Reaction studies of carbon clusters

Reaction studies of carbon clustersC _n in the rangen=8–37, produced by laser vaporisation in a supersonic nozzle, have been investigated using time-of-flight mass spectrometry. Clear differences in reaction products formed on hydrogenation are detected which show that even and odd clusters behave quite differently and furthermore thatat least two different types of even cluster appear to exist. The reactivity patterns for clusters C _n withn=16, 18 and 22 are in a different class from those withn=20, 24, 26 ..., a behaviour consistent with the existence of closed cage fullerene structures for even clusters with 20 or more carbon atoms (other thann=22).     

Gas-phase on-line generation and infrared spectroscopic investigations of polyphosphazenes, (NPX2)3 where X=F, Cl and Br

Gas-phase infrared spectra of polyphosphazenes (phosphonitrilic halides trimer), (NPX2)3 where X=F, Cl and Br have been recorded. The molecules were generated for the first time by an on-line process using solid (NPCl2)3 as a precursor passed over heated sodium fluoride and potassium bromide at about 550 and 700 degrees C for (NPF2)3 and (NPBr2)3 production, respectively. The products were characterized by the infrared spectra of their vapors. The low-resolution gas-phase Fourier transform infrared spectra reported for the first time show strong bands centered at 1295, 1215 and 1200 cm-1, assigned to nu7(E'), in plane PN stretching mode of (NPX2)3, where X=F, Cl and Br, respectively.     

Determination of polyphenol component fractions and integral antioxidant capacity of Syrian aniseed and fennel seed extracts using GC–MS,HPLC analysis,and photochemiluminescence assay

The chemical components of both Syrian aniseed and fennel seeds collected from Idlib and Aleppo regions were identified using GC/MS spectrometry. Thirty-four component fractions representing an average of 98.5% of anise seed extract were characterized. The major average components were (E)-Anethole, Estragole, Limonene, Fenchone, Linalool, para-Anisaldehyde, (Z)-Anethole, and methyl chavicol. Also, thirty-one component fractions representing an average of 99.46% of fennel seed extract were identified. The major components were α-Pinene, α-Phellandrene, Fenchone, Methyl chavicol, Estragole, (Z)-Anethole, Limonene, 1,8-Cineole, Anisole-p-allyl, E,E-Farnesene, Estragole, (E)-Anethole, Anisaldehyde, and Carvacrol. The extract of aniseed was characterized by higher amounts of trans-anethole (52.2%) than fennel extract (38.3%). The integral antioxidant capacity (IAC) of two different extracts from both aniseed and fennel seeds have been determined using photochemiluminescence assay (PCL). The sum of antioxidant capacity (IAC) of hydrophilic and hydrophobic components in both aniseed and fennel seeds was determined, as a total equivalent per gram of dry material (nmolTE/gDM) at 166.69 ± 0.42 and 363.28 ± 1.11 nmol for hydrophilic and hydrophobic components, respectively. Eight major phenolic compounds known as possible antioxidant sources with their concentrations have been identified in both aniseed and fennel seeds by HPLC and GC–MS analysis.     

Investigation of the optical limiting properties of acid blue29 in various solvents

The optical limiting properties of acid blue29 solutions in different solvents are investigated. Experiments are performed using a CW He-Ne Laser beam at 632.8 nm wavelength and 35 mW power. The strength of the optical limiting action is dramatically influenced by the solvent. Multiple diffraction rings were observed when the samples were exposed to laser radiation. The effect of concentration, solvent and laser intensity on the diffraction rings are studied experimentally. Our results show that the nonlinear refraction is the dominant mechanism to explain the optical limiting behavior in acid blue29.     

Instant controlled pressure drop extraction of lavandin essential oils: Fundamentals and experimental studies

Détente Instantanée contrôlée (DIC), French for Instant Controlled Pressure Drop, was performed on laboratory apparatus as well as on a pilot plant for proving its feasibility, and identifying the optimized processing conditions and recognizing the energy consumption and the quantity of water used for such an operation. GC–MS and SPME analysis of the extracts and residue material were carried out to assess the extracts and solid residues. The lavandin essential oils obtained by using the new DIC extraction process was studied, modeled and quantitatively and qualitatively compared to the conventional hydrodistillation method. The most important differences between the two essential oils were reflected in the yields, with 4.25 as against 2.3 g EO/100 g of raw matter, and in the extraction time, with 480 s as against some hours for respectively the DIC and the hydrodistillation operations. These differences have been previewed through the fundamental analysis. They can normally explain the great decreasing of energy consumption to be 662 kWh/t of raw material. The amount of water to be added was about 42 kg water/t of raw material.     

