• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.46 no.2
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• pp.120-126
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• 2018

As a basic study for environment-friendly production of bacterial cellulose (BC) dressing with antimicrobial activity, we isolated and identified acetic acid bacteria which are resistant to silver ions and can biosynthesize silver nanoparticles. Furthermore, conditions of BC production by selected strain were also investigated. Strain G7 isolated from decayed grape skin was able to grow in the presence of 0.1 mM $AgNO_3$ which was identified as Acetobacter intermedius based on 16S rRNA gene analysis. BC production was the highest in a medium containing 2% glucose as a carbon source, 2% yeast extract as a nitrogen source, and 0.115% acetic acid as a cosubstrate. Structural properties of BC produced in optimal medium were studied using Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy and X-ray diffractometer, and it was found that BC produced was cellulose type I that was the same as a typical native cellulose. When strain G7 was cultured in an optimal medium containing 0.1 mM $AgNO_3$, the color of the culture broth turned into reddish brown, indicating that silver nanoparticles were formed. As a result of UV-Vis spectral analysis of the culture, it was found that a unique absorption spectrum of silver nanoparticles at 425 nm was also observed. Scanning electron microscopic observations showed that silver nanoparticles were formed on the surface and pores of BC membrane.

• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
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• v.7 no.2
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• pp.196-208
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• 1997

This study was performed to estimate quartz contents in the both bulk and airborne dust samples and to determine particle size distribution of airborne dust from the selected foundry operations. Total dust samples were collected by a 37mm cassette and respirable by a 10 mm nylon cyclone. Particle size distributions were determined by a Marple's 8-stage cascade impactor at the melting, molding, shakeout and finishing operations. The presence of elements in the dust samples were confirmed by the scanning electron microscopy equipped with the energy dispersive x-ray spectrometry. The quartz contents were estimated using the intensity of the absorption peak of quartz at 799 cm-l by the Fourie Transformed Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR). The results were as follows: 1. The analysis of data from cascade Impactor showed bimodal distributions of particle size at the melting, molding and shakeout operations. Mass median aerodynamic diameters for the distributions determined by histogram were $0.48-1.65{\mu}m$ for small and $13.43-19.58{\mu}m$ for large modes. In the dust samples collected at the finishing operations, however, only a large mode of $18.89{\mu}m$ was found. 2. The percentages of total to respirable dust concentration calculated from the impactor data ranged from 42 % to 66 %. The average concentrations of respirable dust by cyclone were $0.85-1.28mg/m^3$ collected from the workers, and were $0.23-0.56mg/m^3$ from the areas surveyed. Dust concentrations of personal samples were statistically significantly higher than those of area samples. The highest dust concentration was obtained from the personal samples of the finishing operation. 3. The mean percentages of silicon and oxygen estimated by SEM-EDXA in the bulk samples ranged from 35.83 % to 36.02 % and from 39.93 %-41.64 %, respectively. 4. The average quartz contents estimated by FTIR in the respirable dust from personal samples ranged from 4.32 % to 5.36 % and 4.54 % to 4.70 % in the bulk samples. No statistical difference of quartz content was found between foundry operations. In this study, quartz content was quantified by FTIR. Although no statistically significant difference in quartz content between airborne and bulk, samples and between different foundry operations was found, it is recommended that quartz content in the individual sample of respirable dust be analyzed and the results be used either to select an applicable quartz limits or to calculate the exposure limit. Further studies, however, are needed to compare the results by FTIR and XRD since it is reported that the quartz content determined by FTIR is different from that by XRD.

• Journal of the Korean Magnetics Society
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.47-50
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• 2007

[ $ZnCr_2O_4$ ] shows geometrically frustrated magnet. Recently, $CoCr_2O_4$ has been investigated for multiferroic property and dielectric anomalies by spin-current model. Polycrystalline $CoCr_2O_4$ and $CoCrFeO_4$ compounds was prepared by wet-chemical process. Crystallographic and magnetic properties of $CoCr_2O_4$ and $CoCrFeO_4$ were investigate by using the x-ray diffractometer(XRD), vibrating sample magnetometer(VSM), superconducting quantum interference device magnetometer(SQUID), and $M\"{o}ssbauer$ spectroscopy. The crystal structure was found to be single-phase cubic spinel with space group of Fd3m. The lattice constants of $CoCr_2O_4$ and $CoCrFeO_4$ $a_0$ were determined to be 8.340 and 8.377 ${\AA}$, respectively. The ferrimagnetic transition temperature for the both samples were observed at 97 K and 320 K. The $M\"{o}ssbauer$ absorption spectra at 4.2 K show that the well developed two sextets are superposed with small difference of hyperfine field($H_{hf1}=507\;and\;H_{hf2}=492\;kOe$). Isomer shift values($\delta$) of the two sextets are found to be 0.33 and 0.34 mm/s relative to the Fe metal, respectively, which are consistent with the high spin $Fe^{3+}$ charge state.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Electrical and Electronic Material Engineers
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• v.35 no.3
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• pp.297-302
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• 2022

We investigated the origin of magnetic behaviors induced by an asymmetric spin exchange interaction in Fe-site engineered lead iron niobate [Pb(Fe_1/2Nb_1/2)O₃, PFN], which exhibits a room-temperature multiferroicity. The magnitude of spin exchange interaction was regulated by the introduced transition metals with a distinct Bohr magneton, i.e., Cr, Co, and Ni. All compositions were found to have a single-phase perovskite structure keeping their ferroelectric order except for Cr introduction. We discovered that the incorporation of each transition metal imposes a distinct magnetic behavior on the lead iron niobate system; antiferro-, hard ferro-, and soft ferromagnetism for Cr, Co, and Ni, respectively. This indicates that orbital occupancy and interatomic distance play key roles in the determination of magnetic behavior rather than the magnitude of the individual Bohr magneton. Further investigations are planned, such as X-ray absorption spectroscopy, to clarify the origin of magnetic properties in this system.

