Potentiometric response of graphite electrodes coated with modified polymer films

Graphite electrodes coated with chemically-modified polymer films are described. Several different polymers were used, including poly(acrylic acid), poly[triethyl(vinylbenzyl)ammonium chloride], poly[trihexyl(vinylbenzyl)ammonium chloride], and poly[trihexyl(vinylbenzyl)ammonium thiocyanate]. A cation-responsive electrode can be prepared from poly(acrylic acid)-coated graphite. Anion-responsive electrodes can be prepared from graphite coated with polymeric quaternary amines. In these electrodes, the ion-sensing species is irreversibly attached to the polymer (rather than physically entrapped within a polymer matrix); this factor eliminates leaching of the active component, and the addition of a plasticizer is unnecessary. A selective sensor for thiocyanate is described; it yields a Nernstian response over the concentration range 1 × 10^?1–1 × 10^?5 M sodium thiocyanate.     

A Multifunctional Surface That Simultaneously Balances Hydrophilic Enzyme Catalysis and Hydrophobic Water Repellency

The compatibility of multiple functions at a single interface is difficult to achieve, but is even more challenging when the functions directly counteract one another. This study provides insight into the creation of a simultaneously multifunctional surface formed by balancing two orthogonal functions; water repellency and enzyme catalysis. A partially fluorinated thiol is used to impart bulk hydrophobicity on the surface, and an N‐hydroxysuccinimide ester‐terminated thiol provides a specific anchoring sites for the covalent enzyme attachment. Different ratios of the two thiols are mixed together to form amphiphilic self‐assembled monolayers, which are characterized with polarization‐modulation infrared reflection–absorption spectroscopy and contact angle goniometry. The enzyme activity is measured by a fluorescence assay. With the results collected here, specific surface compositions are identified at which the orthogonal functions of water repellency and enzyme catalysis are balanced and exist simultaneously. An understanding of how to effectively balance orthogonal functions at surfaces can be extended to a number of higher‐scale applications.     

Aluminium triflate: a remarkable Lewis acid catalyst for the ring opening of epoxides by alcohols

Al(OTf)3 was found to be an extremely effective catalyst (at ppm levels) for ring opening reactions of epoxides using a range of alcohols.     

Specification of the geometry of the human ear canal for the prediction of sound-pressure level distribution

The geometry of 15 human ear canals has been studied. Silicone rubber molds were made of the ear canals of human cadavers, and a mechanical probe system was used to obtain approximately 1000 coordinate points over the surface of each mold. The data points were accurate to about 0.03 mm in each of the three space directions, allowing ample resolution of surface detail. The measurements have been summarized as individual ear canal area functions, the area of cross-sectional slices normal to a curved central axis following the bends of the canal. Large intersubject differences were found, but several overall trends were evident in the area functions. Accurate specification of the canal geometry has lead to improved predictions of the sound-pressure distribution along the human ear canal at frequencies greater than 8 kHz. Such predictions are relevant to the development of high-frequency audiometric methods, high-fidelity hearing aids, and to the interpretation of experiments in physiological and psychological acoustics.     

Efficient tetrahydropyranyl and tetrahydrofuranyl protection/deprotection of alcohols and phenols with Al(OTf)3 as catalyst

A simple and efficient method for the conversion of alcohols and phenols into their corresponding THP and THF ethers at room temperature has been developed using 1 mol % aluminium triflate as catalyst. The deprotection reaction in the presence of methanol using Al(OTf)₃ was equally successful and could be performed at ambient temperature in high yields.     

Design and stress evaluation of a nonsymmetric pressure vessel

Presently, the large variation in demand for electrical power at different periods of the day imposes new considerations in the evaluation of pressure components in large steam-generating equipment. In the past, pressure components such as valve bodies have been designed for static pressure conditions against bursting with sufficient stiffness to assure operation ability. In today's plant operation, the response of the valve body to thermal transients will have a major influence on the life of the valve. Since the valve body is a compact nonsymmetric body, the direct calculation of stresses is very complex. The evaluation of the behavior of nonsymmetric pressure components under the loads imposed by various operational modes requires information from both analytical and experimental methods of analysis. The contributions from modern computer-calculation programs and three-dimensional photoelasticity are discussed as applied to the evaluation of a valve body used in a large, supercritical steam generator. In the analysis, computer procedures are used to develop the preliminary geometry for pressure loading. Because of the close proximity of the nonsymmetrical openings, a three-dimensional photoelastic analysis is used to calibrate the computer model. Once a satisfactory computer model has been developed for pressure loading, it is used to calculate the thermal stresses. Since stresses have little meaning in themselves, a design basis is necessary to evaluate the significance of the calculated stresses. The design basis must consider the types of failures which are possible and is thus dependent on the temperature at which the valve must operate. A design basis is discussed for the evaluation of pressure components in a boiler system.     

A problem of Boyd concerning geometric means of polynomials

In this paper we derive an equality which characterizes the distribution of the modulus of a polynomial on the unit circle. This inequality is used to prove a conjecture of Boyd concerning the geometric mean of the modulus of a polynomial of several variables averaged over the torus. References are cited which discuss the relationship of this conjecture to a classical question of Lehmer concerning the distribution of roots of polynomials.