Evgeniy Anatolievich Chusovitin

Atomic force microscopy imaging of carrageenans from red algae of Gigartinaceae and Tichocarpaceae families

In the present article, the atomic force microscopy was applied to investigate macromolecular structures of various carrageenan types including hybrid polysaccharides (κ-, κ/β-, κ/ι-, λ-, and X-carrageenans) depending on polysaccharide concentration. The structures dependence on a polysaccharide concentration also was focused. κ-Carrageenan forms both single and two stranded structures at a low concentration. At high concentrations κ-, κ/β-, and κ/ι-carrageenans form fibrous network-like structures by a side-by-side association type at the same time for κ/ι-carrageenan end-to-end association type also was found. Comparably to κ-carrageenan, κ/β-carrageenan network was more open with coarser fibers while κ/ι-carrageenan structure is characterized with a more flexible network. Honeycombed structures due to end-to-end and side-by-side association types were observed for X-carrageenan, while λ-carrageenan formed honeycombed structures only at high concentrations. In order to investigate topographical parameters of the carrageenans macromolecular structure a new method of the autocorrelation function analysis was used for the first time.

Soluble chitosan–carrageenan polyelectrolyte complexes and their gastroprotective activity

The soluble polyelectrolyte complexes (PEC) κ-carrageenan (κ-CG):chitosan was obtained. Binding constant value (2.11 × 10(7)mol(-1)) showed high affinity of κ-CG to chitosan. The complex formation of κ-CG:chitosan 1:10 and 10:1 w/w was shown by centrifugation in a Percoll gradient. Using atomic force microscopy we showed that the supramolecular structure of the complexes is different from each other and from the macromolecular structure of the initial polysaccharides. The gastroprotective and anti-ulcerogenic effect of κ-CG, chitosan and their complexes was investigated on the model of stomach ulcers induced by indometacin in rats. PEC κ-CG:chitosan have gastroprotective properties which depend on their composition. Complex κ-CG:chitosan 1:10 w/w possesses higher gastroprotective activity than the complex 10:1 w/w. These results suggest that the gastroprotective effect of complexes can be associated with their protective layer on the surface of the mucous membrane of a stomach, which avoids a direct contact with the ulcerogenic agent.

Pervaporation multilayer membranes based on a polyelectrolyte complex of λ-carrageenan and chitosan

A polyelectrolyte complex (PEC) was prepared from chitosan (CS) and λ-carrageenan (λ-CAR) using a layer-by-layer deposition of polyion solutions on a plated nonporous support. This material was then used as a multilayer membrane for the pervaporation separation of aqueous ethanol solutions. The fabricated complex film (25-30μm thick) was a multilayer system (λ-CAR-PEC-CS) containing a polycation CS (MW 3.1×105, DDА 0.93), a polyanion λ-CAR (MW 3.5×105, extracted from the alga Chondrus armatus), and a PEC layer formed between the two polyion layers. X-ray diffraction indicated a significant structuring of the film in the region of the composite PEC-CS bilayer. The structural and morphological characteristics of the CS surface in the multilayer membrane, as revealed by atomic force microscopy, were close to the characteristics of the dense CS film. However, this structure changed following pervaporation (i.e., the distinct spherical structures on the surface disappeared). Similarly, the initially loose surface of λ-CAR in the composite changed to an ordered domain after pervaporation. The transport properties of the pervaporation membranes were tested by examining the separation of ethanol-water mixtures of different compositions. The flux increased with an increase in the weight percentage of water in the feed mixture, but the separation capacity of the membrane was unchanged. In a range of feed concentrations of 50-94wt%, the membrane mainly releases water with a corresponding concentration in the permeate of 99.9-99.8wt% and substantial fluxes of 0.003-1.130kgm-2h-1 at 40°C. The obtained results indicate significant prospects for the use of non-gelling type CARs for the formation of highly effective pervaporation membranes.

Characterization of the silicon/β-FeSi2 nanocrystallites heterostructures for the NIR photodetection at low temperature

Using solid phase epitaxy of thin Fe films and molecular beam epitaxy of Si, p-Si/β-FeSi2 nanocrystallites/n-Si(001) diode structure was fabricated. The diode exhibited a current responsivity of 15 mA/W and external quantum efficiency of about 1% at a wavelength of 1300 nm at 120 K without bias and 200 mA/W and 10%, respectively, at −30 V. The device specific detectivity calculated at 120 K in zero bias conditions of 2.1 × 1011 cmHz1/2/W at a wavelength of 1.3 µm is the highest ever reported for Si/β-FeSi2 systems. The Franz–Keldysh effect gives grounds for applying such systems not only for the development of optrons but also for that of electro-optical modulators.

