Synthesis,Crystal Structure,and Electrochemical Behaviour of an Azido μ‐bridged Ni2+ Complex

A homo‐dinuclear Ni^II complex was prepared from 2, 6‐bis(3, 5‐dimethylpyrazolyl)pyridine (Me₄‐bpp) and azide ions in nonaqueous media. It was characterized by single crystal X‐ray structural analysis, IR spectroscopy, and elemental analysis. In addition, the electrochemical properties of the compound were determined with cyclic voltammetry in DMF. The title compound crystallizes in the P2₁/n monoclinic space group, with unit cell parameters a = 8.978(1), b = 12.459(1), c = 17.764(1) Å, ß =100.603(3)°, V = 1953.0(3) ų, Z = 2. The Ni²⁺ ion has a distorted octahedral environment involving three nitrogen atoms of the Me₄‐bpp ligand, two nitrogen atoms from the bridged azide group, and one nitrogen atom from the terminal azide group. The Ni···Ni distance is 3.273(5) Å.     

Soluble alkyl substituted poly(3,4‐propylenedioxyselenophene)s: A new platform for optoelectronic materials

Optical and electrochemical properties of regiosymmetric and soluble alkylenedioxyselenophene‐based electrochromic polymers, namely poly(3,3‐dibutyl‐3,4‐dihydro‐2H‐selenopheno[3,4‐b][1,4]dioxephine) (PProDOS‐C₄), poly(3,3‐dihexyl‐3,4‐dihydro‐2H‐selenopheno[3,4‐b][1,4]dioxephine) (PProDOS‐C₆), and poly(3,3‐didecyl‐3,4‐dihydro‐2H‐selenopheno[3,4‐b][1,4]dioxephine) (PProDOS‐C₁₀), are highlighted. It is noted that these unique polymers have low bandgaps (1.57–1.65 eV), and they are exceptionally stable under ambient atmospheric conditions. Polymer films retained 82–97% of their electroactivity after 5000 cycles. The percent transmittance of PProDOS‐C_n (n = 4, 6, 10) films found to be between 55 and 59%. Furthermore, these novel soluble PProDOS‐C_n polymers showed electrochromic behavior: a color change form pure blue to highly transparent state in a low switching time (1.0 s) during oxidation with high coloration efficiencies (328–864 cm² C^?1) when compared to their thiophene analogues. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem, 2011     

Electricity Production and Characterization of High-Strength Industrial Wastewaters in Microbial Fuel Cell

Microbial fuel cells (MFCs) convert electrochemical energy into electrical energy immediately and have a big potential usage for the same time wastewater treatment and energy recovery via electro-active microorganisms. However, MFCs must be efficiently optimized due to its limitations such as high cost and low power production. Finding new materials to increase the cell performance and reduce cost for MFC anodes is mandatory. In the first step of this study, different inoculation sludges such as anaerobic gum industry wastewater, anaerobic brewery wastewater and anaerobic phosphate were tested, and MFC that was set up with anaerobic gum industry wastewater inoculation sludge exhibited the highest performance. In the second step of this study, various wastewaters such as chocolate industry, gum industry and slaughterhouse industry were investigated for anode bacteria sources. Several electrochemical techniques have been employed to elucidate how wastewaters affect the MFCs’ performance. Among all the mentioned wastewaters, the best performance was achieved by the MFCs fed with slaughterhouse wastewater; this device produced a maximum power density of 267 mW·m^?2.     

Ultrasonically-aided extrusion of blends of two thermotropic LCPs

Ultrasonically-aided extrusion of two thermotropic LCPs based on 6-oxy-2-naphthoyl and p-oxybenzoyl moieties (LCP1), and p-oxybenzoyl, terephthaloyl and hydroquinone moieties (LCP2) and their blends that are partially miscible was investigated. Ultrasonic treatment induced structural changes in the components, leading to improved mechanical properties of LCP1 moldings, and degradation of LCP2. Also, the ultrasonic treatment was found to further improve the partial miscibility of the blends. Although LCP1 and LCP2 behaved differently under ultrasonic treatment, synergistic effects on fibrillation and mechanical properties of blends were observed in injection moldings. Mechanical properties of melt spun fibers of blends lied between those of the components. Lack of synergism in mechanical properties of fibers was primarily attributed to saturation of LCP2 orientation at low draw down ratios in fiber spinning.     

Essential oil composition of endemic Tanacetum zahlbruckneri (Nab.) and Tanacetum tabrisianum (Boiss.) Sosn. and Takht. from Turkey

In this study, water-distilled essential oils from the flowers of Tanacetum zahlbruckneri and flowers and stems of Tanacetum tabrisianum from Turkey were analysed by gas chromatography (GC) and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The flower oil of T. zahlbruckneri was characterised by the sesquiterpenes germacrene D (29.7%) and spathulenol (12%). Flower (A) and stem (B) oil of T. tabrisianum was characterised by 1,8-cineole: 17.6% (A), 22.5% (B), hexadecanoic acid: 10.3% (A), 8% (B), decanoic acid: 5.8% (A) and trans-linalooloxide acetate: 5.3% (A), 4% (B). Unlike a previous report on the essential oil composition of T. tabrisianum, in this study a 1,8-cineole and hexadecanoic acid-rich oil with a low percentage of caryophyllene oxide and spathulenol was obtained. The composition of the essential oil of endemic T. zahlbruckneri was investigated for the first time.     

The investigation of 0<Superscript>+</Superscript> ↔ 0<Superscript>−</Superscript><Emphasis Type="Italic">β</Emphasis> decay in some spherical nuclei

The 0⁺ ↔ 0⁻ first-forbidden β decay transitions have been investigated for some spherical nuclei. The theoretical framework is based on a proton-neutron quasiparticle random phase approximation (pnQRPA). The Woods-Saxon potential basis has been used in our calculations. The transition probabilities have been calculated within the ξ approximation. The relativistic β moment matrix element has been calculated both directly without any assumption and assuming that it is proportional to the non-relativistic one.     

Possible stretched exponential parametrization for humidity absorption in polymers

Polymer thin films have irregular transient current characteristics under constant voltage. In hydrophilic and hydrophobic polymers, the irregularity is also known to depend on the humidity absorbed by the polymer sample. Different stretched exponential models are studied and it is shown that the absorption of humidity as a function of time can be adequately modelled by a class of these stretched exponential absorption models.