Basic-functionalized recyclable ionic liquid catalyst: A solvent-free approach for Michael addition of 1,3-dicarbonyl compounds to nitroalkenes under ultrasound irradiation

A task-specific ionic liquid (TSIL) has been introduced as a recyclable catalyst in Michael addition. A series of nitroalkenes and various C-based nucleophiles were reacted in the presence of 30 mol% of recyclable basic-functionalized ionic liquid. Good to excellent yields were obtained in 30 min under ultrasound irradiation.     

Elastic scattering cross section of photons by water: limits for the free atom approximation

Several papers can be found in the literature in which elastic and inelastic experimental scattering cross sections of photons by water with energies in the keV range are measured. Usually, the authors use some kind of normalization with theoretical values, because of the difficulties in obtaining some parameters necessary to obtain absolute cross sections from the measurements. A reasonable range of momentum transfer has been covered, but nevertheless, inconsistencies and gaps still remain. In this work, we address the problem performing absolute cross section measurements in the high momentum transfer region (0.33 Å^?1 ≤ x ≤ 4.5 Å^?1), where no structure effects can be observed. We compare the results with theory to validate it in an intermediary region (0.33 Å^?1 ≤ x ≤ 1.72 Å^?1) and then use the experimental values to normalize data in the low‐energy region (0.078 Å^?1 ≤ x ≤ 1.72 Å^?1) to obtain the experimental cross section in that region. From the comparison, we concluded that for momentum transfers, x between 0.7 and 4.5 Å^?1 the scattering can be considered as being due to free atoms in free molecules. Therefore, the scattering cross sections may be considered as a sum of those from free atoms. Theoretically, the scattering cross sections can be obtained from the form factors as well as from the second‐order perturbation theory (S‐matrix) because there is no significant difference between both. On the other hand, for x ≤ 0.7 Å^?1, interference between the photon‐scattered amplitudes due to liquid structure generates oscillations in the cross section values. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Increase of Fluorescence of Humic-Like Substances in Interaction with Cd(II): a Photoinduced Charge Transfer Approach

Journal of Fluorescence - Described is the enhancement of fluorescence intensity due to the interaction of a humic-like substance (HLS 1%) extracted from process water (PW) and Cd(II) ions in...     

Modelling Polymer Particle Deformation on Mineral Surfaces - Part I: Validation of Initial Concepts

A simple model based on elastic and attraction forces is proposed to describe the spreading of a cross-linked polymer particle on one or two surfaces. The model considers the internal elastic forces between the knots of reticulation and the external attraction forces between the particle and the mineral surface. The deformation and therefore the final shape of the particle is a resultant of the applied forces. The model is validated by fitting with experimental data of latex spreading on mineral surfaces, and the next steps towards using this knowledge to help design new particle structures and morphology are outlined.     

Non-covalent interaction of benzonitrile with single-walled carbon nanotubes

We have studied the interaction of benzonitrile with as-prepared and purified single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs). As-prepared SWCNTs, when suspended in benzonitrile, lead to a red colored dispersion which contains fragments composed mostly of amorphous carbon and carbon-coated catalyst, thus suggesting that benzonitrile is a solvent that can be used as one step of the purification process. Optical spectroscopic data (infrared, Raman, absorption) showed that purified carbon nanotubes interact weakly with benzonitrile. These experimental results are confirmed by first principles calculations that predict a very weak adsorption process through π–π interaction instead of through the free electron pair of the nitrile.     

Type,cotype and twisted sums induced by complex interpolation

This paper deals with extensions or twisted sums of Banach spaces that come induced by complex interpolation and the relation between the type and cotype of the spaces in the interpolation scale and the nontriviality and singularity of the induced extension. The results are presented in the context of interpolation of families of Banach spaces, and are applied to the study of submodules of Schatten classes. We also obtain nontrivial extensions of spaces without the CAP which also fail the CAP.     

Silicene-terminated surface of calcium and strontium disilicides: properties and comparison with bulk structures by computational methods

The bulk and surface structures of calcium and strontium disilicides are investigated by computational methods using density functional theory. The investigated structures are R6, R3 and P1-CaSi₂ and P1-SrSi₂. The investigated properties are the cleavage energy at the silicene sheet, buckling of the bulk and surface silicene layers, charge transfer from calcium to silicon, band structure of bulk and surface-terminated structures and adsorption energies on H atoms and H₂ molecules on the silicene-terminated surface of the R3 phase. The cleavage energy at the silicene surface is low in all cases. Structures P1-CaSi₂ and R3-CaSi₂ contain silicene sheets with different coordination to Ca, while R6-CaSi₂ contains both types of the sheets. It is shown that the properties of the two types of silicene-like sheets in R6-CaSi₂ are similar to those of the corresponding sheets in P1-CaSi₂ and R3-CaSi₂, and the thermodynamically stable R6 phase is a good candidate for experimental investigation of silicene-terminated surface in calcium disilicide.     

Transfer Function Optimization Procedure for the H 2/H ∞ Problem

In this paper, the H ₂/H problem is considered in a transfer-function setting, i.e., without a priori chosen bounds on the controller order. An optimization procedure is described which is based on a parametrization of all feasible descending directions stemming from a given point of the feasible transfer-function set. A search direction at each such point can be obtained on the basis of the solution of a convex finite-dimensional problem which can be converted into a LMI problem. Moving along the chosen direction in each step, the procedure in question generates a sequence of feasible points whose cost functional values converge to the optimal value of the H ₂/H problem. Moreover, this sequence of feasible points is shown to converge in the sense of a weighted H ₂ norm; and it does so to the solution of the H ₂/H problem whenever such a solution exists.