Grafting of cyclodextrins onto filter paper

Grafting of cyclodextrins and cyclodextrins derivatives on cellulosic surface, such as paper or filter paper, provides hosting cavities that can include a large variety of chemicals for specific cellulose finishing. In this study grafting of monocholorotriazinyl-β-cyclodextrin (MCT-β-CD) and β-cyclodextrin (β-CD) to filter paper has been performed. β-cyclodextrin has been bonded to filter paper using 1,4-butanediol diglycidyl ether as the crosslinking agent. The untreated and treated filter papers were characterized by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), demonstrating the covalent binding of cyclodextrins to filter paper. The quantification of β-CD and MCT-β-CD grafted to filter paper was determined by the dye extinction method with the inclusion of phenolphthalein. The final β-CD content amounted to 15.9 μmol per gram of support (1.8% by weight), and 72.8 μmol per gram of support (11.3% by weight) for MCT-β-CD.     

X-ray crystal structure of bis(4-nitropyrazol-1-yl)methane,and some empirical rules concerning the bond angles in pyrazoles

The crystal structure of bis(4-nitropyrazol-1-yl)methane has been determined by X-ray diffraction. The nitro groups form angles of 16.45(6) and 11.83(7)°, respectively, with the pyrazole ring to which they are attached. The internal and external angles of the pyrazole rings follow a set of empirical rules: (1) N(1)-N(2)-C(3) is smaller than N(2)-N(1)-C(5); (2) N(2)-C(3)-C(4) is larger than N(1)-N(2)-C(3) and at least one chosen between C(3)-C(4)-C(5) and C(4)-C(5)-N(1); (3) C3-C4-C5 is not the largest internal angle; (4) R1-N1-N2 is smaller than R1-N1-C5; (5) N2-C3-R3 is smaller than R3-C3-C4, or R5-C5-N1 is smaller than C4-C5-R5; (6) C3-C4-R4 and R4-C4-C5 are nearly the same. Provided that the angle considered is not part of another ring, the first five rules are valid for all the pyrazoles investigated up to now, while violation of the last rule is good evidence for steric hindrance or marked asymmetry of the 3- and 5-substituents.     

Transversality of stable and Nehari manifolds for a semilinear heat equation

It is well known that for the subcritical semilinear heat equation, negative initial energy is a sufficient condition for finite time blowup of the solution. We show that this is no longer true when the energy functional is replaced with the Nehari functional, thus answering negatively a question left open by Gazzola and Weth (2005). Our proof proceeds by showing that the local stable manifold of any non-zero steady state solution intersects the Nehari manifold transversally. As a consequence, there exist solutions converging to any given steady state, with initial Nehari energy either negative or positive.     

The Relativity of Indeterminacy

A long-standing tradition, largely present in both the physical and the philosophical literature, regards the advent of (special) relativity—with its block-universe picture—as the failure of any indeterministic program in physics. On the contrary, in this paper, we note that upholding reasonable principles of finiteness of information hints at a picture of the physical world that should be both relativistic and indeterministic. We thus rebut the block-universe picture by assuming that fundamental indeterminacy itself should also be regarded as a relative property when considered in a relativistic scenario. We discuss the consequence that this view may have when correlated randomness is introduced, both in the classical case and in the quantum one.     

Copper(II) and zinc(II) complexes with 2-formylpyridine-derived hydrazones

In the present work 2-formylpyridine-para-chloro-phenyl hydrazone (H2FopClPh) and 2-formylpyridine-para-nitro-phenyl hydrazone (H2FopNO₂Ph) were obtained, as well as their copper(II) and zinc(II) complexes [Cu(H2FopClPh)Cl₂] (1), [Cu(2FopNO₂Ph)Cl] (2), [Zn(H2FopClPh)Cl₂] (3) and [Zn(H2FopNO₂Ph)Cl₂] (4). Upon re-crystallization in DMSO:acetone conversion of 2 into [Cu(2FopNO₂Ph)Cl(DMSO)] (2a) and of 4 into [Zn(2FopNO₂Ph)Cl(DMSO)] (4a) occurred. The crystal structures of 1, 2a, 3 and 4a were determined.     

Photocatalytic activity of nanostructured TiO2 films produced by supersonic cluster beam deposition

The photocatalytic activity of thin, nanostructured films of titanium dioxide, synthesized by supersonic cluster beam deposition (SCBD) from the gas phase, has been investigated employing the photodegradation of salicylic acid as test reaction. Because of the low deposition energy, the so-deposited highly porous TiO₂ films are composed of nanoparticles maintaining their original properties in the film, which can be fully controlled by tuning the deposition and post-deposition treatment conditions. A systematic investigation on the evolution of light absorption properties and photoactivity of the films in relation to their morphology, determined by AFM analysis, and phase composition, determined by Raman spectroscopy, has been performed. The absorption and photocatalytic activity of the nanostructured films in the visible region could be enhanced either through post-deposition annealing treatment in ammonia containing atmosphere or employing mild oxidation conditions, followed by annealing in N₂ at 600 °C.