Effect of oxygen fraction on local entropy generation in a hydrogen–air burner

This study considers numerical simulation of the combustion of hydrogen with air, including oxygen and nitrogen, in a burner and the numerical solution of local entropy generation rate due to the high temperature and velocity gradients in the combustion chamber. The effects of equivalence ratio (ϕ) and oxygen percentage (γ) on the combustion and entropy generation rate are investigated for different ϕs (from 0.5 to 1.0) and γs (from 10 to 30%). The combustion is simulated for the fuel mass flow rate providing the same heat transfer rate to the combustion chamber in the each case. The numerical calculation of combustion is performed individually for all cases with the help of the Fluent CFD code. Furthermore, a computer program has been developed to calculate numerically the volumetric entropy generation rate distributions and the other thermodynamic parameters by using the results of the calculations performed with the FLUENT code. The calculations bring out that the increase of ϕ (or the decrease of λ) reduces significantly the reaction rate levels. The average temperatures in the combustion chamber increase about 70 and 23% with the increases of γ (from 10 to 30%) and ϕ (from 0.5 to 1.0), respectively. With the increase of γ from 10 to 30%, the volumetric local entropy generation rates decrease about 9 and 4% in the cases of ϕ=0.5 and 1.0, respectively, and while the total entropy generation rates decrease exponentially, the merit numbers increase. The useful energy transfer rate to irreversibility rate therefore improves as the oxygen percentage increases.     

Synthesis,characterization, and determination of photophysicochemical properties of peripheral and nonperipheral tetra‐7‐oxy‐3,4‐dimethylcoumarin substituted zinc,indium phthalocyanines

The photochemical and photophysical properties of peripheral and nonperipheral zinc and indium phthalocyanines containing 7‐oxy‐3,4‐dimethylcoumarin synthesized were investigated in this study. 7‐Hydroxy‐3,4‐dimethylcoumarin ( 1 ) was synthesized via Pechmann condensation reaction and then the phthalonitrile derivatives [4‐(7‐oxy‐3,4‐dimethylcoumarino)phthalonitrile ( 2 ) and 3‐(7‐oxy‐3,4‐dimethylcoumarino)phthalonitrile ( 3 )] were synthesized by nucleophilic aromatic substitution. Phthalocyanine compounds containing coumarin units on peripheral ( 4 and 5 ) and nonperipheral ( 6 and 7 ) positions were prepared via cyclotetramerization of phthalonitrile compounds. All compounds' characterizations were performed by spectroscopic methods and elemental analysis. The phthalocyanine derivatives' ( 4–7 ) photochemical and photophysical properties were studied in DMF. The photophysical (fluorescence quantum yields and lifetimes) and photochemical (singlet oxygen and photodegradation quantum yields) properties of these novel phthalocyanines ( 4 – 7 ) were studied in DMF. They produced good singlet oxygen (e.g., Φ_Δ = 0.93 for 7 ) and showed appropriate photodegradation (in the order of 10^?5), which is very important for photodynamic therapy applications.     

Energy,exergy and economic (3E) evaluation of the photovoltaic/thermal collector-assisted heat pump domestic water heating system for different climatic regions in Turkey

Journal of Thermal Analysis and Calorimetry - In this study, the energy, exergy and economic (3E) analyses were performed for the photovoltaic/thermal collector-assisted heat pump domestic water...     

Plasma-based preparation of polyaniline/graphene and polypyrrole/graphene composites for dye-sensitized solar cells as counter electrodes

This study presents the preparation of graphene (GR) nanocomposites with polyaniline (PANI) and polypyrrole (PPy) through the fast, versatile and environmentally friendly process of radio frequency (RF)-plasma polymerization. Morphological characterization of the nanocomposites is performed using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and shows that the PANI and PPy conducting polymers coated the GR surface. The surface properties of the GR nanocomposites are determined using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The prepared GR nanocomposites are then used as counter electrodes in dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). The conversion cell efficiencies for iodine-doped DSSC samples are found to be 0.086%, 5.41%, and 5.60% for I₂-PANI, I₂-PANI-GR and I₂-PPy-GR, respectively, while the corresponding undoped samples reaches power conversion efficiencies of 3.82%, 1.30%, and 0.077% for PPy-GR, PANI-GR and PANI, respectively. The incident photon-to-current efficiency (IPCE) of iodine-doped composite-based DSSCs is significantly enhanced.     

Nepetanudone, a dimer of the α-pyrone 5,9-dehydronepetalactone

The title compound C₂₀H₂₄O₄ crystallizes in the orthorhombic space group P2₁2₁2, with a = 10.245(3), b = 17.103(3), c = 9.879(3) Å, D _c = 1.260 g cm ^–3, and Z = 4. Nepetanudone is postulated to be formed by a [4+4] cycloaddition of two 5,9-dehydronepetalactone moieties to give an asymmetric dimer in which each pair of atoms is magnetically nonequivalent. The compound was recovered from extracts of Nepeta nuda ssp. albiflora.     

