Presence Of Nd Research Articles

Study of the association between oxytocin receptor gene polymorphism, childhood adversity and negative symptoms of schizophrenia

Is known that the neurohormone oxytocin plays an important role in the pathogenesis of mental illness, and also models the relationship between stress factors, especially those acting in the early stages of development, and the development of mental disorders. Based on these data, we investigated the effects of the interaction of the environmental factor, which was considered the adversity of childhood (ND) and the oxytocin receptor (OXTR) genotypes in the polymorphic sites rs4686302 and rs7632287, on the severity of negative symptoms of schizophrenia. The study involved 592 patients with schizophrenia (headings F20. according to ICD-10). Information about the presence of ND was obtained from case histories and patient interviews. Analysis of covariance (GML) was used for statistical data processing; in post-hoc pairwise comparison, Tukey’s test was used. A significant effect of the interaction between ND and OXTR gene polymorphism rs7632287(G/A) on the severity of negative symptoms in patients with schizophrenia was revealed. In patients without ND, polymorphisms did not have a significant effect on the studied phenotype. Thus, our study showed for the first time that the rs7632287(G/A) polymorphism and ND have a mutual effect on the severity of negative symptoms of schizophrenia.

Influence of the Incorporation of Nd in ZnO Films Grown by the HFCVD Technique to Enhance Photoluminiscence Due to Defects

In this work, optical–structural and morphological behavior when Nd is incorporated into ZnO is studied. ZnO and Nd-doped ZnO (ZnO-Nd) films were deposited at 900 °C on Silicon n-type substrates (100) by using the Hot Filament Chemical Vapor Deposition (HFCVD) technique. For this, pellets were made by from powders of ZnO(s) and a mixture of ZnO(s):Nd(OH)3(s). The weight percent of the mixture ZnO:Nd(OH)3 in the pellet is 1:3. The gaseous precursor generation was carried out by chemical decomposition of the pellets using atomic hydrogen which was produced by a tungsten filament at 2000 °C. For the ZnO film, diffraction planes (100), (002), (101), (102), (110), and (103) were found by XRD. For the ZnO-Nd film, its planes are displaced, indicating the incorporation of Nd into the ZnO. EDS was used to confirm the Nd in the ZnO-Nd film with an atomic concentration (at%) of Nd = 10.79. An improvement in photoluminescence is observed for the ZnO-Nd film; this improvement is attributed to an increase in oxygen vacancies due to the presence of Nd. The important thing about this study is that by the HFCVD method, ZnO-Nd films can be obtained easily and with very short times; in addition, some oxide compounds can be obtained individually as initial precursors, which reduces the cost compared to other techniques. Something interesting is that the incorporation of Nd into ZnO by this method has not yet been studied, and depending on the method used, the PL of ZnO with Nd can increase or decrease, and by the HFCVD method the PL of the ZnO film, when Nd is incorporated, increases more than 15 times compared to the ZnO film.

Photocatalytic performance of Nd/TiO2 and Nb/TiO2 nanomaterials in the degradation of p‐cresol at room temperature

ABSTRACTBACKGROUNDThe degradation of organic pollutants, such as, p‐cresol, is a challenge for natural mechanisms, so the use of semiconductors as photocatalysts are useful to restore water quality. In this work, the effects of Nd and Nb doping on the structural and photocatalytic properties of TiO2 under UV irradiation were investigated.RESULTSXRD results displayed the formation of anatase, TiO2(B) and rutile phases on the Nd/TiO2 and Nb/TiO2 compounds. The Rietveld analysis estimated the composition of phases, as well as the crystal size for each crystalline phase in the samples (< 43 nm). The crystal sizes and morphology of the powders were observed in the TEM and SEM micrographs. EDS and XPS analysis confirmed the presence of Nd and Nb dopants in the TiO2‐based photocatalysts. The nitrogen adsorption/desorption isotherms results revealed pore sizes between 5‐ 11 nm, as well as surface area values up to ~ 81 m2/g. The diverse compounds showed excellent removal efficiency of p‐cresol under UV‐light (between 10 to 30% faster than commercial TiO2‐P25)CONCLUSIONSThe synthesis method favored the incorporation of the Nd and Nb dopants in the TiO2 structure. Nd/TiO2 specimens showed higher photocatalytic response than Nb/TiO2 samples, possibly, to the synergic effects between phases (anatase and TiO2(B)), higher surface area values (up to ~80.47 m2/g), as well as the nature of dopant. The photocatalysts with better photocatalytic performance demonstrated good degradation rate after 20h.This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

