Applications of unsaturated polyester resins

Unsaturated polyester resins containing long chain fatty acids and styrene as cross-linking agents are easily available in Pakistan. I have made use of these resins in the preparation of overprint varnish, ornaments, synthetic marble and other related substances. The octates of manganese, cobalt, calcium and lead along with peroxide were used for jelling and drying of the resins. The effects of metal driers, aluminium stearate, peroxides and unsaturated long chain fatty acids in the composition as mentioned in the experimental section were also studied. The merits and demerits developed in the end products resulting from the variation of these chemicals in the compositions were also noted at their respective places. The article was submitted by the author in English.     

Electrochemical materials science: tailoring intrinsically conducting polymers. The example: substituted thiophenes

A series of 3-(p-X-phenyl) thiophene monomers (X= –H, –CH₃, –OCH₃, –COCH₃, –COOC₂H₅, –NO₂) was electrochemically polymerized to furnish polymer films that could be reversibly reduced and oxidized (n- and p-doped). The oxidation potentials of the monomers and formal potentials of the n- and p-doping processes of polymers were correlated with resonance and inductive effects of the substituents on the phenyl ring as well as the semiempirically calculated heat of formation of the monomer radical cations. Presented at the 4th Baltic Conference on Electrochemistry, Greifswald, March 13-16, 2005     

INAA for the characterization of airborne particulate matter from the industrial area of Islamabad city

Air particulate matter (PM) was collected in two size fractions using stacked filter units (SFUs) provided by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) from the industrial area of Islamabad. Nucleopore polycarbonate filters were used for collecting from Oct 98 to Jun 99 the particulate matter in coarse and fine size fractions. The samples were characterized by the instrumental neutron activation analysis (INAA). About 33 elements were quantified using different irradiation and counting protocols.     

Biofunctional properties of Eruca sativa Miller (rocket salad) hydroalcoholic extract

Eruca sativa Miller is a worldwide common alimentary plant (rocket leaves). The aim of this study was to correlate the potential in vitro scavenging activity of the E. sativa hydroalcoholic extract (HAE) with its in vivo hypoglycaemic effect. In DDPH free radical (DFR) and ferric-reducing antioxidant power assays, HAE in a concentration dependent manner (25–100 μg/mL) displayed a strong scavenging activity with maximum effect of 88% and 75% at 100 μg/mL, respectively. Daily administration of HAE (50 mg/kg; p.o.) in the in vivo model of alloxan-induced diabetic rabbits for 28 days showed significant reduction in glycaemia, also supported by recovery of body weight. In conclusion, our results give preliminary information on the potential use of this plant as a nutraceutical, useful to control and/or prevent a hyperglycaemic status.     

Kinetics of mechanochemical dissolution of chromium in iron

The kinetics of solid Fe–Cr solution formation has been studied during mechanical alloying of Fe and Cr powders taken in an atomic ratio of 80: 20. X-ray diffraction and Mössbauer spectroscopy data have been analyzed within the framework of the energetic approach. It has been established that, in this system, reaction product yield N is related to mechanical energy dose D and specific surface area S of Fe nanograin boundaries in an ideal manner: N ~ D² at S ~ D and N ~ D at S = const.     

Toward a Formyl-to-Phenyl Conversion: An Unexpected Photochemical Fulvene Rearrangement

Toward a conversion of aldehydes into arenes, we designed a sequence involving the initial reaction of an aldehyde to give a fulvene, followed by photochemical and platinum-catalyzed rearrangements into a Dewar benzene derivative, which finally isomerizes into the targeted arene. While computational studies support the plausibility of this route, we found that fulvene irradiation resulted in an unexpected isomerization into a spiro[2.4]heptadiene. This unusual photorearrangement has been investigated mechanistically and provides access to a variety of spiro[2.4]heptadienes with different substituents.     

Atomically Precise Defective Copper Nanocluster Catalysts for Highly Selective C−C Cross-Coupling Reactions

Point defects in nanoparticles have long been hypothesized to play an important role in governing the particle's electronic structure and physicochemical properties. However, single point defects in material systems usually exist with other heterogeneities, obscuring the chemical role of the effects. Herein, we report the synthesis of novel atomically precise, copper hydride nanoclusters (NCs), [Cu₂₈H₁₀(C₇H₇S)₁₈(TPP)₃] ( Cu₂₈ ; TPP: triphenylphosphine; C₇H₇S: o-thiocresol) with a defined defect in the gram scale via a one-pot reduction method. The Cu₂₈ acts as a highly selective catalyst for C−C cross-couplings. The work highlights the potential of defective NCs as model systems for investigating individual defects, correlating defects with physiochemical properties, and rationally designing new nanoparticle catalysts.     

Development and implementation of <Emphasis Type="Italic">k</Emphasis><Subscript>0</Subscript>-INAA standardization at PINSTECH

The k ₀ method has been introduced at the 30 kW miniaturized neutron source reactor (MNSR) at the Pakistan Institute of Nuclear Science & Technology (PINSTECH). It involved the full energy peak efficiency calibration of the HPGe detector for different counting geometries and the characterization of the neutron flux at four inner irradiation channels. The latter involved the determination of the thermal to the epithermal flux ratio, epithermal flux shape factor, the modified spectral index, Westcott’s g-factor, the Maxwellian neutron temperature and the fast flux. The method was validated by analyzing IAEA-SL1 (Lake Sediment) and NIST-SRM-1572 (Citrus Leaves) reference materials. All calculations were performed in Excel, including the optimization step. The results revealed that most of the elements were estimated with less than 10% relative deviation from the certified value.     

Parameters of Li2O2 · H2O crystallization from the LiOH-H2O2-H2O ternary system

The decomposition kinetics of peroxide products contained in the liquid phase of the LiOH-H₂O₂-H₂O ternary system were studied, and the applicability of the solubility method to studying this system was demonstrated for hydrogen peroxide concentrations in the liquid phase from 2 to 6 wt % and temperatures of 21–33°C. The stabilizing influence of solid Li₂O₂ · H₂O on hydrogen peroxide decomposition was demonstrated. The temperature and concentration boundaries of existence were determined for the Li₂O₂ · H₂O phase, whose identity was verified by chemical analysis and qualitative X-ray powder diffraction analysis.     

Structure of aqueous dispersions of Mg<Subscript>3</Subscript>Si<Subscript>2</Subscript>O<Subscript>5</Subscript>(OH)<Subscript>4</Subscript> nanotubes

Behavior of hydrosilicate nanotubes of composition Mg₃Si₂O₅(OH)₄ in aqueous dispersions was studied. Experiments devoted to observation of steady-state and relaxation electro-optical effects demonstrated that, irrespective of their initial concentration in water, nanotubes form stable bulk aggregates with weak anisotropy, rather than a homogeneous system of separate suspended nanosize cylinders.