Electrokinetic and electrorheological properties of poly(vinyl chloride)/polyindole conducting composites

In this study, poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC), polyindole (PIN), and PVC/PIN conducting composites having five different compositions were used. Particle sizes, densities, dielectric constants, and sedimentation ratios of the materials were determined. The zeta‐potentials of the samples were measured in aqueous and nonaqueous (silicone oil [SO]) media. The dispersions prepared in SO were subjected to external electric field strength, and their electrorheological properties were investigated. Then the effects of dispersed particle volume fraction, shear rate, external electric field strength, frequency, and temperature onto electrorheological activities of the dispersions were examined. Further, creep and creep‐recovery tests were applied to the PIN/SO and PVC/PIN/SO dispersions, and reversible viscoelastic deformations were observed. Finally, the vibration damping capacity of PVC (66%)/PIN (34%)/SO dispersion system was tested by using an automobile shock absorber. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

A novel high‐contrast ratio electrochromic material from spiro[cyclododecane‐1,9′‐fluorene]bicarbazole

A novel electroactive spirocyclododecylfluorene monomer named 2,7‐bis(carbazol‐9‐yl)‐9,9′‐spiro[cyclododecane‐1,9′‐fluorene] (SFC) was synthesized and electrochemically polymerized to give a very stable multi‐electrochromic polymer (poly‐SFC). Two separate oxidation processes were observed for both SFC monomer and poly‐SFC that carries two carbazole units. The polymeric film of poly‐SFC was coated onto ITO/glass surface, and it shows different colors (transparent, yellowish green, green, and dark green) upon stepwise oxidations. An electrochromic device based on poly‐SFC was assembled in the sandwich cell configuration of ITO/poly‐SFC//gel electrolyte//PEDOT/ITO. Poly‐SFC exhibits 90% of transparency at neutral state and a high contrast ratio (ΔT = 58% at 800 nm). This device constructed from it represents a response time of about 1 s, high coloration efficiency (1377 cm² C^–1) and retained its performance by 96.4% even after 1000 cycles. Exhibiting high transparency at neutral state, reversible redox behavior, resistance to overoxidation, and especially high contrast ratio at near IR region can make poly‐SFC be useful and promising candidate for electrochromic applications despite having a relatively slow response time. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys, 2010     

Reactions of acyl phosphonates with organoaluminum reagents: a new method for the synthesis of secondary and tertiary α-hydroxy phosphonates

The reactions of organoaluminum reagents (trimethylaluminum, triethylaluminum, etc.) with aryl and alkyl acyl phosphonates, which lead to the formation of α-hydroxy phosphonates in moderate to good yields, are reported. This method provides easy access to secondary and tertiary α-hydroxy phosphonates depending on the reaction conditions. The reactions of triethylaluminum with a series of acyl phosphonates at 0 °C gave the secondary α-hydroxy phosphonates, while at −100 °C they afford the tertiary α-hydroxy phosphonates.     

Determination of Aluminum Ion with Morin in a Medium Comprised by Ionic Liquid?CWater Mixtures

In this study we have employed two ionic liquids (ILs) as a new media for the analysis of aluminum in aqueous solutions by spectrofluorimetric method. ILs are liquid salts and they have no measurable vapor pressure up to their thermal decomposition point, >300 ??C. This lack of vapor pressure makes these materials highly attractive for many studies as they can be used as clean solvents. Besides they are promising environments for analysis purposes and optical sensor designs. The results revealed that absorption, excitation and emission spectra of the morin?CAl complex exhibited considerable changes in moieties. The morin?CAl complex was stable at aluminum concentrations below 9.1?mg?L^?1 in 25% 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium bromide (IL-I)-water binary mixtures. The higher concentrations of IL (>25% by volume) was not suitable for the complex formation thus in pure IL media the complex formation even at high aluminum concentrations was not observed. The complex stoichiometry ratio of aluminum:morin was 2:1 in IL-I-water binary mixtures. The linear concentration range was 0.045?C7.2?mg?L^?1 with a correlation coefficient of r?=?0.9909. The detection limit was found to be 0.036?mg?L^?1. Cu²⁺, Mn²⁺ and PO ₄ ^3? ions exhibited less interfering effect in presence of IL-I and the tolerance limit of Cu enhanced 10 times when compared with ethanol.     

