Silica matrices for embedding of magnetic nanoparticles

This paper presents a study regarding the formation of hybrid gels starting from tetraethyl orthosilicate (TEOS), polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) and 1,3-propanediol (PD) and their thermal evolution to mesoporous silica matrices. The possibility of obtaining homogenously dispersed cobalt ferrite inside the silica matrix starting from (TEOS–PVA–PD–Metal Nitrates) gels was also studied. The formation of the hybrid gels TEOS/PVA/PD with different compositions was studied by FT-IR spectrometry and thermal analysis, in order to evidence the interaction between the diol with the organic and the inorganic polymers. Both thermal analysis and FT-IR spectrometry have evidenced the formation of physical and chemical interaction between polyols and the siloxane network. Elemental mapping performed by SEM-EDX technique evidenced the formation of homogenous hybrids both in the presence of the absence of 1,3-propanediol. SEM images of the powders obtained by annealing the hybrid xerogels at 600 °C have evidenced the formation of mesoporous silica. By thermal treatment of the (TEOS–PVA–PD–Metal Nitrates) gels, 30%CoFe₂O₄/70%SiO₂ (mass percent) nanocomposites uniformly dispersed in silica matrix with characteristic magnetic properties, have been successfully synthesized.     

Controlled Positioning of Activated Ester Moieties on Well‐Defined Linear Polymer Chains

The successful sequence‐controlled installation of an activated ester using a newly designed monomer pentafluorophenyl 4‐maleimidobenzoate is demonstrated. Pentafluorophenyl 4‐maleimidobenzoate is kinetically installed at different stages of a nitroxide‐mediated polymerization, namely, near the α‐chain end and in the middle of a PS chain. In addition, successful installation of apolar and polar functional groups is achieved via post‐polymerization functionalization, which demonstrated the versatility of the synthesis of a universal precursor for locally functionalized polymers.     

Hydrogen Bonding in Polyurethane-Silica Nanocomposites

Thin films of polyester-based polyurethane-silica nanocomposites with 34% hard segments and different concentrations of nano SiO₂ filler (0, 0.5, 1.0 and 3 vol.%) have been prepared. The hydrogen bonding and orientational behaviour of hard and soft segments were analysed using infrared linear dichroic measurements. The number of hydrogen bonded NH and CO groups and orientation function were calculated from polarized FTIR spectra. The presence of nanosilica slightly increased the number of hydrogen bonded carbonyls. The soft segments in nanocomposite films display increased orientation in comparison to the neat polymer film. The addition of 3% nanosilica significantly reduced elongation at break. The results were compared with hydrogen bonding and orientational behaviour of thin film of polyether-based silica nanocomposites.     

Asymptotically Spirallike Mappings in Reflexive Complex Banach Spaces

In this paper we consider the notion of asymptotic spirallikeness in reflexive complex Banach spaces $X$ , and the connection with univalent subordination chains. Poreda initially introduced the notion of asymptotic starlikeness to characterize biholomorphic mappings on the unit polydisc in $\mathbb{C }^{n}$ which have parametric representation in the sense of Loewner theory. The authors introduced the notions of $A$ -asymptotic spirallikeness and $A$ -parametric representation on the Euclidean unit ball of $\mathbb{C }^{n}$ , where $A\in L(\mathbb{C }^{n})$ with $m(A)>0$ . They showed that these notions are equivalent whenever $k_+(A)<2m(A)$ . In this paper we prove that if $k_+(A)<2m(A)$ and $f\in S(B)$ has $A$ -parametric representation, then $f$ is also $A$ -asymptotically spirallike on the unit ball $B$ of $X$ . For the converse, we need the additional assumption that $f$ is a smooth $A$ -asymptotically spirallike mapping, except in the finite-dimensional case $X=\mathbb{C }^{n}$ with an arbitrary norm. The notion of asymptotic spirallikeness involves differential equations and may be regarded as giving a geometric characterization of certain domains in $X$ . That is one of the motivations for considering this notion in the case of reflexive complex Banach spaces.     

New synthesis method for M(II) chromites/silica nanocomposites by thermal decomposition of some precursors formed inside the silica gels

In this article, we present a new method for the obtaining of ZnCr₂O₄ and MgCr₂O₄ embedded in silica matrix. This method consists in the formation of Cr(III), Zn(II) and Cr(III), Mg(II) hydroxycarboxylate/carboxylate compounds, during the redox reaction between the nitrate ion and diol (1,3-propanediol), uniformly dispersed in the pores of hybrid gels. The thermal decomposition of these precursors leads to a mixture of corresponding metal oxides. The gels were synthesized starting from mixtures of Cr(NO₃)₃·9H₂O, Zn(NO₃)₂·6H₂O and Cr(NO₃)₃·9H₂O, Mg(NO₃)₂·6H₂O with tetraethyl orthosilicate and 1,3-propanediol for final compositions 50% ZnCr₂O₄/50% SiO₂ and 50% MgCr₂O₄/50% SiO₂. The obtained gels have been thermally treated at 140?°C, when the redox reaction nitrates-diol took place with formation of the precursors within the xerogels pores. The thermal decomposition of all precursors took place up to 300?°C, with formation of oxides mixtures (Cr₂O_3?+?x and ZnO) and (Cr₂O_3?+?x and MgO), respectively. At 400?°C, Cr₂O_3?+?x turn to Cr₂O₃ which reacts with ZnO forming ZnCr₂O₄/SiO₂. Starting with 400?°C, Cr₂O₃ reacts with MgO to an intermediary phase MgCrO₄, which decomposes with the formation of MgCr₂O₄/SiO₂. The formation of the precursors inside the silica matrix and the evolution of the crystalline phases were studied by thermal analysis, FT-IR spectrometry, XRD, and TEM.     

