The production of organic nitrates from atmospheric oxidation of ethers and glycol ethers

The production of organic nitrates from OH reaction (in the presence of NO) with methoxy propane, 1‐methoxy‐2‐propanol, ethoxy butane, and 2‐butoxyethanol was studied. The measured total organic nitrate yields were 1.8 (±0.4)%, 0.98 (±0.2)%, 7.7 (±2)%, and 9.6 (±1)%, respectively. The total organic nitrate yield for methoxypropane is 26% of that (7.0%) for n‐butane. The organic nitrate yield for ethoxy butane is 55% of that (14%) for n‐hexane. The peroxy radicals produced from OH reaction with the methylene groups α to the ether linkage have an organic nitrate branching ratio (k_3b/k₃) value ∼50% of those in analogous n‐alkanes. On the other hand, k_3b/k₃ values for peroxy radical functional groups not adjacent to the ether linkage (in γ and δ positions) are on average 1.7 times greater than for the analogous n‐alkyl peroxy radicals. The organic nitrate formation yield for 1‐methoxy‐2‐propanol is almost half that of methoxy propane, while for 2‐butoxyethanol it is 21% greater than that of butoxyethane. Our data lead us to the conclusion that the ether linkage imparts an inductive effect that decreases the value of k_3b/k₃ for peroxy radicals adjacent to it, yet has a stabilizing effect, from the additional vibrational modes for those peroxy radicals not adjacent to it, increasing their k_3b/k₃ values. The effect of both the  O and OH groups in these molecules and the importance of their position relative to the peroxy group are discussed in this paper. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Chem Kinet 37: 686–699, 2005     

Preconditioned iterative methods for coupled discretizations of fluid flow problems

Computational fluid dynamics, where simulations require largecomputation times, is one of the areas of application of highperformance computing. Schemes such as the SIMPLE (semi-implicitmethod for pressure-linked equations) algorithm are often usedto solve the discrete Navier-Stokes equations. Generally theseschemes take a short time per iteration but require a largenumber of iterations. For simple geometries (or coarser grids)the overall CPU time is small. However, for finer grids or morecomplex geometries the increase in the number of iterationsmay be a drawback and the decoupling of the differential equationsinvolved implies a slow convergence of rotationally dominatedproblems that can be very time consuming for realistic applications.So we analyze here another approach, DIRECTO, that solves theequations in a coupled way. With recent advances in hardwaretechnology and software design, it became possible to solvecoupled Navier-Stokes systems, which are more robust but implyincreasing computational requirements (both in terms of memoryand CPU time). Two approaches are described here (band blockLU factorization and preconditioned GMRES) for the linear solverrequired by the DIRECTO algorithm that solves the fluid flowequations as a coupled system. Comparisons of the effectivenessof incomplete factorization preconditioners applied to the GMRES(generalized minimum residual) method are shown. Some numericalresults are presented showing that it is possible to minimizeconsiderably the CPU time of the coupled approach so that itcan be faster than the decoupled one.     

Preparation, structural analysis and dielectric properties of Bi x La1−x FeO3 perovskite

Rare earth element substituted bismuth ferrites (BiFeO₃) are of enormous importance as magnetoelectric materials. The polycrystalline samples of Bi _x La_1−x FeO₃ (x=0, 0.2, 0.4, 0.6, 0.8) were prepared by solid-state reaction using standard ceramic method. The single-phase formation of these compounds was confirmed by X-ray diffraction (XRD) studies. The samples with x=0, 0.2, 0.4, 0.6 are found to be orthorhombic while the sample with x=0.8 is triclinic. The dielectric constant (ε′) and dissipation factor (tan δ) were measured in the frequency range 100 Hz to 1 MHz at room temperature and as a function of temperature at certain fixed frequencies (1 kHz, 10 kHz, 100 kHz, 1 MHz). All the samples showed dielectric dispersion. The dielectric constant with temperature shows a broad peak; the peak temperature shifts with frequency which reflects the relaxor-type behavior. The peak above 600 K in the measured temperature range corresponds to antiferromagnetic ordering temperature (Néel temperature). The broadness of the peak changes with composition. The ac conductivity as well as ε′ are found to be maximum for the sample x=0.2 at room temperature.     

Halide affinity for the water-air interface in aqueous solutions of mixtures of sodium salts

The water-air interface plays a critical role in many physical and chemical processes of the Earth's atmosphere. In particular, heavy halide ions are strongly involved in processes of fundamental importance in determining the prevalence of many atmospheric components through heterogeneous reactions at the water-air interface. In this work, molecular dynamics simulations are used to study the halide enhancements at the water-air interface in the case of mixtures of Cl(-), Br(-), and I(-) ions. The results show a pattern of enhancement directly correlated to the anion polarizability. This effect is explained in terms of the charge distribution across the slab resembling an electrical double layer. As a result, the anions with higher polarizability lower the system's potential energy by enhancing their presence at the interface.     

Impurity analysis of gentamicin bulk samples by improved liquid chromatography-ion trap mass spectrometry

Several gentamicin bulk samples from different origins were investigated using an LC/MS method.LC equipped with ion trap MS with positive ionization was performed on a Capcell Pak C18(AQ) column with the mobile phase containing 50 mM trifluoroacetic(TFA) and methanol.Impurities present in batches of gentamicin bulk samples were elucidated and compared according to their fragmentation behavior.In total seventeen impurities present in samples,five impurities were not elucidated and two compounds were identifi...     

Dark Energy： Relating the Evolutions of the Universe from the Past to the Future

Using the evolution history of the universe, one can make constraint on the parameter space of dynamic dark energy models. We discuss two different parameterized dark energy models. Our results further restrict the combined constraints obtained from supernova and the first-year Wilkinson-microwave-anisotropy-probe observations. From the allowed parameter space, it is found that our universe will experience an eternal acceleration. We also estimate the bound on the physically relevant regions both in the re-inflationary and inflationary phases.