Solid state NMR characterization of formation of poly(ϵ‐caprolactone)/maghnite nanocomposites by in situ polymerization

Results of multinuclear MAS NMR spectroscopy are reported for poly (ε‐caprolactone)/maghnite nanocomposite formation, with ε‐caprolactone in situ polymerized in the presence of maghnite, a proton exchanged montmorillonite clay. Exfoliated and intercalated materials with different maghnite loading in the range 3–15 wt % were investigated. ¹H NMR evidences Brønsted acid hydroxyl groups in the silicate layers and shows that their broad signal at 7.6 ppm present in the parent clay disappears in the nanocomposite material. ²⁷Al MAS NMR results show that beside the hexacoordinated aluminum signal, two additional peaks corresponding to two different tetrahedral Al sites are present in the clay framework. The NMR signal intensity of only one of them was found to be affected in the nanocomposites compared with the parent maghnite, suggesting that these specific aluminum sites are the reactive ones at the initial stages of the polymerization. However almost no changes occurred in the ²⁹Si NMR spectra, confirming that the polymer grafting, as indicated earlier by atomic force microscopy, took place on the aluminum tetracoordinated sites rather than on the silicon sites. A mechanism of maghnite surface catalyzed polymerization of ε‐caprolactone was proposed, involving Brønsted and Lewis acid sites. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 45: 3060–3068, 2007     

Pinacol-Pinacolone Rearrangement of 1, 2-Di-(p-methoxyphenyl)-ethane-1, 2-diol and Bis-(4-methoxyphenyl)-acetaldehyde in Acid Media

1, 2-Di-(p-methoxyphenyl)-ethane-1, 2-diol gave in acid media bis-(4-methoxy-phenyl)-acetaldehyde, 4-4′-dimethoxy-deoxybenzoin, and 1, 2-di-(p-methoxyphenyl)-ethylene oxide; their respective yields being influenced by at least 3 factors: (i) the acid, (ii) its concentration, and (iii) the reaction period. Bis-(4-methoxyphenyl)-acetaldehyde rearranged to the deoxybenzoin in boiling sulfuric (50%) or phosphoric (75%) acids (w/w), and to two isomeric 1, 2-diacetoxy-1, 2-di-(p-methoxyphenyl) ethanes when it was heated with acetic anhydride. The mechanisms of these reactions are discussed.     

α,β-Unsaturated γ-Oxo Carboxylic Acids in Heterocylic Synthesis II. Behavior of 4-(5,5-Dioxodibenzothiophen-2-yl)-4-oxo-2-butenoic Acid Towards Carbon Nucleophiles under Michael Reaction Condition

4-(5,5-Dioxodibenzothiophen-2-yl)-4-oxo-2-butenoic acid ( 1 ) was condensed with compounds containing active methylene groups under Michael reaction conditions to form the Michael adducts 2a-c , 3a-c , and 4a-b . The behavior of Michael adduct towards the action of hydrazine hydrate was investigated. The compounds were tested for biological properties.     

Investigation of 7-((dioctylamino)methyl)quinoline-8-ol for uptake and removal of uranyl ions

A new 8-hydroxyquinoline derivative extractant was synthesized via the Mannich reaction from a secondary amine. Various analytical techniques (¹H, ¹³C NMR, FTIR, mass spectroscopy) were used to characterize our product. The use of this new extractant for the uptake and removal of uranyl ions in aqueous solution was investigated. Conditions for an effective sorption were optimized with respect to different experimental parameters in batch process. The results showed that the extraction rate increases for solutions with a pH in the range [0.65–1.13]. The total sorption capacity was 105 (mg g^?1) under optimum experimental conditions. The extraction of UO₂ ²⁺ was found to be quantitative (100 %) at initial uranyl concentration less than or equal to 41.59 mg/L. Thermodynamic parameters showed the adsorption of an endothermic process and a spontaneous nature, respectively.     

A comparative study of the thermal behaviour of phosphate washing sludge from Tunisia and Morocco

Journal of Thermal Analysis and Calorimetry - The aim of the present work is to characterize the phosphate sludge from two different countries: Morocco and Tunisia, and to study the difference...     

