A comparative study of lithium and sodium salts in PAN-based ion conducting polymer electrolytes

The conducting polymer electrolyte films consisting of polyacrylonitrile (PAN) as the host polymer, lithium triflate (LiCF₃SO₃) and sodium triflate (NaCF₃SO₃) as inorganic salts were prepared by the solution-cast technique. The pure PAN film was prepared as a reference. The ionic conductivity for the films is characterized using impedance spectroscopy. The room temperature conductivity for the PAN + 26 wt.% LiCF₃SO₃ film and the PAN + 24 wt.% NaCF₃SO₃ film is 3.04 × 10⁻⁴ S cm⁻¹ and 7.13 × 10⁻⁴ S cm⁻¹, respectively. XRD studies show that the complexation that has occurred in the PAN containing salt films and complexes formed are amorphous. The FTIR spectra results confirmed the complexation has taken place between the salt and the polymer. These results correspond with surface morphology images obtained from SEM analysis. The conductivity–temperature dependence of the highest conducting film from PAN + LiCF₃SO₃ and PAN + NaCF₃SO₃ systems follows Arrhenius equation in the temperature range of 303 to 353 K. The PAN containing 24 wt.% LiCF₃SO₃ film has a higher ionic conductivity and lower activation energy compared to the PAN containing 26 wt.%LiCF₃SO₃ film. These results can be explained based on the Lewis acidity of the alkali ions, i.e., the interaction between Li⁺ ion and the nitrogen atom of PAN is stronger than that of Na⁺ ion.     

A spectrophotometric and thermodynamic study of the sitting-atop complex formation from reaction between free base meso-tetraarylporphyrins and zirconyl nitrate in chloroform solution

The sitting-atop complexation of meso-tetraarylporphyrins and its para-substituted derivatives (H₂t(4-X)pp, X:H, Br, Cl, CH(CH₃)₂, OCH₃, CH₃), as electron donors, with zirconyl, as an electron acceptor, have been investigated spectrophotometrically in chloroform. The mole ratio studies based on physicochemical techniques were employed clearly and revealed the formation of 1:1 sitting-atop complexes which was confirmed by UV–vis, ¹H NMR and IR spectroscopic data. The value of the formation constant was estimated for each complex using a nonlinear optimization of the complex absorbance vs. mole ratio data by package KINFIT. The results showed that the stability of these complexes decreases with the temperature enhancement. Thermodynamic parameters, ΔG°, ΔH° and ΔS°, of the SAT complexes have been determined from the temperature dependence of formation constants by Van’t Hoff equation. Also, the influence of the substituents of the aryl rings in H₂t(4-X)pp on the stability of the SAT complexes is discussed.     

Molecular complexation of free base meso-tetraarylporphyrins with antimony(III) chloride in free solvent media

The reaction of meso-tetraarylporphyrins (H₂t(Xp)p) with SbCl₃ under free solvent conditions affords green complexes with a 1:1 H₂t(X)pp:SbCl₃ ratio. These complexes have dimeric structures with a (μ-Cl)₂bridge. UV–VIS, ¹H NMR and ¹³C NMR spectra data show that the porphyrin core of [(H₂t(Xp)p)₂Sb₂Cl₆], similar to 1:2 (donor:acceptor) molecular complexes of meso-tetraarylporphyrins and porphyrin diacid, is distorted, thus two nitrogen atoms of pyrrolenine in a side of the porphyrin plane act as electron donors to an antimony atom of SbCl₃. Molecular complexation of meso-tetraarylporphyrins with SbCl₃ produces a large downfield shift for the NH signal, although there is no hydrogen bonding present.     

