Pyrophosphate Selective Recognition in Aqueous Solution Based on Fluorescence Enhancement of a New Aluminium Complex

A novel and simple fluorescence enhancement method for selective pyrophosphate(PPi) sensing was proposed based on a 1:1 metal complex formation between bis(8-hydroxy quinoline-5-solphonat) chloride aluminum(III) (Al(QS)₂Cl), (L) and PPi in aqueous solution. The linear response range covers a concentration range of 1.6 × 10⁻⁷ to 1.0 × 10⁻⁵ mol/L of PPi and the detection limit of 2.3 × 10⁻⁸ mol/L. The association constant of L-PPi complex was calculated 2.6 × 10⁵ L/mol. L was found to show selectively and sensitively fluorescence enhancement toward PPi over than I₃^-, NO₃^-, CN⁻, CO₃²⁻, Br⁻, Cl⁻, F⁻, H₂PO4⁻ and SO₄²⁻, which was attributed to higher stability of inorganic complex between pyrophosphate and L.     

Ion-acoustic waves in plasma of warm ions and isothermal electrons using time-fractional KdV equation

The ion-acoustic solitary wave in collisionless unmagnetized plasma consisting of warm ions-fluid and isothermal electrons is studied using the time fractional KdV equation. The reductive perturbation method has been employed to derive the Korteweg-de Vries equation for small but finite amplitude ion-acoustic wave in warm plasma. The Lagrangian of the time fractional KdV equation is used in a similar form to the Lagrangian of the regular KdV equation with fractional derivative for the time differentiation. The variation of the functional of this Lagrangian leads to the Euler-Lagrange equation that gives the time fractional KdV equation. The variational-iteration method is used to solve the derived time fractional KdV equation. The calculations of the solution are carried out for different values of the time fractional order. These calculations show that the time fractional can be used to modulate the electrostatic potential wave instead of adding a higher order dissipation term to the KdV equation. The results of the present investigation may be applicable to some plasma environments,such as the ionosphere plasma.     

EPR Studies of Tl0.5Pb0.5Sr1.6Ba0.4CaCu2?xRuxO7?δ Superconductor

Bulk superconducting samples of type Tl_0.5Pb_0.5Sr_1.6Ba_0.4CaCu_2−x Ru _x O_7−δ, (Tl, Pb)/Sr-1212, with 0.0 ≤ x ≤ 0.525 were prepared by the conventional one-step solid-state reaction technique. The prepared samples were investigated using X-ray powder diffraction, electrical resistivity and electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) measurements. Enhancement of the phase formation, superconducting transition temperature T _c and hole carriers concentration P was observed up to x = 0.075. For x > 0.075, a reverse trend was observed. EPR spectra were measured at different temperatures (120–290 K) for all prepared samples. The number of spins N participating in the resonance and the paramagnetic susceptibility χ were calculated as a function of both Ru-content and temperature. N and χ increased as the Ru-content increased. A linear relationship between logN and 1/T was established, from which the activation energy E _a was calculated as a function of the Ru-content. The temperature dependence of χ was fitted according to Curie–Weiss type of magnetic behavior. Curie constant C, Curie temperature θ, the effective magnetic moment μ and the electronic specific heat γ were estimated as a function of the Ru-content.     

Laser based fabrication of chitosan mediated silver nanoparticles

We report fabrication of silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs) by laser ablation technique in different concentrations of aqueous chitosan solution. The ablation process of silver plate was carried out by using a nanosecond Q-switched Nd:YAG pulsed laser and the characterization of Ag NPs was done by Transmission electron microscopy, UV-Vis spectroscopy, and X-ray diffraction. UV-visible plasmon absorption spectra revealed that the formation efficiency as well as the stability of nanoparticles was increased by addition of chitosan. On the other hand, the size decrement of nanoparticles was more remarkable in the higher chitosan concentration.     