The addition of 144Nd atomic mass to routine ICP-MS analysis as a Quick Screening Tool for Approximating Rare Earth Elements (Q-STAR) in natural waters

Rare earth elements (REEs) are a class of critical minerals, all of which can have supply chain vulnerability that impacts economic security. These elements are widely measured in environmental matrices via inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS); however, successful quantification can require time-consuming, sample-specific optimization. While a sample-by-sample approach is appropriate for targeted quantification studies, this approach is not suitable for mineral exploration efforts where rapidly screening thousands of samples for the presence of REEs is desired. Here, we demonstrated the use of a Quick Screening Tool for Approximating REEs (Q-STAR) to detect REEs in surface water and groundwater matrices, collected as part of existing environmental studies. A mass-to-charge ratio of 144 (m/z = 144) was added to an ICP-MS method to screen for REEs in filtered water samples submitted for metals analyses to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) National Water Quality Laboratory. We detected the presence of REEs above a reference threshold of 1200 counts per second in 18 % of pre-selected 6626 samples. Using this screened dataset, we mapped estimated dissolved REE concentrations across the United States in relation to ecoregions and underlying geology. Data are constrained to where sample collection took place but nevertheless show estimated aqueous dissolved REE concentrations on a geographic scale that has not yet been studied. To validate Q-STAR, REEs were measured in a USGS standard reference sample, a subset of 88 archived filtered water samples, and in fresh filtered surface water samples. Our targeted analyses demonstrated a strong linear relationship between Q-STAR predicted and measured values in all archived samples for Nd (r2 = 0.94), and light REEs (LREEs) such as lanthanum (La) (r2 = 0.93), praseodymium (Pr) (r2 = 0.94) and samarium (Sm) (r2 = 0.94). Using Q-STAR screen values, nine field sites were identified and surface water samples recollected to confirm the continued presence of Nd and LREEs. Q-STAR can be used to screen an unlimited number of water samples for the presence of REEs prior to time-intensive and costly quantitative analyses and to generate large REE datasets for further investigation.

Covalent conjugates based on nanodiamonds with doxorubicin and a cytostatic drug from the group of 1,3,5-triazines: Synthesis, biocompatibility and biological activity

We report the synthesis of covalent conjugates of nanodiamonds with doxorubicin and a cytostatic drug from the class of 1,3,5-triazines. The obtained conjugates were identified using a number of physicochemical methods (IR-spectroscopy, NMR-spectroscopy, XRD, XPS, TEM). As a result of our study, it was found that ND-СONH-Dox and ND-COO-Diox showed good hemocompatibility, since they did not affect plasma coagulation hemostasis, platelet functional activity, and erythrocyte membrane. The ND-COO-Diox conjugates are also capable of binding to human serum albumin due to the presence of ND in their composition. In the study of the cytotoxic properties of ND-СONH-Dox and ND-COO-Diox in the T98G glioblastoma cell line, indicating that ND-СONH-Dox and ND-COO-Diox demonstrate greater cytotoxicity at lower concentrations of Dox and Diox in the composition of the conjugates compared to individual drugs; the cytotoxic effect of ND-COO-Diox was statistically significantly higher than that of ND-СONH-Dox at all concentrations studied. Greater cytotoxicity at lower concentrations of Dox and Diox in the composition of conjugates compared to individual cytostatics makes it promising to further study the specific antitumor activity and acute toxicity of these conjugates in models of glioblastoma in vivo. Our results demonstrated that ND-СONH-Dox and ND-COO-Diox enter HeLa cells predominantly via a nonspecific actin-dependent mechanism, while for ND-СONH-Dox a clathrin-dependent endocytosis pathway. All data obtained provide that the synthesized nanomaterials show a potential application as the agents for intertumoral administration.

