Fast and enhanced removal of mercury from aqueous solutions by magnetic starch-<Emphasis Type=Italic>g</Emphasis>-poly(acryl amide)/graphene oxide nanocomposite superabsorbents

In this study, we developed a novel magnetic nanocomposite superabsorbent (MNS) for effective removal of mercury ions from aqueous solutions. The preparation method of MNS is easy, fast, simple, effective, and safe. The MNSs were synthesized via the simultaneous formation of magnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (MIONs) and in situ radical solution polymerization of superabsorbents based on poly(acryl amide) grafted onto starch backbones in the presence of graphene oxide (GO) nanosheets. The chemical structure, morphology and phase composition of the obtained MSNs were characterized using FTIR, SEM, TEM, XRD, and VSM techniques. The effects of parameters and also the morphology of MNSs on the adsorption of Hg²⁺ were investigated in detail through batch experiments. Furthermore, the adsorption kinetics fits well with the pseudosecond- order model. The equilibrium data also fitted the Langmuir sorption isotherms well. Moreover, the thermodynamic parameters shown that the sorption process was feasible, spontaneous and endothermic.     

Synthesis and characterization of graphene oxide/modified poly(<Emphasis Type="Italic">N</Emphasis>-isopropylacrylamide) nanocomposite

In this study, the graphene oxide/poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) nanocomposite modified with 2-mercaptoethanol (GO/MPNIPAM) was synthesized in three stages. N-Isopropylacrylamide polymerization was firstly performed in the presence of azobisisobutyronitrile as an initiator, which was discovered by Homer, and 2-mercaptoethanol as a modifier. Then, the graphene oxide/modified polymer nanocomposite was synthesized by the covalent interactions between carboxylic acids of the graphene oxide and hydroxyl groups of the modified polymer during the esterification reaction. The GO/MPNIPAM nanocomposite includes some percentage of the polymer that improves solubility and stability of the GO sheets in physiological applications; due to the interaction between the MPNIPAM and the modified GO polymer, a bridge-like connection is formed between the GO sheets and the process that leads to remove a large number of hydrophilic groups on the GO nanocomposite and therefore, the GO/MPNIPAM is well dissolved in organic solvents. This property is beneficial for anti-cancer drug delivery as well as π–π interactions between the nanocomposite and aromatic drugs. The nanocomposite is not a toxic material for human body at all and has high capacity for drug delivery. Structure and morphology of the nanocomposite were studied by FTIR, SEM, XRD, UV, TGA and Raman analysis. The analysis done by X-ray diffraction pattern confirmed the presence of graphene oxide in nanocomposites and improved crystalline polymer in nanocomposites.     

Clotrimazole-triiodide ion association as an ion exchanger for a triiodide ion-selective electrode.

A novel triiodide ion-selective electrode based on a clotrimazole-triiodide ion pair as a membrane carrier was prepared. It has a linear response to triiodide from 8 x 10(-6) to 5 x 10(-3) M with a slope of -68.9 mV per decade and a detection limit of 5 x 10(-6) M. The electrode response is independent of the pH of the solution in the pH range 2-9. It has a very short response time and can be used for at least 3 months without any considerable divergence in the potentials. The proposed sensor revealed very good selectivities for I3- over a variety of other anions. It was used as an indicator electrode in the potentiometric titration of triiodide ions and in an indirect potentiometric determination of clotrimazole in pharmaceutical preparations.     

Edge clique cover of claw-free graphs

The smallest number of cliques, covering all edges of a graph , is called the (edge) clique cover number of and is denoted by . It is an easy observation that if is a line graph on vertices, then . G. Chen et al. [Discrete Math. 219 (2000), no. 1–3, 17–26; MR1761707] extended this observation to all quasi-line graphs and questioned if the same assertion holds for all claw-free graphs. In this paper, using the celebrated structure theorem of claw-free graphs due to Chudnovsky and Seymour, we give an affirmative answer to this question for all claw-free graphs with independence number at least three. In particular, we prove that if is a connected claw-free graph on vertices with three pairwise nonadjacent vertices, then and the equality holds if and only if is either the graph of icosahedron, or the complement of a graph on vertices called “twister” or the power of the cycle , for some positive integer .     

Cucurbiturils mimicked by low polarizability solvents with pre-formed cavities: an empirical model to predict hydrocarbon selectivity

Relative binding affinities of a series of nine rigid hydrocarbons towards the cavity formed by a portion of the inner wall of cucurbit[8]uril (CB[8]) and a positive auxiliary guest were determined by competitive ¹⁹F NMR titrations in deuterium oxide. The corresponding free binding energies were corrected by the hydrocarbon computed solvation energies to obtain their free energies of transfer from the gas phase to the CB[8]/auxiliary guest cavity. These energies correlate linearly with the hydrocarbon static polarizabilities, thereby suggesting that the selectivity is driven, perhaps exclusively, by dispersive interactions between the hydrocarbons and the tailor-made cavity, regardless of the degree of unsaturation of the guests. The free energies of transfer also correlate linearly with the energy released upon introduction of the hydrocarbon into a pre-formed cavity extruded from a solvent (benzene) selected to mimic the polarity and polarizability of the CB[8]/auxiliary probe cavity – and this, with a unity slope. Among other features, this empirical model also accurately predicts the relative binding affinities of various rigid hydrocarbons to CB[6] and CB[7], as well as noble gases to CB[5], when the macrocycles are mimicked with pre-formed cavities in perfluorohexane or perfluorohexane/benzene mixtures, both being notoriously non-polar and non-polarizable environments.

Mimicking cucurbiturils with low polarizability solvents and pre-formed cavities allows the in silico prediction of their selectivities towards hydrocarbons and noble gases in aqueous solution.     

Vibration analysis of a partially treated multi-layer beam with magnetorheological fluid

Semi-active vibration control based on magnetorheological (MR) materials offers excellent potential for high bandwidth control through rapid variations in the rheological properties of the fluid under varying magnetic field. Such fluids may be conveniently applied to partial or more critical components of a large structure to realize more efficient and compact vibration control mechanism with variable damping. This study investigates the properties and vibration responses of a partially treated multi-layer MR fluid beam. The governing equations of a partially treated multi-layered MR beam are formulated using finite element method and Ritz formulation. The validity of the proposed finite element formulations is demonstrated by comparing the results with those obtained from the Ritz formulation and the experimental measurements. The properties of different configurations of a partially treated MR-fluid beam are evaluated to investigate the influences of the location and length of the MR-fluid for different boundary conditions. The properties in terms of natural frequencies and loss factors corresponding to various modes are evaluated under different magnetic field intensities and compared with those of the fully treated beams. The effect of location of the fluid treatment on deflection mode shapes is also investigated. The forced vibration responses of the various configurations of partially treated MR sandwich beam are also evaluated under harmonic force excitations. The results suggest that the natural frequencies and transverse displacement response of the partially treated MR beams are strongly influenced not only by the intensity of the applied magnetic field, but also by the location and the length of the fluid pocket. The application of partial treatment could also alter the deflection pattern of the beam, particularly the location of the peak deflection.