From nickel oxalate dihydrate microcubes to NiS<Subscript>2</Subscript> nanocubes for high performance supercapacitors

In this study, NiS₂ nanocubes were successfully synthesized by a novel facile solvothermal method using NiC₂O₄·2H₂O microstructures and used as an electrode for high-performance supercapacitors. The electrochemical properties of the prepared NiS₂ electrode were studied using galvanostatic charge–discharge analysis, cyclic voltammetry (CV), and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) studies. Its maximum specific capacitance was 2077 F g^?1 at a constant current density of about 0.65 A g^?1. Further, the EIS results confirmed the pseudocapacitive nature of the NiS₂ electrode. The experimental results suggested that the NiS₂ electro-active material demonstrates excellent electrochemical performance with high specific capacitance, low resistance, and excellent cycling stability.     

Liquid–Liquid Equilibrium and Thermodynamic Modeling of Aqueous Two-Phase System Containing Polypropylene Glycol and NaClO<Subscript>4</Subscript> at <Emphasis Type=Italic>T</Emphasis> = (288.15 and 298.15) K

In this work the phase equilibrium of an aqueous two phase system (ATPS) containing polypropylene glycol (PPG, molecular weight = 425 kg·mol^?1) and NaClO₄ was investigated at atmospheric pressure and at 288.15 and 298.15 K. Two phase regions and composition of phases were determined. Our results show that as the temperature increases, the two-phase region expands. Also, the extended UNIQUAC (E-UNIQUAC) equation was used to correlate the equilibrium data. To reduce the number of adjustable parameters, ATPSs composed of PEG and PPG were collected from the literature and simultaneously correlated using the E-UNIQUAC model. Also, the effect of temperature on the liquid–liquid equilibrium (LLE) was considered by using temperature-dependent parameters. In the modeling, two different scenarios were supposed. In the first, polymer and salt were treated as solutes (Case A), while in the second, the pseudo-solvent approach was considered (Case B). The results showed good agreement with experimental data in both cases. The average absolute deviation of the model using Case B was about 0.2% and that for Case A was about 2% in the ATPS composed of PEG. Meanwhile, the reported errors in the ATPS containing PPG for Case A and Case B were almost equal.     

Surfactant‐assisted dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction of nitrazepam and lorazepam from plasma and urine samples followed by high‐performance liquid chromatography with UV analysis

Surfactant‐assisted liquid–liquid microextraction followed by high‐performance liquid chromatography with UV detection has been developed for the simultaneous preconcentration and determination of lorazepam and nitrazepam in biological fluids. In this study, an ionic surfactant (cetyltrimethyl ammonium bromide) was used as an emulsifier. The predominant parameters affecting extraction efficiency such as the type and volume of extraction solvent, the type and concentration of surfactant, sample pH, and the concentration of salt added to the sample were investigated and opted. Under the optimum conditions (extraction solvent and its volume, 1‐octanol, 70 μL; surfactant and its concentration, 1 mL of ultra‐pure water containing 2 mmol L^?1 cetyltrimethyl ammonium bromide; sample pH = 9 and salt content of 10% NaCl w/v), the preconcentration factors were obtained in the range of 202–241 and 246–265 for nitrazepam and lorazepam, respectively. The limits of quantification for both drugs were 5 μg L^?1 in water sample and 10 μg L^?1 in biological fluids with R² values higher than 0.993. The suitability of the proposed method was successfully confirmed by the extraction and determination of the target drugs in human urine and plasma samples in the range of microgram per liter.     

POLYROTAXANE WITH π-CONJUGATED PORPHYRIN AND POLYAZOMETHINE SYSTEMS PREPARED FROM A TYPE OF PORPHYRIN-DIALDEHYDE AND COMPLEX OF β-CYCLODEXTRIN WITH 1,4-PHENYLENEDIAMINE

The synthesis of 5,15-bis[4-(methoxycarbonyl)phenyl]-10,20-diphenylporphyrin (2) and its reduction to 5,15-bis[4-(hydroxymethyl)phenyl]-10,20-diphenylporphyrin (3), and so its oxidation to provide 5,15-bis(4-formylphenyl)-10,20-diphenylporphyrin (4) are reported. The copolymer possessing β-cyclodextrin (β-CD), π-conjugated porphyrin and polyazomethine systems was synthesized by the polycondensation of porphyrin-dialdehyde monomer (4) and β-cyclodextrin/1,4-phenylenediamine complex (5). The monomers and the copolymer were characterized by UV-Vis, 1H-NMR and IR spectra. Furthermore, 1H-NMR and FT-IR spectra confirmed locating the aromatic ring of 1,4-phenylenediamine molecule in the center of β-cyclodextrin cavity.     

