Hydrogen Peroxide Formation by Electric Discharge with Fine Bubbles

Pulsed discharge plasma is typical oxidation technology for disposing organic compounds in aqueous solutions. When this electrical discharge plasma was applied in water, it may produce hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) without any catalyst or chemical agent. In order to increase H₂O₂ production by electrical discharge plasma in water, fine bubbles were introduced into the electrical discharge plasma in this experiment. Bipolar pulsed voltages were applied to cylindrical electrodes in the water while Ar or O₂ bubbles were introduced, generating a pulsed discharge plasma. The introduction of the bubbles seemed to enhance the dissociation of water molecules and increased H₂O₂ formation, especially with O₂ bubbling. Dissolved oxygen in the water contributed to H₂O₂ formation by pulsed discharge plasma with the bubbles, while dissociation of water molecules was the cause of H₂O₂ formation by pulsed discharge plasma without bubbles. More H₂O₂ was formed by pulsed discharge plasma with O₂ bubbles, because the amount of dissolved oxygen in the water increased upon bubbling with O₂.     

Effects of Pluronics surfactants on morphology and porosity of hematite particles produced from forced hydrolysis reaction

The shape and porosity of hematite particles, produced from a forced hydrolysis reaction of acidic FeCl₃ solution, were controlled by using Pluronics as nonionic surfactants (0–4 wt.%). Pluronics possess a nominal formula of (PEO) _x –(PPO) _y –(PEO) _x . The effect of Pluronics with low hydrophilicity (PEO contents were less than 50 mol%) was small and provided spherical particles the same as that of the system without Pluronics (control system). However, Pluronics with higher hydrophilicity (PEO contents were over 50 mol%) gave ellipsoidal hematite particles. This effect on the particle morphology was enhanced by an increase in their molecular weight. On the other hand, the Pluronics possessing an opposite nominal formula [(PPO) _x –(PEO) _y –(PPO) _x ] exhibited no effect on the particle shape; it only depressed phase transformation from ?-FeOOH to hematite. Not only the morphology but also the pore size of hematite particles was controlled from nonporous to mesoporous by using Pluronics. The N₂ adsorption experiment and t-plot curve analysis revealed that the hematite particles changed from mesoporous to microporous by an increase in the concentration of Pluronics. On the other hand, in the presence of very low amounts of Pluronics molecules (0.1 wt.%), nonporous hematite particles were produced via strong aggregation of PN particles by their hydrogen bonding between hydroxyl and PEO or PPO groups. The dynamic light scattering measurement for the system with Pluronics clarified the existence of polynuclear (PN) particles with a hydrodynamic particle diameter (D _a) of ca. 40 nm after these were aged for 6 h. The size of PN particles remained constant at ca. 40 nm during aging time of 12 h～3 days, but the scattering intensity was decreased. This decrease in the scattering intensity reveals that the number of PN particles is reduced by aggregation. The transmission electron microscope, inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectroscopy, and total organic carbon analysis measurements employed on the systems produced for ellipsoidal particles elucidated that the formation of ellipsoidal hematite particles is attributed to the adsorption of Pluronics on the surfaces of PN and growing hematite particles.     

A novel biomimetic synthesis of (S)-(−)-zearalenone: via macrocyclization and transannular aromatization

On heating, a hydroxy-keto-dioxinone underwent retro-Diels-Alder fragmentation and the resultant α,γ-diketo-ketene was efficiently trapped intramolecularly by a secondary alcohol to provide a macrocyclic triketo-lactone. Following ketal hydrolysis, transannular aromatization gave the resorcylate natural product, (S)-(−)-zearalenone.     

Synthesis of conjugated enynes by assembly of three components, ketones, chloromethyl p-tolyl sulfoxide, and acetylenes, with the magnesium carbenoid 1,2-CC insertion as the key reaction

The reaction of 1-chlorovinyl p-tolyl sulfoxides, which were derived from ketones and chloromethyl p-tolyl sulfoxide, with lithium acetylides gave adducts in moderate to good yields. Treatment of the adducts with Grignard reagents resulted in the formation of magnesium carbenoids by the sulfoxide-magnesium exchange reaction. 1,2-Carbon-carbon insertion (1,2-CC insertion) reaction of the generated magnesium carbenoids took place to afford conjugated enynes in good to high yields. This procedure provides a good method for the synthesis of multi-substituted conjugated enynes.     

