Efficient electrocatalysis of formic acid oxidation onto Pd-Cu/poly (2-methoxyaniline)-SDS nanocomposite film

In this work, porous poly (2-methoxyaniline) film prepared in the presence of sodium dodecyl sulfate (P2MA-SDS) is used as a potent support for dispersion of bimetallic palladium-copper nanoparticles (Pd-Cu NPs) towards the electrooxidation of formic acid (HCOOH) in sulfuric acid solution. The Pd-Cu NPs are prepared through galvanic replacement reaction between Pd^II ions and Cu particles. The SEM, EDS, and electrochemical methods were used to characterize the prepared Pd-Cu NPs. The obtained results show that the Pd-Cu exhibited significantly high current density of HCOOH oxidation compared to other catalysts and utilization of Cu NPs enhances the electrocatalytic activity towards electrooxidation. The enhanced performance is related to the synergetic effect between Pd-Cu NPs and P2MA-SDS film. The effects of galvanic replacement time, potential sweep rates, and concentration of HCOOH on the catalytic activity of the electrocatalyst as well as long-term stability are investigated by the various electrochemical techniques.     

Mössbauer study and magnetic properties of Fe–Si–B–Cu amorphous systems with minor substitution of carbon

Journal of Radioanalytical and Nuclear Chemistry - The effect of minor substitution of carbon on the structure and magnetic properties of Fe–Si–B–Cu-type metallic glasses was...     

Solvatochromic and nonlinear optical properties of Eosin B in solvents and AOT/water/Heptane

The third-order susceptibility and second-order hyperpolarizability and the two-photon absorption coefficient of Eosin-B in AOT/water/Heptane were investigated by using the Z-Scan technique. The droplets were prepared with an AOT/water droplet in a continuous phase of Heptane. The droplets size changes with the amount of water and the droplet concentration decreases with the increase of Heptane concentration. To study the nonlinear optical properties of Eosin-B, the Z-scan measurements were performed by means of a laser at 532 nm and 80 mW power. The nonlinear refractive and the nonlinear absorption coefficient indices were found to be in the order of 10^?12 (cm² W^?1) and 10^?7 (cm W^?1), respectively. The change of nonlinear optical properties of Eosin-B by droplet size and concentration is due to the change of dye aggregation and thermal conductivity and thermo-optic coefficient of samples. The absorption of Eosin-B changes with the polarity of the medium (dielectric constant and refractive index). It has been shown that the intensity of emission spectra of Eosin-B in AOT/water/Heptane is enhanced compared to that of aqueous solution. By the Bilot and Kawski theory, the ratio between the excited state and the ground state of the dipole moments (μ_e/μ_g) of Eosin-B both in water and in droplets is extracted.     

Sub-terahertz on-off switch based on a two-dimensional photonic crystal infiltrated by liquid crystals

A sub-terahertz switch is realized by infiltration of a two-dimensional photonic crystal (PC) with the liquid crystal 5CB. On-off switching is based on a shift of the bandgap of the PC by applying an external electric field which rotates the 5CB molecules. We confirm theoretically and experimentally that rotating the optical axis of the 5CB molecules considerably affects the transmission of the electromagnetic waves of TM polarization in the stop band. The effect can be used for on-off switching of the electromagnetic waves in the sub-terahertz range. Experimentally we demonstrate an extinction ratio of 13.3 dB at 91 GHz.     

Development of a new microelectrolysis system for in-situ electrodeposition of ultra-traces of gold prior to measurement by ETAAS

