Silver containing sol–gel derived silica thin films: effect of aluminum incorporation on optical,microstructural and bactericidal properties

Silver containing silica (Ag–SiO₂) thin films with and without aluminum (Al) were prepared on soda-lime-silica glass by spin coating of aqueous sols. The coating sol was formed through mixing tetraethyl orthosilicate [Si(OC₂H₅)₄]/ethanol solution with aqueous silver nitrate (AgNO₃) and aluminum nitrate nonahydrate [(AlNO₃)₃·9H₂O] solutions. The deposited films were calcined in air at 100, 300 and 500 °C for 2 h and characterized using x-ray diffraction, UV-visible and x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The effect of Al incorporation and calcination treatment on microstructure and durability of the films, and chemical/physical state of silver in the silica thin film have been reported. The bactericidal activity of the films was also determined against Staphylococcus aureus via disk diffusion assay studies before and after chemical durability tests. The investigations revealed that the optical, bactericidal properties and chemical durability of Ag–SiO₂ films can be improved by Al addition. The Al-modified Ag–SiO₂ thin films do not exhibit any coloring after calcination in the range of 100–500 °C, illustrating that silver is incorporated within the silica gel network in ionic form (Ag⁺). Al incorporation also improved the overall durability and antibacterial endurance of Ag–SiO₂ thin films.     

Copper(II)-pyrazine-2,3-dicarboxylate Coordination Polymer with Monoethanolamine, [Cu(μ<Subscript>3</Subscript>-pzdc)(mea)]<Subscript><Emphasis Type="Italic">n</Emphasis></Subscript>

Abstract  

A novel Cu(II)-pyrazine-2,3-dicarboxylate complex with monoethanolamine ligand (mea), [Cu(μ₃-pzdc)(mea)]_n (1), has been synthesized and characterized by elemental, spectral (IR and UV–Vis.) and thermal analyses. The molecular structure of polynuclear complex has been determined by the single crystal X-ray diffraction technique. The pyrazine-2,3-dicarboxylate dianion exhibits tetradentate-μ₃ bridging ligand through three carboxylate oxygens and one nitrogen atom. The complex contains two copper(II) ions that exhibit two different coordination environments with two mea, two pzdc ligands, respectively. The Cu1(II) ion is coordinated by two carboxylate oxygen atoms, two N atoms and two O atoms of symmetry related carboxylate group, forming a distorted octahedral geometry, while Cu2(II) ion is coordinated by two bidentate mea ligands and remaining two coordination sites of distorted octahedral geometry are occupied by two carboxylate oxygen atoms of neighboring Cu1 molecule. Thermal analysis property and thermal decomposition mechanism of complex have been investigated by using thermal analyses techniques (TG, DTG and DTA).     

SAXS and WAXS analysis of MgO doped ZnO nanostructured ceramics grown on Si and glass substrate

The study performs preparation of the precursor thin films with MgO doped ZnO nanocrystalline ceramics by electrospinning technique and their characterizations by small and wide angle X-ray scattering methods. The prepared films on Si and commercial glass wafers as nanoceramic mats were calcined at 320, 340, 360 and 380 °C. The role of the annealing conditions on the morphological changes and uniformity of the films was also investigated. Results show that, the thermal process and choice of the wafer are critical for film morphology at the nano and atomic scales through the network shrinkage and crystallization, respectively. Samples show mono/poly disperse isolated nanoclusters/regular lamellar distributions/and embedded aggregations.     

Integer programming formulations for the minimum weighted maximal matching problem

Given an undirected graph, the problem of finding a maximal matching that has minimum total weight is NP-hard. This problem has been studied extensively from a graph theoretical point of view. Most of the existing literature considers the problem in some restricted classes of graphs and give polynomial time exact or approximation algorithms. On the contrary, we consider the problem on general graphs and approach it from an optimization point of view. In this paper, we develop integer programming formulations for the minimum weighted maximal matching problem and analyze their efficacy on randomly generated graphs. We also compare solutions found by a greedy approximation algorithm, which is based on the literature, against optimal solutions. Our results show that our integer programming formulations are able to solve medium size instances to optimality and suggest further research for improvement.     

