Sol- gel synthesis of Ga2O3 nanorods and effect of precursor chemistry on their structural and morphological properties

Synthesis of mono-crystalline Ga₂O₃ Nanorods was done by sol-gel transformation of gallium(III) isopropoxide (Ga(OPrⁱ)₃). XRD studies were done to determine the planes and crystal structure of synthesized nanorods that showed the synthesis of β-Ga₂O₃(a). TEM studies of synthesized Ga₂O₃ confirmed the synthesis of monocrystalline β-Ga₂O₃ nanorods. To study the effect of precursor chemistry and to determine role of precursor structures on the crystal structure, phase and morphology of the Ga₂O₃, a new modified precursor complex was synthesized. The reaction of Ga(OPrⁱ)₃ with N-phenylsalicylaldimine, [C₆H₄(OH)CH=N(C₆H₅)] in 1:1?M ratio yielded [{(H₅C₆)N?=?CH-C₆H₄O}Ga(OPrⁱ)₂]. The newly synthesized complex was characterized by elemental analyses, molecular weight measurement, FT-IR and NMR (¹H and ¹³C) spectral studies. Spectral studies of the modified complex suggest the presence of bi-dentate mode of attachment of Schiff's base in the solution state. Sol-gel transformations of [{(H₅C₆)N?=?CH-C₆H₄O}Ga(OPrⁱ)₂] in organic medium, yielded γ-Ga₂O₃(b), as found by XRD studies. TEM image of the sample (a) revealed the formation of nano-rods of oxide with average diameter of ~100?nm whereas the TEM image of sample (b) showed presence of nano-sized particles of oxide with average particle size of 10?nm. Morphological and compositional studies of synthesized samples (a) and (b) were carried out using SEM and EDX. The method provides a possibility of large scale synthesis of dissimilar shaped and pure Ga₂O₃ nanoparticles.     

Design of a General‐Purpose European Compound Screening Library for EU‐OPENSCREEN

This work describes a collaborative effort to define and apply a protocol for the rational selection of a general‐purpose screening library, to be used by the screening platforms affiliated with the EU‐OPENSCREEN initiative. It is designed as a standard source of compounds for primary screening against novel biological targets, at the request of research partners. Given the general nature of the potential applications of this compound collection, the focus of the selection strategy lies on ensuring chemical stability, absence of reactive compounds, screening‐compliant physicochemical properties, loose compliance to drug‐likeness criteria (as drug design is a major, but not exclusive application), and maximal diversity/coverage of chemical space, aimed at providing hits for a wide spectrum of drugable targets. Finally, practical availability/cost issues cannot be avoided. The main goal of this publication is to inform potential future users of this library about its conception, sources, and characteristics. The outline of the selection procedure, notably of the filtering rules designed by a large committee of European medicinal chemists and chemoinformaticians, may be of general methodological interest for the screening/medicinal chemistry community. The selection task of 200K molecules out of a pre‐filtered set of 1.4M candidates was shared by five independent European research groups, each picking a subset of 40K compounds according to their own in‐house methodology and expertise. An in‐depth analysis of chemical space coverage of the library serves not only to characterize the collection, but also to compare the various chemoinformatics‐driven selection procedures of maximal diversity sets. Compound selections contributed by various participating groups were mapped onto general‐purpose self‐organizing maps (SOMs) built on the basis of marketed drugs and bioactive reference molecules. In this way, the occupancy of chemical space by the EU‐OPENSCREEN library could be directly compared with distributions of known bioactives of various classes. This mapping highlights the relevance of the selection and shows how the consensus reached by merging the five different 40K selections contributes to achieve this relevance. The approach also allows one to readily identify subsets of target‐ or target‐class‐oriented compounds from the EU‐OPENSCREEN library to suit the needs of the diverse range of potential users. The final EU‐OPENSCREEN library, assembled by merging five independent selections of 40K compounds from various expert groups, represents an excellent example of a Europe‐wide collaborative effort toward the common objective of building best‐in‐class European open screening platforms.     

