Effect of surface treatment methods on the shear bond strength between resin cement and all-ceramic core materials

This study compared the influence of various surface treatments on the shear bond strength between resin cement and lithium disilicate glass-ceramics. A series of 120 lithium disilicate ceramic samples were prepared to compare the effect of different surface treatments on the shear strength of a luting cement bonded to two all-ceramic systems. IPS Empress 2 and IPS e.max Press ceramic samples were fabricated according to the manufacturer's instructions. The ceramic samples were divided into the following 6 surface treatment groups for each ceramic system: 1—no treatment (C), 2—airborne-particle abrasion (A), 3—acid etching (E), 4—airborne-particle abrasion + acid etching (AE), 5—Nd:YAG laser (L), 6—Nd:YAG laser + acid etching (LE). Resin cement was then bonded to the treated ceramic surfaces and light polymerized. The shear bond strengths of the specimens were measured using a universal testing machine. Two-way ANOVA and Tukey HSD (α = 0.05) test were used to determine differences in shear bond strength between the groups. The ANOVA revealed significant differences between the treatment groups and ceramic types (p < 0.05). The shear bond strengths of IPS Empress 2 were significantly higher than those of IPS e.max Press.     

Transport of titanium(IV) ions across di-2-ethylhexylphosphoric acid-CCl4 supported liquid membranes

Transport study for Ti(IV) ions using di-2-ethylhexylphosphoric acid (D2EHPA) (carrier)-CCl₄ (diluent) liquid supported membrane in microporous polypropylene hydrophobic film has been performed. The parameters studied are effects of carrier, H₂SO₄, stripping agent (NH₄F) concentrations and temperature variation on flux and permeability coefficients of the metal ion. The optimum concentrations of transport found are 2.04 mol·dm^–3 D2EHPA, 1.0 mol·dm^–3 H₂SO₄ in the feed and 1 mol·dm^–3 NH₄F as stripping agent. The maximum flux and permeability coefficient determined are 1.32·10^–5 mol·m^–2·s^–1 and 8.02·10^–12 mol·m^–2·s^–1, respectively. The transport of this metal ion is increased with increase in temperature. The mechanism of transport appears to be based on coupled counter ion transport phenomenon.     

Thermal Conductivity of Complex Plasmas Using Novel Evan-Gillan Approach

The thermal conductivity of complex fluid materials(dusty plasmas) has been explored through novel Evan-Gillan homogeneous non-equilibrium molecular dynamic(HNEMD) algorithm. The thermal conductivity coefficient obtained from HNEMD is dependent on various plasma parameters(Γ, κ). The proposed algorithm gives accurate results with fast convergence and small size effect over a wide range of plasma parameters. The cross microscopic heat energy current is discussed in association with variation of temperature(1/Γ) and external perturbations(P_z). The thermal conductivity obtained from HNEMD simulations is found to be very good agreement and more reliable than previously known numerical techniques of equilibrium molecular dynamic, nonequilibrium molecular dynamic simulations. Our new investigations point to an effective conclusion that the thermal conductivity of complex dusty plasmas is dependent on an extensive range of plasma coupling(Γ) and screening parameter(κ) and it varies by the alteration in these parameters.It is also shown that a different approach is used for computations of thermal conductivity in 2D complex plasmas and can be appropriate method for behaviors of complex systems.     

Mechanisms of the rotational dynamics of C70 in C70-cubane heteromolecular crystals

