Preparation,characterization of new Co(II) and Cu(II) phthalocyanines and their catalytic performances in aerobic oxidation of substituted phenols

The host–guest inclusion complex of meta-cresol (m-cresol, liquid at room temperature, guest molecule) is synthesized with β-cyclodextrin (β-CD, host molecule). The inclusion complex is characterized by various techniques like nuclear magnetic resonance, powder X-ray diffraction, field emission scanning electron microscopy and spectroscopic (steady state as well as time-resolved) techniques. To the best of our knowledge, no literature data is available on the photophysical properties (especially fluorescence upon photoexcitation) of m-cresol in liquid media till date. Our spectroscopic studies exhibit some interesting photophysical properties of m-cresol and its inclusion complex with β-CD in different liquid media. The present work is important in view of the various potential applications of m-cresol in science, technology and medicine.     

Synthesis of ultra high molecular weight poly(dimethyldiallyl ammonium chloride)

In the study we reported the synthesis of poly-(dimethyldiallyl ammonium chloride) (PDMDAAC) with ultra high molecular weight. The polymerization method consists in the following: the ultra-high purity monomer synthesized in lab was used as the raw material, and APS as the initiator. APS was added in a lump and the polymerization temperature was increased stepwise to complete the polymerization gradually in 9 h reaction time. The maximum intrinsic viscosity ([η]) of PDMDAAC reached 3.66 dL g^–1 at a monomer conversion rate (Conv) of 96.71%. The structure and properties of PDMDAAC were characterized using FTIR, NMR, GPC-MALLS, and DTA-TG. The effects of polymerization conditions, such as the polymerization temperature, m(DMDAAC), m(APS): m(DMDAAC), and m(Na₄EDTA): m(DMDAAC), on the [η] and Conv of products were investigated. Meanwhile, the effects of the monomer purity on the [η] of products were compared. The results showed that the types and amount of impurities in monomer solution are two key factors, which affect the polymerization and, thus, the molecular weight of products.     

One-step preparation of sulfonated carbon and subsequent preparation of hybrid material with polyaniline salt: a promising supercapacitor electrode material

The present trend to increase the energy density of electrochemical supercapacitor is to hybrid the electrochemical double layer capacitance electrode materials of carbon with loading or encapsulation of transition metal oxide or conductive polymeric pseudocapacitor materials as the binary or ternary hybrid electrochemical active materials. In this work, we selected polyaniline salt-sulfonated carbon hybrid (PANI-SA?C _SA ) as a cheaper electrode material for supercapacitor electrode. Sulfonated carbon (C _SA ) was prepared from hydrothermal carbonization of furaldehyde and p-toluenesulfonic acid. Polyaniline-sulfate salt containing sulfonated carbon was prepared by chemical oxidative polymerization of aniline using ammonium persulfate in presence of sulfuric acid and sulfonated carbon via aqueous, emulsion and interfacial polymerization pathways. Formation of hybrid material was confirmed from scanning electron microscopy. Among the hybrid prepared with three different polymerization pathways, hybrid prepared by aqueous polymerization pathway showed better electrochemical performance. The specific capacitance of the hybrid prepared via aqueous polymerization was 600 F g^?1, which is higher than that of the pristine PANI-SA (350 F g^?1) and C _SA (30 F g^?1). Hybrid material was subjected for 8000 charge-discharge cycles and at 8000 cycles; it showed 88% retention of its original specific capacitance value of 485 F g^?1 with coulombic efficiency (97–100%). These results showed that C _SA micro spheres prevent the degradation of PANI-SA chains during charge/discharge cycles. Specific capacitance, cycle life, low solution resistance, low charge transfer resistance and high phase angle value of PANI-SA?C _SA supercapacitor cell indicates a higher performance supercapacitor system.