Morphological, structural and luminescence properties of Si/β-FeSi2/Si heterostructures fabricated by Fe ion implantation and Si MBE

The morphology and optical properties of Si samples implanted by low-energy Fe+ ions with different fluences (1 × 1015–1.8 × 1017 cm−2) and further subjected to pulsed ion-beam treatment (PIBT) have been studied by atomic force microscopy and optical reflectance spectroscopy. It was proved that iron disilicide (β-FeSi2) crystallites were formed on the surface of the Si substrate as a result of ion implantation and PIBT. The method of ultrahigh vacuum and low-temperature (T = 850 °C) cleaning of Fe+-implanted Si samples has been applied for the first time. It was found that it is possible to form smooth epitaxial Si films with both a thickness of up to 1.7 µm and a reconstructed surface by molecular beam epitaxy on the surface of Si samples implanted with a fluence of up to 1 × 1016 cm−2. Further increase in the implantation fluence results in the disruption of epitaxial Si growth and to a strong increase in surface relief roughness due to 3D silicon growth mechanism. Preservation of β-FeSi2 precipitates inside the Si matrix after the formation of a cap epitaxial Si layer has been confirmed by optical spectroscopy data. Low temperature photoluminescence measurements in the range 1400–1700 nm showed that light emission of the formed Si/β-FeSi2/Si heterostructures is due to contributions from β-FeSi2 precipitates and dislocations.

The supramolecular structure of LPS-chitosan complexes of varied composition in relation to their biological activity.

The complexes of chitosan (Ch) with lipopolysaccharides (LPSs) from Escherichia coli O55:B5 (E-LPS) and Yersinia pseudotuberculosis 1B 598 (Y-LPS) of various weight compositions were investigated using quasi-elastic light scattering, ζ-potential distribution assay and atomic force microscopy. The alteration of ζ-potential of E-LPS-Ch complexes from negative to positive values depending on Ch content was detected. The Y-LPS-Ch complexes had similar positive ζ-potentials regardless of Ch content. The transformation of the supramolecular structure of E-LPS after binding with to Ch was revealed. Screening of E-LPS and Y-LPS particles by Ch in the complexes with high polycation was detected. The ability of LPS-Ch complex to induce biosynthesis of TNF-α and reactive oxygen species in stimulated human mononuclear cells was studied. A significant decrease in activity complexes compared to that of the initial LPS was observed only for E-LPS-Ch complexes.

Universal algorithm for scanning probe microscopy images grain analysis of objects on the surface

Currently, scanning probe microscopy (SPM) is actively used to obtain surface data. A large number of images require a fast and high-accuracy calculation of the topographic parameters of particles on the surface. The original grain analysis algorithm based on finding a local maximum is realized by sorting an array of points forming the topography of the SPM image surface. It provides to determine various topographic characteristics of objects located on a surface (height, lateral dimensions, area, volume, etc.)

Formation, crystal structure, and properties of silicon with buried iron disilicide nanocrystallites on Si (100) substrates

Methods of low-energy electron diffraction, measurements of the Hall effect in situ, atomic-force microscopy, and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy were used to study the formation of iron silicide islands on the Si(100)–(2×1) surface and overgrowth of these islands with silicon; the electrical properties and structure of silicon with buried iron silicide nanocrystallites were studied. The best crystal quality of the continuous single-crystal silicon layer and the minimum roughness of its surface were observed at the silicon growth temperature of 700°C and the layer thickness of 100 nm. A model of growth of silicon over the ironsilicide nanocrystals is suggested. Two types of formed nanocrysrallites were found: small nanocrystallites (5–6 nm) of β-FeSi2 and large nanocrystallites (30–50 nm) of γ-FeSi2. The good agreement between the electrical parameters of silicon with buried iron disilicide nanocrystallites and those of atomic-clean silicon confirmed that there is minimum scattering of charge carriers at nanocrystallites in the temperature range of 300–540 K.

Electroluminescent 1.5-μm light-emitting diodes based on p+-Si/NC β-FeSi2/n-Si structures

The electroluminescence efficiency of silicon light-emitting diode structures with several layers of β-FeSi2 nanocrystallites embedded in the p-n junction is investigated. The nanocrystallites were formed by either solid-phase epitaxy or a combination of reactive and solid-phase epitaxy. For the structures in which the nanocrystallites were formed by the combined method, electroluminescence is observed only at low temperatures (below 70K). This is indicative of a high concentration of defects acting as nonradiative-recombination centers. For the structures with nanocrystallites formed by solid-phase epitaxy, intense electroluminescence is observed up to room temperature. The dependence of the electroluminescence intensity on the size of the nanocrystallites is studied.

Structure and Optical Properties of Ca Silicide Films and Si/Ca3Si4/Si(111) Heterostructures

Thick, thin films and island of Ca silicide have been grown by Ca deposition onto 500 °C Si (111)7x7 substrates. The crystal structure of the grown layers strongly differs from the known Ca silicides (Ca2Si, CaSi, Ca5Si3, Ca14Si19, CaSi2). The phonon peaks at 389 and 416 cm-1 and the interband transition peaks (0.9-1.0, 1.3-1.7 and 2.0-2.5 eV) belongs to another silicide - Ca3Si4. Peculiarities of crystal, electronic, and phonon structure and optical properties of the grown Ca silicide films were measured by in situ and ex situ methods permit to state that the formed Ca silicide film has a composition Ca3Si4. Heterostructures with embedded Ca3Si4 films with different thicknesses have been formed atop the Ca3Si4 films by MBE and SPE at 500 °C. The observed density of pinholes with different sizes suggests the Si growth atop the Ca silicide follows a 3D mechanism. Photoluminescence was found first time in Si/Ca3Si4/Si (111) heterostructures.