Preparation and characterization of ZnO nanocrystallines in the presence of an ionic liquid using microwave irradiation and photocatalytic activity

Fast, simple and template-free method is proposed for preparation of ZnO nanocrystallines in the presence of 1-ethyl-3- methylimidazolium ethyl sulfate, [EMIM][EtSO₄], a room-temperature ionic liquid (RTIL) under microwave irradiation. The powder X-ray diffraction (XRD) studies display that products are excellently crystallized in the form of wurtzite hexagonal structure. Energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) investigations reveal that the products are extremely pure. The results obtained by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) demonstrate that mean size of ZnO nanocrystallines decreases with microwave irradiation time and the RTIL content of media. Diffuse reflectance spectra (DRS) of the ZnO nanocrystallines shows blue shift relative to the bulk ZnO, which can be attributed to quantum confinement effect of ZnO nanocrystallines. A possible formation mechanism of the ZnO nanocrystallines in aqueous solution of the RTIL is presented. Photocatalytic activity of the ZnO nanocrystallines towards photodegradation of methylene blue (MB) was carried out. The results demonstrate that photocatalytic activity of the ZnO nanocrystallines increases with microwave irradiation time and the RTIL content of media.     

Fast synthesis of temperature-sensitive PNIPAAm hydrogels by microwave irradiation

A novel method, microwave irradiation synthesis, is proposed for the preparation of thermo-sensitive poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAAm) hydrogels. The PNIPAAm hydrogels were separately synthesized by using microwave irradiation method and water-bath heating method. Chemical groups, lower critical solution temperature (LCST) and surface morphology of these PNIPAAm hydrogels were characterized by FT-IR, DSC and SEM. Swelling ratios of the gels were measured gravimetrically in the temperature range from 10.0 to 60.0 °C. Results showed that (1) the use of microwave irradiation can greatly shorten the reaction time required for PNIPAAm hydrogel synthesis from several hours to several minutes in comparison with water-bath heating method, and obviously improve the yields of the PNIPAAm gels, which were up to 99% after a short reaction time; (2) SEM micrographs and textural measurement revealed that the gels synthesized using microwave irradiation had more porous structure, and their average pore sizes and specific surface areas were larger than those of the gels synthesized using water-bath heating method; and (3) the PNIPAAm hydrogels synthesized using microwave irradiation had much higher swelling ratios at 10.0 °C below the LCST, and had lower swelling ratio at 60.0 °C above the LCST compared to the hydrogels synthesized by water-bath method.     

One-pot polyamidation reaction of optically active aromatic diacid containing methionine and phthalimide moieties with aromatic diamines under microwave irradiation and traditional heating

An optically active diacid containing phthalimide and l-methionine moiety was prepared in three steps, and was polymerized with several aromatic diamines to obtain a new series of optically active polyamides (PAs) through direct polyamidation using triphenyl phosphite/pyridine/N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone/CaCl₂ system as condensing agent. The polymerization reactions were carried out under both conventional heating and microwave-assisted irradiation. The data obtained by these methods indicate that, high yields and similar inherent viscosities are resulted. It is worth to mention that in the case of microwave conditions, a drastic decrease in reaction time (3 min vs. 5 h) and cleaner reaction have been achieved. These polymers are readily soluble in polar organic solvents such as N,N-dimethyacetamide, N,N-dimethyformamide, dimethyl sulfoxide. The obtained polymers were characterized by FT-IR, specific rotation measurements, elemental analysis and ¹H NMR techniques. The thermal stability of the resulting PAs were evaluated with thermogravimetric analysis and differential scanning calorimetry techniques under a nitrogen atmosphere which indicate they are moderately stable.     

Hydrolysis of poly(l-lactic acid) using microwave irradiation

Poly(l-lactic acid) (PLLA) was hydrolyzed using microwave irradiation, and yields of the resultant lactic acid and reaction time were compared with those obtained by conventional heating. In both cases, the reaction temperature was maintained at 170 °C and the weight ratio of PLLA:H₂O was 3:1. Under conventional heating, the lactic acid yield reached saturation after 800 min at 45%, whereas only 120 min was required to reach the same yield level under microwave irradiation. The optical purity under conventional heating decreased with hydrolysis of the PLLA and dropped to 94%ee when the lactic acid yield reached at 45%. Under microwave irradiation, however, the optical purity decreased only after the equilibrium state of hydrolysis was attained. Therefore, to maintain the optical purity at 98%ee, it was necessary to stop microwave irradiation when the lactic acid yield reached 45%.     

