SBFEM elements for thin-walled composite beams with arbitrary layup

The scaled boundary finite element method (SBFEM) is a semi-analytical method in which only the boundary is discretized. The results on the boundary are scaled into the domain with respect to a scaling center which must be “visible” from the whole boundary. For beam-like problems the scaling center can be selected at infinity and only the cross-section is discretized. Two new elements for thin-walled beams have been developed on the basis of the first order shear deformation theory. The beam sections are considered to be multilayered laminate plates with arbitrary layup. The arbitrary cross-section is discretized with beam elements of Timoshenko type. Using the virtual work principle gives the SBFEM equation, which is a system of differential equations of a gyroscopic type. The solution is calculated using the matrix exponential function. The elements have been tested and compared with a finite element model and they give good results. (© 2014 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Physical Properties of Superbulky Lanthanide Metallocenes: Synthesis and Extraordinary Luminescence of [EuII(CpBIG)2] (CpBIG=(4‐nBu‐C6H4)5‐Cyclopentadienyl)

The superbulky deca‐aryleuropocene [Eu(Cp^BIG)₂], Cp^BIG=(4‐nBu‐C₆H₄)₅‐cyclopentadienyl, was prepared by reaction of [Eu(dmat)₂(thf)₂], DMAT=2‐Me₂N‐α‐Me₃Si‐benzyl, with two equivalents of Cp^BIGH. Recrystallizyation from cold hexane gave the product with a surprisingly bright and efficient orange emission (45 % quantum yield). The crystal structure is isomorphic to those of [M(Cp^BIG)₂] (M=Sm, Yb, Ca, Ba) and shows the typical distortions that arise from Cp^BIG???Cp^BIG attraction as well as excessively large displacement parameter for the heavy Eu atom (U_eq=0.075). In order to gain information on the true oxidation state of the central metal in superbulky metallocenes [M(Cp^BIG)₂] (M=Sm, Eu, Yb), several physical analyses have been applied. Temperature‐dependent magnetic susceptibility data of [Yb(Cp^BIG)₂] show diamagnetism, indicating stable divalent ytterbium. Temperature‐dependent ¹⁵¹Eu Mössbauer effect spectroscopic examination of [Eu(Cp^BIG)₂] was examined over the temperature range 93–215 K and the hyperfine and dynamical properties of the Eu^II species are discussed in detail. The mean square amplitude of vibration of the Eu atom as a function of temperature was determined and compared to the value extracted from the single‐crystal X‐ray data at 203 K. The large difference in these two values was ascribed to the presence of static disorder and/or the presence of low‐frequency torsional and librational modes in [Eu(Cp^BIG)₂]. X‐ray absorbance near edge spectroscopy (XANES) showed that all three [Ln(Cp^BIG)₂] (Ln=Sm, Eu, Yb) compounds are divalent. The XANES white‐line spectra are at 8.3, 7.3, and 7.8 eV, for Sm, Eu, and Yb, respectively, lower than the Ln₂O₃ standards. No XANES temperature dependence was found from room temperature to 100 K. XANES also showed that the [Ln(Cp^BIG)₂] complexes had less trivalent impurity than a [EuI₂(thf)_x] standard. The complex [Eu(Cp^BIG)₂] shows already at room temperature strong orange photoluminescence (quantum yield: 45 %): excitation at 412 nm (24270 cm^?1) gives a symmetrical single band in the emission spectrum at 606 nm (ν_max=16495 cm^?1, FWHM: 2090 cm^?1, Stokes‐shift: 2140 cm^?1), which is assigned to a 4f⁶5d¹→4f⁷ transition of Eu^II. These remarkable values compare well to those for Eu^II‐doped ionic host lattices and are likely caused by the rigidity of the [Eu(Cp^BIG)₂] complex. Sharp emission signals, typical for Eu^III, are not visible.     

Development of On-line Liquid Chromatography-Biochemical Detection for Soluble Epoxide Hydrolase Inhibitors in Mixtures

In this study, an end-point-based fluorescence assay for soluble epoxide hydrolase (sEH) was transformed into an on-line continuous-flow format. The on-line biochemical detection system (BCD) was coupled on-line to liquid chromatography (LC) to allow mixture analysis. The on-line BCD was based on a flow system wherein sEH activity was detected by competition of analytes with the substrate hydrolysis. The reaction product was measured by fluorescence detection. In parallel to the BCD data, UV and MS data were obtained through post-column splitting of the LC effluent. The buffer system and reagent concentrations were optimized resulting in a stable on-line BCD with a good assay window and good sensitivity (S/N > 60). The potency of known sEH inhibitors (sEHis) obtained by LC–BCD correlates well with published values. The LC–BCD system was applied to test how oxidative microsomal metabolism affects the potency of three sEHis. After incubation with pig liver microsomes, several metabolites of sEHis were characterized by MS, while their individual potencies were measured by BCD. For all compounds tested, active metabolites were observed. The developed method allows for the first time the detection of sEHis in mixtures providing new opportunities in the development of drug candidates.     

High temperature liquid chromatography hyphenated with ESI-MS and ICP-MS detection for the structural characterization and quantification of halogen containing drug metabolites

In this paper we describe the hyphenation of high temperature liquid chromatography with ICP-MS and ESI-MS for the characterization of halogen containing drug metabolites. The use of temperature gradients up to 200°C enabled the separation of metabolites with low organic modifier content. This specific property allowed the use of detection methods that suffer from (significant) changes in analyte response factors as a function of the organic modifier content such as ICP-MS. Metabolites of two kinase inhibitors (SB-203580-Iodo and MAPK inhibitor VIII) produced by bacterial cytochrome P450 BM3 mutants and human liver microsomes were identified based on high resolution MS(n) data. Quantification was done using their normalized and elemental specific response in the ICP-MS. The importance of these kinds of quantification strategies is stressed by the observation that the difference of the position of one oxygen atom in a structure can greatly affect its response in ESI-MS and UV detection.     

Assessment of asymmetric crack initiation in open-hole plates using a coupled stress and energy criterion

An application of the finite fracture mechanics concept to open-hole plates subject to combined tensile and bending loading is presented. In finite fracture mechanics, the simultaneous satisfaction of both, a stress and an energy criterion, is enforced as a condition for crack initiation. Efficient modeling and closed-form expressions for the dependence of the stress and energy quantities on governing structural and material parameters allow for a comprehensive numerical analysis of the onset of asymmetric crack patterns. The obtained failure load predictions are found to agree well with a cohesive zone model and experimental data from literature. (© 2016 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Influence of aryl substituents on the thermal and solubility behavior of poly(p-phenylene terephthalate) and poly(p-phenylene terephthalamide)

The substitution of poly(p-phenylene terephthalate) and poly(p-phenylene terephthalamide) with phenyl and biphenylyl substituents (4-biphenylyl and 2-biphenylyl) in the terephthalic acid unit lowers the melting temperatures and crystallization tendency and increases the solubility. The melting temperatures of the polyesters are in the range of 285–350°C. Melting of the polyamides occurs between 440–490°C. The polyamides begin to decompose in the same temperature range. In polyesters as well as in polyamides the 2-biphenylyl substituent was found to be more effective in decreasing the crystallinity, lowering the melt transition temperatures and increasing the solubility.