Analyses of preservatives by capillary electrochromatography using methacrylate ester-based monolithic columns

Five common food preservatives were analyzed by capillary electrochromatography, utilizing a methacrylate ester-based monolithic capillary as separation column. In order to optimize the separation of these preservatives, the effects of the pore size of the polymeric stationary phase, the pH and composition of the mobile phase on separation were examined. For all analytes, it was found that an increase in pore size caused a reduction in retention time. However, separation performances were greatly improved in monolithic columns with smaller pore sizes. The pH of the mobile phase had little influence on separation resolution, but a dramatic effect on the amount of sample that was needed to be electrokinetically injected into the monolithic column. In addition, the retention behaviors of these analytes were strongly influenced by the level of acetonitrile in the mobile phase. An optimal separation of the five preservatives was obtained within 7.0 min with a pH 3.0 mobile phase composed of phosphate buffer and acetonitrile 35:65 v/v. Finally, preservatives in real commercial products, including cold syrup, lotion, wine, and soy sauces, were successfully determined by the methacrylate ester-based polymeric monolithic column under this optimized condition.     

A Microbial Sensor Based on Direct Electron Transfer at Shewanella Sp. Drop‐Coated Screen‐Printed Carbon Electrodes

Aerobically grown Shewanella sp. bacterial suspension drop‐coated on a disposable screen‐printed carbon electrode was found to possess electroactivity without the aid of redox mediator. Cyclic voltammetric studies revealed the characteristics of a mixed diffusion adsorption‐controlled electrochemical process for direct electron transfer at the bacteria‐modified electrode. Both FE‐SEM and ATR FT‐IR experiments were carried out to investigate the surface characteristics. The electroanalytical applicability was further demonstrated for electrocatalytic reduction of arsenite, hydrogen peroxide and nitrite. Low cost and very simple manufacturing procedure allow for the proposed bacterial sensor to be applied as disposable devices.     

Using 1 MHz pulse-echo ultrasound externally applied to detect mastoid effusion: cadaver experiments

The objective of this study is to explore the feasibility of using ultrasound to detect mastoid effusion (ME). In the past, ultrasound has been used to measure middle ear effusion (MEE) by injecting water into the external ear canal to measure echoes from the tympanic membrane, which is uncomfortable for the patient. It has been shown that air cells in the mastoid of patients with MEE are filled with fluid, which implies that ME could be a useful indicator of MEE. This study suggests using ultrasound to detect ME as a potentially noninvasive approach for MEE detection. In vitro experiments were performed on ten cadaver samples of the human ear. A single-element 1 MHz transducer was used to measure the mastoid of each cadaver before and after injecting water into the mastoid. The experimental results showed that the relative amplitudes of ultrasonic signals differed significantly between before (0.24 ± 0.09, mean ± standard deviation) and after (0.15 ± 0.03) the water injection (p < 0.05, t-test), demonstrating that the ultrasonic reflection can be used to detect ME. The location of the human mastoid under the skin behind the ear allows external measurements, and hence ultrasound-based ME detection may be an alternative, noninvasive diagnostic approach to detecting MEE in the future, providing an examination that avoids discomfort.     

Effects of Al concentration and resulting long-period superstructures on the plastic properties at room temperature of Al-rich TiAl single crystals

The role of Al₅Ti₃ and h-Al₂Ti long-period superstructures on the plastic properties of TiAl at room temperature is investigated on five single crystals with aluminium content comprised between 54.7 at.%, and 62.5 at.%. After annealing at 1200°C for 1?h, the Al₅Ti₃ superstructure develops in the L1₀ (γ) matrix upon increasing Al concentration except for Ti–62.5 at.%Al where h-Al₂Ti substitutes for Al₅Ti₃. The CRSS for <110]{111} first increases abruptly with the development of the Al₅Ti₃-type ordering. Then, the CRSS reaches a plateau at which dislocations assemble in groups of four to prevent extra anti-phase boundary (APB) from being engendered during glide throughout the Al₅Ti₃ phase. In Ti–62.5 at.%Al, the CRSS for ordinary slip further increases upon the precipitation of h-Al₂Ti in the L1₀ phase, whereas it decreases when the crystal is fully transformed into single-phased Al₅Ti₃. <101] superlattice dislocations are primarily activated under both the [210] and [1?1?8.6] load orientations irrespective of the Al concentration, but the dislocation microstructure strongly depends on orientation as well as on the degree of Al₅Ti₃ ordering. In the [210] orientation, the frequency of the decomposition of <101] dislocations into 1/2<110] and 1/2<112] dislocations decreases abruptly with the development of Al₅Ti₃. This is interpreted in terms of the increased difficulty to move ordinary dislocations. Under the [1?1?8.6] orientation, the density of faulted dipoles diminishes remarkably with the development of Al₅Ti₃. This is consistent with the transformation of the low energy extrinsic stacking fault of the L1₀ phase into a higher energy complex extrinsic stacking fault.     

