High temperature stability and photocatalytic activity of nanocrystalline anatase powders with Zr and Si co-dopants

TiO₂ nanopowders doped by Si and Zr were prepared by sol–gel method. The effects of Si and Zr doping on the structural, optical, and photo-catalytic properties of titania nanopowders have been studied by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and UV–Vis absorption spectroscopy. XRD results suggest that adding impurities has a significant effect on anatase phase stability, crystallinity, and particle size of TiO₂. Titania rutile phase formation in ternary system (Ti–Si–Zr) was inhibited by Zr⁴⁺ and Si⁴⁺ co-doped TiO₂ in high temperatures (500–900 °C) and 36 mol% anatase composition is retained even after calcination at 1,000 °C. The photocatalyst activity was evaluated by photocatalytic degradation kinetics of aqueous methylen orange under visible radiation. The results show that the photocatalytic activity of the 20 %Si and 15 %Zr co-doped TiO₂ nanopowders have a larger degradation efficiency than pure TiO₂ under visible light.     

Electrochemical Behavior of Glucose Oxidase Immobilized on Pd‐Nanoparticles Decorated Ionic Liquid Derived Fibrillated Mesoporous Carbon

Pd nanoparticles with an average diameter of 5 nm were decorated on the surface of ionic liquid derived fibrillated mesoporous carbon (IFMC) to prepare a novel nano‐hybrid material (Pd@IFMC). Thereafter, glucose oxidase was immobilized on Pd@IFMC modified glassy carbon electrode to fabricate an enzymatic glucose biosensor. A pair of well‐defined redox peaks was recorded for direct electron transfer of the immobilized glucose oxidase at the formal potential of ? 0.418 V with a peak to peak separation of 25 mV. Electron transfer rate constant of was calculated to be 14.6 s^?1. The response of fabricated biosensor was linear towards glucose concentration.     

Optimization of dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction of copper (II) by atomic absorption spectrometry as its oxinate chelate: application to determination of copper in different water samples

In this study a dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction (DLLME) method based on the dispersion of an extraction solvent into aqueous phase in the presence of a dispersive solvent was investigated for the preconcentration of Cu(2+) ions. 8-Hydroxy quinoline was used as a chelating agent prior to extraction. Flame atomic absorption spectrometry using an acetylene-air flame was used for quantitation of the analyte after preconcentration. The effect of various experimental parameters on the extraction was investigated using two optimization methods, one variable at a time and central composite design. The experimental design was performed at five levels of the operating parameters. Nearly the same results for optimization were obtained using both methods: sample size 5 mL; volume of dispersive solvent 1.5 mL; dispersive solvent methanol; extracting solvent chloroform; extracting solvent volume 250 microL; 8-hydroxy quinoline concentration and salt amount do not affect significantly the extraction. Under the optimum conditions the calibration graph was linear over the range 50-2000 muicro L(-1). The relative standard deviation was 5.1% for six repeated determinations at a concentration of 500 microg L(-1). The limit of detection (S/N=3) was 3 microg L(-1).     

N-Chloro-2,2-dimethyltaurines: a new class of remarkably stable N-chlorotaurines

The preparation of novel N-chloro-2,2-dimethyltaurine (4) and N,N-dichloro-2,2-dimethyltaurine (5) is described. These 2,2-dimethyltaurines were strategically designed to avoid the hydrolytic dehydrochlorination of N-chlorotaurines. Thus, they possess long-term stability in contrast to the parent N-chlorotaurines, which exhibit broad-spectrum antimicrobial activities.     

