Synthesis of colloidal nanoscaled copper-indium-gallium-selenide (CIGS) particles for photovoltaic applications

In this work, Cu(In,Ga)Se(2) (CIGS) nanoparticles were synthesized using a wet chemical method. The method is based on a non-vacuum thermal process that does not use selenization. The effects of temperature, source materials, and growth conditions on the phase and particle size were investigated. X-ray diffraction results confirm the formation of a tetragonal CIGS structure as the main phase with the purity more than 99% obtained by energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX). The morphology and size of the samples were investigated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Using these methods, 20-80nm particles were obtained. Through measurements of the absorption spectra of CIGS nanoparticles, the band gap of the synthesized material was determined to be about 1.44eV, which corresponds to an acceptable wavelength region for absorber layers in solar cells.     

Effect of Process Variable on the Gelation Time of Sulfonated Polyacrylamide Nanocomposite Hydrogel

Among the methods available to reduce water production during oil recovery, injecting a gelling system composed of a polymer and a crosslinker has been widely used. In this study, a Plackett-Burman design was used for screening a large number of factors such as concentrations of polymer, crosslinker, pH, temperature, and presence or absence of NaCl, CaCl₂, MgCl₂, KCl, thiourea, sodium lactate, and nanoclay on the gelation time of sulfonated polyacrylamide nanocomposite hydrogels by rheological tests. Among these factors, temperature, pH, and CaCl₂ concentration were found to have the greatest effect on the gelation time. The effects of these three factors and their interactions on the gelation time were then determined by using central composite design of response surface method. As a result, the interactions of CaCl₂ concentration with temperature and pH were considerably more than the interactions of pH and temperature on the gelation time. At low pH (3 < pH < 7), the gelation time decreased by decrease of pH while at CaCl₂ concentration of 3750–11250 ppm and at 7 < pH < 11, the gelation time increased with the increase of pH. It was found that temperature was the most effective parameter to control the gelation time.     

Stability and Rheological Properties of Suspended Pulp Particles Containing Orange Juice Stabilized by Gellan Gum

Gellan was used to suspend pulp particles in orange juice. Three groups of samples were prepared with 0%, 20%, and 40% orange juice concentrate and supplemented with gellan at different concentrations. A concentration-dependent increase in the size of gellan aggregates and gellan-protein assemblies was observed. Incorporation of gellan into the beverage with 0% juice concentrate changed the rheological behavior of sample to non-Newtonian shear-thinning fluid and increased its surface tension. When juice concentrate proportion was increased from 0% to 20%, the beverage viscosity increased. The highest gellan concentration resulted in a higher yield stress (σ₀) value and inhibited the pulp sedimentation completely.      

Analytical quality solid-state composite reference electrode manufactured by injection moulding

An injection moulding method was used for fabricating solid-state reference electrodes (Ag/AgCl type) based on a polymer/inorganic salt composite. In this method, a silver/silver chloride wire was placed inside a mould into which the mixture of polymer and inorganic salt was injected. The obtained solid-state composite reference electrodes were extensively tested to study the influence of different parameters such as solution composition, the concentrations and mobility of ions and pH on the potential stability of the electrodes. These experiments revealed that the composite reference electrodes are insensitive to the matrix effect, have excellent potential readings stability and considerably reduced leakage of inorganic salt. The composite reference electrodes were compared favourably to high-quality commercial reference electrodes. It was concluded that the composite reference electrodes obtained by injection moulding are of analytical quality allowing for continuous, prolonged and intensive usage.     

温和条件下金属双氮杂环卡宾配合物催化CO2直接转化为炔酸的高效均相羧化反应

近年来,催化CO2合成精细化学品的研究备受关注。本研究在温和条件下利用金属双氮杂环卡宾催化剂实现CO2与末端炔烃的直接羧化反应,并提出合理的催化机理。首先,合成制备了铜基、银基两种金属双氮杂环卡宾催化剂,实验证明银双氮杂环卡宾配合物具有较好催化活性。通过改变环境条件和底物种类,对反应条件及催化剂底物适应性进行了探究,利用核磁共振谱仪表征产物分子结构并计算直接羧化反应的催化产率。结果表明,适宜催化条件为:1.2eq Cs2CO3作为添加剂、1大气压、室温、无水溶剂和1(mmol)%催化剂用量。银基金属催化剂活性较铜基催化剂高并具有广泛的底物适应性,对苯乙炔的催化产率高达93%;对乙炔气体同样具有良好的催化活性。此类催化剂具有优良的催化活性,能催化合成丙炔酸等重要医药中间体,在工业应用上具有极大潜力和广阔前景。     

