Synthesis, characterization, and photocatalytic properties of surface-modified, silver-doped ZnO

Hydrothermal synthesis of silver-doped modified ZnO was carried out in the presence of a surface modifier. The experimental conditions were maintained constant (ZnO = 4 M; T = 250 °C; P = autogenous; Solvent = 1 N HCl; Duration = 24 h). Caprylic acid was used as a surface modifier with varying concentration from 0.1 to 2 mL. The experiments were carried out with Ag doping from 1 to 5 wt%. Hydrophobic silver-doped ZnO modified with caprylic acid was subjected to a systematic characterization using powder XRD, SEM, FTIR, and photocatalytic properties using Indigo Carmine dye.     

Nonlinear dispersion in a coupled-resonator optical waveguide

The propagation of an optical pulse in a coupled-resonator optical waveguide may be calculated nonperturbatively to all orders of dispersion, in the conventional tight-binding approximation, even though the dispersion relationship is nonlinear. Working in this framework, we discuss limits of the physical parameters and approximations to the exact formulation that highlight the conditions under which pulse distortion can be minimized. The results are fundamental to the design of coupled-resonator optical waveguides and are also relevant to other applications of the tight-binding method.     

Dispersion characteristics of coupled-resonator optical waveguides

A tight-binding optical waveguide formed by proximity coupling of nearest-neighbor resonators, e.g., a coupled-resonator optical waveguide (CROW), has distinct wave and pulse propagation characteristics compared with a conventional waveguide, and several applications in photonic devices have been proposed recently. But analysis of the dispersion, and in particular the group-velocity dispersion, in such a waveguide requires particular attention: the waveguide displays two distinct regimes of operation, depending on the position of the wave packet in the dispersion relationship.     

Analysis of BiCMOS buffer for input voltages with finite rise time

A BiCMOS digital logic gate is analyzed for input voltages with a finite rise or fall time. A new gate delay model to account for the input slope is developed. A set of accurate yet simple closed-form delay expressions are derived for the first time in terms of the input signal slew rate as well as circuit and device parameters. SPICE simulations are used to verify the accuracy of the analytical delay model. The BiCMOS circuit is characterized in terms of the input slew rate, the fan-in, fan-out, and the circuit delay constants. The model can be incorporated in timing simulators and timing analyzers for BiCMOS ULSI circuit design     

Oxidative decolorization of indigo caramine dye with chloramine-T catalyzed by cobalt(II)

Decolorization of indigo caramine dye by oxidation process using chloramine-T as oxidant and Co(II) as catalyst in acidic buffer media, pH 5.8 has been kinetically studied at 300 K. Decolorization of indigo caramine dye was followed spectrophotometrically. Decolorization and oxidation led to a decrease in Chemical Oxygen Demand of the dye. The Co(II)-catalyzed reaction shows first-order dependence of the rate on chloramine-T and indigo caramine concentrations. It also shows fractional order dependence on [Co(II)] and [H⁺]. Addition of halide ions or reduction product of chloramine-T toluenesulfonamide, and variation of ionic strength and dielectric constant of the medium do not have any significant effect on the reaction rate. Activation parameters are evaluated from the Arrhenius plot, and a mechanism is proposed for the reaction.     

Effect of gamma irradiation on synthesis and characterization of bio-nanocomposite SF/Ag nanoparticles

This study describes the synthesis of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) using aqueous silk fibroin (SF) solution obtained from Bombyx mori silk under gamma radiation environment. The obtained AgNPs were characterized using UV–visible (UV–Vis) spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD) measurements, dynamic light scattering experiment (DLS) and transmission electron microscope (TEM) images. The UV–Vis absorption spectra of the samples confirmed the formation of AgNPs by showing surface plasmon resonance (SPR) band in the range of (= 428–435?nm. The XRD study revealed metal silver with the face-centered cubic (FCC) crystal structure. DLS measurements showed the dose-dependent average size of the AgNPs. TEM images showed formed AgNPs are nearly spherical in shape with smooth edges. From this study, it was found that the increasing radiation dose increases the rate of reduction and decreases the particle size. The size of the AgNPs can be tuned by controlling the radiation dose.     

Distance-based-decoding of block turbo codes

List-based algorithms for. decoding block turbo Codes (BTC) have gained popularity due to their low computational complexity. The normal way to calculate the soft outputs involves searching for a decision code word D and a competing codeword B. In addition, a scaling factor /spl alpha/ and an estimated reliability value /spl beta/ are used. In this letter, we present a new approach that does not require /spl alpha/ and /spl beta/. Soft outputs are generated based on the Euclidean distance property of decision code words. By using the new algorithm, we achieve better error performance with even less complexity-for certain BTCs.