Instant controlled pressure drop technology and ultrasound assisted extraction for sequential extraction of essential oil and antioxidants

The instant controlled pressure drop (DIC) technology enabled both the extraction of essential oil and the expansion of the matrix itself which improved solvent extraction. The sequential use of DIC and Ultrasound Assisted Extraction (UAE) triggered complementary actions materialized by supplementary effects. We visualized these combination impacts by comparing them to standard techniques: Hydrodistillation (HD) and Solvent Extraction (SE). First, the extraction of orange peel Essential Oils (EO) was achieved by HD during 4 h and DIC process (after optimization) during 2 min; EO yields was 1.97 mg/g dry material (dm) with HD compared to 16.57 mg/g dm with DIC. Second, the solid residue was recovered to extract antioxidant compounds (naringin and hesperidin) by SE and UAE. Scanning electron microscope showed that after HD the recovered solid shriveled as opposite to DIC treatment which expanded the product structure. HPLC analyses showed that the best kinetics and yields of naringin and hesperidin extraction was when DIC and UAE are combined. Indeed, after 1 h of extraction, DIC treated orange peels with UAE were 0.825 ± 1.6 × 10^?2 g/g of dry material (dm) for hesperidin and 6.45 × 10^?2 ± 2.3 × 10^?4 g/g dm for naringin compared to 0.64 ± 2.7 × 10^?2 g/g of dry material (dm) and 5.7 × 10^?2 ± 1.6 × 10^?3 g/g dm, respectively with SE. By combining DIC to UAE, it was possible to enhance kinetics and yields of antioxidant extraction.     

Isolation of Indonesian cananga oil using multi-cycle pressure drop process

New process, instantaneous controlled pressure drop (DIC) was applied on Cananga odorata dry flowers with the aim to isolate essential oil. DIC is based on high temperature, short time heating followed by an abrupt pressure drop into a vacuum. A part of volatile compounds is carried away from flowers in the form of vapor (DIC direct oil) that evolves adiabatically during the pressure drop (proper isolation process) and the other part remains in the DIC-treated flowers (DIC residual oil). In the present paper, the effect of DIC cycle number (1-9) and heating time (4.3-15.7 min) on the availability of oil compounds was investigated at three levels of steam pressure (0.28, 0.4 and 0.6 MPa). The availability was defined as the amount of a compound in direct or residual oil divided by the amount of this compound in the reference oil extracted from non-treated flowers by chloroform during 2h. The total availability and yield of volatiles in the direct oil increased with pressure and cycle number. At a higher pressure, the effect of heating time was insignificant. The amount of oxygenated monoterpenes and other light oxygenated compounds (i.e. predominantly exogenous compounds) in the residual flowers was lower than in the direct oil and this amount decreased with cycle number. On the other hand, the availability of oxygenated sesquiterpenes and other heavy oxygenated compounds (i.e. predominantly endogenous compounds) in residual flowers exhibited a maximum for about five cycles and their quantity at this point was three times as much as in the direct oil. The total availability of each compound at 0.6 MPa was higher than one. The rapid DIC process (0.6 MPa, 8 cycles, 6 min) gave better results than steam distillation (16 h) concerning direct oil yield (2.8%dm versus 2.5%dm) and content of oxygenated compounds (72.5% versus 61.7%).     

Chitosan loaded with silver nanoparticles,CS‐AgNPs,using thymus syriacus,wild mint,and rosemary essential oil extracts as reducing and capping agents

The present study describes the green method for the preparation of chitosan loaded with silver nanoparticles (CS‐AgNPs) in the presence of 3 different extracted essential oils. The essential oils play dual roles as reductant and capping agents. The reducing power and DPPH (2,2‐diphenyl‐1‐picrylhydrazyl) assay for the 3 essential oils—Thymus syriacus (T), wild mint (M), and rosemary (R)—have been reported. The preparation of CS‐AgNPs was performed by 2 steps. The 3 previously extracted essential oils have been used as reducing and capping agent in the first step, while in the second step, silver nanoparticles were integrated in chitosan. The integration of AgNPs in the structure of chitosan was confirmed by ultraviolet‐visible, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy techniques, and energy dispersive X‐ray. Surface plasmon resonance confirmed the formation of CS‐AgNPs with maximum absorbance at λ_max between 405 ‐ 410 and 410 ‐ 430 nm for colloidal and films of CS‐AgNPs, respectively. The intensity of bands at 3408 cm^?1 in the fourier transform infrared spectroscopy measurements was decreased substantially and shifted slightly to lower frequency (?υ = 43 cm^?1). Scanning electron microscopy shows a spherical morphology of AgNPs with size of 62 nm for both colloidal and film samples, and energy dispersive X‐ray analysis shows peaks confirming AgNPs formation.