Electrodeposition is known to be suitable for separation and preconcentration of extremely low concentrations of analyte from bulk samples and is instrumentally is very simple. In this approach a new combined system was designed for in-situ electrodeposition of ultratrace levels of gold from micro samples on to a graphite furnace prior to determination by electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry (ETAAS). Sediment samples were digested and traces of the gold content were extracted with boiling aqua regia. To prevent the highly corrosive effect of aqua regia media, the graphite tube surface was pre-coated by electrodeposition of ppm amounts of Pd prior to sample introduction. Separation of the analyte from the matrix was achieved by electrodeposition of the analyte in situ on the Pd/C surface of the furnace tube. Vanadium was also used as a modifier to stabilize the analyte from decomposition at charring temperatures. By using the proposed microelectrolysis preconcentration technique a considerable improvement in sensitivity and detection limit was achieved compared with conventional ETAAS. Characteristic masses for ED-ETAAS techniques in both nitric acid and aqua regia were reported to be m(o)=4.1 pg, with %RSD=2.9; the calculated LOD was 0.105 ppb, and typical calibration graphs for this element in nitric acid and aqua regia for both techniques were linear up to 70 microg L(-1) with about 99% recovery. Six reference sediments samples were tested by the proposed technique and by the Conv-ETAAS method. The results were in agreement with recommended values (reported by a reference laboratory using UV-visible spectrometry), demonstrating the efficiency of extraction and preconcentration of ultratrace levels of gold.     

Analysis of anatoxin-a using polyaniline as a sorbent in solid-phase microextraction coupled to gas chromatography-mass spectrometry

A simple and sensitive method for determining anatoxin-a in aqueous samples was developed using solid-phase microextraction (SPME) and gas chromatography with mass spectrometry (GC-MS) detection. Three forms of polyaniline (PANI) films and a single form of polypyrrole (PPY) film were prepared and applied for SPME. The extraction properties of these films to anatoxin-a were examined and it was shown that leucoemeraldine form of PANI displayed a better selectivity to this compound. SPME conditions were optimized by selecting the appropriate extraction parameters, including type of coating (leucoemeraldine form of PANI at 32 microm thicknesses), salt concentration (10%, w/v), time of extraction (30 min) and stirring rate (1000 rpm). The calibration curve was linear in the range from 50 to 10,000 ng/ml, with the detection limit (S/N = 3) of 11.2 ng/ml. This method was successfully applied for the analysis of anatoxin-a in the cultured media of two species of cyanobacteria.     

Influence of additives on the clouding behavior of amphiphilic drug solutions

The present work focuses on the clouding phenomenon in an amphiphilic drug [amitriptyline (AMT), which is a tricyclic antidepressant] solution. A 50-mM AMT solution prepared in 10 mM of sodium phosphate (SP) buffer was taken where the cloud point (CP) was found to decrease with increasing pH. The same CP decreasing trend (with pH increase) followed in the presence of a fixed concentration (50 mM) of added salts [NaBr, and tetra-n-butylammonium bromide (TBuAB)]. The addition of increasing amounts of quaternary bromides (tetramethylammonium bromide, tetraethylammonium bromide, tetra-n-propylammonium bromide, TBuAB, and tetra-n-pentylammonium bromide) to 50 mM of AMT solution (prepared in 10 mM of SP buffer) caused continuous increase in CP, which was found to be dependent upon the alkyl chain length of that particular salt. The similar type of CP increase was also observed in the presence of conventional (cetyltrimethylammonium bromide and tetradecyltrimethylammonium bromide) and gemini surfactants [bis(hexadecyldimethylammonium)hexane, bis(hexadecyldimethylammonium)pentane, and bis(hexadecyldimethylammonium)butane]. The overall behavior was discussed in terms of electrostatic interactions, micellar growth, and mixed micelle formation.     

Lead ion-selective membrane electrodes based on some recently synthesized 9,10-anthraquinone derivatives

Four different 9,10-anthraquinone derivatives were studied to characterize their abilities as lead ion carrier in PVC membrane electrodes. The electrode based on 1,8-dihydroxy-2,7-bis(prop-2′-enyl)-9,10-anthraquinone exhibits a Nernstian response for Pb²⁺ ions over a wide concentration range (2.0×10⁻³–2.0×10⁻⁶ M). The response time of the sensor is 30 s and the membrane can be used for more than four months without observing any deviation. The electrode revealed comparatively good selectivities with respect to alkali, alkaline earth and some transition and heavy metal ions. It was used as an indicator electrode in potentiometric titration of sulfate ions with a lead ion solution.