Controlled synthesis of ZnO nanoparticles from a Zn(II) coordination polymer: Structural characterization,optical properties and photocatalytic activity

A zinc coordination polymer derived from pyridine-2,6-dicarboxylate (PDC), {[Zn₂(PDC)₂]}_n, was successfully prepared via conventional, sonication and microwave-irradiation methods. The composition and characteristics of the obtained coordination polymers (CPs) were investigated by elemental analysis, TGA/DTA, X-ray diffraction and spectroscopic techniques. The so obtained CPs were heat-treated in the air at 600 °C for 2 h to produce ZnO of nanosized particles (NPs). It is of interest to note that the synthesis approach of the precursor greatly affects both the nanoparticle size and the structure of the resulting ZnO NPs. Moreover, the smallest particle size was associated with the sample derived from the ultrasonically prepared precursor. TEM analysis revealed that all samples have sphere-like morphologies. Structural analysis of the prepared ZnO samples was conducted and compared using Rietveld analysis of their PXRD patterns. Optical band gap calculations based on analysis of the UV–vis spectra of ZnO samples using Tauc's power law were achieved. The highest band gap of 3.63 eV was observed for ZnO sample obtained from the ultrasonically prepared precursor. Furthermore, the photocatalytic activity of ZnO NPs for the removal of Eosin Y color was monitored. The highest removal efficiency was recorded for ZnO originated from the ultrasonically synthesized precursor. Enhancement of removal efficiency that reached 98% was attained in only a period of 8 min. Its recycling test showed that it can be reused without structural changes over four cycling experiments.     

Optimization of extraction and quantification technique for phenolics content of garlic (Allium sativum): An application for comparative phytochemical evaluation based on cultivar origin

A range of conventional, i.e. maceration, percolation, ultrasonic assisted, Soxhlet and Soxtec extraction (STE), to advanced extraction techniques of accelerated solvent extraction (ASE) was utilized for the first time in order to optimize the extract yield and recovery of phenolics—gallic acid (GA), rutin (RT) and quercetin (QT)—quantified via ultra-high performance liquid chromatography with diode array detector (UHPLC–DAD). The effect of solvents (n-hexane, dichloromethane and methanol) and temperature (60, 80 and 100°C) upon extraction yield, phenolic content and antioxidant activity (DPPH, ABTS and DPPH) was studied, and the method was validated in commercial food samples from Saudi Arabia, China and India. A high extract yield with percentage recovery was observed for STE (1221.10 mg/5 g; 24.42%) and ASE techniques (91.50 mg/1 g; 9.15%) in methanol at 100°C. UHPLC–DAD showed retention times (min) of 0.67, 1.93 and 1.90 for GA, RT and QT, respectively in the shortest runtime of 3 min. The yield for phenolics was higher for STE/ASE (ppm): 15.27/15.29 (GA), 85.24/37.56 (RT) and 52.20/33.40 (QT), respectively. In terms of antioxidant activities, low IC₅₀ values (μg/ml) of 1.09/1.18 (DPPH), 2.11/5.32 (ABTS) and 4.35/7.88 (phenazine methosulfate–nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide) were observed for STE and ASE, respectively. Multivariate analysis for STE showed a significant (P = 0.000) correlation for extraction type vs. extract yield and phenolics content; however, there was no significance for antioxidant activities vs. extraction type. ASE showed a positive correlation for solvent vs. extraction yield, phenolics and antioxidant activity; however, there was no correlation for extraction yield and DPPH activity. Principal component analysis for STE showed a major variability (52.02%) for extraction yield and phenolics in PC1 followed by PC2 (38.30%) for antioxidant activities. For ASE, PC1 (48.68%) showed a positive correlation for solvent vs. extraction yield and phenolics while PC2 (33.12%) showed a positive correlation for temperature and antioxidant activities. STE and ASE were the optimized extraction techniques for the garlic food sample while a significant effect of solvent and temperature was observed upon extraction yield, phenolics and antioxidant activity.     