Preparation and Characterization of Quaternized Chitosan Under Microwave Irradiation

For the first time, N-(2-hydroxyl) propyl-3-trimethyl ammonium chitosan chloride (HTCC) was prepared through a fast, easy and efficient method with the assistance of microwave irradiation, and the quaternized chitosan was also degraded via the microwave irradiation. A comparative study was performed by using the conventional heating method to prepare HTCC. The structure and property of the quaternized chitosan obtained by these two methods were characterized by GPC, XRD, FTIR, NMR, TG and elemental analysis. It was shown that quaternized chitosan was successfully prepared within 50 min via microwave irradiation method, while a much longer time of 6–7 h was needed with the conventional heating method. The substitutions both occurred on the C2 position of chitosan with the two different methods, and their HTCC products had weight average similar molecular weight (Mw), structure and thermal stability. The HTCC prepared by the microwave irradiation method had a little lower degree of substitution (DS) than those prepared via conventional heating with the same mole ratio (6:1) of the intermediate to chitosan. The degradation study showed that the Mw of HTCC decreased rapidly from 4.6 × 10⁵ to 1.1 × 10⁵ in 1 h under microwave irradiation, while it only decreased from 4.6 × 10⁵ to 2.1 × 10⁵in 1 h through conventional heating degradation. These results revealed that microwave irradiation is a more efficient and environment-friendly way to obtain the water-soluble chitosan derivatives and their degraded products.     

Microwave‐assisted Ionothermal Synthesis and Characterization of Zeolitic Imidazolate Framework‐8

The zeolitic imidazolate framework‐8 (ZIF‐8) was successfully synthesized using ionic liquids as structure‐directing agent under microwave irradiation. Ionic liquids are green solvents with low vapour pressure and good thermal stability. They are appropriate templates for microporous materials and ideal microwave absorbers. The microwave‐assisted ionothermal synthesis applied in this paper was expected to be a promising method for the preparation of microporous materials. Results showed that the as‐synthesized samples (300–500 nm in diameter) could be synthesized in a short time (60 min) and possessed regular morphology, stable structure and high thermal stability (up to 720°C in argon atmosphere). Nitrogen adsorption‐desorption test illustrated that samples produced by microwave heating had a higher surface area. Carbon dioxide adsorption test indicated that the samples synthesized by microwave heating had better carbon dioxide adsorption ability than those by conventional heating.     

Microwave-assisted nitroxide-mediated miniemulsion polymerization of styrene

Nitroxide-mediated free-radical miniemulsion polymerizations (NMRPs) of styrene were successfully performed under microwave irradiation at 135 °C. The polymerizations proceeded in a controlled manner, yielding polymers that showed an incremental increase in molecular weight with conversion and had narrow molecular weight distributions. The resulting latexes were colloidally stable. The polymerization behavior, molecular weights of polymers and Z-average size of latex particles were also investigated under two different heating methods, microwave irradiation and conventional heating.     

Microwave-assisted asymmetric ring opening of meso-epoxides with aromatic amines catalyzed by a Ti-S-(−)-BINOL complex

Catalytic asymmetric ring opening of cyclohexene oxide and meso-stilbene oxide with anilines was catalyzed by a Ti-(S)-(−)-BINOL complex to afford β-amino alcohols in high yield (up to 95%) and good enantioselectivities (ee up to 55%) under microwave irradiation. The reaction using a microwave was found to be 10 times faster than traditional oil-bath heating with retention of enantioselectivity.     

Microwave‐enhanced rapid synthesis of organosoluble polyamides based on 5‐(3‐acetoxynaphthoylamino)‐isophthalic acid

A series of photoactive polyamides (PAs) containing acetoxynaphthalamide side chain with inherent viscosities of 0.27–0.56 dl g^?1 were prepared by the direct polycondensation reaction of the 5‐(3‐acetoxynaphthoylamino)isophthalic acid with various commercially available diamines by means of triphenyl phosphite (TPP) and pyridine (Py) in the presence of calcium chloride and N‐methyl‐2‐pyrrolidone (NMP) under microwave irradiation and conventional heating conditions. Most of the resulting PAs are soluble in strong polar solvents such as N,N‐dimethylformamide (DMF), N,N‐dimethylacetamide, and NMP. Thermo‐gravimetric analysis (TGA) showed that polymers are thermally stable, 10% weight loss temperatures in excess of 320 and 378°C, and char yields at 600°C in nitrogen higher than 60%. These macromolecules exhibited maximum UV‐Vis absorption at 265 and 300 nm in a DMF solution. Their photoluminescence in the DMF solution demonstrated fluorescence emission maxima around 361 and 427 nm for all of the PAs. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Studies on preparation of HDPE/CB composites including a novel oriented structure by the microwave heating and their characterization

