Sonochemical Synthesis and Photocatalytic Properties of Metal Hydroxide and Carbonate (M:Mg, Ca, Sr or Ba) Nanoparticles

In this work Mg(OH)₂, Ca(OH)₂, CaCO₃, SrCO₃ and BaCO₃ nanoparticles were synthesized via a simple sonochemical reaction at room temperature. Nanoparticles were synthesized via a surfactant-free reaction solvent water. Nanostructures materials were characterized by scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction and fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The photocatalytic behavior of nanoparticles was evaluated using the degradation of a methyl orange aqueous solution under ultraviolet light irradiation. The results show that metal hydroxide and metal carbonate nanoparticles are promising materials with excellent performance in photocatalytic applications.     

Synthesis of Thio Analogues of Quinolone Antibacterials

A facile and rapid synthesis of thio compounds, analogues to ciprofloxacin, and norfloxacin is described.     

A numerical method for solving linear integral equations of the second kind on the non-rectangular domains based on the meshless method

The main purpose of this article is to describe a numerical scheme for solving two-dimensional linear Fredholm integral equations of the second kind on a non-rectangular domain. The method approximates the solution by the discrete collocation method based on radial basis functions (RBFs) constructed on a set of disordered data. The proposed method does not require any background mesh or cell structures, so it is meshless and consequently independent of the geometry of domain. This approach reduces the solution of the two-dimensional integral equation to the solution of a linear system of algebraic equations. The error analysis of the method is provided. The proposed scheme is also extended to linear mixed Volterra–Fredholm integral equations. Finally, some numerical examples are presented to illustrate the efficiency and accuracy of the new technique.     

Structure-based interpretation of the Strouhal-Reynolds number relationship

The wake in the flow past a circular cylinder has posed a long-standing challenge to scientists since the late 19th century. Many aspects of this seemingly simple phenomenon remain unexplained. Of particular interest is the relationship between the dimensionless vortex shedding frequency (the Strouhal number St) and the ratio of inertial to viscous forces in the fluid (the Reynolds number Re). We propose a new St-Re relation based on the observations of the structure of a vortex street in flowing soap films. The measurements suggest a simple two-parameter form St=1/(A+B/Re) that describes laminar vortex shedding remarkably well for bulk fluids as well as for two-dimensional flowing soap films.     

All-fiber narrowband polarization controller based on coherent acousto-optic mode coupling in single-mode fiber

An all-fiber, narrowband, tunable polarization controller is proposed and demonstrated. The device is based on coherent acousto-optic mode coupling induced by two orthogonal acoustic waves on a dispersion-compensating fiber. The cooperative coupling between the two polarizations of the core mode and the TE01 cladding mode through the two gratings permits indirect coupling between the two polarizations of the core mode with nearly 100% efficiency, which makes the polarization-controlling function possible. Experimental results verify the operation of the polarization controller with an insertion loss of <1 dB.     

Schrödinger–Wheeler–DeWitt Equation in Chaplygin Gas FRW Cosmological Model

We present a Chaplygin gas Friedmann–Robertson–Walker quantum cosmological model. In this work the Schutz’s variational formalism is applied with positive, negative, and zero constant spatial curvature. In this approach the notion of time can be recovered. These give rise to Schrödinger–Wheeler–DeWitt equation for the scale factor. We use the eigenfunctions in order to construct wave packets for each case. We study the time dependent behavior of the expectation value of the scale factor, using the many-worlds interpretations of quantum mechanics.     

Novel one-pot, three-component synthesis of new 2-alkyl-5-aryl-(1H)-pyrrole-4-ol in water

New 2-alkyl-5-aryl-(1H)-pyrrole-4-ol derivatives were synthesized via three-component reaction of beta-dicarbonyl compounds with arylglyoxals in the presence of ammonium acetate in water at room temperature.     

Head-to-head polymers—I. The preparation and some properties of head-to-head polypropylene

Samples of head-to-head polypropylene have been prepared by the hydrogenation of two polydienes; 1,4-poly(2,4-hexadiene) and 1,4-poly(2,3-dimethyl-1,3-butadiene). Glass transition temperatures were found to be marginally lower than for conventional polypropylene suggesting that the head-to-head placements in the chain increased the polymer flexibility.     

Polytetrafluoroethylene Sputtered PES Membranes for Membrane Distillation: Influence of RF Magnetron Sputtering Conditions

Thin films of fluorocarbon were deposited on polyethersulfone membranes via argon plasma sputtering of a poly(tetrafluoroethylene) (PTFE) target in an RF magnetron plasma reactor. The obtained deposited ultrathin coatings had nanoscale roughnesses and high degrees of fluorination. The intensity of fluorine atom in plasma environment during fluorocarbon deposition was investigated. Depending on the deposition conditions comprising working gas pressure, applied RF power, and distance between the target and the substrate, polymeric films with different chemical compositions and/or morphologies were obtained. The morphologies of the films were analyzed by means of SEM, XPS, and AFM. The results suggested that the sputtered film deposited at a higher pressure and longer target–substrate distance and moderate RF power had a surface composition and chemical structure closer to those of the PTFE film. The treated hydrophobic PES membranes with water contact angles as high as 115° were applied for the first time in an air gap membrane distillation setup for removal of benzene as a volatile organic compound from water. The results showed that the plasma-treated membranes have a comparable or superior performance to that of commercial PTFE used in membrane distillation with similar permeate flux and separation factor after 20 h long term performance.