Dirichlet problem for a nonlinear generalized Darcy–Forchheimer–Brinkman system in Lipschitz domains

The purpose of this paper is to show existence of a solution of the Dirichlet problem for a nonlinear generalized Darcy–Forchheimer–Brinkman system in a bounded Lipschitz domain in , with small boundary datum in L²‐based Sobolev spaces. A useful intermediary result is the well‐posedness of the Poisson problem for a generalized Brinkman system in a bounded Lipschitz domain in , with Dirichlet boundary condition and data in L²‐based Sobolev spaces. We obtain this well‐posedness result by showing that the matrix type operator associated with the Poisson problem is an isomorphism. Then, we combine the well‐posedness result from the linear case with a fixed point theorem in order to show the existence of a solution of the Dirichlet problem for the nonlinear generalized Darcy–Forchheimer–Brinkman system. Some applications are also included. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Novel Copolymers of Styrene and Some Ring‐Substituted 2‐Cyano‐N,N‐Dimethyl‐3‐Phenyl‐2‐Propenamides

Electrophilic trisubstituted ethylene monomers, ring‐substituted 2‐cyano‐N,N‐dimethyl‐3‐phenyl‐2‐propenamides, RC₆H₄CH?C(CN)CON(CH₃)₂ (where R is 3‐benzyloxy, 4‐benzyloxy, 3‐ethoxy‐4‐methoxy, 3‐bromo‐4‐methoxy, 5‐bromo‐2‐methoxy, 2‐chloro‐6‐fluoro) were synthesized by potassium hydroxide catalyzed Knoevenagel condensation of ring‐substituted benzaldehydes and N,N‐dimethyl cyanoacetamide, and characterized by CHN elemental analysis, IR, ¹H‐ and ¹³C‐NMR. Novel copolymers of the ethylenes and styrene were prepared at equimolar monomer feed composition by solution copolymerization in the presence of a radical initiator, ABCN at 70°C. The composition of the copolymers was calculated from nitrogen analysis, and the structures were analyzed by IR, ¹H and ¹³C NMR, GPC, DSC, and TGA. High T_g of the copolymers in comparison with that of polystyrene indicates a substantial decrease in chain mobility of the copolymer due to the high dipolar character of the trisubstituted ethylene monomer unit. The gravimetric analysis indicated that the copolymers decompose in the 300–450°C range.     

Antimony(III) chloride-catalysed Biginelli reaction: a versatile method for the synthesis of dihydropyrimidinones through a different reaction mechanism

Antimony(III) chloride (20 mol %) in refluxing acetonitrile efficiently catalyses the synthesis of dihydropyrimidinones (50-90% yields) by the Biginelli reaction of aromatic aldehydes, acetoacetate esters and urea. This reaction proceeds through 3-ureido-crotonates followed by cyclisation with an aromatic aldehyde to the dihydropyrimidinone.     

Plasma biomarker identification in S-adenosylhomocysteine hydrolase deficiency

S-Adenosylhomocysteine hydrolase (AHCY) deficiency is a rare congenital disorder in methionine metabolism clinically characterized by white matter atrophy, delayed myelination, slowly progressive myopathy, retarded psychomotor development and mildly active chronic hepatitis. In the present study, we utilized a comparative proteomics strategy based on 2-DE/MALDI-MS and LC/ESI-MS to analyze plasma proteins from three AHCY-deficient patients prior to and after receiving dietary treatment designed to alleviate disease symptoms. Obtained results revealed candidate biomarkers for the detection of myopathy specifically associated with AHCY deficiency, such as carbonic anhydrase 3, creatine kinase, and thrombospondin 4. Several proteins mediating T-cell activation and function were identified as well, including attractin and diacylglycerol kinase α. Further validation and functional analysis of identified proteins with clinical value would ensure that these biomarkers make their way into routine diagnosis and management of AHCY deficiency.     

Linear stability analysis of a non-slipping mean flow in a 2D-straight lined duct with respect to modes type initial (instantaneous) perturbations

In this paper a necessary and sufficient condition is found for the existence of non-zero modes, which satisfy the Pridmore–Brown equation and the mass-spring-damper impedance boundary condition. The flowing fluid is assumed to be inviscid, non-slipping and compressible. The mean flow velocity profile in the equation is assumed to be function of y only. The condition which is found defines in fact a dispersion relation, which has to be used in the linear stability analysis of the flow also by Briggs–Bers method. As far as we know, the dispersion relation reported in the present paper is new and it is not an obvious consequence of other results already reported in the literature. The numerical illustration shows that the dispersion-relation is effective and for the considered numerical data reveals the existence of mode type initial perturbations whose amplitude increase exponentially in time showing linear instability. In the same time the numerical illustration reveals the existence of mode type initial perturbations whose amplitude decrease exponentially tending to zero for t tending to plus infinity.