Li4Ti2.5Cr2.5O12 as anode material for lithium battery

Chromium-substituted Li₄Ti₅O₁₂ has been investigated as a negative electrode for future lithium batteries. It has been synthesized by a solid-state method followed by quenching leading to a micron-sized material. The minimum formation temperature of Li₄Ti_2.5Cr_2.5O₁₂ was found to be around 600 °C using thermogravimetric and differential thermal analysis. X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, cyclic voltammetry (CV), impedance spectroscopy, and charge–discharge cycling were used to evaluate the synthesized Li₄Ti_2.5Cr_2.5O₁₂. The particle size of the powder was around 2–4 μm. CV studies reveal a shift in the deintercalation potential by about 40 mV, i.e., from 1.54 V for Li₄Ti₅O₁₂ to 1.5 V for Li₄Ti_2.5Cr_2.5O₁₂. High-rate cyclability was exhibited by Li₄Ti_2.5Cr_2.5O₁₂ (up to 5  C) compared to the parent compound. The conduction mechanism of the compound was examined in terms of the dielectric constant and dissipation factor. The relaxation time has been evaluated and was found to be 0.07 ms. The mobility was found to be 5.133 × 10⁻⁶ cm² V⁻¹ s⁻¹.     

Relation between glass transition temperatures in polymer nanocomposites and polymer thin films

Motivated by recent experiments, we examine within a percolation model whether there is a quantitative equivalence in the glass transition temperatures of polymer thin films and polymer nanocomposites. Our results indicate that, while the qualitative behaviors of these systems are similar, a quantitative equivalence cannot be established in general. However, we propose a phenomenological scaling collapse of our results which suggests a simple framework by which the results of the thin films may be used to quantitatively predict the properties of polymer nanocomposites.     

Dependence of pH and surfactant effect in the synthesis of magnetite (Fe3O4) nanoparticles and its properties

Nanoparticles of Fe₃O₄ were synthesized by co-precipitation in an aqueous solution containing ferrous and ferric salts (1:2) at varying pH with ammonia as a base. It was found that the value of pH influences the reaction mechanism for the formation of Fe₃O₄. Furthermore, the addition of mercaptoethanol significantly reduced the crystalline size of Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles from 15.03 to 8.02 nm. X-ray diffraction (XRD) spectra revealed that the synthesized nanoparticles were ε-Fe₂O₃ or Fe₃O₄ phase. To further prove the composition of the product, as-prepared Fe₃O₄ were examined by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Magnetic properties of the obtained particles were determined by vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM). Further analysis of the X-ray studies shows that while maintaining a pH value of 6 and 9 in a solution containing iron salts II and III ions produces ε-Fe₂O₃. Whereas a pH value of 11 produces magnetite (Fe₃O₄) phase. All of these results show that the pH has a major role in the observed phase formation of (Fe₃O₄) nanoparticles.     

Probing the Effects of Antimicrobial-Lysozyme Derivatization on Enzymatic Degradation of Poly(ε-caprolactone) Film and Fiber

Surface derivatization is essential for incorporating unique functionalities into biodegradable polymers. Nonetheless, its precise effects on enzymatic biodegradation still lack comprehensive understanding. In this study, a facile solution-based method is employed to surface derivatize poly(ε-caprolactone) films and electrospun fibers with lysozyme, aiming to impart antimicrobial properties and examine the impact on enzymatic degradation. The derivatized films and fibers have shown high antibacterial efficacy against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus. Through gravimetric analysis, it is observed that the degradation rate experiences a slight decrease upon lysozyme derivatization. However, this reduction is effectively countered by the inclusion of Tween-20, as affirmed by isothermal titration calorimetry. Comparing films and fibers, the latter undergoes degradation at a more accelerated pace, coupled with a rapid decline in molecular weight. This study provides valuable insights into the factors influencing the degradation of surface-derivatized biopolymers through electrospinning, offering a simple strategy to mitigate biomaterial-associated infections.     

Nafion-multi-walled Carbon Nanotubes Supported Tris(bipyridyl)iron(II) for Nicotine Detection

This work reports an electrochemical sensing framework for nicotine determination based on glassy carbon electrode (GC) immobilized with Fe(bpy)₃²⁺ (where bpy is 2,2’-bipyridyl) supported by Nafion and multi-walled carbon nanotubes (Nf-MWCNTs). Fe(bpy)₃²⁺ immobilized Nf-MWCNTs modified GC (GC/Nf-MWCNTs/Fe(bpy)₃²⁺) manifests stable redox peaks, characteristics of Fe(bpy)₃²⁺. The GC/Nf-MWCNTs/Fe(bpy)₃²⁺ exhibits effective electrochemical oxidation of nicotine, diminishing the overpotential relative to GC/Nf-MWCNTs. The limit of detection is 0.1 μM (experimentally observed) with two different linear calibration ranges between 0.1 to 600 μM and 600 to 3000 μM. Electrocatalytic responses observed at GC/Nf-MWCNTs/Fe(bpy)₃²⁺ indicate superior performance for nicotine determination with acceptable selectivity, stability, and reproducibility. Additionally, the nicotine present in real samples such as beedi and tobacco are also analyzed with satisfactory recovery percentages.     

Dense energetic compounds of carbon,hydrogen, nitrogen,and oxygen atoms. V. 1,2,7,8-bisfuroxano-3,4,9,10-tetranitro-5, 11-dehydro-5H, 11H-benzotriazolo[2, 1-a]benzotriazole (BTBB)

A reaction between 2, 8-dichloro-4, 10-dinitro-5, 11-dehydro-5H, 11H-benzotriazolo[2, 1-a]-benzotriazole 8 and sodium azide in dimethyl sulfoxide produced 3, 9-diazido-4, 10-dinitro-5, 11-dehydro-5H, 11H-benzotriazolo [2, 1-a]benzotriazole 10 rather than the 2.8-diazido isomer 9 expected by direct displacement. Thermolytic elimination of nitrogen (2 moles) converted the dinitro diazide 10 to 3,4,9,10-bisfuroxano-5, 11-dehydro-5H, 11H-benzotriazolo[2, 1-a]benzotriazole 11 that was subsequently nitrated to give the 2,8-dinitro derivative 12 . Similar nitration converted the dinitro diazide 9 to the trinitro 15 and tetranitro 14 derivatives: thermolysis of the latter gave 1,2,7,8-bisfuroxano-4, 10-dinitro-5, 11-dehydro-5H, 11H-benzotriazolo[2, 1-a]-benzotriazole 16 . Nitration (100% HNO₃, CF₃SO₃H) converted compound 16 to the 3,4,10-trinitro derivative 17 , whereas a similar nitration (100% HNO₃, FSO₃H) gave the title compound BTBB, an insensitive high-energy, high-density (d 2.03 g/cc) molecule. © 1995 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.