Clinical chemistry without reagents? An infrared spectroscopic technique for determination of clinically relevant constituents of body fluids

A spectroscopic method based on attenuated total reflection Fourier-transform infrared (ATR-FTIR) spectroscopy has been developed for reagent-free analysis of blood and urine constituents in the clinical laboratory and for point-of-care-applications. Blood plasma, whole blood, and urine were analyzed without any sample preparation, such as drying, concentration, or enrichment. Sample volumes as small as 5 μL (a single drop of blood) can be used. Mathematical models, including partial least-squares regression, were used to construct a prediction model which can calculate the concentration of albumin, cholesterol, glucose, total protein, urea, and triglycerides in whole blood or blood plasma samples and the concentration of urea, uric acid, phosphate and creatinine in urine samples. The absolute precision and reproducibility of the prediction reached is sufficient for routine clinical analysis and is only limited by the precision of the reference analysis used for calibration. This was achieved by use of a large number of calibration samples (approx. 400 for blood samples and approx. 100 for urine samples) carefully selected for physiological and pathological range and for specific disease profiles.     

Separation of chlorins and carotenoids in capillary electrophoresis

The present study reports the investigation of capillary electrophoresis (CE) for the separation of the photosynthetic pigments (chlorophyll derivatives as well as carotenoids) together. Various CE methods, such as micellar electrokinetic chromatography, capillary electrokinetic chromatography, and nonaqueous capillary electrophoresis (NACE) are tested, with coated and uncoated capillary columns to evaluate optimal separation conditions using diode array detection. The effect of different type and composition of organic solvents and surfactants on the separation is discussed. Detection limits are found in the range of 1.14-2.45 ppm. According to the system suitability results, the most effective separation is observed using NACE with Aliquat 336 as cationic surfactant in coated capillary and mixture of MeOH-ACN-THF (5:4:1, v/v/v) as solvent. Quantitative evolution is investigated, and recovery percentage values are found to be 96.7-102%.     

Comparison of Uniform and Non-uniform Pressure Approaches Used to Analyze an Adsorption Process in a Closed Type Adsorbent Bed

Heat and mass transfer in an annular adsorbent bed filled with silica gel particles is numerically analyzed by uniform and non-uniform pressure approaches. The study is performed for silica gel–water pair, particle radius from 0.025 to 1 mm and two bed radii of 10 and 40 mm. For uniform pressure approach, the energy equation for the bed and the mass transfer equation for the particle are solved. For non-uniform pressure approach, the continuity and Darcy equations due to the motion of water vapor in the bed are added, and four coupled partial differential equations are solved. The changes of the adsorbate concentration, pressure, and temperature in the bed throughout the adsorption process for both approaches are obtained and compared. The obtained results showed that the particle size plays an important role on the validity of uniform pressure approach. Due to the interparticle mass transfer resistance, there is a considerable difference between the results of the uniform pressure and non-uniform pressure approaches for the beds with small size of particles such as $r_\mathrm{{p}} =$ 0.025 mm.     

Anti-proliferative effects of gold nanoparticles functionalized with Semaphorin 3F

The new vessel formations play a vital role in growth and spread of cancer. Current anti-angiogenic therapies, predominantly based on vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) inhibition, can inhibit vascular development; however, they are usually ineffective against the primary tumor occurrence. The aim of this study was to assess anti-angiogenic effects of gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) functionalized with Semaphorin (Sema) 3F protein. The polyethylene glycol (PEG)-coated AuNPs were covalently functionalized with Sema 3F and labeled with the TAMRA fluorescent dye. The effect of the NPs on human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) is probed in the way of internalization and viability assays. AuNP-Sema 3F bioconjugates showed great endothelial cell uptake. AuNP-Sema 3F bioconjugates reduced VEGF₁₆₅-induced endothelial cell proliferation more effectively than Sema 3F alone, suggesting that the therapeutic effects of Sema 3F can be improved by conjugation to AuNPs. Also, no significant toxicity effect was induced by bioconjugates. This is the first study that reports a covalent binding of full length Sema 3F to NPs. The exogenously administration of Sema 3F, which has both anti-angiogenic and anti-tumoral activity, to tumor vasculature via a carrying platform may not only lead to more effective anti-angiogenic treatment but also may make current approach more applicable in clinical use like drug delivery system.

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Graphical abstract Anti-proliferative effects of gold nanoparticles conjugated with Semaphorin 3F against VEGF₁₆₅-stimulated cell proliferation

     

Electrochemical Determination of Copper(II) in Water Samples Using a Novel Ion-Selective Electrode Based on a Graphite Oxide–Imprinted Polymer Composite

A novel copper(II)-selective electrode based on graphite oxide/imprinted polymer composite was developed for the electrochemical monitoring of copper(II) (Cu²⁺) ions. The electrode exhibited highly selective potentiometric response to Cu²⁺ with respect to common alkaline, alkaline earth and heavy metal cations. The composite composition studies indicated that the most suitable composite composition performing the most promising potentiometric properties was 20.0% ionophore (Cu²⁺-ion imprinted polymer), 10.0% paraffin oil, 5.0% multiwalled carbon nanotubes, and 65.0% graphite oxide. The fabricated electrode exhibited a linear response to Cu²⁺ over the concentration range of 1.0?×?10^??6–1.0?×?10^??1?M (correlation coefficient of 0.9998) with a sensitivity of 26.1?±?0.9?mV decade^??1. The detection limit of the fabricated electrode was determined to be 4.0?×?10^??7?M. The electrode worked well in the pH range of 4.0–8.0. The electrode had stable, reversible and fast potentiometric response (3?s). In addition, the electrode had a lifetime of more than 1 year. The analytical applications of the proposed electrode were performed using as an indicator electrode for the potentiometric titration of Cu²⁺ with ethylene diamine tetraacetic acid solution and for the determination of Cu²⁺ of spiked river, dam, and tap water samples. The obtained results for potentiometric titration and water samples were satisfactory.