Effect of Chemical Treatment and Fiber Loading on Mechanical Properties of Borassus (Toddy Palm) Fiber/Epoxy Composites

The aim of the present study was to investigate and compare the mechanical properties of untreated and chemically modified Borassus fiber–reinforced epoxy composites. Composites were prepared by the hand lay-up process by reinforcing Borassus fibers with epoxy matrix. To improve the fiber-matrix adhesion properties, alkali (NaOH) and alkali combined with silane (3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane) treatment of the fiber surface was carried out. Examinations through Fourier transform-infrared spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) were conducted to investigate the structural and physical properties of the Borassus fibers. Tensile properties such as modulus and strength of the composites made with chemically modified and untreated Borassus fibers were studied using a universal testing machine. Based on the experimental results, it was found that the tensile properties of the Borassus-reinforced epoxy composites were significantly improved as compared with the neat epoxy. It was also found that the fiber treated with a combination of alkali and silane exhibited superior mechanical properties to alkali-treated and untreated fiber composites. The nature of the fiber/matrix interface was examined through SEM of cryo-fractured samples. Chemical resistance of composites was also found to be improved with chemically modified fiber composites.     

One-pot synthesis of symmetrical and unsymmetrical acridine sulfonamide derivatives catalyzed by p-TSA

Research on Chemical Intermediates - Synthesis of a series of symmetrical and unsymmetrical 1,8-dioxo-octahydroacridine benzenesulfonamide derivatives has been achieved by one-pot, multicomponent...     

Structure and DNA cleavage properties of two copper(II) complexes of the pyridine-pyrazole-containing ligands mbpzbpy and Hmpzbpya

The DNA-cleavage properties of the two copper(II) complexes, [Cu(mbpzbpy)Br(2)](H(2)O)(2.5) (1) and [Cu(mpzbpya)Cl](CH(3)OH) (2), obtained from the ligands 6,6'-bis(3,5-dimethyl-N-pyrazolmethyl)-2,2'-bipyridine) (mbpzbpy) and 6'-(3,5-dimethyl-N-pyrazolmethyl)-2,2'-bipyridine-6-carboxylic acid) (Hmpzbpya), respectively, are reported. Upon coordination to Cu(II) chloride in methanol, one arm of the ligand mbpzbpy is hydrolyzed to form mpzbpya. Under the same experimental conditions, the reaction of mbpzbpy with CuBr(2) does not lead to ligand hydrolysis. The ligand mpzbpya is coordinated to a copper(ii) ion generating a CuN(3)OCl chromophore, resulting in a distorted square-pyramidal environment, whereas with the N(4) mbpzbpy ligand, the Cu(II) ion is four-coordinated in a distorted square planar geometry. Both complexes promote the oxidative DNA cleavage of phiX174 phage DNA in the absence of reductant. The oxidative nature of the DNA cleavage reaction has been confirmed by religation and cell-transformation experiments. Studies using standard radical scavengers suggest the involvement of hydroxyl radicals in the oxidative cleavage of DNA. Although both compounds do convert form I (supercoiled) DNA to form II (nicked, relaxed form), only complex 1 is able to produce small amounts of form III (linearized DNA). This observation may be explained either by the attack of the copper(ii) complexes to only one single strand of DNA, or by a single cleavage event. Statistical analysis of relative DNA quantities present after the treatment with both copper(ii) complexes supports a random mode of DNA cleavage.     

Unique ligand-based oxidative DNA cleavage by zinc(II) complexes of hpyramol and hpyrimol

The zinc(II) complexes reported here have been synthesised from the ligand 4-methyl-2-N-(2-pyridylmethyl)aminophenol (Hpyramol) with chloride or acetate counterions. All the five complexes have been structurally characterised, and the crystal structures reveal that the ligand Hpyramol gradually undergoes an oxidative dehydrogenation to form the ligand 4-methyl-2-N-(2-pyridylmethylene)aminophenol (Hpyrimol), upon coordination to Zn(II). All the five complexes cleave the phiX174 phage DNA oxidatively and the complexes with fully dehydrogenated pyrimol ligands were found to be more efficient than the complexes with non-dehydrogenated Hpyramol ligands. The DNA cleavage is suggested to be ligand-based, whereas the pure ligands alone do not cleave DNA. The DNA cleavage is strongly suggested to be oxidative, possibly due to the involvement of a non-diffusible phenoxyl radical mechanism. The enzymatic religation experiments and DNA cleavage in the presence of different radical scavengers further support the oxidative DNA cleavage by the zinc(II) complexes.     

