Effect of proton irradiation on electrical properties of a-As2S3

This paper reports the effect of proton irradiation on the electrical properties of a-As₂S₃ in the temperature range of 323–418 K and frequency range 0.1–100 kHz. The variation of transport property is studied with proton irradiation dose (1 × 10¹³ ions/cm² and 1 × 10¹⁵ ions/cm²). It has been observed that proton irradiation changes the dc conductivity (σ_dc), dc activation energy (ΔE_dc) and ac conductivity (σ_ac(ω)). The σ_dc and σ_ac(ω) increases with dose of proton irradiation. The value of frequency exponent (s) decreases with the temperature and irradiation dose. These results are explained in terms of change in density of defect states in these glasses.     

Surface State‐Induced Anomalous Negative Thermal Quenching of Multiferroic BiFeO3 Nanowires

Wide‐bandgap semiconductor nanowires with surface defect emission centers have the potential to be used as sensitive thermometers and optical probes. Here, we show that the green luminescence of multiferroic BiFeO₃ (BFO) nanowires shows an anomalous negative thermal quenching (NTQ) with increasing temperatures. The release of trapped carriers from localized surface defect states is suggested as the possible mechanism for the increased green luminescence which was experimentally observed at elevated temperatures. A reasonable interpretation of the photoluminescence (PL) processes in BFO nanowires is achieved, and the activation energies of the PL quenching and thermal hopping are deduced. Negative thermal quenching of BFO nanowires provides a new strategy for optical thermometry at higher temperatures.     

Effect on ion dissociation in MWCNT-based polymer nanocomposite

Polymer nanocomposite has been proven to improve the property of polymer salt complex. Organo-modified clay and inorganic oxides are the most commonly used filler for polymer nanocomposite (PNC). However, single wall carbon nanotube (SWCNT)/multiwall carbon nanotube (MWCNT) are becoming popular filler for PNC for their high surface area and high mechanical stability. In this work, a series of PNC sample has been prepared by using polyethylene oxide (PEO)-polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) blend as polymer matrix, an optimized salt stoichiometry of Ö/Li ~15, and surface-modified MWCNT as filler. The effect of ion-polymer and ion-MWCNT interaction in the polymer nanocomposite has been investigated by using XRD, SEM, FTIR, and electrical study. X-ray diffraction pattern confirms the dispersion of MWCNT inside the polymer chain and modifies the structural parameter of the polymer matrix. FTIR spectra indicate inclusion of MWCNT inside the polymer salt complex which changes the ion dissociation/association in the polymer host matrix. Further, the changes in structural, thermal, and electrical property of the polymer salt complex system have been studied by using SEM, DSC, and impedance analysis. Dc conductivity study shows that optimized PNC sample has conductivity of 8.04 × 10⁻⁵ S cm⁻¹. This is almost two order enhancement from pure polymer salt system (10⁻⁶ S cm⁻¹).

     

Novel nanocomposite membranes from cellulose acetate and clay‐silica nanowires

In this study, a new class of heterogeneous membranes based on cellulose acetate (CA) polymer and a complex filler clay‐silica nanowires (SiO₂NWs) was investigated for potential biomedical applications. SiO₂NWs were synthesized using natural clay through a facile sol–gel method and were dispersed in the polymer solution by sonication in the 1.25, 2.5, and 5% weight ratio to the CA acetate polymer. Membranes were subsequently prepared via phase inversion by precipitation of the CA polymer in water. The pristine CA membrane and SiO₂NWs based nanocomposites membranes were characterized using different characterization techniques. The presence of the SiO₂NWs in the CA membrane was found to significantly enhance the protein retention, water wettability and thermal as well as mechanical properties in comparison to the pristine CA membrane. Water flows studies at different temperatures and the retention of bovine serum albumin have been studied and the nanocomposite membranes were found to exhibit superior performances compared with the pristine CA membranes. SiO₂NWs‐CA membranes showed a much higher stability to the water temperature change during separation than CA membranes. Morphological changes clearly revealed that the composite membrane were much more compact than the pristine CA membranes. The rabbit dermal fibroblasts cell viability in cultures after 72 hr of incubation was found to be greater than 80%. These newly synthesized composite membranes exhibit a high potential to be used for various medical applications because of their non‐cytotoxic characteristics. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Effect of A-site cation radius on thermodynamic properties of ARuO3 (A = Ca, Sr, and Ba)

