On the existence of ‘glycine barium nitrate potassium nitrate’ crystal

It is proved that a so called novel nonlinear optical glycine barium nitrate potassium nitrate single crystal grown by slow evaporation solution growth technique by Ravishankar et al. (Optik, 2013) is actually the well-known γ-glycine crystal.     

Discrete filter operators for large‐eddy simulation using high‐order spectral difference methods

The combination of a high‐order unstructured spectral difference (SD) spatial discretization scheme with sub‐grid scale (SGS) modeling for large‐eddy simulation is investigated with particular focus on the consistent implementation of a structural mixed model based on the scale similarity hypothesis. The difficult task of deriving a consistent formulation for the discrete filter within the SD element of arbitrary order led to the development of a new class of three‐dimensional constrained discrete filters. The discrete filters satisfy a set of selected criteria and are completely local within the SD element. Their weights can be automatically computed at run time from the number of solution points within each element and the expected filter cutoff length scale. The novel discrete filters can be applied to any SGS model involving explicit filtering and to a broad class of high‐order discontinuous finite element numerical schemes. The code is applied to the computation of turbulent channel flows at three Reynolds numbers, namely Re_τ = 180, 395, and 590 (based on the friction velocity u_τ and channel half‐width δ). Results from computations with and without the SGS model are compared against results from direct numerical simulation. The numerical experiments suggest that the results are sensitive to the use of the SGS model, even when a high‐order numerical scheme is used, especially when the grid resolution is kept relatively low and mostly in terms of resolved Reynolds stresses. Results obtained using existing filters based on the projection of the solution over lower‐order polynomial bases are also shown and demonstrate that these filters are inadequate for SGS modeling purposes, mostly because of their inability to enforce the selected cutoff length scale with sufficient accuracy. The use of the similarity mixed formulation proved to be particularly accurate in reproducing SGS interactions, confirming that its well‐known potential can be realized in conjunction with state‐of‐the‐art high‐order numerical schemes.Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Quartz Crystal Microbalance Biosensor for Saxitoxin Based on Immobilized Sodium Channel Receptors

This work explored the possibility of coupling the toxin receptor-binding principle with the piezoelectric transduction principle. The sensing component of the saxitoxin biosensor involves a piezoelectric quartz crystal that was coated with sodium channel receptors. The sodium channel receptors were isolated from the electroplax organ of Electrophorus electricus. Binding of the sodium channel extracts to the quartz crystal was facilitated by pre-coating the gold electrode with a hydrophobic self-assembled monolayer of dodecanethiol. The instrumentation system consisted of a flow cell that held the quartz crystal, an oscillator circuit, an injection port, and a frequency counter that was connected to a personal computer. The various immobilization and measurement parameters were optimized. Binding of saxitoxin standards with the immobilized sodium channels was monitored through the decrease in the crystal oscillation frequency readings (ΔF) upon the introduction of saxitoxin into the flow cell. A calibration curve for saxitoxin was constructed by plotting the ΔF values vs. saxitoxin concentrations in the range from 0.1 to 2.0 μg/mL. A correlation coefficient of 0.9653 was obtained. The saxitoxin biosensor developed has the potential to be applied to the rapid screening of total paralytic shellfish poisoning toxins.     

Synthetic studies towards zetekitoxin AB: preparation of 4,5-epi-11-hydroxy-saxitoxinol

A concise synthesis of 4,5-epi-11-hydroxy-saxitoxinol utilizing d-ribose to direct an asymmetric Mannich reaction. This approach allows many modes of reactivity, which can be used to access various analogs of saxitoxin.     

High Tc superconductors with different Cu2+/Cu3+ ratios in the Y–Ba–Cu–O system

Studies on different phases in the Y-Ba-Cu-O system have revealed that T_C around 90 K is obtainable with different Cu /Cu ratios provided the correct oxygen proportion is maintained.     

Synthesis and Structure Determination of SCM-15: A 3D Large Pore Zeolite with Interconnected Straight 12×12×10-Ring Channels

A new germanosilicate zeolite named SCM-15 (Sinopec Composite Material No. 15), the first zeolite containing a 3-dimensional (3D) channel system with interconnected 12-, 12-, and 10-ring channels (pore sizes: 6.1×7.2, 6.1×7.4, and 5.2×5.9 Å), has been synthesized using neutral 4-pyrrolidinopyridine as organic structure-directing agents (OSDAs). Its structure has been determined by combining single-crystal electron diffraction (SCED) and synchrotron powder X-ray diffraction (SPXD) data. The unique open framework structure of SCM-15 is related to that of FOS-5 ( BEC ), ITQ-7 ( ISV ), PKU-16 ( POS ), ITQ-26 ( IWS ), ITQ-21, Beta polymorph B, and SU-78B, since all these framework structures can be constructed from similar chains which are connected through shared 4-ring or double 4-ring (d4r) units. Based on this relation, six topologically reasonable 3D large or extra-large pore hypothetical zeolites are predicted.     

Evaluation of a Novel Dechlorination Reaction as an Analytically Useful Derivatization Reaction Part 1. Stoichiometry,Mechanism and Yield Optimization

Abstract

A novel reaction for the dechlorination of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) as well as most other chlorinated aromatic and aliphatic compounds is evaluated and discussed in terms of its potential for analytical purposes. The active dechlorinating agent is prepared through the reaction of molten sodium or potassium with polyethylene glycols (MW >200), in the absence of oxygen, to form the corresponding alkali metal glycolate, a powerful nucleophilic agent. Special emphasis is given to the mechanistic aspects of the reaction and their importance in terms of achieving high and reproducible yields with analytical quantities of substrate, in short periods of time. The contribution of the techniques: ESR, NMR, IR, UV, MS, GC-ECD, LC-EC, CIDNP-NMR, conductimetry and chloride analysis (amperometric) in elucidating the reaction mechanism and providing valuable kinetic data is illustrated. This reaction can potentially be applied to the determination of PCBs in waste oils.     

Ultraviolet Photoelectron Spectra of Potassium Dosed Higher Fullerenes

Abstract

Ultraviolet photoelectron spectra of potassium dosed higher fullerenes are measured with a synchrotron radiation light source. Potassium dosing to higher fullerenes brings a new structure between the spectral onset of pristine fullerenes and the Fermi level. As the spectral edge of the new structure does not cross the Fermi level, potassium dosed higher fullerenes are not metallic but semiconductive. When the potassium is excessively dosed to the fullerenes, the lower binding energy structures above 5 eV become faint. In contrast to this phenomenon, four distinct structures appear between 5 and 14 eV.     

Simulating ion clustering in potassium thiocyanate aqueous solutions with various ion-water models

Using a molecular dynamics simulation technique,we compared several commonly used ion-water models to describe the microscopic structures and dynamics in KSCN aqueous solutions.Results are compared with observations of femtosecond infrared vibrational-energy transfer and anisotropy measurements.The Jorgensen/TIP4P model is found to provide the best reproduction of clustering properties such as percentage of clustered ions,cluster-size distribution,concentration dependence of the water,and ion-rotation time constants.