Microwave assisted preparation of efficient activated carbon from grapevine rhytidome for the removal of methyl violet from aqueous solution

Grapevine rhytidome (the outer layer of bark on trunk), as an abundant and low-cost precursor, was used to prepare granular activated carbon with high surface area for the removal of methyl violet from aqueous solution. Microwave heating source was used to reduce the treatment time and energy consumption. To optimize the preparation, the effects of the different parameters, such as phosphoric acid concentration, acid/precursor weight ratio, impregnation time, microwave power, radiation time, and oven heating time on the ability of the samples for removal of methyl violet were studied. The obtained activated carbon was characterized by N₂ adsorption/desorption, SAXS, TEM and SEM methods. The adsorption of methyl violet onto the activated carbon was studied from both equilibrium and kinetic point of view and the results were compared with the commercial granular activated carbon. The rate of adsorption onto the prepared activated carbon was faster than commercial activated carbon. Different kinetic models were used to analyze the experimental kinetic data. The obtained activated carbon showed higher adsorption capacity (more than twice) for the adsorption of methyl violet in comparison with the commercial one. The equilibrium data were analyzed using different isotherm models. Adsorption was found to be maximum in the pH range 7-9.     

Synthesis of Dialkyl 2‐(Alkylamino)‐4,9‐dihydro‐9‐oxocyclohepta[b]pyran‐3,4‐dicarboxylates

Dialkyl 2‐(alkylamino)‐4,9‐dihydro‐9‐oxocyclohepta[b]pyran‐3,4‐dicarboxylates are prepared in a one‐pot three‐component reaction of alkyl isocyanide, dialkyl acetylenedicarboxylate, and α‐tropolone (=2‐hydroxycyclohepta‐2,4,6‐trienone). The reaction proceeds smoothly at room temperature and under neutral conditions to afford tropolone derivatives in high yield.     

Polystyrene‐Gallium Trichloride Complex: A Mild,Highly Efficient,and Recyclable Polymeric Lewis Acid Catalyst for Chemoselective Silylation of Alcohols and Phenols with Hexamethyldisilazane

Polystyrene‐supported gallium trichloride (PS/GaCl₃) as a highly active and reusable heterogeneous Lewis acid effectively activates hexamethyldisilazane (HMDS) for the efficient silylation of alcohols and phenols at room temperature. In this heterogeneous catalytic system, primary, secondary, and tertiary alcohols as well as phenols were converted to their corresponding trimethylsilyl ethers with short reaction times and high yields under mild reaction conditions. The heterogenized catalyst is of high reusability and stability in the silylation reactions and was recovered several times with negligible loss in its activity or a negligible catalyst leaching, and also there is no need for regeneration. It is noteworthy that this method can be used for chemoselective silylation of different alcohols and phenols with high yields.     

Measurements of temperature and heat of phase transformation of pure silicon by using differential scanning calorimetry

Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) technique has been applied for the experimental determination of temperature and heat of phase transition of pure silicon (7 N) during heating and cooling cycles at the rate of 10 K min^?1. The measurements were carried out in the temperature range of 25–1450 °C in a flow gas atmosphere (Ar, 99.9992%) using three types of crucibles made of alumina, h-BN and alumina covered with h-BN coating. The following characteristics were estimated from DSC curves: melting point of silicon—1414 °C, the heat of fusion—1826 J g^?1 and the heat of solidification—1654 J g^?1. It was found that the silicon evaporation phenomenon accompanying the tests had no effect on the measurements of temperature during solid-to-liquid and liquid-to-solid transformations and on the measurement of the latent heat of fusion. The effect of crucible type on the DSC measurements is discussed.

     

Swelling and Drying Mechanisms of Freeze-Thawed Polyvinyl Alcohol/Egg White/Montmorillonite Bionanocomposite Hydrogels

Abstract

Polyvinyl alcohol and egg white bionanocomposite hydrogels loaded with montmorillonite clay were fabricated by a freezing-thawing technique. The bionanocomposite hydrogels showed an exfoliated morphology and they had a more interconnected and dense network as compared with the clay-free sample. The montmorillonite layers acted as multifunctional crosslinkers and the bionanocomposite hydrogels had nanoscale, slit-shaped pores. The swelling ratios of the bionanocomposite hydrogels were increased either by decreasing the content of incorporated montmorillonite or by increasing the pH of the swelling medium. It was found that the bionanocomposite hydrogels having a higher content of montmorillonite exhibited a slightly slower drying process with a longer drying duration. Using the Ritger-Peppas model, it was shown that the swelling and drying mechanisms for all bionanocomposite hydrogels were non-Fickian diffusion. According to the Peppas-Sahlin model, it was found that the absorption of the swelling agent molecules during the swelling process and also the removal of water molecules during the drying process in the early stages of the processes occurred mostly due to their diffusion. At higher swelling or drying times, the contribution of the relaxation (for swelling) and shrinkage (for drying) of the polyvinyl alcohol polymeric chains and egg white protein chains was increased.     

