One‐pot and Environmentally Friendly Synthesis of New Spiroindolones Using Functionalized Multiwall Carbon Nanotubes as Powerful Catalyst

Multiwall carbon nanotubes were functionalized and then used as powerful nanocatalyst for the one‐pot, three‐component synthesis of new spiroindolones. Functionalized multiwall carbon nanotubes (FMWCNTs) showed a good catalytic ability and recyclability in the current reaction. The present strategy offers some interesting advantages such as simplicity, high yields of products, and non‐toxic nature.     

Electron Transport in Quasi‐Two‐Dimensional Porous Network of Titania Nanoparticles,Incorporating Electrical and Optical Advantages in Dye‐Sensitized Solar Cells

The integration of fast electron transport and large effective surface area is critical to attaining higher gains in the nanostructured photovoltaic devices. Here, we report facilitated electron transport in the quasi‐two‐dimensional (Q2D) porous TiO₂. Liquid electrolyte dye‐sensitized solar cells were prepared by utilizing photoanodes based on the Q2D porous substructures. Due to electron confinement in a microscale porous medium, directional diffusion toward collecting electrode is induced into the electron transport. Our measurements based on the photocurrent and photovoltage time‐of‐flight transients show that at higher Fermi levels, the electron diffusion coefficient in the Q2D porous TiO₂ is about one order of magnitude higher when compared with the conventional layer of porous TiO₂. The results show that microstructuring of the porous TiO₂ leads to an approximately threefold improvement in the electron diffusion length. Such a modification may considerably affects the electrical functionality of moderate or low performance dye‐sensitized solar cells for which the internal gain or collection efficiency is typically low.     

Preparation and characterization of poly(lactic‐co‐glycolic acid)/chitosan electrospun membrane containing amoxicillin‐loaded halloysite nanoclay

The main attitude of new wound dressings with biocompatible natural or synthetic polymers is improving and accelerating the healing process. In this study, halloysite nanotubes (HNTs) loaded with a model antibiotic drug, amoxicillin (AMX), were incorporated within poly(lactic‐co‐glycolic acid) (PLGA) solution that were electrospun with hydrophilic chitosan nanofibers simultaneously in two different syringes to make composite nanofibrous mat. The morphology, homogeneity, and fiber diameter of electrospun (PLGA/HNTs/AMX/chitosan) composite nanofibers were investigated by scanning electron microscopy and image J software. To evaluate the chemical structure, mechanical property, contact angle, and water absorption of samples, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, tensile testing, water contact angle, and immersion in phosphate buffer saline were utilized, respectively. Results indicated that incorporation of HNTs does not significantly alter nanofibers' morphology but rather increases their diameter, while the mechanical properties are improved because of its high modulus. Also, addition of natural hydrophilic polymer nanofibers (chitosan) enhanced the hydrophilicity property of samples. According to high‐performance liquid chromatography drug release analysis, HNTs as a good nanocarrier decreased initial burst release and showed controlled release behavior. MTT assay determined biocompatibility of PLGA/HNTs/AMX/chitosan. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Phase relations and binary clathrate hydrate formation in the system H2-THF-H2O

Experimentally determined equilibrium phase relations are reported for the system H2-THF-H2O as a function of aqueous tetrahydrofuran (THF) concentration from 260 to 290 K at pressures up to 45 MPa. Data are consistent with the formation of cubic structure-II (CS-II) binary H2-THF clathrate hydrates with a stoichiometric THF-to-water ratio of 1:17, which can incorporate modest volumes of molecular hydrogen at elevated pressures. Direct compositional analyses of the clathrate phase, at both low (0.20 mol %) and stoichiometric (5.56 mol %) initial THF aqueous concentrations, are consistent with observed phase behavior, suggesting full occupancy of large hexakaidecahedral (51264) clathrate cavities by THF, coupled with largely complete (80-90%) filling of small dodecahedral (512) cages by single H2 molecules at pressures of >30 MPa, giving a clathrate formula of (H2) < or =2.THF.17H2O. Results should help to resolve the current controversy over binary H2-THF hydrate hydrogen contents; data confirm recent reports that suggest a maximum of approximately 1 mass % H2, this contradicting values of up to 4 mass % previously claimed for comparable conditions.     

