The location and analysis of melanins in the cell walls of some soil fungi

1974 ◽  
Vol 20 (10) ◽  
pp. 1379-1386 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. H. Ellis ◽  
D. A. Griffiths

Electron-dense particles of melanin were located in ultrathin sections of: the hyphal walls of Amorphotheca resume; the aleuriospore walls of Epicoccum nigrum and Humicola grisea; the sclerotial walls of Colletotrichum coccodes; and both within and between the microsclerotial cell walls of Verticillium dahliae. Melanin was extracted with KOH from each of the fungi, but, because of rapid oxidation of the pigment in air, extraction and analysis was carried out under nitrogen. The pigments were examined spectrophotometrically under UV and IR radiation and by means of x-ray diffraction. Characterization of the melanin in terms of its degradation products indicated it to be indolic in nature. These results are compared with published data on other melanins extracted from animal and plant sources.

2019 ◽  
Vol 25 (6) ◽  
pp. 1471-1481
Author(s):  
Tea Zubin Ferri ◽  
Emina Pustijanac ◽  
Ines Kovačić ◽  
Josipa Bilić

AbstractThe aim of the present study was to map the painting materials, degradation processes, and biological features present on the mural painting in the church of St. Mary in Beram (Croatia) to study their possible interaction and produce information helping the preservation of this valuable painting. The research was conducted on micro samples of painting materials taken from different sites along the painting and the characterization of the present fungal species was carried out. The painting samples, together with observable patinas and degradation products, were studied by optical microscopy (OM), scanning electron microscopy, energy-dispersive spectroscopy (SEM/EDS), Fourier-Transform Infrared spectroscopy, and powder X-ray diffraction. Fungal diversity was studied using cultivation methods followed by OM and SEM analyses in addition to molecular analysis. The results contribute to the characterization of the original painting materials, successively added materials and occurred interventions, to the understanding of degradation progressions and fungal biotransformation processes. A mineral, cumengite, a copper-based pigment extremely rarely used in art, was found. Its occurrence together with barium sulfate, gypsum, and calcium oxalate possibly produced by microbiological activity was studied and information was added regarding the composition of painting materials in St. Mary church mural cycle.


1966 ◽  
Vol 29 (2) ◽  
pp. 181-197 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. N. J. Heyn

With a new technique of negative staining of sections, it has been possible to observe directly, in ultrathin sections under the electron microscope, the original microcrystalline and microfibrillar structure of cellulose as it occurs in living cells. This method has advantages over the study of isolated fibers used so far by others, in that the original arrangement of microfibrils is better preserved, and their collapse into larger fibrillar units is prevented. With this method, the cell walls of ramie, jute, and cotton fibers have been studied. The size (diameter, 25 to 40 A) and the longitudinal periodicity observed in the single microfibrils and the orientation and spatial arrangement of the microcrystallite within the microfibrils are found to correspond with the latest models derived by others from data obtained by indirect methods such as X-ray diffraction. The microfibril size of about 35 A, found by measuring these structures in sections, agrees with the latest conclusions reached by others in recent work with isolated fibrils.


2013 ◽  
Vol 47 (1) ◽  
pp. 407
Author(s):  
D. Papoulis ◽  
S. Komarneni ◽  
D. Toli ◽  
D. Panagiotaras ◽  
S. Bakalis

The synthesis as well as the characterization of small-sized TiO2 particles supported on Halloysite are presented. Hallloysite from Utah, USA as well as from Limnos, island Greece, were used to synthesize two nanocomposites for each halloysite with TiO2 to halloysite weight ratios of 80: 20 and 60:40 and compare with published data of well formed nanocomposites of intermediate proportion (70-30) that were previously studied. All nanocomposites were prepared by deposition of anatase (TiO2) on the halloysite tubes using a sol–gel method under hydrothermal treatment at 180 °C. Phase composition, particle morphology and physical properties of these samples were characterized using X-Ray Diffraction (XRD), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Attenuated Total Reflection using Fourier Transform Infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR) and N2 surface area analysis by BET. Preparation of all halloysite–TiO2 nanocomposites led to the anticipated good dispersion of anatase particles on halloysite surfaces. ATR-FTIR results revealed the formation of hydrogen bonding between anatase and the outer surfaces of halloysite tubes. All halloysite-TiO2 nanocomposites largely showed interparticle mesopores of about 5.7nm and high SSAs.


MRS Advances ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 2 (63) ◽  
pp. 3973-3981 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marcie B. Wiggins ◽  
Jocelyn Alcántara-García ◽  
Karl S. Booksh

ABSTRACTCopper-based pigments are common in works of art that show signs of decay on green and blue areas and are frequently associated with the degradation of organic substrates and/or media (drying oils, cellulose, etc.). The exact causes of degradation remain unknown. This prompted us to study possible starting and degradation products of one especially reactive copper pigment, verdigris (copper acetate), as well as pigments of the same family (salt and soap greens). Preparation of pigments using historical methods was followed by spectroscopic and crystallographic characterization using Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Synthesis of verdigris and verdigris-like pigments resulted in a mixture of starting polymorphs of verdigris, including neutral and basic verdigris. With accelerated aging, pigments degraded to a polymorph of basic verdigris when not affected by organic media, whereas pigments on cellulosic substrates showed oxidized copper species. With this study, we are beginning to understand verdigris starting materials and highlight the complex interactions between pigments and substrates that influence pigment degradation pathways.


