Design of Optical Directional Couplers Made of Polydimethysiloxane Liquid Crystal Channel Waveguides

We present numerical simulations of a directional coupler based on three-dimensional waveguides made of a nematic liquid crystal, acting as the waveguide core, infiltrated in polydimethysiloxane channels. Modeling is based on the combination of minimization of Oseen-Frank energy of the liquid crystal molecules with a beam propagation algorithm. Design of the coupler waveguides is optimized to minimize coupling lengths and maximise efficiencies. Such components can be made at low cost on flexible plastic substrates and can be also integrated with optofluidic devices for biomedical applications.     

Strong and Superhydrophobic Wood with Aligned Cellulose Nanofibers as a Waterproof Structural Material†

Lightweight structural materials are important for the energy efficiency of applications, particularly those in the building sector. Here, inspired by nature, we developed a strong, superhydrophobic, yet lightweight material by simple in situ growth of nano‐SiO₂ and subsequent densification of the wood substrate. In situ generation of SiO₂ nanoparticles both inside the wood channels and on the wood surfaces gives the material superhydrophobicity, with static and dynamic contact angles of 159.4^o and 3^o, respectively. Densification of the wood to remove most of the spaces among the lumen and cell walls results in a laminated, dense structure, with aligned cellulose nanofibers, which in turn contributes to a high mechanical strength up to 384.2 MPa (7‐times higher than natural wood). Such treatment enables the strong and superhydrophobic wood (SH‐Wood) to be stable and have excellent water, acid, and alkaline resistance. The high mechanical strength of SH‐Wood combined with its excellent structural stability in harsh environments, as well its low density, positions the strong and superhydrophobic wood as a promising candidate for strong, lightweight, and durable structural materials that could potentially replace steel.     

The Utilization of Algae and Seaweed Biomass for Bioremediation of Heavy Metal-Contaminated Wastewater

The presence of heavy metals in water bodies is linked to the increasing number of industries and populations. This has serious consequences for the quality of human health and the environment. In accordance with this issue, water and wastewater treatment technologies including ion exchange, chemical extraction, and hydrolysis should be conducted as a first water purification stage. However, the sequestration of these toxic substances tends to be expensive, especially for large scale treatment methods that require tedious control and have limited efficiency. Therefore, adsorption methods using adsorbents derived from biomass represent a promising alternative due to their great efficiency and abundance. Algal and seaweed biomass has appeared as a sustainable solution for environmentally friendly adsorbent production. This review further discusses recent developments in the use of algal and seaweed biomass as potential sorbent for heavy metal bioremediation. In addition, relevant aspects like metal toxicity, adsorption mechanism, and parameters affecting the completion of adsorption process are also highlighted. Overall, the critical conclusion drawn is that algae and seaweed biomass can be used to sustainably eliminate heavy metals from wastewater.     

Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy of poly{pyrrole-trans-[(RuCl2(pmp)4]} copolymer films deposited on platinum electrodes

The present study focuses on the electronic and electrochemical features of a copolymer electrochemically grown from pyrrole and trans-[RuCl₂(pmp)₄] monomers, where pmp = 3-(pyrrol-1-ylmethyl)pyridine. The results from electrochemical impedance spectroscopy analyses revealed the redox behavior of the poly{pyrrole-trans-[RuCl₂(pmp)₄]} compound as well as the non-homogeneous nature of the extremely thin polymeric layers. An equivalent circuit is proposed for an optimized film produced under the scope of the work. Received: 4 May 1998 / Accepted: 24 August 1998     

Quantitation of a de‐fluorinated analogue of Casopitant Mesylate by normal‐phase liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry

The introduction of Quality by Design (QbD) in Drug Development has resulted in a greater emphasis on chemical process understanding, in particular on the origin and fate of impurities. Therefore, the identification and quantitation of low level impurities in new Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (APIs) play a crucial role in project progression and this has created a greater need for sensitive and selective analytical methodology. Consequently, scientists are constantly challenged to look for new applications of traditional analytical techniques. In this context a normal‐phase liquid chromatography/electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (LC/ESI‐MS) method was developed to determine the amount of a de‐fluorinated analogue impurity in Casopitant Mesylate, a new API under development in GlaxoSmithKline, Verona. Normal‐phase LC provided the selectivity needed between our target analyte and Casopitant, while a single quadrupole mass spectrometer was used to ensure the sensitivity needed to detect the impurity at <0.05%w/w. Standard solutions and samples were prepared in heptane/ethanol (50:50, v/v) containing 1% of 2 M NH₃ in ethanol; the mobile phase consisted of heptane/ethanol (95:5, v/v) with isocratic elution (flow rate: 1.0 mL/min, total run time: 23 min). To allow the formation of ions in solutions under normal‐phase (apolar) conditions, a post‐column infusion of a solution of 0.1% v/v of formic acid in methanol was applied (flow rate: 200 µL/min). The analysis was carried out in positive ion mode, monitoring the impurity by single ion monitoring (SIM). The method was fully validated and its applicability was demonstrated by the analysis of real‐life samples. This work is an example of the need for selective and accurate methodology during the development of a new chemical entity in order to develop an appropriate control strategy for impurities to ultimately ensure patient safety. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Effects of thermal treatments on luminescence features of three natural feldspars

The effects of prior infrared stimulation on the TL emission of three feldspar minerals (albite, sanidine and orthoclase) were studied. Different reductions in the TL signal were observed in the three samples: albite (Na-rich feldspar) was only partially affected by stimulation while there was an important decrease of TL signal in sanidine and orthoclase (K-rich and intermediate K–Na feldspars). A similar behaviour was also detected when the samples were illuminated at different temperatures. Moreover, when the IR stimulation was performed at temperatures below 100 °C, there was a charge transfer effect (PTTL) that progressively rose, moving from albite to sanidine to orthoclase. A dose recovery experiment was also performed, varying both preheat and measurement temperature. Our results are a further confirmation of the complexity and variability of the luminescence processes in feldspars. They also indicate that the luminescence characteristics of the albite we dealt with are particularly useful for dosimetric application.     

Harmoniques Sphériques et Représentations Irréductibles de O ( ∞ )

We build an irreducible unitary representation of SO( ) from the usual one of SO( n ) in the space of harmonic homogeneous polynomials of degree m of ⁿ . We give a characterization of these new representations which extends in a natural way the finite dimensional characterization. In the particular case of SO( ), we thus get some results of Olshanskii (cf. [12]). This leads to a new proof of McKean conjecture about irreducible representations of ( infin ) (cf. [10]).     

Un'estensione del teorema di dualità di Poincaré

Riassunto In questo lavoro si generalizza la dualità di Poincaré a spazi topologici localmente omeomorfi con insiemi analitici realin-dimensionali con singolarità isolate; tali spazi non sono in generale orientabili, nè sono muniti di una struttura analitica globale. Rispetto ad un analogo risultato diL. Kaup ([6]), il nostro Teorema 2 si dimostra a prescindere dall'esistenza di normalizzazioni topologiche (nel senso di [6]).

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Summary In this paper we generalize Poincaré duality to topological spaces locally homeomorphic with real analyticn-dimensional sets with isolated singularities; these spaces are in general neither orientable nor globally analytic. Compared with a similar result ofL. Kaup ([6]), our Theorem 2 is proved without supposing the existence of a topological normalization (in the sense of [6]).

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Lavoro eseguito come borsista del C.N.R. nell'ambito del G.N.S.A.G.A.     

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