No abstract

Semiconductor nanoparticles (quantum dots) are promising fluorescent markers, but it is very little known about interaction of quantum dots with biological molecules. In this study, interaction of CdTe quantum dots coated with thioglycolic acid (TGA) with bovine serum albumin was investigated. Steady state spectroscopy, atomic force microscopy, electron microscopy and dynamic light scattering methods were used. It was explored how bovine serum albumin affects stability and spectral properties of quantum dots in aqueous media. CdTe–TGA quantum dots in aqueous solution appeared to be not stable and precipitated. Interaction with bovine serum albumin significantly enhanced stability and photoluminescence quantum yield of quantum dots and prevented quantum dots from aggregating.

No abstract

This work provides a new insight into the interaction of urea with formate during the chromium electrodeposition from a sulphate-based Cr(III) solution. The influence of solution chemistry on chromium electrodeposition in a Cr(III) bath containing sodium formate and urea as complexing agents was studied by FT-IR, XPS and AFM. The results show that good quality Cr coatings may be obtained only in those cases when the secondary ligand with the carbamidic group predominates over urea in the electrolyte. This suggests that electrodeposition of good quality chromium deposit is possible due to the formation of active chromium-carbamid complexes [Cr(carbamid) n (H 2 O) 6-n ] 3+ . These complexes delay the formation of the stable oligomeric species, and thus provide a prolonged working lifetime in the Cr(III) formate-urea electrolyte.

No abstract