Synthesis of silver nanoprisms in formamide

Polygonal (mainly triangular) silver nanoprisms were prepared by reducing silver perchlorate in formamide in the presence of polyethylene glycol (PEG) at room temperature. The reduction of silver ions by formamide leads to the deposition of arrays of triangular shaped silver nanoparticles on the glass walls of the container, accompanied by evolution of CO2 gas. In the presence of poly(N-vinyl-2-pyrrolidone) (PVP) and PEG (1:1), both nanospheres and nanoprisms are formed.     

What a difference ancillary thienyl makes: unexpected additional stabilization of the diruthenium(III,II) but not the diosmium(III,II) mixed-valent state in tetrazine ligand-bridged complexes

The Ru(2)(III,II) mixed-valent state is strongly stabilized in [(bpy)(2)Ru(mu-bttz)Ru(bpy)(2)](5+) (3(5+), bttz = 3,6-bis(2-thienyl)-1,2,4,5-tetrazine, as evident from lowered oxidation potentials and isolability, a strongly increased comproportionation constant K(c) = 10(16.6), and a high-energy intervalence charge transfer band at 10100 cm(-1). Curiously, no such effects were observed for the diosmium(III,II) analogue, whereas the related systems [(bpy)(2)M(mu-bmptz)M(bpy)(2)](5+), bmptz = 3,6-bis(4-methyl-2-pyridyl)-1,2,4,5-tetrazine, exhibit conventional behavior, i.e., a slightly higher K(c) value of the Os(2)(III,II) analogue. EPR signals were observed at 4 K for 3(5+) but not for the other mixed-valent species, and high-frequency (285 GHz) EPR was employed to study the diruthenium(II) radical complexes 2(3+) and 3(3+).     

Mechanism of Metal Ion Catalysis in the dissociation of cis-diaquobisoxalatochromate(III) ion

The metal ion (M²⁺) catalysed dissociation of cis-diaquobisoxalatochromate into the tetraaquomonooxalato complex in aqueous perchloric acid medium which follows the rate law — d(complex)/dt = {k_H[H⁺] + k_M[M²⁺]}[complex] has been studied. Based on k_M values the order of catalysing effect of the different metal ions studied is Cu²⁺ > Ni²⁺ > Co²⁺ > Mn²⁺, which is also the order of stabilities (K_MOx) of the monooxalato complexes of these metal ions; in fact the plot of log k_M vs. log K_MOx is linear. This together with the relative values of ΔH^≠ and ΔS^≠ for the H⁺ catalysed and M²⁺ catalysed paths is in agreement with a mechanism involving chelation of the catalysing cation through the free carbonyl oxygens of the oxalate ligand bound to Cr(III), followed by the dissociation of the Cr(III)? O bonds with simultaneous entry of two water molecules into the coordination sphere of Cr(III).     

Determination of oxygen to uranium ratio in irradiated uranium dioxide by controlled potential coulometry

This work reports the determination of oxygen to uranium (O/U) ratio in irradiated UO_2+x fuel pellet of burnup of ca. 34 GWd/t by controlled potential coulometry. The method is based on the dissolution of the nuclear fuel in strong phosphoric acid (SPA) at 180–190 °C under an inert atmosphere. After dissolution, 8% sulphuric acid is added in order to obtain a 20% SPA in 8% sulphuric acid. A controlled potential coulometric determination of uranium(VI) is carried out at ?0.60V vs. ferri-ferrocyanide. The uranium(IV) contained in an aliquot of the fuel solution is oxidised to uranium(VI) with cerium(IV) sulphate, and the total uranium content is then determined by coulometry. Optimum experimental conditions have been established using simulated irradiated fuel solution containing various fission products which include cerium, tellurium, palladium, ruthenium, molybdenum and zirconium. Interference of the fission products and the possible removal of their interferences by preelectrolysis at +0.5 V vs. saturated calomel electrode (SCE) have been investigated. The accuracy of the coulometric method is confimed by polarographic measurement using several unirradiated UO_2+x fuel of known stoichiometry.     

Adhesion and debonding of soft elastic films: crack patterns, metastable pathways, and forces

We study the phenomenon of debonding in a thin soft elastic film sandwiched between two rigid plates as one of the plates is brought into intimate contact and then pulled away from contact proximity by application of a normal force. Nonlinear simulations based on minimization of total energy (composed of stabilizing elastic strain energy and destabilizing adhesive interaction energy) are employed to address the problems of contact hysteresis, cavitation, crack morphology, variation of contact area, snap-off distance, pull-off force, work done, and energy loss. Below a critical distance (d(c)) upon approach, simulations show the formation of columnar structures and nonrandom, regularly arranged nanocavities at the soft interface at a length scale of approximately 3h (h being the thickness of the film). The persistence of such instability upon withdrawal (distance >d(c)) indicates a contact hysteresis, which is caused by an energy barrier that separates the metastable states of the patterned configuration and the global minimum state of the flat film. The energy and the pull-off force are found to be nonequilibrium and nonunique properties depending on the initial contact, defects, noise, etc. Three broad pathways of debonding leading to adhesive failure of the interface, depending on the stiffness of the film, step size of withdrawal, and the imposed noise, are identified: a catastrophic column collapse mode, a peeling mode involving a continuous decrease in the contact area, and a column splitting mode. The first two modes are caused by a very high stress concentration near the cavity edges. These metastable patterned configurations engender pull-off forces that are orders of magnitude smaller than that required to separate two flat surfaces from contact.     

