In search for chemically stable americium compounds with high power densities for radioisotope sources for space applications, AmVO3 and AmVO4 were prepared by a solid-state reaction. We present here their crystal structure at room temperature solved by powder X-ray diffraction combined with Rietveld refinement. Their thermal and self-irradiation stabilities have been studied. The oxidation states of americium were confirmed by the Am M5 edge high-resolution X-ray absorption near-edge structure (HR-XANES) technique. Such ceramics are investigated as potential power sources for space applications like radioisotope thermoelectric generators, and they have to endure extreme conditions including vacuum, high or low temperatures, and internal irradiation. Thus, their stability under self-irradiation and heat treatment in inert and oxidizing atmospheres was tested and discussed relative to other compounds with a high content of americium.

Cobalt, nickel, manganese and zinc vanadates were synthesized by a hydrometallurgical two-phase method. The extraction of vanadium (V) ions from alkaline solution using Aliquat® 336 was followed by the production of metal vanadates through precipitation stripping. Precipitation stripping was carried out using solutions of the corresponding metal ions (Ni (II), Co (II), Mn (II) and Zn (II), 0.05 mol/L in 4 mol/L NaCl), and the addition time of the strip solution was varied (0, 1 and 2 h). The time-dependent experiments showed a notable influence on the composition, structure, morphology and crystallinity of the two-dimensional vanadate products. Inspired by these findings, we selected two metallic vanadate products and studied their properties as alternative cathode materials for nonaqueous sodium and lithium metal batteries.

The effects of several vanadates (ie, orthovanadate, pervanadate, and two stable peroxovanadium compounds) on basal and insulin-stimulated 2-DG transport in insulin target and nontarget cell lines are reported, herein. In nontarget cells, exposure to vanadates (5 x 10(-6) to 10(-4) mol/L) resulted in 2-DG transport stimulatory responses similar to those observed in 2-DG transport post exposure to 667 nmol/L insulin alone, or insulin in combination with vanadates. In 3T3-L1 adipocytes and L6 myotubes, exposure to a vanadate compound or 67 nmol/L insulin, stimulated 2-DG transport dramatically. Again, this effect on stimulated transport was similar to 2-DG transport post-treatment with the effective vanadates in combination with insulin. While pervanadate or stable peroxovanadates stimulated 2-DG transport at 10(-5) to 10(-6) mol/L, orthovanadate up to 10(-4) mol/L was not effective in stimulating 2-DG transport in any of the cell lines tested. The data indicate that the various peroxovanadates are clearly superior insulin mimetics while a more limited insulin mimesis is observed with orthovanadate over a wide variety of cell types.

Lithium-doped vanadates (V2-xLixO5-δ (0.15 ≤ x ≤ 0.30)) are synthesized by melt-quench method. The physical, structural, optical, thermal and conducting properties of as-quenched samples are investigated using various experimental techniques to study their suitability for electrolyte in battery/solid oxide fuel cell application. X-ray diffraction (XRD) patterns confirm the formation of three different crystalline phases. FTIR and Raman spectra indicate that the doping of Li2O into V2O5 leads to a transition from VO5 into VO4 structural unit. The optical diffused reflectance spectra revealed that the optical band gap (Eg) decreases from 2.2 to 2.08 eV while Urbach energy (EU) increases (0.31-0.41 eV) with the addition of Li2O content in place of vanadium. The thermal stability is studied by thermogravimetric analyser (TGA). The DC conductivity of the present samples is increased from 0.08 to 0.12 Scm-1 at 450 °C with Li2O doping. These materials can be used as electrolyte for battery/solid oxide fuel cell due to their good conductivity (~0.12 Scm-1) at 450 °C.

