Electrochemical performance of grown layer of Ni(OH)2 on nickel foam and treatment with phosphide and selenide for efficient water splitting

Active nanocomposites synthesized by the electrochemical approach play a vital role in energy generation, conversion, and storage technologies. Recently, scientists began to explore the use of earth-rich transition metal-based materials to replace precious metal-based catalysts. Transition metals (TMs) based nickel (Ni) and their pnictides compounds such as phosphides and selenides exhibit good activity for hydrogen evaluation reaction (HER) and the entire water electrolysis process. In this study, we first prepared Ni(OH)₂ and grown its layer on Ni foam (NF) and treated it with selenide (Se) and phosphide (P) then nickel-based selenide-phosphide catalyst (Ni–P–Se) was prepared by simultaneous selenization and phosphidation process for the first time. The as-obtained composite was then analyzed by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscope (SEM), elemental mapping and transmission electron microscope (TEM) means to study the composition, structure, and micro-morphology of materials. Furthermore, we also observed electrocatalytic water splitting activity using electrochemical cell. The results of electrochemical tests depicted that the selenization and phosphidation treatments significantly enhanced the electrocatalytic HER activity of the starting materials. The overpotentials required for Ni–P–Se to reach 10 ?mA ?cm^?2 and 100 ?mA ?cm^?2 were only 242 ?mV and 282 ?mV. The Tafel slope of Ni–P–Se is 151 ?mV dec^?1, which is lower than that of nickel phosphide, selenide, and hydroxide indicating that selenide-phosphide enhances the HER reaction kinetics of the material, which in turn increases hydrogen output rate as compared with previous studies.     

Fast determination of paracetamol and its hydrolytic degradation product p-aminophenol by capillary and microchip electrophoresis with contactless conductivity detection

Paracetamol (PAC) is one of the most extensively used analgesics and antipyretic drugs to treat mild and moderate pain. P-aminophenol (PAP), the main hydrolytic degradation product of PAC, can be found in environmental water. Recently, CE has been developed for the detection of a wide variety of chemical substances. The purpose of this study is to develop a simple and fast method for the detection and separation of PAC and its main hydrolysis product PAP using CE and microchip electrophoresis with capacitively coupled contactless conductivity detection. The determination of these compounds using microchip electrophoresis with capacitively coupled contactless conductivity detection is being reported for the first time. The separation was run for all analytes using a BGE (20 mM β-alanine, pH 11) containing 14% (v/v) methanol. The RSDs obtained for migration time were less than 4%, and RSDs obtained for peak area were less than 7%. The detection limits (S/N = 3) that were achieved ranged from 0.3 to 0.6 mg/L without sample preconcentration. The presented method showed rapid analysis time (less than 1 min), high efficiency and precision, low cost, and a significant decrease in the consumption of reagents. The microchip system has proved to be an excellent analytical technique for fast and reliable environmental applications.     

Mercury(II) cyanide coordination polymer with dinuclear gold(I) amidinate. Structure of the 2-D [Au2(2,6-Me2-formamidinate)2].2Hg(CN)2.2THF complex

The dinuclear gold(I) amidinate complex [Au(2)(Me(2)-form)(2)], 1, (Me(2)-form = 2,6-Me(2)-formamidinate) reacts with Hg(CN)(2) to form a 2D structure, 1.2Hg(CN)(2).2THF. Each gold center interacts with two Hg(CN)(2) molecules. The Au...Au distance increases from 2.7 Angstroms in the starting dinuclear complex to 2.9 Angstroms in the adduct. The gold centers are connected to four nitrogen atoms with Au-N distances in the range 2.13-2.51 Angstroms. The cyanide stretch is shifted from 2192 cm(-1) in the Hg(CN)(2) to 2147 cm(-1) in the adduct.     

Textbook representations of radian angle measure: The need to build on the quantitative view of angle

Empirical studies of angle, angle measure, and radian angle measure have primarily focused on documenting students' and teachers' conceptions. Representations of angle measure have the potential to inform and build on these conceptions. To gain insight into the concept of radian angle measure from a curricular perspective, I investigated the representations of radian angle measure in eight widely used U.S. high school mathematics textbooks. The data for this study are the 20 figures and the 8 definitions of radian angle measure in the textbooks. Inductive content analysis was used to identify the frequency of observable characteristics in the representations. Textbook figures of radian angle measure most frequently focus on a one-radian angle. Textbook figures also demonstrated radian angle measures in terms of π, in standard position, even when the Cartesian-coordinate plane was not in the figure. The frequently used characteristics of radian representations could inadvertently reinforce a qualitative concept of angle, instead of fostering the quantitative attributes of radian angle measure. Moving forward, analyzing conceptions that are evoked by the frequently used representations of radian angle measure could build a link between evidence from this study and studies of learning.     

