Corrosion behavior of solid solution (Ti,Al) N as a function of Al concentration

In this work, a series of (Ti, Al) N coatings with different Al contents were deposited on 304 stainless steel substrates by Hollow Cathode Discharge (HCD) method. The coatings were grown on 304 stainless steel substrates at 400 °C. The coatings were characterized using energy dispersive X‐ray spectroscopy (EDX), X‐ray diffraction (XRD), atomic force microscopy (AFM), and microhardness test. The XRD confirmed the transition from TiN phase to (Ti, Al) N phase and then to AlN phase with increasing Al concentration in the solid solution. It was found that with increasing Al concentration the hardness of the coatings initially increased up to a maximum value of about 30 GPa at around 32 at.% of Al and then the coating hardness decreased rapidly with further increase of Al content (Al > 32 at.%). The potentiodynamic polarization analysis was carried out in 3.5 wt.% NaCl solutions to study the corrosion resistance of the coatings. From the corrosion test it can be inferred that the amount of Al atoms in the coatings plays an important role for reducing the corrosion.     

New synthesis,x‐ray structural determination,conformational analysis and anomeric effect study of 3,7‐di (3‐nitrophenyl)‐1,5‐dioxa‐3,7‐diazacyclooctane

3,7‐Di(3‐nitrophenyl)‐1,5‐dioxa‐3,7‐diazacyclooctane was prepared from 3‐nitroaniline and formaldehyde in acetonitrile. Conformational behavior of ring inversion of the molecule was studied so it prefers a crown conformation. The evaluated ΔG^* was approximately 58.0 ± 1.0 kJ/mole. The X‐ray structure determination of the compound shows a crown conformation, in line with two‐anomeric effect in N‐C‐O moiety.     

A thermodynamic study of waste heat recovery from GT-MHR using organic Rankine cycles

This paper presents an investigation on the utilization of waste heat from a gas turbine-modular helium reactor (GT-MHR) using different arrangements of organic Rankine cycles (ORCs) for power production. The considered organic Rankine cycles were: simple organic Rankine cycle (SORC), ORC with internal heat exchanger (HORC) and regenerative organic Rankine cycle (RORC). The performances of the combined cycles were studied from the point of view of first and second-laws of thermodynamics. Individual models were developed for each component and the effects of some important parameters such as compressor pressure ratio, turbine inlet temperature, and evaporator and environment temperatures on the efficiencies and on the exergy destruction rate were studied. Finally the combined cycles were optimized thermodynamically using the EES (Engineering Equation Solver) software. Based on the identical operating conditions for the GT-MHR cycle, a comparison between the three combined cycles and a simple GT-MHR cycle is also were made. This comparison was also carried out from the point of view of economics. The GT-MHR/SORC combined cycle proved to be the best among all the cycles from the point of view of both thermodynamics and economics. The efficiency of this cycle was about 10% higher than that of GT-MHR alone.     

Encapsulation of L-dopa and catechol in bovine serum albumin nanocarrier using desolvation method and their in vitro release studies

In the current study, the interaction between L-dopa and bovine serum albumin (BSA) as well as catechol and BSA is investigated separately. In order to achieve the optimum values for encapsulated efficiency (EE), the content of crosslinker/BSA, organic/aqueous phase, drug/BSA, stirring rate, and pH were closely studied taking the advantage of Taguchi method. Particle characterization was carried out using transmission electron microscopy and dynamic light scattering techniques. The most appropriate catechol and L-dopa nanoparticles in the size range of 100 nm and 65 nm, respectively, and at optimized conditions of drug/BSA = 0.1, pH = 7.4, crosslinker/BSA = 0.084, organic/aqueous phase = 4 and stirring rate 400 rpm were obtained. The most favorable EE (encapsulation efficiency) and LC (loading capacity) for L-dopa and catechol was estimated to be 88.1% and 83.6%, respectively, and the calculated LC% was achieved 93.4% and 89.7% for L-dopa and catechol, respectively. The chromatographic analyses results were also found to be in a good agreement with the obtained data for the calculated EE% and LC% values. in vitro release of loaded drugs from nanoparticles in phosphate-buffered saline (pH = 7.4, incubated at 37 ± 0.5°C under stirring rate of 100 rpm) showed the release of 78% catechol and 89% L-dopa during 480 min and 510 min, respectively.     

