Novel photoconductive Ag/nanostructure ruthenium oxide/p-type silicon Schottky barrier diode by sol–gel method

A new Schottky photodiode of Ag/RuO₂/p-Si/Al was successfully fabricated using spin-coating technique. The ruthenium oxide (RuO₂) nanoparticles with an average size of 8 nm were synthesized using a sol–gel method. The crystal structure and morphology of the synthesized RuO₂ were analyzed by means of X-ray diffraction, energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy and selective area electron diffraction. The rectification ratio of the diode was found to be 112 at ±2 V. The ideality factor and barrier height values of the Ag/RuO₂/p-Si/Al diode were obtained to be 1.47 and 0.55 eV, respectively. The Cheung–Cheung and Norde’s models were used to determine the diode parameters. The photoresponse behavior of the fabricated Ag/RuO₂/p-Si/Al diode was studied under various illumination intensities. The transient photocurrent results indicate that photocurrent under illumination is higher than the dark current and this indicates that the fabricated diode behaves as a photodiode. The capacitance–voltage–frequency measurements indicate that the capacitance of the diode depends on voltage and frequency. The obtained results suggest that the new Ag/RuO₂/p-Si/Al diode can be used an optical switching device for optical sensor applications and are also expected to be generated in the future study.     

1,3‐Dipolar Cycloaddition of 4‐Chlorobenzonitrile Oxide with Some Dipolarophiles: Theoretical Analysis of Regioselectivity

Reaction of 4‐chlorobenzonitrile oxide ( 2 ) which was generated in situ with acrylo nitrile ( 3 ), vinyl acetate ( 4 ) and allyl bromide ( 5 ) as dipolarphile afforded the new cycloadducts 6a , 7a , and 8a compounds, respectively. Reactivity and regiochemistry of these reactions were investigated using activation energy calculations and density functional theory‐based reactivity indexes. The theoretical ¹³C NMR chemical shifts of the cycloadducts which were obtained by gauge‐invariant atomic orbital method were comparable with the observed values.     

Charge response function and a novel plasmon mode in graphene

Polarizability of noninteracting 2D Dirac electrons has a 1/square root(qv-omega) singularity at the boundary of electron-hole excitations. The screening of this singularity by long-range electron-electron interactions is usually treated within the random phase approximation. The latter is exact only in the limit of N-->infinity, where N is the "color" degeneracy. We find that the ladder-type vertex corrections become crucial close to the threshold as the ratio of the nth order ladder term to the same order random phase approximation contribution is ln(n)|qv-omega|/N(n). We perform an analytical summation of the infinite series of ladder diagrams which describe the excitonic effect. Beyond the threshold, qv>omega, the real part of the polarization operator is found to be positive leading to the appearance of a strong and narrow plasmon resonance.     

Preparation of Losartan Potassium Controlled Release Matrices and In-Vitro Investigation Using Rate Controlling Agents

Controlled release matrices have predictable drug release kinetics, provide drugs for an extended period of time, and reduce dosing frequency with improved patient compliance as compared with conventional tablet dosage forms. In the current research work, losartan potassium controlled release matrix tablets were fabricated and prepared with rate altering agents; that is, Ethocel grade 100 combined with Carbopol 934PNF. Various drug to polymer ratios were used. HPMC, CMC, and starch were incorporated in some of the matrices by replacing some amount of filler (5%). The direct compression method was adopted for the preparation of matrices. In phosphate buffer (pH 6.8), the dissolution study was conducted by adopting the USP method-I as the specified method. Drug release kinetics was determined and dissolution profiles were also compared with the reference standard. Prolonged release was observed for all matrices, but those with Ethocel 100FP Premium showed more extended release. The co-excipient (HPMC, CMC, and starch) exhibited enhancement in the drug release rates, while all controlled release matrices released the drug by anamolous non-Fickian diffusion mechanism. This combination of polymers (Ethocel grade 100 with Carbopol 934PNF) efficiently extended the drug release rates up to 24 h. It is suggested that these matrix tablets can be given in once a day dosage, which might improve patient compliance, and the polymeric blend of Ethocel grade 100 with Carbopol 934PNF might be used in the development of prolonged release matrices of other water-soluble drugs.     

New Steroidal Glycosides from Balanites aegyptiaca

Five new steroidal glycosides were isolated from the roots of Balanites aegyptiaca, a widely used African medicinal plant. On the basis of spectroscopic and chemical evidence, their structures were determined as (3β,12α,14β,16β)‐12‐hydroxycholest‐5‐ene‐3,16‐diyl bis(β‐D ‐glucopyranoside) ( 1 ), (3β,20S,22R,25R)‐ and (3β,20S,22R,25S)‐26‐(β‐D ‐glucopyranosyloxy)‐22‐methoxyfurost‐5‐en‐3‐yl β‐D ‐xylopyranosyl‐(1→3)‐β‐D ‐glucopyranosyl‐(1→4)[α‐L ‐rhamnopyranosyl‐(1→2)]‐β‐D ‐glucopyranoside ( 2 and 3 , resp.), and (3β,20S,22R,25R)‐ and (3β,20S,22R,25S)‐spirost‐5‐en‐3‐yl β‐D ‐xylopyranosyl‐(1→3)‐β‐D ‐glucopyranosyl‐(1→4)[α‐L ‐rhamnopyranosyl‐(1→2)]‐β‐D ‐glucopyranoside ( 4 and 5 , resp.)     

Citrus aurantium L. Active Constituents,Biological Effects and Extraction Methods. An Updated Review

Citrus genus is a prominent staple crop globally. Long-term breeding and much hybridization engendered a myriad of species, each characterized by a specific metabolism generating different secondary metabolites. Citrus aurantium L., commonly recognized as sour or bitter orange, can exceptionally be distinguished from other Citrus species by unique characteristics. It is a fruit with distinctive flavor, rich in nutrients and phytochemicals which possess different health benefits. This paper presents an overview of the most recent studies done on the matter. It intends to provide an in-depth understanding of the biological activities and medicinal uses of active constituents existing in C. aurantium. Every plant part is first discussed separately with regards to its content in active constituents. All extraction methods, their concepts and yields, used to recover these valuable molecules from their original plant matrix are thoroughly reported.     

Mesogenic 3,6-bis(4-hydroxyphenyl)-1,2,4,5-tetrazine alkanoate esters

A novel series of 3,6-bis(4-hdroxyphenyl)-1,2,4,5-tetrazine alkanoate esters were synthesized and their mesogenic properties were studied using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and polarizing optical microscopy (POM). The impact of changing the tail-core linkage from alkyl or alkoxy to ester is profound. Compared to the alkyl or alkoxy linkages, the ester linkage reduced mesogenic properties. Short-tailed compounds are non mesogenic (4a-4e), while long-tailed compounds (4f-4r) exhibit nematic phases. Unlike the alkyl or alkoxy tail series, none of the 18 presented esters in this series exhibits a smectic phase.     

Numerical Simulation of Electrochemical Systems by Coupling Analytical Calculation of the Diffuse Double Layer and Finite Element Description of Solution Bulk

Numerical modelling of electrochemical systems covers length scales from the nanometers up to the macroscopic scale. With finite element methods, the mesh must be extremely fine to describe the diffuse double layer, thus increasing the needed computational resources. We propose a method to describe the diffuse double layer by analytical equations, expressed as boundary conditions for the partial differential equations describing the solution bulk. We apply the method to a one-dimensional system, i. e. to a cell with plane parallel electrodes, in the presence of a redox couple and a supporting electrolyte. We provide evidence of the precision of the method.