Supercapacitor with highly efficient rare earth metal conjugated transition metal chalcogenide photoactive electrode In:SnO2/Nd2S3:Ni9S8:Co9S8

The implementation of nanostructure designs that optimize the benefits of all constituent elements and facilitate interfacial interactions between them represents a promising approach for enhancing electrochemical efficiency. This study uses a simple single source precursor technique to produce distinctly shaped Nd2S3:Ni9S8:Co9S8. The material’s crystal, optical, morphological and elemental investigation was performed. The optical band gap of 3.5 eV was identified through UV–visible analysis. Furthermore, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and energy dispersive X-ray analysis confirmed the presence of Nd, Ni, Co, as well as S in the composite. Significant functional groups were investigated through FTIR. Electrical investigations involving multiple techniques were performed in a photoelectrochemical cell. Ascribing to the transparent photoactive electrode In:SnO2/Nd2S3:Ni9S8:Co9S8 the results presented an unsurpassed specific capacity of 946 Fg−1 in the presence of light. In each experiment, it was demonstrated that the electrode's photocurrent density was greater when it was exposed to light. This study has successfully introduced a highly valuable photoelectrode that exhibits great potential for practical application in the realm of renewable energy systems.

Individual effect of Y and Nd on the microstructure formation of Mg-Y-Nd alloys processed by severe plastic deformation and their effect on the subsequent mechanical and corrosion properties

This work investigated the effect of sole yttrium and neodymium alloying on the microstructure formation during severe plastic deformation by equal channel angular pressing (ECAP) and an impact on the mechanical strength and corrosion resistance of binary Mg-3Y and Mg-3Nd alloys. The results are compared with a ternary Mg-4Y-3Nd alloy, which represents a simplified version of the commercially successful WE43 alloy. The extensive study comprises a thorough microstructural analysis performed by scanning and transmission electron microscopy, including electron backscatter diffraction and texture analysis performed by X-ray diffraction. It is shown that the presence of Nd primarily caused precipitation during the processing of the Mg-3Nd alloy, while Y remained dissolved in the magnesium matrix in the Mg-3Y alloy. This difference resulted in a significantly smaller average grain size in the Mg-3Y alloy (∼0.77 nm) than in the Mg-3Nd alloy (∼1.3 μm) after the final step of the processing and formation of a slightly different texture. Consequently, the composition and the processing affected the mechanical and corrosion properties of the investigated materials, measured by compression deformation tests, microhardness measurement, and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. This study shows that the ECAP-processed W3 sample exhibits a surprisingly good combination of ultrafine-grain structure, weak crystallographic texture, high strength, and high corrosion resistance compared with the other investigated samples. These attributes make this material very interesting for utilisation in the industry and/or medicine.

Electrochemical Performance Evaluation of Bimetallic Sulfide Nanocomposite with Fullerene (CeNdS/C60) for Efficient Oxygen Evolution Reaction (OER)

In recent decades, developing cost-stable electrocatalysts for oxygen evolution reactions at low overpotential has still been challenging for chemical energy conversion devices. In the present work, we have reported the facile development of the CeNdS/C60 nanocomposite via the solution method. The covered C60 over CeNdS is confirmed by TEM and STEM, providing strong interfacial interaction between CeNdS and C60. In a medium consisting of 1.00 M KOH, CeNdS/C60 electrode displayed a very small overpotential of 346 mV and a small Tafel slope of 68 mV dec–1 at a benchmark current density. Chronoamperometric and continuous CV sweeps confirmed the good stability of this catalyst at a scan rate of 5 mV s–1 (5000 cycles). The turnover frequency of CeNdS/C60 was 1.7 s–1, and the corresponding electrochemically active surface area was 3057.5 cm2. Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) surface area results also confirmed the attachment of C60 particles with CeNdS by developing a high surface area with porous channels that further facilitate electrolyte penetration and the charge transfer rate, thus improving the OER property of CeNdS/C60. All performed techniques showed that the presence of Nd and C60 ions in the CeNdS/C60 catalyst is responsible for growing the superb intrinsic OER catalytic activity. Furthermore, these findings have revealed an excellent potential for CeS-based electrocatalysts for more electrochemical energy-conversion applications.

