Flow injection-based cloud point extraction of phosalone and ethion in seawater of Chabahar Bay and determination by high-performance liquid chromatography: study of use of carbon nanotube and nanofibers as a column filler in flow system

This study presents an easy and cost-effective flow-based cloud point extraction (CPE) method for determining partial amounts of two organophosphorus pesticides (phosalone and ethion) in seawater by HPLC–UV–Vis. In continues CPE methodology, the effect of the different column packing type such as carbon nanotube, polyacrylonitrile nanofiber and fiberglass on pesticide extraction was investigated. The Triton X-100 was utilized as nonionic surfactant, and moreover, effect of different parameters such as pH, temperature, extraction time, surfactant concentration, type and volume of the eluent solution on the extraction efficiency was optimized. Under optimum conditions, the figures of merit of the method for phosalone and ethion were obtained as: the enrichment factor (172 and 166), line range (0.8–300 and 0.5–300 µg L^?1, R ² = 0.9973 and 0.9982), relative standard deviation in concentration of 200 µg L^?1 (%RSD = %5.4 and %7.99, N = 5) and limit of detection (LOD = 0.24 and 0.14 µg L^?1). The suggested method was successfully used for determination of phosalone and ethion in Chabahar Bay seawaters with satisfactory results.     

Fast determination of Ziziphora tenuior L. essential oil by inorganic–organic hybrid material based on ZnO nanoparticles anchored to a composite made from polythiophene and hexagonally ordered silica

In this paper, for the first time, an inorganic–organic hybrid material based on ZnO nanoparticles was anchored to a composite made from polythiophene and hexagonally ordered silica (ZnO/PT/SBA-15) for use in solid-phase fibre microextraction (SPME) of medicinal plants. A homemade SPME apparatus was used for the extraction of volatile components of Ziziphora tenuior L. A simplex method was used for optimisation of five different parameters affecting the efficiency of the extraction. The main constituents extracted by ZnO/PT/SBA-15 and PDMS fibres and hydrodistillation (HD) methods, respectively, included pulegone (51.25%, 53.64% and 56.68%), limonene (6.73%, 6.58% and 8.3%), caryophyllene oxide (5.33%, 4.31% and 4.53%) and 1,8-cineole (4.21%, 3.31% and 3.18%). In comparison with the HD method, the proposed technique could equally monitor almost all the components of the sample, in an easier way, in a shorter time and requiring a much lower amount of the sample.     

Effects of Magnetic Nanofluid Fuel Combustion on the Performance and Emission Characteristics

Although the compression ignition engines are a significant source of power, their detrimental emissions create considerable problems to the environment as well as to humans. The objective of the present experimental investigation is to examine the effects of the magnetic nanofluid fuels on combustion performance characteristics and exhaust emissions. In this regard, the Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles dispersed in the diesel fuel with the nanoparticle concentrations of 0.4 and 0.8 vol% were employed for combustion in a single-cylinder, direct-injection diesel engine. After a series of experiments, it was demonstrated that the nanoparticle additives, even at very low concentrations, have considerable influence in diesel engine characteristics. Furthermore, the results indicated that the nanofluid fuel with nanoparticle concentration of 0.4 vol% shows better combustion characteristics in comparison with that of 0.8 vol%. Based on the experimental results, NO _x and SO₂ emissions dramatically reduce, while CO emissions and smoke opacity noticeably increase with increasing the dosing level of nanoparticles.     

Heterometallic coordination polymers incorporating dipyrrin based heteroleptic copper and cobalt complexes: to Ag-π or not?

Using ligands based on either an acetylacetonate or a dipyrrin moiety appended with pyridyl groups, a series of novel heteroleptic copper(II) and cobalt(III) complexes combining both chelate units such as (acacpy(2))Cu(dpm-py) and (acacpy(2))Co(dpm-py)(2) (acacpy(2) = 1,3-bis(4-pyridyl)-1,3-propanedionate; dpm-py = 5-(4-pyridyl)dipyrrin) have been prepared and fully characterized. These two complexes were obtained upon reaction of dpm-py with the (acacpy(2))M homoleptic species (M = Cu(II), Co(II)). In the solid state, the (acacpy(2))Cu(dpm-py) complex behaves as a self-complementary metallatecton and leads to the formation of a 1D coordination polymer (CP) through the coordination of a peripheral pyridyl group to the copper centre. Contrastingly, the octahedral (acacpy(2))Co(dpm-py)(2) complex featuring a coordinatively saturated Co(III) centre crystallizes as an isolated mononuclear species. In order to generate heterometallic CPs, both complexes have been used as metallatectons upon their combination with different silver(I) salts. Upon reaction of (acacpy(2))Cu(dpm-py) with Ag(BF(4)) or Ag(TfO), 2- and 3-D heterometallic networks were obtained, respectively. In both cases, sheet type arrangements resulting from the binding of Ag(+) cations by three peripheral pyridyl groups were observed. These 2D sheets are further interconnected through Ag-π interactions with the pyrrolic rings. Under the same conditions, the combination of (acacpy(2))Co(dpm-py)(2) with Ag(TfO) leads to two networks differing by their connectivity patterns and dimensionality. Interestingly, whereas no Ag-π interactions were observed for the 2D network, a combination of coordination bonding with the pyridyl moieties and Ag-π interactions was detected for the 1D architecture.     

Bi-phasic nanostructures for functional applications

Biphasic solid state composites of the type metal/metal oxide or element/element oxide can be synthesized in one pot chemical reactions using so called molecular "single source precursors". Due to their singular genesis these composites show peculiar hetero-structures based on core-shell hierarchies such as superlattices and composite nanospheres or nanowires. They exhibit superior or new functional properties compared to their individual constituent compounds. In the current work, we review in particular the synthetical and mechanistical approach of bi-phasic (Al/Al(2)O(3)) nanostructures such as nanospheres, nanowires and nanoloops using a single source precursor. Other bi-phasic materials of the general formula M/MO(x) (for example M = Ge, Sn, Pb) are addressed for comparison. The impact of different synthetical conditions as well as of modification of surfaces by laser techniques and their technological relevance are presented briefly. Additionally, functional applications of the prepared surfaces are explained with some outstanding case studies. These case studies are primarily concerned with their use as biomaterials and their application in medicine as well as with their use as thin films for optics and functional surfaces.     

Giant core-shell nanospherical clusters composed of 32 Co or 32 Ni atoms held by 6 p-tert-butylthiacalix[4]arene units

Using combinations of p-tert-butylthiacalix[4]arene (TCA) and [M(DMSO)(6)(BF(4))(2)] salts (M = Co(II) or Ni(II)), two almost isostructural core-shell-type thermally stable giant nanoclusters, composed of 32 metal centers, 6 deprotonated calix units binding the metal centers by both their O and S atoms, 24 μ-oxo or μ-hydroxo bridging groups, and 6 MeOH molecules, have been prepared under mild and reproducible conditions. For both giant clusters, the oxidation state II [M(II)(32)O(16)(OH)(8)(CH(3)OH)(6)TCA(6) (M = Co or Ni)] for the metal center was demonstrated by X-ray photoelectron and electronic absorption spectroscopies.     

A journey inside the U28 nanocapsule

Anionic uranyl-peroxide U(28) nanocapsules trap cations and other anions inside, whose structures cannot be resolved by X-ray diffraction, owing to crystallographic disorder. DFT calculations enabled the complete characterization of the geometry of these complex systems and also explained the origin of the disorder. The stability of the capsules was strongly influenced by the entrapped cations. Excellent agreement between experiment and theory was also obtained for the electronic character and redox properties.