Effect of Ni(II) substitution on phase stabilization electrical properties of BICo(III)VOX.20 oxide-ion conductor

The BICO_0.20–xNI_xVOX solid electrolyte was synthesized by the standard solid-state reaction. The effect of Ni(II) substitution for Co(III) on phase stabilization and oxide-ion performance has been investigated in the compositional range 0?≤?x?≤?0.20 using X-ray powder diffraction, differential thermal analysis and AC impedance spectroscopy. The highly conductive γ′-phase was effectively stabilized at room temperature for compositions with x?≥?0.13 whose thermal stability increases with Ni content. The complex plane plots of impedance were typically represented at temperatures below 380?°C, suggesting a major contribution of polycrystalline grains to the overall electrical conductivity. The dielectric permittivity measurements revealed the fact that suppression of the ferroelectric transition is compositionally dependent. Interestingly, the maximum ionic conductivity at lower temperatures (~2.56?×?10^?4?S^?cm^?1 at 300?°C) was observed for the composition with x?=?0.13. The variation of low-temperature conductivity with Ni content was accompanied with a general drop in the corresponding values of ΔE_LT. However, the local minimum high-temperature conductivity, σ₆₀₀?°C?~?2.26?×?10^?2?S^?cm^?1 for x?=?0.10, coupled with a local maximum value of ΔE_HT?~?0.48?eV was attributed to an increased defect trapping effect correlated with the V(V)?→?V(IV) reduction at elevated temperatures.     

The Kadomtsev-Petviashvili equation for dust ion-acoustic solitons in pair-ion plasmas

Using the reductive perturbation method,we have derived the Kadomtsev-Petviashvili(KP) equation to study the nonlinear properties of electrostatic collisionless dust ion-acoustic solitons in pair-ion(p-i) plasmas.We have chosen the fluid model for the positive ions,the negative ions,and a fraction of static charged(both positively and negatively) dust particles.Numerical solutions of these dust ion-acoustic solitons are plotted and their characteristics are discussed.It is found that only the amplitudes of the electrostatic dust ion-acoustic solitons vary when the dust is introduced in the pair-ion plasma.It is also noticed that the amplitude and the width of these solitons both vary when the thermal energy of the positive or negative ions is varied.It is shown that potential hump structures are formed when the temperature of the negative ions is higher than that of the positive ions,and potential dip structures are observed when the temperature of the positive ions supersedes that of the negative ions.As the pair-ion plasma mimics the electron-positron plasma,thus our results might be helpful in understanding the nonlinear dust ion acoustic solitary waves in super dense astronomical bodies.     

Development and validation spectroscopic methods for the determination of lomefloxacin in bulk and pharmaceutical formulations

Four simple, sensitive spectrophotometric and spectrofluorimetric methods (A-D) for the determination of antibacterial drug lomefloxacin (LMFX) in pharmaceutical formulations have been developed. Method A is based on formation of ternary complex between Pd(II), eosin and LMFX in the presence of methyl cellulose as surfactant and acetate-HCl buffer pH 4.0. Spectrophotometrically, under the optimum conditions, the ternary complex showed absorption maximum at 530 nm. Methods B and C are based on redox reaction between LMFX and KMnO₄ in acid and alkaline media. In indirect spectrophotometry method B the drug solution is treated with a known excess of KMnO₄ in H₂SO₄ medium and subsequent determination of unreacted oxidant by reacting it with safronine O in the same medium at λ_max = 520 nm. Direct spectrophotometry method C involves treating the alkaline solution of LMFX with KMnO4 and measuring the bluish green product at 604 nm. Method D is based on the chelation of LMFX with Zr(IV) to produce fluorescent chelate. At the optimum reaction conditions, the drug-metal chelate showed excitation maxima at 280 nm and emission maxima at 443 nm. The optimum experimental parameters for the reactions have been studied. The validity of the described procedures was assessed. Statistical analysis of the results has been carried out revealing high accuracy and good precision. The proposed methods were successfully applied for the determination of the selected drug in pharmaceutical preparations with good recoveries.     

