Shape-dependent local internal stress of α-Cr2O3 nanocrystal fabricated by pulsed laser ablation

The α-Cr₂O₃ single-crystal nanocondensates were fabricated by pulsed laser ablation in air and characterized by analytical electron microscopy regarding shape-dependent local internal stress of the anisotropic crystal. The nanocondensates formed predominantly as rhombohedra with well-developed surfaces and occasionally hexagonal plate with thin edges and blunt corners. Such nanocondensates showed Raman shift for the CrO₆ polyhedra, indicating a local compressive stress up to ca. 4 GPa on the average. Careful analysis of the lattice fringes revealed a local compressive stress (0.5% strain) at the thin edge of the hexagonal plates and a local tensile stress (0.3–1.0% strain) near the relaxed , , and (0 0 0 1) surfaces of truncated rhombohedra. The combined effects of nanosize, capillarity force at sharp edge, and specific surface relaxation account for the retention of a local internal compressive stress built up in an anisotropic crystal during a very rapid heating–cooling process.     

Measurement of residual stresses in film insert molded parts with complex geometry

Residual stress distribution of injection molded and film insert injection molded products were measured by using the hole drilling method after ejection and annealing, respectively. Non-isothermal three dimensional flow analysis was carried out for filling, packing and cooling stages. The flow analysis results were transported to a finite element stress analysis program and three dimensional stress analysis was performed for prediction of residual stresses in the parts. For comparison, residual stress distribution was measured by the layer removal method and calculated by the three dimensional numerical simulation in order to evaluate accuracy of the hole drilling method. Residual stress distributions obtained by both experiments and numerical methods accorded well with each other. Therefore, the hole drilling method is a reliable and useful method for measurement of residual stresses in injection molded parts, especially, products with complex geometry.     

Method validation of a procedure for determination of <Superscript>210</Superscript>Po in water using DDTC solvent extraction and Sr resin

For the determination of ²¹⁰Po in water samples, two alternative procedures (a) DDTC solvent extraction and (b) extraction chromatography using Sr Resin were selected and then validated in terms of trueness, repeatability and reproducibility with a tap water spiked with a known amount of ²¹⁰Po. In this work the optimization conditions for the auto-deposition of Po for source preparation were also studied.     

Sequential separation of transuranic elements and fission products from uranium metal ingots in electrolytic reduction process of spent PWR fuels

A sequential separation procedure has been developed for the determination of transuranic elements and fission products in uranium metal ingot samples from an electrolytic reduction process for a metallization of uranium dioxide to uranium metal in a medium of LiCl-Li₂O molten salt at 650 °C. Pu, Np and U were separated using anion-exchange and tri-n-butylphosphate (TBP) extraction chromatography. Cs, Sr, Ba, Ce, Pr, Nd, Sm, Eu, Gd, Zr and Mo were separated in several groups from Am and Cm using TBP and di(2-ethylhexyl)phosphoric acid (HDEHP) extraction chromatography. Effect of Fe, Ni, Cr and Mg, which were corrosion products formed through the process, on the separation of the analytes was investigated in detail. The validity of the separation procedure was evaluated by measuring the recovery of the stable metals and ²³⁹Pu, ²³⁷Np, ²⁴¹Am and ²⁴⁴Cm added to a synthetic uranium metal ingot dissolved solution.     

Structure–Function Relationships in Unsymmetrical Zinc Phthalocyanines for Dye‐Sensitized Solar Cells

Let it shine! The impact of the anchoring group on photovoltaic performance by a series of phthalocyanine sensitisers (see figure) has been demonstrated.