Detection and Relative Quantification of Neodymium in Sillai Patti Carbonatite Using Decision Tree Classification of the Hyperspectral Data.

A recent increase in the importance of Rare Earth Elements (REEs), proportional to advancements in modern technology, green energy, and defense, has urged researchers to look for more sophisticated and efficient exploration methods for their host rocks, such as carbonatites. Hyperspectral remote sensing has long been recognized as having great potential to identify the REEs based on their sharp and distinctive absorption features in the visible near-infrared (VNIR) and shortwave infrared (SWIR) electromagnetic spectral profiles. For instance, neodymium (Nd), one of the most abundant Light Rare Earth Elements (LREEs), has among the most distinctive absorption features of REEs in the VNIR part of the electromagnetic spectrum. Centered at ~580, ~745, ~810, and ~870 nm in the VNIR, the positions of these absorption features have been proved to be independent of the mineralogy that hosts Nd, and the features can be observed in samples as low in Nd as 1000 ppm. In this study, a neodymium index (NI) is proposed based on the 810 nm absorption feature and tested on the hyperspectral images of the Sillai Patai carbonatite samples to identify Nd pixels and to decipher the relative concentration of Nd in the samples based on the depth of the absorption feature. A preliminary spectral study of the carbonatite samples was carried out using a spectroradiometer to determine the presence of Nd in the samples. Only two of the absorption features of Nd, centered at ~745 and ~810 nm, are prominent in the Nd-rich samples. The other absorption features are either weak or suppressed by the featureless spectra of the associated minerals. Similar absorption features are found in the VNIR and SWIR images of the rock samples captured by the laboratory-based hyperspectral cameras that are processed through Minimum Noise Fraction (MNF) and Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) to filter the signal and noise from the reflectance data. An RGB false-color composite of continuum-removed VNIR reflectance bands covering wavelengths of 587.5, 747.91, and 810.25 nm efficiently displayed the spatial distribution of Nd-rich hotspots in the hyperspectral image. The depth of the 810 nm absorption feature, which corresponds to the concentration of Nd in a pixel, is comparatively greater in these zones and is quantified using the proposed NI such that the deeper the absorption feature, the higher the NI. To quantify the Nd-rich pixels in the continuum-removed VNIR images, different threshold values of NI are introduced into a decision tree classifier which generates the number of pixels in each class. The strength of the proposed NI coupled with the decision tree classifier is further supported by the accuracy assessment of the classified images generating the Kappa coefficient of 0.82. Comparing the results of the remote sensing data obtained in this study with some of the previously published studies suggests that the Sillai Patti carbonatite is rich in Nd and associated REEs, with some parts of the samples as high in Nd concentration as 1000 ppm.

(INVITED)Counter-ion effect on the diffusion behavior of Yb, Lu, and Nd ions in YAG transparent ceramics

The ability to fabricate additively manufactured laser waveguides with sharp dopant concentration interfaces is limited by diffusion of the dopants at the temperatures required to fully densify the material. Compositional analysis of bilayer samples, where each layer was either undoped YAG or YAG doped with Yb, Lu, or Nd, were fabricated such that all combinations were available for testing. Samples were fabricated at both 1750°C and 1850°C to determine the diffusion behavior of each dopant alone and also in the presence of a second dopant. It was found that the experimental concentration profiles exhibited both intragranular (bulk) and grain boundary contributions, and thus fitting to a complementary error function equation required the use of two diffusion coefficients. Nd always diffused further along grain boundaries than the other dopants, due in part to its small segregation coefficient in YAG. It is shown that the presence of Nd as a counter dopant inhibits intragranular diffusion of other dopants while enhancing their grain boundary diffusion. All the observed trends were attributed to a combination of intragranular lattice strain due to: dopant ions replacing yttrium substitutionally, the relative driving forces for the segregation of dopant ions to grain boundaries, and the ability of one dopant to affect the diffusion of a different dopant in the other direction to maintain charge neutrality.

