Enhancement of electrical properties due to Cr substitution in Co-ferrite nanoparticles synthesized by two chemical techniques

Nanocrystalline cobalt ferrites with nominal composition CoCr_xFe_2−xO₄ ranging from x=0.0 to 0.5 with step increment of 0.25 were prepared by sol–gel auto combustion and chemical co-precipitation techniques. A comparative study of structural, electrical and magnetic properties of these ferrites has been measured using different characterization techniques. Structural and micro-structural studies were measured using X-ray diffraction, Fourier transform infra-red spectroscopy (FTIR), scanning electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy. Crystallite sizes of the series are within the range of 12–29±2 nm. Lattice parameters decrease by increasing Cr³⁺ concentration. FTIR confirms the presence of two lattice absorption bands. DC electrical resistivity increases to a value of ∼10¹⁰ Ω-cm with increase in Cr³⁺ concentration, but the most significant increase is in samples prepared by sol–gel combustion. Dielectric properties have been measured as a function of frequency at room temperature. Dielectric loss decreases to 0.1037 and 0.0108 at 5 MHz for chemical co-precipitation and sol–gel combustion, respectively. Impedance measurements further helped in analyzing the electrical properties and to separate the grain and grain boundary resistance effects using a complex impedance analysis. Magnetic parameters were studied using a vibrating sample magnetometer in the applied field of 10 kOe. The saturation magnetization decreased from 63 to 10.8 emu/gm with increase in Cr³⁺ concentration.     

Urea dimethacrylates functionalized with bisphosphonate/bisphosphonic acid for improved dental materials

Incorporation of bisphosphonate/bisphosphonic acid groups in dental monomer structures should increase interaction of these monomers with dental tissue as these groups have strong affinity for hydroxyapatite. Therefore, new urea dimethacrylates functionalized with bisphosphonate (1a, 1b) and bisphosphonic acid (2a, 2b) groups are synthesized and evaluated for dental applications. Monomers 1a and 1b are synthesized from 2‐isocyanatoethyl methacrylate (IEM) and two bisphosphonated amines (BPA1 and BPA2), prepared as reported elsewhere. Selective dealkylation of the bisphosphonate ester groups of 1a and 1b using trimethylsilyl bromide (TMSBr) gives monomers (2a and 2b) with bisphosphonic acid functionality. X‐ray diffractometer (XRD), Raman spectroscopy, and X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) analyses of monomer‐treated HAP particles show that 2a induces formation of stable monomer‐calcium salts, similar to 10‐methacryloyloxydecyl dihydrogen phosphate (MDP), with higher chemical interaction than 2b. The photopolymerization studies indicate good copolymerizability with commercial dental monomers. In vitro studies on NIH 3T3 mouse embryonic fibroblast cells have clearly shown that the tested monomers (1b and 2b) are not toxic according to the MTT standards. All these properties make these monomers suitable as biocompatible cross‐linkers/adhesives for dental applications. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2017 , 55, 3195–3204     

Dimerization and protonation reactions of nitrosonitrobenzenes radical anions

The electrochemical behavior of 2-, 3-, and 4-nitrosonitrobenzenes (NNB) in DMF (with Bu₄NClO₄ suppoting salt) in the presence and in the absence of different proton donors (water, phenol, benzoic, acetic, chloroacetic, and sulfuric acids) is studied by the methods of cyclic voltammetry, chronoamperometry and also by electrolysis at the controlled potential. The electrochemical reduction of these compounds is shown to preferentially afford either monomeric (N-nitrophenylhydroxylamines) or dimeric (azoxy compounds) products, which is determined by the interplay between reactions of protonation and dimerization of NNB radical anions. The dimerization reactions proceed fast and reversibly to afford the corresponding dimeric dianions with the basicity much higher as compared with NNB radical anions as the result of which the monomeric products are formed in the presence of “strong” proton donors and the dimeric products form in the presence of “weak” proton donors. Like the effective rate of formation of dimeric products, the basicity of radical anions increases in the row 4- < 3- < 2-NNB.     

Random walks in disordered systems and their investigations by means of magnetic resonance and relaxation of polarized beta-active nuclei

The experimental investigations of the polarization transport in the disordered spin system⁸Li −⁶Li in LiF crystal are considered. This process is initiated by one originally polarized beta-active⁸Li nucleus produced in a nuclear reaction. The autocorrelation function Foo(t) for the ran dom-walks-in-disordered-system problem has been measured over the range Foo(t)≥0.1 Foo(0) by analysing the β-emission anisotropy. The influence of the resonance process at double larmor frequency and of the thermal translational motion of⁸Li and⁶Li spins is studied. Results are in a good agre ement with the theory.