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Graphical abstract Synthesis of hybrid of sulfonated carbon with polyaniline sulfate salt and its supercapacitor performance Ravi Bolagam, Palaniappan Srinivasan,^* Rajender Boddula

     

Peroxy radicals as motional probes at the end of isolated polystyrene chains and on the cellulose surfaces in vacuum

The isolated polystyrene chains spin-labeled with peroxide radical at the free end (IPSOO) in which the chain roots were covalently bonded to the surface of microcrystalline cellulose (MCC) powder were produced by mechanochemical polymerization of styrene initiated by MCC mechanoradicals. The IPSOO was used as motional probes at the ends of isolated polystyrene chains tethered on the surface of MCC powder. Two modes for the molecular motion of IPSOO were observed. One was a tumbling motion of IPSOO on the MCC surface, defined as a train state, and another was a free rotational motion of IPSOO protruding out from the MCC surface, defined as a tail state. The temperature of tumbling motion (T _tum ) of IPSOO at the train state was at 90 K with anisotropic correlation times. T _tum (90 K) is extremely low compared to the glass transition temperature (T _g ^b ; 373 K) of polystyrene in the bulk. At temperatures above 219 K, the IPSOO was protruded out from the MCC surface, and freely rotated at the tail state. The train–tail transition temperature (T _train–tail ) was estimated to be 222 K. T _tum (90 K) and T _train–tail (222 K) are due to the extremely low chain segmental density of IPSOO on the MCC surface under vacuum. The interaction between IPSOO and the MCC surface is a minor contributing factor in the mobility of IPSOO on the surface under vacuum. It was found that peroxy radicals are useful probes to characterize the chain mobility reflecting their environmental conditions.     

Atom transfer radical polymerization of methyl methacrylate using copper-based homogeneous and heterogeneous catalysts

This study aimed at polymerization of methyl methacrylate with novel catalysts in the atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) condition at 90 °C. This was accomplished using CuBr/N-(2-aminoethyl)-3-aminopropyltrimethoxysilane (CuBr–AEAPTMS) as a homogeneous catalyst and one time with CuBr@AEAPTMS/SBA-15 as a heterogeneous catalyst. Catalysts were characterized using TGA, FT-IR, and UV–Vis spectroscopy. The structural analysis of the polymer was carried out by ¹³C NMR spectroscopy and GPC. Three characteristic parts of polymer produced by ATRP method including the initiator, monomer units, and end group was shown in ¹³C NMR spectra. In addition, the presence of C–Br unit showed that the polymerization process is alive. The ¹H NMR analysis was used for kinetic investigation of methyl methacrylate polymerization with homogeneous and heterogeneous catalysts that showed high monomer conversion (98 and 90% after 35 min, respectively) and good control of molecular weight with a dispersity (Р= 1.5–1.7). In addition, the plot of ln ([monomer]₀/[monomer] _t ) versus time gave linear relationships indicating a constant concentration of the propagating species throughout the polymerization. Finally, the results of the polymerization using heterogeneous catalyst compared with homogeneous catalyst revealed that it was according to ATRP method.     

High-internal-phase-emulsion polymeric monolith coupled with liquid chromatography–electrospray tandem mass spectrometry for enrichment and sensitive detection of trace cytokinins in plant samples

High-internal-phase-emulsion polymers (polyHIPEs) show great promise as solid-phase-extraction (SPE) materials because of the tremendous porosity and highly interconnected framework afforded by the high-internal-phase-emulsion (HIPE) technique. In this work, polyHIPE monolithic columns as novel SPE materials were prepared and applied to trace enrichment of cytokinins (CKs) from complex plant samples. The polyHIPE monoliths were synthesized via the in-situ polymerization of the continuous phase of a HIPE containing styrene (STY) and divinylbenzene (DVB) in a stainless column, and revealed highly efficient and selective enrichment ability for aromatic compounds. Under the optimized experimental conditions, a method using a monolithic polyHIPE column combined with liquid chromatography–electrospray tandem mass spectrometry (LC–MS–MS) was developed for the simultaneous extraction and sensitive determination of trans-zeatin (tZ), meta-topolin (mT), kinetin (K), and kinetin riboside (KR). The proposed method had good linearity, with correlation coefficients (R ²) from 0.9957 to 0.9984, and low detection limits (LODs, S/N?=?3) in the range 2.4–47 pg mL^?1 for the four CKs. The method was successfully applied to the determination of CKs in real plant samples, and obtained good recoveries ranging from 68.8 % to 103.0 % and relative standard deviations (RSDs) lower than 16 %.     

