Roles of SiH4 and SiF4 in growth and structural changes of poly-Si films

The structural properties of polycrystalline silicon films, prepared by plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition system, with different flow rates of SiH₄/SiF₄ mixtures at 300 °C were investigated. This study indicates that the low hydrogen coverage on the growing surface, under optimum fluorine radicals, will be leaded to an improvement of crystallized area as compared with case of high hydrogen coverage surface. Moreover, the studies of the role of SiH₄ and SiF₄ radicals show that the SiH₄ radicals are important in the nucleation and growth of grains. However, SiF₄ radicals are effective in the structural change of grain boundaries regions and by this way, in the present system, establish the growth of grains under the dominant 〈1 1 0〉 direction. The stress investigation indicates that addition of high flow rate of SiF₄ in amorphous film, results in the nearly stress free films. Finally, we found that the changes in g-value reflect the changes in the intrinsic compressive and tensile stress in the both polycrystalline and amorphous silicon films.     

Modification and Application of Poly(Ethylene Terephethalate) Nonwoven Fiber Using Octadecyl Acrylate and Acrylic Acid as Oil Sorbers

Three series of crosslinked octadecyl acrylate and acrylic acid copolymers were prepared through suspension copolymerization based on acrylic acid content (10, 30, 50%wt. ratio). Divinyl benzene (DVB) was used as a crosslinker with different weight ratios (1, 4 and 10%). Isopropyl alcohol or dioctyl phthalate and methyl benzoate were used as two different reaction solvents in the presence of ABIN as initiator. The prepared crosslinked copolymers were characterized by SEM, TGA and FTIR spectroscopic analyses. The prepared polymers were coated onto poly(ethylene terephethalate) nonwoven fiber (NWPET). The effect of copolymerization feed composition, crosslinker wt% and reaction media or solvent on swelling properties of crosslinked polymers were studied through the oil absorption tests in toluene and 10% of diluted crude oil with toluene. It was noticed that the maximum swelling of crosslinked copolymers was increased from 30 to 100 g/g after grafting of copolymers onto NWPET.     

Antibacterial Activity of a Novel Oligosaccharide from Streptomyces californics against Erwinia carotovora subsp. Carotovora

The present study aims to characterize and predict models for antibacterial activity of a novel oligosaccharide from Streptomyces californics against Erwinia carotovora subsp. carotovora using an adaptive neuro-fuzzy inference system and an artificial neural network. The mathematical predication models were used to determine the optimal conditions to produce oligosaccharide and determine the relationship between the factors (pH, temperature, and time). The characteristics of the purified antibacterial agent were determined using ultraviolet spectroscopy (UV/Vis), infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (¹H- and ¹³C-NMR), and mass spectrometry (MS). The best performances for the model were 39.45 and 35.16 recorded at epoch 1 for E. carotovora Erw₅ and E. carotovora EMCC 1687, respectively. The coefficient (R²) of the training was more than 0.90. The highest antimicrobial production was recorded after 9 days at 25 °C and a pH of 6.2, at which more than 17 mm of the inhibition zone was obtained. The mass spectrum of antimicrobial agent (peak at R.T. = 3.433 of fraction 6) recorded two molecular ion peaks at m/z = 703.70 and m/z = 338.30, corresponding to molecular weights of 703.70 and 338.30 g/mol, respectively. The two molecular ion peaks matched well with the molecular formulas C₂₉H₅₃NO₁₈ and C₁₄H₂₆O₉, respectively, which were obtained from the elemental analysis result. A novel oligosaccharide from Streptomyces californics with potential activity against E. carotovora EMCC 1687 and E. carotovora Erw₅ was successfully isolated, purified, and characterized.     

Can Anyon Statistics Explain High Temperature Superconductivity?

In this paper, we find a reasonable explanation of high temperature superconductivity phenomena using Anyon statistics.

     

Synthesis of Some Benzimidazole‐based Heterocycles and their Application as Copper Corrosion Inhibitors

A series of new substituted benzimidazoles embedded with a variety of function groups has been synthesized from N‐methyl‐2‐bromoacetylbenzimidazole. The synthesized compounds were fully characterized, and their structures were elucidated based on elemental analysis, spectral data, and alternative synthetic pathways, whenever possible. Some of benzimidazole derivatives were tested as corrosion inhibitors.     

Mechanistic Insights into the Ameliorative Effect of Cichoriin on Diabetic Rats—Assisted with an In Silico Approach

Type 2 diabetes mellitus is considered to be a substantial socioeconomic burden worldwide on both patients and governments. Coumarins are biomolecules with a diversity of biological activities. The current investigation aimed to explore the ameliorative effects of cichoriin, which is a type of coumarin, on high-fat diet/streptozotocin (HFD/STZ)-induced diabetic rats. Methods: Rats were allocated into five groups. Group I was considered as the control group, while the other groups were HFD/STZ-induced diabetic rats. Group II was assigned as the diabetic control. Groups III and IV were treated with cichoriin (50 or 100 mg/kg, respectively). Group V received glibenclamide (5 mg/kg) (as a positive control). The blood glucose (BG), serum insulin, triglycerides (TG), total cholesterol (TC), total antioxidant capacity (TAC), catalase, hepatic superoxide dismutase (SOD) and content of malondialdehyde (MDA) were assessed. Histopathological and immunohistochemistry analysis of pancreatic tissue were performed. mRNA and protein expressions of GLUT4, AMPK, and PI3K were estimated. Results: Cichoriin treatment ameliorated HFD/STZ-induced diabetic conditions and mitigated the histopathological characteristics of the pancreas, as well as increasing pancreatic insulin expression. This decreased the levels of BG, TG, TC, and MDA and improved the TAC, catalase and SOD contents. Cichoriin demonstrated upregulation of mRNA and protein expressions of GLUT4, AMPK, and PI3K. The in silico binding of cichoriin with GLUT4, AMPK, and PI3K supported the possible current activities. Conclusion: Collectively, this work highlighted the potential role of cichoriin in mitigating HFD/STZ-induced diabetic conditions and showed it to be a valuable product.     

Heterocyclic synthesis via enaminones: Novel synthesis of (1H)‐pyridin‐2‐one,pyrazolo[1,5‐a]pyrimidine and isoxazole derivatives incorporating a N‐methylphthalimide and their biological evaluation

Novel synthesis of (1H)‐pyridin‐2‐one, pyrazolo[1,5‐a]pyrimidine and isoxazole derivatives incorporating N‐methylphthalimide moiety are reported. Reaction of enaminone 2 with malononitrile affords 4. Condensation of 2 with cyanothioacetamide or benzoylacetonitrile affords compounds 6 and 7 respectively. Reaction of 2 with hydrazine hydrate afford 2,3‐dihydrophthalazine‐1,4‐dione ( 10 ). Condensation of 2 with hydroxylamine and 3‐aminopyrazole derivatives affords compounds 12 and 15a,b respectively. Antimicrobial and antifungal activity were determined for representative compounds and most of them showed moderate activity as antimicrobial agents, while compounds 2 and 7 show strong activity against Aspergillus niger. The structure of the newly synthesized compounds was elucidated by elemental analyses and ¹H nmr spectra and some cases by ¹³C nmr investigation.