Photo- and thermal-oxidation of polyethylene: Comparison of mechanisms and influence of unsaturation content

The behaviour of polyethylene with different contents in vinyl and t-vinylene groups have been studied by photooxidation with λ ≥ 300 nm light or by thermooxidation at a temperature of 100 °C. The oxidation was studied by infrared spectroscopy and it was shown that the same oxidation products were obtained, but with different relative concentrations depending on the conditions of ageing, i.e. photochemical or thermal conditions. The mechanisms by which the oxidation products are formed were recalled. The differences between photo- and thermo-oxidation were evidenced on the basis of the stability of ketones that do not accumulate in photochemical conditions, as a result of Norrish reactions. The influence of the initial amount of unsaturated groups on the rates of oxidation was characterized. It was shown that the concentration of unsaturations had no effect on the rate of photooxidation but dramatically influenced the stability in thermooxidative conditions.     

Equilibrium and structural characterization of ofloxacin–cyclodextrin complexation

The enantiomer-specific characterization of ofloxacin–cyclodextrin complexes was carried out by a set of complementary analytical techniques. The apparent stability constants of the ofloxacin enantiomers with 20 different cyclodextrins at two different pH values were determined to achieve good resolution capillary electrophoresis enantioseparation either to establish enantioselective drug analysis assay, or to interpret and design improved host–guest interactions at the molecular level. The cyclodextrins studied differed in the nature of substituents, degree of substitution (DS), charge and purity, allowing a systematic test of these properties on the complexation. The seven-membered beta-cyclodextrin and its derivatives were found to be the most suitable hosts. Highest stability and best enantioseparation were observed for the carboxymethylated-beta-cyclodextrin (DS ~ 3.5). The effect of substitution pattern (SP) was investigated by molecular modeling, verifying that SP greatly affects the complex stability. Induced circular dichroism was observed and found especially significant on carboxymethylated-beta-cyclodextrin. The complex stoichiometry and the geometry of the inclusion complexes were determined by ¹H NMR spectroscopy, including 2D ROESY techniques. Irrespective of the kind of cyclodextrin, the complexation ratio was found to be 1:1. The alfa-cyclodextrin cavity can accommodate the oxazine ring only, whereas the whole tricyclic moiety can enter the beta- and gamma-cyclodextrin cavities. These equilibrium and structural information offer molecular basis for improved drug formulation.     

Surface and Structural Properties of Gold Nanoparticles and Their Biofunctionalized Derivatives in Aqueous Electrolytes Solution

Gold nanoparticles reduced by sodium citrate (d ～ 10 nm) and purchased gold colloid particles (d ～ 500 nm) were examined and compared. The properties of both gold particles and their biofunctionalized derivatives with L-cysteine and L-glutathione were studied in the presence of sodium nitrate. The structural investigations indicated an aggregated inner structure.

The isoelectric points of pure gold, citrate reduced gold, and functionalized gold were measured and compared. The low isoelectric point of pure gold/water interface was explained by considering the distribution and accumulation of H⁺ and OH^? ions within the interfacial water layer, being more pronounced for OH^? ions.      

Fingerprinting pre-historical symbolic artefacts by a non-destructive methodological approach

Journal of Radioanalytical and Nuclear Chemistry - A contribution to the discussion about Vila Nova de São Pedro (VNSP) as a production centre of symbolic lithic artefacts, the origin of raw...     

Flow-driven Surface Instabilities of Tubular Chitosan Hydrogel

Spatial structures break their symmetry under the influence of shear stress arising from fluid flow. Here, we present surface instabilities appearing on chitosan tubes when an acidic solution of chitosan with various molecular weight is injected into a pool of sodium hydroxide solution. At slow flow rates wrinkle-to-fold transition takes place along the direction of the flow yielding a banded structure. For greater injection rates we observe coexisting modes of wrinkles and folds which are stabilized to periodic wrinkles when the alkaline concentration is increased. The instabilities are characterized by the scaling laws of the pattern wavelength and amplitude with the tube characteristics. Our experimental adaptation of mechanical instabilities provides a new in situ method to create soft biomaterials with the desired surface morphology without the use of any prefabricated templates.     

Redox interactions between structurally different alkylresorcinols and iron(III) in aqueous media: frozen-solution 57Fe Mössbauer spectroscopic studies,redox kinetics and quantum chemical evaluation of the alkylresorcinol reactivities

Iron(III)-containing aqueous solutions of 5-methylresorcinol (5-MR), 5-n-propylresorcinol (5-n-PR) and 4-n-hexylresorcinol (4-n-HR) at pH ~ 3 were studied by means of ⁵⁷Fe transmission Mössbauer spectroscopy. Kinetic considerations were applied to the redox reactions. Density Functional Theory (DFT) calculations were performed for the alkylresorcinol (AR) molecules and their non-alkylated analogue (resorcinol). Mössbauer spectra consisted of quadrupole doublets assigned to high-spin Fe(III) and Fe(II) species. From changes in their relative spectral areas, a gradual reduction of Fe(III) by all the ARs studied was observed. However, significant differences were found for the reduction rates among the ARs. The following series of the reduction rates was established by means of Mössbauer spectroscopy: 4-n-HR ? 5-MR > 5-n-PR, supplemented by rate constants calculated using a kinetic model. DFT calculations resulted in the following series: 4-n-HR ? 5-n-PR > 5-MR ? resorcinol (the latter is not oxidised under the conditions applied). The reversed order of the experimentally observed 5-MR and 5-n-PR oxidation rates may be explained in terms of their different kinetic parameters related to their structure.     

Spring-block approach for crack patterns in glass

Fracture patterns resulting from point-like impact acting perpendicularly on the plane of a commercial sodalime glass plate is modelled by a spring-block system. The characteristic patterns consist of crack lines that are spreading radially from the impact point and concentric arcs intersecting these radial lines. Experimental results suggest that the number of radial crack lines is scaling linearly with the energy dissipated during the crack formation process. The elaborated spring-block model reproduces with success the observed fracture patterns and scaling law.