The objective of this study was to evaluate the distribution of silver nanoparticles (NPs) in pregnant mice and their developing embryos. Silver NPs (average diameter 50 nm) were intravenously injected into pregnant CD-1 mice on gestation days (GDs) 7, 8, and 9 at dose levels of 0, 35, or 66 μg Ag/mouse. Mice were euthanised on GD10, and tissue samples were collected and analysed for silver content. Compared with control animals injected with citrate buffer vehicle, silver content was significantly increased (p < 0.05) in nearly all tissues from silver NP-treated mice. Silver accumulation was significantly higher in liver, spleen, lung, tail (injection site), visceral yolk sac, and endometrium compared with other organs from silver NP-treated mice. Furthermore, silver NPs were identified in vesicles in endodermal cells of the visceral yolk sac. In summary, the results demonstrated that silver NPs distributed to most maternal organs, extra-embryonic tissues, and embryos, but did not accumulate significantly in embryos.

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Lanthanum zirconate (LZO) formation and growth kinetics between 1273-1673 K at the A-site (La, Sr)-deficient Sr-doped lanthanum manganite (LSM)/yttrium-stabilized zirconia (YSZ) interface were studied using high-resolution transmission electron microscopy-energy-dispersive X-ray spectrometry (HRTEM-EDS). A cross-section TEM sample preparation technique was developed using a dual-beam focused ion beam and an in situ Omniprobe manipulator. The LZO pyrochlore phase was identified at the LSM/YSZ interface by TEM. The LZO is epitaxial with respect to the YSZ phase but not to the LSM phase. EDS results coupled with structural analysis suggest that La diffusion is a critical step in LZO formation. This study shows that LZO formation can occur even for A-sitedeficient LSM with a La composition of 78 mol% (o86 mol%). The activation energy for LZO formation was found to be 16878 KJ/mol. T. Gur-contributing editorThe authors would like to thank the United States Department of Energy for funding under project number DOE project DE-AC05-76RL01830 and Nextech for supplying cathode inks for use in this work.