Spheroidization Behavior of Nano-Primary Silicon Induced by Neodymium under High-Current Pulsed Electron Beam Irradiation

The spheroidization behavior of the nano-primary silicon phase induced by Nd under high-current pulsed electron beam (HCPEB) irradiation was investigated in this study. The study results revealed that, compared to the Al–17.5Si alloy, spheroidized nano-primary silicon phase emerged in the alloy’s HCPEB-irradiated surface layer due to the presence of Nd. Because Nd was abundantly enriched on the fast-growing silicon crystal plane, its surface tension was reduced under the extreme undercooling caused by HCPEB irradiation, causing the growth velocity of each crystal plane to be the same and spherical nanometers of silicon to appear. The spheroidization of nano-primary silicon phases occurred in the remelted layer. The microhardness test revealed that Nd could depress the microhardness of the Al matrix at the same number of pulses, but conversely increase the microhardness of the primary silicon phase, compared to the Al–17.5Si alloy. The tribological test showed that the presence of spherical nano-primary silicon could significantly improve the alloy’s tribological property.

Novel Nd–Mo co-doped SnO2/α-WO3 electrochromic materials (ECs) for enhanced smart window performance

In an urbanized city, about a third of total electrical consumption is allocated for indoor lighting and air conditioning system in residential and commercial buildings. The majority of the worldwide energy generation comes from burning of non-renewable fossil fuel which is not sustainable in the long run. The use of smart windows technology may catalyze the effort to reduce energy consumption of building and houses. More than 50% of heat entering a building through windows originate from the solar radiation in the near infrared (NIR) region. This candidate smart window material must exhibit dual-band (visible and NIR) modulation that allows selective modulation of NIR heat without affecting visible light transmission. A good electrochromic material in this respect should possess high visible light transmission, high NIR modulation, fast switching between colored and bleached state, and good stability over prolonged usage. In this work, we propose a novel Nd–Mo co-doped SnO2/α-WO3 electrochromic materials (ECs). As compared to the traditional SnO2/α-WO3 ECs, our Nd–Mo co-doped SnO2/α-WO3 ECs exhibits up to 90% visible light transparency (at λ = 600 nm), 62% NIR modulation (at wavelength 1200 nm), high coloration efficiency (~200 cm2 C−1), fast switching time with only 31% electrochromic performance drop (vs 59% of undoped sample) after up to 1000 reversible cyclic test. The enhanced electrochromic performance comes from the presence of Nd–Mo co-dopants that limit the trapping of Li + ion within α-WO3 framework, reduce the extent of crystallization of α-WO3 layer and enhancement of the electronic conductivity by transferring their excess electron to the conduction band of the SnO2. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, the present composition of ECs offers one of the better candidate materials for electrochromic to be used as thermal management layers on smart windows application.

Synthesis and analysis of gold nanoparticles produced by laser

Gold nanoparticles are produced by employed nanosecond pulses of Nd:YAG laser using laser ablation process in liquid. The two systems used are Nd:YAG of 6 and 10 nanoseconds pulse duration with variable energy in the range (700-760 mJ ). The formation of gold nanoparticles has been rerealed using TEM with uniform size distribution. Also, it has been discovered that the mean nanoparticles sizes of 70 and 100 nm for gold respectively when similar laser parameters are used. In addition, theoretical Mie-Gans model was used to estimate the temperature distributions for both gold nanoparticles. Another aspect that has been discovered is that the maximum temperature of about (40 k K° ) and (60 k K°) for gold nanoparticles, especially to prepare nanoparticles in the presence of Nd:YAG of 10 ns.