Ionic discotic liquid crystals: synthesis and characterization of pyridinium bromides containing a triphenylene core

Five novel pyridinium salts tethered with hexaalkoxytriphenylene molecules were synthesized by the quaternization of pyridine with ω-bromo-substituted triphenylene derivatives. Their chemical structures were determined by ¹H NMR, ¹³C NMR, IR, UV spectroscopy and elemental analysis. The thermotropic liquid crystalline properties of these salts were investigated by polarizing optical microscopy and differential scanning calorimetry. These triphenylene-based pyridinium salts with bromide as counterion were found to be mesomorphic over a wide temperature range.     

A review on experimental studies of surfactant adsorption at the hydrophilic solid-water interface

The progresses of understanding of the surfactant adsorption at the hydrophilic solid-liquid interface from extensive experimental studies are reviewed here. In this respect the kinetic and equilibrium studies involves anionic, cationic, non-ionic and mixed surfactants at the solid surface from the solution. Kinetics and equilibrium adsorption of surfactants at the solid-liquid interface depend on the nature of surfactants and the nature of the solid surface. Studies have been reported on adsorption kinetics at the solid-liquid interface primarily on the adsorption of non-ionic surfactant on silica and limited studies on cationic surfactant on silica and anionic surfactant on cotton and cellulose. The typical isotherm of surfactants in general, can be subdivided into four regions. Four-regime isotherm was mainly observed for adsorption of ionic surfactant on oppositely charged solid surface and adsorption of non-ionic surfactant on silica surface. Region IV of the adsorption isotherm is commonly a plateau region above the CMC, it may also show a maximum above the CMC. Isotherms of four different regions are discussed in detail. Influences of different parameters such as molecular structure, temperature, salt concentration that are very important in surfactant adsorption are reviewed here. Atomic force microscopy study of different surfactants show the self-assembly and mechanism of adsorption at the solid-liquid interface. Adsorption behaviour and mechanism of different mixed surfactant systems such as anionic-cationic, anionic-non-ionic and cationic-non-ionic are reviewed. Mixture of surface-active materials can show synergistic interactions, which can be manifested as enhanced surface activity, spreading, foaming, detergency and many other phenomena.     

Solvent Extraction Separation of Th(IV) and U(VI) with PC-88A

Liquid-liquid extraction of Th(IV) and U(VI) has been investigated by commercial extractant PC-88A in toluene. The optimum conditions for extraction of these metals have been established by studying the various parameters like acid concentration/pH, reagent concentration, diluents and shaking time. The extraction of Th(IV) was found to be quantitative with 0.1–1.0M HNO₃ acid and in the pH range 1.0–4.0 while U(VI) was completely extracted in the pH range 1.0–3.5 with 2.5·10^–2M and 2.·10^–2M PC-88A in toluene, respectively. The probable extracted species have been ascertained by log D-log C plot as ThR₄·4HR and UO₂R₂·2HR, respectively. The method permits separation of Th(IV) and U(VI) from associated metals with a recovery of 99.0%.     

Kinetics and Mechanism of the Reactions of Picolinic Acid with Dichloro-{1-alkyl-2-(arylazo)imidazole}palladium(II) Complexes

The reaction between Pd(N,N′)Cl₂ [N,N′ ≡ 1-alkyl-2-(arylazo)imidazole (N,N′) and picolinic acid (picH) have been studied spectrophotometrically at λ = 463 nm in MeCN at 298 K. The product is [Pd(pic)₂] which has been verified by the synthesis of the pure compound from Na₂[PdCl₄] and picH. The kinetics of the nucleophilic substitution reaction have been studied under pseudo-first-order conditions. The reaction proceeds in a two-step-consecutive manner (A → B → C); each step follows first order kinetics with respect to each complex and picH where the rate equations are: Rate 1 = {k′₀ + k′₂[picH]₀} × [Pd(N,N′)Cl₂] and Rate 2 = {k′′₀ + k′′₂[picH]₀}[Pd(N,O)(monodentate N,N′)Cl₂] such that the first step second order rate constant (k′₂) is greater than the second step second order rate constant (k′′₂). External addition of Cl⁻ (as LiCl) suppresses the rate. Increase in π-acidity of the N,N′ ligand, increases the rate. The reaction has been studied at different temperatures and the activation parameters (Δ^‡H° and Δ^‡S°) were calculated from the Eyring plot.