This work describes the application of two different test structures to execute broadband microwave measurements of the dielectric constant of ceramic thin films. Coplanar waveguide probes and vector network analyzer were used to measure the dielectric constant versus frequency of thin films of lead zirconate titanate and zirconium titanate, fabricated by sol gel methods. One-step lithography w...

Herein we detail the synthesis and characterisation of a series of zirconium compounds featuring the bis(amido)silyl ligand [(i)Pr2Si(NDipp)2](2-) (Dipp = 2,6-diisopropylphenyl). The functionalisation of bis(amido)silyl zirconium halide complexes with a variety of nucleophiles, such as LiNMe2, LiBH4 and MeLi, was explored and the resulting products showed a propensity to form anionic zirconate ...

Radioactive isotopes of strontium, mainly Sr, may considerably contribute to the total activity of long-lived fission products released into the environment in nuclear accidents. Consequently, the ingestion of strontium radionuclides with contaminated foodstuffs may result in a significant internal radiation exposure of members of the public. The committed radiation dose dependents significantl...

Studies of the effects of the chelating agent, calcium acetylamino propylidene diphosphonic acid (Ca-APDA), on the removal of radioactive strontium with two administration modalities were carried out in rats. The parenteral (intraperitoneal) administration of 150, 300, or 600 mg kg(-1) Ca-APDA was carried out for 3 d, 10 min after exposure of the animals to the strontium injection. On the first...

Stable Strontium. Elemental strontium (atomic number 38) occurs naturally in the earth's mantle as a mixture of four stable isotopes, Sr, Sr, Sr, and Sr, and is present everywhere in very dilute concentrations. It is very similar to calcium in its environmental and physiological behavior. Strontium is generally found in molecular compounds with other elements. Commercially important strontium m...

Cementitious materials are considered to be a waste form for the ultimate disposal of radioactive materials in geological repositories. We investigated by means of atomistic simulations the encapsulation of strontium-90, an important radionuclide, in calcium–silicate–hydrate (C–S–H) and its crystalline analog, the 9 Å-tobermorite. C–S–H is the major binding phase of cement. Strontium was shown ...

When cephalopod eggs were incubated in artificial sea water it was found that they sometimes resulted in hatchlings with defects of the statocyst suprastructure, leading to the severe behavioural defect of uncontrolled swimming. Experiments in defined media (seven basic salts mixed in deionized water) with seven species of cephalopods demonstrated clearly that there is 100% normal development o...

Strontium-releasing injectable bone cements may have the potential to prevent implant-related infections through the bactericidal action of strontium, while enhancing bone formation in patients suffering from osteoporosis. A melt-derived bioactive glass (BG) series (SiO2–CaO–CaF2–MgO) with 0–50% of calcium substituted with strontium on a molar base were produced. By mixing glass powder, poly(ac...

Strontium is capable of supporting synaptic transmission, but release is dramatically different from that evoked in calcium. By measuring presynaptic strontium levels, we gain insight into the actions of strontium, which has implications for the identification of molecules involved in different aspects of synaptic transmission. We examined presynaptic divalent levels and synaptic release at the...

Recent research has focused on the crystal growth of strontium phosphates via different methods due to the bioactivity and biocompatibility of these materials with bone tissue. Here, we use a biomimetic method to synthesize strontium hydrogen phosphate/gelatin composites via single diffusion in gelatin. We compare the composite crystals with analytical-grade strontium hydrogen phosphate using i...