Preparation and characterization of antibacterial cobalt-exchanged natural zeolite/poly(vinyl alcohol) hydrogels

In the present study, potential application of the local clinoptilolite-rich natural zeolite in formulation of antibacterial hydrogels was investigated. The zeolite powder exchanged with cobalt(II) ions was used in preparation of the zeolite/poly(vinyl alcohol) hydrogel films in different amounts. The films were physically crosslinked by the freezing-thawing method and characterized for their crystallinity, surface and cross sectional morphology, chemical composition, thermal behaviour, mechanical properties, swelling and dissolution behaviours, and antibacterial activities against a Gram-negative bacteria. The films with 0.48 wt% and higher cobalt-exchanged zeolite contents showed antibacterial activity. Addition of the zeolite powder in the formulations did not cause significant changes in the other properties of the films.     

The spin-1 Blume–Capel model on the Bethe lattice in ± J distribution with an adjustable parameter between FM and AFM phases

The spin-1 Blume–Capel (BC) model is studied on the Bethe lattice (BL) for the ?±? J distribution with a competing adjustable parameter α which alters the strength of bilinear exchange interaction parameter for the ferromagnetic phase (J?>?0) with respect to antiferromagnetic phase (J?<?0). The J?>?0 and αJ?<?0 values are also distributed throughout the BL with probabilities p and $1?p,$ respectively. The order-parameters are obtained on the BL in terms of exact recursion relations (ERR’s) and their temperature (T) variations are studied to calculate the phase diagrams on the (α, T) planes for given values of p, crystal field (D) and coordination number $q=3$ corresponding to honeycomb lattice. It is found that the model gives both first- and second-order phase transitions and also tricritical points. In addition to the well known ordinary phases and TCP’s, the spin glass phase and two more special points are also observed.     

Size-Dependent HCl Generation of PVC/SiO2 Micro- and Nanocomposites

In this study HCl generation of polyvinyl (chloride) (PVC)/SiO₂ composites during its combustion was investigated. SiO₂ with different particle sizes were used as HCl absorbers and their HCl uptake ability results were compared to that of CaCO₃. It was found that the amount of released HCl gas during PVC combustion decreased in the presence of SiO₂. The HCl uptake ability of SiO₂ improved with decreasing of its particle size. Although thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) results showed that SiO₂ particles decreased the first thermal degradation temperature (T _onset) of PVC by initiating dehydrochlorination of PVC at lower temperatures, SiO₂ particles had more effective HCl uptaking ability than that of CaCO₃. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) micrographs showed that some aggregates whose size was less than 100 nm were formed when Si-25 nm was used as filler. When SiO₂ with micron size was added to PVC as filler, more uniform and better distribution of the SiO₂ on the surface was observed.     

Crystallographic and Conformational Analysis of [(Z)-2-ethoxy-6-[(2-hydroxyphenylamino)methylene]cyclohexa-2,4-dienone]

Abstract  The single crystal X-ray diffraction analysis of the title compound, C₁₅H₁₅NO₃, shows that the structure is adopted to its NH tautomeric form and crystallizes in the orthorhombic space group P bcn with a = 21.2424(15) ?, b = 12.7696(9) ?, c = 9.3605(10) ?, Z = 8, V = 2539.1(4) ?³, D _c  = 1.346 g/cm³. The molecular conformation in the crystal is stabilized by an intramolecular H-bond and the crystal structure is stabilized by the bifurcated O–H···O type intermolecular H-bonds. In order to understand the effects on conformational flexibility of the title molecule, molecular energy profile was calculated as a function of the selected torsion angle by means of AM1 semi-empirical method. Index Abstract  Molecular and crystal structure of [(Z)-2-ethoxy-6-[(2-hydroxyphenylamino)methylene]cyclohexa-2,4-dienone], C₁₅H₁₅NO₃, have been determined by single crystal X-ray diffraction study, and conformational analysis of the title molecule with respect to the selected torsion angle has been achieved by AM1 semi-empirical calculations.      

X-ray structural,spectroscopic and computational approach (NBO,MEP, NLO,NPA, fukui function analyses) of (E)-2-((4-bromophenylimino)methyl)-3-methoxyphenol

The title compound was isolated and investigated by experimental X-ray diffraction method and density functional theory (DFT) calculational properties and spectroscopic methodologies. The experimental investigations of the compound indicated the molecule seems to be in enol form. DFT calculations are performed both for enol and keto tautomers of the title compound. Additionally chemical activity, electronic transmission and property effect on different solvents, molecular electrostatic potential (MEP), non-linear optical properties (NLO), Mulliken population method, natural population analysis (NPA), natural bond orbital (NBO) and Fukui function analyses have been studied.     

