High-Velocity Laminar and Turbulent Flow in Porous Media

We model high-velocity flow in porous media with the multiple scale homogenization technique and basic fluid mechanics. Momentum and mechanical energy theorems are derived. In idealized porous media inviscid irrotational flow in the pores and wall boundary layers give a pressure loss with a power of 3/2 in average velocity. This model has support from flow in simple model media. In complex media the flow separates from the solid surface. Pressure loss effects of flow separation, wall and free shear layers, pressure drag, flow tube velocity and developing flow are discussed by using phenomenological arguments. We propose that the square pressure loss in the laminar Forchheimer equation is caused by development of strong localized dissipation zones around flow separation, that is, in the viscous boundary layer in triple decks. For turbulent flow, the resulting pressure loss due to average dissipation is a power 2 term in velocity.     

Vibrational motion in isotopomers of the HeH+ molecular ion: An application of the electron nuclear dynamics method

The importance of isotopic substitution as a tool for elucidation of chemical reaction events originates in the fact that the Coulombic Hamiltonian is isotopically invariant except for the nuclear kinetic energy term. Thus, in theories of isotope effects based on the Born-Oppenheimer scheme, the basic presumption is the invariance of the potential energy surface (PES). We use, however, a fully dynamic approach, called Electron Nuclear Dynamics (END), which does not require a preconstructed PES. Since the END formalism is rather different from commonly used procedures, we study the anharmonic nuclear vibration in isotopic species of the HeH⁺ molecular ion as a model problem. A single time-dependent complex parametrized determinantal wave function is used for the electrons and the nuclei are treated classically. The time evolution of the nuclear and electronic dynamical variables obtained by integration of equations of motion are reported as bond length, nuclear kinetic energy, and Mulliken populations. The molecule vibrates as a classical object. The product of the reduced mass and the square of the vibrational frequency is isotopomer invariant for any common total energy. The difference between the total energy and the nuclear kinetic energy as a function of the internuclear distance is interpreted as the average dynamic potential. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Amphiphilic and mesomorphic fullerene-based dendrimers

Growing attention is currently devoted to large dendritic structures for applications in nanotechnology and materials science. In this respect, the incorporation of such compounds into thin ordered films appears to be an important issue. One of the most widely pursued approaches to structurally ordered dendrimer assemblies has been the preparation of Langmuir films at the air-water interface. We report on the case of a diblock globular fullerene-based dendrimer and show that peripheral substitution of the dendrimer with hydrophobic chains on one hemisphere and hydrophilic groups on the other provides the required hydrophobic/hydrophilic balance allowing the formation of stable Langmuir films. A second approach has been to consider the case of fullerene containing dendrimers terminated by mesogenic groups such as cyanobiphenyl subunits. Whatever the generation is, up to the fourth one, all these compounds exhibit a well-defined liquid crystalline smectic A phase. The molecular organisation within the smectic layers is found to be monolayered or bilayered depending on the generation. For the smallest dendrimers, the organisation is mainly governed by the size of the fullerene moiety, whereas for the higher ones, it is governed by the interactions between the terminal mesogenic groups. These two approaches appear particularly interesting for functional groups such as fullerenes, which are not well adapted to be organised in nanoscale architectures. The present study shows that fullerenes can indeed be introduced into different types of ordered structure when they have been chemically adequately modified.     

2-(Glucosylthio)ethyl Groups as Potential Biolabile Phosphate- Protecting Groups of Mononucleotides

The in vitro anti-HIV effects and the stability studies of mononucleoside phosphotriester derivatives 1 – 3 of 3′-azido-3′-deoxythymidine (AZT) containing 2-(glucosylthio)ethyl moieties as potential biolabile phosphate-protecting groups are reported. The results of the anti-HIV evaluation demonstrate that the described compounds act via the release of the free nucleoside analogue and cannot be considered as mononucleotide prodrugs (pronucleotides). These data can be related to the lack of substrate affinity of these derivatives towards target-enzymes as corroborated by decomposition studies in various media and experiments with a purified β-D glucosidase.     

Effect of the kinematic hardening on the plastic anisotropy parameters for metallic sheets

The initial plastic anisotropy parameters are conventionally determined from the Lankford strain ratios defined by $r^{\psi }=\frac{{\epsilon }_{22}^{\mathrm{p}\psi }}{{\epsilon }_{33}^{\mathrm{p}\psi }}$ (ψ being the direction of the loading path). They are usually considered as constant parameters that are determined at a given value of the plastic strain far from the early stage of the plastic flow (i.e. equivalent plastic strain of ${\epsilon }_{\mathrm{eq}}^{\mathrm{p}}=0.2\text{\%}$) and typically at an equivalent plastic strain in between 20% and 50% of plastic strain failure (or material ductility). What prompts to question about the relevance of this determination, considering that this ratio does not remain constant, but changes with plastic strain. Accordingly, when the nonlinear evolution of the kinematic hardening is accounted for, the Lankford strain ratios are expected to evolve significantly during the plastic flow.In this work, a parametric study is performed to investigate the effect of the nonlinear kinematic hardening evolution of the Lankford strain ratios for different values of the kinematic hardening parameters. For the sake of clarity, this nonlinear kinematic hardening is formulated together with nonlinear isotropic hardening in the framework of anisotropic Hill-type (1948) yield criterion. Extension to other quadratic or non-quadratic yield criteria can be made without any difficulty. This parametric study is completed by studying the effect of these parameters on simulations of sheet metal forming by large plastic strains.     

