Conductivity and Dielectric Behavior Studies of Carboxymethyl Cellulose from Kenaf Bast Fiber Incorporated with Ammonium Acetate-BMATFSI Biopolymer Electrolytes

This work was undertaken to study the conductivity and dielectric behavior of a biopolymer electrolyte based on carboxymethyl cellulose that was synthesized from kenaf fiber. Biopolymer electrolytes comprised of various weight percentage ratios of the host polymer, ammonium acetate salt, and butyl-trimethyl ammonium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide ionic liquid were prepared by the solution casting technique. The conductivity values were determined by impedance spectroscopy. The highest conductivity found was 2.18 × 10^?3 S cm^?1 at ambient temperature for the film incorporated with 20 wt.% salt and 20 wt.% ionic liquid. In order to understand the conductivity behavior, a dielectric study was carried out. The results showed that the system obeys the Arrhenius rule and confirmed non-Debye behavior in the sample.     

New insight into experimental and theoretical mechanistic study on a green synthesis of functionalized 4H-chromenes using magnetic nanoparticle catalyst

A green synthesis of functionalized 4H-chromenes using one-pot, three-component reaction of salicylaldehyde ( 1 ), active methylene ( 2 ), and carbon-based nucleophile ( 3 ) using Fe₃O₄@CONa nanoparticles in water has been performed at 60°C. The Fe₃O₄@CONa nanoparticle as an efficient, green, and magnetically reusable heterogeneous catalyst was applied in these reactions up to the nine runs. Green catalyst and solvent, short reaction time, high product yields, as well as simple work-up procedure were found as some advantages of this methodology. The density functional theory calculations were applied to all-inclusive perception of the one-pot, three-component reaction mechanism. The most reactions progressed through the following route: (a) nucleophilic addition of 2 to 1 ; (b) ring closing, dehydration; (c) nucleophilic substitution of 3 (2-naphtol, 4-hydroxycumarin) to intermediate. Sometimes mechanism mutated to: (a) nucleophilic addition of 3 (indole, 2-methylindole) to 1 , and dehydration; (b) nucleophilic addition of 2 to intermediate; and (c) ring closing, and dehydration. The frontier molecular orbitals, NBO analyses, molecular electrostatic potential of reactants, and intermediates confirmed the proposal mechanisms. Theoretical study could be so helpful to pick out suitable reactants of the reaction.     

石墨烯过渡层对金属/SiC接触肖特基势垒调控的第一性原理研究

由于SiC禁带宽度大,在金属/SiC接触界面难以形成较低的势垒,制备良好的欧姆接触是目前SiC器件研制中的关键技术难题,因此,研究如何降低金属/SiC接触界面的肖特基势垒高度(SBH)非常重要.本文基于密度泛函理论的第一性原理赝势平面波方法,结合平均静电势和局域态密度计算方法,研究了石墨烯作为过渡层对不同金属(Ag,Ti,Cu,Pd,Ni,Pt)/SiC接触的SBH的影响.计算结果表明,单层石墨烯可使金属/SiC接触的SBH降低;当石墨烯为2层时,SBH进一步降低且Ni,Ti接触体系的SBH呈现负值,说明接触界面形成了良好的欧姆接触;当石墨烯层数继续增加,SBH不再有明显变化.通过分析接触界面的差分电荷密度以及局域态密度,SBH降低的机理可能主要是石墨烯C原子饱和了SiC表面的悬挂键并降低了金属诱生能隙态对界面的影响,并且接触界面的石墨烯及其与金属相互作用形成的混合相具有较低的功函数.此外,SiC/石墨烯界面形成的电偶极层也可能有助于势垒降低.     

Towards the Automatic Study of the Vocal Tract From Magnetic Resonance Images

Over the last few decades, researchers have been investigating the mechanisms involved in speech production. Image analysis can be a valuable aid in the understanding of the morphology of the vocal tract. The application of magnetic resonance imaging to study these mechanisms has been proven to be reliable and safe. We have applied deformable models in magnetic resonance images to conduct an automatic study of the vocal tract; mainly, to evaluate the shape of the vocal tract in the articulation of some European Portuguese sounds, and then to successfully automatically segment the vocal tract's shape in new images. Thus, a point distribution model has been built from a set of magnetic resonance images acquired during artificially sustained articulations of 21 sounds, which successfully extracts the main characteristics of the movements of the vocal tract. The combination of that statistical shape model with the gray levels of its points is subsequently used to build active shape models and active appearance models. Those models have then been used to segment the modeled vocal tract into new images in a successful and automatic manner. The computational models have thus been revealed to be useful for the specific area of speech simulation and rehabilitation, namely to simulate and recognize the compensatory movements of the articulators during speech production.     

