Structural analysis, magnetic and electrical properties of samarium substituted lithium-nickel mixed ferrites

A series of Sm-doped Li-Ni ferrites with formula of (Li_0.5Fe_0.5)_0.4Ni_0.6Sm_yFe_2−yO₄, where 0.0≤y≤0.1 were prepared by double sintering ceramic technique. The structure was characterized by X-ray diffraction, which has confirmed the formation of single-phase spinel structure. The samarium concentration dependence of lattice parameters obeys Vegard's law. The octahedral site radii increased with Sm content while the tetrahedral site radii decreased. Deviation from the ideal crystal structure (Δ) is found to decrease with Sm substitution, and the hopping length on the octahedral site is found to increase with Sm content. Hall measurement confirmed p-type conductivity behavior for Sm-doped ferrite and the main charge transport mechanism is hopping of halls between Ni²⁺ and Ni³⁺. Sintering at 1300 °C resulted in low resistivity ferrite, which was found to increase with Sm content. Resistivity is governed by both charge carrier mobility and carrier concentration. It decreases with frequency, and this behavior with frequency is discussed according to Koop's theorem. The dielectric constant is found to decrease more rapidly at low frequencies than at higher frequencies while the dielectric constant increases with Sm content. The decrease in ε″ with frequency agrees with Deby's type relaxation process. Maximum in ε″ is observed when the hopping frequency is equal to the external electric field frequency. The variation in tan δ with frequency shows a similar nature to that of ε″ with frequency. The magnetization under applied magnetic field for the samples exhibits a clear hysteretic behavior. The scanning electron microscope (SEM) studies showed that the domain walls may tend to be trapped (pinned) by non-magnetic inclusions, precipitates and voids. The saturation magnetization (M_S) increases with the sintering temperature, while the coercivity (H_Ci) is found to decrease.     

Single mode ridge waveguides based on vinyltriethoxysilane hybrid sol–gel material

In this work, fabrication and characterization of a single-mode vinyltriethoxysilane (VTES) based hybrid organic–inorganic sol–gel ridge waveguide is reported. VTES based hybrid sol–gel material has been deposited by multiple spin-coating process on quartz substrate. Channel waveguides have been fabricated by UV photopolymerization followed by wet etching process. Optical guided mode was observed to ensure the single mode condition while cut-back technique was performed for loss propagation measurement. Optical propagation losses were measured to be 1.6 dB/cm at 1.31 μm wavelength. This value shows that this material is a promising choice for the development of integrated optical circuits for telecommunication field.     

Efficient synthesis of antiviral agent uprifosbuvir enabled by new synthetic methods

An efficient route to the HCV antiviral agent uprifosbuvir was developed in 5 steps from readily available uridine in 50% overall yield. This concise synthesis was achieved by development of several synthetic methods: (1) complexation-driven selective acyl migration/oxidation; (2) BSA-mediated cyclization to anhydrouridine; (3) hydrochlorination using FeCl₃/TMDSO; (4) dynamic stereoselective phosphoramidation using a chiral nucleophilic catalyst. The new route improves the yield of uprifosbuvir 50-fold over the previous manufacturing process and expands the tool set available for synthesis of antiviral nucleotides.

An efficient route to the HCV antiviral agent uprifosbuvir was developed in 5 steps from readily available uridine in 50% overall yield.     

Multivariate optimization in the biosynthesis of a triethanolamine (TEA)-based esterquat cationic surfactant using an artificial neural network

An Artificial Neural Network (ANN) based on the Quick Propagation (QP) algorithm was used in conjunction with an experimental design to optimize the lipase-catalyzed reaction conditions for the preparation of a triethanolamine (TEA)-based esterquat cationic surfactant. Using the best performing ANN, the optimum conditions predicted were an enzyme amount of 4.77 w/w%, reaction time of 24 h, reaction temperature of 61.9 °C, substrate (oleic acid: triethanolamine) molar ratio of 1:1 mole and agitation speed of 480 r.p.m. The relative deviation percentage under these conditions was less than 4%. The optimized method was successfully applied to the synthesis of the TEA-based esterquat cationic surfactant at a 2,000 mL scale. This method represents a more flexible and convenient means for optimizing enzymatic reaction using ANN than has been previously reported by conventional methods.     

Determining optimum conditions for lipase-catalyzed synthesis of triethanolamine (TEA)-based esterquat cationic surfactant by a Taguchi robust design method

A Taguchi robust design method with an L? orthogonal array was implemented to optimize experimental conditions for the biosynthesis of triethanolamine (TEA)-based esterquat cationic surfactants using an enzymatic reaction method. The esterification reaction conversion% was considered as the response. Enzyme amount, reaction time, reaction temperature and molar ratio of substrates, [oleic acid: triethanolamine (OA:TEA)] were chosen as main parameters. As a result of the Taguchi analysis in this study, the molar ratio of substrates was found to be the most influential parameter on the esterification reaction conversion%. The amount of enzyme in the reaction had also a significant effect on reaction conversion%.     

