Surface properties of sol–gel-based fluorine-containing ceramic coatings

In this work, sol–gel-based non-stick ceramic coating formulations were prepared and coated onto aluminum panels in order to investigate their surface properties. The effect of the addition of optimal amount of fluorine-containing silane compound (FAS) on the surface and adhesion properties were also investigated. The morphology, structure, and elemental chemical composition of the coatings were characterized by scanning electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy (AFM), energy dispersion spectrum (SEM/EDAX), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), respectively. Moreover, several properties of the coatings such as cross-cut adhesion, hardness, gloss, and contact angle (CA) were determined. When fluorine was introduced, the pencil hardness was increased to 6H. Fluorinated non-stick ceramic coatings were found to have good adhesion on the aluminum substrates.

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ESR of gamma irradiated single crystals of cholesteryl acetate and cholesteryl chloroformate

Cholesteryl acetate and cholesteryl chloroformate compounds have been irradiated with ⁶⁰Co-γ rays at room temperatures. The irradiated samples have been examined for paramagnetic resonance, and the observed spectra in several cases have been identified with specific radicals. The results in each case have been considered in relation to the present knowledge of the radiation chemistry of the compound. The single crystals have been investigated between 120 and 300?K. The spectra are found to be temperature independent and radiation damage centers are attributed to ?HCH₂ radical for cholesteryl acetate and ?H₃ and ?HCH₂ CH₂ CH₂ radicals for cholesteryl chloroformate.     

The Infrared and Raman Spectra of 4-Phenylpyridine and Its Hofmann Type Complexes.

Abstract

The Infrared and Raman spectra of 4-Phenylpyridine are reported for the first time in the 4000-400cm^?1 range. Vibrational assignments have been made for fundamental modes on the basis of frequency shifts of coordinated legend, infrared and Raman band contours and comparisons with the assignments for related molecules. The infrared spectra of M (4-Phenylpyridine) Ni(CN)₄ complexes (M=Mn, Ni or Cd) are reported. Their structure consists of polymeric layers of [M-Ni(CN)₄]_∞ with the 4-phenylpyridine molecules bound to metal (M), similar to the structure found in Hoffmann type host complexes.     

The Stochastic Encounter-Mating Model

We propose a new model of permanent monogamous pair formation in zoological populations with multiple types of females and males. According to this model, animals randomly encounter members of the opposite sex at their so-called firing times to form temporary pairs which then become permanent if mating happens. Given the distributions of the firing times and the mating preferences upon encounter, we analyze the contingency table of permanent pair types in three cases: (i) definite mating upon encounter; (ii) Poisson firing times; and (iii) Bernoulli firing times. In the first case, the contingency table has a multiple hypergeometric distribution which implies panmixia. The other two cases generalize the encounter-mating models of Gimelfarb (Am. Nat. 131(6):865–884, 1988) who gives conditions that he conjectures to be sufficient for panmixia. We formulate adaptations of his conditions and prove that they not only characterize panmixia but also allow us to reduce the model to the first case by changing its underlying parameters. Finally, when there are only two types of females and males, we provide a full characterization of panmixia, homogamy and heterogamy.     

Salt-leached microporous membranes for lithium batteries

Ionics - Poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF)/sodium hydrogen carbonate (NaHCO3)-based microporous polymer membranes were prepared by salt leaching. In this study, lithium-trifluoromethane sulfonate...     

Phosphonium Salts of 1,8‐Bis(diphenylphosphino)naphthalene: Molecular Structures and NMR‐spectroscopic Studies

A representative series of diphosphine monophosphonium salts [1‐Ph₂P(C₁₀H₆)‐8‐PRPh₂]⁺X^– ( 2 b : R = H, X = CF₃SO₃; 4 : R = Me, X = CF₃SO₃; 5 : R = C₆H₅CH₂ = Bn, X = Br) has been prepared by treatment of 1,8‐bis(diphenylphosphino)naphthalene (dppn, 1 ) with stoichiometric amounts of HSO₃CF₃ or CH₃SO₃CF₃ in CH₂Cl₂ at +20 °C and with C₆H₅CH₂Br in toluene at +80 °C. Their X‐ray crystal structures show that there is no evidence for dative P → P⁺ interactions. Instead, steric repulsion deflects the substituent groups to opposite faces of the naphthalene plane [splay angles: +11.4° ( 2 b ), +13.6° ( 4 ); +16.7° ( 5 )]. In solution 2 b , 4 , and 5 were dynamic according to ³¹P, ¹³C, and ¹H NMR spectroscopy. The fluxionality of 2 b involves rapid intramolecular proton exchange between the two phosphorus atoms, which slows down at low temperature, whereas the dynamic behaviour of 4 and 5 is interpreted in terms of hindered rotation of the bulky RPh₂P⁺ groups (R = Me or Bn) about the P–C(naphthyl) bond. Treatment of 1,8‐bis(diphenylphosphoryl)naphthalene (dppnO₂, 6 ) with HSO₃CF₃ gave the protonated bis(phosphine oxide), as the triflate salt, dppnO₂H⁺ CF₃SO₃^– ( 7 ). The X‐ray structure analysis of 7 revealed a highly strained molecule (P1…P2 365.5 pm) in which the P=O bonds point to the same face of the naphthalene plane to accommodate the proton. All isolated compounds were characterised by a combination of ³¹P, ¹H, and ¹³C NMR spectroscopy, IR spectroscopy ( 7 ), mass spectrometry and elemental analysis.     