模拟引潮力作用下岩石破坏前兆的实验研究 --加卸载响应比(LURR)理论和能量加速释放(AER)

大地震前加卸载响应比升高和能量加速释放这2种现象可以用来对地震进行中期预报。同时,加卸载响应比升高和能量加速释放有相同的物理机制。实验对于揭示地壳岩石的变形和破坏规律是非常重要的。在三轴应力条件下进行了岩石破坏声发射实验,声发射技术是研究岩石变形破坏微观机理的重要手段。为了模拟日月引潮力对地球的加载和卸载作用,在一常数加载率的轴向压力作用下,叠加上微小的正弦扰动,力求能够模拟地下岩石复杂的受力状态。实验过程中记录到大量的声发射信息,声发射记录包括声发射发生的时间、空间坐标和振幅,它能够反映岩石试件内部每一个损伤(微裂纹)发生的时间、地点和强度。利用声发射记录系统地分析了岩石试件破坏前能量释放及加卸载响应比的演化情况,结果显示,岩石试件宏观破坏前出现了能量加速释放及加卸载响应比剧增这2种前兆现象,从而对地震临界点理论给予了实验支持,同时也为地震预测提供了实验依据。     

Electrorheological behavior of low filled suspensions of highly anisometric montmorillonite particles

The electrorheological (ER) behavior of modified montmorillonite (MMT) suspensions in polydimethylsiloxane is studied. As established by rotational viscometry, the samples with a dispersed phase concentration from 1 to 8 wt % reveal viscous Newtonian behavior and dramatically change their properties to elastic when electric field is applied. The rheological characteristics of the suspensions over 0–7 kV mm⁻¹ range of electric field strengths are also studied. Novel X-ray diffraction method is developed to evaluate the suspension of the filler in a siloxane medium and to calculate the degree of its exfoliation. The dependence of exfoliation degree, dielectric, and ER characteristics on the type of modifier in the MMT structure is considered. Based on the obtained data, a new model of system behavior with the various types of fillers is proposed and the prospects of utilizing MMT as a filler for ER fluids are demonstrated. © 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2019 , 136, 47678.     

Magnetic orientation of garden warblers (Sylvia borin) under 1.4 MHz radiofrequency magnetic field

We report on the experiments on orientation of a migratory songbird, the garden warbler (Sylvia borin), during the autumn migration period on the Courish Spit, Eastern Baltics. Birds in experimental cages, deprived of visual information, showed the seasonally appropriate direction of intended flight with respect to the magnetic meridian. Weak radiofrequency (RF) magnetic field (190 nT at 1.4 MHz) disrupted this orientation ability. These results may be considered as an independent replication of earlier experiments, performed by the group of R. and W. Wiltschko with European robins (Erithacus rubecula). Confirmed outstanding sensitivity of the birds'' magnetic compass to RF fields in the lower megahertz range demands for a revision of one of the mainstream theories of magnetoreception, the radical-pair model of birds'' magnetic compass.     

Hydrothermal transformations of organic matter of low permeability rocks from domanic formation of the romashkino oil field

Abstract

The oil generating potential of Domanic rocks from Dankov–Lebedyan horizon of the Zelenogorsk area of Romashkino oil field was evaluated by Rock-Eval pyrolysis technique. The result of given method depends on the content, composition, and thermal stability of organic matter in rocks. During hydrothermal processes, the distinctive conversion behavior of organic matter at temperatures of 200°С, 250°С, 300°С, and 350°С in CO₂ environment was revealed. The yield of obtained aquathermolysis products and their quality were evaluated. The results of the studies suggest that low-permeability carbonate rocks of the Dankov–Lebedyan horizon contain productive beds with content of C_org 1.89–3.03%, which when developed using thermal methods, can become an additional source of liquid hydrocarbons.     

Decomposition of Fe5C2 catalyst particles in carbon nanofibers during TEM observation

The effect of an electron beam on nanoparticles of two Fe carbide catalysts inside a carbon nanofiber was investigated in a transmission electron microscope. Electron beam exposure does not result in significant changes for cementite (θ-Fe₃C). However, for Hägg carbide nanoparticles (χ-Fe₅C₂), explosive decay is observed after exposure for 5–10 s. This produces small particles of cementite and γ-Fe, each covered with a multilayer carbon shell, and significantly modifies the carbon-fiber structure. It is considered that the decomposition of Hägg carbide is mostly due to the damage induced by high-energy electron collisions with the crystal lattice, accompanied by the heating of the particle and by mechanical stress provided by the carbon layers of the nanofiber.