Fullerenes and cubane (C(8)H(8)) can be arranged to form heteromolecular crystals that exhibit interesting crystal phases. Experimental measurements indicate a rotor-stator phase for C(60)-cubane crystals in which the C(60) molecules rotate freely whereas cubane molecules are essentially static. A similar phase is found for C(70)-cubane crystals but, due to C(70)'s asymmetry, hindered rotations can be observed in specific crystal phases. Details of the rotational dynamics of the fullerenes in these heteromolecular crystals are difficult to be completely assessed by experiments. To this end, we have performed classical molecular dynamics simulations of C(70)-cubane crystals to investigate the behavior of C(70) fullerenes and cubanes in the face-centered cubic and body-centered tetragonal crystallographic phases. Our simulations show that, in the cubic phase, C(70) molecules are allowed to freely rotate whereas cubanes act as molecular bearings. In the tetragonal phase, the cubane molecules also remain practically fixed and the rotation of C(70) fullerenes becomes hindered. In this phase, C(70) molecules rotate around the fivefold axis, which in turn precesses about the c crystallographic direction of the unit cell. Details regarding the dynamics (e.g., energy barriers, reorientational relaxation processes, and phonon-libration coupling) of the C(70) molecules in both crystal phases are discussed. In general, our results agree with previous experimental findings for C(70)-cubane crystals.     

Comparative Analysis of Ethylene/Diene Copolymerization and Ethylene/Propylene/Diene Terpolymerization Using Ansa-Zirconocene Catalyst with Alkylaluminum/Borate Activator: The Effect of Conjugated and Nonconjugated Dienes on Catalytic Behavior and Polymer Microstructure

The copolymerization of ethylene‒diene conjugates (butadiene (BD), isoprene (IP) and nonconjugates (5-ethylidene-2-norbornene (ENB), vinyl norbornene VNB, 4-vinylcyclohexene (VCH) and 1, 4-hexadiene (HD)), and terpolymerization of ethylene-propylene-diene conjugates (BD, IP) and nonconjugates (ENB, VNB, VCH and HD) using two traditional catalysts of C₂-symmetric metallocene—silylene-bridged rac-Me₂Si(2-Me-4-Ph-Ind)₂ZrCl₂ (complex A) and ethylene-bridged rac-Et(Ind)₂ZrCl₂ (complex B)—with a [Ph₃C][B(C₆F₅)₄] borate/TIBA co-catalyst, were intensively studied. Compared to that in the copolymerization of ethylene diene, the catalytic activity was more significant in E/P/diene terpolymerization. We obtained a maximum yield of both metallocene catalysts with conjugated diene between 3.00 × 10⁶ g/mol_Mt·h and 5.00 × 10⁶ g/mol_Mt·h. ENB had the highest deactivation impact on complex A, and HD had the most substantial deactivation effect on complex B. A ¹H NMR study suggests that dienes were incorporated into the co/ter polymers’ backbone through regioselectivity. ENB and VNB, inserted by the edo double bond, left the ethylidene double bond intact, so VCH had an exo double bond. Complex A’s methyl and phenyl groups rendered it structurally stable and exhibited a dihedral angle greater than that of complex B, resulting in 1, 2 isoprene insertion higher than 1, 4 isoprene that is usually incapable of polymerization coordination. High efficiency in terms of co- and ter- monomer incorporation with higher molecular weight was found for complex 1. The rate of incorporation of ethylene and propylene in the terpolymer backbone structure may also be altered by the conjugated and nonconjugated dienes. ¹³C-NMR, ¹H-NMR, and GPC techniques were used to characterize the polymers obtained.     

Biodiesel Production Using Wild Apricot (Prunus aitchisonii) Seed Oil via Heterogeneous Catalysts

We confined the formation and characterization of heterogenous nano-catalysts and then used them to produce biodiesel from the novel non-edible seed oil of Prunus aitchisonii. P. aitchisonii seeds’ oil content was extracted at about 52.4 ± 3% with 0.77% FFA. Three different heterogenous nano-catalysts—calcined (CPC), KPC, and KOH-activated P. aitchisonii cake Titanium Dioxide (TiO₂)—were synthesized using calcination and precipitation methods. The mentioned catalysts were characterized through XRD, SEM, and EDX to inspect their crystallin dimension, shape, and arrangement. Titanium dioxide has morphological dimensions so that the average particle size ranges from 49–60 nm. The result shows that the crystal structure of TiO₂ is tetragonal (Anatase). The surface morphology of CPC illustrated that the roughness of the surface was increased after calcination, many macropores and hollow cavities appeared, and the external structure became very porous. These changes in morphology may increase the catalytic efficiency of CPC than non-calcined Prunus aitchisonii oil cake. The fuel belonging to PAOB stood according to the series suggested by ASTM criteria. All the characterization reports that P. aitchisonii is a novel and efficient potential source of biodiesel as a green energy source.     

