Study of the field emitted by a source placed inside a two-dimensional left-handed metamaterial

We studied the properties of electromagnetic waves that were emitted from a source placed inside a left-handed medium based on a two-dimensional labyrinth. While the arguments of geometrical optics suggest that the field emitted from the source would be focused outside the left-handed medium no matter where the source was placed, our results proved the contrary. We found that the field emitted from the source was focused outside the left-handed medium when the source was placed inside the medium at a certain distance away from the interface. Moreover, our results showed that the field emitted from the source was focused on the subwavelength dimensions outside the left-handed medium.     

Influence of thermophoretic diffusion of nanoparticles with Joule heating in flow of Maxwell nanofluid

The aspects of activation energy in magnetized Maxwell nanofluid flow with Brownian movement and thermophoretic diffusion have been elaborated here. Furthermore, Joule heating, variable conductivity and chemical reaction are scrutinized. The Buongiorno nanofluid thought is ratify to incorporate the importance of thermophoretic and Brownian diffusion. The attained ODEs have been solved via homotopic algorithm. The performance of operational variables is inspected. The Maxwell temperature field for Eckert number and variable conductivity factor have similar trend. The fluid concentration exaggerates for activation energy and decelerates for Brownian motion parameter. Furthermore, the brilliant outcomes attained and associated with possible existing prose accurately.     

Tuning the properties of a black TiO2-Ag visible light photocatalyst produced by a rapid one-pot chemical reduction

A highly efficient black TiO₂-Ag photocatalytic nanocomposite, active under both UV and visible light illumination, was synthesized by decorating the surface of 25 nm TiO₂ particles with Ag nanoparticles. The material was obtained via a rapid, one-pot, simple (surfactant and complexing agent free) chemical reduction method using silver nitrate and formaldehyde as a metal salt and reducing agent, respectively. The nanocomposite shows an increase of over 800% in the rate of photocatalytic methylene blue dye degradation, compared to commercial unmodified TiO_2, under UV-VIS illumination. Unlike pure TiO₂, the nanocomposite exhibits visible light activation, with a corresponding drop in optical reflectance from 100% to less than 10%. The photocatalytic properties were shown to be strongly enhanced by post-reduction annealing heat treatments in air, which were observed to decrease, rather than coarsen, silver particle size, and increase particle distribution. This, accompanied by a variation in the silver surface oxidation states, appear to dramatically affect the photocatalytic efficiency under both UV and visible light. This highly active photocatalyst could have wide ranging applications in water and air pollution remediation and solar fuel production.     

DFT studies on the tetranuclear cubane complex [Ni4(ampd)4(Cl4)]·MeCN

Density functional theory (DFT) is used to investigate the structural properties of Ni(II) cubane [Ni₄(ampdH)₄Cl₄]·MeCN. The structural features and ground state geometry calculations are computed at the B3LYP/6-31G* (LANL2DZ) level of theory. We shed light on the highest occupied molecular orbital and lowest unoccupied molecular orbital. The absorption spectrum is calculated using time-dependent DFT. The absorption wavelengths are calculated using different functionals, i.e., pw91pw91, B3LYP, BHandHLYP, CAM-B3LYP, LC-BLYP, and M06. The LC-BLYP is in good agreement with the experimental data.     

Synthesis, crystal structure, antimicrobial activity and DNA-binding of hydrogen-bonded proton-transfer complex of 2,6-diaminopyridine with picric acid

A proton-transfer (charge transfer) complex formed on the reaction between 2,6-diaminopyridine (donor) and picric acid (acceptor) was synthesized and characterized by FTIR, (1)H NMR, thermal and elemental analysis. The crystal structure determined by single-crystal X-ray diffraction indicates that cation and anion are joined together by strong N(+)-H- -O(-) type hydrogen bonds. The hydrogen-bonded charge transfer (HBCT) complex was screened for its pharmacology such as antimicrobial activity against various fungal and bacterial strains and Calf thymus DNA-binding. The results showed that HBCT complex (100μg/ml) exhibited good antibacterial antifungal activity as that of standard antibiotics Tetracycline and Nystatin. A molecular frame work through H-bonding interactions between neighboring moieties is found to be responsible for high melting point of resulting complex. This has been attributed to the formation of 1:1 HBCT complex.     

