A new building block for electroactive organic materials? Synthesis, cyclic voltammetry, single crystal X-ray structure, and DFT treatment of a unique boron-based viologen

A boronium-based paraquat analog undergoes reductions at more negative potentials than paraquat itself, making it a promising building block for electroactive materials.     

One‐pot synthesis of 2,3‐disubstituted‐2,3‐dihydroquinazolin‐4(1H)‐ones using [Hmim][NO3]: An eco‐friendly protocol

An efficient method for the synthesis of a series of 2,3‐disubstituted‐2,3‐dihydroquinazolin‐4(1H)‐ones is described via one‐pot condensation reaction of isatoic anhydride, aryl aldehydes, and primary amines using a Brønsted acidic ionic liquid, [Hmim][NO₃], as a catalyst and medium. The present protocol enjoys convenient reaction and simple work‐up, greenness, short reaction times, and reusable catalyst as well as mild reaction conditions. J. Heterocyclic Chem., (2011).     

Pore-Scale Network Modeling of Three-Phase Flow Based on Thermodynamically Consistent Threshold Capillary Pressures. I. Cusp Formation and Collapse

We present a pore-scale network model of two- and three-phase flow in disordered porous media. The model reads three-dimensional pore networks representing the pore space in different porous materials. It simulates wide range of two- and three-phase pore-scale displacements in porous media with mixed-wet wettability. The networks are composed of pores and throats with circular and angular cross sections. The model allows the presence of multiple phases in each angular pore. It uses Helmholtz free energy balance and Mayer–Stowe–Princen (MSP) method to compute threshold capillary pressures for two- and three-phase displacements (fluid configuration changes) based on pore wettability, pore geometry, interfacial tension, and initial pore fluid occupancy. In particular, it generates thermodynamically consistent threshold capillary pressures for wetting and spreading fluid layers resulting from different displacement events. Threshold capillary pressure equations are presented for various possible fluid configuration changes. By solving the equations for the most favorable displacements, we show how threshold capillary pressures and final fluid configurations may vary with wettability, shape factor, and the maximum capillary pressure reached during preceding displacement processes. A new cusp pore fluid configuration is introduced to handle the connectivity of the intermediate wetting phase at low saturations and to improve model’s predictive capabilities. Based on energy balance and geometric equations, we show that, for instance, a gas-to-oil piston-like displacement in an angular pore can result in a pore fluid configuration with no oil, with oil layers, or with oil cusps. Oil layers can then collapse to form cusps. Cusps can shrink and disappear leaving no oil behind. Different displacement mechanisms for layer and cusp formation and collapse based on the MSP analysis are implemented in the model. We introduce four different layer collapse rules. A selected collapse rule may generate different corner configuration depending on fluid occupancies of the neighboring elements and capillary pressures. A new methodology based on the MSP method is introduced to handle newly created gas/water interfaces that eliminates inconsistencies in relation between capillary pressures and pore fluid occupancies. Minimization of Helmholtz free energy for each relevant displacement enables the model to accurately determine the most favorable displacement, and hence, improve its predictive capabilities for relative permeabilities, capillary pressures, and residual saturations. The results indicate that absence of oil cusps and the previously used geometric criterion for the collapse of oil layers could yield lower residual oil saturations than the experimentally measured values in two- and three-phase systems.     

An optimal analysis for Darcy–Forchheimer 3D flow of nanofluid with convective condition and homogeneous–heterogeneous reactions

Here Darcy–Forchheimer 3D stretching flow of nanoliquid in the presence of convective condition and homogeneous–heterogeneous reactions is analyzed. Impacts of thermophoresis, Brownian diffusion and zero nanoparticles mass flux condition are considered. Adequate transformation procedure give rise to system in terms of ordinary differential equations. The governing mathematical system has been tackled by optimal homotopic technique. Graphical results have been presented for temperature and concentration dsitributions. Numerical benchmark is provided to study the values of skin friction coefficients and local Nusselt number. Skin friction coefficients are declared increasing functions of porosity and Forchheimer parameters. Furthermore the local Nusselt number is reduced for larger values of porosity and Forchheimer parameters.     

An unexpected property of quadrilaterals*

These notes discuss several related propositions in geometry that can be explored in a dynamic geometry environment. The propositions involve an unexpected property of quadrilaterals.     

Constructive struggle in geometry classrooms

The purpose of these notes is to provide examples of large-scale geometry problems that have the potential to promote constructive struggling in high-school geometry classrooms. These problems are suitable for being explored in a dynamic geometry environment. The notes also contain brief sketches of solutions to the two problems.     

