Graphene sheet-encased silica/sulfur composite cathode for improved cyclability of lithium-sulfur batteries

Journal of Solid State Electrochemistry - The “shuttle effect” of polysulfides is a serious issue, resulting in a decrease in the life-cycle of lithium-sulfur (Li-S) batteries. To...     

Precise chelatometric titrations of zinc, cadmium, and lead with molecular spectroscopy.

Spectral data during a chelatometric titration were utilized for determining an equivalence point of the titration. Three-dimensional titration data were analyzed by fitting to a theoretical equation that was derived from equilibrium equations among a metal ion, an indicator and EDTA. The equation with optimized parameters successfully explained the three-dimensional titration data. This method was applied to EDTA titration systems of zinc, cadmium and lead with xylenol orange (XO) as an indicator. These systems were analyzed while taking the formation of 1:1 and 2:1 metal-indicator complexes into account. By this method, an accurate equivalence point was determined as well as stability constants and molar absorption spectra of metal-indicator complexes in each titration system. Moreover, the comparability among the concentrations of the metal standard solutions prepared from pure metals (Zn, Pb, and Cd) was also confirmed by the proposed evaluation method.     

ContributionsSign-balanced covering matrices

A q × n array with entries from 0, 1,…,q − 1 is said to form a difference matrix if the vector difference (modulo q) of each pair of columns consists of a permutation of [0, 1,… q − 1]; this definition is inverted from the more standard one to be found, e.g., in Colbourn and de Launey (1996). The following idea generalizes this notion: Given an appropriate δ (-[−1, 1]^t, a λq × n array will be said to form a (t, q, λ, Δ) sign-balanced matrix if for each choice C₁, C₂,…, C_t of t columns and for each choice = (₁,…,_t) Δ of signs, the linear combination ∑_j=1^t _jC_j contains (mod q) each entry of [0, 1,…, q − 1] exactly λ times. We consider the following extremal problem in this paper: How large does the number k = k(n, t, q, λ, δ) of rows have to be so that for each choice of t columns and for each choice (₁, …, _t) of signs in δ, the linear combination ∑_j=1^t _jC_j contains each entry of [0, 1,…, q t- 1] at least λ times? We use probabilistic methods, in particular the Lovász local lemma and the Stein-Chen method of Poisson approximation to obtain general (logarithmic) upper bounds on the numbers k(n, t, q, λ, δ), and to provide Poisson approximations for the probability distribution of the number W of deficient sets of t columns, given a random array. It is proved, in addition, that arithmetic modulo q yields the smallest array - in a sense to be described.     

Eta2-dba complexes of Pd(0): the substituent effect in Suzuki-Miyaura coupling

The influence of aryl substituents in dibenzylidene acetone (dba) ligands, for Pd(0) complexes, has been evaluated for Suzuki-Miyaura cross-coupling reactions. Electron-withdrawing substituents such as NO(2) or CF(3) deactivate the catalyst species whereas strongly donating substituents such as OMe increase catalytic activity over that of unsubstituted dba ligands. [reaction: see text]     

Investigation of helium addition for laser-induced plasma spectroscopy of pure gas phase systems: Analyte interactions and signal enhancement

The role of helium addition on the analyte signal enhancement in laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy for analysis of pure gaseous systems was examined using carbon and hydrogen atomic emission lines. Increased analyte response, as measured by peak-to-base and signal-to-noise ratios, was observed with increasing helium addition, with maximum enhancement approaching a factor of 7. Additional measurements revealed a significant decrease in plasma electron density with increasing helium addition. To explore the mechanisms of analyte signal enhancement, the helium emission lines were also examined and found to be effectively quenched with nitrogen addition. In consideration of the data, it is concluded that the role of metastable helium is not as important as the overall changes in plasma properties, namely electron density and laser-plasma coupling. Helium addition is concluded to affect the electron density via Penning ionization, as well as to play a role in the initial plasma breakdown processes.     

Cyclo­decyl 4‐nitro­phenyl­acetate

Cyclodecyl 4‐nitrophenylacetate, C₁₈H₂₅NO₄, has its ten‐membered ring in the expected diamond‐lattice boat–chair–boat [2323] conformation, with the substituent 4‐nitro­phenyl­acet­oxy group in the BCB IIIe position. The ester unit has the expected Z conformation, with an O=C—O—C torsion angle of −0.3 (3)°, and the connection to the benzene ring is nearly perpendicular to the ester, with an O=C—C—C torsion angle of 85.5 (2)°. An inter­molecular contact exists between the ester C atom and a nitro O atom, having a C⋯O distance of 2.909 (2) Å.     

Rapid spectrophotometric determination of phenothiazines with molybdophosphoric acid

A simple and rapid spectrophotometric method for the determination of six phenothiazines can be based on the formation of a coloured compound between molybdophosphoric acid and phenothiazines. The i.r. and e.s.r. spectra of the coloured compounds showed that molybdophosphoric acid oxidizes phenothiazines to a radical cation with which it then forms a coloured compound. The proposed method is employed for the determination of phenothiazines in pharmaceutical preparations. Calibration graphs are linear over ranges of about 100–2000 μg of the phenothiazine.     

Transition metal chemistry of oxime-containing ligands,VI: magnetic and structural properties of mono (pyridine-2-aldoxime) dithiocyanato iron (II) and mono (6-methylpyridine-2-aldoxime) dithiocyanato iron (II) complexes

The complexes of pyridine-2-aldoxime (HPOX) and 6-methylpyridine-2-aldoxime (HMPX) with iron (II) thiocyanate of the type [Fe(L)(NCS)₂] (L=HPOX and HMPX) have been prepared and characterized. A study of X-ray, magnetic, vibrational spectra (conventional and far-infrared), electronic spectra andMössbauer spectra has indicated that these complexes have polymeric, pseudo octahedral, coordination geometry with linear bridging thiocyanate ligands. The electronic spectra of mono complexes show a larger, low symmetry, ligand field than that present in [Fe(L)₂(NCS)₂] complexes. UnperturbedMössbauer spectra show a large quadrupole splitting, E _Q, and smaller isomer shift values in these iron (II) thiocyanate complexes. The magnetically perturbedMössbauer spectra of these iron(II) thiocyanate complexes at room temperature show that the principal component of the electric field gradient tensor is positive and corresponds to ad _xy (⁵B₂) ground state.With 2 Figures     

Homotopy analysis method with a non-homogeneous term in the auxiliary linear operator

We demonstrate the efficiency of a modification of the normal homotopy analysis method (HAM) proposed by Liao [2] by including a non-homogeneous term in the auxiliary linear operator (this can be considered as a special case of “further generalization” of HAM given by Liao in [2]). We then apply the modified method to a few examples. It is observed that including a non-homogeneous term gives faster convergence in comparison to normal HAM. We also prove a convergence theorem, which shows that our technique yields the convergent solution.     

SYNTHESIS OF SOME SULFUR-CONTAINING SPIROINDOLE DERIVATIVES

Abstract

The synthesis of some new sulfur-containing spiroindole derivatives is reported. Fluorinated 3′-aryl-2′-phenylimino-spiro[3H-indole-3,6′[4,5′-pyrazolin][4,3-d]thiazolo]2(1H)-ones were prepared by the reaction of 5-(2-oxo-3-indolinylidene)-3-aryl-2-phenylimino-4-thiazolidinones with hydrazine hydrate. The compounds have been characterized on the basis of elemental and spectral studies.