Ionic interactions in aqueous electrolyte-polyelectrolyte mixtures: Comparisons with mixtures of sodium chloride and the model electrolyte benzyltrimethyl-ammonium chloride at 25°C

Osmotic coefficients for aqueous mixtures of sodium chloride with benzyltrimethylammonium chloride, BzMe₃NCl, obtained by the gravimetric isopiestic vapor pressure comparison method are interpreted with the McKay-Perring transform, with the Scatchard neutral electrolyte treatment, and with the Pitzer ion-component equations. Molal ionic and mean ionic activity coefficients for Na⁺ and Cl^– ions and for NaCl, respectively, in these mixtures at unit total ionic strength also were determined with an electrochemical cell. The excess free energy chenges G^ex on mixing NaCl with BzMe₃NCl were estimated and employed to gain an insight into the relative importance of like and unlike cation-cation interactions.     

Surface plasmon resonance as a probe of interactions between a thin‐film gold electrode and an aqueous supporting electrolyte containing 1‐ethyl‐3‐methyl‐imidazolium ethyl sulfate ionic liquid

Surface plasmon resonance (SPR) and electrochemical measurements are combined in this work to study the interactions of a gold film electrode with aqueous electrolytes of an ionic liquid (IL), 1‐ethyl‐3‐methyl‐imidazolium ethyl sulfate. The optical response of the bulk electrolyte strongly affects the SPR angles, and the critical angle data help to separate these bulk effects from those arising strictly from the electrode surface. The optical parameters of the Au‐electrolyte system are determined by fitting the SPR angle‐spectra to calculated results of a multilayer reflectivity model. Both in the absence and in the presence of externally applied voltages, the SPR signal of the experimental interface is dominated by the dielectric behavior of the bulk electrolyte. No significant chemisorptions are detected for the IL contents (0.036–0.087 mole fraction) of the electrolytes used. The results demonstrate how angle resolved SPR measurements can be employed to determine the suitability of specific ILs as solutes for aqueous background electrolytes in electrochemical SPR sensing experiments. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

A novel ternary polymer electrolyte for LMP batteries based on thermal cross-linked poly(urethane acrylate) in presence of a lithium salt and an ionic liquid

A new ternary polymer electrolyte based on thermally cross-linked poly(urethane acrylate) (PUA), lithium bis(trifluoromethansulfonyl)imide (LiTFSI) and the ionic liquid N-butyl-N-methylpyrrolidinium TFSI (PYR₁₄TFSI) was developed and tested for application in LMP batteries. The polymer electrolyte was a transparent yellow self-standing material with quite good mechanical properties, i.e., comparable to that of a flexible rubber. The room temperature ionic conductivity of the dry polymer electrolyte was found to be as high as 0.1 mS cm⁻¹ for the compound containing 40 wt% of ionic liquid (PYR₁₄TFSI) and a O/Li ratio of 15/1 (Li⁺ from LiTFSI). The thermal analysis of the new cross-linked electrolyte showed that it was homogeneous, amorphous and stable over a wide temperature range extending from −40 °C to 100 °C. The homogeneity of the polymer electrolyte was also confirmed by SEM analysis.     

Development of a novel electrochemical cell for slab optical waveguide spectroscopy for in situ observation of methylene blue and anions on an electrode/electrolyte interface

A new spectroelectrochemical cell for slab optical waveguide (SOWG) spectroscopy was developed in order to observe in situ an electrode/electrolyte interface for bulk electrolysis. The new SOWG spectroelectrochemical cell has been evaluated by simultaneous electrochemical-absorption experiments of methylene blue (MB) using cyclic voltammetry (CV) and SOWG spectrometry. CV was performed in the SOWG spectroelectrochemical cell using indium tin oxide (ITO) coated glass as the working electrode, platinum wire as the counter electrode and a silver/silver chloride electrode (Ag/AgCl) as the reference electrode. Based on the CV and SOWG spectrometric data, it was found that the SOWG spectra showed the MB spectra on the electrode surface selectively and that SOWG with the cell would be useful as a tool for in situ study of an electrode/electrolyte interface. Using this cell, the effects of the supporting electrolytes, NaNO₃, KNO₃, CH₃COONa, and CH₃COOK on the absorbance of MB were examined at the potential of +0.8 V versus Ag/AgCl. The decrease in MB absorbance by nitrate ions was greater than that of acetate ions. Therefore the competitive adsorption of nitrate ions was stronger than that of acetate ions. Thus, the decrease in absorbance of MB in the presence of anions demonstrates the competitive adsorption of anions. These results show that the extent of specific adsorption of electrolytes was observed by measuring the SOWG absorbance intensity of MB.     

