids of moderate density (100–300 kg/m3) were derived from the results of experiments that investigated the solubility of metals in aqueous HCl- and H2S-bearing vapors. Metal transport and precipitation were simulated numerically as a function of temperature, pressure, and fluid composition (S, Cl, and redox). The simulated metal concentrations and ratios are compared to those observed in vapor-like and intermediate-density fluid inclusions from porphyry ore deposits, as well as gas condensates from active volcanoes. The thermodynamically predicted solubility of Cu, Au, Ag, and Mo decreases during isothermal decompression. At elevated pressure, the simulated metal solubility is similar to the metal content measured in vapor-like and intermediate-density fluid inclusions from porphyry deposits (at ~200–1,800 bar). At ambient pressure, the metal solubility approaches the metal content measured in gas condensates from active volcanoes (at ~1 bar), which is several orders of magnitude lower than that in the high-pressure environment. During isochoric cooling, the simulated solubility of Cu, Ag, and Mo decreases, whereas that of Au reaches a maximum between 35 ppb and 2.6 ppm depending on fluid density and composition. Similar observations are made from a compilation of vapor-like and intermediate-density fluid inclusion data showing that Cu, Ag, and Mo contents decrease with decreasing pressure and temperature. Increasing the Cl concentration of the simulated fluid promotes the solubility of Cu, Ag, and Au chloride species. Molybdenum solubility is highest under oxidizing conditions and low S content, and gold solubility is elevated at intermediate redox conditions and elevated S content. The S content of the vapor-like fluid strongly affects metal ratios. Thus, there is a decrease in the Cu/Au ratio as the S content increases from 0.1 to 1 wt %, whereas the opposite is the case for the Mo/Ag ratio; at S contents of &amp;gt;1 wt %, the Mo/Ag ratio also decreases. In summary, thermodynamic calculations based on experiments involving gaseous metallic species predict that vapor-like fluids may transport and efficiently precipitate metals in concentrations sufficient to form porphyry ore deposits. Finally, the fluid composition and pressure-temperature evolution paths of vapor-like and intermediate-density fluids have a strong effect on metal solubility in porphyry systems and potentially exert an important control on their metal ratios and zoning.