Structure and properties of NR/BR blend/clay nanocomposites prepared by the latex method

Rubber blend/clay nanocomposites based on the 50/50 (wt %) natural rubber/butadiene rubber was prepared by the latex method via mixing the latex of 50/50 NR/BR blend with different amounts of the aqueous sodium montmorillonite (Na-MMT) dispersion and co-coagulating the mixture. XRD and TEM were used to characterize structure of the nanocomposites. It was found that fully exfoliated structure could be obtained by this method only when the low loading of layered silicate (up to 5 phr) is used. With increasing the clay content, both non-exfoliated (stacked layers) and exfoliated structures can be observed simultaneously in the nanocomposites. Nanocomposites showed mechanical properties better than the clay-free volcanizate. Moreover, modulus, tensile strength, elongation at break and tear strength increased significantly by increasing the clay amount up to 5 phr and then remained almost constant by further increasing the clay content. Improvement in the mechanical properties by increasing the clay loading up to 5 phr was attributed to the nano-reinforcement effect of Na-MMT. TGA results indicated an improvement in the main decomposition temperature by increasing the clay amount.     

Photoelectrocatalytic degradation of 3-nitrophenol at surface of Ti/TiO2 electrode

The widely utilization of phenol and its derivatives such as 3-nitrophenol (3-NP) has led to the worldwide pollution in the environment. In this study, Ti/TiO₂ photoelectrode was prepared with anodic oxidation of Ti foil electrode and then the photoelectrocatalytic (PEC) degradation of 3-NP was performed via this electrode, comparing with photocatalytic (PC), electrooxidation and direct photolysis by ultraviolet light. A significant photoelectrochemical synergetic effect in 3-NP degradation was observed on the Ti/TiO₂ electrode and rate constant for the PEC process of Ti/TiO₂ electrode was about three times as high as its PC degradation process. 3-NP concentration monitoring was carried out with differential pulse voltammetry. Results showed that PEC degradation has highest effect on concentration decreasing of 3-NP at solution and degraded it about 38 %, while other processes degradation efficiencies were about 4, 7, and 12 % for electrooxidation, direct photolysis and photocatalytic degradation, respectively. Finally, effects of solution pH and applied potential on degradation efficiency were studied and results showed that optimum pH for degradation is equal 4.00 and optimum potential is 1.2 V vs. Ag|AgCl|KCl (3M) reference electrode.     

Simple and Efficient Procedure for the Synthesis of Novel 1,3-Diphenyl-2-azaphenalene Derivatives via One-Pot Multicomponent Reactions

A new, one-pot multicomponent reaction of two molecules of aromatic aldehydes with 2,7-naphthalenediol and ammonium hydrogen phosphate is described as an efficient and direct procedure for the preparation of novel 1,3-diphenyl-2-azaphenalene derivatives in a mixture of EtOH-H₂O (3:1) under reflux conditions.     

ZnO Nanoparticles as an Efficient,Heterogeneous, Reusable,and Ecofriendly Catalyst for One-Pot,Three-Component Synthesis of 3,4-Dihydropyrimidin-2(1H)-(thio)one Derivatives in Water

An extremely efficient heterogeneous protocol is reported for the one-pot, three-component synthesis of a series of dihydropyrimidinones (DHPMs) in the presence of ZnO nanoparticles in water as a green solvent. The ZnO nanoparticles exhibited excellent catalytic activity and the proposed methodology is capable of providing the desired products in good yields (65–94%) within short reaction times. After the reaction course, ZnO nanoparticles can be recycled and reused without any apparent loss of activity, which makes this ecofriendly process cost-effective.     

Nickel(II), copper(II), palladium(II) and platinum(II) complexes of bidentate SN ligands derived from S-alkyldithiocarbazates and the X-ray crystal structures of the [Ni(tasbz)2] and [Cu(tasbz)2] · CHCl3 complexes

New complexes of general empirical formula, [M(NS)₂] · nCHCl₃ (M = Ni^II, Cu^II, Pd^II or Pt^II; NS = anionic form of the thiophene-2-aldehyde Schiff bases of S-methyl- and S-benzyldithiocarbazate; n = 0, 1) have been synthesized and characterized by physico-chemical techniques. Magnetic and spectroscopic evidence support a square-planar structure for these complexes. The crystal structures of the [Ni(tasbz)₂] and [Cu(tasbz)₂] · CHCl₃ complexes (tasbz = anionic form of the thiophene-2-aldehyde Schiff base of S-benzyldithiocarbazate) have been determined by X-ray diffraction. Both complexes have a trans-planar structure in which the two Schiff base ligands are coordinated to the metal(II) ion as uninegatively charged bidentate ligands via the thiolate sulfur and the azomethine nitrogen atoms. This revised version was published online in June 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Recent Advances in the Support Layer,Interlayer and Active Layer of TFC and TFN Organic Solvent Nanofiltration (OSN) Membranes: A Review

