Preparation and Characterization of DGEBA/EPN Epoxy Blends with Improved Fracture Toughness

The physical and mechanical properties of blends composed of two kinds of epoxy resins of different numbers of functional groups and chemical structure were studied.One of the resins was a bifunctional epoxy resin based on diglycidyl ether ofbisphenol A and the other resin was a multifunctional epoxy novolac resin.Attempt was made to establish a correlation between the structure and the final properties of cured epoxy samples.The blend samples containing high fraction of multifunctional epoxy resin showed higher solvent resistance and lower flexural modulus compared with the blends containing high fraction of bifunctional epoxy resin.The epoxy blends showed significantly higher ductility under bending test than the neat epoxy samples.The compressive modulus and strength increased with increasing of multifunctional epoxy in the samples,probably due to enhanced cross-link density and molecular weight.Morphological analysis revealed the presence of inhomogeneous sub-micrometer structures in all samples.The epoxy blends exhibited significantly higher fracture toughness (by 23％ at most) compared with the neat samples.The improvement of the fracture toughness was attributed to the stick-slip mechanism for crack growth and activation of shear yielding and plastic deformation around the crack growth trajectories for samples with higher content of bifunctional epoxy resin as evidenced by fractography study.     

A selective colorimetric and fluorescence chemosensing sensor for Cr<Superscript>3+</Superscript> based on a rhodamine base derivative

A rhodamine-conjugated coumarin (L) was used in designing a selective fluorescence chemosensor for the determination of trace amounts of Cr³⁺ ions in acetonitrile–water (MeCN/H₂O (90:10, %v/v) solutions. The intensity of the fluoresce emission of the chemosensor is intensified upon addition of Cr³⁺ ions in MeCN/H₂O (90:10, %v/v) solutions, due to the formation of a selective 1:1 complex between L and Cr³⁺ ions. The fluorescence enhancement versus Cr³⁺ concentration has been found to be linear from 1.0?×?10^?7 to 1.8?×?10^?5 M and a detection limit of 7.5?×?10^?8 M. The proposed fluorescent probe proved to be highly selective towards Cr³⁺ ions as compared to other common metal ions and could be successfully applied to the determination of Cr³⁺ concentrations in some water and wastewater samples.     

Perlite–SO<Subscript>3</Subscript>H nanoparticles: very efficient and reusable catalyst for three-component synthesis of <Emphasis Type="Italic">N</Emphasis>-cyclohexyl-3-aryl-quinoxaline-2-amine derivatives under ultrasound irradiation

An efficient green approach for the synthesis of N-cyclohexyl-3-aryl-quinoxaline-2-amine derivatives, via a three-component one-pot condensation reaction of o-phenylenediamine, aromatic aldehydes and cyclohexyl isocyanide in the presence of perlite–SO₃H nanoparticles (diameter/thickness of platelets <?100 nm) under ultrasound irradiation has been demonstrated. The present method offers advantages such as shorter reaction time, easy work-up, excellent yields, recovery and reusability of catalyst. In addition, the methodology has been prosperous in getting the green chemistry purposes such as natural catalyst, using ultrasound irradiation instead of conventional heating and stirring, and a non-hazardous products in the thus combining the features of both economic and environmental advantages.     

Solubility behavior,dissolution thermodynamics and solute–solvent intermolecular interactions of a solid antioxidant product in water + isopropanol liquid mixtures from 298.15 to 320.15 K

The solid–liquid equilibria of a poorly water-soluble antioxidant agent namely naringoside were assayed to determine solubility in binary liquid mixtures of water?+?isopropanol (iso-PrOH) between 298.15 K and 320.15 K under atmospheric pressure. The mole fraction solubilities of naringoside in the saturated solution were determined using a combination of static shake-flask and ultraviolet spectrophotometry techniques. The dissolution behavior of naringoside was correlated with three solution models consisting of the van’t Hoff equation, the modified Apelblat equation and the Buchowski-Ksiazczak λH equation. The modified Apelblat equation was more consistent than the two other correlation models. Apparent thermodynamic analysis of naringoside dissolution was also performed at the mean harmonic temperature using the model parameters of the modified Apelblat equation. Furthermore, the Kamlet, Abboud and Taft Linear Solvation Energy Relationship (KAT-LSER) model was applied to analyze the effect of the solute–solvent intermolecular interactions on the solubility of this natural bioactive product.     