A computational study on mixed convection with surface radiation in a channel in presence of discrete heat sources and vortex generator based on RSM

Journal of Thermal Analysis and Calorimetry - Numerical simulation of mixed convection and surface radiation in a horizontal rectangular channel with five discrete heat sources protruded from the...     

On an SVD‐free approach to the complementarity and coupling theory A note on the elimination of unknowns in sums of dyadic products

The partial knowledge of the factors in a multivariate curve resolution problem can simplify the factorization problem. The complementarity and coupling theory as published in 2012 provides precise mathematical conditions for certain unknown parts of the factors. These constraints are based on a singular value decomposition of the data matrix; they have the form of linear or affine linear spaces which contain the unknown parts of the pure component factors. This paper presents a new and simple singular value decomposition‐free form of the complementarity and coupling theory. The derivation of these theorems is based on elementary arguments of linear algebra. The new mathematical form of the theory allows its easy and straightforward applicability. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Thermodynamics of mixed electrolyte solutions. IX. Calculation of the osmotic and activity coefficients in a pseudoternary system (NaCl−nKCl)−MgCl2-H2O at 298.15°K

The equation of Reilly, Wood, and Robinson was used to predict the osmotic coefficient of a pseudoternary system (NaCl–nKCl)–MgCl₂–H₂O over a molal ionic strength range of 1.0 to 5.0 moles-kg^–1. The results are in close agreement with experimental data at most ionic strengths. The standard deviation in the osmotic coefficients over the entire concentration range lies within 0.0035. The predicted values of the mean activity coefficients are in good agreement with those obtained by the treatments of both Scatchard and Friedman. Mean activity coefficients for the other components were also predicted.     

A multiple time step algorithm compatible with a large number of distance classes and an arbitrary distance dependence of the time step size for the fast evaluation of nonbonded interactions in molecular simulations

A new algorithm is introduced to perform the multiple time step integration of the equations of motion for a molecular system, based on the splitting of the nonbonded interactions into a series of distance classes. The interactions between particle pairs in successive classes are updated at a progressively decreasing frequency. Unlike previous multiple time-stepping schemes relying on distance classes, the present algorithm sorts interacting particle pairs by their next update times rather than by their update frequencies. For this reason, the proposed scheme is extremely flexible with respect to the number of classes that can be employed (up to hundred or more) and the distance dependence of the relative time step size (arbitrary integer function of the distance). It can also easily be adapted to classes defined based on a criterion other than the interparticle distance (e.g., interaction magnitude). Different variants of the algorithm are tested in terms of accuracy and efficiency for simulations of a pure water system (6167 molecules) under truncated-octahedral periodic boundary conditions, and compared to the twin-range method standardly used with GROMOS96 (short- and long-range cutoff distances of 0.8 and 1.4 nm, pair list and intermediate-range interactions updated every five steps). In particular, multiple time-stepping schemes with an accuracy comparable to that of the twin-range method can be designed, that permit to increase the effective (long-range) cutoff distance from 1.4 to 3.0 nm with a performance loss of only about a factor 2. This result is quite encouraging, considering the benefits of doubling the cutoff radius in the context of (bio-)molecular simulations.     

A Correlation of the Drag Force Coefficient on a Sphere with Interface Slip at Low and Intermediate Reynolds Numbers

The hydrodynamics of a sphere with interface slip has been numerically investigated for flows of Reynolds number ranging 0 < Re ≤ 75. A simple correlation of the drag force coefficient in the present of interface slip has been derived based on our numerical simulations. The correlation takes the slip coefficient and Reynolds number as two input parameters. By comparing results found in the literature, we believe that the present correlation is more accurate; it provides a source for future experiment study and for numerical simulations of large multi-particle system where the interface slip is important.     

Electrochemical oxidation of ochratoxin A at a glassy carbon electrode and in situ evaluation of the interaction with deoxyribonucleic acid using an electrochemical deoxyribonucleic acid-biosensor

Ochratoxin A (OTA) is a fungal metabolite that occurs in foods, beverages, animal tissues, human blood and presents carcinogenic, teratogenic and nephrotoxic properties. This study concerns the redox properties of OTA using electrochemical techniques which have the potential for providing insights into the biological redox reactions of this molecule. The in situ evaluation of the OTA interaction with DNA using a DNA-electrochemical biosensor is also reported.The oxidation of OTA is an irreversible process proceeds with the transfer of one electron and one proton in a diffusion-controlled mechanism. The diffusion coefficient of OTA was calculated in pH 7 phosphate buffer to be D_O = 3.65 × 10⁻⁶ cm² s⁻¹. The oxidation of OTA is also pH dependent for electrolytes with pH < 7 and involves the formation of a main oxidation product which adsorbs strongly at the GCE surface undergoing reversible oxidation. In alkaline electrolytes OTA undergoes chemical deprotonation, the oxidation involving only the transfer of one electron.The electrochemical dsDNA-biosensor was also used to evaluate the possible interaction between OTA and DNA. The experiments have clearly proven that OTA interacts and binds to dsDNA strands immobilized onto a GCE surface, but no evidence of DNA-damage caused by OTA was obtained.     

