Electrochemical characterization of MnO2 as electrocatalytic energy material for fuel cell electrode

 Development of inexpensive non Pt based high electrocatalytic energy materials is the need of the hour for fuel cell electrode to produce clean alternative green energy from synthesized bio alcohol using biomass. MnO₂, electro synthesized at different current density is found to be well performed electrocatalytic material, comparable to Pt, with higher current density, very low overvoltage for the electrochemical oxidation of methanol. From EIS study, the polarization resistance of the coated MnO₂ is found to be much low and electrical double layer capacitance is high, the effect increases with increase in current density of electro deposition. XRD, EDX and AAS analysis confirm the MnO₂ deposition. The morphology of SEM images exhibits an enhanced 3D effective substrate area, for electro oxidation of the fuel. A few nano structured grains of the deposited MnO₂ is also observed at higher current density. The fact supports that a high energetic inexpensive electro catalytic material has been found for fuel cell electrode to synthesis renewable energy from methanol fuel.     

高选择性高效液相色谱-电化学检测法测定丹参中5种酚类物质

发展了一种高灵敏度的高效液相色谱-电化学检测（HPLC-ECD）方法,用于丹参中5种酚类物质的定量分析。为了获得较高的检测灵敏度,对流动相的pH、缓冲溶液类型和浓度、有机相种类和梯度以及流速做了系统研究。在较低的pH（2.8）、较低的缓冲盐浓度（20 mmol/L NaH₂PO₄）和较缓的乙腈梯度下,以0.2 mL/min流速可为5种酚类的分离检测提供较好的分离度和较高的检测灵敏度。在获得优化的分离参数后,将其用于14批丹参药材中5种酚类物质的定量分析。结果表明,该方法可获得较好的回收率（>95%）、较宽的线性范围（高达4个数量级）、较好的重复性（RSD<4.01%）和较高的灵敏度（咖啡酸的LOQ低至1.5μg/L）。与紫外检测方法相比,ECD检测方法具有更高的选择性,可减少非抗氧化活性的物质的干扰。     

CR Geometry in 3-D

CR geometry studies the boundary of pseudo-convex manifolds.By concentrating on a choice of a contact form,the local geometry bears strong resemblence to conformal geometry.This paper deals with the role conformally invariant operators such as the Paneitz operator plays in the CR geometry in dimension three.While the sign of this operator is important in the embedding problem,the kernel of this operator is also closely connected with the stability of CR structures.The positivity of the CR-mass under the natural sign conditions of the Paneitz operator and the CR Yamabe operator is discussed.The CR positive mass theorem has a consequence for the existence of minimizer of the CR Yamabe problem.The pseudo-Einstein condition studied by Lee has a natural analogue in this dimension,and it is closely connected with the pluriharmonic functions.The author discusses the introduction of new conformally covariant operator P-prime and its associated Q-prime curvature and gives another natural way to find a canonical contact form among the class of pseudo-Einstein contact forms.Finally,an isoperimetric constant determined by the Q-prime curvature integral is discussed.     

用三维立体摄影测量技术测活猪后腿肉的体积

研发了一高分辨率三维立体摄影测量系统,并成功地应用于扑捉活猪的三维形状以用于饲养猪的研究.为调查饲料和猪生长的关系,将32头猪分成高Lysine和低Lysine两饲料组观察.连续14 周,每周用该系统拍摄猪的图像一次.该系统有三个立体摄影头,分别拍摄猪的侧面、背面和后腿面的立体图像.为重建猪的三维形状用以科学分析,我们研发了图像处理软件,包括相机标定、立体图像匹配和三维形状合成, 并提出一种从每周测得的形状中提取每只猪每周后腿肉的体积的算法.实验证明该系统是精确和可靠的.     

Evidence for a near-resonant charge transfer mechanism for double-stranded peptide nucleic acid

We present evidence for a near-resonant mechanism of charge transfer in short peptide nucleic acid (PNA) duplexes obtained through electrochemical, STM break junction (STM-BJ), and computational studies. A seven base pair (7-bp) PNA duplex with the sequence (TA)(3)-(XY)-(TA)(3) was studied, in which XY is a complementary nucleobase pair. The experiments showed that the heterogeneous charge transfer rate constant (k(0)) and the single-molecule conductance (σ) correlate with the oxidation potential of the purine base in the XY base pair. The electrochemical measurements showed that the enhancement of k(0) is independent, within experimental error, of which of the two PNA strands contains the purine base of the XY base pair. 7-bp PNA duplexes with one or two GC base pairs had similar measured k(0) and conductance values. While a simple superexchange model, previously used to rationalize charge transfer in single stranded PNA (Paul et al. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2009, 131, 6498-6507), describes some of the experimental observations, the model does not explain the absence of an enhancement in the experimental k(0) and σ upon increasing the G content in the duplexes from one to two. Moreover, the superexchange model is not consistent with other studies (Paul et al. J. Phys. Chem. B 2010, 114, 14140), that showed a hopping charge transport mechanism is likely important for PNA duplexes longer than seven base pairs. A quantitative computational analysis shows that a near-resonant charge transfer regime, wherein a mix of superexchange and hopping mechanisms are expected to coexist, can rationalize all of the experimental results.     