Synthesis,spectroscopic characterization,and biological screening of levofloxacin based organotin(IV) derivatives

Four new organotin (IV) complexes with general formula R₃SnL/R₂SnL₂, where R = CH₃, n-C₄H₉, C₆H₅ and L = Levofloxacin, were synthesized and characterized by elemental analyses, FT-IR and NMR (¹H and ¹³C) spectroscopy. Spectroscopic data suggested a six-coordinated geometry for diorganotin(IV) derivatives and a five-coordinated geometry for triorganotin(IV) derivatives. The value of Me–Sn–Me bond angle for di- and trimethyltin complexes using the Lockhart equation, were 150° and 116°, respectively, that corresponded to six and five-coordinate geometry, accordingly. The ligand and its complexes were screened for their antibacterial, antifungal, cytotoxic, and free radical scavenging (DPPH) antioxidant activities. The biological data indicated those as potentially bioactive in each field of the study. Accumulated data of DNA interaction with the synthesized complexes based on UV-Vis, cyclic voltammetry and viscometry suggested an intercalative mode of the interaction.     

Solvation of coumarin 314 at water/air interfaces containing anionic surfactants. I. Low coverage

Through the use of molecular dynamics techniques, we analyze equilibrium and dynamical aspects of the solvation of Coumarin 314 adsorbed at water/air interfaces in the presence of sodium dodecyl sulfate surfactant molecules. Three different coverages in the submonolayer regime were considered, 500, 250, and 100 A(2)/SDS molecule. The surfactant promotes two well-differentiated solvation environments, which can be clearly distinguished in terms of their structures for the largest surfactant coverage considered. The first one is characterized by the probe lying adjacent or exterior to two-dimensional spatial domains formed by clustered surfactant molecules. A second type of solvation environment is found in which the coumarin appears embedded within compact surfactant domains. Equilibrium and dynamical aspects of the interfacial orientation of the probe are investigated. Our results show a gradual transition from parallel to perpendicular dipolar alignment of the probe with respect to the interface as the concentration of surfactant rho(s) increases. The presence of the surfactant leads to an increase in the roughness and in the characteristic width of the water/air interface. These modifications are also manifested by the decorrelation times for the probe reorientational dynamics, which become progressively slower with rho(s) in both solvation states, although much more pronounced for the embedded ones. The dynamical characteristics of the solvation responses of the charged interfaces are also analyzed, and the implications of our findings to the interpretation of available experimental measurements are discussed.     

Molecular-dynamics simulations of dimethylsulfoxide-methanol mixtures

We present molecular-dynamics (MD) computer simulation results for the local structures, hydrogen (H)-bond distribution, and dynamical properties of methanol (MeOH) and dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO) binary mixtures at ambient conditions over the entire composition range. The simulated heat of mixing and site-site pair distribution functions suggest that the intermolecular structures of the pure liquids are not markedly altered upon mixing. Nevertheless, H-bonding statistics show that aggregates of the type 1DMSO:1MeOH are formed and represent the predominant form of molecular association in these mixtures. Only a small fraction (10%) of DMSO molecules in MeOH-rich mixtures (85% in mole) forms H-bonding trimers of type 1DMSO:2MeOH. No evidence of other types of interspecies association is found. The self-diffusion coefficient for DMSO (MeOH) increases (decreases) upon mixing. The characteristic reorientation time tau1 of both species increases in the mixture, but the composition dependence is weak. The frequency spectrum of MeOH reorientational time-correlation function shows significant redshifts of the principal librational band as DMSO is added to the system, whereas the librational band of DMSO shows small alterations upon mixing. Our results are discussed in the light of previous simulation analyses for a similar system, DMSO-water mixtures, and compared with available experimental results.