Liquid crystalline mesophases of pluronics (L64, P65, and P123) and transition metal nitrate salts ([M(H2O)6](NO3)2)

The triblock poly(ethylene oxide)-poly(propylene oxide)-poly(ethylene oxide) copolymers, Pluronics (L64, P65, and P123), form liquid crystalline (LC) mesophases with transition metal nitrate salts (TMS), [M(H(2)O)(n)](NO(3))(2), in the presence and absence of free water in the media. In this assembly process, M-OH(2) plays an important role as observed in a TMS:C(n)EO(m) (C(n)EO(m) is oligo(ethylene oxide) nonionic surfactants) system. The structure of the LC mesophases and interactions of the metal ion-nitrate ion and metal ion-Pluronic were investigated using microscopy (POM), diffraction (XRD), and spectroscopy (FTIR and micro-Raman) techniques. The TMS:L64 system requires a shear force for mesophase ordering to be observed using X-ray diffraction. However, TMS:P65 and TMS:P123 form well structured LC mesophases. Depending on the salt/Pluronic mole ratio, hexagonal LC mesophases are observed in the TMS:P65 systems and cubic and tetragonal LC mesophases in the TMS:P123 systems. The LC mesophase in the water/salt/Pluronic system is sensitive to the concentration of free (H(2)O) and coordinated water (M-OH(2)) molecules and demonstrates structural changes. As the free water is evaporated from the H(2)O:TMS:Pluronic LC mesophase (ternary mixture), the nitrate ion remains free in the media. However, complete evaporation of the free water molecules enforces the coordination of the nitrate ion to the metal ion in all TMS:Pluronic systems.     

Delay‐dependent robust reliable control for uncertain switched neutral systems

This article investigates the robust reliable control problem for a class of uncertain switched neutral systems with mixed interval time‐varying delays. The system under study involves state time‐delay, parameter uncertainties and possible actuator failures. In particular, the parameter uncertainties is assumed to satisfy linear fractional transformation formulation and the involved state delay are assumed to be randomly time varying which is modeled by introducing Bernoulli distributed sequences. The main objective of this article is to obtain robust reliable feedback controller design to achieve the exponential stability of the closed‐loop system in the presence of for all admissible parameter uncertainties. The proposed results not only applicable for the normal operating case of the system, but also in the presence of certain actuator failures. By constructing an appropriate Lyapunov–Krasovskii functional, a new set of criteria is derived for ensuring the robust exponential stability of the closed‐loop switched neutral system. More precisely, zero inequality approach, Wirtinger's based inequality, convex combination technique and average dwell time approach are used to simplify the derivation in the main results. Finally, numerical examples with simulation result are given to illustrate the effectiveness and applicability of the proposed design approach. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Complexity 21: 224–237, 2016     

Selective hydrogenation of substituted styrene to alkylbenzene catalyzed by Al2O3 nanoparticles

Research on Chemical Intermediates - A straightforward and suitable protocol is described for the conversion of substituted styrene to alkylbenzenes in the presence of Al2O3 nanoparticles...     

Synthesis of arylated anthraquinones by site-selective Suzuki–Miyaura reactions of the bis(triflates) of 1,3-di(hydroxy)anthraquinones

Arylated anthraquinones were prepared by Suzuki–Miyaura reactions of the bis(triflates) of various 1,3-(dihydroxy)anthraquinones. While the reactions of the bis(triflates) of parent 1,3-(dihydroxy)anthraquinone and of 2-chloro-1,3-di(hydroxy)anthraquinone proceeded with very good site-selectivity, the corresponding reactions of the bis(triflate) of 2-fluoro-1,3-diarylanthraquinones were not site-selective, which was explained based on the π-donating effect of the fluorine atom.