Studying the Effect of Cobalt Doping on Optical and Magnetic Properties of Zinc Oxide Nanoparticles

Silicon - Nano-crystalline powders of Zn1−xCoxO with $\left (0.0\le x\le 0.07 \right )$ have been synthesized by sol-gel method. X-ray diffraction patterns of the prepared samples confirm the...     

Coupling Maxwell's Equations to Full Band Particle-Based Simulators

In this work we utilize the Finite-Difference Time Domain (FDTD) Method coupled to a full band, particle-based simulator to solve for the total Lorentz force. Replacing a traditional Poisson solver with a more robust electromagnetics (EM) solver allows us to accurately account for radiated losses and provides a useful tool for investigating the near and far-field radiation patterns inherent in modern devices.     

An efficient electromagnetic-physics-based numerical technique for modeling and optimization of high-frequency multifinger transistors

We present a fast wavelet-based time-domain modeling technique to study the effect of electromagnetic (EM)-wave propagation on the performance of high-power and high-frequency multifinger transistors. The proposed approach solves the active device model that combines the transport physics, and Maxwell's equations on nonuniform self-adaptive grids, obtained by applying wavelet transforms followed by hard thresholding. This allows forming fine and coarse grids in the locations where variable solutions change rapidly and slowly, respectively. A CPU time reduction of 75% is achieved compared to a uniform-grid case, while maintaining the same degree of accuracy. After validation, the potential of the developed technique is demonstrated by EM-physical modeling of multifinger transistors. Different numerical examples are presented, showing that accurate modeling of high-frequency devices should incorporate the effect of EM-wave propagation and electron-wave interactions within and around the device. Moreover, high-frequency advantages of multifinger transistors over single-finger transistors are underlined through numerical examples. To our knowledge, this is the first time in the literature a fully numerical EM-physics-based simulator for accurate modeling of high-frequency multifinger transistors is introduced and implemented.     

An Eco-Friendly Approach to the Control of Pathogenic Microbes and Anopheles stephensi Malarial Vector Using Magnesium Oxide Nanoparticles (Mg-NPs) Fabricated by Penicillium chrysogenum

The discovery of eco-friendly, rapid, and cost-effective compounds to control diseases caused by microbes and insects are the main challenges. Herein, the magnesium oxide nanoparticles (MgO-NPs) are successfully fabricated by harnessing the metabolites secreted by Penicillium chrysogenum. The fabricated MgO-NPs were characterized using UV-Vis, XRD, TEM, DLS, EDX, FT-IR, and XPS analyses. Data showed the successful formation of crystallographic, spherical, well-dispersed MgO-NPs with sizes of 7–40 nm at a maximum wavelength of 250 nm. The EDX analysis confirms the presence of Mg and O ions as the main components with weight percentages of 13.62% and 7.76%, respectively. The activity of MgO-NPs as an antimicrobial agent was investigated against pathogens Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus subtilis, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Escherichia coli, and Candida albicans, and exhibited zone of inhibitions of 12.0 ± 0.0, 12.7 ± 0.9, 23.3 ± 0.8, 17.7 ± 1.6, and 14.7 ± 0.6 mm respectively, at 200 µg mL⁻¹. The activity is decreased by decreasing the MgO-NPs concentration. The biogenic MgO-NPs exhibit high efficacy against different larvae instar and pupa of Anopheles stephensi, with LC50 values of 12.5–15.5 ppm for I–IV larvae instar and 16.5 ppm for the pupa. Additionally, 5 mg/cm² of MgO-NPs showed the highest protection percentages against adults of Anopheles stephensi, with values of 100% for 150 min and 67.6% ± 1.4% for 210 min.     

