Thermal stability and flame resistance of polypyrrole-coated PET fibres

Electro-conducting doped polypyrrole was deposited by in situ oxidative polymerisation on PET non-wovens. Thermal properties were evaluated by means of DSC and TG in nitrogen and air. Flame resistance tests reveal that coated PET fibres resist to direct contact with fire. By thermal analysis, it was found that PPy reduces the temperature at which thermo-oxidative degradation of PET occurs. Polypyrrole-coated PET non-wovens were heated above the melting point of PET for 30 min. After the heating the fibres become brittle and frail, but SEM observations revealed that they maintained their fibrous shape. A loss of chlorine was found because of intense heating.     

Structures and thermodynamic properties of aluminum oxyhalides: a computational study

The molecular geometries and vibrational frequencies of aluminum oxyhalides, AlOX, and their dimers, (AlOX)₂, have been calculated by MP2 and density functional methods. The monomeric molecules are linear while the dimers have a D _2h -symmetry geometry with a four-membered ring, in which the oxygen atoms serve as bridging ligands. Different thermodynamic properties have been calculated; for AlOBr and AlOI for the first time.     

3,5-Bis(2-hydroxyphenyl)-1<Emphasis Type="Italic">H</Emphasis>-1,2,4-triazole based ligands — protonation and metal complex formation

3,5-Bis(2-hydroxyphenyl)-1H-1,2,4-triazole (H₂L^a) and 4-[3,5-bis(2-hydroxyphenyl)-1H-1,2,4-triazol-1-yl]benzoic acid (H₃L^b) have been prepared, and crystal structure of the intermediate 2-(2-hydroxyphenyl)-4H-1,3-benzoxazin-4-one has been determined. Temperature dependent ¹H NMR spectroscopic measurements of H₂L^a indicated dynamic behavior with the equilibrium between the two asymmetric tautomers. For H₃L^b, pD-dependent ¹H NMR spectroscopic measurements showed small but characteristic shifts in the range of 0 ≤ pD ≤ 1, indicative of a triazole nitrogen atom protonation; the corresponding pK _a of 0.98 ± 0.04 was determined by spectrophotometric titrations. (H₂O, 26°C, 1 M KCl/HCl). Formation of [Fe^III(L^a)]⁺ (pH 2.5) and [Fe^III(L^a)₂]⁻ (pH > 6) was verified by UV-Vis spectroscopy. Complex formation of H₃L^b with Al³⁺ and VO²⁺ was investigated by ¹H NMR spectroscopic titration and cyclic voltammetry, respectively. Single crystals of the phenoxo bridged [V^VO(HL^b)(EtO)]₂·2EtOH were characterized by X-ray structural analysis. Dedicated to Professor Milan Melník on the occasion of his 70th birthday     

Dependence of calibration sensitivity of a polysulfone/Ru(II)-tris(4,7-diphenyl-1,10-phenanthroline)-based oxygen optical sensor on its structural parameters

The optimum performance of an optical oxygen sensor based on polysulfone (PSF)/[Ru(II)-Tris(4,7-diphenyl-1,10-phenanthroline)] octylsulfonate (Ru(dpp)OS) was checked by carefully tuning the parameters affecting the membrane preparation. In particular, membranes having thickness ranging between 0.2 and 8.0 μm with various luminophore concentrations were prepared by dip-coating and tested. The membrane thickness was controlled by tuning the solution viscosity, and was measured both by secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) and by visible spectroscopy (Vis). Luminescence-quenching-based calibration was a single value of the Stern-Volmer constant (K^′SV) for membranes containing up to 20 mmol Ru(dpp) g⁻¹ PSF (1.35 μm average thickness). The K^′SV value decreased for larger concentration. The highest sensitivity was obtained with membrane thickness around 1.6 μm, having a response time close to 1 s. Thicker membranes exhibited an emission saturation effect and were characterized by longer response time. The K^′SV behavior was interpreted on the basis of a mathematical approach accounting for the contribution of luminescence lifetime (τ₀), oxygen diffusion coefficient (DO₂) and oxygen solubility inside the membrane (sO₂) establishing the role of all of them and allowing their experimental determination. Moreover, a simple experimental way to estimate K^′SV without needing calibration was proposed. It was based either on the light emission asymmetry or on the percent variation of light emission on passing from pure nitrogen to pure oxygen.     

Quantification of measurement uncertainty in the sequential determination of <Superscript>210</Superscript>Pb and <Superscript>210</Superscript>Po by liquid scintillation counting and alpha-particle spectrometry

Methodologies for the quantification of measurement uncertainties associated with the determination of ²¹⁰Pb- and ²¹⁰Po-specific activities by liquid scintillation counting (LSC) and alpha-particle spectrometry are presented, and are demonstrated using the soil reference material IAEA-326. Major contributors to the combined uncertainty associated with the measurement result of ²¹⁰Pb were the uncertainties of net count rates in the ²¹⁰Pb energy region of the sample spectrum and in the ²¹⁰Bi energy region of the blank spectrum. The predominant sources of uncertainty in the measurement of ²¹⁰Po were the uncertainties of net count rates in the regions of interest of ²⁰⁹Po and ²¹⁰Po. The relative standard uncertainty of ²¹⁰Po exponentially increases with the time interval between the sampling date and the separation date of Po, and this effect is strongly dependent on the ²¹⁰Po/²¹⁰Pb activity ratio. When the specific activity of ²¹⁰Pb is much higher than that of ²¹⁰Po in the sample, the relative standard uncertainty of the ²¹⁰Po determination increases significantly within a short time interval between the sampling date (or reference date) and the separation date of Po in samples.     

