Correlating conductivity and Seebeck coefficient to doping within crystalline and amorphous domains in poly(3-(methoxyethoxyethoxy)thiophene)

Molecular doping of conjugated polymers (CPs) plays a vital role in optimizing organic electronic and energy applications. For the case of organic thermoelectrics, it is commonly believed that doping CPs with a strong dopant could result in higher conductivity (σ) and thus better power factor (PF). Herein, by investigating thermoelectric performance of a polar side-chain bearing CP, poly(3-(methoxyethoxyethoxy)thiophene) (P3MEET), vapor doped with fluorinated-derivative of tetracyanoquinodimethane FnTCNQ (n = 1, 2, 4), we show that using strong dopants can in fact have detrimental effects on the thermoelectric performance of CPs. Despite possessing higher electron affinity, doping P3MEET with F4TCNQ only results in a σ (27.0 S/cm) comparable to samples doped with other two weaker dopants F2TCNQ and F1TCNQ (26.4 and 20.1 S/cm). Interestingly, F4TCNQ-doped samples display a marked reduction in the Seebeck coefficient (α) compared to F1TCNQ- and F2TCNQ-doped samples from 42 to 13 μV/K, leading to an undesirable suppression of the PF. Structural characterizations coupled with Kang-Snyder modeling of the α–σ relation show that the reduction of α in F4TCNQ-doped P3MEET samples originates from the generation of low mobility carrier within P3MEET's amorphous domain. Our results demonstrate that factors such as dopant distribution and doping efficiency within the crystalline and amorphous domains of CPs should play a crucial role in advancing rational design for organic thermoelectrics.     

Morphology of solution crystallized trans-1,4-polyisoprene

The film formation method has been successfully used to grow single crystals and other complex morphological features of low melting form (LMF) and high melting form (HMF) of trans-1,4-polyisoprene (TPIP). Below 40 °C dilute amyl acetate solution gave hexagonal shaped LMF crystals. Thick and elongated hexagonal shaped morphology was shown by HMF crystals at temperatures above 40 °C. Straight faces and sharp corners of the single crystals, and also of complex crystals, acquired round shapes when highly polydispersed TPIP was used for crystallization.     

Small-angle x-ray investigation of a densely packed micelle system in agave hybrid

Small-angle x-ray scattering methods were applied to calculate macromolecular parameters like specific inner surface (O/V), length of coherence (l_c), and the percentage of air present in agave hybrid, treating it as a densely packed colloidal system belonging to a general micelle system. The parameters were equal to O/V = 8.50 × 10^?6 Å^?1, l_c = 150 Å, and the percentage of air = 0.03. The Kratky camera with latest design was used for the experimental measurement. Because the sample agave ybrid is a natural fiber and a highly oriented system that is celluosic in character, the theories of Kratky and Porod have been used to evaluate these parameters.     

Recent Advances in the Applications of Ionic Liquids in Protein Stability and Activity: A Review

Room temperatures ionic liquids are considered as miraculous solvents for biological system. Due to their inimitable properties and large variety of applications, they have been widely used in enzyme catalysis and protein stability and separation. The related information present in the current review is helpful to the researchers working in the field of biotechnology and biochemistry to design or choose an ionic liquid that can serve as a noble and selective solvent for any particular enzymatic reaction, protein preservation and other protein based applications. We have extensively analyzed the methods used for studying the protein–IL interaction which is useful in providing information about structural and conformational dynamics of protein. This can be helpful to develop and understanding about the effect of ionic liquids on stability and activity of proteins. In addition, the affect of physico-chemical properties of ionic liquids, viz. hydrogen bond capacity and hydrophobicity on protein stability are discussed.     

Interpreting the conductive atomic force microscopy measured inhomogeneous nanoscale surface electrical properties of Al‐doped ZnO films

In this work, conductive atomic force microscopy is used to study the inhomogeneous surface electrical conductivity of Al‐doped ZnO thin films at a nanoscale dimension. To this end, Al‐doped ZnO films were deposited onto the soda lime glass substrates at substrate temperature (T_s) varying from 303 to 673 K in radio frequency magnetron sputtering. The obtained local surface electrical conductivity values are found to be influenced by their bulk electrical resistivity, surface topography and tip geometry. Further, the average (local) surface conductivity from the film surface is found to increase with increasing T_s from 303 to 623 K, beyond which they decrease until 673 K. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Oxidation of Antitubercular Drug Isoniazid by a Lipopathic Oxidant,Cetyltrimethylammonium Dichromate: A Mechanistic Study

