High-Throughput Screening Using Fourier-Transform Infrared Imaging

Efficient parallel screening of combinatorial libraries is one of the most challenging aspects of the high- throughput （HT） heterogeneous catalysis workflow. Today, a number of methods have been used in HT catalyst studies, including various optical, mass-spectrometry, and gas- chromatography techniques. Of these, rapid-scanning Fourier-transform infrared （FTIR） imaging is one of the fastest and most versatile screening techniques. Here, the new design of the 16-channel HT reactor is presented and test results for its accuracy and reproducibility are shown. The performance of the system was evaluated through the oxidation of CO over commercial Pd/AI203 and cobalt oxide nanoparticles synthesized with different reducer-reductant molar ratios, surfactant types, metal and surfactant concentrations, synthesis temperatures, and ramp rates.

The Spatial Correlation between Crystalline and Amorphous Orientations of Isotactic Polypropylene during Plastic Deformation:An in situ Observation with FTIR Imaging

On the basis of research method in FTIR imaging, we made a heterogeneous thin film of isotactic polypropylene （iPP） that contains a few large spherulites （-150 μm） which are surrounded by small spherulites （-15 μm） for tensile testing. The evolution processes of crystalline and amorphous orientations of iPP are monitored with its characteristic peaks at 998 and 973 cm^-1, respectively. By introducing the correlation images, the analysis demonstrates the relationships between the orientation evolutions of crystalline and amorphous phases in a space of 250 μm × 250 μm detecting area. During the plastic deformation, crystalline orientation is higher than amorphous orientation outside the large spherulite, while that is opposite inside the region. In addition, the evolutions of crystalline and amorphous orientations almost keep a positive correlation.

Development of Tunable Silk Fibroin/Xanthan Biopolymeric Scaffold for Skin Tissue Engineering Using L929 Fibroblast Cells

Skin acts as protective barrier against a number of factors such as dust,opportunistic microbial and viral infections,regulates body temperature and waste discharge.Fibroblast cell population plays an important role in devclopment of skin architecturc.A scaffold having capability to support and enhance fibroblast growth is a viable option for wound dressing material which can shorten the time for wound to heal.In this work,Silk Fibroin(SF)and Xanthan(Xa)were blended in three ratios 80 SF:20 Xa(SFX82),60 SF:40 Xa(SFX64),and 50SF:50 Xa(SFX55)to create SF/Xa scaffold.Miscibility and other physicochemical properties of SF/Xa scaffold are functions of blending ratios and blend with the ratio 80 SF:20 Xa has the highest miscibility.Thermal properties of SF/Xa blends are a function of miscibility with SFX82 having superior thermal propertis of all fabricated scaffolds.The porosity of SF/Xa scaffolds is in the range of 67%to 50%,with pore size of 58.1 um-45.5 um,water uptake capacity of 92%-86%,and surface roughness of 49.95 nm-385 nm.SFX82 shows highest growth rate of L929 fibroblast cells indicating its superiority over other scaffolds for providing biological cues for the growth and proliferation of fibroblastic cells in natural environment.SFX82 scaffold is found to be most suitable for fibroblastic cells thereby enhancing the tissue regeneration at wound site.

Tracking the Ti^(4+)substitution in phlogopite by spectroscopic imaging:A tool for unravelling the growth of micas at HP-HT conditions

Phlogopite solid-solutions have a wide pressure-temperature(P-T)stability field and are ubiquitous in a wide variety of geological settings,from deep lithosphere magmatic environments to upper crust metamorphic domains.Phlogopite composition represents therefore a valuable physical-chemical archive and may provide important information regarding its crystallization and the petrogenesis of the host-rock.In this paper we examine the phlogopite phenocrysts from the well-known Fort Regent mica-bearing lamprophyre minette from St.Helier(Island of Jersey,UK).Phlogopite phenocrystals from lamprophyres generally show normal-step and continuous compositional zoning,however those from the Fort Regent minette show a peculiar texture characterized by dark brown high-Ti(average TiO_(2)≈8.5 wt.%)cores enveloped by euhedral low-to mid-amplitude zonation due to oscillatory contents in Ti,Fe and Mg.Thermo-barometry modelling based on biotite-only composition yields relatively high P-T estimates(T≈970±54℃at P≈0.73±0.13 GPa)for cores whereas lower values(T≈790±54℃at P≈0.29±0.13 GPa)are obtained for the outer rims.Comparable temperatures(T≈1075±54℃)but extremely high and anomalous pressure values(P≈1.82±0.13 GPa)are obtained for the yellowish inner rims.The combination of electron micro probe(EMP)analysis and single-crystal infra-red(FTIR)imaging in the OH-stretching region shows that the exceptional and oscillatory Ti contents are due to the Ti-vacancy substitution,typical of crystallization and growth processes of HP/HT environments.Raman imaging provides additional insight for this process,confirming the dominant dioctahedral nature for the Ti-Fe-rich cores and outer rims.Interpretation of thermobaric estimates obtained from the phlogopite compositiononly model,based on the fine-scale compositional evolution,shows that pressure-temperature values from low-Ti high-Mg domains should be carefully evaluated because the substitution mechanisms during the dark mica growth are not univocally related to pressure-temperature variation of the crystallizing environment.Our results demonstrate how a multidisciplinary approach based on the combination of chemical investigations and vibrational spectroscopies could represent a valuable tool to evaluate pressure-temperature estimates from biotite composition-only thermo-barometry models and therefore to correctly unravel HP/HT petrogenetic processes at a very fine scale。