Spectrophotometric studies of the thermodynamics of sitting-atop complexation between free base meso-tetraarylporphyrins and titanium(IV) chloride

Titanium(IV) chloride reacts with free base meso-tetraarylporphyrin and its ortho, meta and para-substituted derivatives (H₂T(X)PP; X: OCH₃, CH₃ and Cl) for formation of sitting-atop (SAT) complexes, [TiCl₄(H₂T(X)PP)]. The computer fitting of the variation of the absorbance versus mole ratio by KINFIT program was used for calculation of the formation constants of these complexes in chloroform. Thermodynamic parameters, ΔG°, ΔH°, ΔS°, have been determined and the influence of the temperature and the substituted aryl groups (electronic and steric effects) in the free base porphyrins on the stability of the SAT complexes was studied.     

Electrocrystallization of palladium from Pd(NH3)4Cl2 bath on stainless steel 316L

Electrochemical deposition of palladium from 0.04 M Pd(NH₃)₄Cl₂, NH₄Cl, and NH₄OH bath (pH = 10) on stainless steel electrode was studied by voltammetry, chronopotentiometry, and chronoamperometry. Crossovers in cyclic voltammograms demonstrate that the deposition of palladium proceed via a nucleation/growth mechanism. Chronopotentiograms indicate that palladium reduction is not controlled by diffusion and Sand’s law is not obeyed. In the early stage of the deposition, two-dimensional (2D) nucleation and growth proceeding through instantaneous and a multitude of progressive steps followed the initial double layer charging. The processes are manifested as broad maxima in chronoamperogram and after which the current transient terminates to a plateau. Non-linear fitting methods were applied to obtain the kinetic parameters in the light of Bewick, Fleischmann, and Thirsk theory for 2D and Armstrong, Fleischmann, and Thirsk model for 3D nucleation and growth process.     

Multiple-gate time domain diffuse fluorescence tomography allows more sparse tissue sampling without compromising image quality

Diffuse fluorescence tomography systems that employ highly sensitive photo-multiplier tubes for single-photon detection are pushing the sensitivity limits of the field. However, each of these detectors only offers a single data projection to be collected, implying these imaging systems either require many detectors or long scan times to collect full data sets for image reconstruction. This study presents a method of utilizing the time-resolved collection capabilities of time-correlated single-photon counting techniques to increase spatial resolution and to reduce the number of data projections to produce reliable fluorescence reconstructions. Experimental tissue phantom results demonstrate that using data at 10 time gates in the fluorescence reconstructions for only 40 data projections provided superior image accuracy when compared to reconstructions on 320 continuous-wave data projections.     

Corrected Hawking Tunneling Radiation in the Higher Dimensional Reissner-Nordström Black Hole

Based on the generalized uncertainty principle, in which the quantum gravitational effects are properly taken in to account, the corrected Bekenstein-Hawking entropy of the higher dimensional Reissner-Nordström black hole, up to the square order of Planck length, has been calculated. Using the corrected entropy, the black hole radiation probability has been calculated in the tunneling formalism, which is corrected up to the same order of the Planck length and a generalized quantum tunneling through the event horizon of the black hole is obtained.     

Observation of the "missing" polar OCS dimer

A new infrared band at 2069.3 cm-1 is observed and assigned to the long-anticipated polar isomer of the OCS dimer, helping to explain apparent discrepancies among earlier studies. The data reported here should enable direct observation of the microwave spectrum of polar (OCS)2 and motivate new theoretical works on the energetics of OCS dimer isomers and interconversion energy barriers.