Although separation of solutes from organic solutions is considered a challenging process, it is inevitable in various chemical, petrochemical and pharmaceutical industries. OSN membranes are the heart of OSN technology that are widely utilized to separate various solutes and contaminants from organic solvents, which is now considered an emerging field. Hence, numerous studies have been attracted to this field to manufacture novel membranes with outstanding properties. Thin-film composite (TFC) and nanocomposite (TFN) membranes are two different classes of membranes that have been recently utilized for this purpose. TFC and TFN membranes are made up of similar layers, and the difference is the use of various nanoparticles in TFN membranes, which are classified into two types of porous and nonporous ones, for enhancing the permeate flux. This study aims to review recent advances in TFC and TFN membranes fabricated for organic solvent nanofiltration (OSN) applications. Here, we will first study the materials used to fabricate the support layer, not only the membranes which are not stable in organic solvents and require to be cross-linked, but also those which are inherently stable in harsh media and do not need any cross-linking step, and all of their advantages and disadvantages. Then, we will study the effects of fabricating different interlayers on the performance of the membranes, and the mechanisms of introducing an interlayer in the regulation of the PA structure. At the final step, we will study the type of monomers utilized for the fabrication of the active layer, the effect of surfactants in reducing the tension between the monomers and the membrane surface, and the type of nanoparticles used in the active layer of TFN membranes and their effects in enhancing the membrane separation performance.     

Selective extraction of apixaban from plasma by dispersive solid-phase microextraction using magnetic metal organic framework combined with molecularly imprinted polymer nanocomposite

This research aims to synthesize a specific and efficient sorbent to use in the extraction of apixaban from human plasma samples and its determination by high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. High specific surface area of metal-organic framework, magnetic property of iron oxide nanoparticles, selectively of molecular imprinted polymer toward the analyte, and the combination of dispersive solid-phase extraction method with a sensitive analysis system provided an efficient analytical method. In this study, first, a molecularly imprinted polymer combined with magnetic metal organic framework nanocomposite was prepared and then characterized using different techniques. Then the sorbent particles were used for selective extraction of the analyte from plasma samples. The efficiency of the method was improved by optimizing effective parameters. According to the validation results, wide linear range (1.02–200 ng mL⁻¹), acceptable coefficient of determination (0.9938), low limit of detection (0.32 ng mL⁻¹) and limit of quantification (1.02 ng mL⁻¹), high extraction recovery (78%), and good precision (relative standard deviations ≤ 2.9% for intra- (n = 6) and interday (n = 6) precisions) were obtainable using the proposed method. These outcomes showed the high potential of the proposed method for screening apixaban in the human plasma samples.     

Thermal conductivity modeling of nanofluids with ZnO particles by using approaches based on artificial neural network and MARS

Journal of Thermal Analysis and Calorimetry - Nanofluids are attractive alternatives for the current heat transfer fluids due to their remarkably higher thermal conductivity which leads to the...     

Applications of intelligent methods in various types of heat exchangers: a review

Journal of Thermal Analysis and Calorimetry - Heat exchangers are applicable in different industries and technologies, and their performance is influenced by different parameters. In addition to...     

Static Headspace GC/MS Method for Determination of Methanol and Ethanol Contents,as the Degradation Markers of Solid Insulation Systems of Power Transformers

Methanol in insulating oil has been proposed as a new marker for condition assessment of the solid insulation system of power transformers. In the current work, as a first step of using the new marker, an analytical static headspace gas chromatography/mass spectrometry method has been developed, optimized, and validated to measure methanol and ethanol contents in the insulating mineral oil. The analyzing setup consists of a 6890 N gas chromatograph equipped with a 5973 network mass spectrometer (MS) in the absence of a costly headspace autosampler, and the chromatography separation was performed on a 60 m × 320 µm × 0.5 µm VF-WAXms GC column. Calibration curves have been provided using several concentrations of the alcohols, and also limit of detection (LOD), limit of quantification (LOQ), and relative standard deviation percentage (RSD%) have been determined.