Preparation and characterization of titania based nanowires

A new method for preparation of titania nanowires with diameter around 10 nm and length up to 2–3 μm is described. The precursor was prepared from sodium titanate by adding ethylene glycole (EG) and heating at temperature of 198°C for 6 h under reflux. The sodium titanate glycolate formed by this way aggregated into 1D nanostructures and was subsequently transformed into titania glycolate during a chemical treatment with 98% sulfuric acid. Titania nanowires with variable amount of anatase and rutile were prepared by heating to temperatures in the range 350–1000°C. The precursor as well as titania based samples were characterized by X-ray diffraction, Infrared spectroscopy, Scanning electron microscopy, High resolution transmission microscopy, Thermogravimetry, Differential thermal analysis, Evolved gas analysis and Emanation thermal analysis. The nitrogen adsorption/desorption was used for surface area and porosity determination. The photoactivity of the prepared titania samples was assessed by the photocatalytic decomposition of 4-chlorophenol in an aqueous slurry under UV irradiation of 365 nm wavelength.     

Semileptonic B<Subscript>c</Subscript> decays and charmonium distribution amplitude

In this paper we study the semileptonic decays of the B_c meson in the light-cone sum rule (LCSR) approach. The result for each channel depends on the corresponding distribution amplitude (DA) of the final meson. For the case of B_c decaying into a pseudoscalar meson, to twist-3 accuracy only the leading twist distribution amplitude is involved if we start from a chiral current. If we choose a suitable chiral current in the vector meson case, the main twist-3 contributions are also eliminated and we can consider the leading twist contribution only. The leading twist distribution amplitudes of the charmonium and other heavy mesons are given by a model approach in a reasonable way. Employing this charmonium distribution amplitude we find a cross section that is consistent with Belle and BaBar data. Based on this model, we calculate the form factors for various B_c decay modes in the corresponding regions. Extrapolating the form factors to the whole kinetic regions, we get the decay widths and branching ratios for various B_c decay modes including their τ modes when they are kinematically accessible. PACS 13.20.He; 13.20.Fc; 11.55.Hx     

Compare study between smoothing efficiencies of epicyclic motion and orbital motion

The smoothing efficiencies of epicyclic motion and orbital motion in CCOS (computer controlled optical surfacing) were compared. CCOS polishing can smooth out mid-to-high spatial frequency errors which are smaller than tool size on optical mirrors due to the rigidity of polishing tools. The smoothing efficiencies of epicyclic motion and orbital motion with pitch lap and RC lap were compared and the result proved pitch lap with epicyclic motion smoothed ∼1.6 times faster than pitch lap with orbital motion while RC lap with epicyclic motion smoothed ∼1.85 times faster than RC lap with orbital motion.     

A facile method for the synthesis of large‐size Ag nanoparticles as efficient SERS substrates

Silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs) enjoy a reputation as an ultrasensitive substrate for surface‐enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS). However, large‐scale synthesis of Ag NPs in a controlled manner is a challenging task for a long period of time. Here, we reported a simple seed‐mediated method to synthesize Ag NPs with controllable sizes from 50 to 300 nm, which were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and UV–Vis spectroscopy. SERS spectra of Rhodamine 6G (R6G) from the as‐prepared Ag NPs substrates indicate that the enhancement capability of Ag NPs varies with different excitation wavelengths. The Ag NPs with average sizes of ~150, ~175, and ~225 nm show the highest SERS activities for 532, 633, and 785‐nm excitation, respectively. Significantly, 150‐nm Ag NPs exhibit an enhancement factor exceeding 10⁸ for pyridine (Py) molecules in electrochemical SERS (EC‐SERS) measurements. Furthermore, finite‐difference time‐domain (FDTD) calculation is employed to explain the size‐dependent SERS activity. Finally, the potential of the as‐prepared SERS substrates is demonstrated with the detection of malachite green. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Full utilization of a mass spectrometer using on-demand sharing with multiple LC units

The applicability of liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC/MS) is often limited by throughput. The sharing of a mass spectrometer with multiple LCs significantly improves throughput; however, the reported systems have not been designed to fully utilize the MS duty cycle, and as a result to achieve maximum throughput. To fully utilize the mass spectrometer, the number of LC units that a MS will need to recruit is application dependent and could be significantly larger than the current commercial or published implementations. For the example of a single analyte, the number may approach the peak capacity to a first degree approximation. Here, the construction of a MS system that flexibly recruits any number of LC units demanded by the application is discussed, followed by the method to port a previously developed LC/MS method to the system to fully utilize a mass spectrometer. To demonstrate the performance and operation, a prototypical MS system of eight LC units was constructed. When 1-min chromatographic separations were performed in parallel on the eight LCs of the system, the average LC/MS analysis time per sample was 10.5 s when applied to the analysis of samples in 384-well plate format. This system has been successfully used to conduct large-volume biochemical assays with the analysis of a variety of molecular entities in support of drug discovery efforts. Allowing the recruitment of the number of LC units appropriate for a given application, this system has the potential to be a plug-and-play system to fully utilize a mass spectrometer. Copyright ? 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

A Fluorescent Probe for Diacetyl Detection

A water-soluble fluorescent probe, rhodamine B hydrazide (RBH), was prepared and its properties for recognition of diacetyl were studied. The method employs the reaction of diacetyl with RBH, a colorless and non-fluorescent rhodamine B spiro form derivative to give a pink-colored fluorescent substance. In weakly acidic media, RBH reacts more selectively with diacetyl than with other carbonyls, causing a large increase in fluorescence intensity and thereby providing an easy assay for the determination of diacetyl.     