Pyrolysis of sorghum bagasse biomass into bio-char and bio-oil products

The transformation of renewable biomass into valuable products as alternatives to fossil fuels is essential for sustainable energy in sustainable society. This work systematically investigates the pyrolysis of sorghum bagasse biomass into bio-char and bio-oil products and studies the effect of temperature (623–823 K) on the conversion of sorghum bagasse and products yields. The physicochemical properties of bio-char were thoroughly studied using powder X-ray diffraction, elemental analysis (CHNSO), scanning electronic microscope, calorific value (CV), and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy techniques. Also, gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS), CV, and FTIR were used to understand the properties of bio-oil. The results obtained indicate that an increase in the pyrolysis temperature from 623 to 823 K leads to a decrease in the bio-char yield from 42.55 to 30.38%. On the other hand, the maximum bio-oil yield of 15.94% was obtained at 723 K. The bio-char obtained at 673 and 773 K was found by FTIR analysis to be composed of a highly ordered aromatic carbon structure. The calorific value of bio-oil, which contains a greater amount of acidic compounds, was found to be 6740 kcal/kg. The GC–MS analyses revealed the presence of octadecenoic acid, p-cresol, 2,6-dimethoxy phenol, 4-ethyl 2-methoxy phenol, phenol, o-guaiacol, and octadecanoic acid in the bio-oil obtained from the pyrolysis of sorghum bagasse biomass. The present study provides useful information for understanding the quality of bio-oil and bio-char obtained from high biomass sorghum bagasse.     

Liquid–Liquid Equilibrium of Ternary Systems of Methyl Isobutyl Ketone + <Emphasis Type="Italic">o</Emphasis>-Cresol + Water at 298.2, 313.2 and 323.2 K

Liquid–liquid equilibrium (LLE) data for the methyl isobutyl ketone + o-cresol + water ternary system have been experimentally measured from 298.2 to 323.2 K below 101 kPa. The measured LLE data were verified to be highly consistent through the Othmer–Tobias and Hand equations. The extraction efficiency of methyl isobutyl ketone for o-cresol was assessed by the distribution coefficient and separation factor. The experimental results correlated well with two excess Gibbs energy models: non-random two-liquid and universal quasi chemical, which also yielded binary interaction parameter.     

Synthesis of Block Copolymers of Styrene with <Emphasis Type="Italic">D</Emphasis>,<Emphasis Type="Italic">L</Emphasis>-Lactide by the Sequential Controlled Cationic Polymerization and Ring-Opening Anionic Polymerization

The cationic polymerization of styrene initiated by the system 2-chloro-2-phenylpropane–TiCl₄–pyridine is studied in a mixture CH₂Cl₂–n-hexane at a temperature of –80°С. It is shown that under these conditions polymerization occurs via the living mechanism at [monomer]: [initiator] ≤ 100. The method of preparing polystyrenes with terminal primary hydroxyl groups (M_n = 4000–10000 g/mol) by the sequential controlled cationic polymerization of styrene and the in situ alkylation of 4-phenoxy-1-butanol by polystyrene macrocations is proposed. The resulting functionalized polystyrenes are used as macroinitiators of anionic-coordination ring-opening polymerization of D,L-lactide in the presence of tin bis(2-ethyl hexanoate) [Sn(Oct)₂] in toluene at 80°С. Copolymers polystyrene-block-poly(D,L-lactide) with the controlled length of the poly(D,L-lactide) block (M_n = 10000–17000 g/mol) and a relatively low molecular-weight distribution (M_w/M_n = 1.6–1.8) are synthesized. Formation of the block copolymers is confirmed by ¹Н NMR spectroscopy, gel-permeation chromatography, and atomic force microscopy.     

