Synthesis of Oxygen‐Containing Spirobipyrrolidinium Salts for High Conductivity Room Temperature Ionic Liquids

Synthesis of ionic liquids (IL) based on oxygen‐containing spirobipyrrolidinium salts with BF₄, BF₃C₂F₅, and NTf₂ as counterions was undertaken. Their physical and electrochemical properties were evaluated for suitability for Room Temperature Ionic Liquids (RTIL) application. Reduction in melting point occurred upon exchange of C(2) by an O‐atom of spirobipyrrolidinium, without sacrificing the electrochemical stability; while introduction of alkyl groups between the N‐ and O‐atoms led to incorporation of asymmetry, and hence reduced the melting points, and viscosity.     

Synthesis and biological evaluation of 3-hydroxypyrazoles as aquaporin 9 inhibitors

A series of 3-hydroxypyrazole derivatives have been synthesized by a base-promoted reaction of nitro-substituted donor–acceptor cyclopropanes with hydrazines. The synthesized compounds have been investigated for their ability to inhibit aquaporin 9 (AQP9) in rat Leydig cells (LC-540). The protein data bank structure for AQP9 was predicted using homology modeling; and the protein–ligand interaction for the synthesized hydroxyl pyrazole derivatives were analyzed using molecular modeling and docking studies. The results of in silico analyses showed that compound 5b had a higher binding affinity with AQP9 than other compounds. Further, in vitro studies conducted in LC-540 cells confirmed that compound 5b effectively inhibits AQP9. Hence, compound 5b may be used as an inhibitor in enhancing our understanding of AQP9 function, and in the treatment of several diseases.     

Synthesis, structural and conductivity characterization of alginic acid–Fe3O4 nanocomposite

Alginic acid–Fe₃O₄ nanocomposite is synthesized by the precipitation of Fe₃O₄ in the presence of alginic acid (AA). Structural, surface, morphological, thermal and electrical transport properties of the nanocomposite were performed by XRD, FT-IR, TEM-SEM, TGA and conductivity measurements respectively. FT-IR analysis revealed that Fe₃O₄ NPs are strongly capped with AA and TGA analysis showed that nanocomposite have 80% of Fe₃O₄ content. TEM analysis of Fe₃O₄ NPs show an average particle size of 9.5 nm, and upon nanocomposite formation with AA these particles are observed to form aggregates of ~150 nm. The frequency-dependency of the AC conductivity show electrode polarization effect. Analysis of electrical modulus and dielectric permittivity functions suggest that ionic and polymer segmental motions are strongly coupled. DC electrical conductivity is strongly temperature dependent, and is classified into three regions over a limited temperature range of up to 100 °C.     

An exact solution for static scalar fields coupled to gravity in (2+1)-dimensions

We obtain an exact solution for the Einstein’s equations with cosmological constant coupled to a scalar, static particle in static, “spherically” symmetric background in (2+1)-dimensions.     

Mechanical Properties of Linear Low‐density Polyethylene (LLDPE)/clay Nanocomposites: Estimation of Aspect Ratio and İnterfacial Strength by Composite Models

In this study, mechanical properties of the linear low‐density polyethylene (LLDPE)/org‐clay nanocomposites prepared by melt processing were investigated. Aspect ratio (A _f ) of the clay layers were estimated by using the Halpin‐Tsai (H‐T) micromechanical model based on the enhancement of the Young's modulus (E) with the clay loading (φ). Strength of interfacial interactions (τ and B parameters) between the clay layers and polymer chains were also quantified by two indirect modeling approaches based on the improvement in tensile strength (or yield stress) of the nanocomposite samples. Interfacial strength parameters, τ and B, were found as about 5 MPa and 17.3, respectively. The average value of A _f was calculated as ～35 by the H‐T model. In the TEM study, it was observed that the nanocomposite samples showed mixed morphology that could be defined as some exfoliated layers, intercalated clay stacks, and two to three layered tactoids present together within the samples. An estimated A _f value was also confirmed by the TEM study. On the other hand, it was also shown that the A _f value is consistent with previously reported values calculated by the modeling of melt rheological data of samples obtained from dynamic oscillatory shear measurements.     

Robust sampled‐data control of uncertain switched neutral systems with probabilistic input delay

This article focuses on the robust sampled‐data control for a class of uncertain switched neutral systems based on the average dwell‐time approach. In particular, the system is considered with probabilistic input delay using sampled state vectors, which are described by the stochastic variables with a Bernoulli distributed white sequence and time‐varying norm‐bounded uncertainties. By constructing a novel Lyapunov–Krasovskii functional which involves the lower and upper bounds of the delay, a new set of sufficient conditions are derived in terms of linear matrix inequalities for ensuring the robust exponential stability of the uncertain switched neutral system about its equilibrium point. Moreover, based on the stability criteria, a state feedback sampled‐data control law is designed for the considered system. Finally, a numerical example based on the water‐quality dynamic model for the Nile River is given to illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed design technique. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Complexity 21: 308–318, 2016     

Glycolipids from natural sources: dry liquid crystal properties,hydrogen bonding and molecular mobility of Palm Kernel oil mannosides

ABSTRACT

Glycolipids prepared from palm kernel oil, PKO, in tropical regions represent an excellent opportunity to develop new surfactant formulations for cosmeceutical and pharmaceutical applications while contributing to sustainable economies. Here we report the synthesis of a new mannoside obtained from palm kernel oil, aManPKO, and we characterise its thermotropic properties by using DSC, POM, SAXS, WAXS, FT-IR and broadband dielectric spectroscopy. aManPKO exhibits a monotropic smectic phase with a partially interdigitated bilayer structure, similar to its major unsaturated component, the oleyl mannoside with a C18:1 monounsaturated alkyl chain. The smectic phase of aManPKO vitrifies below room temperature, which is associated to the C18:1 component, but also to the activation of short-range motions, ~4 Å, by cleavage of strong hydrogen bonding between the polar heads of the mannosides. The stability of the liquid crystal phase, on the other hand, is linked to the presence of weak hydrogen bonding, whose breakage leads to the activation of long rate motions in the range of the layer distances, ~39 Å.     

Robust reliable sampled‐data H∞ control for uncertain stochastic systems with random delay

In this article, the problem of robust reliable sampled‐data control for a class of uncertain nonlinear stochastic system with random delay control input against actuator failures has been studied. In the considered system, the parameter uncertainty satisfies the norm bounded condition and the involved time delay in control input are assumed to be randomly time‐varying which is modeled by introducing Bernoulli distributed sequences. By constructing a novel Lyapunov–Krasovskii functional involving with the lower and upper bounds of the delay, a new set of sufficient conditions are derived in terms of linear matrix inequalities (LMIs) for ensuring the robust asymptotic stability of the uncertain nonlinear stochastic system with random delay and disturbance attenuation level about its equilibrium point for all possible actuator failures. In particular, Schur complement together with Jenson's integral inequality is utilized to substantially simplify the derivation in the main results. The derived analytic results are applied to design robust reliable sampled‐data controller for hanging crane structure model and simulation results are provided to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed control law. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Complexity 21: 42–58, 2015