Immobilization of transition metal ion complexes and their catalytic activity towards the activation of hydrogen peroxide

Transition metal ion-imidazole complexes have been immobilized on silica, silica–alumina (25%Al₂O₃), and alumina supports by adsorption and functionalization methods. The catalytic activity of these supported complexes in the decomposition of H₂O₂ has been studied. The reaction exhibits first-order kinetics with respect to [H₂O₂] and the quantity of catalyst. The rate of reaction decreases as [H₂O₂]₀ increases. The order of catalytic reactivity is strongly dependent on the type of metal ion, support, and the immobilization method. The complex anchored via adsorption exhibited a higher activity compared to the corresponding complex anchored via functionalization of the surface. The reaction proceed via formation of the peroxo-intermediate, which has an inhibiting effect on the reaction rate. The reaction is enthalpy-controlled as is concluded from the isokinetic relationship. A mechanism is proposed involving the generation of HO₂ radicals from the peroxo-intermediate in the rate-determining step.     

Ruthenium complexes of easily accessible tridentate ligands based on the 2-aryl-4,6-bis(2-pyridyl)-s-triazine motif: absorption spectra, luminescence properties, and redox behavior

A family of tridendate ligands 1 a-e, based on the 2-aryl-4,6-di(2-pyridyl)-s-triazine motif, was prepared along with their hetero- and homoleptic Ru(II) complexes 2 a-e ([Ru(tpy)(1 a-e)](2+); tpy=2,2':6',2"-terpyridine) and 3 a-e ([(Ru(1 a-e)(2)](2+)), respectively. The ligands and their complexes were characterized by (1)H NMR spectroscopy, ES-MS, and elemental analysis. Single-crystal X-ray analysis of 2 a and 2 e demonstrated that the triazine core is nearly coplanar with the non-coordinating ring, with dihedral angles of 1.2 and 18.6 degrees, respectively. The redox behavior and electronic absorption and luminescence properties (both at room temperature in liquid acetonitrile and at 77 K in butyronitrile rigid matrix) were investigated. Each species undergoes one oxidation process centered on the metal ion, and several (three for 2 a-e and four for 3 a-e) reduction processes centered on the ligand orbitals. All compounds exhibit intense absorption bands in the UV region, assigned to spin-allowed ligand-centered (LC) transitions, and moderately intense spin-allowed metal-to-ligand charge-transfer (MLCT) absorption bands in the visible region. The compounds exhibit relatively intense emissions, originating from triplet MLCT levels, both at 77 K and at room temperature. The incorporation of triazine rings and the near planarity of the noncoordinating ring increase the luminescence lifetimes of the complexes by lowering the energy of the (3)MLCT state and creating a large energy gap to the dd state.     

Tetranuclear Gold(I) Clusters with Nitrogen Donor Ligands: Luminescence and X-Ray Structure of Gold(I) Naphthyl Amidinate Complex

The syntheses and characterization of gold(I) naphthyl, pentafluorophenyl, and trifluoromethylphenyl amidinate complexes are reported. The tetranuclear clusters are obtained from the reaction of Au(tetrahydrothiophene)Cl with the potassium salt of the corresponding amidinate in a THF solvent. The crystal structures of the gold(I) naphthyl, 2, and pentafluorophenyl, 3, amidinates show a short Au···Au distance of ~3. 0 Å typical of compounds having an aurophilic interaction. The gold atoms are arranged in a square (Au···Au···Au = 87°–92°) in the pentafluorophenyl derivative and in a parallelogram (Au···Au···Au = 68°–110°) in the naphthyl amidinate complexes. The naphthyl and trifluoromethylphenyl complexes are visibly luminescent in the solid state at liquid nitrogen temperature displaying asymmetric emission bands at 538 and 473 nm, respectively. The luminescent lifetimes of these species are in the millisecond range indicating phosphorescent processes.     

Claycop/hydrazine: A new and highly efficient recyclable/reusable catalytic system for 1,4‐disubstituted‐1,2,3‐triazole synthesis under solvent‐free conditions

Clay‐supported copper(II) nitrate (claycop) has been used as an efficient catalyst for azide–alkyne cycloaddition reactions leading to 1,4‐disubstituted 1,2,3‐triazoles. The highly efficient claycop/hydrazine hydrate catalytic system affords triazoles in a few minutes (1–20 min) at room temperature, under mild and solvent‐free conditions. High regioselectivity, excellent yields, ease of claycop synthesis and recyclability/reusability of the catalyst are considered as practical merits of the protocol.     

Chelating behavior, thermal studies and biocidal efficiency of tioconazole and its complexes with some transition metal ions

New seven metal complexes of tioconazole drug with the general formulae [MCl₂(L)₂(H₂O)_x].yH₂O (where, x = 0 and y = 1 for M = Mn(II) or x = 2, y = 2 for M = Co(II)), and x = 0, y = 3 for M = Cu(II), Ni(II), Zn(II)) and [MCl₂(L)₂(H₂O)₂]Cl.3H₂O (where M = Cr(III) and Fe(III)) have been prepared and characterized based on elemental analyses, IR, magnetic moment, molar conductance, and thermal analyses techniques. From molar conductance data bivalent metal chelates are non-electrolytes while Cr(III) and Fe(III) chelates are electrolytes and of 1:1 type. According to the IR spectral data, TCNZ is coordinated to the metal ions in a neutral unidentate manner with N donor site of the imidazole–N. All the complexes are octahedral except Mn(II) complex has tetrahedral structure. TCNZ drug and its metal complexes were also screened for their biological activity.