Cluster-associated filling of water molecules in graphene-based mesopores

Graphene monoliths were prepared through unidirectional freeze-drying method of graphene oxide colloids-KOH mixed solution and successive reduction by heating at 573 K in Ar. The porosity- and crystallinity-controlled graphene monoliths were prepared by the KOH activation at different temperature and the post-heating in Ar. These activated graphene monoliths were characterized by N₂ adsorption at 77 K, X-ray diffraction and Raman spectroscopy. Water adsorption isotherms show a typical hydrophobicity below P/P ₀ = 0.5 and a marked hydrophilicity above P/P ₀ = 0.6, which depends on the pore width. In the water adsorption isotherms of porous graphene monoliths activated at different temperature, the higher the activation temperature, the larger the rising P/P ₀. No essential change in the shape of the water adsorption isotherm for the post-heated nanoporous graphene monoliths is observed except for the decrease in water adsorption amount with higher post-heating temperature. The linear relationship between the saturated water adsorption and pore volume whose width is smaller than 4 nm indicates clearly that water molecules are adsorbed in small mesopores by the cluster-associated filling mechanism.     

Degradation mechanism of <Emphasis Type="Italic">p</Emphasis>-cresol in aqueous solutions by gamma-ray irradiation

Degradation mechanism of p-cresol in aqueous solutions by gamma-ray irradiation was investigated at various initial p-cresol concentrations with different absorbed doses. The results show that p-cresol in aqueous solutions can effectively be degraded by gamma-ray irradiation. Chemical oxygen demand was used to assess the degree of mineralization of p-cresol. The degradation can be enhanced by the additions of free Radical Scavengers. The degradation products were identified by high-performance liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometric. Degradation mechanism of p-cresol in aqueous solutions were proposed according to the products analysis.     

Highly efficient mesoporous WO<Subscript><Emphasis Type="Italic">x</Emphasis></Subscript>/KIT-6 catalysts for oxidative desulfurization of dibenzothiophene with hydrogen peroxide

Oxidative desulfurization (ODS) of organic compounds containing sulfur element from a model oil was performed using tungsten oxide catalysts supported on mesoporous silica with cubic Ia3d mesostructure, well-defined mesopores (7.2 nm), high surface area (719 m²/g), and three-dimensional pore network (WO _x /KIT-6). The prepared WO _x /KIT-6 catalysts (5–20 wt% WO _x ) were characterized by X-ray diffraction analysis, N₂ sorption measurements, electron microscopy, H₂-temperature programmed reduction, Raman spectroscopy, and thermogravimetric analysis. Among the mesoporous catalysts, 10 wt% WO _x /KIT-6 exhibited the best catalytic performance. Sulfur-containing organic compounds, such as dibenzothiophene, 4,6-dimethyldibenzothiophene, and benzothiophene, were completely (100 %) removed from the model oil over 10 wt% WO _x /KIT-6 catalyst in 2 h. In addition, the catalyst could be reused several times with only slight decrease in catalytic activity.     

Kinetics and mechanism of the catalytic reaction between ozone and <Emphasis Type="Italic">para</Emphasis>-cresol in acetic anhydride

The kinetics of the liquid-phase catalytic oxidation of para-cresol with an ozone-air mixture in the presence of manganese(II) acetate is reported. In an acetic anhydride medium, para-cresol reacts with ozone as para-cresyl acetate, which is formed at the instant the solution to be oxidized is prepared. Under these conditions, the major oxidation products are para-acetoxybenzyl acetate (63.5%) and para-acetoxybenzylidene diacetate (13.7%). The effect of the managanese(II) acetate concentration on the traction selectivity with respect to the oxidation of the methyl group of the substrate is reported. A mechanism consistent with the experimental data available on this catalytic redox reaction is suggested.     

