Layer-by-layer assembly of cationic guar gum,cellulose nanocrystals and hydroxypropyl methylcellulose based multilayered composite films

Eco-friendly sustainable materials provide an appealing template to replace contemporary synthetic-nonrenewable resource-based materials while maintaining the acceptable material properties to meet the performance requirements. Here, a layer-by-layer (LBL) self-assembly technique was used for fabricating multilayer composite films using all bio-based polymers/polysaccharides, i.e. cationic guar gum (CGg), carboxylated cellulose nanocrystals (cCNCs) and hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC). A five layered composite film was fabricated by depositing polymeric layers as follows: CGg→cCNCs→HPMC→cCNCs→CGg. The structural analysis of (CGg/cCNCs/HPMC)_5 L multilayered composite films indicated the existence of electrostatic interaction as well as H-bonding between polymeric layers that resulted in homogenous, dense and compact film surface with improved smoothness and strength properties. As compared to pure CGg film, the (CGg/cCNCs/HPMC)_5 L multilayered composite films showed improved tensile strength (84.8?% increment) and modulus (29.19?% improvement). Importantly, the deposition of HPMC layer contributed in achieving multilayer composite films with more flexible behavior (46.55?% improvement in elongation at break). Furthermore, owing to the high transparency (89.5?% transmittance), appreciable gas and oil barrier performance and resistance to various solvents (e.g. acetone, THF and DMAc), these multilayer films are promising candidates for various applications including renewable/sustainable packaging materials.

     

High dynamic range thermometry at 5 kHz in hydrogen–air diffusion flame using chirped‐probe‐pulse femtosecond coherent anti‐stokes Raman scattering

Chirped probe pulse femtosecond coherent anti‐Stokes Raman scattering (CPP fs‐CARS) thermometry was performed at 5 kHz in a hydrogen jet diffusion flame with an air co‐flow. Measurements were performed at different heights and radial locations within the jet diffusion flame, up to 16 nozzle exit diameters downstream (x/d = 16). The near‐nozzle measurements were characterized by large, organized, buoyancy‐driven instabilities that become more chaotic at the downstream locations x/d ≥ 4. The diffusion flame results highlight temperature fluctuations characteristic of the buoyancy‐driven Kelvin–Helmholtz‐type instability and provide new insights into the transient structure of these flames. At some measurement locations, the time‐varying temperatures ranged from 300 K to nearly 2400 K. The CPP fs‐CARS signal intensity is a factor of approximately 1000 times lower at 2400 K compared with 300 K. A dual‐channel detection system was used to increase the dynamic range of the CARS measurements. The determination of temperature from the single shot spectra is discussed in detail. Laser and detection system parameters were determined from CPP fs‐CARS spectra obtained from a near‐adiabatic laminar calibration flame apparatus. The temperature precision of the system was determined from these calibration measurements and was found to be better than 2.0% at 2200 K. The influence of an instrument response function on spectral fitting parameters is systematically assessed. Published 2015. This article is a U.S. Government work and is in the public domain in the USA.     

Effect of UV and visible light on photocatalytic reduction of lead and cadmium over titania based binary oxide materials

Uniform sized silica and zirconia mixed titania samples were prepared in presence of a surfactant (CETAB) using controlled hydrolysis of corresponding metal alkoxides. Photocatalytic activity towards reduction of lead and cadmium metal in aqueous solution was evaluated both in UV and visible light in a 100 ml capacity reactor. In particular mixing of 10 wt% silica with titania not only increases the surface area of the material but also increases the photocatalytic activity in UV light. Whereas mixing of zirconia with titania proved to be beneficial for visible light reaction. However, addition of hole scavenger increases the activity many folds and complete removal of Pb(2+) and Cd(2+) was possible in 60 min of reaction using synthesized catalysts. Among all the organic hole scavengers used, sodium formate is found to be the most active one. Interestingly quite high metal removal (89%) is also observed in presence of visible light within 60 min of reaction. Thus the above study indicates that the presence of certain oxides in low quantity (10 wt%) with titania can facilitates the photocatalytic process selectively in UV as well as visible light.     

Cobalt-Catalyzed Cyclization of 2-Bromobenzamides with Carbodiimides: A New Route for the Synthesis of 3-(Imino)isoindolin-1-ones

A novel synthetic pathway to approach 3-(imino)isoindolin-1-ones by the Co-catalyzed cyclization reaction of 2-bromobenzamides with carbodiimides has been developed. This catalytic reaction can tolerate a variety of substituents and provide corresponding products in moderate yields for most cases. According to the literature, the reaction mechanism is proposed through the formation of a five-membered aza-cobalacycle complex, which carries out the following reaction subsequence, including nucleophilic addition and substitution, to furnish the desired structures.     

Visible-Light Responsive Cu–MOF–NH2 for Highly Efficient Aerobic Photocatalytic Oxidation of Benzyl Alcohol

Kinetics and Catalysis - The current study focuses on the photocatalytic oxidation of benzyl alcohol in acetonitrile under air bubbling conditions comparing titania-based materials, Cu–MOF,...     

水中高压脉动气泡水射流形成机理及载荷特性研究

具有脉动特性的气泡(如水下爆炸气泡、螺旋桨空泡和气枪气泡)动力学行为很大程度上取决于其边界条件. 实验已证实,近自由液面气泡在坍塌过程中常常产生背离自由液面的水射流现象,而近刚性边界气泡在坍塌阶段产生朝向壁面的高速水射流,严重威胁水中结构的局部强度. 前人基于 Rayleigh-Plesset 气泡理论和 “Bjerknes” 力来预测气泡射流方向,然而理论方法难以透彻的揭示气泡射流的初生、发展和砰击过程中丰富的力学机理. 本文首先采用水下高压放电技术产生气泡,并通过高速摄影对不同边界条件下气泡的运动特性进行实验研究. 然后,采用边界积分法模拟气泡非球状坍塌过程. 研究表明,边界条件改变了气泡周围的流场压力梯度方向,进而影响气泡射流初生位置;射流在发展阶段,气泡附近流场的局部高压区和射流之间存在“正反馈效应”,从而揭示了气泡射流速度在短时间内即可增加到百米每秒的力学机理. 射流砰击会在流场中造成局部高压区,随着气泡回弹,射流速度和砰击压力逐渐减小. 本文还探讨了无量纲距离参数对气泡运动及射流砰击载荷的影响,旨为近场水下爆炸等相关领域提供参考.      

Synthesis and characterization of novel trans-3-benzyl/(diphenyl)methyl/naphthyl seleno substituted monocyclic β-lactams: X-ray structure of trans-1-(4′-methoxyphenyl)-3-(diphenyl)methylseleno-4-(4′-methoxyphenyl)azetidin-2-one

Several novel trans-3-benzyl/(diphenyl)methyl/naphthylseleno substituted monocyclic β-lactams (5-7) have been synthesized in high yields. The reaction scheme inolves [2 + 2] cycloaddition (Staudinger) reaction between suitably substituted imines 4(a-h) and ketenes (B) accessed from 2-benzyl/(diphenyl)methyl/naphthylselenoethanoic acids (1-3) using POCl₃ and triethylamine in refluxing toluene. Characterization of these newly synthesized seleno substituted β-lactams has been performed by various spectroscopic techniques viz. NMR (¹H, ¹³C and ⁷⁷Se), FTIR, mass spectrometry and elemental analysis. The molecular structure of trans-1-(4′-methoxyphenyl)-3-(diphenyl)methylseleno-4-(4′-methoxyphenyl)azetidin-2-one (6b) has also been established with the help of single crystal X-ray analysis.