Synthesis of chiral azobenzene-based compounds for use in the photochemical tuning of the helical structure of liquid crystals

We have synthesized azobenzene-based molecules containing either one or two chiral groups. A cholesteric phase can be induced by adding the chiral azobenzene compounds to a host nematic liquid crystal. We investigated the effects of the trans - cis photoisomerization of the chiral azobenzene compounds on the properties of the cholesteric phase, such as the helical pitch length. This can be increased or decreased by the photoisomerization of the chiral azobenzene compounds. We discuss the photochemically driven change in the helical pitch of the cholesteric phase with respect to structural effects involving the chiral groups.     

Real-time fingerprint identification

The pattern matching for fingerprints requires a large amount of data and computation time. Practical fingerprint identification systems require minimal errors and ultrafast processing time to perform real-time verification and identification. By utilizing the two-dimensional processing capability, ultrafast processing speed and non-interfering communication of optical processing techniques, fingerprint identification systems can be implemented in real-time. Among the various pattern matching systems, the joint transform correlator (JTC) has been found to be inherently suitable for real-time matching applications. Among the various JTCs, the fringe-adjusted JTC has been found to yield significantly better correlation output compared to alternate JTCs. In this paper, a fingerprint identification system has been developed based on the fringe-adjusted JTC. Since all pattern matching systems suffer from high sensitivity to distortions, the synthetic discriminant function concept has been incorporated in fringe-adjusted JTC to ensure distortion-invariant fingerprint identification.     

Investigation of polymer degradation by addition of magnesium

The effect of alkali metal magnesium on polymer degradation of physico-mechanical properties of radiation-vulcanized natural rubber latex (RVNRL) films was investigated. RVNRL films were prepared by the addition of Mg of different concentrations (0–30 ppm) to natural rubber latex and irradiation with various radiation doses (0–20 kGy). The radiation doses were optimized (12 kGy), and the adverse effect of Mg was studied against a reference film prepared without metal. Tensile strength, tear strength, and cross-linking density of the irradiated rubber films were decreased with increasing metal ion concentrations and decreasing radiation doses. The mechanical properties of the films were reduced by nearly 10% for 30 ppm Mg ions and at the optimum dose. In contrast, elongation at break, permanent set, and swelling ratio of the films were increased at the same conditions. The maximum tensile and tear strengths of irradiated rubber films without additive were 29.33 MPa and 47.95 N/mm, respectively, at a radiation dose of 12 kGy, and these values were about six times higher than those of blank samples. With the addition of Mg, the corresponding values decrease continuously, and the minimum values were found to be 26.35 MPa and 42.675 N/mm, respectively. The effect of divalent alkali metal on polymer chain scission can be explained by the classical electron concept reported in this article.     

Electrochemical and Surface Analysis Studies on the Carbon Dioxide Corrosion of X‐65 Carbon Steel

A comprehensive study of the CO₂ corrosion of carbon steel (X‐65) at low partial pressures of CO₂ is reported in this paper. Field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), Raman spectroscopy (RS), synchrotron radiation‐grazing incidence X‐ray diffraction (SR‐GIXRD), and electrode kinetic studies have confirmed that chukanovite, magnetite and siderite are the main corrosion products at low partial pressures of CO₂. Chukanovite forms predominantly in the presence of CO₂, while magnetite was found to be the major corrosion product in the absence of CO₂, although the majority of previous work based on conventional ex‐situ materials characterization techniques has implied that siderite is the main corrosion product. Here, it is shown that the nature of corrosion products is strongly dependent on the experimental conditions at low pressures of CO₂, which has not been elucidated in previous studies. Accordingly, this study has made a significant contribution to identifying the true nature of corrosion scales formed at low partial pressures of CO₂ allowing the development of effective anti‐corrosive agents for the control and prevention of carbon steel corrosion at low CO₂ partial pressures.     

Catalytic Asymmetric Allylboration of Indoles and Dihydroisoquinolines with Allylboronic Acids: Stereodivergent Synthesis of up to Three Contiguous Stereocenters

The catalytic asymmetric allylboration of cyclic imines with γ,γ‐disubstituted allylboronic acids provides products with adjacent stereocenters in high yield and stereoselectivity. Various electrophiles, including 3,4‐dihydroisoquinolines and indoles, were prenylated in a fully stereodivergent fashion by switching the E/Z geometry of the allylboronate and/or the enantiomer of the BINOL catalyst. 3‐Methylindole provided products with three adjacent stereocenters with high stereoselectivity in one synthetic operation.     