Synthesis and characterization of liquid crystalline unsymmetrically substituted phthalocyanines

The synthesis of unsymmetrically substituted phthalocyanines bearing two p-tolyl-sulfonyl (tosyl)amido and six alkylthio moieties was achieved by cyclotetramerisation of two different phthalonitrile derivatives, namely 1,2-di(alkylthio)-4,5-dicyanobenzene and 4,5-dicyano-N,N′-ditosyl-o-phenylenediamine in the presence of an anhydrous metal salt and strong base. The new compounds were characterized by elemental analyses, UV/Vis, IR, NMR and mass spectra. The mesogenic properties of these new materials were studied by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and polarizing optical microscopy. The mesogenic properties of these compounds were compared to that of their symmetric analogous, octaalkythia substituted phthalocyanine derivatives.     

Complexation behavior of antiestrogen drug tamoxifen citrate with natural and modified β-cyclodextrins

Inclusion complexes of the poorly-soluble antiestrogen drug tamoxifen citrate (TMX) were prepared with β-cyclodextrin (β-CD) and 2,3-di-O-hexanoyl-β-cyclodextrin (β-CDC6) being natural and amphiphilic cyclodextrins, respectively using the co-lyophilization technique. Complexation occurred in aqueous medium for natural cyclodextrin β-CD and a medium of water:ethanol mixture for the amphiphilic cyclodextrin β-CDC6. The complexes were characterized using analytical techniques including Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC), Fourier Transform Infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and proton Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Spectrometry (¹H NMR). Anticancer efficacies of the complexes were determined against MCF-7 human breast carcinoma cell line with MTT assay. It was found that tamoxifen citrate can be incorporated in the cavity for β-CD and both in the cavity and the aliphatic chains for β-CDC6. The latter having two hydrophobic sites for inclusion of water-insoluble drug exhibited significantly higher anticancer efficacy accordingly.     

Development and Validation of an HPLC–UV–Vis Method for the Determination of Proparacaine in Human Aqueous Humour

A sensitive high performance liquid chromatographic method has been developed and validated for the determination of proparacaine in human aqueous humour. The procedure involved extraction of proparacaine from aqueous humour with cyclohexane. The separation was achieved using a Bondesil C₈ (250 × 4.6 mm i.d., particle size 5 μm) analytical column with a mobile phase consisted of acetonitrile and sodium dihydrogen phosphate (pH 3.0, 20 mM) (30:70, v/v). Proparacaine and lidocaine (internal standard, IS) detection was performed by UV–Vis detector at 220 nm. The retention times for proparacaine and IS were 12.01 and 5.58 min, respectively. HPLC–UV–Vis method was linear in the range of 75–4,000 ng mL⁻¹. The limit of detection (LOD) was 25 ng mL⁻¹ and the limit of quantification (LOQ) of proparacaine was found to be 75 ng mL⁻¹ (RSD ≤ 15%, n = 6). In intra- and inter-day precision and accuracy analysis, the relative standard deviation was found to be in the range of 0.96 and 7.98%, the bias values were 0.64 and 3.33%. Recovery of proparacaine from human aqueous humour was 99.98% at 500 ng mL⁻¹. Proparacaine solutions were stable at least 6 months at +4 and −20 °C. Proparacaine levels of aqueous humour in fifteen volunteers’ were in the range of 80.21 and 459.00 ng mL⁻¹. According to system suitability tests and Shewhart’s quality control charts the proparacaine responses were in the acceptance ranges. Developed method was providing a sufficient quality at least over 3 months for determination of proparacaine in human aqueous humour.