Study of structural,electromagnetic and dielectric properties of cadmium substituted Ni–Zn nanosized ferrites

Sol-gel auto-combustion method was adopted to prepare Cd²⁺ ions substituted Ni–Zn nanosized ferrites having a chemical formula Ni_0.5Zn_0.5-xCd_xFe₂O₄ (0.0 $\le x\le 0.4)$. Their structural, electromagnetic, and dielectric properties were investigated by using XRD, FE-SEM, EDS, FTIR, VSM, and IS. The XRD analysis revealed a single-phase cubic structure of all samples. The addition of cadmium increased the lattice constant and cell volume of Ni–Zn ferrite due to the difference in the ionic radii between Cadmium (0.97 ?Å) and Zinc (0.74 ?Å). FESEM images showed irregularly shaped grain sizes in the range of 40 to 73 ?nm with random orientations and some agglomeration. The FTIR analysis also confirmed the presence of spinal ferrite phase functional groups in all samples. The saturation magnetization decreased (from 89.51 to 71.32 emu/g) with increasing cadmium content. However, the remanent magnetization and coercivity parameters increased with an increase in cadmium content. The dc resistivity as a function of the temperature of all samples was investigated, and the activation energies were found to be in the range of 0.48 to 0.51 ?eV. The dielectric loss decreased with increasing cadmium content. However, the dielectric constant and dielectric loss tangent (tan) varied non-monotonically with increased cadmium content.     

Polarographic determination of deltamethrin

The electrochemical characteristics of deltamethrin have been determined by means of electrochemical techniques such as d.c. polarography, cyclic voltammetry and differential pulse polarography over a wide range of pH from 2.0-12.0. The title compound exhibits a single well defined peak due to the reduction of the CC moiety present in deltamethrin. The overall reduction process is diffusion-controlled and adsorption free in nature. The variation of half-wave potential with the pH, concentration of the title compound, and other experimental conditions is described. A possible mechanism for the reduction is suggested. The number of electrons involved in the electrode reduction is two. Investigation was also undertaken for the determination of deltamethrin in vegetables and in storage bags of rice and wheat under FCI's storage system.     

Long-term acid resistance and selectivity of NF membranes in very acidic conditions

The aim of the study was to test commercial and experimental NF membranes for their separation efficiency and acid resistance in a long-term filtration experiment. Several NF membranes (NF 270, Desal-5 DK, Desal KH, BPT-NF-1 and BPT-NF-2) were tested for their separation efficiency and stability when a solution containing 25 g/L CuSO₄ and 8 wt.% H₂SO₄ was continuously filtered at 40 °C for 2 months. Filtration experiments were carried out with a new five-cell flat-sheet laboratory apparatus. Commercial NF membranes showed good selectivity, retaining most of the copper sulphate and letting most of the sulphuric acid pass into the permeate. However, only the membranes designed to be acid resistant (Desal KH and BPT-NF-2) maintained their separation efficiency during the 2 months of separation. The Desal KH membrane gave better copper retention values (92–95%) than the BPT-NF-2 (60–88%), but the overall selectivity was best with the BPT-NF-2 membrane due to its good sulphuric acid permeation.     

Differential pulse polarographic determination of procymidone in formulations and wine

The dicarboximide fungicide procymidone was studied systematically by using direct current polarography, cyclic voltammetry, differential pulse polarography (DPP), controlled potential electrolysis, and millicoulometry in the universal buffer medium with dimethylformamide as the solvent. Procymidone exhibited a single well-defined polarographic wave in the pH range 2.0-6.0, leading to the formation of the hydroxy compound. The overall reduction process was diffusion-controlled and adsorption-free. The variation of half-wave potential with pH, the concentration of the analyte, and other experimental conditions are described. The reduction mechanism proposed is an overall 4-electron process, in which the dicarboximide group is reduced. DPP was used to determine procymidone in agricultural formulations and wine at the optimum conditions found; a detection limit of 2.4 x 10(-9) M was estimated. The results obtained by the proposed method were also compared with those obtained by other methods.     

Catalytic application of K2Ce(PO4)2 in Knoevenagel condensation -A green protocol

A framework connected phosphate material K₂Ce(PO₄)₂, explored for the first time for the Knoevenagel condensation of aldehydes with malononitrile in water. The catalyst was prepared by newly developed solid-state method and characterized using XRD, RAMAN, FTIR, BET surface area, TPD, XPS, SEM and HRTEM. The developed protocol showed the substrate compatibility along with the catalyst reusability. Moreover, the catalyst was scaled up to 30 g and also showed reusability. The role of predominant Ce(IV) species was also discussed apart from phosphate basic sites.     

Structural and electrical properties of Ca doped BiFeO3 multiferroic nanomaterials prepared by sol-gel auto-combustion method

Sol-gel auto combustion method was adopted for the synthesis of Bi_1-xCa_xFeO₃ (x = 0.00, 0.05, 0.1, 0.15, 0.2 and 0.25) multiferroic nanoparticles and their structural and electric properties were investigated. The two peaks at (012) and (110) planes at diffracting angles (2θ) of 31.9° and 32.1° in the XRD pattern indicates their rhombohedral structure with the R3c space group. The cole-cole plot in the 10 Hz–1 MHz frequency range shows the increasing semicircles shifting towards higher frequency, indicating increasing grain and grain boundaries.