Magnetic field effect on chemical wave propagation from the Belousov-Zhabotinsky reaction

Effects of magnetic field (maximum field, 4 and 93 T(2) m(-1)) on the propagation speed of a chemical wavefront from the Belousov-Zhabotinsky reaction were studied in a thin glass tube. The downward and upward speed and the horizontal one are, respectively affected significantly by vertical and horizontal magnetic fields. Observations of the wavefront shape in magnetic fields showed that the magnetic force-induced convection causes the observed effects.     

Helical nanofibers from aqueous self-assembly of an oligo(p-phenylene)-based molecular dumbbell

We have synthesized an amphiphilic dumbbell-shaped molecule consisting of dodeca-p-phenylene and aliphatic polyether dendrons as flexible end groups. The molecular dumbbell in aqueous solution self-assembles into well-defined left-handed helical cylinders with a diameter (8 nm) of a molecular length scale and a pitch length of 5.6 nm, as confirmed by TEM. These elementary helical fibrils are further assembled to give left-handed superhelical fibers with lengths up to several micrometers. Such a well-defined helical arrangement of conjugated rod building blocks may provide a new strategy for the design of one-dimensional nanostructured materials with biomimetic, electronic, and photonic functions.     

Numerical investigation of the magnetic field effect on the heat transfer and fluid flow of ferrofluid inside helical tube

The effect of a magnetic field on heat and fluid flow of ferrofluid in a helical tube is studied numerically. The helical tube is under constant wall temperature boundary condition. Parametric studies are done to investigate the effects of different factors such as the magnetic field gradient value and Reynolds number on heat transfer rate and pressure drop. Results indicate that the magnetic field increases the Nusselt number by about 40%. At high magnetic gradient value, Nusselt number and friction factor rise slightly, while at low magnetic gradient value, the increment of Nusselt number is considerable. Furthermore, the growth of wall shear stress on tube wall results in lower thermal–hydraulic performance at the high magnetic gradient value. There is an optimum case for thermal–hydraulic performance which results in most top performance of helical tube in the presence of the magnetic field.

     

Chemical-garden formation, morphology, and composition. II. Chemical gardens in microgravity

We studied the growth of metal-ion silicate chemical gardens under Earth gravity (1 g) and microgravity (μg) conditions. Identical sets of reaction chambers from an automated system (the Silicate Garden Habitat or SGHab) were used in both cases. The μg experiment was performed on board the International Space Station (ISS) within a temperature-controlled setup that provided still and video images of the experiment downlinked to the ground. Calcium chloride, manganese chloride, cobalt chloride, and nickel sulfate were used as seed salts in sodium silicate solutions of several concentrations. The formation and growth of osmotic envelopes and microtubes was much slower under μg conditions. In 1 g, buoyancy forces caused tubes to grow upward, whereas a random orientation for tube growth was found under μg conditions.     

Electrophoretic transport of latex particles in lipid nanotubes

Lipid vesicles can be connected by membrane nanotubes to build networks with promising bioanalytical properties. Here we characterize electrophoretic transport in such membrane tubes, with a particular eye to how their soft-material nature influences the intratube migration. In the absence of field, the tube radius is 110 +/- 26 nm, and it remains in this range during electrophoresis even though the applied electric field causes a slight decrease in the tube radius (approximately 6-11%). The electrophoretic velocity of the membrane wall (labeled with quantum dots) varies linearly with the field strength. Intratube migration is studied with latex spheres of radii 15, 50, 100, and 250 nm. The largest particle size does not enter the tube at fields strengths lower than 1250 V/m because the energy cost for expanding the tube around the particles is too high. The smaller particles migrate with essentially the same velocity as the membrane at low fields. Above 250 V/cm, the 15 nm particles exhibit an upward deviation from linear behavior and in fact migrate faster than in free solution whereas the 100 nm particles deviate downward. We propose that these nonlinear effects arise because of lipid adsorption to the particles (dominating for 15 nm particles) and a pistonlike compression of the solvent in front of the particles (dominating for 100 nm). As expected from such complexities, existing theories for a sphere migrating in a rigid-wall cylinder cannot explain our velocity results in lipid nanotubes.     

Synthesis and structure of a new layered zinc phosphite (C5H6N2)Zn(HPO3) containing helical chains

A new compound (C5H6N2)Zn(HPO3) has been prepared hydrothermally; it consists of left-handed and right-handed helical chains that are connected through oxygen atoms to form an undulated sheet structure with 4.8-net.     

