Study of adsorption of methylene blue and new methylene blue in liquid-solid interface by slab optical waveguide spectroscopy

A slab optical waveguide (SOWG) has been used for study of adsorption of both methylene blue (MB) and new methylene blue (NMB) in liquid–solid interface. Adsorption characteristics of MB and NMB on both bare SOWG and silanized SOWG by octadecyltrichlorosilane (ODS) were compared. Effect of pH on adsorption on MB and NMB was investigated. Binding rate constant analysis showed that both MB and NMB on bare SOWG demonstrates larger association constants than those on ODS-SOWG. Interactions of MB and NMB on bare SOWG and ODS-SOWG were analyzed by molecular mechanics calculation method. The binding energy change was in the following order: E_NMB–bare > E_MB–bare > E_NMB–ODS > E_MB–ODS.     

Determination of Phenolic Compounds Based on Co‐Immobilization of Methylene Blue and HRP on Multi‐Wall Carbon Nanotubes

This work evaluated an amperometric biosensor based on multi‐wall carbon nanotubes (MWCNT), chemically modified with methylene blue (Met) and horseradish peroxidase (HRP), for detection of phenolic compounds. The dependences of the biosensor response due to the enzyme immobilization procedure, HRP amounts, pH and working potential were investigated. The amperometric response for catechol using the proposed biosensor showed a very wide linear response range (1 to 150 μmol L^?1), good sensitivity (50 nA cm^?2 μmol^?1 L), excellent operational stability (after 300 determinations the response remained at 97%) and very good storage stability (lifetime>3 months). Based on all these characteristics, it is possible to affirm that the material is promising for phenol detection due to its good electrochemical response and enzyme stabilization. The biosensor response for various phenolic compounds was investigated.     

溶剂热法制备Ag/TiO2纳米材料及其光催化性能

以乙醇为溶剂, 钛酸四丁酯为前驱体, 用溶剂热法制备了Ag表面修饰的负载型纳米二氧化钛光催化剂. 利用X射线衍射(XRD)、N₂吸附-脱附(BET)、透射电子显微镜(TEM)、X射线光电子能谱(XPS)、紫外-可见(UV-Vis)光谱等技术对其进行了系统的表征, 以亚甲基蓝(MB)溶液的脱色降解为模型反应, 考察了不同Ag含量样品的光催化性能. 结果表明: 用溶剂热法制备的样品中TiO₂皆为锐钛矿相, 金属Ag颗粒沉积在TiO₂表面, 粒径为2 nm左右, 比表面积较溶胶凝胶法制备的样品大大增加, 最高可达151.44 m²·g^-1; UV-Vis光谱和光催化实验表明: Ag修饰使TiO₂对光的吸收能力大大增强, 吸收带边红移至可见光区, 亚甲基蓝在该复合材料上的光催化降解反应遵循一级反应动力学模型; 溶剂热法制备样品的光催化性能明显好于溶胶凝胶法制备的样品, 在紫外光和可见光下, Ag摩尔分数为5%的样品表现出最佳的光催化活性.     

Study of the Electrochemical Behavior of Disperse Blue 1‐Modified Graphite Electrodes. Application to the Flow Determination of NADH

The preparation and the electrochemical study of Disperse Blue 1‐chemically modified electrodes (DB1‐CME), as well as their efficiency for the electrocatalytic oxidation of NADH is described. The proposed mediator was immobilized by physical adsorption onto graphite electrodes. The electrochemical behavior of DB1‐CME was studied with cyclic voltammetry. The electrochemical redox reaction of DB1 was found to be reversible, revealing two well‐shaped pair of peaks with formal potentials 152 and ?42 mV, respectively, (vs. Ag/AgCl/3M KCl) at pH 6.5. The current I_p has a linear relationship with the scan rate up to 800 mV s^?1, which is indicative for a fast electron transfer kinetics. The dissociation constants of the immobilized DB1 redox couple were calculated pK₁=4 and pK₂=5. The electrochemical rate constants of the immobilized DB1 were calculated k₁°=18 s^?1 and k₂°=23 s^?1 (Γ=2.36 nmol cm^?2). The modified electrodes were mounted in a flow injection manifold, poised at +150 mV (vs. Ag/AgCl/3M KCl) and a catalytic current due to the oxidation of NADH was measured. The reproducibility was 1.4% RSD (n=11 for 30 μM NADH) The behavior of the sensor towards different reducing compounds was investigated. The sensor exhibited good operational and storage stability.     

Synthesis and Crystal Structure of Blue Luminescent Cadmium(II) Coordination Networks with 4,4′-Bis(imidazol-1-ylmethyl)biphenyl from Different Solvent Systems

Two supramolecular complexes, [Cd(bimb)²Cl²] (1) and [Cd(bimb)(DMF)Cl²]·DMF (2) [bimb=4,4′-bis(imidazol-1-ylmethyl)biphenyl], were synthesized by reactions of CdCl²·2.5H²O with bimb ligand in ethanol and N,N′-dimethylformamide (DMF), respectively, and their structures were determined by X-ray crystallography. Complex 1 is an infinite 2D grid network bridged by bimb ligands, and the 2D sheets were further linked by C–H ?Cl hydrogen bonds to form a polycatenated 3D framework. Complex 2 has dicadmium(II) di-μ-chloride units which are connected by bimb bridging ligands to form an infinite non-interpenetrating 2D network. The results provide a nice example of the solvent system exerting a great effect on the construction of supramolecular frameworks.     