Near-ultraviolet and visible excitable Eu- and Bi-doped NPs based on rare earth vanadates (REVO4, RE = Y, Gd) have been synthesized by a facile route from appropriate RE precursors, europium and bismuth nitrate, and sodium orthovanadate, by homogeneous precipitation in an ethylene glycol/water mixture at 120 °C. The NPs can be functionalized either by a one-pot synthesis with polyacrylic acid (PAA) or by a Layer-by-Layer approach with poly(allylamine hydrochloride) (PAH) and PAA. In the first case, the particle size can also be tuned by adjusting the amount of PAA. The Eu- Bi-doped REVO4 based nanophosphors show the typical red luminescence of Eu(iii), which can be excited through an energy transfer process from the vanadate anions, resulting in a much higher luminescence intensity in comparison to the direct excitation of the europium cations. The incorporation of Bi into the REVO4 structure shifts the original absorption band of the vanadate anions towards longer wavelengths, giving rise to nanophosphors with an excitation maximum at 342 nm, which can also be excited in the visible range. The suitability of such nanophosphors for bioimaging and biosensing applications, as well as their colloidal stability in different buffer media of biological interest, their cytotoxicity, their degradability at low pH, and their uptake by HeLa cells have been evaluated. Their suitability for bioimaging and biosensing applications is also demonstrated.

A series of strontium titanates-vanadates (STVN) with nominal cation composition Sr1-xTi1-y-zVyNizO3-δ (x = 0-0.04, y = 0.20-0.40 and z = 0.02-0.12) were prepared by a solid-state reaction route in 10% H2-N2 atmosphere and characterized under reducing conditions as potential fuel electrode materials for solid oxide fuel cells. Detailed phase evolution studies using XRD and SEM/EDS demonstrated that firing at temperatures as high as 1200 °C is required to eliminate undesirable secondary phases. Under such conditions, nickel tends to segregate as a metallic phase and is unlikely to incorporate into the perovskite lattice. Ceramic samples sintered at 1500 °C exhibited temperature-activated electrical conductivity that showed a weak p(O2) dependence and increased with vanadium content, reaching a maximum of ~17 S/cm at 1000 °C. STVN ceramics showed moderate thermal expansion coefficients (12.5-14.3 ppm/K at 25-1100 °C) compatible with that of yttria-stabilized zirconia (8YSZ). Porous STVN electrodes on 8YSZ solid electrolytes were fabricated at 1100 °C and studied using electrochemical impedance spectroscopy at 700-900 °C in an atmosphere of diluted humidified H2 under zero DC conditions. As-prepared STVN electrodes demonstrated comparatively poor electrochemical performance, which was attributed to insufficient intrinsic electrocatalytic activity and agglomeration of metallic nickel during the high-temperature synthetic procedure. Incorporation of an oxygen-ion-conducting Ce0.9Gd0.1O2-δ phase (20-30 wt.%) and nano-sized Ni as electrocatalyst (≥1 wt.%) into the porous electrode structure via infiltration resulted in a substantial improvement in electrochemical activity and reduction of electrode polarization resistance by 6-8 times at 900 °C and ≥ one order of magnitude at 800 °C.

TDP1 (tyrosyl-DNA phosphodiesterase 1), a member of the PLD (phospholipase D) superfamily, catalyses the hydrolysis of a phosphodiester bond between a tyrosine residue and the 3'-phosphate of DNA. We have previously identified and characterized the AtTDP gene in Arabidopsis thaliana, an orthologue of yeast and human TDP1 genes. Sequence alignment of TDP1 orthologues revealed that AtTDP has both a conserved C-terminal TDP domain and, uniquely, an N-terminal SMAD/FHA (forkhead-associated) domain. To help understand the function of this novel enzyme, we analysed the substrate saturation kinetics of full-length AtTDP compared with a truncated AtTDP mutant lacking the N-terminal FHA domain. The recombinant AtTDP protein hydrolysed a single-stranded DNA substrate with Km and kcat/Km values of 703±137 nM and (1.5±0.04)×10(9) M(-1)·min(-1) respectively. The AtTDP-(Δ1-122) protein (TDP domain) showed kinetic parameters that were equivalent to those of the full-length AtTDP protein. A basic amino acid sequence (RKKVKP) within the AtTDP-(Δ123-605) protein (FHA domain) was necessary for nuclear localization of AtTDP. Analysis of active-site mutations showed that a histidine and a lysine residue in each of the HKD motifs were critical for enzyme activity. Vanadates, inhibitors of phosphoryl transfer reactions, inhibited AtTDP enzymatic activity and retarded the growth of an Arabidopsis tdp mutant. Finally, we showed that expression of the AtTDP gene could complement a yeast tdp1Δrad1Δ mutant, rescuing the growth inhibitory effects of vanadate analogues and CPT (camptothecin). Taken together, the results of the present study demonstrate the structure-based function of AtTDP through which AtTDP can repair DNA strand breaks in plants.