Organically-doped sol-gel based tube detectors: Determination of iron(II) in aqueous solutions

A novel type of disposable sensor for the determination of iron(II) in aqueous solution is described. The iron sensor serves to exemplify a new class of disposable field tests for field analysis of water pollutants. The sensors are comprised of capillary glass tubes filled with porous sol-gel silica powder doped with o-phenanthroline. When a sample solution is passed through a tube detector the iron ions are complexed by the immobilized o-phenanthroline and a stained section of the capillary develops. Metrological characteristics of these detectors including precision and accuracy and chemical interferences by heavy metals and humic acids are discussed.     

Influence of diameter on the degradation profile of multiwall carbon nanotubes

Nanofluid and coiled tubes have been employed as two passive methods for enhancing the heat transfer. In the present study, the turbulent flow of CuO–water nanofluid in helical and conical coiled tubes was numerically investigated with constant wall temperature through mixture model. The thermophysical properties of base fluid (water) were considered as temperature-dependent functions, while Brownian effects were adopted in thermal conductivity and dynamic viscosity of nanofluid. Simulation results were validated using experimental data for heat transfer coefficient and pressure drop in helical coiled tube for different Reynolds numbers. Four different geometries were simulated and compared. The first one was a conical coiled tube; the others were helical coiled tubes whose coil diameters were minimum, maximum, and median of the conical coiled tube pitch coil diameter. The velocity profiles indicated stronger secondary flow in conical coiled tube at a specified Dean number. The obtained results also showed higher heat transfer enhancement in the conical coiled tube in comparison with helical coiled tube with the same average pitch coil diameter. Moreover, the nanoparticle-induced heat transfer enhancement was more effective in conical coiled tube.

     

Discontinuous change in the helical pitch of cholesteric liquid crystals by photoisomerization of a chiral azobenzene molecule

This paper describes the discontinuous change in the helical pitch of a cholesteric liquid crystal (ChLC) by means of the photoisomerization of chiral azobenzene molecules under homogenous alignment conditions. A mixture of E44, R811 and Azo was prepared in the ratio 68/28/4, respectively. R811 and Azo have opposite twisting abilities such that they induce right- and left-handed helices, respectively when added to E44. The mixture was injected into a glass cell having a 2 or 5 µm cell gap, and treated for homogeneous molecular orientation. The wavelength of selective reflection from the ChLC was shifted to shorter wavelengths by the trans-cis photoisomerization of Azo. The change in the helical pitch was not only discontinuous, but also dependent on the cell thickness. The discontinuous change in the helical pitch was estimated to be almost the same as the half turn of the helical pitch in each cell gap, and was dependent on the number of helical half pitches in the glass cell. The homogeneous alignment condition affects the photochemical change in the helical structure of the ChLC system.     

Chemical Reaction Monitoring using Zero‐Field Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Enables Study of Heterogeneous Samples in Metal Containers

We demonstrate that heterogeneous/biphasic chemical reactions can be monitored with high spectroscopic resolution using zero‐field nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. This is possible because magnetic susceptibility broadening is negligible at ultralow magnetic fields. We show the two‐step hydrogenation of dimethyl acetylenedicarboxylate with para‐enriched hydrogen gas in conventional glass NMR tubes, as well as in a titanium tube. The low frequency zero‐field NMR signals ensure that there is no significant signal attenuation arising from shielding by the electrically conductive sample container. This method paves the way for in situ monitoring of reactions in complex heterogeneous multiphase systems and in reactors made of conductive materials while maintaining resolution and chemical specificity.     

Ferro-and Antiferromagnetic Properties of Metal Complexes with Pyridine-Substituted Nitronyl Nitroxide Radicals

The synthesis, crystal structure and magnetic properties of the non-transition metals; Cd(II), Zn(II), Hg(II), Mg(II) and the transition metals; Co(II), Ni(II), Cu(II) complexes with 2-(4-pyridyl)-4,4,5,5-tetra-methylimidazolinyl-l-oxy-3-oxide (NITpPy) are presented. The compounds of free radical NITpPy, HgCl₂(NITpPy), and Zn(acac)₂(NITpPy) crystallize in the same monoclinic system of space group C2/c. The magnetic properties of the temperature-dependent magnetic susceptibility of NITpPy and its metal complexes are discussed according to the Heisenberg model. A weak ferromagnetic coupling in NITpPy and a weak antiferromagnetic coupling in the metal complexes have been revealed.     

