Hydrogen ion-selective poly(vinyl chloride) membrane electrode based on a calix[4]arene.

A hydrogen ion-selective poly(vinyl chloride) membrane electrode was constructed using 5,11,17,23-tetra-tert-butyl-25,26,27,28-tetracyanomethoxycalix[4]arene as a neutral carrier. The electrode showed an apparent Nernstian response in the 2-11.5 pH range with a slope of 54.0 +/- 0.2 mV/pH at 20 +/- degrees C. This electrode showed a rapid response of the emf to changes in the pH, high ion selectivity with respect to lithium, sodium and potassium, and characteristics similar to those reported for the conventional pH glass membrane electrode. It can be used as a potentiometric indicator electrode in hydrofluoric acid solutions. The effects of iodide, thiocyanate, perchlorate and bromide on the characteristics of the electrode were also considered.     

Drying of PAAm Hydrogels at Various Temperatures: A Fluorescence Study

The steady‐state fluorescence (SSF) technique was employed for studying the drying of polyacrylamide (PAAm) hydrogels. Disc‐shaped hydrogels were prepared by free‐radical crosslinking copolymerization of acrylamide (AAm) with N,N′‐methylene bisacrylamide (BIS) as crosslinker in the presence of ammonium persulfate (APS) as an initiator. Pyranine (P) was introduced as a fluorescence probe and the intensity of pyranine was monitored during in situ drying at various temperatures. It was observed that the fluorescence intensity of pyranine increased during the drying process. A supporting, gravimetrical experiment was also performed. A phenomenological equation was introduced to determine the desorption coefficient, D, of water molecules from the drying hydrogels at various temperatures. The desorption activation energy, ΔE _d, values were measured for the drying processes and found to be 91.08 and 36.82 kJ mol^–1 by fluorescence and gravimetrical methods, respectively. This difference most probably originates from the origin of the techniques; the fluorescence technique measures the parameters at a molecular level, whereas the gravimetrical technique measures a parameter in the bulk.     

Studying of the critical exponents around the glass transition in bulk polymerization of ethyl methacrylate by using fluorescence techniques

The glass transition during bulk polymerization was studied in free-radical crosslinking copolymerization (FCC) of ethyl methacrylate (EMA), using both the steady-state fluorescence (SSF) and the fast transient fluorescence (FTRF) techniques. Pyrene (Py) was used as a fluorescence probe. Changes in the viscosity of the pregel solutions due to gel formation dramatically enhance the fluorescent yield of Py molecules. The reaction time at which the Py intensity and lifetime exhibit a sudden increase corresponds to the reaction time at which the rate of polymerization becomes maximum resulting from the gel effect. This effect is used to study the gelation of EMA, as a function of time, at various crosslinker concentrations and different temperatures. The results were interpreted in the view of percolation theory. The gel fraction, β and weight average degree of polymerization, γ exponents β?=?0.37?±?0.01, γ?=?1.71?±?0.04 and β?=?0.36?±?0.002, γ?=?1.687?±?0.01 are found in agreement with percolation results for SSF and FTRF measurements, respectively.     

Measurement of mass attenuation coefficients for undoped and boron nitride–doped magnesium diboride superconductors in the x-ray region 8.04–59.5 keV

In this study, mass attenuation coefficients of the undoped and 2% boron nitride–doped magnesium diboride superconductor samples were investigated. Mass attenuation coefficients were measured at 8.04–59.5?keV x-ray energies by using a high-purity germanium detector with a resolution of 182?eV at 5.9?keV. It is observed that mass attenuation coefficients in undoped and doped magnesium diboride samples decrease with increasing photon energy, and doping with the boron nitride leads to increase the absorption of the electromagnetic radiation.     

Performance of CdTe detector in the 13–1333 keV energy range

The photopeak efficiency, peak to valley ratio and energy resolution of a 3×3×1 mm³ CdTe detector were determined experimentally for 13–1333 keV photon energy by using polyester coated radioisotopes ²⁴¹Am, ²²Na, ⁵⁴Mn, ⁵⁷Co, ⁶⁰Co, ¹⁰⁹Cd, ¹³⁷Cs and ¹³³Ba. The data were analyzed by using PX4 from Amptek. The experimental values were fitted to an analytical function of photon energy, and an agreement was observed for the entire range of the studied energies. The results have shown that the CdTe detector has a high performance due to both the improved charge collection efficiency comparable with that of SI GaAs detectors (Vittone et al., 1999), and the low leakage current. Also, CdTe detector is very attractive for field application as it works at room temperature.     

