Comparison of pre-irradiation and mutual grafting of 2-chloroacrylonitrile on cellulose by gamma-irradiation

Radiation-induced graft polymerization is one of the best methods for obtaining materials with new properties. In this work, radiation grafting of 2-chloroacrylonitrile to cellulose by mutual and pre-irradiation grafting methods was investigated. The grafting yield was enhanced by applying the emulsion grafting method. The grafting yield determined in the above systems was observed as 27% at highest and 6% at lowest. The effects of concentration of monomer, reaction time and reaction temperature on grafting yield were studied. Evidence of grafting has been based on the comparative studies of cellulose and grafted cellulose by infrared spectroscopy, thermal analysis and contact angle measurement. Grafting enhances thermal stability of cellulose backbone.     

Oxidation of Pt(111) under near-ambient conditions

The oxidation of Pt(111) at near-ambient O2 pressures has been followed in situ using x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and ex situ using x-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS). Polarization-dependent XAS signatures at the O K edge reveal significant temperature- and pressure-dependent changes of the Pt-O interaction. Oxide growth commences via a PtO-like surface oxide that coexists with chemisorbed oxygen, while an ultrathin α-PtO2 trilayer is identified as the precursor to bulk oxidation. These results have important implications for understanding the chemical state of Pt in catalysis.     

Solutions of Zakharov-Kuznetsov equation with power law nonlinearity in (1+3) dimensions

This paper studies the Zakharov-Kuznetsov equation in (1+3) dimensions with an arbitrary power law nonlinearity. The method of Lie symmetry analysis is used to carry out the integration of the Zakharov-Kuznetsov equation. The solutions obtained are cnoidal waves, periodic solutions, singular periodic solutions, and solitary wave solutions. Subsequently, the extended tanh-function method and the G′/G method are used to integrate the Zakharov-Kuznetsov equation. Finally, the nontopological soliton solution is obtained by the aid of ansatz method. There are numerical simulations throughout the paper to support the analytical development.     

Spectral asymptotics and basis properties of fourth order differential operators with regular boundary conditions

In this paper, we consider the problem where λ is a spectral parameter; q(x) ∈ L₁(0,1) is complex‐valued function; α_s, s = 1,2,3, are arbitrary complex constants that satisfy α₂ = α₁ + α₃ and σ = 0,1. The boundary conditions of this problem are regular, but not strongly regular. Asymptotic formulae for eigenvalues and eigenfunctions of the considered boundary value problem are established. It is proved that all the eigenvalues, except for finite number, are simple and the system of root functions of this spectral problem forms a basis in the space L_p(0,1), 1 < p < ∞ , when ; moreover, this basis is unconditional for p = 2. We note that the considered problem was previously investigated in the condition of α₂ ≠ α₁ + α₃. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Thermal Decomposition Kinetics of Some Metal Complexes of 2,3-Hydroxyimino-4-phenyl-6-phenyazo-1-thia-4,5-diazacyclohexa-5-diene

The Ni(II), Cu(II) Co(II) and Zn(II) complexes of 2,3‐hydroxyimino‐4‐phenyl‐6‐phenyazo‐1‐thia‐4,5‐diaza‐ cyclohexa‐5‐diene (H₂L) were synthesized. Thermal behavior of these complexes was studied in dynamic nitrogen atmosphere by TA (thermogravimetric analysis), DTA (differential thermal analysis) and DTG (differential thermal gravimetry) techniques. The reaction order, the activation energies, the entropies, the enthalpies, the free energies, and the pre‐exponential factors of the thermal decomposition reactions were calculated from the thermogravimetric curves. The kinetic analysis of the thermogravimetric data was performed by using several methods such as MacCallum‐Tanner (MT), van Krevelen (vK), Madhusudanan‐Krishnan‐Ninan (MKN), Wanjun‐Yuwen‐Hen‐Cunxin (WYHC), Horowitz‐Metzger (HM) and Coats‐Redfern method (CR) based on the single heating rate. Most appropriate methods were determined for each decomposition step according to the least‐square linear regression. The Ni(II), Cu(II) Co(II) and Zn(II) complexes displayed one‐ or two‐stage decomposition pattern when heating in a dynamic nitrogen atmosphere and metal oxides remained as end products of the complexes. The characterization of the end products of the decomposition was performed by X‐ray diffraction.     

Preservation of beech and spruce wood by allyl alcohol-based copolymers

Allyl alcohol (AA), acrylonitrile (AN), methyl methacrylate (MMA), monomers and monomer mixtures AA+AN, AA+MMA were used to conserve and consolidate Beech and Spruce. After impregnation, copolymerisation and polymerisation were accomplished by gamma irradiation. The fine structure of wood+polymer(copolymer) composites was investigated by Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM). It was observed that copolymer obtained from AA+MMA monomer mixture showed the optimum compatibility. The compressional strength and Brinell Hardness Numbers determined for untreated and treated wood samples indicated that the mechanical strength of wood+copolymer composites was increased. It was found that the mechanical strength of the wood samples containing the AA+MMA copolymer was higher than the others. In the presence of P(AA/MMA), at highest conversion, the compressive strength perpendicular to the fibres in Beech and Spruce increased approximately 100 times. The water uptake capacity of wood+copolymer composites was observed to decrease by more than 50% relative to the original samples, and biodegradation did not take place.     

Poly(cyclohexene oxide)/clay nanocomposites by photoinitiated cationic polymerization via activated monomer mechanism

Poly(cyclohexene oxide) (PCHO)/clay nanocomposites were prepared by in situ photoinitiated activated monomer cationic polymerization. The polymerization of cyclohexene oxide through the interlayer galleries of the clay can provide distribution of the clay layers in the polymer matrix homogenously and results in the formation of PCHO/clay nanocomposites. The exfoliated structures were characterized by X‐ray diffraction spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, transmission electron microscopy, and atomic force microscopy. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 47: 5328–5335, 2009     

Monomer/polymer Schiff base copper(II) complexes for catalytic oxidative polymerization of 2,2′‐dihydroxybiphenyl

Catalytic oxidative polymerization of 2,2′‐dihydroxybiphenyl (DHBP) was performed by using both the Schiff base monomer‐Cu(II) complex and Schiff base polymer‐Cu(II) complex compounds as catalysts and hydrogen peroxide as oxidant, respectively. The dependence of monomer conversion and molecular weight distribution on various reaction parameters, including time, temperature, solvent as well as the amount of catalyst and oxidant were investigated. The structure of the poly‐2,2′‐dihydroxybiphenyl (PDHBP) was confirmed by UV‐vis, IR, ¹H and ¹³C NMR spectroscopy techniques. The electrochemical and thermal properties of PDHBP were also studied. DSC data revealed that PDHBP was amorphous. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 47: 2977–2984, 2009     

Commuting elements and spaces of homomorphisms

This article records basic topological, as well as homological properties of the space of homomorphisms Hom(π,G) where π is a finitely generated discrete group, and G is a Lie group, possibly non-compact. If π is a free abelian group of rank equal to n, then Hom(π, G) is the space of ordered n–tuples of commuting elements in G. If G = SU(2), a complete calculation of the cohomology of these spaces is given for n = 2, 3. An explicit stable splitting of these spaces is also obtained, as a special case of a more general splitting. Alejandro Adem was partially supported by the NSF and NSERC. Frederick R. Cohen was partially supported by the NSF, grant number 0340575.