Protonation constant of monoaza-12-crown-4 ether and stability constants with selected metal ions in aqueous solution in the presence of an excess of sodium ion: a potentiometric and differential pulse polarographic study at fixed ligand to metal ratio and varied pH

The ligand monoaza-12-crown-4 ether (A12C4) was studied in aqueous solution at 298 K and an ionic strength of 0.5 mol dm⁻³ in the presence of an excess of sodium ion (0.5 mol dm⁻³ NaNO₃). The protonation constant of A12C4, determined by glass electrode potentiometry (GEP) in the same background electrolyte, was found to be log K=9.36±0.03. Polarographic experimental and calculated complex formation curves (ECFC and CCFC) for labile metal–ligand systems, studied at a fixed total ligand (L_T) to total metal (M_T) concentration ratio and varied pH, were used for the modelling of the metal species formed and the refinement of their stability constants. The metal–ligand model and formation constants are optimised by solving mass-balance equations written for the assumed model and by fitting the CCFC to the ECFC. The CCFC can be generated for any metal–ligand model, including polynuclear metal species, for any L_T:M_T ratio, and for more than one ligand competing in the complex formation reaction. Three lead complexes with the ligand A12C4, viz. PbL²⁺, PbL(OH)⁺ and PbL(OH)₂, were found and their overall stability constants from differential pulse polarography (DPP), as log β, were estimated to be 3.75±0.03, 9.30±0.05 and 12.70±0.05, respectively. Two copper complexes CuL²⁺ and CuL(OH)₂ are reported and their stability constants (from DPP) were estimated to be 6.00±0.05 and 21.77±0.1, respectively. Two cadmium complexes CdL²⁺ and CdL(OH)⁺ are reported. The stability constant for CdL²⁺ was estimated from DPP and GEP as 2.80±0.05 and 2.68±0.03 (the latter value was obtained from a few potentiometric experimental points), respectively, and the stability constant for CdL(OH)⁺ from DPP was estimated to be 7.88±0.05. GEP could not be used for the stability constants determination of other metal complexes studied because of precipitation occurring prior the completion of a complex formation reaction.     

Effect of Ethylene Glycol on the Molecular Organization of H2O in Comparison with Methanol and Glycerol: A Calorimetric Study

Excess partial molar enthalpies of ethylene glycol, H ^E _EG, in binary ethylene glycol–H₂O, and those of 1-propanol, H ^E _IP, in ternary 1-propanol–ethylene glycol (or methanol)–H₂O were determined at 25°C. From these data, the solute–solute interaction functions, H ^E _EG–EG = N(H ^E _EG/n _EG) and H ^E _1P–1P = N(H ^E _1P/n _1P), were calculated by graphical differentiation without resorting to curve fitting. Using these, together with the partial molar volume data, the effect of ethylene glycol on the molecular organization of H₂O was investigated in comparison with methanol and glycerol. We found that there are three concentration regions, in each of which the mixing scheme is qualitatively different from the other regions. Mixing scheme III operative in the solute-rich region is such that the solute molecules are in a similar situation as in the pure state, most likely in clusters of its own kind. Mixing scheme II, in the intermediate region, consists of two kinds of clusters each rich in solute and in H₂O, respectively. Thus, the bond percolation nature of the hydrogen bond network of liquid H₂O is lost. Mixing scheme I is a progressive modification of liquid H₂O by the solute, but the basic characteristics of liquid H₂O are still retained. In particular, the bond percolation of the hydrogen bond network is still intact. Similar to glycerol, ethylene glycol participates in the hydrogen bond network of H₂O via-OH groups, and reduces the global average of the hydrogen bond probability and the fluctuations inherent in liquid H₂O. In contrast to glycerol, there is also a sign of a weak hydrophobic effect caused by ethylene glycol. However, how these hydrophobic and hydrophilic effects of ethylene glycol work together in modifying the molecular organization of H₂O in mixing scheme I is yet to be elucidated.     

A H NMR study on the complexation of tetraalkylammonium cations, mono and diprotonated amines, and amino acids with a derivatized cyclotetrachromotropylene in an aqueous solution

The derivatized cyclotetrachromotropylene host forms complexes of 1:1 host to guest stoichiometry with tetraalkylammonium cations and amino acids whereas complexes of 1:2 host to guest stoichiometry are formed with mono and diprotonated amines in an aqueous solution. Both electrostatic and hydrophobic interactions are involved in the complexation.