Preparation and characterization of 3-[(1H-1,2,4-triazole-3-ylimino)methyl]naphtalene-2-ol film at the platinum surface for selective voltammetric determination of dopamine in the presence of uric acid and ascorbic acid

A [(1H-1,2,4-triazole-3-ylimino)methyl]naphthalene-2-ol (TMN-2-ol) film modified platinum (Pt) electrode has been fabricated by the electrochemical oxidation in acetonitrile solution. The modified surface was characterized by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), scanning electron microscope (SEM), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The prepared Pt electrode can be used as a functional interface to sensitive and selective determination of dopamine (DA) in the presence of uric acid (UA) and ascorbic acid (AA) by square wave voltammetry (SWV) method. The limit of detection (LOD) and limit of quantification (LOQ) of DA were 9.25 × 10⁻⁸ and 2.78 × 10⁻⁷ M, respectively. Linear range of DA was found to be between 3.95 × 10⁻⁷ and 4.19 × 10⁻⁶ M.     

Can the glass transition in bulk polymers be modeled by percolation picture?

Recent observations (Eur. Phys. J. E 9, 135 (2002)) showed that the vitrification process, which sets in during the linear bulk methyl methacrylate (MMA) polymerization carried out below glass transition temperatures, can be modelled by static percolation picture. To generalize this observation for different kind of bulk linear or crosslinked polymers not enough data are present in the literature. To cover partly this deficit we studied the glass transition of MMA and styrene (Sty) crosslinking copolymerization in varying ratios of MMA and Sty. Both the fluorescence intensity I and the lifetime of pyrene (Py) used as a nanosecond in situ fluoroprobe were monitored during the gelation time. Both I and increase dramatically as a result of the reduced mobility of the probes trapped in the glassy regions, appearing near the glass transition point. The average size of the glassy regions just below, and the strength of the infinite network formed upon the connection of the glassy regions above the glass transition point obey power law relations. The data around were interpreted on the basis of the percolation theory and we observed that the corresponding exponents and give static percolation values independent of the polymer composition.Received: 9 July 2004, Published online: 1 October 2004PACS: 64.60.Ak Renormalization-group, fractal, and percolation studies of phase transitions - 64.70.Pf Glass transitions - 82.35.Jk Copolymers, phase transitions, structure     

Analyzing the surface properties of acrylic-based water-soluble polymers

The surface properties of newly synthesized N-methoxy isopropyl acrylamide, N-methoxy isopropyl methacrylamide, cyclo propyl acrylamide, and cyclo propyl methacrylamide polymers were investigated using inverse gas chromatography. The highest dispersive component of the surface energy value was obtained for cyclo propyl methacrylamide at 30°C. The values obtained for all polymers were decreasing with the increasing temperature. The values obtained for the acidic and the basic parameters revealed strong basic characters for the surface of N-methoxy isopropyl methacrylamide and cyclo propyl methacrylamide polymers and weak basic characters for the surface of N-methoxy isopropyl acrylamide and cyclo propyl acrylamide polymers.     

Synthesis and Characterization of New Y-shaped Fluorophores with an Imidazole Core

Four new y-shaped fluorophores of 4- {4,5-[2,2'-Bis(2,4,6-trimethoxyphenyl)vinyl]-1-H-imidazole-2-yl}benzonitrile 1a, 2-phenyl-{4,5-[2,2'-Bis(2,4,6-trimethoxyphenyl)vinyl]-1-H-imidazole} 1b, 2- (9-anthryl)-{4,5-[2,2'-Bis(2,4,6-trimethoxyphenyl)vinyl] }-1-H-imidazole 1c and 2- (4-nitrophenyl) - {4,5-[2,2'-Bis(2,4,6-trimethoxyphenyl)vinyl] -1-H-imidazole 1d which bear an imidazole core, were synthesized for the first time via intermediate 1,6-Bis(2,4,6-trimethoxyphenyl)hexa-1,5-diene-3,4-dion with different aldehydes. The structures of the new derivatives were confirmed by (1)H NMR, (13)C NMR and FT-IR. The optical properties such as absorption and emission maxima, Stokes' shift and quantum yield values were investigated in solvents of toluene, tetrahydrofuran and acetonitrile. The products show intense emission maxima in the range of 440-630?nm. The imidazole derivatives exhibited excellent photostabilities.