Thermal Energy Storage and Heat Transfer of Nano-Enhanced Phase Change Material (NePCM) in a Shell and Tube Thermal Energy Storage (TES) Unit with a Partial Layer of Eccentric Copper Foam

Thermal energy storage units conventionally have the drawback of slow charging response. Thus, heat transfer enhancement techniques are required to reduce charging time. Using nanoadditives is a promising approach to enhance the heat transfer and energy storage response time of materials that store heat by undergoing a reversible phase change, so-called phase change materials. In the present study, a combination of such materials enhanced with the addition of nanometer-scale graphene oxide particles (called nano-enhanced phase change materials) and a layer of a copper foam is proposed to improve the thermal performance of a shell-and-tube latent heat thermal energy storage (LHTES) unit filled with capric acid. Both graphene oxide and copper nanoparticles were tested as the nanometer-scale additives. A geometrically nonuniform layer of copper foam was placed over the hot tube inside the unit. The metal foam layer can improve heat transfer with an increase of the composite thermal conductivity. However, it suppressed the natural convection flows and could reduce heat transfer in the molten regions. Thus, a metal foam layer with a nonuniform shape can maximize thermal conductivity in conduction-dominant regions and minimize its adverse impacts on natural convection flows. The heat transfer was modeled using partial differential equations for conservations of momentum and heat. The finite element method was used to solve the partial differential equations. A backward differential formula was used to control the accuracy and convergence of the solution automatically. Mesh adaptation was applied to increase the mesh resolution at the interface between phases and improve the quality and stability of the solution. The impact of the eccentricity and porosity of the metal foam layer and the volume fraction of nanoparticles on the energy storage and the thermal performance of the LHTES unit was addressed. The layer of the metal foam notably improves the response time of the LHTES unit, and a 10% eccentricity of the porous layer toward the bottom improved the response time of the LHTES unit by 50%. The presence of nanoadditives could reduce the response time (melting time) of the LHTES unit by 12%, and copper nanoparticles were slightly better than graphene oxide particles in terms of heat transfer enhancement. The design parameters of the eccentricity, porosity, and volume fraction of nanoparticles had minimal impact on the thermal energy storage capacity of the LHTES unit, while their impact on the melting time (response time) was significant. Thus, a combination of the enhancement method could practically reduce the thermal charging time of an LHTES unit without a significant increase in its size.     

Highly Sensitive Electrochemical Hydrogen Peroxide Sensor Based on Iron Oxide‐Reduced Graphene Oxide‐Chitosan Modified with DNA‐Celestine Blue

The present study describes a novel and very sensitive electrochemical assay for determination of hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) based on synergistic effects of reduced graphene oxide‐ magnetic iron oxide nanocomposite (rGO‐Fe₃O₄) and celestine blue (CB) for electrochemical reduction of H₂O₂. rGO‐Fe₃O₄ nanocomposite was synthesized and characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X‐ray diffraction (XRD), electrochemical impedance spectroscopy and cyclic voltammetry. Chitosan (Chit) was used for immobilization of amino‐terminated single‐stranded DNA (ss‐DNA) molecules via a glutaraldehyde (GA) to the surface of rGO‐Fe₃O₄. The MTT (3‐(4,5‐Dim ethylt hiazol‐2‐yl)‐2,5‐diphenylt etrazolium bromide) results confirmed the biocompatibility of nanocomposite. Experimental parameters affecting the ss‐DNA molecules immobilization were optimized. Finally, by accumulation of the CB on the surface of the rGO‐Fe₃O₄‐Chit/ssDNA, very sensitive amperometric H₂O₂ sensor was fabricated. The electrocatalytic activity of the rGO‐Fe₃O₄‐Chit/DNA‐CB electrode toward H₂O₂ reduction was found to be very efficient, yielding very low detection limit (DL) of 42 nM and a sensitivity of 8.51 μA/μM. Result shows that complex matrices of the human serum samples did not interfere with the fabricated sensor. The developed sensor provided significant advantages in terms of low detection limit, high stability and good reproducibility for detection of H₂O₂ in comparison with recently reported electrochemical H₂O₂ sensors.     

Synthesis of 1,2,4,5-tetrasubstituted imidazoles using silica-bonded propylpiperazine N-sulfamic acid as a recyclable solid acid catalyst

A simple and efficient procedure for the preparation of silica-bonded propylpiperazine-N-sulfamic acid (SBPPSA) by the reaction of 3-piperazine-N-propylsilica (3-PNPS) and chlorosulfonic acid in chloroform is described. Silica-bonded propylpiperazine-N-sulfamic acid is employed as a recyclable catalyst for the synthesis of highly substituted imidazoles from the reaction of benzil, aromatic aldehydes, ammonium acetate and amines under solvent-free conditions. The heterogeneous catalyst was recycled for five runs upon the reaction of benzil, 4-methylbenzaldehyde, benzylamine, and ammonium acetate without losing its catalytic activity.     

Comparison of photosynthetic components of wheat genotypes under rain-fed and irrigated conditions

The major environmental factor limiting the range of adaptation for wheat is drought. Fourteen wheat genotypes (Triticum aestivum L.) were grown under two environments (irrigated and rain fed) to determine physiological and photosynthetic responses to drought. Combined analysis of variance of the data showed that the environment was a significant source of variation for leaf chlorophyll content (LCC), stomatal conductance (g(s)) and grain yield (GY). Wheat genotypes differed significantly for LCC, g(s) and GY. All the measured traits under water-stress conditions except maximum photochemical efficiency of PSII (F(v)/F(m)) were lower than those under nonstress conditions. Mean GY in rain-fed conditions was 11.26% lower than that in irrigated conditions. The genotypes number 13 (Marvdasht) and 8 (M-81-13) exhibited the highest GY per unit area in both irrigation and rain-fed conditions. It was concluded that the higher LCC and g(s) under drought-stress conditions could possibly be the proper criteria for screening the drought-tolerant wheat genotypes under field conditions.     