UV effects on marine planktonic food webs: A synthesis of results from mesocosm studies

UV irradiance has a broad range of effects on marine planktonic organisms. Direct and indirect effects on individual organisms have complex impacts on food-web structure and dynamics, with implications for carbon and nutrient cycling. Mesocosm experiments are well suited for the study of such complex interrelationships. Mesocosms offer the possibility to conduct well-controlled experiments with intact planktonic communities in physical, chemical and light conditions mimicking those of the natural environment. In allowing the manipulation of UV intensities and light spectral composition, the experimental mesocosm approach has proven to be especially useful in assessing the impacts at the community level. This review of mesocosm studies shows that, although a UV increase even well above natural intensities often has subtle effects on bulk biomass (carbon and chlorophyll), it can significantly impact the food-web structure because of different sensitivity to UV among planktonic organisms. Given the complexity of UV impacts, as evidenced by results of mesocosm studies, interactions between UV and changing environmental conditions (e.g. eutrophication and climate change) are likely to have significant effects on the function of marine ecosystems.     

Asymptotic properties of some non-autonomous systems in Banach spaces

Let X be a reflexive Banach space. We introduce the notion of weakly almost nonexpansive sequences (xn)_n?0 in X, and study their asymptotic behavior by showing that the nonempty weak ω-limit set of the sequence (xn/n)_n?1 always lies on a convex subset of a sphere centered at the origin of radius d=limn→∞‖xn/n‖. Subsequently we apply our results to study the asymptotic properties of unbounded trajectories for the quasi-autonomous dissipative system , where A is an accretive (possibly multivalued) operator in X×X, and f−f_∞∈Lp((0,+∞);X) for some f_∞∈X and 1?p<∞. These results extend recent results of J.S. Jung and J.S. Park [J.S. Jung, J.S. Park, Asymptotic behavior of nonexpansive sequences and mean points, Proc. Amer. Math. Soc. 124 (1996) 475-480], and J.S. Jung, J.S. Park, and E.H. Park [J.S. Jung, J.S. Park, E.H. Park, Asymptotic behaviour of generalized almost nonexpansive sequences and applications, Proc. Nonlinear Funct. Anal. 1 (1996) 65-79], as well as our results cited below containing previous results by several authors.     

Electrochemistry and Adsorptive Stripping Voltammetric Determination of Amoxicillin on a Multiwalled Carbon Nanotubes Modified Glassy Carbon Electrode

The study of electrochemical behavior of amoxicillin (AMX), a β‐lactam antibiotic, is described on a multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) modified electrode by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and adsorptive stripping voltammetry for sensitive determination of AMX in pharmaceutical and human urine samples within a wide pH range from 2.0 to 10.0. Also, studies by Fe₂O₃ nanoparticles modified carbon paste electrode show that iron oxide impurities in the MWCNTs are not active sites for sensing of amoxicillin. Under optimized conditions, the oxidation peak has two linear dynamic ranges of 0.6–8.0 and 10.0–80.0 μM with a detection limit of 0.2 μM and a precision of <4%.     

Multiwall carbon nanotubes decorated with FeCr2O4, a new selective electrochemical sensor for amoxicillin determination

Direct writing aims to deposit materials onto substrates in localised positions. In this paper, we demonstrate a new method for direct writing of nanoparticles at ambient-air-pressure. An electrical discharge is used to generate gold nanoparticles of the order of 10?nm diameter, which are then transported and ??focused?? by an electric field in air, through the process of electric field-assisted diffusion, as opposed to normal ballistic focusing since the mean free path in air is very short. This process is novel and allows for practical normal atmospheric-pressure focused deposition of nanoparticles. The focusing mechanism is capable of producing patterned arrays of deposited nanoparticles with widths that are less than 10?% of the diameter of the focusing apparatus; in the present experimental configuration, gold spots with diameters of a few tens of micrometres were achieved, with ultimate size being limited by transverse diffusion and by charged particle mutual repulsion. In this study, the process of generating nanoparticles from bulk material, transporting and focusing these particles takes place in one operation, which is a key advantage in rapid prototyping and manufacturing techniques.     

Electrochemical characterization of naproxen and the adsorbed naproxen oxidation products at glassy carbon electrode modified with carboxyl functionalized multi-walled carbon nanotubes and introducing a new route for naproxen determination

Journal of Solid State Electrochemistry - In the present work, a glassy carbon electrode was modified with carboxyl functionalized multi-walled carbon nanotubes (f-MWCNTs) to investigate the...