Positron annihilation lifetime spectroscopy study of polyvinylpyrrolidone-added polyvinylidene fluoride membranes: Investigation of free volume and permeation relationships

Polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) membranes were prepared via the phase inversion method from casting solutions containing PVDF, dimethylformamide (DMF), and polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) as pore former. PVP was used in the casting solution in a range of 0–5 wt % and extracted. The effect on membranes of using PVP in the casting process was analyzed by X-ray diffraction, differential scanning calorimetry, scanning electron microscopy, viscosity, and water permeability techniques. With an increase of PVP from 0 to 5 wt %, the PVDF casting solution viscosities increased from 858 to 1148 cP; the resulting PVDF membrane thickness increased; and the crystallinity of PVDF membranes decreased from 40.0 to 33.3%, which indicates that the addition of PVP inhibits the degree of crystallization in the PVDF membranes. SEM results revealed the shape and size of macropores in the membranes; these macropores changed after PVP addition to the casting solutions. The impact of structural changes on free-volume properties was evaluated using positron annihilation lifetime spectroscopy (PALS) studies. PALS analysis indicated no effect on the average radius (~3.4 Å) of membrane free-volume holes from the addition of PVP to the casting solution. However, the percentage of o-Ps pick-off annihilation intensity, I₃, increased from 1.7 to 5.1% with increased PVP content. Further, increasing the PVP content from 0.5 to 5% resulted in an increased final pure water permeability flux. For instance, the 210 min flux for a 14% PVDF + 0.5% PVP membrane was found to be 3.3 times greater than a control membrane having the same PVDF concentration. © 2020 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci. 2020 , 58, 589–598     

Determination of Naphthazarin Derivatives in 16 Alkanna Species by RP-LC Using UV and MS for Detection

As part of our ongoing studies, a new and validated method for analysis of isohexenyl-naphthazarines in Turkish Alkanna species was developed. By using reversed phase material (Synergi MAX RP) it was possible to determine four known isohexenylnaphthazarin-derivatives, namely alkannin, acetylalkannin, deoxyalkannin, and β,β-dimethylacrylalkannin within 25 min in n-hexane extracts of the roots. The quantification of these compounds in 16 Anatolian Alkanna species is described for the first time. In order to assure peak identity LC-MS experiments were performed. Quantitative results revealed that the most dominant compound in the extracts was β,β-dimethylacrylalkannin.     

On locally closedness and continuity

The aim of this paper is to introduce new classes of sets called δ-semi-generalized closed sets, locally δ-semi-generalized closed, lδsgc^*-sets, lδsgc^**-sets. Also, we introduce several forms of LδSGC-continuous functions. We discuss their properties and several examples are provided to illustrate the behaviour of these new types of sets and functions.     

Determination of trace cadmium in waters by flame atomic absorption spectrophotometry after preconcentration with 1-nitroso-2-naphthol-3,6-disulfonic acid on Ambersorb 572

A procedure for the determination of trace amount of cadmium after adsorption of its 1-nitroso-2-naphthol-3,6-disulfonic acid chelate on Ambersorb 572 has been proposed. This chelate is adsorbed on the adsorbent in the pH range 3-8 from large volumes of aqueous solution of water samples with a preconcentration factor of 200. After being sorbed, cadmium was eluted by 5 mL of 2.0 mol L(-1) nitric acid solution and determined directly by flame atomic absorption spectrophotometery (FAAS). The detection limit (3sigma) of cadmium was 0.32 microg L(-1). The precision of the proposed procedure, calculated as the relative standard deviation of recovery in sample solution (100 mL) containing 5 microg of cadmium was satisfactory (1.9%). The adsorption of cadmium onto adsorbent can formally be described by a Langmuir equation with a maximum adsorption capacity of 19.6 mg g(-1) and a binding constant of 6.5 x 10(-3) L mg(-1). Various parameters, such as the effect of pH and the interference of a number of metal ions on the determination of cadmium, have been studied in detail to optimize the conditions for the preconcentration and determination of cadmium in water samples. This procedure was applied to the determination of cadmium in tap and river water samples.     

