On the properties of surfactant aqueous solutions

Summary From studies of aqueous solutions of dodecylammoniumnitrate an association mechanism has been proposed involving multiequilibrium. In the concentration range considered we can differentiate between two aspects: ranges of marked qualitative and quantitative changes and formation of differently structured surfactant species.

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Zusammenfassung Aus der Untersuchung wäßriger Lösungen von Dodecylammoniumnitrat würde ein Assoziationsmechanismus abgeleitet, welcher ein Multiequilibrium beinhaltet. Im untersuchten Konzentrationsbereich können zwei Bereiche unterschieden werden: Bereiche mit ausgeprägten qualitativen und quantitativen Änderungen und Bereiche mit der Bildung von verschieden strukturierten oberflächenaktiven Spezies.

     

Investigation of isothermal bulk polymerization ofo-alkyaryl methacrylates by DSC

The kinetics of the AIBN-initiated free radical bulk polymerization of fiveo-alkylphenyl methacrylates was studied by means of DSC in the temperature range 353–373 K, and the enthalpy of polymerization, the overall reaction rate constant and the activation energy were determined. The results were compared with those published recently on correspondingp-alkylaryl methacrylates. All measured reaction rate constants were found to increase with increasing temperature and to decrease with increasingo-alkyl substituent mass and size. It was shown thato-substituents influence the rates of polymerization to a greater extent thanp-substituents. At about 373 K, all differences in rate, most probably resulting from steric hindrance caused by the alkyl groups, disappear in both series, a phenomenon earlier observed for dimethyl phenyl methacrylates.This work was supported by the Ministry of Science of the Republic of Serbia.     

Polarographic determination of stability constants and thermodynamic parameters of lead(II) propanoate and 2-hydroxypropanoate complexes with a computer-controlled system

A computer-controlled electrometric system is described. It is used for d.c. polarographic determinations of the stability constants of lead(II) propanoate and 2-hydroxypropanoate complexes at four temperatures. From the values of the monoligand complex stability constants obtained at different temperatures, standard thermodynamic functions (ΔH_j and ΔS_j) for the first and second steps of complex formation were obtained. Closed-loop interaction between the minicomputer and electrometric instrument was achieved through computer control of the potentiostat, drop-life timer, burette and valve for nitrogen purging. Computer programs are outlined for numerical and statistical evaluation of the experimental data giving E_{$\text{1}\text{2}$}i_d and slope of logarithmic presentation of polarograms, F_o functions and cumulative stability constants, β_j as well as for calculation of the standard thermodynamic functions.     

Distribution of fallout radionuclides through soil surface layer

The distribution of¹³⁷Cs through soil layers has been investigated by field sampling. The investigation deals with¹³⁷Cs concentration found after the Chernobyl accident. The relationship between important soil characteristics, total precipitation and cesium distribution are analyzed. Cesium is strongly sorbed in the top soil layer and its migration downward is limited. Measurements performed over a 3-year period revealed that approximately 20–38 per cent of total¹³⁷Cs is located in the upper soil layer.     

Effect of the spacer length on the association and adsorption behavior of dissymmetric gemini surfactants

A series of dissymmetric gemini surfactants with the general formula [C12H25(CH3)2N(CH2)sN(CH3)2C14H29]Br2 designed as 12-s-14, where s=2, 6, and 10, were synthesized and their physicochemical properties investigated. The effect of spacer length on Krafft temperature, adsorption at the air/solution interface, and association in aqueous solution was studied by tensiometry, conductometry, and cryo-transmission electron microscopy. The Krafft temperature was found to increase linearly with spacer length. In the submicellar concentration range the dissymmetric 12-s-14 surfactants display ion pairing and premicellar association. Adsorption at air/solution interfaces and micellization in aqueous solution are similar to the behavior of their symmetric counterparts and depend strongly on spacer length.     

Counterion binding on mixed anionic/cationic micelles

Measurements of counterion binding in mixtures of surfactant aqueous solutions have been performed to study the structure of the anionic/cationic mixed micelle/solution interface. The mixtures studied were SDS/DDAC and STS/TDPC. The binding of chloride and sodium ions to mixed anionic/cationic micelles was measured using ion-specific electrodes. Counterion binding was found to be strongly dependent on the molar ratio of surfactants present. The mixed micelle/solution interface includes the headgroups of both surfactants and counterions of surfactant in excess. The addition of oppositely charged surfactant caused an increasing dissociation of counterions.     

Orthogonality of the range and the kernel of some elementary operators

We prove the orthogonality of the range and the kernel of an important class of elementary operators with respect to the unitarily invariant norms associated with norm ideals of operators. This class consists of those mappings , , where is the algebra of all bounded Hilbert space operators, and , , , are normal operators, such that , and . Also we establish that this class is, in a certain sense, the widest class for which such an orthogonality result is valid. Some other related results are also given.

     

Smart poly(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate/itaconic acid) hydrogels for biomedical application

pH- and temperature-sensitive hydrogels, based on 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate (HEMA) and itaconic acid (IA) copolymers, were prepared by γ-irradiation and characterized in order to examine their potential use in biomedical applications. The influence of comonomer ratio in these smart copolymers on their morphology, mechanical and thermal properties, biocompatibility and microbe penetration capability was investigated. The mechanical properties of copolymers were investigated using the dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA), while their thermal properties and morphology were examined by thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The morphology, mechanical and thermal properties of these hydrogels were found to be suitable for most requirements of biomedical applications. The in vitro study of P(HEMA/IA) biocompatibility showed no evidence of cell toxicity nor any considerable hemolytic activity. Furthermore, the microbe penetration test showed that neither Staphylococcus aureus nor Escherichia coli passed through the hydogel dressing; thus the P(HEMA/IA) dressing could be considered a good barrier against microbes. All results indicate that stimuli-responsive P(HEMA/IA) hydrogels have great potential for biomedical applications, especially for skin treatment and wound dressings.     

An integer linear formulation for the file transfer scheduling problem

In this paper, we propose a new integer linear programming (ILP) formulation for solving a file transfer scheduling problem (FTSP), which is to minimize the overall time needed to transfer all files to their destinations for a given collection of various sized files in a computer network. Each computer in this network has a limited number of communication ports. The described problem is proved to be NP-hard in a general case. Our formulation enables solving the problem by standard ILP solvers like CPLEX or Gurobi. To prove the validity of the proposed ILP formulation, two new reformulations of FTSP are presented. The results obtained by CPLEX and Gurobi solvers, based on this formulation, are presented and discussed.