Electrocatalytic Reduction of Dioxygen on the Surface of Glassy Carbon Electrodes Modified with Cobalt Porphyrin Complexes

The preparation and electrocatalytic behavior of glassy carbon electrodes modified with three different cobalt porphyrin complexes were investigated. The electrocatalytic ability of the modified electrodes for the reduction of dioxygen to hydrogen peroxide and water in air‐saturated aqueous solutions was examined by cyclic voltammetry and chronoamperometry techniques. The porphyrin‐adsorbed glassy carbon electrodes possess excellent electrocatalytic abilities for dioxygen reduction with overpotential about 0.5 V lower than that at a plain glassy carbon electrode. The experimental parameters were optimized and the mechanism of the catalytic process was discussed. The possible effects of the electron‐donating properties of groups in the meso‐position of the porphyrin ring were investigated.     

Development of prototype heterogeneous chitosan membrane using different plasticizer for glutamate sensing

This paper describes the preparation of and experimentation undertaken by heterogeneous chitosan membrane as ion selective electrode for glutamate ion. The linearity response was obtained in the range of 1.0 × 10⁻⁵ to 1.0 × 10⁻¹ M with a detection limit of 1.0 × 10⁻⁶ M. The performance of the electrode was found in the pH range of 4.0-8.0 at temperature 25 ± 3 °C. The response time was at 5-35 s and was useful for a period of more than 4 months. The selectivity values towards some anions indicates good selectivity over a number of interfering anions. No significant improvement of membrane performance over additional of plasticizers such as 2-NPOE, BEHA and DOPP. The electrodes gave sufficient Nernstian responses with the exception of membrane with 2-NPOE.     

Optical activity studies in the pretransitional isotropic region of strongly chiral propiolate ester liquid crystals

Optical rotation and circular dichroism measurements performed in the pretransitional isotropic region above the chiral smectic phases TGBA*, TGBC*, S*_C, and S*_A exhibited by 1-alkylalkyl 4'-(4'-n-alkoxyphenylpropioloyloxy)biphenyl-4-carboxylates are reported. These results revealed a high degree of increasing chiral ordering on cooling in the isotropic phase, particularly in the temperature region where a broad DSC peak appears. However, the behaviour of the pretransitional optical activity was unlike that commonly observed for chiral nematic or blue phase compounds and did not follow a simple Landau-de Gennes temperature dependence. Characteristic features of the pretransitional optical activity may aid in understanding the local structure of chiral smectic phases. Electric fields did not seem to influence the results significantly, but strong electric field-induced optical rotation behaviour was demonstrated for a mixture constituted of the laterally fluorinated propiolate ester component and a nematic with a large positive dielectric anisotropy. These field-induced results could be fitted to expressions from the existing theory of pretransitional optical activity. Circular dichroism studies at low temperatures were performed for two compounds in dilute solution and were found to exhibit very large changes in their extinction coefficient at wavelengths in the ultraviolet region, which may indicate strong chiral interactions even in dilute isotropic solutions of these materials.     

A new method for the purification of cytochrome-P450 from human liver microsomes.

A procedure for the solubilization and purification of cytochrome-P450 (cyt-P450) from human liver microsomes is described. Successive treatment of microsomes with protease XXVII and 3-(3-cholamidopropyl)dimethylammoniopropanesulphonic acid gave a solubilized cyt-P450 in more than 80% yield and with a three-fold increase in specific activity. With this treatment it was possible to eliminate 80% of cytochrome-b5 and 75% of NADPH cyt-P450 reductase. The solubilized cyt-P450 was filtered on a Sephacryl-200 column and then subjected to high performance liquid chromatography with a Mono-P column (chromatofocussing). The recovery of separated cyt-P450 was about 50% with a specific activity of 11.5 nmol cyt-P450/mg protein. Also with this technique it was possible to determine the isoelectric points of cyt-P450. These results allowed us to confirm the usefulness of our method, for the study the cyt-P450 from surgical biopsies.     

Ionic conductivity studies of chitosan-based polymer electrolytes doped with adipic acid

Chitosan acetate–adipic acid film polymer electrolytes have been prepared by the solution cast technique. The highest conductivity is 1.4 × 10⁻⁹ S cm⁻¹ for 35 wt.% of adipic acid at room temperature. The sample with highest conductivity has the lowest activation energy. Calculations using the Rice and Roth model provide number of mobile ions, η. The conductivity is dependent on the diffusion coefficient and mobility.