An interesting property of hexagons

These notes discuss several related problems in geometry that can be explored in a dynamic geometry environment. The problems involve an interesting property of hexagons.     

A 1.8 V 828 μW 80 dB digital MEMS microphone

A single-package digital MEMS Capacitive Microphone (MCM) system is presented. The system consists of a MCM, which is wire-bonded with its readout interface (RI). The MCM sensor is fabricated using a combination of surface and bulk micromachining, employing diaphragm-stiffening to achieve piston-like diaphragm-movement and attaining required sensitivity with a smaller diaphragm-area. The RI is designed in 0.35 μm CMOS and it consists of a preamplifier (PAMP), a sigma-delta modulator (SDM), integrated biasing and digital control, converting the MCM capacitive variations into a single-bit over-sampled digital bitstream. The PAMP employs a two-terminal bootstrapped source-follower buffer to make the readout insensitive to the MCM parasitics, subsequently feeding a third-order single-loop single-bit modulator running at 2.5 MHz. The electrical measurements of the standalone RI demonstrate 55 dB A-weighted @ 1 Pa SNDR at the analog PAMP output and 80 dB A-weighted dynamic-range at the digital output, which corresponds to a conversion range from 40 to 120 dB SPL. The SNDR for acoustic measurements is 33 dB A-weighted @ 1 Pa, limited by the higher MCM thermal noise floor and reduced sensitivity (−53 dB V @ 1 Pa). The frequency characterization of the system for the complete audio-band demonstrates the effect of the system package towards higher frequencies (>9 kHz), giving rise to Helmholtz resonance, and reduction in sensitivity for low-frequencies (<400 Hz) because of acoustic short-circuiting inside the MCM due to flow-by slots. The complete system consumes 460 μA of total current for a 1.8 V single-supply. The total system dimensions are 4.5 × 2 mm² (excluding the package), demonstrating the viability of a low-area, low-power and high dynamic-range implementation of digital MCM.     

Wireless Dosimeter: System-on-Chip Versus System-in-Package for Biomedical and Space Applications

A new floating-gate (FG) MOSFET based wireless dosimeter system-in-package (SiP) is presented. This miniature and completely integrated wireless dosimeter SiP comprises a CMOS FG radiation sensor and transmitter (TX) in a low-temperature co-fired ceramic (LTCC) package. The design is very well suited to wireless transmission of radiation sensor data in radiotherapy and to Extra Vehicular Activity Radiation Monitoring (EVARM) in space. Two different solutions, namely system-on-chip (SoC) and SiP, are demonstrated. In the SoC, which is size and power efficient, the TX includes an on-chip loop antenna which also acts as the inductor for the VCO resonant tank circuit. The SiP solution has an LTCC antenna with optimized impedance to conjugate match the TX chip. The radiation sensor demonstrates a measured sensitivity of 5 mV/rad. The SoC module size is only 2 ${hbox {mm}}^{2}$, consumes 5.3 mW of power and delivers $-$0.9 dBm of radiated power, sufficient to communicate with a low noise receiver connected to an off-chip patch antenna placed 1.38 m away. The SiP design provides a larger communication range of 75 m at the cost of additional power consumption and size.      

A generic low-noise CMOS readout interface for 64?×?64 imaging array with on-chip ADC

This paper presents a low-noise and high dynamic-range CMOS readout-IC (ROIC) for a 64?×?64 array of opto-electrical sensors. The readout chain comprises a pixel preamplifier array, correlated-double-sampling based switched-capacitor gain blocks, class-AB output buffer for driving off-chip loads and a 12-bit pipeline ADC for on-chip digitization. The pixel preamplifiers array, occupying an area of 30???m?×?30???m per pixel, can either be hybridized to a separate IR or UV sensor or can be used as monolithic visible-light active CMOS pixel-array after exposing (by etching the pad) the embedded photodiode under the bonding pads. The ROIC is designed and fabricated in 0.25???m 1P/5?M CMOS technology with 5?mm?×?5?mm of total dimensions. The integrated readout chain, in integrate-then-read mode, demonstrates a dynamic range of 72?dB for electrically emulated sensor currents from 25?pA to 100?nA. It can support a frame rate of 700?fps, with single fully-differential analog as well as 12-bit digital output, at 10?MHz while consuming 17?mW with on-chip biases.