Influence of solvent environment using the CPCM model on the H-bond geometry in the complexes of phosphorus acids with DMSO

Quantum chemical calculations of structure and energies of various H-bonded complexes of phosphoric, phosphorous and methylphosphonic acids and their dimers with dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO), i.e., (acid) _n –DMSO and acid–(DMSO) _m for n = 1, 2 and m = 2, 3 have been carried out. The polar solvent effect is taken into account by using the CPCM model. It has been found that in DMSO environment the H-bonds in all complexes of investigated acid with DMSO are sizably stronger than the ones in the gas phase. At B3LYP-CPCM computation, the H-bonds between all investigated acid dimers and DMSO are significantly shorter than those found for complexes of corresponding acids with other compositions. The H-bonding interaction in acid–(DMSO) _m for m = 1–3 becomes slightly weaker with increasing number DMSO molecules. The strength of the H-bond in all investigated complexes increases in the series of acids: (HO)₂MePO < (HO)₂P(O)H < H₃PO₄. Additionally, quantum theory of ‘atoms in molecules’ and natural bond orbitals method have been applied to analyze H-bond interactions.     

Biosynthesis,characterization, and antimicrobial effect of silver nanoparticles obtained using <Emphasis Type="Italic">Lavandula</Emphasis> × <Emphasis Type="Italic">intermedia</Emphasis>

The use..... of aqueous leaf extract of Lavandula × intermedia for biosynthesis of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) is presented. The plant extract was obtained by boiling dried leaves and using the obtained filtrate for the synthesis of AgNPs. The study was conducted to investigate an ecofriendly approach to metal nanoparticle synthesis and to evaluate the antimicrobial potential of both the aqueous plant extract and resulting silver nanoparticles against different microbes using the disc diffusion method. The synthesis of silver nanoparticles was monitored using ultraviolet–visible (UV–v is) spectroscopy, which showed a localized surface plasmon resonance band at 411 nm and a shift of the band to higher wavenumber of 422 nm after 90 min of reaction. Powder X-ray diffraction analysis and transmission electron microscopy of the obtained AgNPs revealed their crystalline nature, with average size of 12.6 nm. Presence of elemental silver was further confirmed by energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy confirmed presence of phytochemicals from Lavandula × intermedia leaf extract on the AgNPs. The AgNPs showed good antimicrobial activity with inhibition zone ranging from 10 to 23 mm; the largest inhibition zone (23 mm) occurred against Escherichia coli. Generally, the AgNPs displayed more antimicrobial activity against all investigated pathogens compared with Lavandula × intermedia leaf extract, and were also more active than streptomycin against Klebsiella oxytoca and E. coli at the same concentration. The silver nanoparticles showed prominent antimicrobial activity with a lowest minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) value of 15 μg/mL against E. coli, K. oxytoca, and Candida albicans.     

Specific Features of <Emphasis Type="Italic">N</Emphasis>-Morpholinoethyl Methacrylate Synthesis

Methods for synthesis of N-morpholinoethyl methacrylate were compared. It was shown that the monomer produced by acylation of N-morpholinoethanol with methacrylic acid anhydride or methacryloyl chloride spontaneously polymerizes in storage. The possible reasons for the spontaneous polymerization of N-morpholinoethyl methacrylate produced by the acylation method were considered. The conditions in which a stable-in-storage monomer can be obtained in 86–88% yield by the method of re-esterification of methyl methacrylate with N-morpholinoethanol were determined.     

Conducting film-forming composites based on polyaniline-polyimide blends

A procedure is developed for preparing conducting films by their casting from polymer solutions containing polyaniline in the form of a protonated emeraldin base and polyimides in two cosolvents, N-methylpyrrolidone or m-cresol. Self-supporting films cast from composites based on polyimides and camphorsulfonic acid-protonated polyaniline combine a conductivity of 10^?1?10^?2S/cm with good mechanical properties: elastic modulus E = 2.0?2.4 GPa, breaking strength σ_b = 55?60 MPa, and elongation at break ?_b = 8?10%. It has been shown that, when m-cresol and N-methylpyrrolidone are used as cosolvents, the maximum film conductivity is achieved at polyaniline amounts in the composites of 20 and 3%, respectively. In the latter case, films with good strength parameters are formed.     