Efficient removal of crystal violet and methylene blue from wastewater by ultrasound nanoparticles Cu-MOF in comparison with mechanosynthesis method

The present investigation reports the synthesis of CuBTC (BTC = 1,3,5-benzenetricarboxylate) metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) under solid-state conditions and ultrasound irradiation. Herein, we study uptake and release properties of crystal violet (CV) and methylene blue (MB) from ultrasound nano-CuBTC MOF in comparison with mechanosynthesis method (bulk structure). The ultrasound-assisted methods give a decrease in the surface area as calculated from the reduced nitrogen adsorption capability. In comparison, the uptake of guest molecules on ultrasound nano-CuBTC is remarkable and clearly exceeds that of bulk structure in the aqueous solution of guests. In bulk compound the channel length is increased so that the amount of adsorption is decreased a little. The small guest enters and leaves the cavity rapidly, whereas larger guests enter slowly due to their size relative to the size of the gaps in the capsule. As a result, the uptake and release of MB from CuBTC is faster than that of CV.     

Theoretical Studies on the Mechanistic Insertions of Singlet Methylene and Halomethylene into Polar S‒H Bonds of Methanethiol,Ethanethiol, 1-Propanethiol and 2-Propanethiol

Abstract

The insertion of ¹CH₂, ¹CHF, ¹CF₂,¹CHCl, and ¹CCl₂ into primary and secondary polar S?H bonds of methanethiol, ethanethiol, 1-propanethiol, and 2-propanethiol have been investigated at HF (Hartree–Fock), MP2 (Møller–Plesset Perturbation Theory), and DFT (density functional theory) levels using 6-31G (d, p) basis set. The insertions follow a two-step mechanism. The potential energy surface exploration identifies ylide-like structures undergoing the 1,2-sigmatropic hydrogen shift concertedly giving the thioether product. But ¹CF₂ forms weak complexes involving 1,2-hydrogen shift. The barrier height in the concerted mechanism varies with the type of carbene moiety and S?H bond. The initial interaction seems to be a function of HOMO (highest occupied molecular orbital) and LUMO (lowest unoccupied molecular orbital) energies of thiols and carbenes, respectively. The natural bond orbital charge analysis showing a net charge flow from the substrate thiol to the reagent carbene at the transition states corroborates this fact.     

Blue TiO2 nanotube arrays as semimetallic materials with enhanced photoelectrochemical activity towards water splitting

In the past years there has been a great interest in self-doped TiO₂ nanotubes (blue TiO₂ nanotubes) compared to undoped ones owing to their high carrier density and conductivity. In this study, blue TiO₂ nanotubes are investigated as photoanode materials for photoelectrochemical water splitting. Blue TiO₂ nanotubes were fabricated with enhanced photoresponse behavior through electrochemical cathodic polarization on undoped and annealed TiO₂ nanotubes. The annealing temperature of undoped TiO₂ nanotubes was tuned before cathodic polarization, revealing that annealing at 500 °C improved the photoresponse of the nanotubes significantly. Further optimization of the blue TiO₂ nanotubes was achieved by adjusting the cathodic polarization parameters. Blue TiO₂ nanotubes obtained at the potential of –1.4 V (vs. SCE) with a duration of 10 min exhibited twice more photocurrent response (0.39 mA cm^-2) compared to the undoped TiO₂ nanotube arrays (0.19 mA cm^-2). Oxygen vacancies formed through the cathodic polarization decreased charge recombination and enhanced charge transfer rate; therefore, a high photoelectrochemical activity under visible light irradiation could be achieved.     

Tuning of Photonic band gap via combined effect of electric and optical fields in a blue phase liquid crystal composite

ABSTRACT

Blue phase liquid crystals are soft 3D photonic crystals in which the liquid crystal molecules self-assemble to form a cubic structure with lattice spacing of a few hundred nanometers resulting in selective reflection of colours in the visible spectrum. The corresponding wavelength or the ‘photonic band gap’ can be tuned using various external stimuli such as thermal, electric, magnetic and optical fields. Here, we report efficient tuning of photonic band gap by utilising the combination of electric and optical fields in a blue phase liquid crystalline system. The studies indicate that the chirality of the medium has a direct bearing on the direction of the wavelength shift and the extent of the photonic band gap tunability. More importantly, the synergistic effect of the two fields helps in reversible tuning of the band gap.     

Determination of the swelling behavior of superabsorbent polymers by a tracer-assisted on-line spectroscopic measurement

This work reports on a method for the accurate determination of kinetic swelling behavior and properties of superabsorbent polymers by a tracer-assisted on-line spectroscopic measurement. Based on monitoring the spectral absorption of a tracer compound (blue dextran 2000) at 610 nm in a superabsorbent polymer containing solution, the swelling (water absorption) of the polymer during the process can be followed, from which the parameters in a kinetic equation can be obtained. The results showed that the data obtained by the present method has a good measurement precision and accuracy, in which the relative differences were less than 4.0% when comparing the data measured by a reference method (i.e., the tea bag method). Since the present method can perform an on-line measurement, it is much superior to the current tea bag method and therefore is very suitable to be used in the process related study for the swelling behavior of superabsorbent polymers in many applications.