Structural and magnetic properties of the interstitial carbide-hydride NdScSiC0.5H0.2

We report the synthesis of the first carbide-hydride phase obtained in the family of equiatomic intermetallics RTX (R = rare earth, T = transition metal, X = p-block element) by insertion of light elements. We prepared the NdScSiC0.5H0.2 compound by solid-gas reaction, by exposing the carbide NdScSiC0.5 to 40 bars of H2 gas at 450 °C. It crystallizes in the La2Fe2Se2O3-type structure with H and C atoms occupying Nd4 tetrahedral and Nd2Sc4 octahedral interstices, respectively. The H site is only partly filled owing to the presence of Nd–C covalent bonding that prevents the formation of Nd–H bonding through antagonist effect. The carbide-hydride was characterized through magnetic measurements, specific heat and powder neutron diffraction. Remarkably, hydrogenation of the carbide provokes a quite drastic effect on the magnetic properties by changing the ground state from a ferromagnetic (TC∼70 K) to an antiferromagnetic one (TN = 10 K). The magnetic structure of NdScSiC0.5H0.2 consists of double layers of ferromagnetic Nd moments aligned along the c-axis and coupled antiferromagnetically along this axis. This magnetic structure results in a field-induced metamagnetic behaviour as pointed out by magnetisation isotherms.

Effect of Cooling Path on Precipitation Behavior, Microstructure, and Texture Evolution of Micro-alloyed Magnesium Alloy

Alloying with rare-earth (RE) elements enhances the formability of magnesium (Mg) alloys, especially for the lower elevated temperatures. The beneficial effect brought by RE addition is related to texture modification. However, the complexity of the precipitation behavior in RE-containing alloy and the often excessive RE additions has impeded the understanding of the mechanism for RE texture modification. The current study is based on three micro-alloyed Mg-1Zn-xNd (wt.%) alloys with reduced levels of Nd, i.e., x = 0.1, 0.2, and 0.5 wt.%. Two different cooling paths were employed after solutionizing to achieve different precipitation conditions. The alloys were then subjected to hot rolling at 450 °C to a total reduction of 45% in two passes, and post-deformation annealing was also conducted. The precipitation behavior of the current alloy was discussed based on experimental observations and thermodynamic simulations. It was found that “dilute” Nd in solid solution is more effective in suppressing both dynamic and static recrystallization compared to Nd in the form of precipitates. Ultimately, a non-basal texture with basal poles splitting toward rolling direction and transverse direction was obtained for the Mg-1Zn-0.5Nd alloy after annealing. The mechanism of texture weakening effect was attributed to the presence of Nd in solid solution.

Ion Imprinted Affinity Cryogels for the Selective Adsorption Uranium in Real Samples

In this research, selective adsorption of U(VI) in aqueous solutionsin the presence of various lanthanide ions by using U(VI)-imprinted cryogel polymer was conducted. For this purpose, the prepared pHEMA-(MAH)3-U(VI) cryogel polymer by free radical polymerization method. U(VI) was desorbed with 5.0 mol/L HNO3 and thus U(VI)-imprinted were created onto p-HEMA-(MAH)3 cryogel polymer. To determine the optimum conditions, in the process of selective adsorption of U(VI) ion to U(VI)-imprinted p-HEMA-(MAH)3 cryogel polymer, some parameters such as pH, flow rate, initial U(VI) concentration were investigated. Under the optimum conditions, the maximum adsorption capacity was obtained as 74.80 mg/g. Selectivity studies were also carried out in the presence of Nd(III), La(III) and Y(III) ions using U(VI)-imprinted p-HEMA-(MAH)3 cryogel polymer. The obtained adsorption order under competitive conditions was U(VI) ˃ La(III) ˃Y(III) ˃Nd(III).

Toxicological effects of the rare earth element neodymium in Mytilus galloprovincialis.

The wide range of applications of rare earth elements (REE) is leading to their occurrence in worldwide aquatic environments. Among the most popular REE is Neodymium (Nd), being widely used in permanent magnets, lasers, and glass additives. Neodymium-iron-boron (NdFeB) magnets is the main application of Nd since they are used in electric motors, hard disk drives, speakers and generators for wind turbines. Recent studies have already evaluated the toxic potential of different REE, but no information is available on the effects of Nd towards marine bivalves. Thus, the present study evaluated the biochemical alterations caused by Nd in the mussel Mytilus galloprovincialis exposed to this element for 28 days. The results obtained clearly demonstrated that Nd was accumulated by mussels, leading to mussel's metabolic capacity increase and GLY expenditure, in an attempt to fuel up defense mechanisms. Antioxidant and biotransformation defenses were insufficient in the elimination of ROS excess, resulting from the presence of Nd and increased electron transport system activity, which caused cellular damages (measured by lipid peroxidation) and loss of redox balance (assessed by the ratio between reduced and oxidized glutathione). The results obtained clearly highlight the potential toxicity of REEs and, in particular of Nd, with impacts at cellular level, which may have consequences in mussel's survival, growth and reproduction, affecting mussel's population.