The thermodynamic properties of alkaline earth ruthenate ARuO₃ (A?=?Ca, Sr, and Ba) perovskites have been investigated for the first time by means of a modified rigid ion model at temperature 1 K?≤?T?≤?300 K. As strong electron–phonon interactions are present in these compounds, the lattice contribution to the specific heat deserves proper attention. The values of specific heat calculated by us have shown remarkably good agreement with corresponding experimental data. We have found that in ARuO₃ (A?=?Ca, Sr, and Ba) ruthenate family, Debye temperature increases inversely with the ionic radius of the alkaline earth A cations. In addition, the results on the temperature dependence of thermal expansion coefficient (α), cohesive energy (?), molecular force constant (f), Reststrahlen frequency (υ), Debye temperature (θ _D), and Grüneisen parameter (γ) are also reported.     

Triclabendazole: An Intriguing Case of Co‐existence of Conformational and Tautomeric Polymorphism

The crystal polymorphism of the anthelmintic drug, triclabendazole ( TCB ), is described. Two anhydrates (Forms I and II), three solvates, and an amorphous form have been previously mentioned. This study reports the crystal structures of Forms I ( 1 ) and II ( 2 ). These structures illustrate the uncommon phenomenon of tautomeric polymorphism. TCB exists as two tautomers A and B. Form I (Z′=2) is composed of two molecules of tautomer A while Form II (Z′=1) contains a 1:1 mixture of A and B. The polymorphs are also characterized by using other solid‐state techniques (differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA), PXRD, FT‐IR, and NMR spectroscopy). Form I is the higher melting form (m.p.: 177 °C, ΔH_f=≈105±4 J g^?1) and is the more stable form at room temperature. Form II is the lower melting polymorph (m.p.: 166 °C, ΔH_f=≈86±3 J g^?1) and shows high kinetic stability on storage in comparison to the amorphous form but it transforms readily into Form I in a solution‐mediated process. Crystal structure analysis of co‐crystals 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 , 9 , 10 , 11 further confirms the existence of tautomeric polymorphism in TCB . In 3 and 11 , tautomer A is present whereas in 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 , 9 , 10 the TCB molecule exists wholly as tautomer B. The DFT calculations suggest that the optimized tautomers A and B have nearly the same energies. Single point energy calculations reveal that tautomer A (in Form I) exists in two low‐energy conformations, whereas in Form II both tautomers A and B exist in an unfavorable high‐energy conformation, stabilized by a five‐point dimer synthon. The structural and thermodynamic features of 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 , 9 , 10 , 11 are discussed in detail. Triclabendazole is an intriguing case in which tautomeric and conformational variations co‐exist in the polymorphs.     

Thermal analysis of water and magnesium hydroxide content in commercial pharmaceutical suspensions milk of magnesia