The Third Generation (e,e′K~+) A Hypernuclear Spectroscopy at Jlab

We are now preparing for the third generation (e,e′K~+) A hypernuclear spectroscopic experiment at Hall C,Jefferson Lab (USA).The goal of the experiment is the precise spectroscopy of hypernuclei in wide mass region.We have constructed a new high resolution electron spectrometer "HES" dedicated to (e,e′K~+) hypernuclear study in Japan and it was shipped to JLab in February,2008.We will discuss about the physics of the (e,e′K~+) hypernuclear study at JLab and report the current preparation status of the third generatrion experiment.     

Analyzing the surface properties of acrylic-based water-soluble polymers

The surface properties of newly synthesized N-methoxy isopropyl acrylamide, N-methoxy isopropyl methacrylamide, cyclo propyl acrylamide, and cyclo propyl methacrylamide polymers were investigated using inverse gas chromatography. The highest dispersive component of the surface energy value was obtained for cyclo propyl methacrylamide at 30°C. The values obtained for all polymers were decreasing with the increasing temperature. The values obtained for the acidic and the basic parameters revealed strong basic characters for the surface of N-methoxy isopropyl methacrylamide and cyclo propyl methacrylamide polymers and weak basic characters for the surface of N-methoxy isopropyl acrylamide and cyclo propyl acrylamide polymers.     

Influence of Structure on Polymerization Rates and Ca‐Binding of Phosphorus‐Containing 1,6‐Dienes

Photo‐ and thermal‐polymerizations of 4‐diethoxyphosphoryl‐2,4,6‐tris(ethoxycarbonyl)‐1,6‐heptadiene, 4,4‐bis(diethoxyphosphoryl)‐2,6‐bis(t‐butoxycarbonyl)‐1,6‐heptadiene and 4‐diethoxyphosphoryl‐4‐ethoxycarbonyl‐2,6‐bis(t‐butoxycarbonyl)‐1,6‐heptadiene monomers and their phosphonic and carboxylic acid derivatives were investigated to understand the effect of the cyclic monomer structure on their polymerization reactivity. A strong effect of the substituents at positions 2, 4 and 6 of the monomers on polymerization rate was observed. The polymerizability of the monomers was successfully correlated with the ¹³C NMR chemical shifts of the vinyl carbons. Conversion values were consistent with the T_g being a measure of the flexibility of a monomer. The monomers containing phosphonic acid groups were soluble in water and ethanol. The acidic nature of the aqueous solutions of these monomers is expected to give them etching properties, important for dental applications. The interaction of the acid monomers with hydroxyapatite was investigated using ¹³C NMR technique.

     

Phase separation in liquid crystalline mesophases of [Co(H2O)6]X2:P65 Systems (X = NO3-, Cl-, or ClO4-)

Transition-metal aqua complex salts [M(H2O)6]X2 (where M is Mn(II), Co(II), Ni(II), Zn(II), or Cd(II) and X is NO3-, Cl-, or ClO4-) can be dissolved in triblock poly(ethylene oxide)-poly(propylene oxide)-poly(ethylene oxide) copolymers (Pluronics, such as P65) to form homogeneous liquid crystalline (LC) mesophases. However, the [Co(H2O)6]X2:P65 LC mesophases slowly undergo phase separation into a disordered ion-free phase and an ordered ion-rich LC mesophase. The phase separation also takes place in the two-salt systems [Co(H2O)6](NO3):[Co(H2O)6](ClO4)2:P65 in which the ion-free disordered domains separate out from the initially ordered homogeneous mesophase. The phase separation results in a physical mixture of a hexagonal nitrate-rich and cubic perchlorate-rich LC and disordered ion-free domains in the mixed salt systems. The driving force in the phase separation in the [Co(H2O)6]X2:P65 system is Co(II)-catalyzed aerobic oxidation of P65 into ester and/or other oxidation products. The separation of ions in the [Co(H2O)6](NO3)2:[Co(H2O)6](ClO4)2:P65 system is related to the mesostructures of the two-salt systems that are different, hexagonal in the [Co(H2O)6](NO3)2:P65 system and cubic in the [Co(H2O)6](ClO4)2:P65 system. There is no visible phase separation in the other transition-metal salt:P65 systems. The phase separation in the [Co(H2O)6]X2:P65 systems can also be eliminated by keeping the mesophase under a N2 atmosphere.