Microwave heating has several advantages over traditional methods of heating, including rapid and uniform heating, greater penetration depth of heat into material, lower power costs and selective heating within the material and so on. In this paper, effects of microwave heating on the properties of high‐density polyethylene/carbon black (HDPE/CB) composites were studied. The results show that the HDPE/CB composites can be heated via microwave irradiation, and composites with different CB concentration exhibit different microwave heatability. The 20 wt% CB composites have the most rapid heating rate, and its temperature reaches 78°C after 10 sec, and 159°C after 150 sec, respectively. Meanwhile, microwave heating improves the mechanical properties of HDPE/CB composites. Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) analysis shows a better combination between CB particles and HDPE after microwave irradiation. Furthermore, selective heating of microwave was used to prepare a novel oriented structure, which the core layer has preferential orientation and the surface layer has little orientation. Characterization of the novel oriented structure was also studied. Wide angle X‐ray diffraction (WAXD) analysis of 25 wt% CB composites with the novel oriented structure shows that the diffraction peaks of the surface layer are obviously weaker than those of the core layer, which indicates that orientation in the core layer is more intensive than that in the surface layer. The novel oriented structure is different to the traditional skin‐core structure, in which the surface layer has preferential orientation and the core layer has little orientation. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Microwave-assisted SNAr reaction of 2,4,6-trichloro-1,3,5-triazine for the rapid synthesis of C3-symmetrical polycarboxylate ligands

The microwave-assisted S_NAr reaction of 2,4,6-trichloro-1,3,5-triazine with various unprotected amino acids was developed for the synthesis of C₃-symmetrical polycarboxylate ligands which can be used as structural directing units in metal-organic frameworks. The reactions were performed in water using a domestic microwave oven as the heating device. In comparison to the reactions performed under conventional heating, the reactions under microwave irradiation proceeded much more rapidly within 20 min to afford the desired ligands in comparative yields to those obtained by conventional heating.     

An efficient and rapid synthesis of β-carboxamide derivatives using 2,2-dimethyl-2H,4H-1,3-dioxin-4-ones by microwave irradiation

A general, efficient and rapid method for the synthesis of various β-carboxamide derivatives using microwave irradiation is described. Excellent isolated yields were obtained in very short reaction times when conventional heating was replaced by microwave irradiation.     

Layered double hydroxide/polyethylene terephthalate nanocomposites. Influence of the intercalated LDH anion and the type of polymerization heating method

Conventional and microwave heating routes have been used to prepare PET–LDH (polyethylene terephthalate–layered double hydroxide) composites with 1–10 wt% LDH by in situ polymerization. To enhance the compatibility between PET and the LDH, terephthalate or dodecyl sulphate had been previously intercalated in the LDH. PXRD and TEM were used to detect the degree of dispersion of the filler and the type of the polymeric composites obtained, and FTIR spectroscopy confirmed that the polymerization process had taken place. The thermal stability of these composites, as studied by thermogravimetric analysis, was enhanced when the microwave heating method was applied. Dodecyl sulphate was more effective than terephthalate to exfoliate the samples, which only occurred for the terephthalate ones under microwave irradiation.     

Dehydration of sodium carbonate monohydrate with indirect microwave heating

In this study, dehydration of sodium carbonate monohydrate (Na₂CO₃·H₂O) (SCM) in microwave (MW) field with silicon carbide (SiC) as an indirect heating medium was investigated. SCM samples containing up to 3% free moisture were placed in the microwave oven. The heating experiments showed that SCM is a poor microwave energy absorber for up to 6 min of irradiation at an 800 W of microwave power. The heat for SCM calcination is provided by SiC which absorbs microwave. The monohydrate is then converted to anhydrous sodium carbonate on the SiC plate by calcining, i.e. by removing the crystal water through heating of the monohydrate temperatures of over 120 °C. The calcination results in a solid phase recrystallization of the monohydrate into anhydrate. In the microwave irradiation process, dehydration of SCM in terms of indirect heating can be accelerated by increasing the microwave field power.     

Spectroscopic monitoring for the formation of mesoporous MCM-41 materials upon microwave irradiation

The mesoporous MCM-41 materials were prepared in very short crystallization time (∼40 min) upon microwave irradiation in comparison with conventional hydrothermal heating method. With both microwave irradiation and hydrothermal heating, the MCM-41 formation via supramolecular templating method has been monitored by fluorescence and electron spin resonance (ESR) spectroscopy. Pyrene as a fluorescence probe and 4-(N,N-dimethyl-N-hexadecyl)ammonium-2,2,6,6-tetramethyl piperidinyloxy iodide (CAT16) as a spin probe were respectively dissolved into the micelle solutions to form the MCM-41 precursor gels. These probes allow the monitoring of the supramolecular interaction between the anionic silicate species and the cationic surfactant molecules during the MCM-41 formation. Analyses of fluorescence and ESR spectra indicate that the fast increase of hydrophobicity and microviscosity at the solubilzation sites of the probes results from the accelerated condensation of silicates onto the micelle surface upon microwave irradiation. The fluorescence change from the silicate L-center in the MCM-41 precursor gel also probes the fast silicate condensation upon microwave irradiation. It seems that the fast formation of MCM-41 upon microwave irradiation is ascribed to the microwave-susceptible head groups of surfactant molecules in addition to fast dissolution of the precursor gel.     

