Surface functionalization of nanofibrillated cellulose using click-chemistry approach in aqueous media

In the present work, amino functionalized nanofibrillated cellulose (NFC) was prepared using click-chemistry in aqueous reaction conditions. First, reactive azide groups were introduced on the surface of NFC by the etherification of 1-azido-2,3-epoxypropane in alkaline water/isopropanol-mixture at ambient temperature. Then the azide groups were reacted with propargyl amine utilizing copper catalyzed azide-alkyne cycloaddition (CuAAC), leading to pH-responsive 1,2,3-triazole-4-methanamine decorated NFC. The reaction products were characterized using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, elemental analysis and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The presence of the attached azide groups was also confirmed by reacting them with 5-(dimethylamino)-N-(2-propyl)-1-naphthalenesulfonamide by CuAAC, yielding highly fluorescent NFC. In addition, atom force microscopy and rheology studies confirmed that the original NFC nanostructure was maintained during the synthesis.     

Speciation analysis of plants in the determination of V(V) by ETAAS

Vanadium(IV) and vanadium(V) were easily separated from each other in the same plant sample and be determined independently by ETAAS (electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry). This was achieved by treating the sample with 1 M (NH₄)₂HPO₄ which transfer only insoluble V(V) species into solution leaving V(IV) species in the solid part of the sample solution. V(IV) was then transferred into solution by ashing the precipitates and dissolving them in dilute acid. Statistical evaluations indicate that the sum of the concentrations of V(IV) and V(V) species is the same as the total concentration of vanadium determined by an independent method from the same plant sample at 95% level of confidence.

The maximum concentrations for V(V) and total vanadium in plants around the vanadium mine were found to be 24.3 and 350 μg g⁻¹, respectively.     

Thermodynamic modelling of liquid-vapour equilibrium and thermophysical properties of molten Pb–Bi systems

A lead–bismuth alloy is an advanced coolant for nuclear power plants. The study of this alloy is of current importance. However, performing high-temperature experiments involves many problems. In this work, to study evaporation of a lead–bismuth alloy in the presence of intermetallic compounds in the condensed phase and dimers and trimers of metals in the vapour phase, a method of thermodynamic modelling was used. The investigations were carried out at temperatures from 400 to 3000 K with the lead content from 0.1 to 0.9 weight fractions in the lead–bismuth alloy. In the method of thermodynamic modelling a software package TERRA and a model of an ideal solution of interaction products were applied. Concentration and temperature dependencies of the content of components in the melt and in the gaseous phase over the melt were calculated. Temperatures, enthalpies, entropies of the melt–vapour transition and various thermophysical properties were defined.     

Comments on the article ‘Thermodynamical properties of RbCs liquid binary alloys’

Unphysical results presented in the article ‘Thermodynamical properties of RbCs liquid binary alloys’ are discussed. It is concluded that this paper is pseudo-scientific and misleads readers regarding thermodynamics of binary mixtures.     

Polymorphism and solvatomorphism of bicalutamide

Single crystals of the crystallosolvate [bicalutamide + DMSO] with 1:1 stoichiometry were grown, and their structures were solved by X-ray diffraction methods. Polymorphic modifications I and II, the amorphous state, and the DMSO crystallosolvate of bicalutamide were prepared and thermochemistry of fusion processes was studied by DSC technique. The temperature dependence of the saturated vapor pressure of polymorphic form I was obtained and the thermodynamic characteristics of the sublimation process including the crystal lattice energy were calculated. The solution enthalpies of the forms under consideration and the crystallosolvate were acquired by the solution calorimetry procedure. The phase transition enthalpies estimated for form I, form II, and the amorphous state followed the rank order: form I— > form II, form I— > amorphous state, and form II— > amorphous state. The crystal lattice energy of polymorphic form II was determined using the results of sublimation and solution calorimetric experiments. The difference between the crystal lattice energy of the crystallosolvate and unsolvated phases was observed. The dissolution kinetics of forms I, II, the amorphous state, and DMSO solvate in water were investigated.     

Singlet oxygen chemistry in water: a porous vycor glass-supported photosensitizer

Singlet molecular oxygen [1O2 (1Deltag)] is generated cleanly in aqueous solution upon irradiation of a heterogeneous complex, meso-tetra(N-methyl-4-pyridyl)porphine (1) adsorbed onto porous Vycor glass (PVG). The cationic photosensitizer 1 tightly binds onto PVG and gives a stable material, which does not dissociate 1 into the surrounding aqueous phase. The production of 1O2 was measured by monitoring the time-resolved 1O2 (1Deltag) phosphorescence at 1270 nm. Indirect analysis of 1O2 generation was also carried out with the photooxidation of trans-2-methyl-2-pentenoate anion, which afforded the corresponding hydroperoxide. Sensitizer-1-impregnated PVG gives rise to a new singlet oxygen generator but more importantly provides a heterogeneous system for use in water.     

On Bellman function for extremal problems in BMO

In this Note we describe our results on construction of the Bellman function solving an extremal problem for a large class of integral functionals on BMO.     

An adaptive finite element method for Fredholm integral equations of the first kind and its verification on experimental data

We propose an adaptive finite element method for the solution of a linear Fredholm integral equation of the first kind. We derive a posteriori error estimates in the functional to be minimized and in the regularized solution to this functional, and formulate corresponding adaptive algorithms. To do this we specify nonlinear results obtained earlier for the case of a linear bounded operator. Numerical experiments justify the efficiency of our a posteriori estimates applied both to the computationally simulated and experimental backscattered data measured in microtomography.