Thermal properties of high density polyethylene composites with natural fibres: Coupling agent effect

High density polyethylene composites with curaua fibres were prepared using an intermeshing co-rotating extruder and two different coupling agents. The thermal stability of the components was studied by thermogravimetric and differential scanning analysis, as well as by the oxidation induction time. Maleic anhydride grafted polyethylene, used as coupling agent, affected the composite stability more markedly than did poly(ethylene-co-vinyl acetate). However, oxidation induction times were analogous for composites with and without coupling agents. Results also indicated that a higher fibre-matrix interaction precludes the crystallinity enhancement caused by the fibre.     

On Some Properties of PBZ*-Lattices

We continue the algebraic investigation of PBZ*-lattices, a notion introduced in Giuntini et al. (Stud. Logica 104, 1145–1177, 2016) in order to obtain insights into the structure of certain algebras of effects of a Hilbert space, lattice-ordered under the spectral ordering.     

Thermoresponsive hydrogels from symmetrical triblock copolymers poly(styrene-block-(methoxy diethylene glycol acrylate)-block-styrene)

A series of symmetrical, thermo-responsive triblock copolymers was prepared by reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) polymerization, and studied in aqueous solution with respect to their ability to form hydrogels. Triblock copolymers were composed of two identical, permanently hydrophobic outer blocks, made of low molar mass polystyrene, and of a hydrophilic inner block of variable length, consisting of poly(methoxy diethylene glycol acrylate) PMDEGA. The polymers exhibited a LCST-type phase transition in the range of 20-40 °C, which markedly depended on molar mass and concentration. Accordingly, the triblock copolymers behaved as amphiphiles at low temperatures, but became water-insoluble at high temperatures. The temperature dependent self-assembly of the amphiphilic block copolymers in aqueous solution was studied by turbidimetry and rheology at concentrations up to 30 wt %, to elucidate the impact of the inner thermoresponsive block on the gel properties. Additionally, small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) was performed to access the structural changes in the gel with temperature. For all polymers a gel phase was obtained at low temperatures, which underwent a gel-sol transition at intermediate temperatures, well below the cloud point where phase separation occurred. With increasing length of the PMDEGA inner block, the gel-sol transition shifts to markedly lower concentrations, as well as to higher transition temperatures. For the longest PMDEGA block studied (DP(n) about 450), gels had already formed at 3.5 wt % at low temperatures. The gel-sol transition of the hydrogels and the LCST-type phase transition of the hydrophilic inner block were found to be independent of each other.     

Low intensity infrared laser effects on Escherichia coli cultures and plasmid DNA

Biostimulative effect of low intensity laser in tissues has been described on a photobiological basis and clinical protocols are recommended for treatment of various diseases. The aim of this work was to evaluate effects of laser exposure on the survival of Escherichia coli cultures and plasmid topological forms. Escherichia coli cultures and plasmids were exposed to infrared laser to study bacterial survival and electrophoretic profile, respectively. Data indicate low intensity infrared laser: (i) had no effect on E. coli wild type, endonuclease IV, exonuclease III, formamidopyrimidine DNA glycosylase/MutM protein and endonuclease III deficient cultures, but decreased the survival of E. coli UvrA protein deficient cultures; (ii) there was no alteration in the electrophoretic profile of plasmids. Exposure to low intensity infrared laser decreases survival of Escherichia coli cultures deficient in nucleotide excision repair of DNA and this effect could depend on fluences, wavelength and tissues conditions.     

Time-Stepping Approximation of Rigid-Body Dynamics with Perfect Unilateral Constraints. II: The Partially Elastic Impact Case

As in Paoli (Arch Rational Mech Anal, 2010), we consider a discrete mechanical system with a non-trivial mass matrix subjected to perfect unilateral constraints described by geometrical inequalities ${f_{\alpha}(q) \geqq 0, \alpha \in \{1, \ldots, \nu \}\, (\nu \geqq 1)}We consider a discrete mechanical system with a non-trivial mass matrix, subjected to perfect unilateral constraints described by the geometrical inequalities f_a (q) \geqq 0, a ? {1, ..., n} (n\geqq 1){f_{\alpha} (q) \geqq 0, \alpha \in \{1, \dots, \nu\} (\nu \geqq 1)}. We assume that the transmission of the velocities at impact is governed by Newton’s Law with a coefficient of restitution e = 0 (so that the impact is inelastic). We propose a time-discretization of the second order differential inclusion describing the dynamics, which generalizes the scheme proposed in Paoli (J Differ Equ 211:247–281, 2005) and, for any admissible data, we prove the convergence of approximate motions to a solution of the initial-value problem.     