A standard protocol was developed to determine the water content by thermal analysis of milk of magnesia (MoM). Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and thermogravimetry (TG) were used in a novel manner for examining the physical characteristics of the commercial pharmaceutical suspensions. Moisture analyzer and oven-dry methods validate the proposed protocol. MoM consists primarily of water and magnesium hydroxide [Mg(OH)₂]. Experimental design of the thermal analysis parameters were considered including sample size, flowing atmosphere, sample pan, and heating rate for both DSC and TG. The results established the optimum conditions for minimizing heat and mass transfer effect. Sample sizes used were: (5?C15?mg) for DSC and (30?C50?mg) for TG. DSC analysis used crimped crucibles with a pinhole, which allowed maximum resolution and gave well-defined mass (water) loss. TG analysis used a heating rate of 10?°C/min^?1 in an atmosphere of nitrogen. The heat of crystallization, heat of fusion, and heat of vaporization of unbound water are 334, 334, and 2,257?Jg^?1, respectively (Mitra et al. Proc NATAS Annu Conf Therm Anal Appl 30:203?C208, 2002). The DSC average water content of (MoM) was 80?wt% for name brand and 89.5?wt% for generic brand, based on the relative crystallization, melting and vaporization heats/Jg^?1 of distilled water in the recently purchased (2011) MoM samples. The TG showed a two-step process, losing water at 80?C135?°C for unbound water and bound water (MgO·H₂O) at 376?C404?°C, yielding a total average water loss of 91.9?% for name brand and 90.7?% for generic brand by mass. The difference between the high-temperature TG and the lower-temperature DSC can be attributed for the decomposition of magnesium hydroxide or MgO·H₂O. Therefore in performing this new approach to water analysis by heating to a high temperature decomposed the magnesium hydroxide residue. It was determined that the TG method was the most accurate for determining bound and unbound water.     

Photophysical and photodynamical study of fluoroquinolone drug molecule in bile salt aggregates

Photophysical properties of two widely used antibiotic fluoroquinolone drugs, namely Norfloxacin (NOR) and Ofloxacin (OFL) have been investigated in biomimicking environments formed by bile salts. Experimental results demonstrate that photophysical enhancement and fall of a particular prototropic species are sensitive to the excitation wavelength in bile salt aggregates. Excitation at shorter wavelengths reveals quenching of fluorescence of these fluoroquinolone with addition of sodium deoxycholate (NaDC), sodium taurocholate (NaTC) and sodium glycodeoxycholate (NaGDC). On the contrary, we observe a steady increase in the fluorescence intensity with a continuous redshift upon excitation at longer wavelength. The experimental results were rationalized in terms of the fact that, neutral and zwitterionic species of fluoroquinolone molecules in bile salt aggregates are selectively excited at shorter wavelength while the cationic form of fluoroquinolone molecules are excited at longer wavelength. The excess hydronium ions in the hydrophilic surface of bile salt aggregates convert the neutral species of NOR and OFL into cationic species causing an enhancement in the emission intensity. We found that NaGDC and NaTC because of the conjugate head group are more effective in converting the neutral species of fluoroquinolones into a cationic species than NaDC. The quenching order is in accordance with hydrophobicity indices of bile salt.     

Mixed Ligand Complexes of Am3+, Cm3+ and Eu3+ with HEDTA and HEDTA + NTA—Complexation Thermodynamics and Structural Aspects

The stability constants and the associated thermodynamic parameters of formation for the 1:1 binary complexes of Am³⁺, Cm³⁺ and Eu³⁺ with N-(2-hydroxyethyl) ethylenediaminetriacetate (HEDTA) and their 1:1:1 ternary complexes with HEDTA + NTA (nitrilotriacate) were determined by distribution ratio measurements using solvent extraction in aqueous solutions of I=0.10?mol?L^?1 (NaClO₄) at temperatures of 0?C45?°C. Formation of these complexes is favored by both the enthalpy (exothermic) and the entropy (endothermic) terms. Luminescence lifetime measurements with Cm and Eu were used to study the coordination environment of these complexes over a range of concentrations and pH values. In the binary complexes M(HEDTA), HEDTA is a hexadentate ligand with three waters of hydration, while in the ternary complexes M(HEDTA)(NTA)^3? we propose that the HEDTA retaines hexadentate coordination with NTA binding via three sites, depending on the pH of the solution, with the observation that the complex may contain a single water of hydration.     

Binomial and factorial congruences for Fq[t]

We present several elementary theorems, observations and questions related to the theme of congruences satisfied by binomial coefficients and factorials modulo primes (or prime powers) in the setting of polynomial ring over a finite field. When we look at the factorial of n or the binomial coefficient ‘n choose m’ in this setting, though the values are in a function field, n and m can be usual integers, polynomials or mixed. Thus there are several interesting analogs of the well-known theorems of Lucas, Wilson etc. with quite different proofs and new phenomena.