Modulated DSC for gas hydrates analysis

Modulated DSC has been applied to the study of methane, ethane and propane hydrates at different hydrate and ice concentrations. The reversing component of the TMDSC curves, makes it possible to characterize such hydrates. Methane and ethane hydrates show the melting-decomposition peak at a temperatures higher than the ice contained in the sample, while propane hydrate melts and decomposes at lower temperature than the ice present in the sample. The hydrate peaks tend to disappear if the hydrate is stored at atmospheric pressure. Guest size and cavity occupation fix the heat of dissociation and stability of the hydrates, as confirmed by parallel tests on tetrahydrofurane hydrates.     

Effect of external Gaussian random field on phonon spectrum of linear atomic chains

We present the theoretical study of the effect of external random field characterized by a Gaussian probability distribution function on the continuous phonon spectrum of one-dimensional (1D) chain, based on the Jacobian matrix method. The cumulative effect of the random field and simple isotopic defect is studied analytically and numerically. The Gaussian random field removes a square-root divergence appearing in the phonon spectrum of ideal 1D chain. The impurity phonon DOS shows strong dependence on the variance and the mean of the random field and exhibits very different behavior from the non-random case: the continuous spectrum is expanded and the δ-peak, describing discrete impurity vibrations in the non-random chain with the impurity, falls into a continuous zone.     

CuPc molecules adsorbed on Au(1 1 0)-(1 × 2): growth morphology and evolution of valence band states

We present the growth morphology, the long-range ordering, and the evolution of the valence band electronic states of ultrathin films of copper phthalocyanine (CuPc) deposited on the Au(1 1 0)-(1 × 2) reconstructed surface, as a function of the organic molecule coverage. The low energy electron diffraction patterns present a (5 × 3) reconstruction from the early adsorption stages. High-resolution UV photoelectron spectroscopy data show the disappearance of the Au surface states related to the (1 × 2) reconstruction, and the presence of new electronic features related to the molecule-substrate interaction and to the CuPc molecular states. The CuPc highest occupied molecular orbital gradually emerges in the valence band, while the interface electronic states are quenched, upon increasing the coverage.     

A Genetic Algorithm for Solving a Capacitated p-Median Problem

Facility-location problems have several applications, such as telecommunications, industrial transportation and distribution. One of the most well-known facility-location problems is the p-median problem. This work addresses an application of the capacitated p-median problem to a real-world problem. We propose a genetic algorithm (GA) to solve the capacitated p-median problem. The proposed GA uses not only conventional genetic operators, but also a new heuristic “hypermutation” operator suggested in this work. The proposed GA is compared with a tabu search algorithm.     

Effect of maltodextrins on the surface activity of small-molecule surfactants

We report on the effect of commercially important polysaccharides (maltodextrins with variable dextrose equivalent (Paselli SA-2, MD-6 and MD-10) on the surface activity at the air–water interface of small-molecule surfactants (sms), possessing different hydrophobic–lipophilic balance ((SSL (Na⁺), the main component is a sodium salt of stearol–lactoyl lactic acid, and PGE (080), polyglycerol ester of C18 fatty acid), and widely used in food products. A marked change of the surface activity of sms was found in the presence of maltodextrins by tensiometry. The combined data of laser multiangle light scattering and mixing calorimetry have suggested that this result is governed by specific complex formation between maltodextrins and sms in aqueous medium. Measurements have been made of the molar mass, the second virial coefficient and the enthalpy of intermolecular interactions in aqueous solutions. The implication of a degree of polymerization of maltodextrins in this phenomenon was shown. The interrelation between the molecular parameters of the formed complexes and their surface activity at the air–water interface has been revealed and discussed.     

Static light scattering,ultraviolet–visible,and fluorescence spectroscopy from fluorescent methyl methacrylate/benzazole dye copolymers displaying an intramolecular proton‐transfer mechanism in the electronically excited state

The solution behavior of new copolymers of methyl methacrylate and benzazole dyes emitting fluorescence because of an intramolecular proton‐transfer mechanism in the electronically excited state has been investigated by static light scattering, fluorescence spectroscopy, ultraviolet–visible, and gel permeation chromatography. In the dilute regime, with tetrahydrofuran (THF) and chloroform as solvents, the copolymers behave as typical polydisperse linear chains in good solvents. The analysis of the osmotic modulus for concentrated solutions in THF (c ≥ 60 g L^?1) indicates the existence of an interchain association mechanism. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 41: 341–350, 2003     

Mild and efficient synthesis of propargylamines by copper-catalyzed Mannich reaction

Terminal alkynes undergo mild and efficient aminomethylation with aqueous formaldehyde and secondary amines under CuI catalysis. In most cases high to nearly quantitative yields of tertiary propargylamines are obtained in DMSO solution at room temperature. Aromatic, aliphatic and silylated acetylenes as well as alkynols can be used. Primary amines are less reactive and satisfactory yields of secondary propargylamines are obtained only with phenylacetylene.     

A priori estimates for quasilinear degenerate parabolic equations

We prove some maximum and gradient estimates for classical solutions to a wide class of quasilinear degenerate parabolic equations, including first order ones. The proof is elementary and exploits the smallness of the domain in the time direction.