KAl(SO4)2 · 12H2O (alum) a reusable catalyst for the synthesis of some 4-substituted coumarins via Pechmann reaction under solvent-free conditions

A simple, efficient, and practical procedure for the Pechmann condensation using KAl(SO₄)₂ · 12H₂O (alum) as a non-toxic, reusable, inexpensive, and easily available catalyst is described under solvent-free condition at 65°C. These improved reaction conditions allow the preparation of a wide variety of some new substituted coumarins in high yields (86–96%) and purity under mild reaction conditions. Compared to the classical Pechmann condensation, this new method consistently has the advantage of high yields. Correspondence: Ali A. Mohammadi, Department of Chemistry, Shahid Beheshti University, P.O. Box 19839-4716, Tehran, Iran.     

Biginelli reaction for synthesis of novel trifluoromethyl derivatives of bis(tetrahydropyrimidinone)benzenes

A facile one-pot three-component condensation of terephthalic aldehyde with urea and fluorinated 1,3-dicarbonyl derivatives is developed using catalytic quantities of chlorotrimethylsilane at ambient temperature. As a consequence, efficient synthesis of novel trifluoromethyl derivatives of bis(tetrahydropyrimidinone)benzenes is observed within short time periods. The procedure is shown to be equally efficient when urea is replaced with thiourea or guanidine.     

Adsorption kinetics at the solid/solution interface: statistical rate theory at initial times of adsorption and close to equilibrium

The kinetics of solute adsorption at the solid/solution interface has been studied by statistical rate theory (SRT) at two limiting conditions, one at initial times of adsorption and the other close to equilibrium. A new kinetic equation has been derived for initial times of adsorption on the basis of SRT. For the first time a theoretical interpretation based on SRT has been provided for the modified pseudo-first-order (MPFO) kinetic equation which was proposed empirically by Yang and Al-Duri. It has been shown that the MPFO kinetic equation can be derived from the SRT equation when the system is close to equilibrium. On the basis of numerically generated points ( t, q) by the SRT equation, it has been shown that we can apply the new equation for initial times of adsorption in a larger time range in comparison to the previous q vs radical t linear equation. Also by numerical analysis of the generated kinetic data points, it is shown that application of the MPFO equation for modeling of whole kinetic data causes a large error for the data at initial times of adsorption. The results of numerical analysis are in perfect agreement with our theoretical derivation of the MPFO kinetic equation from the SRT equation. Finally, the results of the present theoretical study were confirmed by analysis of an experimental system.     

The Minimal Length Uncertainty and the Nonextensive Thermodynamics

In this paper, we study the thermodynamics of quantum harmonic oscillator in the Tsallis framework and in the presence of a minimal length uncertainty. The existence of the minimal length is motivated by various theories such as string theory, loop quantum gravity, and black-hole physics. We analytically obtain the partition function, probability function, internal energy, and the specific heat capacity of the vibrational quantum system for \(1<q<\frac {3}{2}\) and compare the results with those of Tsallis and Boltzmann-Gibbs statistics without the minimal length scale.     

Nano/Biomimetic Tissue Adhesives Development: From Research to Clinical Application

Wound closure and healing have been a problem that humans have faced since the ancient eras. An appropriate tissue connector must hold the edges of injured tissues close together to support healing and also prevent the leakage of biological fluids when resisting against the tensile forces. Even though clinical usage of mechanical methods is convenient for wound closure, their application has some limitations and drawbacks such as being painful for patients and hard to apply for surgeons when the injured site is not in touch. Furthermore, they do not have desirable cosmetic results. To solve these problems, closing the wounds with sticky materials has been introduced to prevent bleeding and induce the wound healing process. To this regard, many types of surgical adhesives including tissue adhesives have been developed to be a suitable alternative for sutures and staples. There is also a new approach which aims at producing bioadhesives by mimicking the nature along with applying nanotechnology methods. Today, many studies have been done to develop new adhesives inspired by nature. We have attempted to introduce the fundamentals of wound healing along with the different types of bioadhesives, their properties, and clinical applications in a simple and illustrated comprehensive way.