Laminar forced convection heat transfer from isothermal cylinders with active ends and different aspect ratios in axial air flows

In this article a semi-analytical approach is employed to obtain dimensionless heat transfer correlations for forced convection from isothermal circular cylinders with active ends and different aspect ratios (l/d ￡ 8) (l/d \le 8) in laminar axial air flows. Then, using the present results and previous works, the modeling is extended to higher aspect ratios (l/d 3 8) (l/d \ge 8) ) as long as the entire flow field remains completely laminar. Validations of the present work are done not only with the available data on drag coefficients but with previous works for long cylinders with inactive ends and long spheroids. Two general correlations are also developed for a rough estimate of forced convection heat transfer from isothermal cylinders with active ends and arbitrary aspect ratios in the range of \frac12 ￡ \fracld ￡ 8 \frac{1}{2} \le \frac{l}{d} \le 8 and l/d 3 8 l/d \ge 8 .     

Photodegradation of Carbaryl in Acetonitrile Solution

The photochemical decomposition, induced by UV radiation, of the carbamate pesticide (Carbaryl) in acetonitrile has been examined by means of gas chromatography–Mass spectrometry (GC‐MS). The result of continuous irradiation was almost total degradation of the pesticide examined. In order to investigate the nature of the reaction products, a spectroscopic study (UV‐Vis, steady‐state fluorescence, and fluorescence lifetime) of the products was performed. Phthalic anhydride and traces of 1,4‐naphtalenedione as an intermediate were detected as reaction products. The presence of a trace amount of 1‐naphthol as one of the photoproducts was confirmed by fluorescence lifetime measurements.     

A circular global profit Malmquist productivity index in data envelopment analysis

To remove the difficulty caused by different profit frontiers in different periods of time for calculating profit efficiency changes and its components, this paper proposes a circular global profit Malmquist productivity index. This index is applicable when the input costs and output prices are known and when producers seek to maximize the total profit of their decision making units (DMUs). To this end, first, two methods are introduced to obtain the common costs and prices with or without the decision maker’s preferences, and then, a common profit efficient frontier is obtained. The proposed index can be decomposed into several circular components, viz., profit efficiency change, profit technical change, technical efficiency change, allocative efficiency change, technical change, and cost/price change. The proposed index is then generalised to compare the productivity of two different units at two different points in time. The global profit Malmquist productivity index developed here is unique and is computed using nonparametric linear programming model known as data envelopment analysis (DEA), and there is no need to resort to the geometric mean in the calculation. To illustrate the proposed index and its components, numerical examples at three successive periods of time are given.     

The spectral method for solving systems of Volterra integral equations

This paper presents a high accurate and stable Legendre-collocation method for solving systems of Volterra integral equations (SVIEs) of the second kind. The method transforms the linear SVIEs into the associated matrix equation. In the nonlinear case, after applying our method we solve a system of nonlinear algebraic equations. Also, sufficient conditions for the existence and uniqueness of the Linear SVIEs, in which the coefficient of the main term is a singular (or nonsingular) matrix, have been formulated. Several examples are included to illustrate the efficiency and accuracy of the proposed technique and also the results are compared with the different methods. All of the numerical computations have been performed on a PC using several programs written in MAPLE 13.     

Flexural sensitivity and resonance of cantilever micro-sensors based on nonlocal elasticity theory

Sensors based on microcantilevers, especially ones with uniform structure, have ultrahigh sensitivities. The normalized natural frequencies and the sensitivity of lateral vibration of an elastic microcantilever sensor in contact with a surface are derived analytically based on the Euler–Bernoulli beam theory by taking into account the small scale effect. The interaction of the sensor with the surface is modeled by linear springs, which restricts the results to experiments involving low-amplitude excitations. The results show that the normalized natural frequencies of nonlocal microcantilever are smaller than those for its local counterpart, especially for higher values of small scale parameters. Also, each mode has a different sensitivity to variations in surface stiffness. Moreover, the most sensitivity is observed at the first mode of vibration. When the nonlocal effect is not taken into account, the natural frequencies and the sensitivity of the microcantilever in contact with the surface are compared with those obtained in previous study without considering the nonlocal effect.