A hybrid density functional approach with very large basis sets was used for studying Ca2 through Ca19 and Zn3 through Zn11 neutral clusters and their cluster anions. Energetics, structure, and vibrational analysis of all these neutral clusters and cluster anions are reported. The calculated electron affinities are in excellent agreement with experiment displaying a characteristic kink at Ca10 ...

We present compositions, including REEs determined by ion microprobe, of apatite and whitlockite in lunar rock assemblages rich in incompatible trace elements. Total concentrations of REE oxides in whitlockites range from 9-13 wt%, and those in apatites range from 0.15 to 1 wt%. Ratios of REE concentrations in whitlockite to those in coexisting apatite range from 10 to 60. The distribution of M...

Producing a P fertilizer from sewage sludge ash (SSA) is a strategy to efficiently recycle P from a secondary raw material. The P speciation in four SSAs was characterized before and after the removal of heavy metals by a thermo-chemical treatment that involved CaCl addition. We chose complementary techniques to determine the direct P speciation, including X-ray powder diffraction, solid-state ...

A novel sponge composed of a poly (lactic acid) composite skeleton covered with bonelike apatite (b-HA) was produced via a particleleaching technique combined with a biomimetic processing. The sponge has a large porosity of w75% with large-sized pores and shows mechanical ductility. After incubation of human osteoblasts for 7 days, numerous cells attached to the surface of the skeleton, which w...

Apatite (Ap), laminin-apatite composite (L5Ap, L10Ap, L20Ap and L40Ap) and albumin-apatite (AlbAp) composite layers were prepared on titanium (Ti) using a supersaturated calcium phosphate solution supplemented with laminin (0, 5, 10, 20 and 40 μg ml(-1)) or albumin (800 μg ml(-1)). With an increase in the concentrations of laminin in the supersaturated calcium phosphate solutions, the amounts o...

BACKGROUND Skeletons are formed in a wide variety of shapes, sizes, and compositions of organic and mineral components. Many invertebrate skeletons are constructed from carbonate or silicate minerals, whereas vertebrate skeletons are instead composed of a calcium phosphate mineral known as apatite. No one yet knows why the dynamic vertebrate skeleton, which is continually rebuilt, repaired, and...

Introduction: Apatite is one of the minerals that is rarely utilized in U-Pb geochronology, compared to some other U-rich accessory phases. Relatively low U concentration, commonly high proportion of common Pb and low closure temperature of U-Pb system of apatite inhibit its application as geochronological tool when other minerals such as zircon are widely available. However, zircon appear to b...