Modification of Polylactide Nonwovens with Carbon Nanotubes and Ladder Poly(silsesquioxane)

Electrospun nonwovens of poly(L-lactide) (PLLA) modified with multiwall carbon nanotubes (MWCNT) and linear ladder-like poly(silsesquioxane) with methoxycarbonyl side groups (LPSQ-COOMe) were obtained. MWCNT and LPSQ-COOMe were added to the polymer solution before the electrospinning. In addition, nonwovens of PLLA grafted to modified MWCNT were electrospun. All modified nonwovens exhibited higher tensile strength than the neat PLA nonwoven. The addition of 10 wt.% of LPSQ-COOMe and 0.1 wt.% of MWCNT to PLLA increased the tensile strength of the nonwovens 2.4 times, improving also the elongation at the maximum stress.     

Sorption of 125I−, 137Cs+, 85Sr2+ and 152,154Eu3+ during their transport in undisturbed vertical and horizontal soil cores under dynamic flow conditions

Transport and sorption of ¹²⁵I^?, ¹³⁷Cs⁺, ⁸⁵Sr²⁺ and ^152,154Eu³⁺ in undisturbed soil cores have been studied under dynamic conditions. Radionuclides were dissolved in synthetic groundwater (SGW) of 0.015 mol/dm³ ionic strength, pH 8.4 and redox potential E_h = 145 mV. The soil samples were taken vertically and horizontally from the river bed at 5–100 cm depths, about 120 m southward of the Dukovany Low and Medium Level Radioactive Waste Repository. The respective water-soluble carriers in the 10^?6 mol/dm³ concentration were added into the SGW prior to the experiments. The soil cores of 9 cm height and 3.8 cm in diameter were placed into columns made of 150 cm³ PE injection syringes of suitable dimensions. The SGW was introduced into columns from the Mariotte’s bottle through a glass manifolds to supply the soil columns by gravity flow at a constant flow-rate about 1.2 cm³/h. Into the water stream, radioactive nuclides were added individually in a form of a short pulse in 0.1 cm³ of demineralized water. In the case of ¹²⁵I^? transport, retardation and hydrodynamic dispersion coefficients were determined, using an integral form of a simple advection-dispersion equation. For each radionuclides, sorption and desorption data have been obtained, evaluated and the results were compared mutually. Residual distributions of the sorbed cationic radionuclides along the soil columns were also presented.     

Synthesis, Characterization and Inclusion Properties of an Iron(II) Polyimine Complex Derived from 2,6-Diacetylpyridine and an Aliphatic Polyamine

A novel multibinding species has been obtained by attaching four aliphatic polyamine chains to an iron(II)-polyimine centre, derived from 2,6-diacetylpyridine. Molecular simulations for the complex corroborate the evidence from 1H NMR spectroscopy of a symmetric structure, with the four polyamines displaying a tetrahedral arrangement around the metal centre. The protonated polyamine complex interacts with hexacyanoferrate(II) ions, leading to an inclusion compound which has been characterized based on vibrational and Mössbauer spectroscopy, and on cyclic voltammetry.     

Spectroscopic characterization and electrocatalytical activity of tetrapyridylporphyrins intercalated into hydrated vanadium(V) oxide

The intercalation ofmeso-tetrapyridylporphyrins into hydrated vanadium(V) pentoxide has been studied using X-ray diffraction; FTIR, electronic and Mössbauer spectroscopy; cyclic voltammetry and spectroelectrochemistry. The intercalation compound containing iron tetrapyridylporphyrin exhibits pronounced electrocatalytical activity in the reduction of molecular dioxygen, reflecting an enhanced reactivity of the catalyst in a confined medium.     

Spectroscopic and electrochemical properties of iron(II) complexes of polydentate Schiff bases containing pyrazine, pyridine and imidazole groups

We report the synthesis and spectroscopic/electrochemical properties of iron(II) complexes of polydentate Schiff bases generated from 2-acetylpyridine and 1,3-diaminopropane, acetylpyrazine and 1,3-diaminopropane, and from 2-acetylpyridine and L-histidine. The complexes exhibit bis(diimine)-iron(II) chromophores in association with pyrazine, pyridine or imidazole groups displaying contrasting pi-acceptor properties. In spite of their open geometry, their properties are much closer to those of macrocyclic tetraimineiron(II) complexes. An electrochemical/spectroscopic correlation between E degrees (FeIII/II) and the energies of the lowest MLCT band has been observed, reflecting the stabilization of the HOMO levels as a consequence of the increasing backbonding effects in the series of compounds. M?ssbauer data have also confirmed the similarities in their electronic structure, as deduced from the spectroscopic and theoretical data.     

EIS investigation of a Ce-based posttreatment step on the corrosion behaviour of Alclad AA2024 anodized in TSA

In the aircraft industry, anodizing and posttreatment steps use Cr (VI) compounds, which, despite offering good corrosion resistance and self-healing properties, are highly toxic and carcinogenic. Ce compounds are recognized as efficient corrosion inhibitors for Al alloys, and several works report self-healing ability for these chemicals. In this investigation, the corrosion resistance of Alclad AA2024-T3 alloy anodized in tartaric-sulphuric acid (TSA) bath and posttreated in a solution comprising cerium nitrate without and with hydrogen peroxide was evaluated. The purpose is to investigate the potentiality of using hydrothermal treatment in Ce nitrate solution as candidate to replace Cr (VI) posttreatment. The aim is to provide a posttreatment step which, while improving the corrosion resistance, does not plug the mouths of the pores maintaining the adhesion properties of the porous anodic layer. Microstructural characterization was carried out by SEM-EDS whereas corrosion resistance was evaluated by EIS. The surface analysis showed that the posttreatments, all performed at 50°C, kept the open structure of the pores. EIS analysis showed that the posttreatments performed in the H₂O₂ solution for short immersion times were the most effective in improving the corrosion resistance of the samples, whereas electrical equivalent circuit (EEC) fitting of the data indicated sealing of the porous layer during the immersion of the different samples in the test solution. SEM-EDS analysis of the samples posttreated in the H₂O₂ containing solution, prior and after the corrosion test, showed the presence of Ce oxy-hydroxide randomly deposited on the sample surface, indicating that Ce could be incorporated/stored in the anodic layer.