The oxidation of an antitubercular drug isoniazid by a lipopathic oxidant cetyltrimethylammonium dichromate (CTADC) in a nonpolar medium generates isonicotinic acid both in the presence and the absence of acetic acid. The conventional UV–vis spectrophotometric method is used to study the reaction kinetics. The occurrence of the Michaelis–Menten–type kinetics with respect to isoniazid confirms the binding of oxidant and substrate to form a complex before the rate‐determining step. The existence of the inverse solvent kinetic isotope effect, k(H₂O)/ k(D₂O) = 0.7, in an acid‐catalyzed reaction proposes a multistep reaction mechanism. A decrease in the rate constant with an increase in [CTADC] reveals the formation of reverse micellar–type aggregates of CTADC in nonpolar solvents. In the presence of different ionic and nonionic surfactants, CTADC forms mixed aggregates and controls the reaction due to the charge on the interface and also due to partition of oxidant and substrate in two different domains. High negative entropy of activation (ΔS^? = –145 and –159 J K^?1 mol^?1 in the absence and presence of acetic acid) proposes a more ordered and highly solvated transition state than the reactants. Furthermore, the solvent polarity‐reactivity relationship reveals (i) the presence of less polar and less ionic transition state compared to the reactants during the oxidation, (ii) differential contribution from nonpolar and dipolar aprotic solvents toward the reaction process, and (iii) the existence of polarity/hydrophobic switch at log P = 0.73. A suitable mechanism has been proposed on the basis of experimental results. These results may provide insight into the mechanism of isoniazid oxidation in hydrophobic environment and may assist in understanding the drug resistance in different location.     

Simultaneous quantification of atenolol and chlorthalidone in human plasma by ultra‐performance liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry

A simple, sensitive and reproducible ultra‐performance liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry method has been developed for the simultaneous determination of atenolol, a β‐adrenergic receptor‐blocker and chlorthalidone, a monosulfonamyl diuretic in human plasma, using atenolol‐d7 and chlorthalidone‐d4 as the internal standards (ISs). Following solid‐phase extraction on Phenomenex Strata‐X cartridges using 100 μL human plasma sample, the analytes and ISs were separated on an Acquity UPLC BEH C₁₈ (50 mm × 2.1 mm, 1.7 µm) column using a mobile phase consisting of 0.1% formic acid–acetonitrile (25:75, v/v). A tandem mass spectrometer equipped with electrospray ionization was used as a detector in the positive ionization mode for both analytes. The linear concentration range was established as 0.50–500 ng/mL for atenolol and 0.25–150 ng/mL for chlorthalidone. Extraction recoveries were within 95–103% and ion suppression/enhancement, expressed as IS‐normalized matrix factors, ranged from 0.95 to 1.06 for both the analytes. Intra‐batch and inter‐batch precision (CV) and accuracy values were 2.37–5.91 and 96.1–103.2%, respectively. Stability of analytes in plasma was evaluated under different conditions, such as bench‐top, freeze–thaw, dry and wet extract and long‐term. The developed method was superior to the existing methods for the simultaneous determination of atenolol and chlorthalidone in human plasma with respect to the sensitivity, chromatographic analysis time and plasma volume for processing. Further, it was successfully applied to support a bioequivalence study of 50 mg atenolol + 12.5 mg chlorthalidone in 28 healthy Indian subjects. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Modified sub-population teaching-learning-based optimization for design of truss structures with natural frequency constraints

In this paper, a modified sub-population teaching-learning-based optimization (MS-TLBO) algorithm is proposed to improve the exploration and exploitation capacities by including the concept of number of teachers, adaptive teaching factor, learning through tutorial, and self-motivated learning in the basic TLBO algorithm. The multiple frequency responses to the structural optimization problems are challenging due to its search space, which is implicit, nonconvex, nonlinear, and often leading to divergence. The viability and efficiency of the proposed method are tested by five structural benchmark problems of shape and size optimization with multiple natural frequency constraints on the planar and space trusses. The results reveal that MS-TLBO is more effective as compared to the original TLBO and other state-of-the-art algorithms.     

Stability of self-assembled monolayers on titanium and gold

Methyl- and hydroxyl-terminated phosphonic acid self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) were coated on Ti from aqueous solution. Dodecyl phosphate and dodecyltrichlorosilane SAMs were also coated on Ti using solution-phase deposition. The stability of SAMs on Ti was investigated in Tris-buffered saline (TBS) at 37 degrees C using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, contact angle goniometry, and atomic force microscopy. For comparison purposes, a hydroxyl-terminated thiol SAM was coated on Au, and its stability was also investigated under similar conditions. In TBS, a significant proportion of phosphonic acid or phosphate molecules were desorbed from the Ti surface within 1 day, while the trichlorosilane SAM on Ti or thiol SAM on Au was stable for up to 7 days under similar conditions. The stability of hydroxyl-terminated phosphonic acid SAM coated Ti and thiol SAM coated Au was investigated in ambient air and ultraviolet (UV) light. In ambient air, the phosphonic acid SAM on Ti was stable for up to 14 days, while the thiol SAM on Au was not stable for 1 day. Under UV-radiation exposure, the alkyl chains of the phosphonic acid SAM were decomposed, leaving only the phosphonate groups on the Ti surface after 12 h. Under similar conditions, decomposition of alkyl chains of the thiol SAM was observed on the Au surface accompanied by oxidation of thiolates.     

Temperature dependent small-angle neutron scattering of CTABr—magnetic fluid emulsion

Small-angle neutron scattering studies have been carried out to check the structural integrity of citryltrimethylammonium bromide (CTABr) micelles in a magnetic fluid for different magnetic fluid concentrations at two different temperatures 303 and 333 K. It is found that the CTABr micelles grow with increasing magnetic fluid concentration and there is a decrease in the micellar size with increase in temperature.