Dissolution of iron oxide nanoparticles inside polymer nanocapsules

The structure of poly(organosiloxane) nanocapsules partially filled with iron oxide cores of different sizes was revealed by small angle X-ray scattering and X-ray diffraction. The nanocapsules are synthesized by the formation of a poly(organosiloxane) shell around iron oxide nanoparticles and the simultaneous partial dissolution of these cores. Due to the high scattering contrast of the iron oxide cores compared to the polymer shell, the particle size distribution of the cores inside the capsules can be measured by small angle X-ray scattering. Additional information can be revealed by X-ray diffraction, which gives insights into the formation of the polymer network and the structure of the iron oxide cores. The study shows how the crystallinity and size of the nanoparticles as well as the shape and width of the size distribution can be altered by the synthesis parameters.     

Real matrix representations of complex split quaternions with applications

In this paper, we introduce 8×8 real matrix representations of complex split quaternions. Then, the relations between real matrix representations of split and complex split quaternions are stated. Moreover, we investigate some linear split and complex split quaternionic equations with split Fibonacci and complex split Fibonacci quaternion coefficients. Finally, we also give some numerical examples as applications of real matrix representation of complex split quaternions.     

A calix[4]arene derivative-doped perchlorate-selective membrane electrodes with/without multi-walled carbon nanotubes

In this study, poly (vinyl chloride)(PVC) membrane electrodes with/without multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) based on a calix[4]arene derivative for perchlorate ion were described. The influence of membrane composition, pH, conditioning solution on the potentiometric response of the electrodes was investigated. Perchlorate-selective PVC membrane electrode exhibited a slope of 47.8 ± 0.6 mV/pClO₄ in the range of 1.0 × 10^?7–1.0 × 10^?1 mol L^?1at pH 4.0 while the coated Pt electrodes with MWCNT-OH, MWCNT-COOH and MWCNT displayed slopes of 46.1 ± 0.7 mV/pClO₄ (5.0 × 10^?6–1.0 × 10^?1 mol L^?1), 50.4 ± 1.9 mV/pClO₄ (1.0 × 10^?6–1.0 × 10^?1 mol L^?1) and 44.4 ± 0.3 mV/pClO₄ (1.0 × 10^?5–1.0 × 10^?1 mol L^?1), respectively. Other response characteristics of these electrodes such as response time, lifetime and detection limit were identified, and the selectivity coefficients towards various anions were calculated by separate solution method. Moreover, the perchlorate-selective electrodes described here were successfully used as an indicator electrode for the determination of perchlorate in real samples such as tap water, river water and human urine by direct calibration method.     

Effect of doping on the ground‐state spin of stacked organometallic ferromagnets

The effective Hamiltonians that describe the low‐lying energy states of some stacked organometallic ferromagnets with dopants have been derived. It is shown that the lattice stack with N unit cells and p conduction electrons has the ground‐state spin S₀=(N+p)/2 at p<N and S₀≤(3N−p)/2 at N≤p<2N. This means that the ferromagnetic ground state of metallocene‐based donor–acceptor stack is unstable to the donor doping and is stable to the acceptor doping. ©1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Int J Quant Chem 73: 511–517, 1999     

Prediction of trypsin/molecular fragment binding affinities by free energy decomposition and empirical scores

Two families of binding affinity estimation methodologies are described which were utilized in the SAMPL3 trypsin/fragment binding affinity challenge. The first is a free energy decomposition scheme based on a thermodynamic cycle, which included separate contributions from enthalpy and entropy of binding as well as a solvent contribution. Enthalpic contributions were estimated with PM6-DH2 semiempirical quantum mechanical interaction energies, which were modified with a statistical error correction procedure. Entropic contributions were estimated with the rigid-rotor harmonic approximation, and solvent contributions to the free energy were estimated with several different methods. The second general methodology is the empirical score LISA, which contains several physics-based terms trained with the large PDBBind database of protein/ligand complexes. Here we also introduce LISA+, an updated version of LISA which, prior to scoring, classifies systems into one of four classes based on a ligand's hydrophobicity and molecular weight. Each version of the two methodologies (a total of 11 methods) was trained against a compiled set of known trypsin binders available in the Protein Data Bank to yield scaling parameters for linear regression models. Both raw and scaled scores were submitted to SAMPL3. Variants of LISA showed relatively low absolute errors but also low correlation with experiment, while the free energy decomposition methods had modest success when scaling factors were included. Nonetheless, re-scaled LISA yielded the best predictions in the challenge in terms of RMS error, and six of these models placed in the top ten best predictions by RMS error. This work highlights some of the difficulties of predicting binding affinities of small molecular fragments to protein receptors as well as the benefit of using training data.     