Mesoporous silicas by self-assembly of lipid molecules: ribbon, hollow sphere, and chiral materials

Using lipids (N-acyl amino acids) and 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane as structure- and co-structure-directing agents, mesoporous silicas with four different morphologies, that is, helical ribbon (HR), hollow sphere, circular disk, and helical hexagonal rod, were synthesized just by changing the synthesis temperature from 0 degrees C to 10, 15, or 20 degrees C. The structures were studied by electron microscopy. It was found that 1) the structures have double-layer disordered mesopores in the HR, radially oriented mesopores in the hollow sphere, and highly ordered straight and chiral 2D-hexagonal mesopores in the disklike structure and helical rod, respectively; 2) these four types of mesoporous silica were transformed from the flat bilayered lipid ribbon with a chain-interdigitated layer phase through a solid-solid transformation for HR formation and a dissolving procedure transformation for the synthesis of the hollow sphere, circular disk, and twisted morphologies; 3) the mesoporous silica helical ribbon was exclusively right-handed and the 2D-hexagonal chiral mesoporous silica was excessively left-handed when the L-form N-acyl amino acid was used as the lipid template; 4) the HR was formed only by the chiral lipid molecules, whereas the 2D-hexagonal chiral mesoporous silicas were formed by chiral, achiral, and racemic lipids. Our findings give important information for the understanding of the formation of chiral materials at the molecular level and will facilitate a more efficient and systematic approach to the generation of rationalized chiral libraries.     

Helical DNA Origami Tubular Structures with Various Sizes and Arrangements

We developed a novel method to design various helical tubular structures using the DNA origami method. The size‐controlled tubular structures which have 192, 256, and 320 base pairs for one turn of the tube were designed and prepared. We observed the formation of the expected short tubes and unexpected long ones. Detailed analyses of the surface patterns of the tubes showed that the short tubes had mainly a left‐handed helical structure. The long tubes mainly formed a right‐handed helical structure and extended to the directions of the double helical axes as structural isomers of the short tubes. The folding pathways of the tubes were estimated by analyzing the proportions of short and long tubes obtained at different annealing conditions. Depending on the number of base pairs involved in one turn of the tube, the population of left‐/right‐handed and short/long tubes changed. The bending stress caused by the stiffness of the bundled double helices and the non‐natural helical pitch determine the structural variety of the tubes.     

Discontinuous change in the helical pitch of cholesteric liquid crystals by photoisomerization of a chiral azobenzene molecule

This paper describes the discontinuous change in the helical pitch of a cholesteric liquid crystal (ChLC) by means of the photoisomerization of chiral azobenzene molecules under homogenous alignment conditions. A mixture of E44, R811 and Azo was prepared in the ratio 68/28/4, respectively. R811 and Azo have opposite twisting abilities such that they induce right- and left-handed helices, respectively when added to E44. The mixture was injected into a glass cell having a 2 or 5?µm cell gap, and treated for homogeneous molecular orientation. The wavelength of selective reflection from the ChLC was shifted to shorter wavelengths by the trans-cis photoisomerization of Azo. The change in the helical pitch was not only discontinuous, but also dependent on the cell thickness. The discontinuous change in the helical pitch was estimated to be almost the same as the half turn of the helical pitch in each cell gap, and was dependent on the number of helical half pitches in the glass cell. The homogeneous alignment condition affects the photochemical change in the helical structure of the ChLC system.     

Periodic trends in sensitivity and its dependence on the properties of pyrolytic and non-pyrolytic graphite in graphite-furnace atomic-absorption spectrometry

The sensitivities for metal determination by GFAAS in the peak-height and integration modes were examined with pyrolytic graphite (PG) and non-pyrolytic graphite (NPG) tubes for 34 elements. It was found that there are periodic trends of the mole sensitivity and the elements can be classified according to whether their sensitivity of determination is enhanced by use of (a) the PG tube (alkali, alkaline-earth and transition metals); (b) the NPG tube (semi-metals); about equally by both tubes (Mg, Zn, Cd, and Pb). The mole sensitivity pM for atomic-absorption spectrometry (AAS) was defined as pM = -log(m(h)/A(w)) where m(h) is the weight of an element corresponding to 1% absorption and A(w) is the atomic weight. It was found that the pM values for graphite furnace AAS have a periodic trend similar to that for flame AAS and atomic-fluorescence spectrometry.     