间二甲苯分子在不同外电场下结构和解离特性研究

间二甲苯是挥发性有机物(VOCs, Volatile Organic Compounds)的关键活性成分,研究其在外电场下的性质十分重要.采用密度泛函理论(DFT),在B3LYP/6-311G++基组水平上对间二甲苯分子进行优化,从分子结构研究了不同外电场(-0.025 a.u.～0.025 a.u.)作用下,间二甲苯分子的总能量,键长,电偶极矩,前线轨道,红外光谱和解离势能面.计算结果表明,沿两甲基中C原子连线方向的电场(-0.025 a.u.～0.025 a.u.)增加时,分子总能量和能隙先增大后减小,电偶极矩先减小后增加.通过计算发现外电场对间二甲苯分子不同键长和不同振动模式的红外光谱的影响均有所不同.间二甲苯分子的解离特性表现为:沿两甲基中C原子连线方向施加强度超过0.047 a. u.的电场时,位于电场增加方向的甲基与苯环之间起连接作用的C-C键断裂.以上计算结果可为利用电场降解间二甲苯提供重要理论参考.     

Electrochemical sensor based on super-magnetic metal–organic framework@molecularly imprinted polymer for Sarcosine detection in urine

Accurate determination of Sarcosine (SAR) in urine with high sensitivity and selectivity is important, because it was recently recommended as a prospective biomarker for prostate cancer (PCa) and significant for the early identification of PCa. In this study, an electrochemical sensor based on Fe₃O₄ incorporated metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) @molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP) was constructed for SAR detection. Magnetic Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles embedded zeolitic imidazolate framework-8 (ZIF-8) was used as the support of MIP. MIP provides specific recognition sites for template molecules SAR and MOFs increase the rate of mass transfer and adsorption capacity due to the porous structure. The synthesized super-magnetic Fe₃O₄@ZIF-8@MIP was self-assembled onto an Au electrode in magnetic field and used as the sensing unit of electrochemical sensor. Cyclic voltammetry was used to monitor the electrochemical behavior, and the binding of SAR resulted in a reduction in the measured current. The results revealed a wide linear range from 1 to 100 pM towards trace SAR determination, with extremely low limit of detection down to 0.4 pM. In conclusion, the Fe₃O₄@ZIF-8@MIP based sensor provides a selective, sensitive, and convenient method for SAR diagnosis and other cancer marker detection.     

Complementarity between micro-micro and micro-macro entanglement in a Bose–Einstein condensate with two Rydberg impurities

We theoretically study complementarity between micro-micro and micro-macro entanglement in a Bose–Einstein condensate with two Rydberg impurities. We investigate quantum dynamics of micro-micro and micro-macro entanglement in the micro-macro system. It is found that strong micro-macro entanglement between Rydberg impurities and the BEC can be generated by the use of initial micro-micro entanglement between two Rydberg impurities, which acts as the seed entanglement to create micro-macro entanglement. We demonstrate a curious complementarity relation between micro-micro and micro-macro entanglement, and find that the complementarity property can be sustained to some extent even though in the presence of the BEC decoherence.     

Analysis,design and simulation of MIM plasmonic filters with different geometries for technical parameters improvement

In this paper, four optical filter topologies based on metal–insulator–metal waveguides are proposed and the designed structures are investigated numerically using finite-difference timedomain method. Triangular-shaped adjunctions have been added to the filter structures to improve their transmission spectrum. These improved structures consist of air as the insulator and silver as the metal. The relative permittivity of metal has been described via the Drude,Drude–Lorentz, and Palik models. The first filter's transmission spectrum shows an acceptable transmittance. In the second optimized filter, the transmission spectrum has been improved. The transmittance spectrum can be tuned through adjusting the edge of the triangle in these four optimized filters. As a result, the bandwidths of resonance spectra can be adjusted. The theory of such tapered structures will be investigated by the tapered transmission line and will be solved with the transfer matrix method. This method shows a better performance and higher transmission efficiency in comparison with the basic structures. On the other hand, the final filter has been chosen as the best one because of its hexagonal resonator. The main reason for having a better result is due to a longer interaction length in comparison with the circular resonator. This in turn creates much better energy coupling and results in higher transmission.     

