Synthesis, structure and physical properties of Ru ferrites: BaMRu5O11 (M=Li and Cu) and BaM′2Ru4O11 (M′=Mn, Fe and Co)

The synthesis, structure, and physical properties of five R-type Ru ferrites with chemical formula BaMRu₅O₁₁ (M=Li and Cu) and BaM′₂Ru₄O₁₁ (M′=Mn, Fe and Co) are reported. All the ferrites crystallize in space group P6₃/mmc and consist of layers of edge sharing octahedra interconnected by pairs of face sharing octahedra and isolated trigonal bipyramids. For M=Li and Cu, the ferrites are paramagnetic metals with the M atoms found on the trigonal bipyramid sites exclusively. For M′=Mn, Fe and Co, the ferrites are soft ferromagnetic metals. For M′=Mn, the Mn atoms are mixed randomly with Ru atoms on different sites. The magnetic structure for BaMn₂Ru₄O₁₁ is reported.     

Palladium-doped polyimides: An X-ray photoelectron study

Five polyimide films prepared from 3,3′,4,4′-benzophenone tetracarboxylic acid'dianhydride (BTDA) and diamines, 4,4′-oxydianiline (ODA), 3,3′-diaminobenzophenone (DABP), or 3,3′-diaminodiphenylcarbinol (DADPC) and doped with Li₂PdCl₄ (LTP) or Pd[(CH₃)₂S]₂Cl₂ (PDS) were selected for a detailed x-ray photoelectron spectroscopic (XPS) study to determine the oxidation state of palladium and the relative distribution of this and other elements in these films, especially as they relate to electrical resistivity. XPS shows that Pd in the films is present as a mixture of zero and +2 valence states. Films that contain lithium as part of the dopant all show that metal is present as Li⁺ and Li₂O, a fact that may have a bearing on film electrical properties. An Auger electron spectroscopic (AES) or XPS profiling was performed on two of the electrically conductive films. A film doped with PDS reveals a majority of palladium at the surface as Pd(0) and much smaller amounts in film bulk as a mixture of Pd(0) and Pd(II). Film behavior is similar to a metal-vapor deposited film. An LTP doped film, by contrast, exhibits a homogeneous composition with a mixture of Pd(0) and Pd(II). These studies support others that use chemical etching on the film surfaces. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) has been used to provide surface evaluations.     

Polymer crystallinity and its effect on the non-linear bending creep rate for a polyphenylene sulphide thermoplastic composite

Recent developments have led to the introduction of advanced thermoplastic composites such as Polyphenylene Sulphide (PPS), which can be used structurally at higher temperatures. Because of its thermoplastic nature, it can also be hot worked by bringing the working temperature considerably above the glass transition temperature. However, such annealing processes also affect its degree of crystallinity, which in turn affect the properties of the material. This paper reports on the effect of matrix crystallinity on the rate of creep deformation in three point bending of some reinforced PPS composites. This work was based on a non-linear approach based on a Power law creep model creep deformation analysis. The effect of annealing on the non-linear creep deformation of the PPS composite specimens has been analysed using a Power Law creep model. Results indicate that the creep deformation for both 20 and 40% reinforced samples were relatively similar despite the difference in the amount of fibre reinforcement. In contrast, the value of the creep component decreased exponentially with the % crystallinity. for both 20 and 40%, reinforced samples.     

Sol–gel derived ZnO nanoparticulate films for ultraviolet photodetector (UV) applications

Zinc oxide nanoparticles based UV detector was fabricated on thermally oxidized silicon substrate. ZnO nanoparticle films were deposited using sol–gel route. The seed solution was prepared using two different solvents (methanol and isopropyl alcohol (IPA)). The surface morphology of the prepared films was characterized by FESEM. Structural characterization along with optical measurements was carried out using XRD and UV–vis spectroscopy. For the UV photo-detector, ZnO thin film prepared in IPA is selected based on their structural and optical analysis. The changes in photo-response of ZnO thin film with respect to time was studied under the dark and variable UV intensities. It was observed that the photocurrent increased with a factor of 4.82 under 1.16 mW of UV intensity. It is believe that the synthesized ZnO thin films have potential to use in the ultraviolet photo-detector applications.     