Measurement of soil water using Compton scattering

Compton scattering method has been used as a possible tool in the study of the properties of soil for agricultural purposes. In this study, the soil water is determined by using Compton scattering method. The soil sample was collected from Erzurum and a 2 × 2 in. NaI (Tl) scintillation detector measured Compton scattered radiation from the soil sample. The radioactive source used in the experiment was a ¹³³Ba. The soil samples were irrigated by adding known quantities of water and a standard curve was constructed with the amount of water added versus Compton scattering intensity. It was observed that Compton scattering method in measurement of the soil water has advantages such as practical, inexpensive, non‐destructive and fast analysis. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Biosorption of uranium (VI) and thorium (IV) onto Ulva gigantea (K��tzing) bliding: discussion of adsorption isotherms, kinetics and thermodynamic

Ulva gigantea (Kützing) bliding (UGB) obtained from sea inlet of Izmir-Turkey has been studied as a biosorbent for removal of radioactive metals from water. In this study, unmodified UGB and modified UGB with glutaraldehyde (GUGB) characterized by FTIR spectroscopy were used as biosorbents for removal of U(VI) and Th(IV) ions from aqueous solution. Adsorption experiments performed under batch process with initial pH, contact time, adsorbent mass and temperature as variables. In order to determine the adsorption characteristics, Langmuir, Freundlich and Dubinin-Raduschkevich adsorption isotherms were applied to the adsorption data. Adsorption experiments showed that the adsorption isotherms correlated well with the Freundlich model. The sorption followed pseudo-second-order kinetics. The thermodynamic parameters such as variations of ??H°, ??G° and ??S° were estimated as a function of temperature. The thermodynamics of the adsorption of U(VI) and Th(IV) onto UGB and GUGB indicates that the spontaneous and exothermic nature of the process. The results showed that UGB and GUGB were potential for application in removal of U(VI) and Th(IV) from aqueous solution.     

Hydrogen bonding networks and proton transfer compounds of cobalt(II) and copper(II) with pyridine-2,5-dicarboxylate

Three Co(II) and Cu(II)-pyridine-2,5-dicarboxylate (pydc) proton transfer compounds with 1,4-butanediamine (ben) and 2,2-dimethylpropane-1,3-diamine (dmpen), trans-(H₂ben)[Co(pydc)₂(H₂O)₂]·4H₂O (1), trans-(H₂dmpen)[Co(pydc)₂(H₂O)₂]·2H₂O (2) and (H₂ben)₂[Cu₂(μ-pydc)₄(H₂O)₂] (3) have been synthesized and characterized by the methods of elemental, spectroscopic (IR and UV-Vis), thermal (TG/DTG, DTA) analysis, magnetic measurement and single crystal X-ray diffraction. The crystallographic analysis revealed that the complexes consist of [Co(pydc)₂(H₂O)₂]²⁻ anion, bis(protonated) diamine cation (H₂ben for 1 and H₂dmpen for 2) and four and two crystal water molecules, respectively. The Co(II) ions are coordinated by two pydc and two aqua ligands. The bis(deprotonated) pydc ligands coordinate to the Co(II) ions through the nitrogen atom of pyridine ring and the oxygen atom of carboxylate group, creating a chelate ring. The distorted octahedral geometries are completed by two trans aqua ligands at axial positions. The molecular structure of the complex 3 consists of dinuclear [Cu₂(μ-pydc)₄(H₂O)₂]⁴⁻ units and bis(protonated) 1,4-butanediammonium cation. In the structure, each Cu(II) ion is coordinated by two nitrogen and two oxygen atoms from two pydc ligands and one oxygen atom from aqua ligand, forming a distorted square pyramidal geometry.     

Synthesis of Polyacrylamide Flocculants with Polyethylene Glycol Segments by Photopolymerization

Abstract

Macro photoinitiators possessing polyethylene glycol(PEG) segments were used for radical polymerization of acrylamide(AAm) to yield high molecular weight block copolymers (PAAm-b-PEG-b-PAAm) composed of PEG and polyacrylamide(PAAm) as the inner segment and outer segment respectively. The block copolymers were used as flocculates to clear a saturated borax solution prepared from tincal concentrate and showed good flocculating properties.