Solvation Rule for Solid‐Electrolyte Interphase Enabler in Lithium‐Metal Batteries

Despite the exceptionally high energy density of lithium metal anodes, the practical application of lithium‐metal batteries (LMBs) is still impeded by the instability of the interphase between the lithium metal and the electrolyte. To formulate a functional electrolyte system that can stabilize the lithium‐metal anode, the solvation behavior of the solvent molecules must be understood because the electrochemical properties of a solvent can be heavily influenced by its solvation status. We unambiguously demonstrated the solvation rule for the solid‐electrolyte interphase (SEI) enabler in an electrolyte system. In this study, fluoroethylene carbonate was used as the SEI enabler due to its ability to form a robust SEI on the lithium metal surface, allowing relatively stable LMB cycling. The results revealed that the solvation number of fluoroethylene carbonate must be ≥1 to ensure the formation of a stable SEI in which the sacrificial reduction of the SEI enabler subsequently leads to the stable cycling of LMBs.     

Antimicrobial and Antioxidant Properties of Total Polyphenols of Anchusa italica Retz

Anchusa italica Retz has been used for a long time in phytotherapy. The aim of the present study was to determine the antioxidant and antibacterial activities of extracts from the leaves and roots of Anchusa italica Retz. We first determined the content of phenolic compounds and flavonoids using Folin–Ciocalteu reagents and aluminum chloride (AlCl₃). The antioxidant activity was determined using three methods: reducing power (FRAP), 2.2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), total antioxidant capacity (TAC). The antimicrobial activity was investigated against four strains of Escherichia coli, two strains of Klebsiella pneumoniae and coagulase-negative Staphylococcus, and one fungal strain of Candida albicans. The results showed that the root extract was rich in polyphenols (43.29 mg GAE/g extract), while the leave extract was rich in flavonoids (28.88 mg QE/g extract). The FRAP assay showed a strong iron reduction capacity for the root extract (IC₅₀ of 0.11 µg/mL) in comparison to ascorbic acid (IC₅₀ of 0.121 µg/mL). The DPPH test determined an IC₅₀ of 0.11 µg/mL for the root extract and an IC₅₀ of 0.14 µg/mL for the leaf extract. These values are low compared to those for ascorbic acid (IC₅₀ of 0.16 µg/mL) and BHT (IC₅₀ 0.20 µg/mL). The TAC values of the leaf and root extracts were 0.51 and 0.98 mg AAE/g extract, respectively. In vitro, the extract showed inhibitory activity against all strains studied, with diameters of zones of inhibition in the range of 11.00–16.00 mm for the root extract and 11.67–14.33 mm for the leaf extract. The minimum inhibitory concentration was recorded for the leaf extract against E. coli (ATB:57), corresponding to 5 mg/mL. Overall, this research indicates that the extracts of Anchusa italica Retz roots and leaves exert significant antioxidant and antibacterial activities, probably because of the high content of flavonoids and polyphenols.     

A simple microwave process for the preparation of cobalt oxide nanoparticles supported on carbon nanotubes for electrocatalytic applications

Journal of Solid State Electrochemistry - Cobalt oxide nanoparticles supported on multiwalled carbon nanotubes (CoOx/CNTs) were prepared by a facile and rapid solid-state synthesis using microwave...     

Antidirected Hamiltonian paths and directed cycles in tournaments

We prove that in a tournament of odd order $n\ge 5$, the number of antidirected Hamiltonian paths starting with a forward arc and the number of Hamiltonian circuits have the same parity.     

A regularized stiffened-gas equation of state

An alternative to the stiffened-gas equation of state is proposed that corrects for unphysical behavior, namely the returning of negative pressure values for densities lower than the reference density. The question of generalizing a given isentropic equation of state is first addressed. Then, a regularized stiffened-gas equation of state is derived, which is the main goal of this work. Finally, the use of the new equation of state is briefly illustrated for a classical computational fluid dynamics benchmark concerning the evaluation of liquid impact on a wall.