Enantioselective Sulfoxidation Catalyzed by a Bisguanidinium Diphosphatobisperoxotungstate Ion Pair

The first enantioselective tungstate‐catalyzed oxidation reaction is presented. High enantioselectivities were achieved for a variety of drug‐like phenyl and heterocyclic sulfides under mild conditions with H₂O₂, a cheap and environmentally friendly oxidant. Synthetic utility was demonstrated through the preparation of (S)‐Lansoprazole, a commercial proton‐pump inhibitor. The active ion‐pair catalyst was identified to be bisguanidinium diphosphatobisperoxotungstate using Raman spectroscopy and computational studies.     

Investigating semiconductor layered systems of photonics

The structure of a heterostructures-based semiconductor laser is experimentally investigated by complex means involving systems of scanning electron microscopy, scanning probe microscopy, and Raman spectroscopy. The possibilities of high-resolution microscopy for diagnostics of layered microelectronic systems are demonstrated.     

Simple Sulfinate Synthesis Enables C?H Trifluoromethylcyclopropanation

A simple method to convert readily available carboxylic acids into sulfinate salts by employing an interrupted Barton decarboxylation reaction is reported. A medicinally oriented panel of ten new sulfinate reagents was created using this method, including a key trifluoromethylcyclopropanation reagent, TFCS‐Na. The reactivity of six of these salts towards C H functionalization was field‐tested using several different classes of heterocycles.     

Development and validation of an ELISA kit for the detection of ricin toxins from biological specimens and environmental samples

Ricin is a toxin that can be easily extracted from seeds of Ricinus communis plants. Ricin is considered to be a major bio-threat as it can be freely and easily acquired in large quantities. A deliberate release of such toxin in civilian populations would very likely overwhelm existing public health systems, resulting in public fear and social unrest. There is currently no commercially available or FDA-approved prophylaxis such as vaccines, or therapeutic antitoxins or antidotes, available for ricin intoxication. Patient treatment is typically supportive care based on symptoms, often designed to reinforce the body’s natural response. This paper describes the development and validation of a robust ELISA test kit, which can be used to screen for ricin in biological specimens such as whole blood and faeces. Faecal specimens are shown in this study to have better diagnostic sensitivity and a wider diagnostic window compared to whole blood. From these results, it is concluded that faeces is the most suitable clinical specimen for diagnosis of ricin poisoning via the oral route. The ELISA test kit can also detect ricin in environmental samples. An advantage of this ELISA kit over other commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) detection kits currently on the market that are developed to screen environmental samples only is its ability to diagnose ricin poisoning from clinical specimens as well as detect ricin from environmental samples.     

Kinetic Behavior of Quaternary Ammonium Hydroxides in Mixed Methane and Carbon Dioxide Hydrates

This study evaluates the kinetic hydrate inhibition (KHI) performance of four quaternary ammonium hydroxides (QAH) on mixed CH₄ + CO₂ hydrate systems. The studied QAHs are; tetraethylammonium hydroxide (TEAOH), tetrabutylammonium hydroxide (TBAOH), tetramethylammonium hydroxide (TMAOH), and tetrapropylammonium hydroxide (TPrAOH). The test was performed in a high-pressure hydrate reactor at temperatures of 274.0 K and 277.0 K, and a concentration of 1 wt.% using the isochoric cooling method. The kinetics results suggest that all the QAHs potentially delayed mixed CH₄ + CO₂ hydrates formation due to their steric hindrance abilities. The presence of QAHs reduced hydrate formation risk than the conventional hydrate inhibitor, PVP, at higher subcooling conditions. The findings indicate that increasing QAHs alkyl chain lengths increase their kinetic hydrate inhibition efficacies due to better surface adsorption abilities. QAHs with longer chain lengths have lesser amounts of solute particles to prevent hydrate formation. The outcomes of this study contribute significantly to current efforts to control gas hydrate formation in offshore petroleum pipelines.