Simultaneous Surface-Enhanced Raman Scattering with a Kerr Gate for Fluorescence Suppression.

The combination of surface-enhanced and Kerr-gated Raman spectroscopy for the enhancement of the Raman signal and suppression of fluorescence is reported. Surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS)-active gold substrates were demonstrated for the expansion of the surface generality of optical Kerr-gated Raman spectroscopy, broadening its applicability to the study of analytes that show a weak Raman signal in highly fluorescent media under (pre)resonant conditions. This approach is highlighted by the well-defined spectra of rhodamine 6G, Nile red, and Nile blue.

Effect of alkali-metal cation on oxygen adsorption at Pt single-crystal electrodes in non-aqueous electrolytes.

The effect of Group 1 alkali-metal cations (Na, K, and Cs) on the oxygen reduction and evolution reactions (ORR and OER) using dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO)-based electrolytes was investigated. Cyclic voltammetry (CV) utilising different Pt-electrode surfaces (polycrystalline Pt, Pt(111) and Pt(100)) was undertaken to investigate the influence of surface structure upon the ORR and OER. For K and Cs, negligible variation in the CV response (in contrast to Na) was observed using Pt(111), Pt(100) and Pt(poly) electrodes, consistent with a weak surface-metal/superoxide complex interaction.

Nanophase-photocatalysis: loading, storing, and release of HO using graphitic carbon nitride.

A blue light mediated photochemical process using solid graphitic carbon nitride (g-CN) in ambient air/isopropanol vapour is suggested to be linked to "nanophase" water inclusions and is shown to produce approx. 50 μmol HO per gram of g-CN, which can be stored in the solid g-CN for later release for applications, for example, in disinfection or anti-bacterial surfaces.

Conditioning of desert sandy soil and investigation of the ameliorative effects of poultry manure and bentonite treatment rate on plant growth.

Soil is the base of any ecosystem since it conserves nutrients and water for plant roots including agriculture and plantations. In dry and semi-arid places across the world, including the UAE, sandy soils are common. Their fertility is extremely low, and production is hampered by a number of agronomic challenges.

Review of biosensing with whispering-gallery mode lasers.

Lasers are the pillars of modern optics and sensing. Microlasers based on whispering-gallery modes (WGMs) are miniature in size and have excellent lasing characteristics suitable for biosensing. WGM lasers have been used for label-free detection of single virus particles, detection of molecular electrostatic changes at biointerfaces, and barcode-type live-cell tagging and tracking.