Reactivity of ethylene oxide in contact with basic contaminants

The reactivity of ethylene oxide (EO) with contaminants such as potassium hydroxide (KOH), sodium hydroxide (NaOH), and ammonium hydroxide (NH₄OH) was measured in this work using the automatic pressure tracking adiabatic calorimeter (APTAC). Each contaminant was investigated using three different concentration levels of around 0.10 g, 0.50 g, and 1.0 g in roughly 14 g EO. The research results show that KOH, NaOH, and NH₄OH have significant effects on EO thermal stability. Reductions of onset temperatures were measured as the contaminant concentrations were increased. NH₄OH caused the highest reactivity compared to the other contaminants. KOH is a contaminant that reduced the onset temperature of pure EO to near room temperature even at a low concentration. The key exotherm parameters and profiles that are critical to the design and operation of safer chemical plant processes are also provided in detail.     

Decentralized stochastic control

Decentralized stochastic control refers to the multi-stage optimization of a dynamical system by multiple controllers that have access to different information. Decentralization of information gives rise to new conceptual challenges that require new solution approaches. In this expository paper, we use the notion of an information-state to explain the two commonly used solution approaches to decentralized control: the person-by-person approach and the common-information approach.     

Electrostatic dust-acoustic envelope solitons in an electron-depleted plasma

A standard nonlinear Schrödinger equation has been established by using the reductive perturbation method to investigate the propagation of electrostatic dust-acoustic waves, and their modulational instability as well as the formation of localized electrostatic envelope solitons in an electron-depleted unmagnetized dusty plasma system comprising opposite polarity dust grains and super-thermal positive ions. The relevant physical plasma parameters (viz., charge, mass, number density of positive and negative dust grains, and super-thermality of the positive ions, etc.) have rigorous impact to recognize the stability conditions of dust-acoustic waves. The present study is useful for understanding the mechanism of the formation of dust-acoustic envelope solitons associated with dust-acoustic waves in the laboratory and space environments.     

Nanocomposites composed of layered molybdenum disulfide and graphene for highly sensitive amperometric determination of methyl parathion

The authors describe an inexpensive electrode for the sensitive amperometric determination of the pesticide methyl parathion. A glassy carbon electrode was modified with a nanocomposite consisting of molybdenum disulfide nanosheets (MoS2) and graphene that was prepared via a hydrothermal process. Its morphology, elemental composition, diffraction, impedance and voltammetric characteristics were studied. The modified electrode displays excellent electrocatalytic ability towards methyl parathion, and the reduction peak current, measured typically at ?0.60 V (vs. Ag/AgCl) is related to the concentration of methyl parathion. The effect of concentration, scan rate and solution pH value were optimized. The calibration plot is linear in the 10 nM to 1.9 mM concentration range, with a 3.2 nM detection limit (at a signal-to-noise ratio of 3). The electrode is selective, stable, adequately repeatable and reproducible. The method was successfully applied to the determination of methyl parathion in spiked samples of homogenized apple, kiwi, tomato and cabbage.

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Graphical Abstract A reliable and robust methyl parathion sensor has been developed using heterostructured MoS₂/graphene. The linear range is 10 nM–1.9 nM and detection limit is 3.2 (±0.8) nM. The method was successful in real sample determination of spiked methyl parathion in food samples such as apple, kiwi, tomato and cabbage.

     

Photomagnetic effect in a cyanide-bridged mixed-valence {Fe(II)2Fe(III)2} molecular square

The self-assembly of [Fe(III)(Tp)(CN)(3)](-) and [Fe(II)(bik)(2)(S)(2)](2+) affords the cyanide-bridged mixed valence {Fe(III)(2)Fe(II)(2)}(2+) molecular square, which exhibits a photomagnetic effect under laser light irradiation at low temperature and also shows thermal spin-state conversion near ambient temperature.     