Interface effect between blue phosphorus and metals

The contacted properties of metal substrates with single layer (monolayer) blue phosphorus are calculated by first principles. We analyze the charge transfer, atomic orbital overlap, electronic properties and potential barrier at the interface of metal contacted blue phosphorene (BuleP) to understand how to effectively inject electrons from the metal into the contacted blue phosphorus. We inquire into interfacial effect of blue phosphorene directly in contact with five representative metallic substrates – Au (111), Ag(111), Al(111), Co(111) and Sc(0001), which are having minimal lattice mismatch with the BlueP. We find that the contact properties of these five metals are ohmic contact and schottky contact. Of the five different contact metals, Co-BlueP heterojunction has the best electrical conductivity. The lower SBH in the Al contact can also lead to a good substrate for a Schottky contact for the heterojunction. These results can provide guidance for the future design of BlueP-based electronic devices and for the exploration of new low-dimensional semiconductor transport processes.     

Nanoscale detection of faint machinery vibration using the NV center in diamond

We propose a novel method for detection of the faint machinery vibration at the nanometer resolution based on the spin magnetic resonant effect. A suspension magnet acts as a vibration sensor to transfer the vibration signals as the magnetic field fluctuation to excite the spin magnetic resonance. Due to the high sensitivity of the magnetic field of the nitrogen-vacancy center in diamond, the theoretical detection limit of mechanical vibration is as high as 5.7 nm, and the actual measurement resolution reached 12.8 nm, and proved the potential for further improvement to ∼pm resolution. The feasibility of this method is verified by dynamic tests. This method provides a novel approach for the detection of micro-mechanical vibrations.     

第三族金属氧化物离子对二氧化碳转化的红外光谱研究

本文利用红外光解离光谱研究了第三族金属氧化物离子对二氧化碳分子的转化机制. 研究表明，对于[ScO(CO₂)_n]⁺体系，在n≤4时，形成了溶剂化结构；在n=5时，形成了碳酸盐结构，实现了二氧化碳的转化. 对于[YO(CO₂)_n]⁺体系，需要4个二氧化碳分子就可以实现二氧化碳的转化. 而在[YO(CO₂)_n]⁺体系中，只发现了溶剂化结构，没有观察到碳酸盐结构. 理论计算表明，[YO(CO₂)_n]⁺体系拥有最小的溶剂化结构向碳酸盐结构转化能垒，[LaO(CO₂)_n]⁺体系拥有最大的溶剂化结构向碳酸盐结构转化能垒. 本文从分子水平揭示了不同金属氧化物离子对二氧化碳分子转化的影响规律.     

基于相移偏折法的高反射表面面形测量技术

利用单相机所采集的图像实现了对光滑高反射表面面形的直接检测.首先利用相机获取参考平面在标准平面镜中的镜像,然后通过参考平面上的点与归一化成像平面上图像点之间的密集折返对应关系,求得待测镜面的深度距离,从而实现对高反射表面面形的测量.通过光线追迹将该测量过程转化为求解物空间中关于两对应光线束之间的相交问题.以相位为载体获取面形梯度分布,求得该表面的法向量场,并求解相应的反射光线束.通过光线追迹对该光线束与相应入射光线束求“交点”检测高反射表面.对标准平面镜进行实验检测,测量得到的面形平面度为0.19 mm.采用传统方法与本文所提方法对汽车后视镜进行检测,所得检测结果对应点之间的平均距离为0.15 mm,验证了本文方法检测镜面面形的有效性.