Antifungal Ursene‐Type Triterpene from the Roots of Alhagi camelorum

A new ursene‐type triterpene, (3β)‐30‐norurs‐11‐en‐3‐ol ( 1 ), was isolated from the MeOH extract of the roots of Alhagi camelorum. Its structure was elucidated on the basis of extensive spectroscopic investigations by 1D‐ and 2D‐NMR studies. In addition, 1 was evaluated for antifungal activities. Its application on prepared cultures of two fungi, i.e., Aspergillus niger and Saccharomyces cerevisiae, showed noticeable antifungal activity, suggesting that 1 could be used as a new promising agent in antifungal drug formulations.     

A profound density functional theory study to unravel the spectroscopic and molecular properties of two Flavanols differing in α-pyrone ring position

A comprehensive theoretical model was designed for two new flavanols that have been reported from Glycosmis pentaphylla, differing in the placement of α-pyrone ring. The density functional theory (DFT) approach was utilized for computing different properties of these compounds to validate the experimental findings and stereochemical assignments. Electronic properties, geometric parameters, frontier molecular orbitals (FMOs), molecular electrostatic potential (MESP), and natural bond orbital analysis were performed for the first time at the PBE0-D3BJ/def2-TZVP level of theory for the compounds under study. The simulated vibrational frequencies for compounds 1 and 2 were computed and compared with the experimental results. nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) (¹H and ¹³C) chemical shift values were computed at the PBE0-D3BJ/def2-TZVP/SMD_DMSO level of theory and showed a very good agreement with the experimental results for both the compounds. The electronic circular dichroism (ECD) and ultraviolet–visible (UV) spectra for both the compounds were obtained using time-dependent DFT in methanol, whose results exhibited excellent correlation with experimental data. The intermolecular interaction effect on geometric parameters, vibrational frequencies, and electronic properties were studied for the first time.     

Spectrophotometric determination of microamounts of thorium with thorin in the presence of cetylpyridinium chloride as surfactant in perchloric acid

A simple and more sensitive spectrophotometric method is developed for determination of thorium using thorin as a chromogenic reagent in the presence of cetylpyridinium chloride (CPC) in perchloric acid. The reaction was instantaneous and complex was found stable for 168 h. A significant bathochromic shift was noted in the presence of CPC. The determination range was enhanced from 25 to 30 μg mL^?1 with molar absorptivity of 2.95 × 104 L mol^?1 cm^?1 at 25 ± 5 °C. Sandell’s sensitivity was calculated to be 6.8 ng cm^?2 at 581 nm. Relative standard deviation was reduced from 4.25 to 2.5. The interference of Ni²⁺, Mn²⁺, Sn⁴⁺, phosphate, EDTA, sulphate and tartrate has been reduced significantly in the presence of surfactant. The validity of the proposed method was tested by determining thorium in Certified Reference Materials.     

Variation-based cracked laminate analysis revisited and fundamentally extended

The analyses of cracked laminates based on a variational principle and related approaches are appraised in this paper. The limitations of the existing methodology on the analyses of more general laminate configurations have been identified. It has been revealed that the limiting factor is the lack of boundary conditions for uncracked laminae. Natural boundary conditions have then been derived from the variational principle to meet the need. Such boundary conditions are mathematically sound but cannot be simply interpreted from the physical construction of the problem intuitively. A well posed boundary value problem has thus been formulated for laminates containing however many cracked and uncracked laminae. Appropriate mathematical tools can then be employed to solve the boundary value problem. The capability of analysing cracked laminates has been enhanced significantly, as a result.     

Warm Gauge-Flation with General Dissipative Coefficient

In this work, we study the effects of generalized dissipative coefficient on the slow-roll inflation driven by non-Abelian gauge field minimally coupled to gravity. The dynamics of warm intermediate and logamediate inflationary models during weak and strong dissipative regimes is analyzed. In both cases, we explore effective scalar potential, slow-roll parameters, scalar and tensor power spectra, scalar spectral index and tensor to scalar ratio under slow-roll conditions. We conclude that our gauge-flationary model with generalized dissipative coefficient remains consistent with the recent data for dissipative parameter m = 3 and m = 1 for weak and strong dissipative eras, respectively.