Simultaneous determination of perfluoroalkyl phosphonates, carboxylates, and sulfonates in drinking water

A trace analytical method based on high performance liquid chromatography coupled to quadrupole time-of-flight high resolution mass spectrometry was developed for simultaneous determination of perfluoroalkyl phosphonates (PFPAs, carbon chain lengths C6,8,10), perfluoroalkyl carboxylates (PFCAs, C5-12), and perfluoroalkyl sulfonates (PFSAs, C4,6,8,10) in drinking water (tap water). Analytes were enriched on a mixed mode co-polymeric sorbent (C8+quaternary amine) using solid phase extraction. Chromatographic separation was achieved on a Zorbax Extend C18 reversed phase column using a mobile phase gradient consisting of water, methanol, and acetonitrile containing 2mM ammonium acetate and 5 mM 1-methyl piperidine. The mass spectrometer was operated in electrospray negative ion mode. Use of 1-methyl piperidine in the mobile phase resulted in a significant increase in instrument sensitivity for PFPAs through improved chromatographic resolution, background suppression, and increased ionization efficiency. Method detection limits for extraction of 500 mL tap water were in the ranges of 0.095-0.17 ng/L, 0.027-0.17 ng/L, and 0.014-0.052 ng/L for PFPAs, PFCAs, and PFSAs, respectively. Whole method recoveries at a spiking level of 0.5 ng/L to 500 mL HPLC grade water were 40-56%, 56-97%, and 55-77% for PFPAs, PFCAs, and PFSAs, respectively. A matrix effect (signal enhancement) was observed in the detection of PFPAs in tap water extracts, leading to calculated recoveries of 249-297% at a 0.5 ng/L spiking level. This effect resulted in an additional improvement of method sensitivity for PFPAs. To compensate for the matrix effect, PFPAs in tap water were quantified using matrix-matched and extracted calibration standards. The method was successfully applied to the analysis of drinking water collected from six European countries. PFPAs were not detected except for perfluorooctyl phosphonate (PFOPA) at close to the detection limit of 0.095 ng/L in two water samples from Amsterdam, the Netherlands. Highest levels were found for perfluorobutane sulfonate (PFBS, 18.8 ng/L) and perfluorooctanoate (PFOA, 8.6 ng/L) in samples from Amsterdam as well as for perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS, 8.8 ng/L) in tap water from Stockholm, Sweden.     

Chiral pyridin-3-ones and pyridines: syntheses of enantiopure 2,4-disubstituted 6-hydroxy-1,6-dihydro-2H-pyridin-3-ones, 2,3-disubstituted 4-iodopyridines, and enantiopure 2,3-disubstituted 4-pyridinemethanols

The development of an innovative method to access enantiopure 2,4-disubstituted 6-hydroxy-1,6-dihydro-2H-pyridin-3-ones starting from D-glucal via the aza-Achmatowicz transformation has been described. These highly functionalized pyridin-3-ones have been utilized for the synthesis of contiguously substituted pyridines through a rapid and efficient Et(3)N/Ac(2)O promoted cyclo-elimination, aromatization cascade, allowing the facile assembly of important pyridine-based building blocks like 2-substituted 3-acetoxy-4-iodopyridines and enantiopure 2-substituted 3-acetoxy-4-pyridinemethanols possessing benzylic stereogenic centers, whose synthesis otherwise would be tedious. The utilization of commercially available sugars as starting materials, mild reaction conditions, catalytic transfer hydrogen (CTH) of α-furfuryl azide derivatives, transfer of chiral aryl/alkyl methanols from enulosides to pyridin-3-ones and pyridines, high yields, and short reaction times are key features of this method. The utility of the method has been further exemplified by demonstrating the usage of the 2-substituted 3-acetoxy-4-iodopyridine for the construction of biologically significant molecules like 2,7-disubstituted furo[2,3-c]pyridines and 7,7'-disubstituted 2,2'-bifuro[2,3-c]pyridines.     

Creeping flow analysis of slightly non-Newtonian fluid in a uniformly porous slit

This paper provides the analysis of the steady, creeping flow of a special class of slightly viscoelastic, incompressible fluid through a slit having porous walls with uniform porosity. The governing two dimensional flow equations along with non-homogeneous boundary conditions are non-dimensionalized. Recursive approach is used to solve the resulting equations. Expressions for stream function, velocity components, volumetric flow rate, pressure distribution, shear and normal stresses in general and on the walls of the slit, fractional absorption and leakage flux are derived. Points of maximum velocity components are also identified. A graphical study is carried out to show the effect of porosity and non-Newtonian parameter on above mentioned resulting expressions. It is observed that axial velocity of the fluid decreases with the increase in porosity and non-Newtonian parameter. The outcome of this theoretical study has significant importance both in industry and biosciences.