Improved synthesis of P(3HB-co-3HV-co-3HHx) terpolymers by mutant Cupriavidus necator using the PHA synthase gene of Chromobacterium sp. USM2 with high affinity towards 3HV

Unlike polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) copolymers, the controlled and efficient synthesis of PHA terpolymers from triglycerides and fatty acids are yet to be established. This study demonstrates the production of P(3HB-co-3HV-co-3HHx) terpolymer with a wide range of 3HV monomer compositions from mixtures of crude palm kernel oil and 3HV precursors using a mutant Cupriavidus necator PHB⁻4 transformant harboring the PHA synthase gene (phaC) of a locally isolated Chromobacterium sp. USM2. The PHA synthase of Chromobacterium has an unusually high affinity towards 3HV monomer. P(3HB-co-3HV-co-3HHx) terpolymers with 3HV monomer composition ranging from 2 to 91 mol% were produced. Generation of 3HHx monomers was affected by the concentration and feeding time of 3HV precursor. P(3HB-co-24 mol% 3HV-co-7 mol% 3HHx) exhibited mechanical properties similar to that of common low-density polyethylene. P(3HB-co-3HV-co-3HHx) terpolymers with a wide range of 3HV molar fraction had been successfully synthesized by adding lower concentrations of 3HV precursors and using a PHA synthase with high affinity towards 3HV monomer.     

Highly durable Pd metal catalysts for the oxygen reduction reaction in fuel cells; coverage of Pd metal with silica

Pd cathode catalysts for polymer electrolyte fuel cells have been covered with silica layers a few nanometres thick. The silica-coated Pd catalysts showed high activity and excellent durability for the oxygen reduction under the severe cathode conditions of PEFCs, while Pd catalysts without silica-coating were seriously deactivated under the same conditions. The coverage of Pd metal with silica prevents the diffusion of Pd species out of the silica layers.     

Noncolliding Squared Bessel Processes

We consider a particle system of the squared Bessel processes with index ν>−1 conditioned never to collide with each other, in which if −1<ν<0 the origin is assumed to be reflecting. When the number of particles is finite, we prove for any fixed initial configuration that this noncolliding diffusion process is determinantal in the sense that any multitime correlation function is given by a determinant with a continuous kernel called the correlation kernel. When the number of particles is infinite, we give sufficient conditions for initial configurations so that the system is well defined. There the process with an infinite number of particles is determinantal and the correlation kernel is expressed using an entire function represented by the Weierstrass canonical product, whose zeros on the positive part of the real axis are given by the particle-positions in the initial configuration. From the class of infinite-particle initial configurations satisfying our conditions, we report one example in detail, which is a fixed configuration such that every point of the square of positive zero of the Bessel function J _ν is occupied by one particle. The process starting from this initial configuration shows a relaxation phenomenon converging to the stationary process, which is determinantal with the extended Bessel kernel, in the long-term limit.     

Resistivity control of sputtered amorphous-silicon by ion-implantation

The resistivity of a hydrogenated sputtered amorphous-silicon is controlled by using room temperature implantation of P⁺. It is found that the defects produced by implantation can be minimized by annealing at 300°C in an H₂ atmosphere, and also found that there is a threshold implanted dose, beyond which the resistivity begins to be controlled by changing the dose.     

Sensitivity analysis incorporating fuzzy evaluation for scaling constants of multiattribute utility functions

A multiattribute utility function can be represented by a function of single-attribute utility functions if the decision maker’s preference satisfies additive independence or mutually utility independence. Additive independence is a preference condition stronger than mutually utility independence, and the multiattribute utility function is in the additive form if the former condition is satisfied, otherwise it is in the multiplicative form. In this paper, we propose a method for sensitivity analysis of multiattribute utility functions in multiplicative form, taking into account the imprecision of the decision maker’s judgment in the procedures for determining scaling constants (attribute weights).