Pressure dependence of intermediate-range order and elastic properties of glassy Baltic amber.

Amber is a unique example of a fragile glass that has been extensively aged below its glass transition temperature, thus reaching a state that is not accessible under normal experimental conditions. We studied the medium-range order of Baltic amber by x-ray diffraction (XRD) at high pressures. The pressure dependences of the low-angle XRD intensity between 0 and 5 Å^{-1} were measured from 0 to 7.

Three-Dimensional Cell Culture Micro-CT Visualization within Collagen Scaffolds in an Aqueous Environment.

Among all of the materials used in tissue engineering in order to develop bioequivalents, collagen shows to be the most promising due to its superb biocompatibility and biodegradability, thus becoming one of the most widely used materials for scaffold production. However, current imaging techniques of the cells within collagen scaffolds have several limitations, which lead to an urgent need for novel methods of visualization. In this work, we have obtained groups of collagen scaffolds and selected the contrasting agents in order to study pores and patterns of cell growth in a non-disruptive manner via X-ray computed microtomography (micro-CT).

(MeN)[Pt(CO)(OH)]: The Isolated PtO Carbonato-Complex.

The first fully inorganic Pt(IV) carbonato-complex -[Pt(CO)(OH)] with a {PtO} coordination sphere was isolated as the (MeN)[Pt(CO)(OH)] () salt. The compound was characterized using single-crystal and powder X-ray diffraction, Raman spectroscopy, infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI-MS), nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (NMR), and thermogravimetric analysis (TG). Density functional theory (DFT) calculations were also performed to analyze the spectral features of the complex.

Acoustic properties, elasticity, and equation of state of glycerol under pressure.

We employed high-pressure Brillouin scattering to study the pressure dependencies of acoustic modes of glycerol up to 14 GPa at 300 K. We observed longitudinal acoustic velocities and transverse acoustic velocities for the first time from 5 to 14 GPa. The results allow the determination of a complete set of elastic properties and an accurate determination of the pressure-volume (P-V) equation of state (EOS).

Seven-Coordinated High-Pressure Phase of CrSb and Experimental Equation of State of Sb ( = Cr, Fe, Ru, Os).

The Sb compounds with = Cr, Fe, Ru, and Os have been investigated under high pressures by synchrotron powder X-ray diffraction. All compounds, except CrSb, were found to retain the marcasite structure up to the highest pressures (more than 50 GPa). In contrast, we found that CrSb has a structural phase transition around 10 GPa to a metastable, MoP-type structure with Cr coordinated to seven Sb atoms.