Reinvestigating 2,5-di(pyridin-2-yl)pyrazine ruthenium complexes: selective deuteration and Raman spectroscopy as tools to probe ground and excited-state electronic structure in homo- and heterobimetallic complexes

The mono- (1) and dinuclear (2) ruthenium(II) bis(2,2'-bipyridine) complexes of 2,5-di(pyridin-2-yl)pyrazine (2,5-dpp), for which the UV/Vis absorption and emission as well as electrochemical properties have been described earlier, are reinvestigated here by resonance, surface enhanced and transient resonance Raman spectroscopy together with selective deuteration to determine the location of the lowest lying excited metal to ligand charge transfer ((3)MLCT) states. The ground state absorption spectrum of both the mono- and dinuclear complexes are characterised by resonance Raman spectroscopy. The effect of deuteration on emission lifetimes together with the absence of characteristic bipy anion radical modes in the transient Raman spectra for both the mono- and dinuclear complexes bridged by the 2,5-dpp ligand confirms that the excited state is 2,5-dpp based; however DFT calculations and the effect of deuteration on emission lifetimes indicate that the bipy based MLCT states contribute to excited state deactivation. Resonance Raman and surface enhanced Raman spectroscopic (SERS) data for 1 and 2 are compared with that of the heterobimetallic complexes [Ru(bipy)(2)(2,5-dpp)PdCl(2)](2+)3 and [Ru(bipy)(2)(2,5-dpp)PtCl(2)](2+)4. The SERS data for 1 indicates that a heterobimetallic Ru-Au complex forms in situ upon addition of 1 to a gold colloid.     

Surface modification of alumina nanofibres for the selective adsorption of alachlor and imazaquin herbicides

The effective removal of pollutants using a thermally and chemically stable substrate that has controllable absorption properties is a goal of water treatment. In this study, the surfaces of thin alumina (γ-Al(2)O(3)) nanofibres were modified by the grafting either of two organosilane agents, 3-chloro-propyl-triethoxysilane (CPTES) and octyl-triethoxysilane (OTES). These modified materials were then trialed as absorbents for the removal of two herbicides, alachlor and imazaquin from water. The formation of organic groups during the functionalisation process established super hydrophobic sites on the surfaces of the nanofibres. This super hydrophobic group is a kind of protruding adsorption site which facilitates the intimate contact with the pollutants. OTES grafted substrate were shown to be more selective for alachlor while imazaquin selectivity is shown by the CPTES grafted substrate. Kinetics studies revealed that imazaquin was rapidly adsorbed on CPTES-modified surfaces. However, the adsorption of alachlor by OTES grafted surface was achieved more slowly.     

3,5-Bis(ethynyl)pyridine and 2,6-bis(ethynyl)pyridine spanning two Fe(Cp*)(dppe) units: role of the nitrogen atom on the electronic and magnetic couplings

The role of the nitrogen atom on the electronic and magnetic couplings of the mono-oxidized and bi-oxidized pyridine-containing complex models [2,6-{Cp(dpe)Fe-C≡C-}(2)(NC(5)H(3))](n+) and [3,5-{Cp(dpe)Fe-C≡C-}(2)(NC(5)H(3))](n+) is theoretically tackled with the aid of density-functional theory (DFT) and multireference configuration interaction (MR-CI) calculations. Results are analyzed and compared to those obtained for the reference complex [1,3-{Cp*(dppe)Fe-C≡C-)}(2)(C(6)H(4))](n+). The mono-oxidized species show an interesting behavior at the borderline between spin localization and delocalization and one through-bond communication path among the two involving the central ring, is favored. Investigation of the spin state of the dicationic complexes indicates ferromagnetic coupling, which can differ in magnitude from one complex to the other. Very importantly, electronic and magnetic properties of these species strongly depend not only upon the location of the nitrogen atom in the ring versus that of the organometallic end-groups but also upon the architectural arrangement of one terminus, with respect to the other and/or vis-à-vis the central ring. To help validate the theoretical results, the related families of compounds [1,3-{Cp*(dppe)Fe-C≡C-)}(2)(C(6)H(4))](n+), [2,6-{Cp*(dppe)Fe-C≡C-}(2)(NC(5)H(3))](n+), [3,5-{Cp*(dppe)Fe-C≡C-}(2)(NC(5)H(3))](n+) (n = 0-2) were experimentally synthesized and characterized. Electrochemical, spectroscopic (infrared (IR), M?ssbauer), electronic (near-infrared (NIR)), and magnetic properties (electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR), superconducting quantum interference device (SQUID)) are discussed and interpreted in the light of the theoretical data. The set of data obtained allows for many strong conclusions to be drawn. A N atom in the long branch increases the ferromagnetic interaction between the two Fe(III) spin carriers (J > 500 cm(-1)), whereas, when placed in the short branch, it dramatically reduces the magnetic exchange in the di-oxidized species (J = 2.14(5) cm(-1)). In the mixed-valence compounds, when the N atom is positioned on the long branch, the intermediate excited state is higher in energy than the different ground-state conformers and the relaxation process provides exclusively the Fe(II)/Fe(III) localized system (H(ab) ≠ 0). Positioning the N atom on the short branch modifies the energy profile and the diabatic mediating state lies just above the reactant and product diabatic states. Consequently, the LMCT transition becomes less energetic than the MMCT transition. Here, the direct coupling does not occur (H(ab) = 0) and only the coupling through the bridge (c) and the reactant (a) and product (b) diabatic states is operating (H(ac) = H(bc) ≠ 0).     

