Synthesis of acetamides via oxidative C–C bond cleavage of ketones catalyzed by Cu-immobilized magnetic nanoparticles

Copper supported on magnetite nanoparticles modified with environmentally friendly ligand tricine was devised for synthesis of acetamides via C–C oxidative cleavage of ketones with amines. The catalyst was characterized using different techniques, including Fourier transform infrared, X-ray diffraction, scannin electron microscopy, vibrating sample magnetometry, thermogravimetric analysis, and energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy. The protocol showed relatively high yields of acetamide products. Furthermore, the magnetic recovery of the catalyst rendered the overall process fast and efficient. It was used in the reaction for six consecutive cycles with negligible loss of catalytic activity. This research is the first report of application of magnetic nanocatalysts for synthesis of acetamides from ketones of low activity through a C–C bond cleavage strategy.     

Podophyllotoxin extraction from Linum usitatissimum plant and its anticancer activity against HT‐29, A‐549 and MDA‐MB‐231 cell lines with and without the presence of gold nanoparticles

In recent years, gold nanoparticles (Au‐NPs) have been taken into consideration in nanomedicine due to their excellent biocompatibility, chemical stability and promising optical properties. In this research, podophyllotoxin conjugated with gold nanoparticles (Au‐NPs‐POT) was synthesized and the conjugation of POT with Au‐NPs was confirmed using scanning electron microscopy, mass spectrometry and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The anticancer effects of the product on preclinical models of lung, colon and breast cancers were investigated using MTT test. The analyses showed a direct dose–response relationship. It was found that higher concentrations of POT have more positive effects on the inhibition of cancer cell growth. At POT concentrations of 1, 2.5, 5, 7.5, 10, 15 and 20 ng ml^?1, approximately 50% of the growth of colorectal, lung and breast cancer cell lines was inhibited, while similar results were obtained in the presence of 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 μg ml^?1 Au‐NPs‐POT. Au‐NPs‐POT exhibited the lowest cytotoxicity due to the presence of POT. The anticancer feature of Au‐NPs‐POT proved the potential to develop better anticancer therapeutics and to open new avenues for treatment of cancers.     

Fabrication of electrospun polyethersulfone/titanium dioxide (PES/TiO2) composite nanofibers membrane and its application for photocatalytic degradation of phenol in aqueous solution

The main objective of this research is to use the photocatalytic properties of PES/TiO₂ nanofibers membranes to remove the phenol as a toxic pollutant in various effluents. The uniform fibers in terms of minimum bead formation and fibers diameter were fabricated. Therefore, more TiO₂ catalysts are on the surface of the fibers which increase the active surface area of nanoparticles and consequently improve the phenol degradation efficiency. The effects of TiO₂ concentration on hydrophilicity, mechanical properties, porosity, mean pore size, and water flux of membranes were studied. The PES/TiO₂ nanofibers were evaluated for phenol degradation under UVA irradiation through a transparent membrane module. The amount of removable phenol was analyzed with high‐performance liquid chromatography. Central composite design was used as a statistical experimental design. Finally, the effect of TiO₂ content in nanofibers and initial phenol concentrations were investigated as well as pH values in synthetic wastewater, on phenol degradation. The results from analysis of variance (ANOVA) analysis indicated that TiO₂ content in nanofibers was the most important and effective parameter on phenol degradation. It was also presented that there is no significant interaction between parameters so that the effect of each parameter was investigated separately. Maximum phenol degradation was 43.0 ± 0.3% and found under conditions of TiO₂ content, initial phenol concentration, and pH value of 8%, 120 ppm, and 7, respectively.     

Walk-off reduction,using an external optical plate and Bessel–Gaussian interaction

To reduce the walk-off angle of the extraordinary third-harmonic ultraviolet wave at 355 nm generated by type ⅡKTiOPO_4 and type I β-BaB_2O_4 optical crystals,and the Gaussian output beam of a Q-switched Nd:YAG laser,a simple theoretical model was developed based on a rotatable BK7 plate of variable thickness.By rotating the plate up to 35°along the beam direction,we reduced the walk-off angle up to ~ 13%.The same phenomenon is predicted by the model,confirming the performance of the model.It is found that,due to the walk-off effect,the intensity profile of the thirdharmonic generation beam is slightly degraded.To compensate for the observed phenomena and further reduce the walkoff,we used a combination of a convex lens and an axicon to transform the beam profile of the interacting fundamental and second-harmonic generation waves to the zero-order Bessel-Gaussian form.As a result,the walk-off is decreased to~ 48.81 mrad,providing ~ 30%relative reduction.By using the same BK7 plate rotated up to 35° along the third-harmonic beam direction,the walk-off angle is further reduced to 38.9 mrad.Moreover,it is observed that the beam profile of the emerged Bessel-Gaussian third-harmonic generation beam remains unchanged with no degradation.     

Effect of diffusive and nondiffusive surfaces combinations on sound diffusion

One of room acoustic goals, especially in small to medium rooms, is sound diffusion in low frequencies, which have been the subject of lots of researches. Sound diffusion is a very important consideration in acoustics because it minimizes the coherent reflections that cause problems. It also tends to make an enclosed space sound larger than it is. Diffusion is an excellent alternative or complement to sound absorption in acoustic treatment because it doesn’t really remove much energy, which means it can be used to effectively reduce reflections while still leaving an ambient or live sounding space. Distribution of diffusive and nondiffusive surfaces on room walls affect sound diffusion in room, but the amount, combination, and location of these surfaces are still the matter of question. This paper investigates effects of these issues on room acoustic frequency response in different parts of the room with different source-receiver locations. Room acoustic model based on wave method is used (implemented) which is very accurate and convenient for low frequencies in such rooms. Different distributions of acoustic surfaces on room walls have been introduced to the model and room frequency response results are calculated. For the purpose of comparison, some measurements results are presented. Finally for more smooth frequency response in small and medium rooms, some suggestions are made.     

Energy Gain Investigation in Fast Ignition ICF with Electron Ignition Beam by Changing Fuel Characteristics

Fast ignition is a method in inertial confinement fusion （ICF） in which an ignition spark in pre-compression fuel is formed by an ultra-intense laser beam. In applying this method, a hot spot is built by relative electrons which are produced by the ultra-intense laser beam. For a better understanding, a fuel energy gain curve based on density is drawn and it can be observed that the ignition by an electron beam has the maximum energy gain. The maximum energy gain has been observed in equimolar DT fuel with a density of 500g/cma and in fuel with tritium （10%） with a density of 1000g/cm^3.