In this work, Carboxymethylcellulose/single walled carbon nanotube hybrids are prepared. Our goal is to use the non-covalent association of an anionic polysaccharide and single walled carbon nanotubes to prepare a biocompatible complex which preserves the intrinsic properties of the nanotubes. The hybrids are characterized by Raman scattering, Emission spectroscopy and Atomic Force Microscopy. A comparison is made with sodium dodecyl benzene sulfonate dispersed nanotubes. We show that carboxymethylcellulose forms an apparently non-helicoidal superstructure with carbon nanotubes which leads to their individualization. Emission and Raman spectroscopies suggest that the interaction occurs preferentially with semiconducting nanotubes. Further sugar chemistry may open different functionalization opportunities that will contribute to the design of biosensors and open this field of applications.

The present study is focused on the analysis of zircon inclusions found in pink to purple sapphires from Ilakaka (Madagascar) with an optical microscope, Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR), and micro-Raman spectroscopy in order to update previous knowledge and find insights to separate heated from unheated samples. In total, 157 zircon inclusions in 15 unheated samples and 74 zircon inclusions in 6 heated samples are analysed using micro-Raman spectroscopy with standardised parameters. The full width at half maximum (FWHM) of the main Raman band due to anti-symmetric stretching vibration ν₃ of the SiO₄ tetrahedron in the zircon structure has been carefully measured. In the unheated samples, it ranges from 6.26 to 21.73 cm⁻¹ with an average of 10.74 cm⁻¹, a median of 10.04 cm⁻¹, and a standard deviation of 2.84 cm⁻¹. On the other hand, it is lower in the heated samples, ranging from 4.83 to 14.97 cm⁻¹ with an average of 7.23 cm⁻¹, median of 7.06 cm⁻¹, and standard deviation of 1.63 cm⁻¹. In our unheated samples, the FWHM was rarely below 7 cm⁻¹. In our heated samples, the FWHM was rarely above 12 cm⁻¹ but mostly below 8 cm⁻¹, with a variation restricted to less than 3 cm⁻¹ in the same sample. The present work will hopefully further contribute to more accurately identifying the low-temperature heat treatment of pink sapphires from Ilakaka, Madagascar.