牵引变流器网侧电流谐波抑制研究

作为电力机车牵引传动系统核心部件的牵引变流器是牵引供电网的主要谐波来源之一。牵引变流器采用的单相四象限整流器,输出含有二次脉动,且工作开关频率较低,导致变流器网侧电流谐波问题严重。目前单相四象限整流器的控制脉冲产生主要采用SPWM技术。与SPWM相比,SHEPWM（特定谐波消除PWM）可以针对性的消除特定的谐波,谐波含量更小,效率更高,但其无法消除调制波中本身就存在的谐波。针对SHEPWM调制策略进行了分析设计,同时对陷波滤波器技术、PR控制策略和LC回路在降低谐波含量中的作用进行深入分析。经过合理的方案选择,有效的降低了网侧电流谐波含量,并通过MATLAB仿真实验进行了分析验证。     

川西平原还田秸秆腐解释放DOM的光谱特征

为掌握川西平原保护性耕作模式下还田秸秆腐解过程的光谱学特性,追溯还田秸秆对川西地区生态系统结构的影响过程,采集了该地区主要种植作物油菜、水稻的秸秆样本,利用紫外-可见吸收光谱(UV-Vis)、三维荧光光谱(3D-EEM)和傅里叶变换红外光谱(FTIR)三种光谱学表征手段,阐明秸秆各腐解阶段溶解性有机质(DOM)的光谱学特征,对比不同农作物秸秆快速淋溶阶段DOM(0~0.5 d)与腐解过程(0.5~90 d)的光谱学特征差异性,解析其变化机理。结果表明： 还田秸秆腐解过程中DOM的光谱学特性差异明显,伴随着芳香性物质的溶出、降解以及新生腐殖类物质的形成;由秸秆快速淋溶阶段释放DOM的E₂/E₃值最大而SUVA₂₅₄值最小可知该阶段溶出的物质芳香性和分子量相对较小;其芳香性组分的溶出主要集中在腐解前期(≤10 d),表现于该阶段E₂/E₃值逐渐减小且SUVA₂₅₄值逐渐增大,DOM中多糖峰、芳香C和酰胺峰变弱;难分解的纤维素、半纤维素和大分子蛋白质主要在腐解后期被降解;DOM中酚类、羰基类和羧酸类物质数量增加,使得DOM与有机污染物、金属离子的相互作用增强,进而调节农田土壤中污染物的迁移转化过程。本研究为川西平原秸秆还田的环境意义提供了基础数据和新证据,为该地区农业废弃物处理与资源化提供了依据。     

Bridgework ahead! Innovation ecosystems vis-à-vis responsible innovation

Public funding agencies largely support academic research as an effort to stimulate future product commercialization and foster broader societal benefits. Yet, translating research nurtured in academic settings into such outcomes is complex and demands functional interactions between government, academic, and industry, i.e., “triple helix,” organizations within an innovation ecosystem. This article argues that in the spirit of responsible innovation, research funding should build bridges that extend beyond the triple helix stakeholders to connect to peripheral organizations. To support that argument, evidence from agent network analysis gathered from two case studies reveals strong and weak connections, as well as gaps within innovation ecosystems in Switzerland and metropolitan Phoenix, USA. This article offers insights on how innovation ecosystems are aligned or misaligned with responsible innovation.     

Effect of temperature on the synthesis of silver nanoparticles with polyethylene glycol: new insights into the reduction mechanism

Polyethylene glycol (PEG) molecules act as a reducing and stabilizing agent in the formation of silver nanoparticles. PEG undergoes thermal oxidative degradation at temperatures over 70 °C in the presence of oxygen. Here, we studied how the temperature and an oxidizing atmosphere could affect the synthesis of silver nanoparticles with PEG. We tested different AgNO₃ concentrations for nanoparticles syntheses using PEG of low molecular weight, at 60 and 100 °C. At the higher temperature, the reducing action of PEG increased and the effect of PEG/Ag⁺ ratio on nanoparticles aggregation changed. These results suggest that different synthesis mechanisms operate at 60 and 100 °C. Thus, at 60 °C the reduction of silver ions can occur through the oxidation of the hydroxyl groups of PEG, as has been previously reported. We propose that the thermal oxidative degradation of PEG at 100 °C increases the number of both, functional groups and molecules that can reduce silver ions and stabilize silver nanoparticles. This degradation process could explain the enhancement of PEG reducing action observed by other authors when they increase the reaction temperature or use a PEG of higher molecular weight