Viologen‐Templated Arrays of Cucurbit[7]uril‐Modified Iron‐Oxide Nanoparticles

Magnetic and fluorescent assemblies of iron‐oxide nanoparticles (NPs) were constructed by threading a viologen‐based ditopic ligand, DPV²⁺, into the cavity of cucurbituril (CB[7]) macrocycles adsorbed on the surface of the NPs. Evidence for the formation of 1:2 inclusion complexes that involve DPV²⁺ and two CB[7] macrocycles was first obtained in solution by ¹H NMR and emission spectroscopy. DPV²⁺ was found to induce self‐assembly of nanoparticle arrays (DPV²⁺?CB[7]NPs) by bridging CB[7] molecules on different NPs. The resulting viologen‐crosslinked iron‐oxide nanoparticles exhibited increased saturation magnetization and emission properties. This facile supramolecular approach to NP self‐assembly provides a platform for the synthesis of smart and innovative materials that can achieve a high degree of functionality and complexity and that are needed for a wide range of applications.     

Effect of particle size distribution on magnetic behavior of nanoparticles with uniaxial anisotropy

The effect of particle size distribution on the field and temperature dependence of the hysteresis loop features like coercivity(H_C), remanence(M_R), and blocking temperature(T_B) is simulated for an ensemble of single domain ferromagnetic nanoparticles with uniaxial anisotropy. Our simulations are based on the two-state model for T T_B and the metropolis Monte-Carlo method for T T_B. It is found that the increase in the grain size significantly enhances H_C and T_B. The presence of interparticle exchange interaction in the system suppresses H_C but causes MRto significantly increase.Our results show that the parameters associated with the particle size distribution(D_(d,δ)) such as the mean particle size d and standard-deviation δ play key roles in the magnetic behavior of the system.     

Stability results for the approximation of weakly coupled wave equations

In this Note, we consider the approximation of two coupled wave equations with internal damping. Our goal is to damp the spurious high frequency modes by introducing numerical viscosity terms in the approximation scheme. With these viscosity terms, we show the exponential or polynomial decay of the discrete scheme when the continuous problem has such a decay (since the spectrum of the spatial operator associated with the undamped system satisfies the generalized gap condition).     

A linear viscoelastic model for solid polyethylene

Stress relaxation tests have been carried out on a blue, pipe grade PE 80 medium density polyethylene (BP Chemicals), to provide thermo-viscoelastic rheology for use in calculating thermal stresses in pipe production. Stresses up to 4 MPa were used, with strains up to about 2%, in tests at temperatures from 23° to 90°C. Within this range a linear viscoelastic model was applicable, provided the initial ramp strain rate was less than 7×10^–5 s^–1. The stress relaxation data was fitted directly by a model incorporating an elastic response to volumetric strains, and a generalised linear solid model, consisting of two Maxwell elements and a purely elastic element in parallel, for deviatoric strains. Arrhenius type temperature dependence of relaxation times and shear moduli is found, and within experimental accuracy the temperature dependence of all these model parameters is the same. As a consequence, and provided that the duration of the strain ramp is sufficiently short relative to relaxation times, the model leads to time-temperature superposition of the relaxation moduli, using the same shift factor on both the response magnitude and time axes.     

Omitting types and AF algebras

We prove that the classes of UHF algebras and AF algebras, while not axiomatizable, can be characterized as those C*-algebras that omit certain types in the logic of metric structures.     

Selection of Microalgae and Cyanobacteria Strains for Bicarbonate-Based Integrated Carbon Capture and Algae Production System

Using microalgae to capture CO₂ from flue gas is an ideal way to reduce CO₂ emission, but this is challenged by the high cost of carbon capture and transportation. To address this problem, a bicarbonate-based integrated carbon capture and algae production system (BICCAPS) has been proposed, in which bicarbonate is used for algae culture, and the regenerated carbonate from this process can be used to capture more CO₂. High-concentration bicarbonate is obligate for the BICCAPS. Thus, different strains of microalgae and cyanobacteria were tested in this study for their capability to grow in high-concentration NaHCO₃. The highest NaHCO₃ concentrations they are tolerant to were determined as 0.30 M for Synechocystis sp. PCC6803, 0.60 M for Cyanothece sp., 0.10 M for Chlorella sorokiniana, 0.60 M for Dunaliella salina, and 0.30 M for Dunaliella viridis and Dunaliella primolecta. In further study, biomass production from culture of D. primolecta in an Erlenmeyer flask with either 0.30 M NaHCO₃ or 2 % CO₂ bubbling was compared, and no significant difference was detected. This indicates BICCAPS can reach the same biomass productivity as regular CO₂ bubbling culture, and it is promising for future application.     

Coarse-grained kinetic scheme-based simulation framework for solution growth of ZnO nanowires

Kinetic Monte Carlo (KMC)-based stochastic model is used to understand the growth of zinc oxide nanowires from aqueous solution containing chemical precursors and capping agent. Through a hydrothermal growth mechanism, the average diameter of zinc oxide wires obtained is around 300 nm, whereas the length is order of several micrometers. Our Monte Carlo algorithm is based on the continuous-time Monte Carlo algorithm of Bortz, Kalos and Lebowitz (BKL) methodology. Both reactions and diffusion mechanisms assigning stochastic probabilities have been simulated. In algorithm, the ZnO atoms were treated as individual particles which diffuse in solution substrate and interact with other type of atoms. Once attached with growing nanowires, the diffusion rate of ZnO atom is considerably reduced. Since in a KMC algorithm each atom can be represented individually therefore, internal noise is automatically incorporated.     

Hot-Electron Photodynamics in Silver-Containing BEA-Type Nanozeolite Studied by Femtosecond Transient Absorption Spectroscopy

Silver cations were introduced in nanosized BEA-type zeolite containing organic template by ion-exchange followed by chemical reduction towards preparation of photoactive materials (Ag⁰-BEA). The stabilization of highly dispersed Ag⁰ nanoparticles with a size of 1–2 nm in the BEA zeolite was revealed. The transient optical response of the Ag-BEA samples upon photoexcitation at 400 nm was studied by femtosecond absorption. The photodynamic of the hot electrons was found to depend on the sample preparation. The lifetime of the hot electrons in the Ag−BEA samples containing small Ag nanoparticles (1–2 nm) is significantly shortened in comparison to bear Ag nanoparticles with a size of 10 nm. While for the larger Ag nanoparticles, the energy absorbed in the conduction band is decaying by electron-phonon coupling into the metal lattice, the high surface-to-volume ratio of the small Ag nanoparticles favors the dissipation of the energy of the hot electrons from the metal nanoparticles (Ag⁰) towards the zeolitic micro-environment. This finding is encouraging for further applications of Ag-containing zeolites in photocatalysis and plasmonic chemistry.