Magnetic resonance imaging of the manipulation of a chemical wave using an inhomogeneous magnetic field

The effects of applied magnetic fields on the traveling wave formed by the reaction of (ethylenediaminetetraacetato)cobalt(II) (Co(II)EDTA2-) and hydrogen peroxide have been studied using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) . It was found that the wave could be manipulated by applying pulsed magnetic field gradients to a sample contained in a vertical cylindrical tube in the 7.0 T magnetic field of the spectrometer. Transverse field gradients decelerated the propagation of the wave down the high-field side of the tube and accelerated it down the low-field side. This control of the wave propagation eventually promoted the formation of a finger on the low-field side of the tube and allowed the wave to be maneuvered within the sample tube. The origin of these effects is rationalized by considering the Maxwell stress arising from the combined homogeneous and inhomogeneous magnetic fields and the magnetic susceptibility gradient across the wave front.     

Flame atomic absorption spectrometric determination of copper, zinc, calcium, magnesium and iron in fresh eggs using microvolume injection

The flame atomic absorption spectrometric determination of copper, zinc, calcium, magnesium and iron in fresh eggs using a microvolume injection technique is described. The capillary tube and glass impact bead were removed from the nebulizer and a polypropylene tube was installed in the inlet of the capillary tube of the nebulizer as the interface for microvolume injection. The injection volume was 10 mul and calibration was carried out using aqueous standards. Beer's law was obeyed in the concentration ranges of 0.1-1.5, 0.1-3.0, 0.2-4.0, 0.5-4.0 and 1.0-6.0 mg 1(-1) for Cu, Zn, Ca, Mg and Fe, respectively, and the detection limits were 0.016, 0.016, 0.035, 0.010 and 0.10 mg 1(-1), respectively. The reliability of the measurements was confirmed by analyzing a certified reference material, GBW 08551 Pork Liver. The precision was 2.6, 2.9, 3.0, 1.3 and 2.5% for Cu, Zn, Ca, Mg and Fe, respectively. The recovery with the standard additions method was good, ranging from 96.2 to 100.0%.     

Self-assembled helical ribbon and tubes of alanine-based amphiphiles induced by two different formation mechanisms

Three long chain alanine-based amphiphiles (1-3) possessing either a saturated long alkyl chain group or unsaturated groups as the self-assembling unit of a highly organized molecular architecture were synthesized. Their self-assembling properties were investigated using EF-TEM, SEM, CD, XRD, and FTIR. The d-form (1) and the l-form (2) enantiomers showed the opposite CD signals. Furthermore, electron micrographs of the self-assembled 1 and 2 exhibited right- and left-handed helical structures, respectively. The helical structures of amphiphiles 1 and 2 were developed into tubular structures by slow cooling. On the other hand, in the helical ribbon growth process, the helical pitch and ribbon width were changed in fast cooling process. The findings strongly imply that the helical ribbon growth of alanine-based amphiphiles can be induced by two different pathways. This mechanism, quite different from that observed for sugar- and cholesterol-based tubes, is a rare example for a tube formation process.     

Dean vortices: comparison of numerical simulation of shear stress and improvement of mass transfer in membrane processes at low permeation fluxes

In order to rationalize the effect of Dean vortices on mass transfer improvement during membrane filtration, we present preliminary calculations of the wall shear stress in curved tube with non-porous walls. Previous experimental work has already shown strong positive effect of Dean vortices on mass transfer. In this paper, a numerical simulation of shear stress is proposed in order to determine the influence of the geometric parameters in four different tubes: straight, torus, helical and woven tube. The simulation results are tested against the analytical solutions which are available for velocity and pressure distributions in straight tubes. The simulation gives local values from which the location of Dean vortices in cross-section can be deduced and which depends on geometry and Reynolds number. Moreover, published results dealing with oxygenation of water by a membrane process and pervaporation of organic volatile compounds are considered using the present simulation results.     

Synthesis, structure, and magnetic properties of two 1-D helical coordination polymeric Cu(II) complexes

Two helical coordination polymeric copper(II) complexes bearing amino acid Schiff bases HL or HL′, which are condensed from 2-hydroxy-1-naphthaldehyde with 2-aminobenzoic acid or l-valine, respectively, have been prepared and characterised by X-ray crystallography. In [CuL]_n (1) the copper(II) atoms are bridged by syn-anti carboxylate groups giving infinite 1-D right-handed helical chains which are further connected by weak C-H?Cu interactions to build a 2-D network. While in [CuL′]_n (2) the carboxylate group acts as a rare monatomic bridge to connect the adjacent copper(II) atoms leading to the formation of a left-handed helical chain. Magnetic susceptibility measurements indicate that 1 exhibits weak ferromagnetic interactions whereas an antiferromagnetic coupling is established for 2. The magnetic behavior can be satisfactorily explained on the basis of the structural data.