Synthesis, structure, chemical stability, and electrical properties of Nb-, Zr-, and Nb-codoped BaCeO3 perovskites

We report the effect of donor-doped perovskite-type BaCeO(3) on the chemical stability in CO(2) and boiling H(2)O and electrical transport properties in various gas atmospheres that include ambient air, N(2), H(2), and wet and dry H(2). Formation of perovskite-like BaCe(1-x)Nb(x)O(3±δ) and BaCe(0.9-x)Zr(x)Nb(0.1)O(3±δ) (x = 0.1; 0.2) was confirmed using powder X-ray diffraction (XRD) and electron diffraction (ED). The lattice constant was found to decrease with increasing Nb in BaCe(1-x)Nb(x)O(3±δ), which is consistent with Shannon's ionic radius trend. Like BaCeO(3), BaCe(1-x)Nb(x)O(3±δ) was found to be chemically unstable in 50% CO(2) at 700 °C, while Zr doping for Ce improves the structural stability of BaCe(1-x)Nb(x)O(3±δ). AC impedance spectroscopy was used to estimate electrical conductivity, and it was found to vary with the atmospheric conditions and showed mixed ionic and electronic conduction in H(2)-containing atmosphere. Arrhenius-like behavior was observed for BaCe(0.9-x)Zr(x)Nb(0.1)O(3±δ) at 400-700 °C, while Zr-free BaCe(1-x)Nb(x)O(3±δ) exhibits non-Arrhenius behavior at the same temperature range. Among the perovskite-type oxides investigated in the present work, BaCe(0.8)Zr(0.1)Nb(0.1)O(3±δ) showed the highest bulk electrical conductivity of 1.3 × 10(-3) S cm(-1) in wet H(2) at 500 °C, which is comparable to CO(2) and H(2)O unstable high-temperature Y-doped BaCeO(3) proton conductors.     

Polymer-anchored peroxo compounds of vanadium(V) and molybdenum(VI): synthesis, stability, and their activities with alkaline phosphatase and catalase

We generated a series of new polymer-bound peroxo complexes of vanadium(V) and molybdenum(VI) of the type [VO(O(2))(2)(sulfonate)]-PSS [PSS = poly(sodium 4-styrene sulfonate)] (PV(3)), [V(2)O(2)(O(2))(4)(carboxylate)VO(O(2))(2)(sulfonate)]-PSSM [PSSM = poly(sodium styrene sulfonate-co-maleate)] (PV(4)), [Mo(2)O(2)(O(2))(4)(carboxylate)]-PA [PA = poly(sodium acrylate)] (PMo(1)), [MoO(O(2))(2)(carboxylate)]-PMA [PMA = poly(sodium methacrylate)] (PMo(2)), and [MoO(O(2))(2)(amide)]-PAm [PAm = poly(acrylamide)] (PMo(3)) by reacting V(2)O(5) (for PV(3) and PV(4)) or H(2)MoO(4) (for PMo(1), PMo(2), and PMo(3)) with H(2)O(2) and the respective water-soluble macromolecular ligand at pH 5-6. The compounds were characterized by elemental analysis (CHN and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy), spectral studies (UV-vis, IR, (13)C NMR, (51)V NMR, and (95) Mo NMR), thermal (TGA) as well as scanning electron micrographs (SEM), and EDX analysis. It has been demonstrated that compounds retain their structural integrity in solutions of a wide range of pH values and are approximately 100 times weaker as substrate to the enzyme catalase relative to H(2)O(2), its natural substrate. The effect of the title compounds, along with previously reported compounds [V(2)O(2)(O(2))(4)(carboxylate)]-PA (PV(1)) and [VO(O(2))(2)(carboxylate)]-PMA (PV(2)) on rabbit intestine alkaline phosphatase (ALP) has been investigated and compared with the effect induced by the free diperoxometallates viz. Na[VO(O(2))(2)(H(2)O)] (DPV), [MoO(O(2))(2)(glycine)(H(2)O)] (DMo(1)), and [MoO(O(2))(2)(asparagine)(H(2)O)] (DMo(2)). It has been observed that although all the compounds tested are potent inhibitors of the enzyme, the polymer-bound and neat complexes act via distinct mechanisms. Each of the macromolecular compounds is a classical noncompetitive inhibitor of ALP. In contrast, the action of neat pV and heteroligand pMo compounds on the enzyme function is consistent with a mixed type of inhibition.