Zinc(II)-poly(urea-formaldehyde) supported on magnetic nanoparticles: A hybrid nanocatalyst for green synthesis of spiropyrans,spiroxanthenes, and spiropyrimidines

Immobilization of metal ions onto inorganic supports has very interesting biological, industrial, and catalysis applications. In this study, CoFe₂O₄@SiO₂@PUF@Zn(OAc)₂ nanostructure was successfully fabricated by immobilization of zinc acetate on the surface of poly(urea-formaldehyde) supported on magnetic CoFe₂O₄@SiO₂ nanoparticles through a layer-by-layer assembly. The structure of hybrid nanoparticles was characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, thermogravimetric analysis, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectroscopy, vibrating sample magnetometry, Brunauer–Emmett–Teller surface area analysis, scanning electron microscopy, and transmission electron microscopy. Zinc-poly(urea-formaldehyde) supported on magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs@SiO₂@PUF@Zn) was successfully used for the synthesis of spirooxindolopyran and spirooxindoloxanthene derivatives in aqueous medium as an environmentally benign condition. High yields, short reaction times, green solvent, reusability without significant reduction in catalytic activity, and simple separation of the catalyst using an external magnet along with environmental compatibility are some benefits of this procedure.     

Green,rapid, and highly efficient syntheses of α,α′-bis[(aryl or allyl)idene]cycloalkanones and 2-[(aryl or allyl)idene]-1-indanones as potentially biologic compounds via solvent-free microwave-assisted Claisen–Schmidt condensation catalyzed by MoCl5

A new, green, and highly efficient protocol for the expeditious preparation of some α,α′-bis[(aryl or allyl)idene]cycloalkanones and 2-[(aryl or allyl)idene]-1-indanones via a simple microwave-assisted Claisen–Schmidt condensation reaction catalyzed by MoCl₅ was successfully developed. Outstanding features of the current methodology include the use of solvent-free conditions, simple operation, use of a very inexpensive and available catalyst, low catalyst loading, short reaction times, high yields of the pure products, no harmful by-products, easy workup, and also the applicability of microwave irradiation as a clean source of energy. Furthermore, a gram-scale reaction was successfully conducted, proving the scalability of this current Claisen–Schmidt condensation reaction.     

Green synthesis of pyrrolo isoquinolines using in situ synthesis of 4-hydroxycumarines: Study of antioxidant activity

In this research, synthesis of pyrrolo isoquinoline derivatives in excellent yields was performed using the multicomponent reaction of isoquinoline, alkyl bromides, 2-hydroxyacetophenone, or its derivatives, dimethyl carbonate as a green reagent and KF/clinoptinolite nanoparticles as a catalyst in the aqueous media at 80°C. The Punica granatum peel water extract was used as the green media for the synthesis of PG-KF/clinoptilolite nanoparticles in high yield. The PG-KF/clinoptilolite nanoparticles show a significant basic catalytic role in these reactions in preparing the product in high yield and used for several times. In addition, for studying the antioxidant ability of some of the synthesized compounds, diphenyl-picrylhydrazine (DPPH) radical trapping and power of ferric reduction tests are employed. The short time of the reaction, high yields of the product, easy separation of the catalyst and products are some of the advantages of this procedure.     

Trace amounts determination of lead,zinc and copper by adsorptive stripping voltammetry in the presence of dopamine

A selective and sensitive method for simultaneous determination of lead, zinc and copper by adsorptive differential pulse cathodic stripping voltammetry is presented. The method is based on adsorptive accumulation of the complexes of Pb(II), Zn(II), and Cu(II) ions with dopamine onto hanging mercury drop electrode (HMDE), followed by reduction of adsorbed species by differential pulse cathodic stripping voltammetry. The effect of experimental parameters such as pH, dopamine concentration, accumulation time and potential and scan rate were examined. Under the optimized conditions, linear calibration curves were established for the concentration of Pb, Zn, and Cu in the ranges of 5–150, 5–250, and 1–150 ng/mL, respectively. Detection limits of 0.06, 0.25, and 0.04 ng/mL for Pb, Zn, and Cu were obtained. An application of the proposed method is reported for the determination of these elements in some real samples such as natural waters and alloys.