Development of Poly(urethane esteramide) Coatings from Pongamia glabra Oil as Anticorrosive Applications

In this study, ethylene glycol polyesteramide (Eg-PEA) was synthesized from N,N-bis (2-hydroxy ethyl) pongamia oil fatty amide and ethylene glycol tetraacetic acid (EGTA) through condensation polymerization. It was further modified by toluene 2,4-diisocynate in different wt.% (20, 25, 30, and 35) to obtain urethane-modified polyesteramide (Eg-UPEA). The synthesized resins were characterized using FT-IR, ¹H NMR, and ¹³C NMR spectroscopic techniques, and molecular weight was determined by gel permeation chromatography (GPC). Physico-chemical and physico-mechanical analyses were carried out by standard laboratory methods. Thermal studies of Eg-UPEA were undertaken by thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) techniques. To evaluate corrosion prevention performance Eg-UPEA-coated mild steel strips were investigated by potentiodynamic polarization in different corrosive media (5 wt.% NaCl, 3 wt.% HCL, 2.5 wt.% NaOH, and tap water) at room temperature. Thermal analysis revealed that Eg-UPEA30 may find application as an environmentally friendly corrosion protective coating and may be safely used up to 250°C.     

Assessment of Melamine in Different Water Samples with ZnO-doped Co3O4 Nanoparticles on a Glassy Carbon Electrode by Differential Pulse Voltammetry

In this investigation, a melamine electrochemical sensor has been developed by using wet-chemically synthesized low-dimensional aggregated nanoparticles (NPs) of ZnO-doped Co₃O₄ as sensing substrate that were decorated onto flat glassy carbon electrode (GCE). The characterization of NPs such as UV-Vis, FTIR, XRD, XPS, EDS, and FESEM was done for detailed investigations in optical, functional, structural, elemental, and morphological analyses. The ZnO-doped Co₃O₄ NPs decorated GCE was used as a sensing probe to analyze the target chemical melamine in a phosphate buffer at pH 5.7 by applying differential pulse voltammetry (DPV). It exhibited good performances in terms of sensor analytical parameters such as large linear dynamic range (LDR; 0.15–1.35 mM) of melamine detection, high sensitivity (80.6 μA mM⁻¹ cm⁻²), low limit of detection (LOD; 0.118±0.005 mM), low limit of quantification (LOQ; 0.393 mM), and fast response time (30 s). Besides this, the good reproducibility (in several hours) and repeatability were investigated under identical conditions. Moreover, it was implemented to measure the long-time stability, electron mobility, less charge-transfer resistance, and analyzed diffusion-controlled process for the oxidation reaction of the NPs assembled working GCE electrode, which showed outstanding chemical sensor performances. For validation, real environmental samples were collected from various water sources and investigated successfully with regard to the reliability of the selective melamine detection with prepared NPs coated sensor probe. Therefore, this approach might be introduced as an alternative route in the sensor technology to detect selectively unsafe chemicals by an electrochemical method with nanostructure-doped materials for the safety of environmental, ecological, healthcare fields in a broad scale.     

Role of Magnetite Nanoparticles Size and Concentration on Hyperthermia under Various Field Frequencies and Strengths

Magnetite (Fe₃O₄) nanoparticles were synthesized using the chemical coprecipitation method. Several nanoparticle samples were synthesized by varying the concentration of iron salt precursors in the solution for the synthesis. Two batches of nanoparticles with average sizes of 10.2 nm and 12.2 nm with nearly similar particle-size distributions were investigated. The average particle sizes were determined from the XRD patterns and TEM images. For each batch, several samples with different particle concentrations were prepared. Morphological analysis of the samples was performed using TEM. The phase and structure of the particles of each batch were studied using XRD, selected area electron diffraction (SAED), Raman and XPS spectroscopy. Magnetic hysteresis loops were obtained using a Lakeshore vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM) at room temperature. In the two batches, the particles were found to be of the same pure crystalline phase of magnetite. The effects of particle size, size distribution, and concentration on the magnetic properties and magneto thermic efficiency were investigated. Heating profiles, under an alternating magnetic field, were obtained for the two batches of nanoparticles with frequencies 765.85, 634.45, 491.10, 390.25, 349.20, 306.65, and 166.00 kHz and field amplitudes of 100, 200, 250, 300 and 350 G. The specific absorption rate (SAR) values for the particles of size 12.2 nm are higher than those for the particles of size 10.2 nm at all concentrations and field parameters. SAR decreases with the increase of particle concentration. SAR obtained for all the particle concentrations of the two batches increases almost linearly with the field frequency (at fixed field strength) and nonlinearly with the field amplitude (at fixed field frequency). SAR value obtained for magnetite nanoparticles with the highest magnetization is 145.84 W/g at 765.85 kHz and 350 G, whereas the SAR value of the particles with the least magnetization is 81.67 W/g at the same field and frequency.     

New structures for closed-form wave solutions for the dynamical equations model related to the ion sound and Langmuir waves

This treatise analyzes the coupled nonlinear system of the model for the ion sound and Langmuir waves.The modified(G'/G)-expansion procedure is utilized to raise new closed-form wave solutions.Those solutions are investigated through hyperbolic,trigonometric and rational function.The graphical design makes the dynamics of the equations noticeable.It provides the mathematical foundation in diverse sectors of underwater acoustics,electromagnetic wave propagation,design of specific optoelectronic devices and physics quantum mechanics.Herein,we concluded that the studied approach is advanced,meaningful and significant in implementing many solutions of several nonlinear partial differential equations occurring in applied sciences.