• Composites Research
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• v.36 no.5
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• pp.349-354
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• 2023

Poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT) is a conjugated polymer that is highly soluble in organic solvents and is readily available. However, its electrical properties as an active channel in electronic devices are not enough for practical applications, necessitating further improvement in the properties. In this study, we demonstrate that the blending of two P3HT polymers (i.e., regio-regular (RR) P3HT and regio-random (RRa) P3HT) with different regioregularities can significantly improve charge transport characteristics of the blend films. The morphological and electrical properties of the blend films were systematically investigated by varying the ratio between two P3HT polymers. Atomic force microscopy (AFM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and UV-visible absorption spectroscopy (UV-vis) were employed to evaluate the morphological and optoelectronic properties of the blend films. The crystallinity of the blend films increased with increasing the content of RRa-P3HT to 20 wt% and gradually decreased as the content increased to 80%. Consistently, the highest charge carrier mobility was obtained from the blend films containing 20 wt% RRa-P3HT, which value was measured to be 0.029 cm²/V·s. The values gradually decreased to 0.0007 cm²/V·s with increasing the content of RRa-P3HT to 80 wt%.

• Journal of the Mineralogical Society of Korea
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• v.6 no.1
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• pp.1-16
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• 1993

The chemical and optical absorption spectroscopic characters of pink and colorless tourmalines from San Diego mine in California, U.S.A., blue/green tourmalines from anonymous mine, Brazil, and brownis black tourmalines from Uncheon and Haksan mines in Korea have been studied using X-ray diffractometer, electron microprobe, optical absorption spectroscopy, and heat treatment. Least-squares refinements give unit cell diminsions : a = 15.96-16.01 ${\AA}$, c = 7.15-7.16 ${\AA}$ for the brownish black tourmalines, a = 15.82 - 15.87 ${\AA}$, c = 7.09 - 7.10 ${\AA}$ for pink tourmalines, and a = 15.88 - 15.94 ${\AA}$, c = 7.12 - 7.15 ${\AA}$ for blue green tourmalines. The colors of tourmalines are responsible for the transition elements. The pink color is attributed to the $Mn^{3+}$ ions, the blue-green to $Fe^{2+}$ and $Mn^{2+}$, bluish green to $Cu^{2+}$, and the brownish black to $Fe^{2+}$, $Fe^{2+}$ - $Fe^{3+}$, and $Fe^{2+}$ - $Ti^{4+}$. The $Mn^{3+}$ ions of pink color tourmalines are stabilized in the Y sites compressed along the O(1)H-O(3)H axis by Jahn-Teller distortion. Heating removes the pink or red component from tourmalines, producing the colorless stones from the pink and red ones. The bluish green samples change into the greenish blue ones and a certain yellowish green samples change into the light green ones by heat treatment. In the elbaite-schorl series, the concentration of Fe and Mn are variable depending on the color zones. The green zone is characterrized by the high content of Fe and Mn are variable depending on the color zones. The green zone is characterized by the high content of Fe, whereas the pink zone by the high content of Mn. Mn increases in deep yellow zone compared with yellow or colorless zones.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.43 no.2
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• pp.137-148
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• 2010

The Myoungbong mine located in Boseong-gun, Jellanamdo consists of Au-Ag bearing quartz veins which filled the fissures of Bulguksa granitic rocks of Cretaceous. The tailings obtained from the Myungbong mine were used to investigate the effects of various processes, such as oxidation of primary sulfides and formation(alteration) of secondary and/or tertiary minerals, on arsenic immobilization in tailings. This study was conducted via both mineralogical and chemical methods. Mineralogical methods used included gravity and magnetic separation, ultrasonic cleaning, and instrumental analyses(X-ray diffractometry, energy-dispersive spectroscopy, and electron probe microanalyzer) and aqua regia extraction technique for soils was applied to determine the elemental concentrations in the tailings. Iron (oxy)hydroxides formed as a result of oxidation of tailings were identified as three specific forms. The first form filled in rims and fissures of primary pyrites. The second one precipitated and coated the surfaces of gangue minerals and the final form was altered into yukonites. Initially, large amounts of acid-generating minerals, such as pyrite and arsenopyrite, might make the rapid progress of oxidation reactions, and lots of secondary minerals including iron (oxy)hydroxides and scorodite were formed. The rate of pH decrease in tailings diminished, in addition, as the exposure time of tailings to oxidation environments was prolonged and the acid-generating minerals were depleted. Rather, it is speculated that the pH of tailings increased, as the contribution of pH neutralization reactions by calcite contained in surrounding parental rocks became larger. The stability of secondary minerals, such as scorodite, were deteriorated due to the increase in pH, and finally arsenic might be leached out. Subsequently, calcimn and arsenic ions dissociated from calcites and scorodites were locally concentrated, and yukonite could be grown tertiarily. It is confirmed that this tertiary yukonite which is one of arsenate minerals and contains arsenic in high level plays a crucial role in immobilizing arsenic in tailings. In addition to immobilization of arsenic in yukonites, the results indicate that a huge amount of iron (oxy)hydroxides formed by weathering of pyrite which is one of typical primary minerals in tailings can strongly control arsenic behavior as well. Consequently, this study elucidates that through a sequence of various processes, arsenic which was leached out as a result of weathering of primary minerals, such as arsenopyrite, and/or redissolved from secondary minerals, such as scorodite, might be immobilized by various sorption reactions including adsorption, coprecipiation, and absorption.