Synthesis of silver/poly(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate) particles via a combination of inverse miniemulsion and silver ion reduction in a "nanoreactor"

Silver salt/poly(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate) (poly(HEMA)) hybrid particles were first prepared by inverse miniemulsion polymerization of 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate (HEMA) with silver tetrafluoroborate (AgBF(4)) as a lipophobe. High silver salt loads of up to 13% with respect to the disperse phase were achieved. The silver/poly(HEMA) hybrid particles were subsequently formed via a gas-phase in situ reduction of AgBF(4) by hydrazine on the surfaces of silver salt/poly(HEMA) particles. The formation of silver nanoparticles was confirmed by UV-vis spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction. The morphology of the hybrid particles of silver salt/poly(HEMA) and silver/poly(HEMA) was fully characterized by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM), and dynamic light scattering (DLS). The influence of the reaction parameters including the type and amount of cosolvent, salt content, and type of surfactant on the particle properties and colloidal stability during the reduction process was thoroughly investigated.     

Synthesis and characterization of dually labeled Pickering-type stabilized polymer nanoparticles in a downscaled miniemulsion system

Dual fluorescently labeled polymer particles were prepared in a downscaled Pickering-type miniemulsion system. Stable dispersions were obtained and the size of the hybrid particles could be varied between ca. 180 and 430 nm. Silica nanoparticles were employed as sole emulsifier, which were labeled by a fluorescein dye (FITC) or (encapsulated) quantum dots, and the polymer core was labeled by a perylene derivative. Downscaling of the Pickering-type miniemulsion system is intriguing by itself as it allows the use of precious nanoparticles as emulsifiers. Here, silica particles with a fluorescent core and an overall diameter between 20 and 40 nm were prepared and employed as stabilizer. The dual excitation and emission of both dyes was tested by fluorescence measurements and confocal laser scanning microscopy (cLSM).     

Study of alternating current conduction mechanism in polypyrrole-magnesium ferrite hybrid nanocomposite through correlated barrier hopping model

In the present work, both polypyrrole (PPy) and optimized polypyrrole–magnesium ferrite (PPy-MgFe₂O₄) hybrid nanocomposite were synthesized separately by simple oxidative chemical polymerization method and then structurally characterized using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) techniques. The FTIR spectrum of the composite showed the presence of characteristic absorption bands of both PPy and MgFe₂O₄ in the composite confirming interfacial interaction of PPy with MgFe₂O₄. That this interaction is not affected by crystalline behaviour of predominant MgFe₂O₄ particles but that MgFe₂O₄ has embedded in PPy matrix was confirmed by XRD studies. Agglomerated granular spherical morphology of the composite was confirmed by SEM studies. Decrease in AC conductivity of the composite as compared to PPy due to the formation of interfacial heterojunction barrier between p-type PPy and n-type MgFe₂O₄ was confirmed experimentally and well supported theoretically by calculating binding energy, hopping distance and density of states at Fermi level of PPy and the composite as per CBH model.     

Surface species in the direct amination of methanol over Brønsted acidic mordenite catalysts

Quantitative in situ infrared spectroscopy in combination with kinetic analysis is utilized to derive mechanistic aspects for the reaction of methanol with ammonia on Brønsted acidic mordenite. Under non-reactive conditions, a coadsorption complex between methanol and ammonia is found, in which only ammonia is in direct interaction with the Brønsted acid sites of the zeolite. This complex is proposed to be the precursor for the formation of protonated methylamines in the zeolite pores which are formed in sequential order up to tetramethylammonium ions. These methylamines are unable to desorb under reaction conditions in the absence of ammonia. They leave the surface either by ammonia adsorption assisted desorption or by scavenging of methyl groups from protonated methylamines by ammonia. Both steps are concluded to be potentially rate determining.     

A Stability Analysis of Convolution Quadraturea for Abel-Volterra Integral Equations

We investigate the stability properties of numerical methodsfor weakly singular Volterra integral equations of the secondkind. Our theory extends the stability theory of linear multistepmethods for ordinary differential equations. We introduce theconcepts of A-stability, A()-stability etc. for Abel-Volterraequations. The stability region is characterized in terms ofthe weights of the method. It is shown that the order of anA-stable convolution quadrature cannot exceed 2. Further westudy the stability properties of implicit Adam methods, withparticular emphasis on the question of A()-stability.     

Lower Rim Substituted tert-Butyl calix[4]arenes (I). The Structure and Complexing Properties in Ion-Selective PVC Membrane Electrodes

Some di- and tetraamide tert-butylcalix[4]areneswere synthesized and described. Their ionophoric properties were studied in liquid membrane ion-selective electrodes. The correlation between thechemical structure (conformation in solution determined by ¹H NMR) and potentiometric ion-selectivity and complex formation constant havebeen studied. The PVC membrane electrodes based on tetraamides 8–11 show high sodium selectivity, are stable and long lasting. Disubstituted amides 1–7 are selective for larger and more lipophilic ions, as for exampleguanidinium ion. The crystal structure of the diamide 4 was determined by single crystal X-ray analysis. Crystals of 4 are triclinic, spacegroup P-1, with: a = 16,669(8), b = 17.795(10), c = 20.984(8) Å, =91.08(4)°, = 91.60(3)°, = 90.73(4)° and Z = 4. Ionophore 4 posseses a distorted cone conformation and is substituted at the proximal phenol rings.