ICP-MS Measurement of Trace and Rare Earth Elements in Beach Placer-Deposit Soils of Odisha,East Coast of India,to Estimate Natural Enhancement of Elements in the Environment

Inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) has been used to measure the concentration of trace and rare earth elements (REEs) in soils. Geochemical certified reference materials such as JLk-1, JB-1, and JB-3 were used for the validation of the analytical method. The measured values were in good agreement with the certified values for all the elements and were within 10% analytical error. Beach placer deposits of soils mainly from Odisha, on the east coast of India, have been selected to study selected trace and rare earth elements (REEs), to estimate enrichment factor (EF) and geoaccumulation index (I_geo) in the natural environment. Enrichment factor (EF) and geoaccumulation index (I_geo) results showed that Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Zn, Y, Zr, Cd and U were significantly enriched, and Th was extremely enriched. The total content of REEs (ƩREEs) ranged from 101.3 to 12,911.3 µg g⁻¹, with an average 2431.1 µg g⁻¹ which was higher than the average crustal value of ΣREEs. A high concentration of Th and light REEs were strongly correlated, which confirmed soil enrichment with monazite minerals. High ratios of light REEs (LREEs)/heavy REEs (HREEs) with a strong negative Eu anomaly revealed a felsic origin. The comparison of the chondrite normalized REE patterns of soil with hinterland rocks such as granite, charnockite, khondalite and migmatite suggested that enhancement of trace and REEs are of natural origin.     

Interaction of rac-[Ru(5,6-dmp)3]2+ with DNA: enantiospecific DNA binding and ligand-promoted exciton coupling

The X-ray crystal structure of the complex rac-[Ru(5,6-dmp)(3)]Cl(2) (5,6-dmp = 5,6-dimethyl-1,10-phenanthroline) reveals a distorted octahedral coordination geometry with the Ru-N bond distances shorter than in its phen analogue. Absorption spectral titrations with CT DNA reveal that rac-[Ru(5,6-dmp)(3)](2+) interacts (K(b), (8.0 +/- 0.2) x 10(4) M(-1)) much more strongly than its phen analogue. The emission intensity of the 5,6-dmp complex is dramatically enhanced on binding to DNA, which is higher than that of the phen analogue. Also, interestingly, time-resolved emission measurements on the DNA-bound complex shows biexponential decay of the excited states with the lifetimes of short- and long-lived components being higher than those for the phen analogue. The CD spectral studies of rac-[Ru(5,6-dmp)(3)](2+) bound to CT DNA provide a definite and elegant evidence for the enantiospecific interaction of the complex with B-form DNA. Competitive DNA binding studies using rac-[Ru(phen)(3)](2+) provide support for the strong binding of the complex with DNA. The Delta-enantiomer of rac-[Ru(5,6-dmp)(3)](2+) binds specifically to the right-handed B-form of poly d(GC)(12) at lower ionic strength (0.05 M NaCl), and the Lambda-enantiomer binds specifically to the left-handed Z-form of poly d(GC)(12) generated by treating the B-form with 5 M NaCl. The strong electronic coupling of the DNA-bound complex with the unbound complex facilitates the change in its enantiospecificity upon changing the conformation of DNA. The (1)H NMR spectra of rac-[Ru(5,6-dmp)(3)](2+) bound to poly d(GC)(12) reveal that the complex closely interacts most possibly in the major grooves of DNA. Electrochemical studies using ITO electrode show that the 5,6-dmp complex stabilizes CT DNA from electrocatalytic oxidation of its guanine base more than the phen analogue does.     

On the two-reactant one-step activation-energy asymptotics for steady,adiabatic, planar flames with Lewis numbers of unity

Aspects of predictions of activation-energy asymptotics concerning the dependence of the burning velocity on the equivalence ratio are examined here through both asymptotic analyses and numerical computation. In typical hydrocarbon–air flames, the burning velocity achieves its maximum value for fuel-rich mixture, the cause being generally attributed to the effects of detailed chemical kinetics and unequal diffusivities of the reactants. The present results demonstrate the possibility of this attribute of the burning velocity occurring even when these two effects are absent. This is accomplished by parametrically studying the burning-velocity formula valid for all equivalence ratios under the conditions specified in the title of this article, with special attention paid to implications for hydrocarbon–air flames.     

Effect of TiO2/reduced graphene oxide composite thin film as a blocking layer on the efficiency of dye-sensitized solar cells

Journal of Solid State Electrochemistry - The objective of the present work was to study the change in efficiency of dye-sensitized solar cells due to introduction of a thin blocking composite...     

Cyanuric chloride catalyzed metal-free mild protocol for the synthesis of highly functionalized tetrahydropyridines

An environmentally benign, facile and elegant synthetic approach for the convenient access of a series of diverse 2,6-diaryl-tetrahydropyridine-3-carboxylates via a one-pot, pseudo five-component condensation of ethyl acetoacetate, anilines and aromatic aldehydes under mild reaction conditions has been described. This domino strategy allows rapid cyclization in the presence of 10 mol% of cyanuric chloride as a source of hydrochloric acid to afford the desired target skeletons in excellent yields. The present protocol offers prominent advantages of simple operational procedure, metal-free organocatalyst, practically robust and extensive substrate scope.