Novel modified carbon nanotubes as a selective sorbent for preconcentration and determination of trace copper ions in fruit samples

In this work, multiwalled carbon nanotubes were reacted with N‐[3‐(triet‐hoxysilyl)propyl]isonicotinamide to prepare pyridine‐functionalized carbon nanotubes. This novel sorbent was characterized by infrared spectroscopy, thermal and elemental analysis, and scanning electron microscopy. Functionalized carbon nanotubes were applied for the preconcentration and determination of copper ions using flame atomic absorption spectrometry. Various parameters such as sample pH, flow rate, eluent type and concentration, and its volume were optimized. Under optimal experimental conditions, the limit of detection, the relative standard deviation, and the recovery of the method were 0.65 ng/mL, 3.2% and 99.4%, respectively. After validating the method using standard reference materials, the new sorbent was applied for the extraction and determination of trace copper(II) ions in fruit samples.     

Antimicrobial activity of nanocellulose conjugated with allicin and lysozyme

In this study, cellulose nanoparticles were prepared by acid hydrolysis, separately conjugated with allicin and lysozyme by a carbodiimide cross-linker, and characterized by scanning electron microscopy, dynamic light scattering, and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. Then, their antimicrobial properties were evaluated by the microdilution method and compared with allicin, lysozyme, and nanocellulose alone. The results showed that nanocellulose had few antimicrobial activities, but allicin-conjugated nanocellulose (ACNC) and lysozyme-conjugated nanocellulose (LCNC) had good antifungal and antibacterial effects against standard strains of Candida albicans, Aspergillus niger, Staphylococcus aureus, and Escherichia coli. Noticeably, although allicin and lysozyme had different minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) against all strains, the same quantity of MIC₅₀ and MIC₉₀ was observed for both ACNC and LCNC. The authors suggest that both ACNC and LCNC can be used in industries as an antimicrobial agent in food packaging, inside foodstuffs, and in textile materials.     

Role of entropy generation on thermal management of a porous solar collector using Al2O3–Cu/water nanofluid and magnetic field

Journal of Thermal Analysis and Calorimetry - The purpose of this study is a presentation of the thermal management of a flat plate solar collector via employing entropy generation analysis. The...     

Thermal performance assessment of a flat-plate solar collector considering porous media,hybrid nanofluid and magnetic field effects

Journal of Thermal Analysis and Calorimetry - In this work, a numerical study of thermal performance enhancement of a flat plate solar collector has been presented. The collector channel is...     

A Hollow Microtubular Triazine‐ and Benzobisoxazole‐Based Covalent Organic Framework Presenting Sponge‐Like Shells That Functions as a High‐Performance Supercapacitor

In this paper we report the construction of a hollow microtubular triazine‐ and benzobisoxazole‐based covalent organic framework (COF) presenting a sponge‐like shell through a template‐free [3+2] condensation of the planar molecules 2,4,6‐tris(4‐formylphenyl)triazine (TPT‐3CHO) and 2,5‐diaminohydroquinone dihydrochloride (DAHQ‐2HCl). The synthesized COF exhibited extremely high crystallinity, a high surface area (ca. 1855 m² g^?1), and ultrahigh thermal stability. Interestingly, a time‐dependent study of the formation of the hollow microtubular COF having a sponge‐like shell revealed a transformation from initial ribbon‐like crystallites into a hollow tubular structure, and confirmed that the hollow nature of the synthesized COF was controlled by inside‐out Ostwald ripening, while the non‐interaction of the crystallites on the outer surface was responsible for the sponge‐like surface of the tubules. This COF exhibited significant supercapacitor performance: a high specific capacitance of 256 F g^?1 at a current density of 0.5 A g^?1, excellent cycling stability (98.8 % capacitance retention over 1850 cycles), and a high energy density of 43 Wh kg^?1. Such hollow structural COFs with sponge‐like shells appear to have great potential for use as high‐performance supercapacitors in energy storage applications.     

Connectionist intelligent model estimates of convective heat transfer coefficient of nanofluids in circular cross-sectional channels

Journal of Thermal Analysis and Calorimetry - The effect of Na2CO3 additive on the steam gasification characteristics of Sunjiahao (SJH) coal char was studied in the present paper. Na2CO3-catalyzed...     

Optimal design and analysis of a district energy system including heat and power production for domestic applications and fuel for vehicles

Journal of Thermal Analysis and Calorimetry - Residential sector has a great share in the global energy demand. As the use of renewable energy sources increases, energy supply of the residential...     

Flow and heat transfer in non-Newtonian nanofluids over porous surfaces

In the present study, heat transfer and fluid flow of a pseudo-plastic non-Newtonian nanofluid over permeable surface has been solved in the presence of injection and suction. Similarity solution method is utilized to convert the governing partial differential equations into ordinary differential equations, which then is solved numerically using Runge–Kutta–Fehlberg fourth–fifth order (RKF45) method. The Cu, CuO, TiO₂ and Al₂O₃ nanoparticles are considered in this study along with sodium carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC)/water as base fluid. Validation has been done with former numerical results. The influence of power-law index, volume fraction of nanoparticles, nanoparticles type and permeability parameter on nanofluid flow and heat transfer was investigated. The results of the study illustrated that the flow and heat transfer of non-Newtonian nanofluid in the presence of suction and injection has different behaviors. For injection and the impermeable plate, the non-Newtonian nanofluid shows a better heat transfer performance compared to Newtonian nanofluid. However, changing the type of nanoparticles has a more intense influence on heat transfer process during suction. It was also observed that in injection, contrary to the other two cases, the usage of non-Newtonian nanofluid can decrease heat transfer in all cases.

     

Magnetic and Thermal Properties of Novel Poly(ether-amide)/Fe3O4 Nanocomposite Containing Phosphine Oxide Group

New poly(ether-amide) nanocomposite containing phosphine oxide was prepared via solution polymerization process from synthesized poly(ether-amide) and Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles in a solution of N,N-dimethylformamide. Uniform monodisperse Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles were synthesized at room temperature via a facile sonochemical reaction. Poly(ether-amide) (PEA) as the polymer matrix was synthesized from reaction of 1,4-(4-carboxy phenoxy)butane (1) and bis(3-amino phenyl)phenyl phosphine oxide (2) via a direct polycondensation reaction. Nanoparticle and nanocomposite were characterized using X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy and Fourier transform infrared. The effect of the presence of Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles on the thermal properties of PEA was studied using thermogravimetric analysis in nitrogen atmospheres. The magnetic properties of the sample were also investigated using an alternating gradient force magnetometer. We found that the Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles exhibit a ferromagnetic behaviour with a saturation magnetization of 59 emu/g and a coercivity of 104 Oe at room temperature. The coercivity of PEA/Fe₃O₄ nanocomposites is found to be 126 Oe, higher than 104 Oe which is obtained for Fe₃O₄.     

ELASTODYNAMIC ANALYSIS OF A FUNCTIONALLY GRADED HALF-PLANE WITH MULTIPLE SUB-SURFACE CRACKS

The stress fields are obtained for a functionally graded half-plane containing a Volterra screw dislocation.The elastic shear modulus of the medium is considered to vary exponentially.The dislocation s...