One‐Step Microfluidic Coating of Phospholipid Microbubbles with Natural Alginate Polymer as a Delivery System for Human Epithelial Lung Adenocarcinoma

In this study, the neoplastic drug frequently used in the treatment of lung cancer, carboplatin is loaded to microbubbles via a microfluidic platform. In order to increase the drug loading capacity of microbubbles, carboplatin is encapsulated into alginate polymer layer. The phospholipid microbubbles (MBs) are synthesized by MicroSphere Creator, which is connected with T‐junction and micromixer for the treatment with CaCl₂ solution to provide gelation of the alginate coated phospholipid microbubbles (AMBs). The carboplatin loaded alginate coated phospholipid microbubbles (CAMBs) result in 12.2 ± 0.21 µm mean size, obtained by mixing with 0.05% CaCl₂ using T‐junction. The cytotoxic activities of the synthesized MBs, AMBs, and CAMBs are also investigated with the 3‐(4,5‐Dimethyl‐2‐thiazolyl)‐2,5‐diphenyl‐2H‐tetrazolium bromide) (MTT) and live/dead fluorescent dying assays in the A549 and BEAS‐2B cell lines. The one‐step microfluidic coating of lipid microbubbles with natural alginate polymer appears to be a promising strategy for enhanced drug reservoir properties.     

Improvement of catalytic activity of lipase in the presence of wide rim substituted calix[4]arene carboxylic acid-grafted magnetic nanoparticles

Candida rugosa lipase immobilized on calix[4]arene carboxylic acid-grafted magnetic nanoparticles using a sol–gel encapsulation technique was tested for activity, which was assessed both in the enantioselective hydrolysis of racemic Naproxen methyl ester and that of p-nitrophenylpalmitate. It has also been noticed that, compared to the free enzyme (E = 137) with an ee value of >98 %, S-Naproxen calix[4]arene carboxylic acid-grafted magnetic nanoparticles based on encapsulated lipase (Calix-1-MN and Calix-2-MN) offer excellent enantioselectivity (E = 373 and E = 381). Moreover, the results indicated that after the fifth reuse in the enantioselective reaction, the encapsulated lipase (Calix-2-MN) still retained about 43 % of its conversion power.     

Effects of process parameters on supercritical CO2 extraction of total phenols from strawberry (Arbutus unedo L.) fruits: An optimization study

The aim of this work was to optimize total phenolic yield of Arbutus unedo fruits using supercritical fluid extraction. A Box–Behnken statistical design was used to evaluate the effect of various values of pressure (50–300 bar), temperature (30–80°C) and concentration of ethanol as co‐solvent (0–20%) by CO₂ flow rate of 15 g/min for 60 min. The most effective variable was co‐solvent ratio (p<0.005). Evaluative criteria for both dependent variables (total phenols and radical scavenging activity) in the model were assigned maximum. Optimum extraction conditions were elicited as 60 bar, 48°C and 19.7% yielding 25.72 mg gallic acid equivalent (GAE) total phenols/g extract and 99.9% radical scavenging capacity, which were higher than the values obtained by conventional water (24.89 mg/g; 83.8%) and ethanol (15.12 mg/g; 95.8%) extractions demonstrating challenges as a green separation process with improved product properties for industrial applications.     

Electrorheology and creep-recovery behavior of conducting polythiophene/poly(oxymethylene)-blend suspensions

Electrorheological properties and creep-recovery behavior of polythiophene/polyoxymethylene-blend having PT（50%）/POM（50%） composition were investigated.Particle size,conductivity and dielectric values were measured to be 24.77μm,3.85×10^-5 S·m^-1 and 26.75,respectively.Sedimentation ratio was measured to be 64%at the end of 16 days.The effects of dispersed particle volume fraction,external electric field strength,shear rate,frequency and temperature on ER properties and storage modulus of PT/POM-blend/silicone oil（SO） suspensions were examined.Enhancement were observed in the electric field viscosities of the suspensions and thus they were classified as a smart material.Shear thinning non-Newtonian viscoelastic behavior was determined for PT/POM-blend/SO system.Further,time-dependent deformation was examined by creep-recovery tests and recoverable viscoelastic deformation established.