     

Synthesis, characterization, photophysics and electrophosphorescent applications of phosphorescent platinum cyclometalated complexes with 9-arylcarbazole moieties

A series of cyclometalating platinum(II) complexes with substituted 9-arylcarbazolyl chromophores have been synthesized and characterized. These complexes are thermally stable and most of them have been characterized by X-ray crystallography. The phosphorescence emissions of the complexes are dominated by ³MLCT excited states. The excited state properties of these complexes can be modulated by varying the electronic characteristics of the cyclometalating ligands via substituent effects, thus allowing the emission to be tuned from bright green to yellow, orange and red light. The correlation between the functional properties of these metallophosphors and the results of density functional theory calculations was made. Because of the propensity of the electron-rich carbazolyl group to facilitate hole injection/transport, the presence of such moiety can increase the highest occupied molecular orbital levels and improve the charge balance in the resulting complexes relative to the parent platinum(II) phosphor with 2-phenylpyridine ligand. The solution-processed electrophosphorescent organic light-emitting diodes doped with these platinum-based phosphors have been fabricated which showed a maximum external quantum efficiency of 2.77% for the best device, corresponding to a power efficiency of 3.48 lm/W and a luminance efficiency of 8.49 cd/A. The present work enables the rational design of platinum-carbazolyl electrophosphors by synthetically tailoring the structure of carbazolylpyridine ring that can permit good color-tuning versatility suitable for multi-color display technology.     

Electrocatalytic reduction of carbon dioxide by a polymeric film of rhenium tricarbonyl dipyridylamine

A dipyridylamine ligand with a pendant pyrrole (N-(3-N,N′-bis(2-pyridyl)propylamino)pyrrole, PPP) and its corresponding rhenium(I) complex, Re(CO)₃(κ²-N,N-PPP)Cl, were synthesized. The structure of Re(CO)₃(κ²-N,N-PPP)Cl was determined by X-ray crystallography. Electrochemical polymerization of the pyrrole moiety resulted in the immobilization of poly[Re(CO)₃(κ²-N,N-PPP)Cl] film onto a glassy carbon electrode, which exhibited electrocatalytic activity for the reduction of CO₂ to CO.     

The Antimicrobial Activity,Mosquito Larvicidal Activity,Antioxidant Property and Tyrosinase Inhibition of Piper Betle

The essential oil and methanolic and aqueous extracts of Piper betle L. were assayed for their antimicrobial activity, mosquito larvicidal activity, antioxidant property and mushroom tyrosinase inhibition. The methanolic and aquaous extracts showed strong activity against the yeasts: C. albicans, and M. pachydermatis. The crude essential oil exhibited a broad‐spectrum strong antimicrobial activity against all test organisms. The strongest activity was observed against C. albicans, followed by S. aureus and M. pachydermatis. The chemical composition of the essential oil and its fractions was analyzed by GC/MS analysis. Eugenol (36.2%), chavibetol acetate (16.9%), 4‐allylphenyl acetate (9.4%) and 4‐allylphenol (7.2%) were the main components, comprising 69.7% of the oil. The fractionation of the essential oil gave two fractions. Fraction I was rich in eugenol (71.3%) and fraction II in eugenol (46.4%), chavibetol acetate (19.4%) and 4‐allylphenyl acetate (11.8%). The essential oil exhibited the mosquito larvicidal activity with 2 h and 24 h LD₅₀ value of 86 and 48 ppm, respectively. The methanolic extract of P. betle showed larvicidal activity with 2 h and 24 h LD₅₀ value of 153 and 125 ppm, respectively, whereas the aqueous extract showed slight active. The individual antioxidant assays such as DPPH scavenging activity, chelating effect of ferrous ions and reducing power have been used. P. betle showed remarkable antioxidant activity in DPPH and reducing power assays. The activity observed can be attributed to the presence of the phenolic compounds. The essential oil exhibited concentration‐dependent inhibition of mushroom tyrosinase, giving an IC₅₀ value of 126 ppm. The fraction I showed a strong inhibition of tyrosinase activity, giving an IC₅₀ value of 115 ppm. The presence of 4‐allylphenolic components in the essential oil may play an important role in the inhibition of tyrosinase. In conclusion, the results presented here show that Piper betle essential oil could be considered as a natural antimicrobial, mosquito larvicidal, antioxidant and tyrosinase inhibition source.