Synthesis,characterization, and applications of novel Co(II)-pyridoxal phosphate-Schiff base/SBA-15 as a nanocatalyst for the green synthesis of benzothiazole heterocycles

Mesoporous heterogeneous santa barbara amorphous (SBA)-15-supported cobalt complex, as a novel nanocatalyst containing N–O chelating Schiff-base ligand was successfully synthesized by the reaction of SBA-15 and Cobalt(II)-Schiff-base complex. The Co(II)-Schiff base complex also was prepared for the first time, by the reaction of pyridoxal 5′-phosphate or PLP (biological active form of vitamin B6), 3-(aminopropyl)-triethoxysilane in methanol that complexation with CoCl₂. The subsequent grafting of entitled complex to SBA-15 afforded Co(II)-PLP-Schiff base/SBA-15 mesoporous catalyst. Characterization of the product was carried out with powder X-ray diffraction, Brunauer–Emmett–Teller nitrogen adsorption–desorption, transmission electron microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, atomic absorption spectroscopy, and inductively coupled plasma, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy. The results revealed the retention of the textural properties and hexagonally uniform structures of SBA-15 during the grafting procedure. This nanocatalyst was applied successfully for one-pot synthesis of various benzothiazole heterocycles under green conditions. This catalyst is an active, reusable, and stable nanomaterial with no leaching of metal ions to the reaction medium. It was used for the synthesis of desired benzothiazole heterocycles by the cyclo-condensation of aryl-aldehydes with 2-aminothiophenol with good to excellent yields and under green conditions.     

Cycloaddition reactions of azomethine ylides with a 9-fluorenone-malononitrile Knöevenagel adduct

Numerous derivatives of spiropyrrolidines and spiropyrrolizines containing cyano groups were successfully synthesized via condensation of sarcosine and proline Schiff bases of several aromatic aldehydes with the Knöevenagel adduct of 9-fluorenone-malononitrile prepared through a modified procedure. Assignment of the molecular structure was carried out by single crystal X-ray diffraction, as well as by HMBC and ROSEY spectroscopy.     

Hydroxy-thioxanthones as suitable neutral ionophores for the preparation of PVC-membrane potentiometric sensors for Al(III) ion.

The complexation of five recently synthesized hydroxy-thioxanthone derivatives with Al3+ ion was studied in a methanol solution spectrophotometrically, and the stepwise formation constants of the resulting 1:1 and 2:1 (ligand-to-metal) complexes were evaluated. The suitability of the thioxanthone derivatives as neutral ionophores for the preparation of a new Al3+ ion-selective PVC-membrane electrode was investigated, and 1-hydroxy-3-methyl-thiocanthone was selected as the best compound for this purpose. The prepared electrode exhibits a Nernstian response for Al3+ ions over a wide concentration range (2.0 x 10(-2) to 2.0 x 10(-6) M), with a limit of detection of 1.0 x 10(-6) M. It has a very fast response time of about 5 s and can be used for at least 3 months without any considerable divergence in the potentials. The proposed membrane sensor revealed very good selectivities for Al3+ over a wide variety of other metal ions, and could be used at a working pH range of 3.4 - 5.0. It was used as an indicator electrode in potentiometric titration of aluminum ions with EDTA, and in the determination of Al3+ in different real samples.     

4,5-, 3,6-, and 3,4,5,6-tert-Butylsulfanylphthalonitriles: synthesis and comparative structural and spectroscopic analyses

Three tert-butylsulfanylphthalonitriles have been prepared with optimized synthetic procedures. Their comparative structural analyses have been completed, with a focus on IR and NMR spectroscopy and refined X-ray structural data. Miscellaneous parameters such as UV absorption, melting points, and related polarity of the compounds are summarized.