Structural, magnetic and electrochemical studies on LiCo0.5Fe0.5O2

LiCo_0.5Fe_0.5O₂ was prepared by sol–gel method. The sample had spinel, cubic and hexagonal phases up to 873 K and a single hexagonal phase above 1,073 K. The magnetic properties were studied at room temperature and at 77 K. The large coercivities observed for the samples annealed at 1,073 and 1,273 K show that these samples do not exhibit a simple antiferromagnetic ordering. From the Mössbauer and magnetization measurements, it is concluded that the hexagonal phase is only an antiferromagnet. The above results clearly demonstrate that the simple aqueous-based sol–gel process developed in this work provides a viable method to synthesize the fine cuboidal particles that display discharge capacity as high as ≈165 mAh/g, which is higher than the value obtained by M. Holzapfel et al. (Holzapfel M, Schreiner R, Ott A, Electrochim Acta 46:1063, 2001) for their samples synthesized by using the ion exchange method. This work suggests that the approaches based on solution chemistry are viable processes for synthesizing good quality electrode material.     

Mössbauer study of the ternary system (Fe1−xVx)3 Ge

Three crystallographically different structures of (Fe_1–xV_x)₃ Ge have been studied by⁵⁷Fe Mössbauer spectroscopy. The hexagonal phase, stable for low values ofx, is ferromagnetic with the spins parallel to thec-axis above a critical temperature, where a spin flip to thec-plane takes place. A V/Fe substitution in the near surrounding of an iron atom leads to a decrease in the isomer shift of –0.02 mm/s and an estimated reduction in the magnetic moment of 0.31 _B from 2.07 _B. A result for the intermediate cubic closed packed structure is that V populates only one type of metal sites. Furthermore, from similarities with-Fe the average value of the change in isomer shift is found to be +0.075 mm/s and +0.02 mm/s per Ge/Fe substitution in the 1nn and 2nn shells, respectively. The spin polarization effect on the magnetic hyperfine field for iron is –8.6%, –0.4%, and –0.6% per Ge/Fe (1nn), Ge/Fe (2nn) and V/Fe (3nn) substitutions, respectively. The simple cubic compound (Fe_0.7V_0.3)₃ Ge is non-magnetic down to at least 5 K. Here a decrease in the isomer shift of –0.05 mm/s is found for a V/Fe (1nn) substitution.On leave from the Department of Nuclear Physics, University of Madras, Madras, India.On leave from the Physics Department, Punjabi University, Patiala, India.     

Magnetic properties of nanostructured spinel ferrites and nanocomposite Nd2Fe114B/α-Fe permanent magnets

This paper presents some of the important magnetic properties of the nanostructured spinel ferrites such as Ni_0.5Zn_0.5Fe₂O₄ and Mn_0.67Zn_0.33Fe₂O₄ and also that of the nanocomposite Nd₂Fe₁₄B/α-Fe permanent magnetic material. The increase in the magnetic transition temperature of Ni-Zn ferrite from 538 K in the bulk state to 592 K when the grain size is reduced to 16 nm is correlated to the enhancement in the AB superexchange interaction strength because of an increase in the magnetic ion concentration in the A-site on milling, as shown by the EXAFS and in-field Mössbauer studies. The particle size has been tailor-made by varying the concentration of the oxidant in the case of Mn-Zn ferrite. The critical particle size for the superparamagnetic limit has been found to be 25 nm with an effective magnetic anisotropy constant of 7.78 kJ m^?3 which is about an order of magnitude higher than that of the bulk ferrite. The exchange coupling is found to be strengthened in the nanocomposite magnet Nd₂Fe₁₄B/α-Fe, when the grain boundary anisotropy is removed by thermal annealing and thus facilitating the enhancement of the energy product     

miR-27 regulates mitochondrial networks by directly targeting the mitochondrial fission factor

Mitochondrial morphology is dynamically regulated by forming small, fragmented units or interconnected networks, and this is a pivotal process that is used to maintain mitochondrial homeostasis. Although dysregulation of mitochondrial dynamics is related to the pathogenesis of several human diseases, its molecular mechanism is not fully elucidated. In this study, we demonstrate the potential role of miR-27 in the regulation of mitochondrial dynamics. Mitochondrial fission factor (MFF) mRNA is a direct target of miR-27, whose ectopic expression decreases MFF expression through binding to its 3′-untranslated region. Expression of miR-27 results in the elongation of mitochondria as well as an increased mitochondrial membrane potential and mitochondrial ATP level. Our results suggest that miR-27 is a novel regulator affecting morphological mitochondrial changes by targeting MFF.     

Effect of Basil antioxidant additive on the performance,combustion and emission characteristics of used cooking oil biodiesel in CI engine

Journal of Thermal Analysis and Calorimetry - As the demand for fossil fuels has increased tremendously, cooking oil is found to be an effective source of biodiesel, but storage problems and NOX...     

Characterization of mechanical,electrical and thermal properties of Ag nanoparticle-reinforced Al6061 alloy

Journal of Thermal Analysis and Calorimetry - In this paper, the detailed characterization of mechanical, electrical and thermal properties of Ag nanoparticle-reinforced Al6061 alloy was studied....     

A parametric study of negative feedback Nd:YAG laser

The output pulse parameters of a mode-locked Nd:YAG laser with a passive negative feedback element were studied experimentally. The pulse evolution within the train was experimentally recorded using a modified second harmonic generation autocorrelator. By comparing the laser operation with and without an acousto-optic modulator, we found that with the later there is a significant increase in the mode locking probability and the pulse acquires a temporally Gaussian symmetric pulse shape. Further with the active modulator there is a relaxation in alignment tolerances and increase in the range of permissible dye concentrations for stable mode locking. It was also observed that the pulse width of the negative feedback laser depends on the saturation intensity of the mode locking dye and reduces for a dye with higher saturation intensity. The pulse width was also found to reduce linearly as the initial transmission of the dye is reduced.     

Synthesis and mesomorphic properties of fluoro and isothiocyanato biphenyl tolane liquid crystals

Four series of high birefringence biphenyl tolane liquid crystals having a terminal isothiocyanato or fluoro group were synthesized; their mesomorphic properties were studied by optical polarizing microscopy and DSC. These biphenyl tolane compounds exhibit reasonably low melting points and high birefringence of 0.37–0.49. By using these compounds a eutectic mixture was formulated exhibiting a wide nematic range, high figure‐of‐merit and low viscosity.