Defect of the five-thirds law using the Wiener-Hermite expansion

Application of the refined Wiener-Hermite expansion with moderate to high Reynolds numbers Re to homogeneous, isotropic turbulence is presented. The results show a defect to Kolmogorov's five-thirds law, increase in the absolute value of the exponent comparable with many theoretical predictions. Midrange spectra up to fluctuation Reynolds numbers of 10⁸ show little, if any, dependence of the defect on Re, as long as the initial spectra do not deviate too far from their equilibrium states. The renormalization scheme has also been proven to have no effect on the final shape of the spectrum.     

Optimal design of loudspeaker arrays for robust cross-talk cancellation using the Taguchi method and the genetic algorithm

An optimal design technique of loudspeaker arrays for cross-talk cancellation with application in three-dimensional audio is presented. An array focusing scheme is presented on the basis of the inverse propagation that relates the transducers to a set of chosen control points. Tikhonov regularization is employed in designing the inverse cancellation filters. An extensive analysis is conducted to explore the cancellation performance and robustness issues. To best compromise the performance and robustness of the cross-talk cancellation system, optimal configurations are obtained with the aid of the Taguchi method and the genetic algorithm (GA). The proposed systems are further justified by physical as well as subjective experiments. The results reveal that large number of loudspeakers, closely spaced configuration, and optimal control point design all contribute to the robustness of cross-talk cancellation systems (CCS) against head misalignment.     

The Influence of Dopant Concentration on Optical-Electrical Features of Quantum Dot-Sensitized Solar Cell

In this study, TiO₂/CdS/Cd_xCu_1−xSe, TiO₂/CdS/Cd_xMn_1−xSe, and TiO₂/CdS/Cd_xAg_2−2xSe thin films were synthesized by chemical bath deposition for the fabrication of photoanode in quantum-dot-sensitized solar cells. As a result, the structural properties of the thin films have been studied by X-ray diffraction, which confirmed the zinc Blende structure in the samples. The optical films were researched by their experimental absorption spectra with different doping concentrations. Those results were combined with the Tauc correlation to estimate the absorption density, the band gap energy, valence band and conduction band positions, steepness parameter, and electron–phonon interaction. Furthermore, the electrical features, electrochemical impedance spectrum and photocurrent density curves were carried out. The result was used to explain the enhancing performance efficiency.     

Mechanistic Insights into the Interface‐Directed Transformation of Thiols into Disulfides and Molecular Hydrogen by Visible‐Light Irradiation of Quantum Dots

Quantum dots (QDs) offer new and versatile ways to harvest light energy. However, there are few examples involving the utilization of QDs in organic synthesis. Visible‐light irradiation of CdSe QDs was found to result in virtually quantitative coupling of a variety of thiols to give disulfides and H₂ without the need for sacrificial reagents or external oxidants. The addition of small amounts of nickel(II) salts dramatically improved the efficiency and conversion through facilitating the formation of hydrogen atoms, thereby leading to faster regeneration of the ground‐state QDs. Mechanistic studies reveal that the coupling reaction occurs on the QD surfaces rather than in solution and offer a blueprint for how these QDs may be used in other photocatalytic applications. Because no sacrificial agent or oxidant is necessary and the catalyst is reusable, this method may be useful for the formation of disulfide bonds in proteins as well as in other systems sensitive to the presence of oxidants.     

Antibacterial poly(3‐hydroxybutyrate‐co‐4‐hydroxybutyrate) fibrous membranes containing quaternary ammonium salts

In this study, antimicrobial membranes based on biodegradable material poly(3‐hydroxybutyrate‐co‐4‐hydroxybutyrate) [P(3HB‐4HB)] and quaternary ammonium salts (QASs) by two methods have been performed. Three QASs with varied alkyl chain lengths have been synthesized successfully and characterized by ¹H nuclear magnetic resonance and Fourier transform infrared. The synthesized QASs were blended with P(3HB‐4HB) and electrospun into composite fibrous membranes or casted into conventional membranes. Electrospun fibrous membranes with large surface areas are a superior type of antimicrobial biomaterials, and they exhibit preferable properties than solution casting membranes. Specifically, electrospun fibrous membranes are tougher and can inactivate both Gram‐positive Staphylococcus aureus and Gram‐negative Escherichia coli O157:H7 in a contact time of 30 min, whereas the solution casting membranes cannot. The length of alkyl chain in the quaternary ammonium groups on the modified P(3HB‐4HB) membranes is able to influence the antimicrobial activity. This type of antimicrobial material may have potential applications in biomaterial field. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Synthesis and molecular structure of substituted 2-hydroxyperhydro-[1,3,2]dioxaborinino[5,4-<Emphasis Type="Italic">c</Emphasis>]pyridines,perhydro[1,3]dioxano[5,4-<Emphasis Type="Italic">c</Emphasis>]pyridine,and their precursor-4-hydroxy-3-(α-hydroxybenzyl)-1-methyl-4-phenylpiperidine

4,8a-Diphenyl-substituted 2-(2-propoxy)perhydro[1,3,2]dioxaborinino[5.4-c]pyridine was obtained by the condensation of 4-hydroxy-3-(α-hydroxybenzyl)-1-methyl-4-phenylpiperidine with triisopropyl borate, and its 2-hydroxysubstituted analog in the presence of water. 1-Methyl-4,8a-diphenyl-perhidro[1,3]dioxano[5,4-c]pyridine was synthesized by the reaction of the same piperidol with formaldehyde. A comparative study of the molecular structures of the three products was carried out by X-ray crystallography. Translated from Khimiya Geterotsiklicheskikh Soedinenii, No. 11, 1726–1735, November, 2008.     

Tracking an FeV(O) Intermediate for Water Oxidation in Water

High-valent iron-oxo species are appealing for conducting O−O bond formation for water oxidation reactions. However, their high reactivity poses a great challenge to the dissection of their chemical transformations. Herein, we introduce an electron-rich and oxidation-resistant ligand, 2-[(2,2′-bipyridin)-6-yl]propan-2-ol to stabilize such fleeting intermediates. Advanced spectroscopies and electrochemical studies demonstrate a high-valent Fe^V(O) species formation in water. Combining kinetic and oxygen isotope labelling experiments and organic reactions indicates that the Fe^V(O) species is responsible for O−O bond formation via water nucleophilic attack under the real catalytic water oxidation conditions.