Microstructure and mechanical characteristics of nanodiamond-SiC compacts

Superhard nanodiamond-SiC ceramics are prepared by infiltrating liquid Si into porous nanodiamond compacts under pressure. Synthesized samples are 2.2 mm thick and 3–4 mm in diameter. The effect of particle size of dynamically synthesized nanodiamond powders on silicon infiltration and SiC phase formation is studied. It is established that silicon does not penetrate into the pores of nanodiamond powders if the original particle size is smaller than 0.5–1.0 μm. The critical pore size for infiltration is 100–200 nm. A study of the microstructure of the samples showed the presence of the nanometer-and submicron-scale SiC phase. The ultrasound velocities are measured in the prepared compacts, and the elastic moduli are calculated. __________ Translated from Fizika Tverdogo Tela, Vol. 46, No. 4, 2004, pp. 734–736. Original Russian Text Copyright ? 2004 by Ekimov, Gromnitskaya, Mazalov, Pal’, Pichugin, Gierlotka, Palosz, Kozubowski.     

Experimental and Computational Study of the Thermal Decomposition of 3‐Methyl‐3‐buten‐1‐ol in m‐Xylene Solution

An experimental study of the thermal decomposition of a β‐hydroxy alkene, 3‐methyl‐3‐buten‐1‐ol, in m‐xylene solution, has been carried out at five different temperatures in the range of 513.15–563.15 K. The temperature dependence of the rate constants for the decomposition of this compound in the corresponding Arrhenius equation is given by ln k (s^?1) = (25.65 ± 1.52) ? (17,944 ± 814) (kJ·mol^?1)·T^?1. A computational study has been carried out at the M05–2X/6–31+G(d,p) level of theory to calculate the rate constants and the activation parameters by the classical transition state theory. There is a good agreement between the experimental and calculated rate constants and activation Gibbs energies. The bonding characteristics of reactant, transition state, and products have been investigated by the natural bond orbital analysis, which provides the natural atomic charges and the Wiberg bond indices. Based on the results obtained, the mechanism proposed is a one‐step process proceeding through a six‐membered cyclic transition state, being a concerted and slightly asynchronous process. The results have been compared with those obtained previously by us (Struct Chem 2013, 24, 1811–1816) for the thermal decomposition of 3‐buten‐1‐ol, in m‐xylene solution. We can conclude that in the compound studied in this work, 3‐methyl‐3‐buten‐1‐ol, the effect of substitution at position 3 by a weakly activating CH₃ group is the stabilization of the transition state formed in the reaction and therefore a small increase in the rate of thermal decomposition.     

Structural and Kinetic Aspects of Blood Plasma Protein Adsorption on the Surface of Hydrophobic Polymers

Abstract

Due to the wide use of polymers in medicine, researchers are required to solve a very important problem–to understand the interaction between materials of nonphysiological origin and the surrounding biological liquids, and tissues, particularly blood.     

Univariate Geometric Stable Laws

The paper summarizes recent advances in the theory of geometric stable (GS) distributions. The results presented include parametrizations, characterizations, mixture representations, properties, asymptotic and convergent series expansions of densities and distribution functions, moments and tail behavior, simulation, and estimation.     

Operator geometric stable laws

Operator geometric stable laws are the weak limits of operator normed and centered geometric random sums of independent, identically distributed random vectors. They generalize operator stable laws and geometric stable laws. In this work we characterize operator geometric stable distributions, their divisibility and domains of attraction, and present their application to finance. Operator geometric stable laws are useful for modeling financial portfolios where the cumulative price change vectors are sums of a random number of small random shocks with heavy tails, and each component has a different tail index.     

A simple method for extracting both active oily and water soluble extract (WSE) from Nigella sativa (L.) seeds using a single solvent system

The current study provides a way of extraction for both active NSO and WSE from Nigella sativa seeds using 98% methanol. About 1?kg of ground seeds was macerated by 1:2.5 w/v (g/mL) for 72?hours. After rotary evaporation and 7 days of continuous drying and chilling at 50 and 4?°C, NSO and WSE were obtained at the same instant. Solubility tests of 24 solvents and 11 thin layer chromatographic analyses while 2, 2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl free radical scavenging assay of NSO (73.66) , WSE (33.32) and NSO?+?WSE (78.22) against ascorbic acid (IC50?=?4.28?mg/mL) was performed. WSE was found to be highly soluble in water and 5% NaOH exhibiting the same Rf value of 0.95 for EtOH:DMSO (9:1) against the honey. WSE has revealed more than twofold higher anti-oxidant activity than others. Formulation of WSE with Tualang honey may provide better targeted hydrophilic drug delivery systems.