2‐Arylation/alkylation of benzothiazoles using superparamagneticgraphene oxide‐Fe3O4 hybrid material as a heterogeneous catalystwith diisopropyl azodicarboxylate (DIAD) as an oxidant

In this report, we introduced Graphene oxide‐iron oxide (GO‐Fe₃O₄) nanocomposites as a heterogeneous catalyst for arylation/alkylation of benzothiazoles with aldehydes and benzylic alcohols in the presence of diisopropyl azodicarboxylate (DIAD) as an oxidant which exclusively produced 2‐aryl (alkyl)‐1H–benzothizoles in moderate to excellent yields. The absence of precious metals and toxic solvent, easy product isolation, and recyclability of the GO‐Fe₃O₄ with no loss of activity are notable advantages of this method.     

Electrochemical Synthesis of 2-(2-Chlorophenyl)-2-[(3,4- dihydroxyphenyl)(methyl)amino]cyclohexanone

Russian Journal of Electrochemistry - Electrochemical oxidation of catechol has been studied in the presence of ketamine as a drug in phosphate buffer solution mixed with ethanol using voltammetric...     

Transverse discrete breathers in unstrained graphene

The European Physical Journal B - In this paper large resistor-capacitor (RC) networks that consist of randomly distributed conductive and capacitive elements which are much larger than those...     

Two-equation turbulence models for prediction of heat transfer on a transonic turbine blade

Two versions of the two-equation k–ω model and a shear stress transport (SST) model are used in a three-dimensional, multi-block, Navier–Stokes code to compare the detailed heat transfer measurements on a transonic turbine blade. It is found that the SST model resolves the passage vortex better on the suction side of the blade, thus yielding a better comparison with the experimental data than either of the k–ω models. However, the comparison is still deficient on the suction side of the blade. Use of the SST model does require the computation of distance from a wall, which for a multi-block grid, such as in the present case, can be complicated. However, a relatively easy fix for this problem was devised. Also addressed are issues such as (1) computation of the production term in the turbulence equations for aerodynamic applications, and (2) the relation between the computational and experimental values for the turbulence length scale, and its influence on the passage vortex on the suction side of the turbine blade.     

Particles with Magnetic Patches: Synthesis,Morphology Control,and Assembly

The concept of patchy particles is revolutionizing the research field of colloidal assembly, by the design of particles whose surface is purposely patterned to promote attractive interactions with their neighbors in limited number, and in privileged and programmed directions. The idea of magnetic patches makes it possible to imagine assemblies not only spontaneous by simple magnetic coupling but also triggered and canceled at will due to external magnetic fields. This review shows that studies published until now mainly deal with particles with a single magnetic patch, often called Janus particles. The very diverse synthetic routes have been brought together into four main strategies, covering the size range from 100 nm to 100 µm. Their assembly capacity is described both from experimental and simulation viewpoints. The orientation of the magnetic moment of the patch and its decentering extent with respect to the particle are the key parameters for controlling the morphology of clusters, loops, staggered chains, double chains, helices, microtubes, etc. The review offers some perspectives to generalize these studies to multipatch particles, examples of which are still too rare, and to make assemblies sustainable, especially after the removal of the structuring magnetic fields.     

Retention of poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) thin films on polycarbonate via polymer interdiffusion

This study explored the possibility of polymer interdiffusion for retaining thermoresponsive poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (pNIPAAm) on polycarbonate (PC). It was hypothesized that interdiffusion could be facilitated either by increasing the annealing temperature or by treating PC using air plasma (AP) and ultra-violet ozone (UVO). The results showed that increasing annealing temperature only moderately improved pNIPAAm retention. Treating PC with AP led to an increase in surface-active groups and a greatly enhanced retention of pNIPAAm. UVO treatment, however, severely damaged the PC layer with no noticeable enhancement on pNIPAAm retention. The retained pNIPAAm films on PC exhibited thermoresponsive behavior as evidenced by water contact angle and desired cell attachment/detachment behaviors. These results illustrate the simplicity of using polymer interdiffusion to successfully retain pNIPAAm films on a polymer, and the resulting substrates would be less expensive and more versatile than those retained on brittle supports (e.g., glass) for applications that require resilient thermoresponsive substrates.     

Different Reactivity of Rutile and Anatase TiO2 Nanoparticles: Synthesis and Surface States of Nanoparticles of Mixed-Valence Magnéli Oxides

Magnéli phases Ti_nO_2n−1 (3<n≤10) are mixed Ti⁴⁺/Ti³⁺ oxides with high electrical conductivity. When used for water remediation or electrochemical energy storage and conversion, they are nanostructured and exposed to various environments. Therefore, understanding their surface reactivity is of prime importance. Such studies have been hindered by carbon contamination from syntheses. Herein, this synthetic and characterization challenge is addressed through a new approach to 50 nm carbon-free Ti₄O₇ and Ti₆O₁₁ nanoparticles. It takes advantage of the different reactivities of rutile and anatase TiO₂ nanoparticles towards H₂, to use the former as precursor of Ti_nO_2n−1 and the latter as a diluting agent. This approach is combined with silica templating to restrain particle growth. The surface reactivity of the Magnéli nanoparticles under different atmospheres was then evaluated quantitatively by synchrotron-radiation-based X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, which revealed oxidized surfaces with lower conductivity than the core. This finding sheds a new light on the charge transfer occurring in these materials.