Green synthesis of SrFeO@Ag and SrFeO@Au as magnetic plasmonic nanocomposites with high photocatalytic performance for degradation of organic pollutants.

Magnetic-plasmonic nanocomposites are suitable candidates for photocatalytic activity due to both optical and magnetic properties. So initially, we synthesized strontium hexaferrite nanoparticles (NPs) by three different methods: microwave, sol-gel Pechini, sol-gel auto-combustion, and SrFeO@Ag, SrFeO@Au core-shell by ultrasound-assisted auto-combustion in the presence of beetroot juice. X-Ray Powder Diffraction (XRD), Fourier Transform Infrared (FT-IR), Energy Dispersive X-Ray (EDX), Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy (FE-SEM), Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM), Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET), Diffuse Reflectance Spectroscopy (DRS), and Vibrating Sample Magnetometer (VSM) analyses were utilized to examine their purity, morphology, optical and magnetic properties.

Regulatory Effects of Estradiol on Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells Activation in Patients with Asthma.

Asthma prevalence and severity are greater in women than in men, and mounting evidence suggests this is in part related to female steroid sex hormones. Conflicting data are reported regarding pro- and anti-inflammatory properties of estradiol. This study was designed to clarify whether estradiol may contribute to enhanced T helper (Th) 17-associated cytokines production by peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) in asthmatic patients and healthy individuals.

Far-IR excitations in Cd2Re2O7 in the normal and superconducting states.

Cd(2)Re(2)O(7) is a pyrochlore superconductor with a transition temperature T(c) near 1 K. We report on the far-infrared optical properties of Cd(2)Re(2)O(7) at temperatures above and below T(c) with a particular emphasis on changes in the spectrum below T(c). Seventeen phonon modes are observed in the normal state optical conductivity spectrum of Cd(2)Re(2)O(7) at low temperatures in good agreement with a factor group analysis.

Kramers-Kronig-constrained variational dielectric fitting and the reflectance of a thin film on a substrate.

A test was made of the ability of Kramers-Kronig-constrained variational dielectric fitting to extract the optical conductivity of a thin film from reflectance data containing structure due to both thin film and substrate. The reflectance of a series of well-characterized thin films of SrRu(x)Mg(1-x)O(3) and SrRu(x)O(3) with a variety of thicknesses (approximately 56-300 nm) and dc resistivities (approximately 250-2200 micro Omega cm) was measured. The low frequency values of the extracted optical conductivities agree with the dc measurements, however, removal of features due to the substrate improves with increasing film thickness.

A novel bis tridentate bipyridine carboxamide ligand and its complexation to copper(II): synthesis, structure, and magnetism.

A new bis tridentate ligand 2,2'-bipyridine-3,3'-[2-pyridinecarboxamide] H(2)L(1) which can bind transition metal ions has been synthesized via the condensation of 3,3'-diamino-2,2'-bipyridine together with 2-pyridine carbonyl chloride. Two copper(II) coordination compounds have been prepared and characterized: [Cu(2)(L(1))(hfac)(2)].3CH(3)CN.

Superconductivity in heavy alkaline-Earth intercalated graphites.

We report the discovery of superconductivity below 1.65(6) K in Sr-intercalated graphite SrC(6), by susceptibility and specific heat (C(p)) measurements. In comparison with CaC(6), we found that the anisotropy of the upper critical fields for SrC(6) is much reduced.

Rational design of a covalently tethered dinuclear [MnII(N3O2)Cl(OH2)]2(2+) macrocyclic building block: synthesis, structure, and magnetic properties.

A novel dimeric MnII complex {[Mn(N3O2)]Cl(OH2)}(2)2Cl (2) of a macrocyclic Schiff base ligand derived from the condensation of 2,2',6,6'-tetraacetyl-4,4'-bipyridine with 3,6-dioxaoctane-1,8-diamine in the presence of a stoichiometric amount of MnII has been prepared and characterized. The X-ray analysis of 2 reveals that the two Mn ions assume a pentagonal-bipyramidal geometry, with the macrocycle occupying the pentagonal plane and the axial positions being filled by a halide ion and a H2O molecule. Magnetic susceptibility data (2-270 K) reveal the occurrence of weak antiferromagnetic interactions between covalently tethered MnII-MnII dimeric units.

Formation and thickness evolution of periodic twin domains in manganite films grown on SrTiO3(001) substrates.

We present an extended synchrotron x-ray scattering study of the structure of thin manganite films grown on SrTiO3(001) substrates and reveal a new kind of misfit strain relaxation process which exploits twinning to adjust lattice mismatch. We show that this relaxation mechanism emerges in thin films as one-dimensional twinning waves which freeze out into a twin domain pattern as the manganite film continues to grow. A quantitative microscopic model which uses a matrix formalism is able to reproduce all x-ray features and provides a detailed insight into this novel relaxation mechanism.

Specific heat of the Ca-intercalated graphite superconductor CaC6.

The superconducting state of Ca-intercalated graphite CaC6 has been investigated by specific heat measurements. The characteristic anomaly at the superconducting transition (Tc = 11.4 K) indicates clearly the bulk nature of the superconductivity.