Reaction kinetics of a novel thermoset nanocomposite: the glycerol diglycidyl ether/3,3-dimethylglutaric anhydride/nano-Al2O3 system

Abstract  

The curing behavior of the glycerol diglycidyl ether/3,3-dimethylglutaric anhydride/nano-alumina system was examined using a dynamic differential scanning calorimetry technique. The activation energy of the system was calculated using the Kissinger, Ozawa, Barrett, and two-parameter Sestak–Berggren models. Under the assumption of a constant activation energy and an autocatalytic mechanism, the activation energy, frequency factor, and total order of reaction were computed. The theoretical reaction rate was also calculated and compared to the experimental results. Good agreement was seen between the experimental and calculated data confirming the autocatalytic mechanism. The effect of triethylamine concentration on the reaction rate was clarified using the Barrett method. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) spectroscopy was used to verify the formation of internal ester groups. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X-ray mapping analyses revealed that the nanofiller was homogeneously distributed in the continuous phase.     

硅胶键合的N-丙基三亚乙基四胺氨基磺酸作为可回收固体酸催化剂催化合成2-氨基-4,6-二芳基烟腈(英文)

A simple and efficient procedure for the preparation of silica-bound N-propyl triethylenetetramine sulfamic acid(SBPTETSA) by the reaction of silica-bound N-propyl triethylenetetramine(SBPTET) with chlorosulfonic acid in chloroform is described.Silica-bound N-propyl triethylenetetramine sulfamic acid was employed as a recyclable catalyst for the synthesis of 2-amino-4,6-diarylnicotinonitriles from the multi-component reaction of an acetophenone derivative,an aromatic aldehyde,malononitrile,and ammonium acetate under solvent-free conditions at 100 °C.The heterogeneous catalyst was recycled for five consecutive runs in the optimized multi-component reaction of 4-chloroacetophenone,4-chloroenzaldehyde,malononitrile,and ammonium acetate without significant loses to its catalytic activity.     

Electrical beam steering with metal-anisotropic-metal structure

In this numerical study, we present and demonstrate a compact, electrical plasmonic beam-steering device composed of anisotropic material. The splitting angle can be modulated by the external electric or magnetic field. The physical principle of this phenomenon is evaluated from the phase of surface plasmon polaritons and Fabry-Perot (F-P) resonance in slits. Our numerical simulations with finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) technique reveals that wide-angle (±27°) beam steering can be achieved. Moreover, the efficiency increases when increasing the steering angle. A special characteristic of the presented structure gives an opportunity to be used as an efficient element in a high integrated optical device for miniaturization and tuning purposes.     

Roman domination subdivision number of graphs

A Roman dominating function on a graph G = (V, E) is a function f : V ? {0, 1, 2}f : V \rightarrow \{0, 1, 2\} satisfying the condition that every vertex v for which f(v) = 0 is adjacent to at least one vertex u for which f(u) = 2. The weight of a Roman dominating function is the value w(f) = ?_{v ? V} f(v)w(f) = \sum_{v\in V} f(v). The Roman domination number of a graph G, denoted by _gR(G)_{\gamma R}(G), equals the minimum weight of a Roman dominating function on G. The Roman domination subdivision number sd_gR(G)sd_{\gamma R}(G) is the minimum number of edges that must be subdivided (each edge in G can be subdivided at most once) in order to increase the Roman domination number. In this paper, first we establish upper bounds on the Roman domination subdivision number for arbitrary graphs in terms of vertex degree. Then we present several different conditions on G which are sufficient to imply that $1 \leq sd_{\gamma R}(G) \leq 3$1 \leq sd_{\gamma R}(G) \leq 3. Finally, we show that the Roman domination subdivision number of a graph can be arbitrarily large.     

A novel crown ether generation containing different heteroaromatic cations: synthesis, characterization, solid-phase (13)C NMR, X-ray crystal structure, and selective amino acid recognition

The synthesis and structural characterization of a novel generation of crown ethers, 3, 5 and 6 containing pyrilium, thiopyrilium, and pyridinium subunits, respectively, are reported. The crown ether unit is potentially capable of forming host-guest complexes with inorganic and organic cations, while the heteroaromatic cationic unit is suitable to bind with anions. A variety of physicochemical methods including electrospray mass spectrometry, UV-vis spectroscopy, solution and solid-phase NMR, and X-ray crystallography were applied for structural characterization of the new crown ether derivatives. The (1)H and (13)C NMR studies indicate rapid rotation of the B9C3 unit about the C-C bond that connects the two units to each other. Single crystals for 3, 4, and 5 were successfully obtained, and their X-ray crystal structures were resolved. The perchlorate anion in 3 (orthorhombic, space group P2(1)2(1)2(1)) and 5 (orthorhombic, space group P2(1)) is far from O(+) and close to S(+). The solid-phase structure of 3 and 5 show small deviation from planarity for the four aromatic rings, whereas two of the aromatic rings in 4 are out of heteroaromatic ring. Spectrophotometric studies in methanol solution revealed that the ligand 3 can be successfully applied to selective amino acid recognition.