Seeing the Unseen: The Structural Influence of the Lone Pair Electrons in PbWO.

Pair distribution function (PDF) analysis of the scheelite-type material PbWO reveals previously unidentified short-range structural distortions in the PbO polyhedra and WO tetrahedra not observed in the similarly structured CaWO. These local distortions are a result of the structural influence of the Pb 6s lone pair electrons. These are not evident from the Rietveld analysis of synchrotron X-ray or neutron powder diffraction data, nor do they strongly influence the X-ray PDF (XPDF).

Intercalated Water Drives Anomalous Thermal Expansion in the Tetragonal Zircon Structured Bismuth Vanadate BiVO Photocatalyst.

The thermal transformation of the tetragonal-zircon (tz-) to tetragonal-scheelite (ts-)BiVO was studied by in situ synchrotron X-ray diffraction, thermogravimetric analysis, and Fourier-transformed infrared spectroscopy. Upon heating, the tetragonal zircon polymorph of BiVO (tz-BiVO) transitioned to the ts-polymorph between 693-773 K. Above 773 K, single phase ts-BiVO was observed before transitioning to the monoclinic fergusonite (mf-) polymorph upon cooling.

Bamboo leaf-based carbon dots for efficient tumor imaging and therapy.

In this study, carbon dots synthesized from bamboo leaf cellulose were used simultaneously as a staining agent and for doxorubicin delivery to target cancer cells. Owing to their nontoxic properties, the production of carbon dots from bamboo leaves is a green approach involving optimized application of bamboo tree waste. For multifunctional applications, the carbon dots were modified with 4-carboxybenzylboronic acid and doxorubicin to improve target specificity and drug delivery to HeLa tumor cells.