Platinum particles dispersed poly(diphenylamine) modified electrode for methanol oxidation

A modified potentiostatic method, termed the ‘pulse pontentiostatic method’ (PPSM) was used to get nano fibrillar poly(diphenylamine) (PDPA) film on Indium tin oxide (ITO) coated glass electrode and also for making modified electrode with platinum particles dispersed in PDPA. Platinum clusters were electrodispersed under constant potential on PDPA films to obtain catalytic electrodes for methanol oxidation. Energy dispersive analysis of X-rays (EDAX) results showed that the Pt microparticles are deposited into PDPA film. Scanning electron micrograph, SEM images show that the deposition results spherical catalytic particles. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) results inform that the net electronic charge on carbon atom and also the imine/amine ratio was not affected by Pt loadings. The modification of electrode surface by nano fibular PDPA improves the electrocatalytic activity for methanol oxidation.     

DNA Encapsulation of Ten Silver Atoms Produces a Bright, Modulatable, Near Infrared-Emitting Cluster

Photostability, inherent fluorescence brightness, and optical modulation of fluorescence are key attributes distinguishing silver nanoclusters as fluorophores. DNA plays a central role both by protecting the clusters in aqueous environments and by directing their formation. Herein, we characterize a new near infrared-emitting cluster with excitation and emission maxima at 750 and 810 nm, respectively that is stabilized within C(3)AC(3)AC(3)TC(3)A. Following chromatographic resolution of the near infrared species, a stoichiometry of 10 Ag/oligonucleotide was determined. Combined with excellent photostability, the cluster's 30% fluorescence quantum yield and 180,000 M(-1)cm(-1) extinction coefficient give it a fluorescence brightness that significantly improves on that of the organic dye Cy7. Fluorescence correlation analysis shows an optically accessible dark state that can be directly depopulated with longer wavelength co-illumination. The coupled increase in total fluorescence demonstrates that enhanced sensitivity can be realized through Synchronously Amplified Fluorescence Image Recovery (SAFIRe), which further differentiates this new fluorophore.     

Computation of heat transfer enhancement in a plate‐fin heat exchanger with triangular inserts and delta wing vortex generator

Longitudinal vortices disrupt the growth of the thermal boundary layer, thereby the vortex generators producing the longitudinal vortices are well known for the enhancement of heat transfer in compact heat exchangers. The present investigation determines the heat transfer characteristics with secondary flow analysis in plate fin triangular ducts with delta wing vortex generators. This geometrical configuration is investigated for various angles of attack of the wing i.e. 15°, 20°, 26° and 37° and Reynolds numbers 100 and 200. The constant wall temperature boundary condition is used. The solution of the complete Navier Stokes equation and the energy equation is carried out using the staggered grid arrangement. The performance of the combination of triangular secondary fins and delta wing with stamping on slant surfaces has also been studied. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Separation of Palladium by Extraction Chromatographic Technique Using Cyanex 471X (Tri Isobutyl Phosphine Sulfide) on Chromosorb-102

In a preliminary study performed with the waste rocks from the future uranium mine to be explored in Brazil, 106 samples were taken from the eight main lithologies found in the massif and analysed by instrumental neutron activation analysis (INAA) for 20 elements. For samples from the same lithology, a high variability in the concentration of most of the elements was found (coefficient of variation larger than 20%), which might be attributed to either insufficient homogenisation of minerals or to local variation within lithology. The hypothesis that the variability within the lithology does not have an influence to the total variability was tested by analysing 5 replicates of the 5 most contrasting samples from the predominant lithology (plagioclase-microcline-gneiss), chosen after applying statistical evaluation (principal components and cluster analyses). Results indicated that homogenisation of samples was adequate due to low variation among replicates. The hypothesis tested was rejected with a confidence level higher than 99% for all the elements, corroborating the large intra-lithology variability.     

1,4‐Dilithio‐1,1,4,4‐tetraphenylbutane in diethyl ether: An effective initiator for the living anionic polymerization of dienes

The anionic polymerization of butadiene initiated with 1,4‐dilithio‐1,1,4,4‐tetraphenylbutane (LiTPB) in diethyl ether (DEE) gives polybutadiene (PBD) with high 1,2 content (>70%), narrow polydispersities (1.04 < M_w/M_n < 1.20), and predicted molecular weights. In THF, this polymerization does not work very well. After removal of DEE and addition of THF, the PBD dianion is end capped quantitatively by addition of 1,1‐diphenylethylene (DPE) to give the diphenylalkyl end capped PBD dianion. Subsequent addition of methyl methacrylate at low temperatures results in the formation of well‐defined PMMA‐b‐PBD‐b‐PMMA triblock copolymers. The results are accounted for by taking into account the effects of Li ion solvation on the BD initiation and end capping of the PBD anion by DPE. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 47: 2198–2206, 2009     

Enhanced second-harmonic generation in AlGaAs microring resonators

Highly efficient second-harmonic generation can be achieved by harnessing resonance effects in microring resonator structures. We propose an angular quasi-phase-matching scheme based on the position dependence of polarization inside the ring resonator.     

An elastic wave scattering problem relating to the rapid movement of a fracture in a plate: Part II — Numerical results

In Part I of this two part paper, we developed analytical expressions for the crack face displacements due to an applied point traction as well as a moving point source of dilatation. In this sequel to Part I, we present numerical results for the crack face displacements in the form of displacement-time records at fixed locations on the crack face. For the stationary point traction problem, the results are more or less in keeping with the predictions made in Part I, with the Rayleigh pulse giving a large contribution for an applied step load.In the case of the moving point microfracture with a step time dependence, in addition to the diffracted compressional, shear and Rayleigh arrivals there is observed the evolution of a new pulse whose amplitude and position on the time record shifts changes if the calculations are done for a different crack speed. Results are also presented for a microfracture with an oscillatory time dependence. Once again, the first arrival of the surface pulse appears to be the most prominent arrival on the record. Further explorations of the parameters and source functions would be required before comparisons with experimental data can be made.