Hermite Subdivision Schemes and Taylor Polynomials

We propose a general study of the convergence of a Hermite subdivision scheme ℋ of degree d>0 in dimension 1. This is done by linking Hermite subdivision schemes and Taylor polynomials and by associating a so-called Taylor subdivision (vector) scheme . The main point of investigation is a spectral condition. If the subdivision scheme of the finite differences of is contractive, then is C ⁰ and ℋ is C ^d . We apply this result to two families of Hermite subdivision schemes. The first one is interpolatory; the second one is a kind of corner cutting. Both of them use the Tchakalov-Obreshkov interpolation polynomial.      

Synthesis of zirconia monoliths for chromatographic separations

The aim of this work is to join the advantages of two different kinds of stationary phases: monolithic columns and zirconia-based supports. On the one hand, silica monolithic columns allow a higher efficiency with a lower back-pressure than traditional packed columns. On the other hand, chromatographic stationary phases based on zirconia have a higher thermal and chemical stability and specific surface properties. Combining these advantages, a zirconia monolith with a macroporous framework could be a real improvement in separation sciences. Two main strategies can be used in order to obtain a zirconia surface on a monolithic skeleton: coating or direct synthesis. The coverage by a zirconia layer of the surface of a silica-based monolith can be performed using the chemical properties of the silanol surface groups. We realized this coverage using zirconium alkoxide and we further grafted n-dodecyl groups using phosphate derivatives. Any loss of efficiency was observed and fast separations have been achieved. The main advance reported in this paper is related to the preparation of zirconia monoliths by a sol-gel process starting from zirconium alkoxide. The synthesis parameters (hydrolysis ratio, porogen type, precursor concentration, drying step, etc.) were defined in order to produce a macroporous zirconia monoliths usable in separation techniques. We produced various homogeneous structures: zirconia rod 2 cm long with a diameter of 2.3 mm, and zirconia monolith inside fused silica capillaries with a 75 microm I.D. These monoliths have a skeleton size of 2 microm and have an average through pore size of 6 microm. Several separations have been reported.     

Multifrequency EPR and redox reactivity investigations of a bis(mu-thiolato)-dicopper(II,II) complex

From a new tripodal ligand [N2SS'H] with mixed N, S(thioether), and S(thiolate) donor set, the corresponding bis(mu-thiolato)dicopper(II) complex has been prepared and characterized. X-ray crystallographic analysis of the complex [Cu2(N2SS')2](ClO4)2.C4H10O (1) demonstrates that the two five-coordinated Cu atoms are bridged by two thiolates leading to a nearly planar Cu2S2 core with a Cu1...Cu1* distance of 3.418(8) A and a large bridging angle Cu1S1Cu1* of 94.92 degrees. X-band (10 GHz), Q-band (34 GHz), and F-Band (115 GHz) EPR spectra of 1 are consistent with a weakly coupled dicopper(II,II) center attributed to an S = 1 state. Simulations for the three frequencies are obtained with a unique set of electronic parameters. The mean values of the spin Hamiltonian parameters for 1 are D = 0.210(3) cm(-1), E = 0.0295(5) cm(-1), |E/D| = 0.140, gx = 2.030(2), gy = 2.032(2), gz = 2.128(2). The electrochemical one-electron reduction of 1 generates the mixed-valent CuIICuI species. EPR and UV-vis spectra are consistent with a type I localized mixed-valent species, while dinuclear CuA centers of native cytochrome c oxidase (CcO)1-3 or nitrous oxide reductase (N2OR)4 have a delocalized CuIICuI mixed-valent state. After reoxidation of the CuIICuI species, the initial complex 1 is regenerated through a reversible interconversion process.     

Valence Tautomerism in Octahedral and Square‐Planar Phenoxyl–Nickel(II) Complexes: Are Imino Nitrogen Atoms Good Friends?

The two tetradentate ligands H(2)L and H(2)L(Me) afford the slightly distorted square-planar low-spin Ni(II) complexes 1 and 2, which comprise two coordinated phenolate groups. Complex 1 has been electrochemically oxidized into 1(+), which contains a coordinated phenoxyl radical, with a contribution from the nickel orbital. In the presence of pyridine, 1(+) is converted into 1(Py) (+), an octahedral phenolate nickel(III) complex with two pyridines axially coordinated: An intramolecular electron transfer (valence tautomerism) is promoted by the geometrical changes, from square planar to octahedral, around the metal center. The tetradentate ligand H(2)L(Me), in the presence of pyridine, and the hexadentate ligand H(2)L(Py) in CH(2)Cl(2) afford, respectively, the octahedral high-spin Ni(II) complexes 2(Py) and 3, which involve two equatorial phenolates and two axially coordinated pyridines. At 100 K, the one-electron-oxidized product 2(Py) (+) comprises a phenoxyl radical ferromagnetically coupled to the high-spin Ni(II) ion, with large zero-field splitting parameters, while 3(+) involves a phenoxyl radical antiferromagnetically coupled to the high-spin Ni(II) ion.