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Objective: Cyclodextrins have been used to catalyze chemical reactions in the synthesis of different materials. The aim of this study is to produce nanoparticles using cyclodextrin as a nanoreactor. Methods: In this study, nanoparticles from the solid phase of iron oxide (Fe3O4), copper oxide (CuO) and metallic silver (Ago) were obtained through hydrothermal synthesis at 100 and 150°C for six hours. This was produced for cyclodextrin glycosyltransferase from Bacillus lehensis isolated from wastewater of a cassava flourmill. The nanoparticles were characterized through x-ray diffraction Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and field emission gun scanning electron microscopy. Results: The images demonstrated that the nanoparticles exhibited a polyhedric shape with a diameter of 100 nm for Fe4O3, an irregular oval shape with a diameter of 45 nm for CuO and a platelet shape with a diameter of 138 nm for Ago. Conclusion: Based on this characterization, the proposed technique proved to be an efficient, low-cost, convenient method for the production of sub-micrometric and nanometric solid phases and can likely be scaled up for industrial use. The results demonstrate the possibility of producing nanoparticles using cyclodextrin as a nanoreactor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We simulated the redox decomposition of magnesium-siderite at pressures and temperatures corresponding to the top of the Earth's D″ layer (135 GPa and 2650 K). It transforms into new phases, with unexpected stoichiometry. We report their crystal structure, based on single-crystal synchrotron radiation diffraction on a multi-grain sample, using a charge-flipping algorithm. Mg2Fe2(C4O13) is monoclinic, a = 9.822(3), b = 3.9023(13), c = 13.154(5) Å, β = 108.02(3)°, V = 479.4(3) Å3 (at 135 GPa). It contains tetrahedrally coordinated carbon units, corner-shared in truncated C4O13 chains. Half of the cations are divalent, and half trivalent. The carbonate coexists with a new iron oxide, Fe13O19, monoclinic, a = 19.233(2), b = 2.5820(13), c = 9.550(11) Å, β = 118.39(3)°, V = 417.2(5) Å3 (at 135 GPa). It has a stoichiometry between hematite, Fe2O3, and magnetite, Fe3O4. The formation of these unquenchable phases indicates, indirectly, the formation of reduced-carbon species, possibly diamond. These structures suggest the ideas that the mineralogy of the lower mantle and D″ region may be more complex than previously estimated. This is especially significant concerning accessory phases of fundamental geochemical significance and their role in ultra-deep iron-carbon redox coupling processes, as well as the iron-oxygen system, which certainly play an important role in the lower mantle mineral phase equilibria. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]