Portable single-sided NMR measurements at variable temperatures: Implementation of a thermo-controlled device and application to the heating of bread dough

A temperature control unit was implemented to vary the temperature of samples studied on a commercial Mobile Universal Surface Explorer nuclear magnetic resonance (MOUSE-NMR) apparatus. The device was miniaturized to fit the maximum MOUSE sampling depth (25 mm). It was constituted by a sample holder sandwiched between two heat exchangers placed below and above the sample. Air was chosen as the fluid to control the temperature at the bottom of the sample, at the interface between the NMR probe and the sample holder, in order to gain space. The upper surface of the sample was regulated by the circulation of water inside a second heat exchanger placed above the sample holder. The feasibility of using such a device was demonstrated first on pure water and then on several samples of bread dough with different water contents. For this, T1 relaxation times were measured at various temperatures and depths and were then compared with those acquired with a conventional compact closed-magnet spectrometer. Discussion of results was based on biochemical transformations in bread dough (starch gelatinization and gluten heat denaturation). It was demonstrated that, within a certain water level range, and because of the low magnetic field strength of the MOUSE, a linear relationship could be established between T1 relaxation times and the local temperature in the dough sample.     

Biotic Cathode of Graphite Fibre Brush for Improved Application in Microbial Fuel Cells

The biocathode in a microbial fuel cell (MFC) system is a promising and a cheap alternative method to improve cathode reaction performance. This study aims to identify the effect of the electrode combination between non-chemical modified stainless steel (SS) and graphite fibre brush (GFB) for constructing bio-electrodes in an MFC. In this study, the MFC had two chambers, separated by a cation exchange membrane, and underwent a total of four different treatments with different electrode arrangements (anodeǁcathode)—SSǁSS (control), GFBǁSS, GFBǁGFB and SSǁGFB. Both electrodes were heat-treated to improve surface oxidation. On the 20th day of the operation, the GFBǁGFB arrangement generated the highest power density, up to 3.03 W/m³ (177 A/m³), followed by the SSǁGFB (0.0106 W/m³, 0.412 A/m³), the GFBǁSS (0.0283 W/m³, 17.1 A/m³), and the SSǁSS arrangements (0.0069 W/m⁻³, 1.64 A/m³). The GFBǁGFB had the lowest internal resistance (0.2 kΩ), corresponding to the highest power output. The other electrode arrangements, SSǁGFB, GFBǁSS, and SSǁSS, showed very high internal resistance (82 kΩ, 2.1 kΩ and 18 kΩ, respectively) due to the low proton and electron movement activity in the MFC systems. The results show that GFB materials can be used as anode and cathode in a fully biotic MFC system.     

Elaboration of sponge-like biodegradable cationic particles via double-emulsion solvent evaporation

Researchers work on different optimization methods to come up with preparation methods, which show the desired or targeted outcomes. Moreover, nowadays, research is more focused on developing formulations which contain biodegradable polymers. The objective of the present systematic study was to achieve the abovementioned goals by using a cationic ammonio methacrylate copolymer (Eudragit® RS100). A Double-emulsion solvent evaporation technique was used. This methodology was chosen because the particles formed by this method allow encapsulation of both hydrophilic and hydrophobic active molecules. It also has applications in diverse fields such as drug delivery, food, cosmetics, and pharmaceutical industries.

The aim of this research work was to investigate the influence of various process control parameters, such as stabilizer chemical nature and amount, ultra Turrax® stirring speed and time, the morphology, size, and size distribution of the final dispersions. Then, the prepared particles were characterized using a Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) and a Laser Diffraction Particle Size Analyzer. This study helped us to know which parameters have a drastic effect on the colloidal properties of the particles.     

Potential benefits of a non-linear stiffness in an energy harvesting device

The benefits of using a non-linear stiffness in an energy harvesting device comprising a mass–spring–damper system are investigated. Analysis based on the principle of conservation of energy reveals a fundamental limit of the effectiveness of any non-linear device over a tuned linear device for such an application. Two types of non-linear stiffness are considered. The first system has a non-linear bi-stable snap-through mechanism. This mechanism has the effect of steepening the displacement response of the mass as a function of time, resulting in a higher velocity for a given input excitation. Numerical results show that more power is harvested by the mechanism if the excitation frequency is much less than the natural frequency. The other non-linear system studied has a hardening spring, which has the effect of shifting the resonance frequency. Numerical and analytical studies show that the device with a hardening spring has a larger bandwidth over which the power can be harvested due to the shift in the resonance frequency.     

Structural,electrochemical, and adsorption studies of Ni and Zn benzylimidazole coordination polymers with terephthalate linkers

Two coordination polymers, [Ni(bim)₂(L1)(H₂O)₂] _n (CP-1) and [Zn(bim)(L1)(Cl)] _n (CP-2) (bim = 1-benzylimidazole, L1 = terephthalic acid), were synthesized and characterized by physicochemical and spectroscopic methods. The Ni(II) center in CP-1 is octahedral, while the Zn(II) center in CP-2 is tetrahedral. CP-1 and CP-2 were used to modify carbon paste electrodes to assess their effect on the electrochemical behavior of ferricyanide. The redox reactions of ferricyanide on both electrodes proved to be reversible and diffusion controlled, with ferricyanide diffusion coefficients for CP-1 and CP-2 of 1.88 × 10⁵ and 3.44 × 10⁵ cm² s^?1, respectively. These coordination polymers were also investigated for their adsorption behavior toward two dyes: Chicago sky blue and methylene blue. CP-1 and CP-2 both rapidly adsorbed the anionic Chicago sky blue dye by different intermolecular interactions; in contrast, the cationic methylene blue dye was adsorbed to a lesser extent. The adsorption of these CPs depends on the charge but not the size of the dye. Addition of methanolic potassium nitrate solution caused the release of the adsorbed dyes.     

Bis-Thiourea Bearing Aryl and Amino Acids Side Chains and Their Antibacterial Activities

Abstract

A series of symmetrical 1,3-bis thiourea 1a–e and 1,4-bis thiourea derivatives 2a–e have been successfully synthesized from the reactions of amines with 3-acetylbenzoyl isothiocyanate and 4-acetylbenzoyl isothiocyanate, respectively. All the synthesized compounds were characterized by FT-IR spectroscopy and ¹H and ¹³C NMR spectroscopy. The compounds were screened for their antibacterial activity by turbidimetric method using gram-negative bacteria (E. coli ATCC 8739) using turbidimetric method. The newly synthesized bis-thiourea derivatives bearing aryl side chains showed good antibacterial activity against E. coli. The effect of the molecular structure of the synthesized compounds on the antibacterial activity is discussed.