Synthesis of palladium nanoshell using a layer-by-layer technique

Complete palladium nanoshells were prepared by reducing palladium ions in a one-step reaction onto preformed silica cores of ca. 90 nm, which had been coated with successive layers of poly(diallyldimethyl ammonium chloride), poly(sodium styrenesulfonate) and finally poly(diallyldimethyl ammonium chloride) to reverse the zeta potential of the silica cores. This constitutes the first reported method for complete palladium nanoshell formation without the use of other metals as nucleation sites. The morphology of the nanoshell is of the rough discrete particle type rather than the smooth continuous type.     

Ion-Acoustic Rogue Waves in Multi-ion Plasmas *

The basic properties of nonlinear ion-acoustic (IA) waves (IAWs), particularly finite amplitude IA rogue waves (IARWs) in a plasma medium (containing pair ions, iso-thermal positrons, and non-thermal electrons) are theoretically investigated by deriving the nonlinear Schr?dinger equation (NLSE). The criteria for the modulational instability of IAWs, and the basic features of finite amplitude IARWs are identified. The modulationally stable and unstable regions are determined by the sign of the ratio of the dispersive coefficient to the nonlinear rcoefficient of NLSE. The latter is analyzed to obtain the region for the existence of the IARWs, which corresponds to the unstable region. The shape of the profile of the rogue waves depends on the non-thermal parameter$\alpha$ and the ratio of electron temperature to positron temperature. It is found that the increase in the value of the non-thermal parameter enhances both the amplitude and width of IARWs, and that the enhancement of electron (positron) temperature reduces (enhances) the amplitude and width of IARWs. It is worth to mention that our present investigation may be useful for understanding the salient features of IARWs in space (viz., upper region of Titan's atmosphere, cometary comae, and Earth's ionosphere, etc.) and laboratory (viz., plasma process ingreactor and neutral beam sources, etc.) plasmas.      

Dust‐acoustic envelope solitons in super‐thermal plasmas

The modulational instability (MI) of the dust‐acoustic waves (DAWs) in an electron‐positron‐ion‐dust plasma (containing super‐thermal electrons, positrons, and ions along with negatively charged adiabatic dust grains) is investigated by the analysis of the non‐linear Schrödinger equation (NLSE). To derive the NLSE, the reductive perturbation method was employed. Two different parametric regions for stable and unstable DAWs are observed. The presence of super‐thermal electrons, positrons, and ions significantly modifies both the stable and unstable regions. The critical wave number k_c (at which MI sets in) depends on the super‐thermal electron, positron, and ion, and adiabatic dust concentrations.     

Development of proton conducting biopolymer membrane based on agar–agar for fuel cell

A proton-conducting polymer electrolyte based on agar and ammonium nitrate (NH₄NO₃) has been prepared through solution casting technique. The prepared polymer electrolytes were characterized by impedance spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, and Fourier transform infra-red spectroscopy. Impedance analysis shows that sample with 60 wt.% NH₄NO₃ has the highest ionic conductivity of 6.57 × 10⁻⁴ S cm⁻¹ at room temperature. As a function of temperature, the ionic conductivity exhibits an Arrhenius behaviour increasing from 6.57 × 10⁻⁴ S cm⁻¹ at room temperature to 1.09 × 10⁻³ S cm⁻¹ at 70 °C. Transport parameters of the samples were calculated using Wagner’s polarization method and thus shows that the increase in conductivity is due to the increase in the number of mobile ions. Fuel cell has been constructed with the highest proton conductivity polymer 40agar/60NH₄NO₃ and the open circuit voltage is found to be 558 mV.

     

Iodine determination in water samples from endemic goitrous areas using MAA

A rapid and simple method for the determination of iodine from water has been described which is based on preconcentration of iodine with 0.1M solution of 4-(5-nonylpyridine) in benzene or carbon tetrachloride from 1–2M HNO₃ followed by neutron irradiation and gamma-ray activity measurements. A clinical survey of endemic goitrous area has also been made to find a possible correlation between the endemic goiter and iodine deficiency in water.