Study of a Monod–Haldene type food chain chemostat with pulsed substrate

In this paper, we introduce and study a model of a Monod–Haldene type food chain chemostat with pulsed substrate. We investigate the subsystem with substrate and prey and study the stability of the periodic solutions, which are the boundary periodic solutions of the system. The stability analysis of the boundary periodic solution yields an invasion threshold. By use of standard techniques of bifurcation theory, we prove that above this threshold there are periodic oscillations in substrate, prey, and predator. Simple cycles may give way to chaos in a cascade of period-doubling bifurcations. Furthermore, by comparing bifurcation diagrams with different bifurcation parameters, we can see that the impulsive system shows two kinds of bifurcations, whose are period-doubling and period-halfing.     

Major flavonoid components of heartsease (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Viola tricolor</Emphasis> L.) and their antioxidant activities

Sephadex LH-20 column chromatography was used to separate flavonoid components in a heartsease methanol extract. One of the main components was identified by NMR as violanthin (6-C-glucosyl-8-C-rhamnosylapigenin). As a first approximation, the other main flavonoid component was considered to be rutin (3-O-rhamnoglucosylquercetin), based on comprehensive comparison of retention times and UV spectra of reference molecules, as well as molecular mass and fragmentation patterns obtained by mass spectrometry. The minor flavonoids were separated by polyamide column and analyzed by LC-MS. The antioxidant capacity of different flavonoid fractions was determined using both Trolox equivalent antioxidant capacity (TEAC) and 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) in vitro antioxidant assays. The highest electron-donor capacity was found for the major flavonoid component (rutin), whereas one minor component-rich flavonoid fraction exhibited the highest hydrogen-donor activity.     

Investigation on the catalytic activity of doped low-percentage oxide catalysts Mn/ZnO obtained from oxalate precursor

The precursors with a low manganese content ≤ 0.07% Mn were synthesized by spontaneous crystallization from Zn²⁺, Mn²⁺ and C₂O₄ ²⁻-containing solutions. The initial ratio Zn²⁺:C₂O₄ ²⁻ = 1:1 and 1:2 influences the morphology and prevailing orientations of the crystallites in the oxalate samples. The presence of such small Mn content in the samples does not change the morphology or size of the crystals. The ZnO and Mn/ZnO oxides with manganese content from 0.51×10⁻² to 15.1×10⁻² Wt % are obtained after thermal decomposition of the oxalates. The oxides preserved the morphology of the precursors. The catalytic tests show that the pure ZnO has a poor activity for CO oxidation reaction. Its doping with Mn promotes the catalytic activity (up from twice to five times) in spite of the very low contents of the dopants. The observed increase of the activity depends on both dopant concentration and Zn²⁺:C₂O₄ ²⁻ ratio, probably due to the different mechanism of the manganese inclusion and different morphology of the oxides. The catalysts of the 1:2 series are more active in CO oxidation reaction.      

A one-dimensional silver(I) coordination polymer with saccharin and pyrazine: synthesis,crystal structure,thermal analysis,FTIR spectra,and DFT studies

A silver(I) complex of saccharinate (sac) with pyrazine (pyz), [Ag(sac)(pyz)] _n , has been synthesized and characterized by elemental analysis, IR, thermal analysis, and single-crystal X-ray diffractometry. The complex crystallizes orthorhombic space group Pnma with unit cell parameters of a = 13.0073(9) Å, b = 6.4907(6) Å, c = 13.4007(9) Å, V = 1131.37(15) Å³, and Z = 4. [Ag(sac)(pyz)] _n is a one-dimensional coordination polymer, in which the sac ligand acts as a monodentate ligand through the N atom and the trigonal silver centers are linked by the bridging pyz ligands. The individual chains are connected into two-dimensional supramolemular network by aromatic π(sac)···π(pyz) stacking interactions. The FTIR spectrum of [Ag(sac)(pyz)] _n has been recorded in the region and 4,000–400 cm^?1. The optimized geometry, frequency, and intensity of the vibrational bands of [Ag(sac)(pyz)] _n were obtained by density functional theory (DFT) at the B3LYP level. The vibrational frequencies were calculated and the scaled values have been compared with the experimental FTIR data. The observed and calculated frequencies are found to be in good agreement.     

Mass analysis in islands of stability with linear quadrupoles with added octopole fields

Mass analysis with linear quadrupole mass filters is possible by forming "islands" in the stability diagram with auxiliary quadrupole excitation. In this work, computer simulations are used to calculate stability boundaries, island positions, and peak shapes and ion transmission for mass analysis with linear quadrupole mass filters that have added octopole fields of about 2 to 4%. Rod sets with exact geometries that have quadrupole and octopole fields only in the potential, and round rod sets, with multipoles up to N = 10 (the twenty pole term) included in the calculations, show the same stability boundaries, island positions, and peak shapes. With the DC voltage applied to the rods so that the Mathieu parameter a < 0, conventional mass analysis is possible without the use of an island. With the DC polarity reversed so that a > 0, the resolution and transmission are poor preventing conventional mass analysis. In principle, mass analysis in an island is possible with operation at either of two tips. Provided the correct island tip is chosen for mass analysis, peak shapes comparable to those with a > 0 and no excitation are possible, both with a > 0 and with a < 0. In the latter case, the use of an island of stability allows mass analysis when the added octopole otherwise prevents conventional mass analysis.