Structural, magnetic, and fluorescence properties of Nd/Ni/PA66 multilayer coaxial nanocables

Abstract One-dimensional (1D) Nd/Ni/PA66 multilayer nanocables were prepared in anodic aluminum oxide (AAO) template from outer layer to inner layer with physical wetting method and two-step electrochemical deposition method, respectively. The length of each layer is almost the same. SEM, TEM, XRD were employed to investigate the morphology and structure and chemical compositions. Magnetization measurements revealed that the Nd/Ni/PA66 nanocable arrays have greater coercivity and remanence ratio than the Ni and Ni/PA66 nanotubes and exhibited hard magnetism behavior. The easy axis was parallel to the long axis of nanocables. The interaction between each layer and the synergistic effect between iron and neodymium were explained in detail. In addition, the nanocables showed fluorescence properties due to the presence of Nd, and obvious emission peak at 401–472 nm was detected. We believe that these methods may provide an idea for ferromagnetic alloys and permanent magnet material and suitable for future applications in perpendicular recording media.

Structure and morphology of composite coating of chromium with diamond nanoparticles on sintered steels

Electrochemical chromium coatings modified with diamond nanoparticles (ND) were deposited on sintered steel materials obtained from iron powder and ultrafine graphite powder. The diamond nanoparticles were produced by detonation synthesis. Their average size is 6 nm. The sintered steel consisted of 0.2, 0.4, 0.6 and 0.8%C (added in the form of graphite) by weight. The produced composite coatings consisting of Cr + ND were compact, tightly adhering to the substrate, with thickness of about 25–35 μm. The surface morphology and microstructure of the coatings were investigated by SEM and EDS analyzes. The main objective of the study was to explore the presence of ND in the coating by the X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and the impact of the ND concentration in the electrolyte on the presence of the diamond nanoparticles in the coating. The spectra of the C1s photoelectronic line were obtained, the sp3/sp2 ratio and the sp3 + sp2 sum were determined electronically on the surface of the coatings (depth 10 nm). The Cr2p photoelectronic line spectra were also obtained. The coatings were deposited from electrolytes with ND concentrations of 10, 25 and 40 g/l. A diamond-like phase has been found in coatings obtained at concentrations of diamond nanoparticles in the electrolyte of 25 and 40 g/l. The sp3/sp2 ratio with a value equal to or greater than 1.2 is an indication of the presence of a diamond-like phase in the coatings and the ratio depends on the concentration of ND in the electrolyte.

Coordinative Chain Transfer Polymerization of Butadiene with Functionalized Aluminum Reagents.

Functionalized aluminum alkyls enable effective coordinative chain transfer polymerization with selective chain initiation by the functionalized alkyl. (ω‐Aminoalkyl)diisobutylaluminum reagents (12 examples studied) obtained by hydroalumination of α‐amino‐ω‐enes with diisobutylaluminum hydride promote the stereoselective catalytic chain growth of butadiene on aluminum in the presence of Nd(versatate)3, Cp*2Nd(allyl), or Cp*2Gd(allyl) precatalysts and [PhNMe2H+]/[B(C6F5)4 −]. Carbazolyl‐ and indolylaluminum reagents result in efficient molecular weight control and chain initiation by the aminoalkyl rather than the isobutyl substituent bound to aluminum. As confirmed for (3‐(9H‐carbazol‐9‐yl)propyl)‐initiated polybutadiene (PBD), for example, by deuterium quenching studies, polymer chain transfer by β‐hydride transfer is negligible in comparison to back‐transfer to aluminum.