Sodium β-Diketonate Glyme Adducts as Precursors for Fluoride Phases: Synthesis,Characterization and Functional Validation

Very few sodium complexes are available as precursors for the syntheses of sodium-based nanostructured materials. Herein, the diglyme, triglyme, and tetraglyme (CH₃O(CH₂CH₂O)_nCH₃, n = 2–4) adducts of sodium hexafluoroacetylacetonate were synthesized in a single-step reaction and characterized by IR spectroscopy, ¹H, and ¹³C NMR. Single-crystal X-ray diffraction studies provide evidence of the formation of the ionic oligomeric structure [Na₄(hfa)₆]²⁻•2[Na(diglyme₂]⁺ when the diglyme is coordinated, while a mononuclear seven-coordinated complex Na(hfa)•tetraglyme is formed with the tetraglyme. Reaction with the monoglyme (CH₃OCH₂CH₂OCH₃) does not occur, and the unadducted polymeric structure [Na(hfa)]_n forms, while the triglyme gives rise to a liquid adduct, Na(hfa)•triglyme•H₂O. Thermal analysis data reveal great potentialities for their applications as precursors in metalorganic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) and sol-gel processes. As a proof-of-concept, the Na(hfa)•tetraglyme adduct was successfully applied to both the low-pressure MOCVD and the sol-gel/spin-coating synthesis of NaF films.     

Synthesis and structure refinement of layered perovskites Ba5−xLaxNb4−xTixO15 (x=0, 1, 2, 3 and 4) solid solutions

Ba_5−xLa_xNb_4−xTi_xO₁₅ solid solutions were prepared by solid state reaction method. Structural analysis for the stoichiometric phases was performed for x=0, 1, 2 and 3 by Rietveld analysis of neutron powder diffraction data. The x=0, 1 and 2 members could be refined in the space group P-3m1 (stacking sequence chhcc, polytypoid 5 H). There is a decrease in cell volume as x increases. La³⁺ occupies preferentially the A2 site (Wyckoff site 2d) and Ti⁴⁺ the B2 site (Wyckoff site 2c). As x increases there is an increase of the global instability index (GII) (which is a measure of the extent to which the BVS rule is violated over the whole structure) indicating the presence of intrinsic strains large enough to cause instability at room temperature. This strain is responsible for a structural change for the member with x=3, which could be refined in the space group P-3c1 (stacking sequence (chhcc)₂, polytypoid 2×5H=10H). This change in space group is associated with a cooperative rotation of (Nb/Ti)O₆ octahedra around the c-axis, necessary to accommodate the smaller La³⁺ ion in the cuboctahedral cavity.     

Cation and anion coordination chemistry of palladium(II) with polyazacycloalkanes. Thermodynamic and structural studies

The interaction of PdCl ₄ ^2– with the macrocyclic ligands of the series [3k]aneN _k has been studied both in solution and in the solid state. [18]aneN₆ and [21]aneN₇ form both mono- and binuclear Pd²⁺ complexes, whose stability constants have been determined in 0.5 mol dm^–3 NaCl at 298.15 K. [21]aneN₇ also forms, in solution, a trinuclear species in which an amino group deprotonates to bridge two Pd²⁺ ions, as observed in the solid state. The crystal structure of the complexes [Pd₂([18]aneN₆)Cl₂][ClO₄]₂ and [Pd₃([21]aneN₇)Cl₃][ClO₄]₂ · H₂O have been solved by single crystal X-ray analysis. C₁₂H₃₀N₆Cl₄O₈Pd₂: monoclinic, space group C2/m,a = 10.876(2),b = 18.117(2),c = 7.043(2) Å, = 113.78(2)°,V = 1270(12) ų,Z = 2,D _calc = 1.92 g cm^-3, = 16.94 cm^–1.R = 0.063,R _w = 0.059. C₁₄H₃₆N₇CI₅O₉Pd₃: orthorhombic, space groupPcab,a = 13.125(7),b = 13.213(3),c = 33.570(5) Å,V = 5822(3) ų,Z = 8,D _calc = 2.15 g cm^–3, = 21.20 cm^–1.R = 0.074,R _w = 0.061. In very acidic solutions the polyammonium cations (H _k [3k]aneN _k ) ^k+ interact with PdCl ₄ ^2– forming second sphere coordinated species. These reactions have been followed by a microcalorimetric technique in 2 mol dm^–3 HCl solutions. The slowness of the reactions of (H₁₀[30]aneN₁₀)¹⁰⁺ with PdCl ₄ ^2– has been interpreted in terms of inclusion of the anion into the receptor's cavity as shown by the crystal structure of [(PdCl₄)(H₁₀[30]aneN₁₀)][PdCl₄]₂Cl₄: triclinic, space group PT,a = 7.760(3),b = 11.448(4),c = 13.399(11) Å, = 96.31(8)°, = 104.50(6)°, = 92.30(3)°,Z = 1.R = 0.046 andR _w = 0.039.This paper is dedicated to the memory of the late Dr C. J. Pedersen.