Theoretical study on the solvent effect of the nitrosyl cation (NO+) generating reaction

Nitrosyl cation (NO⁺) generating reaction HONO + H⁺ → NO⁺ + H₂O has been theoretically investigated by B3LYP and high‐electron‐correlation QCISD methods with 6‐31G (d,p) basis set. The solvent effects on the geometries, reaction path properties, energies, thermodynamic, and kinetic characters in four solvents (benzene, tetrahydrofuran, acetonitrile, and water) have been calculated using self‐consistent reaction field (SCRF) approach with the polarizable continuum model (PCM). The results show that the activation energy barriers and the relative energies of the products are decreased with increase of the polarities of the solvents, and the reaction is favored in polar solvents thermodynamically and kinetically. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Quantum Chem, 2011     

Theoretical studies on the transport property of oligosilane with p‐n junction

The electron transport properties of a novel p‐n junction nanowire caused by boron‐doping and phosphorus‐doping are investigated using density functional theory combined with the nonequilibrium Green's functions formalism. A satisfying rectification is observed. This is a reasonable result after the analysis of the molecular‐projected self‐consistent Hamitonian (MPSH) states, transmission spectra, the frontier orbitals, and the dipole moments. In contrast, the undoped chain has no rectification character. In addition, a negative differential resistance behavior is also observed at V = 1.8 ～ 2.2 V in the doped nanowire and it could be illustrated from the MPSH states and the transmission spectra. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Quantum Chem, 2011     

Validated liquid chromatography mass spectrometry method for quantitative determination of strictosamide in dog plasma and its application to pharmacokinetic study

A simple, sensitive and specific high‐performance liquid chromatography mass spectrometry (LC‐MS) method was developed and validated for the quantification of strictosamide in dog plasma. Strictosamide and internal standard (IS, ranolazine) extracted by liquid–liquid extraction with ethyl acetate were separated on a C₁₈ column using a gradient elution program. The detection was performed by selected ion monitoring mode via a positive electrospray ionization interface. The LLOQ was 1.0 ng/mL and the method exhibited acceptable precision, extraction efficiency and matrix effect. Finally, this proposed method was successfully applied to dog pharmacokinetic study and yielded the most comprehensive data on systemic exposure of strictosamide to date. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Nickel(II) tri-tert-butoxysilanethiolates with N-heterocyclic bases as additional ligands: Synthesis, molecular structure and spectral studies

Three heteroleptic, neutral nickel(II) tri-tert-butoxysilanethiolates with monodentate heterocyclic bases (pyridine, 2-methylpyridine and 3,5-dimethylpyridine) serving as additional ligands have been prepared following the same synthetic procedure. The complexes were characterized by single crystal X-ray structure determination and elemental analysis. For complexes 1 and 2, FT-IR and UV-Vis spectroscopy have been additionally recorded.Three different coordination motifs have been observed in these complexes. Molecules building tetragonal crystals of [Ni{SSi(O^tBu)₃}₂(C₅H₅N)] (1) feature Ni(II) coordinated by two S,O-chelating tri-tert-butoxysilanethiolato residues and one N atom of pyridine in a strongly distorted trigonal bipyramidal environment. The complex [Ni{SSi(O^tBu)₃}₂(C₆H₇N)₂] (2) forms triclinic crystals and its core atoms adopt a planar geometry with Ni(II) in the middle of the N₂S₂ plane. Molecules of complex [Ni{SSi(O^tBu)₃}₂(C₇H₉N)₂(H₂O)] (3) form orthorhombic crystals with penta-coordinated Ni(II) in a distorted tetragonal pyramidal NiN₂OS₂ environment. Complex 2 roughly mimics one of the two metal centers in the active site of the ACS/CODH enzyme.     

A DFT study of H-isomerisation in alkoxy-, alkylperoxy- and alkyl radicals: Some implications for radical chain reactions in polymer systems

Intramolecular 1-n H-shift (n = 2, 3… 7) reactions in alkoxy, alkyl and peroxy radicals were studied by density functional theory (DFT) at the B3LYP/6-311+G∗∗ level and compared with respective intermolecular H-transfers. It was found that starting from 1 to 3 H-shift the barrier heights stepwise decrease with increasing n reaching minimum for 1-5 and 1-6 H-shifts. This dependence can be ascribed to the decrease of the strain with increasing transition state (TS) ring size, which is minimal in six- and seven-member rings. The barrier heights of H-shifts in alkyl radicals are systematically larger than those in alkoxy radicals: the respective activation energies (E_a) of 1-5 and 1-6 H-shifts are about 59-67 kJ/mol for alkyl radical and 21-34 kJ/mol for alkoxy radicals. Further increase of the TS ring size in 1-7 H-shifts leads to the increase of the barrier to 44 kJ/mol in the hexyloxy radical and 84 kJ/mol for n-heptyl radical. We have also found that intermolecular H-transfer reactions in all three types of free radicals have smaller barriers than respective intramolecular 1-5 or 1-6 H-shifts by 4-25 kJ/mol. The mentioned difference can be explained in terms of enhanced nonbonding repulsion interaction in the cyclic TS structures compared to respective intermolecular TS. B3LYP/6-311+G∗∗ geometric parameters and imaginary frequencies for 1-n H-shifts TS are consistent with respective calculated barrier heights. Reactivity of some other radicals compared to alkoxy, peroxy and alkyl radicals as well as other factors influencing their reactivity (π-conjugation, steric effect and ring strain in cyclic TS, etc.) are also briefly discussed in relation to free radical reactions in polymer systems.