Application of Taguchi method in determining optimum level of curing system of NBR/PVC blend

Taguchi method is applied in this study to determine the optimum level of curing system (sulfur, MBTS, and CBS) in a NBR/PVC blend. By considering physicomechanical properties of cured NBR/PVC blend, optimum level of curing system is determined. A fixed master batch formulation of NBR/PVC is used, and the effect of curing system is studied on the physicomechanical properties of NBR/PVC blend, such as tensile strength (TS) and elongation‐at‐break (EB) before and after aging and also hardness and abrasion. The L9 orthogonal array that includes nine rows and four columns is applied. In this matrix, rows show the experiments and three columns show the amount of three factors (sulfur, MBTS, and CBS) and one column is left arbitrarily as an empty column. In this array, the columns are mutually orthogonal. The optimum physicomechanical properties of cured NBR/PVC blend are at 2 phr sulfur, 2 phr MBTS, and 0.5 phr CBS of curing system. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 102: 5358–5362, 2006     

Mathematical Modeling and Genetic Algorithm Optimization of Reactive Absorption of H2S

A rate‐based mathematical model was developed for the reactive absorption of H₂S in NaOH, with NaOCl or H₂O₂ as the chemical oxidant solutions in a packed column. A modified mass transfer coefficient in the gas phase was obtained by genetic algorithm and implemented in the model to correct the assumption of instantaneous reactions. The effects of different operating variables including the inlet H₂S concentration, inlet gas mass flux, initial NaOH, concentrations of the chemical oxidants in the scrubbing solutions, and liquid‐to‐gas ratio on the H₂S removal efficiency were studied. A genetic algorithm was employed to optimize the operating variables in order to obtain maximum removal efficiency of H₂S. The model results were in good agreement with the experimental data.     

Synthesis and characterization of radiation cross-linked PVP hydrogels and investigation of its potential as an antileishmanial drug carrier

Polymer Bulletin - The aim of this study was to elaborate a suitable hydrogel to be used as drug carrier for antileishmanial treatment. Therefore, a PVP hydrogel was synthesized using gamma...     

Sonoelectrochemical synthesis of a nanoscale complex of lead(II) and 2-methyl-8-hydroxyquinoline: spectroscopic, photoluminescence, thermal analysis studies and its application in an OLED

A new lead complex, [Pb(mq)₂], (mq = 2-methyl-8-hydroxyquinoline) was prepared via an electrochemical route from the oxidation of lead metal in the presence of 2-methyl-8-hydroxyquinoline in a fast and facile process. The complex was fully characterized by means of NMR and IR spectra and elemental analysis. The nanostructure of the prepared compound was obtained by sonoelectrochemical process and studied by scanning electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy, X-ray powder diffraction, IR spectroscopy and elemental analysis. Thermal stability of single crystalline and nanosize samples of the prepared compound was studied by thermal gravimetric and differential thermal analysis. The photoluminescence properties of the prepared compounds, as single crystals and as nanorods, have been investigated. The results showed a good correlation between the size and the shape of the complex particles and emission wavelength. The prepared complex was doped in PVK:PBD blend as guest and its application in the fabrication of OLED was studied. The ratio of lead complex was modified and was equal to 8 (w/w %) in PVK:PBD (100:40).     

Strand Current Distribution Modeling in Turbo-generators Using Finite-element Method Based on Proposed Dual Method

Abstract—The necessity of using a 3D model is one of the main problems for modeling Roebel bar transposition in turbo-generators by the finite-element method. This article proposes a 2D dual model for computing strand current distribution in the Roebel bar of turbo-generators. Considering the leakage and mutual inductances for each strand and the coupling inductances between them, the end winding region is modeled in this 2D dual model. In this article, the Roebel bar structure including 16 strands was considered, and these distributions are calculated for different transpositions using the finite-element method. In the finite-element method model, the circulating currents are calculated by subtracting a load current at each strand from the total of strand current. Also, for different transpositions, such as 90°, 180°, 360°, and 540°, the circulating currents are calculated using an analytical method. The obtained strand current distributions from the 2D dual model have good agreement with the obtained results from the analytical method for the 180° and 360° transposed coil models.