Influence of Kr doping on neon soft X-rays emission in fast miniature plasma focus device

An investigation on the possibility of enhancement of soft X-ray (SXR) (900–1600 eV) emission from a fast miniature plasma focus (FMPF) device of 235 J (at 14 kV) storage energy through doping of operating gas was performed. Neon (Ne), the operating gaseous medium, was doped with krypton (Kr) in different volumetric ratios at various operating pressures ranging from 2 to 14 mbar. The 1% Kr doping increased the average optimum SXR emission efficiency from 0.47% to 0.6% without enhancing the hard X-ray (HXR) (>1600 eV) emission. The Kr doping influenced the major pinching characteristics such as focusing efficiency and time to pinch with consequential effect on X-ray emissions. Synchronous operation of the 4 pseudo-spark gap (PSG) switches was mandatory for efficient discharge current delivery to the electrodes. A drastic improvement in the pinching efficiency was obtained with replacement of old and worn out PSG switches with the new ones. Optical imaging of current sheath dynamics was performed using gated ICCD camera to verify the normal operation of the device after the PSGs replacement. A numerical simulation analysis on the 2 cm long stainless steel tapered anode, used in this study, was done to predict the maximum SXR emission efficiency and the peak operating gas pressure. An analysis on the amount of SXR fluence generated at the source position and the proportion of it reaching the target position is also reported.     

Iron chemistry of an asymmetrically substituted,triazole-functionalised calixarene ligand

The synthesis and characterisation of an asymmetrically substituted calix-triazole ligand are reported. The ligand reacts with the Fe(II) precursor Fe₂Mes₄ to yield an iron(II) calixarene complex that is oxidised by dioxygen to provide a dinuclear Fe(III) compound featuring an oxido bridge.     

Catalyst-free,ethylene glycol promoted one-pot three component synthesis of 3-amino alkylated indoles via Mannich-type reaction

A highly efficient and sustainable approach for the multi-component synthesis of biologically important 3-amino alkylated indoles has been investigated via Mannich-type reaction under catalyst-free, ethylene glycol as a recyclable promoting medium. The wide applicability of the present method was examined with various substrates viz substituted aldehydes, indoles and secondary amines. This method will be useful for a large scale synthesis of 3-amino alkylated indoles without the use of column chromatography. The present method provides higher environmental compatibility and sustainability factors such as smaller E-factor (0.433) and higher atom-economy (AE = 93.3%).     

Preparation and properties of lanthanum tungstate and studies of its ion-exchange and electrochemical behaviour

A new inorganic ion-exchanger lanthanum tungstate has been prepared by mixing lanthanum nitrate and sodium tungstate. The refluxed product has been found to be most suitable; therefore, most of the electrochemical and ion-exchange studies were performed on this product. The material is a weak cation exchanger with a capacity of 0.80 mmol per gram. Electrochemical studies are performed by preparing a pellet of this exchanger in polystyrene; charge density and membrane potential have been calculated. The results are discussed.     

Estimation of trace amounts of benzene in solvent-extracted vegetable oils and oil seed cakes

A new method is presented for the qualitative and quantitative estimation of trace amounts (up to 0.15 ppm) of benzene in crude as well as refined vegetable oils obtained by extraction with food grade hexane (FGH), and in the oil seed cakes left after extraction. The method involves the selection of two solvents; cyclohexanol, for thinning of viscous vegetable oil, and heptane, for azeotroping out trace benzene as a concentrate from the resulting mixture. Benzene is then estimated in the resulting azeotrope either by UV spectroscopy or by GC-MS subject to availability and cost effectiveness of the latter. Repeatability and reproducibility of the method is within 1-3% error. This method is suitable for estimating benzene in vegetable oils and oil seed cakes.     

Infrared and thermal behaviour of thorium(IV) and oxozirconium(IV) complexes of dibenzyl sulphoxide

A series of complexes of thorium(IV) and oxozirconium(IV) with dibenzyl sulphoxide having the general compositions ThX₄·2BzSO (X = Cl, Br, NCS or NO₃), ThI₄·4BzSO, Th(ClO₄)₄·6BzSO, ZrOX₂·2BzSO (X = Cl, Br, I, NCS, NCSe or BPh₄) and ZrO(ClO₄)₂· 6BzSO were synthesised and characterized by elemental analyses, electrolytic conductivity, moleculer weight, IR, and magnetic susceptibility measurements. TG and DTA of the complexes were also studied.     

Synthesis of 7-substituted farnesyl diphosphate analogues

[structure: see text] Six farnesyl diphosphate analogues modified in the central isoprene unit have been prepared via our stereoselective vinyl triflate-mediated route to isoprenoids. The 7-allyl compound 6 is a modest inhibitor of mammalian protein-farnesyl transferase, but surprisingly the other five analogues are effective alternative substrates for this enzyme.     

Behaviour of the thiodipropionic complex of In(III) and U(VI) at the DME in aqueous and aqueous methanolic solutions

The complexation of In(III) and U(VI) with thiodipropionic acid has been investigated polarographically in water and water-methanol solutions at 30 +/- 0.1 degrees . All the chelates belong to polaro-graphically reversible systems. With indium(III), complexes with metal to ligand ratios of 1:1, 1:2, 1:3 and 1:4 are found at pH 4.8. Uranium(VI) is found to form three successive complexes with metal to ligand ratios of 1:1,1:2 and 1:3 in 0.1M HCl, with 0.1M KCl as supporting electrolyte.     

Synthesis and characterization of zirconium(IV) iodovanadate and its use as electron exchanger

Samples of zirconium(IV) iodovanadate have been synthesized under varying mixing ratios by adding a mixture of aqueous solution of 0.1 M potassium iodate and 0.1 M sodium metavanadate to aqueous solution of 0.1 M zirconium oxychloride at pH 1. The ion exchange capacity of the material for Na⁺ ion was found to be 2.20 meq g⁻¹ of dry exchanger. The material has been characterized on the basis of chemical composition, FTIR and TGA. The chemical stability of the product has been checked in neutral, acidic and basic media. The product has been used as electron exchanger. The oxidation of Fe(II), Sn(II), ascorbic acid and thioglycolic acid was achieved by batch-equilibrium technique successfully. The maximum redox capacity of the exchanger has been found to be 4.20 meq g⁻¹ of exchanger by column process.