The Semi-Infinite q-Boson System with Boundary Interaction

Upon introducing a one-parameter quadratic deformation of the q-boson algebra and a diagonal perturbation at the end point, we arrive at a semi-infinite q-boson system with a two-parameter boundary interaction. The eigenfunctions are shown to be given by Macdonald’s hyperoctahedral Hall–Littlewood functions of type BC. It follows that the n-particle spectrum is bounded and absolutely continuous and that the corresponding scattering matrix factorizes as a product of two-particle bulk and one-particle boundary scattering matrices.     

Spectrum and Eigenfunctions of the Lattice Hyperbolic Ruijsenaars–Schneider System with Exponential Morse Term

We place the hyperbolic quantum Ruijsenaars–Schneider system with an exponential Morse term on a lattice and diagonalize the resulting n-particle model by means of multivariate continuous dual q-Hahn polynomials that arise as a parameter reduction of the Macdonald–Koornwinder polynomials. This allows to compute the n-particle scattering operator, to identify the bispectral dual system, and to confirm the quantum integrability in a Hilbert space setup.     

Electron paramagnetic resonance study of irradiated tetramethyl-4-piperidion

The electron paramagnetic resonance of single crystals of tetramethyl-4-piperidion (TMP; C₉H₁₉NO) has been observed and analysed for different orientations of the crystal in the magnetic field, after being damaged at 300 K by γ-irradiation. The crystals have been investigated between 100 and 450 K. The spectra were found to be temperature dependent. The irradiation of TMP by γ-rays produces radicals at the nitrogen atoms in the molecule. The principal values of the hyperfine coupling tensor of the unpaired electron and the principal values of the g-tensor were determined. The results were found to be in good agreement with the existing literature data and theoretical predictions.     

An electron paramagnetic resonance study on irradiated triphenylphosphinselenid single crystal

The single crystals of triphenylphosphinselenid [C₁₈H₁₅PSe] were produced by slow evaporation of concentrated ethyl acetate solutions. These single crystals were exposed to ⁶⁰Co gamma (γ) rays with a dose speed of 0.980 kGy/h at the room temperature for 72 h. The free radical over the sample was observed using electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR)–X band spectrometer. The EPR spectra were recorded between 120 and 400 K. Furthermore, the sample irradiated was rotated in steps of 10° and analyzed for different orientations of the crystal in the magnetic field. Only one radical structure was determined on the molecule. The hyperfine constants of the sample were found to be anisotropic. The average values of these constants and value of g were calculated as following: g=2.007656, a_Se=37.47 G, a_P=27.44 G, a_Ha=17.28 G, and a_Hb=18.16 G.     

Fractional-continuous wavelet transforms and ultra-performance liquid chromatography for the multicomponent analysis of a ternary mixture containing thiamine, pyridoxine, and lidocaine in ampules

New chemometric approaches based on the application of partial least squares (PLS) and principal component regression (PCR) algorithms with fractional wavelet transform (FWT) and continuous wavelet transform (CWT) are proposed for the spectrophotometric multicomponent determination of thiamine hydrochloride (B1), pyridoxine hydrochloride (B6), and lidocaine hydrochloride (LID) in ampules without any separation step. In this study PLS and PCR techniques were applied to the raw spectral data, FWT-coefficients, and FWT-CWT-coefficients. These calibration models were labeled as Raw-PLS and Raw-PCR, FWT-PLS and FWT-PCR, and FWT-CWT-PLS and FWT-CWT-PCR, respectively. A new ultra-performance liquid chromatographic (UPLC) method was developed for the comparison of the results obtained by applying the chemometric calibration methods. Chromatographic separation and determination of B1, B6, and LID in ampules were performed on an Acquity UPLC BEH C18 column (50x2.1 mm id, 1.7 pm particle size) using gradient elution with a mobile phase consisting of methanol and 0.01 M HCI at a constant flow rate of 0.6 mL/min. These combined chemometric calibrations and UPLC were validated by analyzing various ternary mixtures, B1, B6, and LID. The proposed chemometric approaches (signal processing-multivariate calibrations) and UPLC method were applied to the quantitative multicomponent analysis of marketed ampules containing the vitamins B1 and B6 with LID.