Alcoholysis of Poly(l-lactic acid) under microwave irradiation

Chemical recycling of poly(l-lactic acid) (PLLA) by alcoholysis under microwave irradiation was investigated. Reaction rates in ethanol (140-180 °C) and butanol (130-210 °C) were greater under microwave irradiation than under conventional heating. However, because activation energies were almost the same under both conditions, the reaction mechanisms would be the same, but the reaction rates differed due to the reaction frequency factor.     

A rapid and efficient protocol for the synthesis of novel nitrothiazolo[3,2-c]pyrimidines via microwave-mediated Mannich cyclisation

Several 6-substituted-8-nitrothiazolo[3,2-c]pyrimidine derivatives have been obtained very efficiently by a multicomponent cyclisation of 2-(nitromethylene)thiazolidine, formaldehyde and various aliphatic or aromatic amines in water, using both microwave irradiation and conventional heating. Reaction yields were considerably higher and the reaction times very much reduced using microwave heating when compared to conventional heating, resulting in the definition of a rapid and efficient synthetic protocol.     

Influence of drying processes on oxidative stability of ethyl corn biodiesel by differential scanning calorimetry

The influence of drying processes in the biodiesel oxidation was investigated by means of the oxidative induction time obtained from differential scanning calorimetry data. For this purpose, corn biodiesel was dried by different methods including: chemical (anhydrous sodium sulfate) and thermal (induction heating, heating under vacuum and with microwave irradiation). The drying efficiency was evaluated by monitoring IR absorption in the 3,500–3,200 cm⁻¹ range and by the AOCS Bc 2-49 method. In general, the oxidative induction times increased inversely to the heating degree, except that of microwave irradiation, which was selective to water evaporation and caused low impact over the unsaturation of biodiesel. The DSC technique was shown to be a powerful tool to evaluate with high level of differentiation the influence of the drying process on the oxidative stability of biodiesel.     

A facile and novel process for the preparation of <Superscript>147</Superscript>Pm source

Aiming the selective recovery of palladium from high level radioactive liquid waste (HLW), a chelating thiamide type sorbent, CWP–TU, was prepared by the modification of Japanese cedar wood powder (CWP). Convection oven and microwave heating were separately used for modification purpose and found that microwave heating is more effective over oven heating. CWP–TU was extensively studied for the adsorption of Pd(II) from nitric acid medium. The batch test showed that nitric acid concentration of 3 M or higher is favorable for Pd(II) loading. Consistent adsorption of Pd(II) under gamma irradiation condition demonstrated the feasibility of using CWP–TU in real HLW. Also, Pd(II) only adsorption from simulated HLW solution verified the palladium only selectivity of the sorbent as well as the lack of influence of coexisting metal ions on its affinity toward Pd(II). CWP–TU holds maximum Pd(II) loading capacities of 0.98 mol/kg at 30 °C and 1.04 mol/kg under gamma irradiation. A comparative study using some ion exchange resins revealed that the resins are either ineffective in nitrate medium or lack stability under irradiation.     

Green Synthesis of Some Calix[4]Resorcinarene Under Microwave Irradiation

A green synthetic procedure for the preparation of some calix[4]resorcinarenes using a household microwave oven has been carried out. This method represents a very rapid heating alternative to the conventional method that involves very long time of reactions (from 20-24 h in conventional heating to 5-8 min in microwave irradiation). C-4-hydroxy–3-methoxycalix[4]resorcinarene (CHMPCR), C-4-methoxyphenylcalix[4]resorcinarene (CMPCR) and C-2–phenylethenilcalix[4]resorcinarene (CPECR) was achieved by placed of resorcinol, an aldehyde, HCl and ethanol inside a household microwave oven. The product was recrystallized by methanol and analyzed by spectral analysis (FTIR, H-NMR and MS). Optimization of reaction was carried out in variation of microwave power, reaction times and reactant composition. The result shows that optimum condition of synthesis of C-4-hydroxy-3–methoxycalix[4]resorcinarene (CHMPCR) with microwave irradiation were at microwave power 332 W, reaction time 8 min and the mole ratio of resorcinol and 4-hydroxy-3-methoxyphenylbenzaldehyde 1:1. This parameter gave product in 97.8% (53.7% after recrystallization). The CPECR synthesis using resorcinol and cynnamaldehyde (1:1) at microwave power 332 W for 5 min afforded the product in 97.3% (44.5% after recrystallization). Whereas the reaction of resorcinol and 4-methoxyphenylbenzaldehyde (1:1.2) at microwave power 264 W for 5 min gave CMPCR in 99.5% (68.6% after recrystallization).