White light electroluminescence from graphene‐enhanced single polymer comprising two color emitters of equal molar ratios

White polymeric light‐emitting diode (WPLED) based on a single polymer, poly(3‐hexylthiophene‐alt‐9,9‐dioctylfluorene) (PTAF), has been successfully demonstrated. This conjugated alternating copolymer, PTAF, comprises 50 mol % of 3‐hexylthiophene which is an orange‐red color chromophore and 50 mol % 9,9‐dioctylfluorene which is a bluish‐green color chromophore. It was synthesized by Suzuki cross‐coupling reaction and has a molecular weight of 15,021 and polydispersity of 1.36. Nanocomposite consisting PTAF and graphene nanosheets enhances the optoelectronic properties and the device fabricated with a configuration of ITO/PEDOT:PSS/(PTAF + 1% graphene)/Ca/Al shows two‐color white electroluminescence with CIE 1931 coordinates of (0.28, 0.34). The white luminescence from a single polymer affords the WPLED device a simple structure and low fabrication cost. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys, 2011     

On the development of a triple‐preserving Maxwell's equations solver in non‐staggered grids

We present in this paper a finite difference solver for Maxwell's equations in non‐staggered grids. The scheme formulated in time domain theoretically preserves the properties of zero‐divergence, symplecticity, and dispersion relation. The mathematically inherent Hamiltonian can be also retained all the time. Moreover, both spatial and temporal terms are approximated to yield the equal fourth‐order spatial and temporal accuracies. Through the computational exercises, modified equation analysis and Fourier analysis, it can be clearly demonstrated that the proposed triple‐preserving solver is computationally accurate and efficient for use to predict the Maxwell's solutions. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Structural properties and electrical characteristics of high-k Dy2O3 gate dielectrics

This paper describes the structural properties and electrical characteristics of thin Dy₂O₃ dielectrics deposited on silicon substrates by means of reactive sputtering. The structural and morphological features of these films after postdeposition annealing were studied by X-ray diffraction and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. It is found that Dy₂O₃ dielectrics annealed at 700 °C exhibit a thinner capacitance equivalent thickness and better electrical properties, including the interface trap density and the hysteresis in the capacitance-voltage curves. Under constant current stress, the Weibull slope of the charge-to-breakdown of the 700 °C-annealed films is about 1.6. These results are attributed to the formation of well-crystallized Dy₂O₃ structure and the reduction of the interfacial SiO₂ layer.     

Novel titration method for surface-functionalised silica

This paper describes three inexpensive and fast analytical methods to characterise grafted particle surfaces. The reaction of silica with (3-aminopropyl)triethoxysilane, (3-mercaptopropyl)trimethoxysilane and N-(phosphonomethyl)iminodiacetic acid hydrate, respectively, leads to NH₂-, SO₃H- or COOH-functionalised silica, which were characterised by X-ray photoelectron spectrometry and titration in nonaqueous media as well as with two titration methods in a water-based environment. In the work presented, factors influencing the titrations are pointed out and solutions are presented to overcome these limiting factors are shown.     

Dendrimer with rotaxane-like mechanical branching

[reaction: see text] A dendrimer wherein the branching points are mechanical in nature has been synthesized. It contains two identical covalently linked bis-dendrons and a core unit fused to two rings that encircle the two bis-dendrons. A "threading-followed-by-stoppering" approach is used in the template-directed synthesis of a precursor bis[2]rotaxane, which undergoes stopper exchange four times to yield the dendrimer in which the two bis-dendrons act as stoppers within the two [2]rotaxane subunits.