Noscapine-derived β-amino alcohols as new organocatalysts for enantioselective addition of diethylzinc to aldehydes

In this paper, synthesis of two derivatives of noscapine and their application as organocatalysts in the asymmetric addition of diethylzinc to aromatic aldehydes is reported. The first catalyst (2) was synthesized by the reduction of lactone ring of noscapine to form the corresponding diol, and the second one (3) was prepared by tert-butyl dimethyl silylation of the primary hydroxyl group of 2. Excellent yields and high ees up to 95% were obtained by using 3 as the catalyst. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report on the application of lactone ring opened noscapinoid compounds as organocatalysts in asymmetric reactions.     

Extraction and separation of zirconium from hafnium by using nano-structured supramolecular solvent microextraction method

In the present study, a simple versatile extraction method based on supramolecular solvent microextraction followed by inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry was developed for the extraction, separation and determination of zirconium (Zr) from hafnium (Hf). Zr and Hf were complexed with bis(2,4,4-trimethylpentyl) phosphinic acid, to obtain hydrophobic complex, and extracted into supramolecular solvent phase. The effective parameters on the supramolecular solvent microextraction efficiency were studied and optimized by using two different optimization methods: one variable at a time and central composite design. Under the optimum conditions, the linear range of 0.3–200.0 and 2.0–200.0 µg L^?1, detection limits (S/N = 3) of 0.1 and 0.6 µg L^?1, and precisions (n = 5) of 3.2–4.9% and 3.0–5.1% were obtained for Zr and Hf, respectively. Finally, the proposed method has been successfully applied for the extraction and separation of these cations in zirconium ore sample.     

Numerical investigation of mixed convection heat transfer of a nanofluid in a circular enclosure with a rotating inner cylinder

Journal of Thermal Analysis and Calorimetry - In the present paper, mixed convection heat transfer of water–Al2O3 nanofluid in the space between two cylinders is investigated numerically. The...     

An experimental study of the effects of Matricaria chamomilla extract on cutaneous burn wound healing in albino rats

Previous studies conducted on the anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial and antioxidant effects of Matricaria chamomilla (chamomile) extract led us to study the effect of topical chamomile extract on burn wound healing in albino rats. Thirty male albino rats (250-300 g) were randomly divided into three groups, as control, vehicle, and treatment. Second-degree burning was induced in 20% of whole surface area of animal body by placing the back of animal into boiling water for 8s. Animals of control group received no treatment. Animals of vehicle and treatment groups were treated topically by olive oil and extract dissolved in olive oil twice a day respectively from the first day of burn induction to complete wound healing. The percentage of wound healing was calculated weekly. The results showed that there was significant difference (p < 0.05) between vehicle and treatment groups. So we concluded that the chamomile extract in the form of rubbing oil had a good potential for acceleration of burn wound healing in rats.     

A Simple Indirect Route for the Synthesis of N-Alkyl-4-imino-1,4-dihydro-2H-3,1-benzoxazin-2-ones

Summary. Novel N-alkyl-4-imino-1,4-dihydro-2H-3,1-benzoxazin-2-ones were synthesized in a single step by Baeyer–Villiger oxidation of N-alkyl-3-imino-2-indolinone derivatives in high yields. The structures of the products were determined by spectral data and by X-ray diffraction. Besides their novel structures, these compounds may have important biological activities and industrial applications.     

Optimization of polymeric triiodide membrane electrode based on clozapine-triiodide ion-pair using experimental design

Central composite design (CCD) and response surface methodology (RSM) were developed as experimental strategies for modeling and optimization of the influence of some variables on the performance of a new PVC membrane triiodide ion-selective electrode. This triiodide sensor is based on triiodide-clozapine ion-pair complexation. PVC, plasticizers, ion-pair amounts and pH were investigated as four variables to build a model to achieve the best Nernstian slope (59.9 mV) as response. The electrode is prepared by incorporating the ion-exchanger in PVC matrix plasticized with 2-nitrophenyl octal ether, which is directly coated on the surface of a graphite electrode. The influence of foreign ions on the electrode performance was also investigated. The optimized membranes demonstrate Nernstian response for triiodide ions over a wide linear range from 5.0 x 10(-6) to 1.0 x 10(-2)mol L(-1) with a limit of detection 2.0 x 10(-6) mol L(-1) at 25 degrees C. The electrodes could be used over a wide pH range 4-8, and have the advantages of easy to prepare, good selectivity and fast response time, long lifetime (over 3 months) and small interferences from hydrogen ion. The proposed electrode was successfully used as indicator electrode in potentiometric titration of triiodide ions and ascorbic acid.