Thermodynamic study of the complexation of p-isopropylcalix[6]arene with Cs+ cation in dimethylsulfoxide-acetonitrile binary media

The complexation reactions between the macrocyclic ionophore, p-isopropylcalix[6]arene and Cs+ cation were studied in dimethylsulfoxide-acetonitrile (DMSO-AN) binary non-aqueous solvents at different temperatures using a conductometry method. The conductance data show that the stoichiometry of the (p-isopropylcalix[6]-arene·Cs)+ complex in all binary mixed solvents is 1:1. The stability of the complexes is affected by the composition of the binary solvent media and a non-linear behavior was observed for changes of log K(f) of the complex versus the composition of the binary mixed solvents. The thermodynamic parameters (DH°(c) and DS°(c)) for formation of (p-isopropyl-calix[6]arene·Cs)+ complex were obtained from temperature dependence of the stability constant and the obtained results show that the (p-isopropylcalix[6]arene·Cs)+ complex is enthalpy destabilized, but entropy stabilized, and the values of the mentioned parameters are affected strongly by the nature and composition of the binary mixed solvents.     

Prediction of grain size,thickness and absorbance of nanocrystalline tin oxide thin film by Taguchi robust design

Transparent conductive films of tin oxide were deposited on glass substrates under various deposition conditions. Taguchi analysis was used to model the dependence of the grain size, thickness and absorbance of nanocrystalline tin oxide on the process parameters namely pH value, concentration, time of deposition and bath temperature. The effect of the mentioned process parameters on the grain size, thickness and absorbance of deposited layer during the deposition of nanocrystalline was investigated using X-ray diffraction (XRD) technique, atomic force microscopy (AFM) and UV–Visible spectroscopy. Comparison between the model predictions and the experimental observations predicted a remarkable agreement between them. The predictions of the model and sensitivity analysis showed that among the effective process parameters, deposition time and concentration were the main parameters having significant effect on crystalline size. Bath temperature had the most significant effect on absorbance and deposition time had a dominant effect on thickness.     

Holographic screening length in a hot plasma of two sphere

We study the screening length \(L_{\mathrm{max}}\) of a moving quark–antiquark pair in a hot plasma, which lives in a two sphere, \(S^2\), using the AdS/CFT correspondence in which the corresponding background metric is the four-dimensional Schwarzschild–AdS black hole. The geodesic of both ends of the string at the boundary, interpreted as the quark–antiquark pair, is given by a stationary motion in the equatorial plane by which the separation length L of both ends of the string is parallel to the angular velocity \(\omega \). The screening length and total energy H of the quark–antiquark pair are computed numerically and show that the plots are bounded from below by some functions related to the momentum transfer \(P_c\) of the drag force configuration. We compare the result by computing the screening length in the reference frame of the moving quark–antiquark pair, in which the background metrics are “Boost-AdS” and Kerr–AdS black holes. Comparing both black holes, we argue that the mass parameters \(M_{\mathrm{Sch}}\) of the Schwarzschild–AdS black hole and \(M_{\mathrm{Kerr}}\) of the Kerr–AdS black hole are related at high temperature by \(M_{\mathrm{Kerr}}=M_{\mathrm{Sch}}(1-a^2l^2)^{3/2}\), where a is the angular momentum parameter and l is the AdS curvature.     

Effects of preparation temperature on the conductivity of polypyrrole conducting polymer

An attempt has heen made to investigate the effect of temperature on the conductivity of polypyrrole conducting polymer films prepared by an electrochemical method in an aqueous medium using camphor sulfonate as the dopant. The polymer was grown from aqueous solutions employing a range of temperatures (l–60°C). It was found that with increase in temperature the conductivity decreased and the optimum temperature was found to be between 10 and 30°C. The results showthatthe polymer formed at low temperature has higher conductivity and is stronger than that formed at higher temperatures. Characterization by X-ray scattering shows that interlayer distance, d_Bragg (?), increases with increasing temperature. The morphology of the films formed was studied by using a scanning electron microscope (SEM). The changes in conductivity and physical appearance were interpreted as being due to compactness in the molecular packing and formation ofαβ linkages in the film.     

Microstructure of brushite crystals prepared via high internal phase emulsion

For the first time, various microstructures of calcium phosphates were successfully synthesized using a high internal phase emulsion process. The crystals were possessed in the brushite crystalline phase. The morphology of the crystals was influenced by the variables related to the emulsion process route, which consisted of flakes, dendrites and particulates structures.