Heat capacities and thermal diffusivities of <Emphasis Type="Italic">n</Emphasis>-alkane acid ethyl esters—biodiesel fuel components

The heat capacities and thermal diffusivities of ethyl esters of liquid n-alkane acids C _n H_2n–1O₂C₂H₅ with the number of carbon atoms in the parent acid n = 10, 11, 12, 14, and 16 are measured. The heat capacities are measured using a DSC 204 F1 Phoenix heat flux differential scanning calorimeter (Netzsch, Germany) in the temperature range of 305–375 K. Thermal diffusivities are measured by means of laser flash method on an LFA-457 instrument (Netzsch, Germany) at temperatures of 305–400 K. An equation is derived for the dependence of the molar heat capacities of the investigated esters on temperature. It is shown that the dependence of molar heat capacity C _p,m (298.15 K) on n (n = 1–6) is close to linear. The dependence of thermal diffusivity on temperature in the investigated temperature range is described by a first-degree polynomial, but thermal diffusivity a (298.15 K) as a function of n has a minimum at n = 5.     

Synthesis and characterisation of the compound CoSbS

In the search for new intermetallic materials with high thermoelectric performances, the Co–Sb–S ternary system has been explored and polycrystalline CoSbS samples have been prepared by a vapour phase technique starting from the pure elements. The crystal cell of CoSbS belongs to the Pbca space group and shows an orthorhombic structural arrangement with the following lattice parameters: a = 5.8341(2) Å; b = 5.9477(2) Å, and c = 11.6540(4) Å. The structure belongs to the pyrite–marcasite family, as Co forms tilted corner- and edge-sharing octahedra with three Sb and three S atoms. Scanning electronic microscopy (SEM), electron-probe microanalysis (EPMA) and X-ray powder diffraction were used to investigate the microstructure and to carry out the structural analysis; the crystal structure was refined by the Rietveld method using the DBWS-9807 program. The thermal stability of CoSbS was investigated referring to the ternary Co–S–Sb phase diagram and by differential thermal analysis (DTA) measurements. Thermoelectric power measurements at room temperature were also performed by a home-made instrument.     

Synthesis,characterization, antimicrobial activity and ultrastructure of the affected bacteria of new quinoline compounds

The reaction on 8-hydroxy quinoline-7-aldehyde azo compounds (HL _n ) (where n = 1–5) with 4-amino-1,2-dihydro-2,3-dimethyl-1-phenylpyrazol-5-one to obtain HL _n (where n = 6–10) have been characterized by means of TLC, melting point and spectral data, such as IR, ¹H NMR, mass spectra and thermal studies. The X-ray diffraction patterns of two starting materials 8-hydroxy quinoline-7-aldehyde (start 1), 4-amino-1,2-dihydro-2,3-dimethyl-1-phenylpyrazol-5-one (start 2) and the ligands (HL_5,10) are investigated in powder form. All the ligands have been screened for their antimicrobial activity against four local bacterial species, two Gram-positive bacteria (Bacillus cereus and Staphylococcus aureus) and two Gram-negative bacteria (Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae) as well as against four local fungi; Aspergillus niger, Alternaria alternata, Penicillium italicum and Fusarium oxysporium. The results show that the azo ligands (HL _n ) (where n = 1–5) have no antimicrobial activity against bacteria and fungi while most azomethine ligands (HL _n ) (where n = 6–10) are good antibacterial agents against E. coli and K. pneumoniae as well as antifungal agents against P. italicum and A. alternata. The results were compared to standard substances (start 1) and (start 2). Among the azomethine ligands, HL₁₀ was the most effective against the most microorganisms tested. The size of clear zone was ordered as p-(OCH₃ < CH₃ < H < Cl < NO₂) as expected from Hammett’s constant (σ ^R ). Also, the ultrastructure study of the affected bacteria confirmed that HL₈ is good antibacterial agent against E. coli and S. aureus.