Heterostructural coaxial nanotubes of CNT@Fe<Subscript>2</Subscript>O<Subscript>3</Subscript> via atomic layer deposition: effects of surface functionalization and nitrogen-doping

This study attempted to synthesize one-dimensional (1D) coaxial nanotubes of Fe₂O₃ based on carbon nanotubes (CNT@Fe₂O₃) via atomic layer deposition (ALD) using ferrocene and oxygen as precursors. Results disclosed that undoped CNTs were suitable for the ALD of Fe₂O₃ (ALD-Fe₂O₃) only if they were chemically functionalized, due to their inert surface nature. It was further demonstrated that the effects of both covalent and non-covalent methodologies were limited in functionalizing undoped CNTs, leading to random and non-uniform deposition of Fe₂O₃. In sharp contrast, it was found that, as an alternative, nitrogen-doped CNTs (N-CNTs) contributed uniform and tunable ALD-Fe₂O₃, due to their active surface nature induced by incorporated N atoms. Consequently, various 1D heterostructural coaxial nanotubes were obtained with well-controlled growth of Fe₂O₃ on N-CNTs. For a better understanding, the underlying mechanisms were explored based on different N-doping configurations. In addition, high-resolution transmission electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction jointly demonstrated that as-deposited Fe₂O₃ is single-phase crystalline α-Fe₂O₃ (hematite). The as-synthesized heterostructural coaxial nanotubes of CNT@Fe₂O₃ may find great potential applications in photocatalysis, gas-sensing, and magnetic fields.     

TOPSIS for bi-level MODM problems

TOPSIS (technique for order preference by similarity to ideal solution) is a multiple criteria method to identify solutions from a finite set of alternatives based upon simultaneous minimization of distance from an ideal point and maximization of distance from a nadir point. This paper proposes a fuzzy TOPSIS algorithm to solve bi-level multi-objective decision-making (BL-MODM) problems, and in which the objective function at each level are non-linear functions which are to be maximized. The proposed model for getting the satisfactory solution of the BL-MODM problems includes the membership functions for the upper level decision variables vector with possible tolerances, the membership function of the distance function from the positive ideal solution (PIS) and the membership function of the distance function from the negative ideal solution (NIS). A numerical illustrative example is given to clarify the proposed TOPSIS approach of this paper.     

On the classification problem of the quasi-isomorphism classes of free chain algebras

The present paper is devoted to the classification problem of the quasi-isomorphism classes of free differential graded algebras (dgas) over a (P.I.D) R. We introduce the notion of coherent homomorphisms, perfect and quasi-perfect dgas (the Adams-Hilton model of simply connected CW-complex such that H_∗(X,R) is free is a such a dga) and our first main result asserts that two perfect (quasi-perfect) dgas are quasi-isomorphic if and only if their Whitehead exact sequences are coherently isomorphic. Moreover we define the notion of a strong isomorphism between the Whitehead exact sequences and we show that two free R-dgas, of which their Whitehead exact sequences are strongly isomorphic, are quasi-isomorphic.     

Application of Molecularly Imprinted Polymers in the Analysis of Waters and Wastewaters

The increase of the global population and shortage of renewable water resources urges the development of possible remedies to improve the quality and reusability of waste and contaminated water supplies. Different water pollutants, such as heavy metals, dyes, pesticides, endocrine disrupting compounds (EDCs), and pharmaceuticals, are produced through continuous technical and industrial developments that are emerging with the increasing population. Molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) represent a class of synthetic receptors that can be produced from different types of polymerization reactions between a target template and functional monomer(s), having functional groups specifically interacting with the template; such interactions can be tailored according to the purpose of designing the polymer and based on the nature of the target compounds. The removal of the template using suitable knocking out agents renders a recognition cavity that can specifically rebind to the target template which is the main mechanism of the applicability of MIPs in electrochemical sensors and as solid phase extraction sorbents. MIPs have unique properties in terms of stability, selectivity, and resistance to acids and bases besides being of low cost and simple to prepare; thus, they are excellent materials to be used for water analysis. The current review represents the different applications of MIPs in the past five years for the detection of different classes of water and wastewater contaminants and possible approaches for future applications.