A facility location model with safety stock costs: analysis of the cost of single-sourcing requirements

We consider a supply chain setting where multiple uncapacitated facilities serve a set of customers with a single product. The majority of literature on such problems requires assigning all of any given customer??s demand to a single facility. While this single-sourcing strategy is optimal under linear (or concave) cost structures, it will often be suboptimal under the nonlinear costs that arise in the presence of safety stock costs. Our primary goal is to characterize the incremental costs that result from a single-sourcing strategy. We propose a general model that uses a cardinality constraint on the number of supply facilities that may serve a customer. The result is a complex mixed-integer nonlinear programming problem. We provide a generalized Benders decomposition algorithm for the case in which a customer??s demand may be split among an arbitrary number of supply facilities. The Benders subproblem takes the form of an uncapacitated, nonlinear transportation problem, a relevant and interesting problem in its own right. We provide analysis and insight on this subproblem, which allows us to devise a hybrid algorithm based on an outer approximation of this subproblem to accelerate the generalized Benders decomposition algorithm. We also provide computational results for the general model that permit characterizing the costs that arise from a single-sourcing strategy.     

The determination of optimal treatment plans for Volumetric Modulated Arc Therapy (VMAT)

The success of radiation therapy depends on the ability to deliver the proper amount of radiation to cancerous cells while protecting healthy tissues. As a natural consequence, any new treatment technology improves quality standards concerning primarily this issue. Similar to the widely used Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy (IMRT), the radiation resource is outside of the patient’s body and the beam is shaped by a multi-leaf collimator mounted on the linear accelerator’s head during the state-of-the-art Volumetric Modulated Arc Therapy (VMAT) as well. However, unlike IMRT, the gantry of the accelerator may rotate along one or more arcs and deliver radiation continuously. This property makes VMAT powerful in obtaining high conformal plans in terms of dose distribution; but the apertures are interdependent and optimal treatment planning problem cannot be decomposed into simpler independent subproblems as a consequence. In this work, we consider optimal treatment planning problem for VMAT. First, we formulate a mixed-integer linear program minimizing total radiation dose intensity subject to clinical requirements embedded within the constraints. Then, we develop efficient solution procedures combining Benders decomposition with certain acceleration strategies. We investigate their performance on a large set of test instances obtained from an anonymous real prostate cancer data.     

Effect of silver incorporation on crystallization and microstructural properties of sol–gel derived titania thin films on glass

Titanium dioxide (TiO₂) thin films, with and without silver (Ag), were prepared on float glass via sol–gel processing. The float glass substrates were pre-coated with a silica-barrier layer prior to the deposition of TiO₂-based thin films. Silver nanoparticle incorporation into the TiO₂ matrix was achieved by thermal reduction of Ag ions dissolved in a titanium-n-butoxide (Ti[O(CH₂)₃CH₃]₄) based sol during calcination in air at 250, 450 and 650 °C. Thin films were characterized using glancing incidence X-ray diffraction, UV–visible spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and Raman spectroscopy. The effects of Ag concentration and calcination temperature on microstructure and on chemical and physical properties of the thin films have been reported. The size and chemical state of Ag particles, as well as the phase characteristics of the titania matrix were strongly influenced by Ag concentration and calcination temperature. Results from this study can be utilized in both processing and structure-functional property optimization of sol–gel based Ag-TiO₂ thin films by aqueous routes.     

Indoor radon levels of spas and dwellings located around Bayındır geothermal region

Western part of Turkey is rich area in terms of geothermal sources. The one of these geothermal areas is Bay?nd?r-Dereköy/Ergenli located in Küçük Menderes Graben. In this study, indoor radon concentrations were determined in some places (spas and some dwellings) located on Bay?nd?r-Dereköy/Ergenli. Measurements were realized using LR-115 type 2 solid state nuclear track detectors in the course of 10 months. The indoor radon concentrations were found between 39.3 and 235.4 Bq m^?3 for spas, 39.3 and 405 Bq m^?3 for houses. Indoor radon concentrations were compared with reference levels determined by international agencies. Radon concentrations in this area were quite low than reference levels revised by international health agencies.     

Pd-catalysed amidation of 2,6-dihalopurine nucleosides. Replacement of iodine at 0 °C

Pd-catalysed reactions of 2-Cl, 2-Br and 2-I derivatives of a 6-chloropurine nucleoside with benzamide have been compared, using Pd₂dba₃, Xantphos and Cs₂CO₃ in toluene, between 20 and 80 °C. The reactivity order was 2-I > 2-Br > 6-Cl ? 2-Cl. The 2-I substituent could be replaced even at 0 °C, under conditions disclosed here for the first time. On the other hand, the replacement of the chlorine atom at position 2 (2-Cl) required 110 °C.