Author(s):  
R. E. Herfert

Studies of the nature of a surface, either metallic or nonmetallic, in the past, have been limited to the instrumentation available for these measurements. In the past, optical microscopy, replica transmission electron microscopy, electron or X-ray diffraction and optical or X-ray spectroscopy have provided the means of surface characterization. Actually, some of these techniques are not purely surface; the depth of penetration may be a few thousands of an inch. Within the last five years, instrumentation has been made available which now makes it practical for use to study the outer few 100A of layers and characterize it completely from a chemical, physical, and crystallographic standpoint. The scanning electron microscope (SEM) provides a means of viewing the surface of a material in situ to magnifications as high as 250,000X.


Author(s):  
W. W. Barker ◽  
W. E. Rigsby ◽  
V. J. Hurst ◽  
W. J. Humphreys

Experimental clay mineral-organic molecule complexes long have been known and some of them have been extensively studied by X-ray diffraction methods. The organic molecules are adsorbed onto the surfaces of the clay minerals, or intercalated between the silicate layers. Natural organo-clays also are widely recognized but generally have not been well characterized. Widely used techniques for clay mineral identification involve treatment of the sample with H2 O2 or other oxidant to destroy any associated organics. This generally simplifies and intensifies the XRD pattern of the clay residue, but helps little with the characterization of the original organoclay. Adequate techniques for the direct observation of synthetic and naturally occurring organoclays are yet to be developed.


2018 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 7
Author(s):  
S Chirino ◽  
Jaime Diaz ◽  
N Monteblanco ◽  
E Valderrama

The synthesis and characterization of Ti and TiN thin films of different thicknesses was carried out on a martensitic stainless steel AISI 410 substrate used for tool manufacturing. The mechanical parameters between the interacting surfaces such as thickness, adhesion and hardness were measured. By means of the scanning electron microscope (SEM) the superficial morphology of the Ti/TiN interface was observed, finding that the growth was of columnar grains and by means of EDAX the existence of titanium was verified.  Using X-ray diffraction (XRD) it was possible to observe the presence of residual stresses (~ -3.1 GPa) due to the different crystalline phases in the coating. Under X-ray photoemission spectroscopy (XPS) it was possible to observe the molecular chemical composition of the coating surface, being Ti-N, Ti-N-O and Ti-O the predominant ones.


Author(s):  
D. Nagasamy Venkatesh ◽  
S. Karthick ◽  
M. Umesh ◽  
G. Vivek ◽  
R.M. Valliappan ◽  
...  

Roxythromycin/ β-cyclodextrin (Roxy/ β-CD) dispersions were prepared with a view to study the influence of β-CD on the solubility and dissolution rate of this poorly soluble drug. Phase-solubility profile indicated that the solubility of roxythromycin was significantly increased in the presence of β-cyclodextrin and was classified as AL-type, indicating the 1:1 stoichiometric inclusion complexes. Physical characterization of the prepared systems was carried out by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), X-ray diffraction studies (XRD) and IR studies. Solid state characterization of the drug β-CD binary system using XRD, FTIR and DSC revealed distinct loss of drug crystallinity in the formulation, ostensibly accounting for enhancement of dissolution rate.


2009 ◽  
Vol 59 (12) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mihaela Flondor ◽  
Ioan Rosca ◽  
Doina Sibiescu ◽  
Mihaela-Aurelia Vizitiu ◽  
Daniel-Mircea Sutiman ◽  
...  

In this paper the synthesis and the study of some complex compounds of Fe(III) with ligands derived from: 2-(4-chloro-phenylsulfanyl)-1-(2-hydroxy-3,5-diiodo-phenyl)-ethanone (HL1), 1-(3,5-dibromo-2-hydroxy-phenyl)-2-phenylsulfanyl-ethanone(HL2), and 2-(4-chloro-phenylsulfanyl)-1-(3,5-dibromo-2-hydroxy-phenyl)-ethanone (HL3) is presented. The characterization of these complexes is based on method as: the elemental chemical analysis, IR and ESR spectroscopy, M�ssbauer, the thermogravimetric analysis and X-ray diffraction. Study of the IR and chemical analysis has evidenced that the precipitates form are a complexes and the combination ratio of M:L is 1:2. The central atoms of Fe(III) presented paramagnetic properties and a octaedric hybridization. Starting from this precipitation reactions, a method for the gravimetric determination of Fe(III) with this organic ligands has been possible. Based on the experimental data on literature indications, the structural formulae of the complex compounds are assigned.


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