Effect of l-Histidine Substitution on Sol–Gel of Transition Metal Coordinated Poly Ethyleneimine: Synthesis and Biochemical Characterization

The study was aimed to investigate the effect of chemical modification of branched poly ethyleneimine (PEI) on chelation of transition metal ions (Me²⁺) including Zn²⁺, Cu²⁺ or Ni²⁺ and sol–gel conversion thereof. To modulate chelation property of PEI, imidazole moieties were introduced into the polymer backbone by carbodiimide chemistry at different molar ratios of fmoc-protected l-histidine. The synthesis was characterized by ¹H-NMR spectroscopy and size exclusion chromatography. Potentiometric titration of PEI/Me²⁺ aqueous dispersions showed formation of stable complexes at pH above 5 depending on the degree of l-histidine substitution. FT-IR spectroscopy showed the imidazole ring of l-histidine was involved in the coordination interactions between PEI and Me²⁺. Addition of Zn²⁺ to PEI solution induced sol–gel conversion at a critical molar ratio decreasing by a higher degree of l-histidine modification. The gelation process led to formation of stable globular nanostructures as confirmed by atomic force microscopy with projected mean diameters less than 200 nm. Cellular experiment showed that l-histidine substitution enhanced cyto-compatibility of PEI, moreover cytotoxicity decreased significantly upon coordination of Zn²⁺ with the polymers. Conclusively, the coordination complexes of Zn²⁺ and l-histidine substituted PEI could serve as a nano system for biomedical applications.     

The Effect of Si Substitution for SiC on SHS in the Ti–Si–C System

Investigated was the effect of Si substitution for SiC on SHS in the Ti–Si–C system. Starting powders were intermixed to obtain 3Ti–SiC–C and 3Ti–Si–2C green mixtures and then green compacts by uniaxial pressing. The influence of heating rate, reactor temperature, and replacement of SiC by Si was studied by XRD, SEM, and TEM. In combustion products obtained in optimized conditions, Ti₃SiC₂ was found to be predominant. In comparison with conventional methods, our products obtained in a one-step low-temperature process contained minimal amounts of undesired impurities and required no finishing processes such as chemical purification.     

Evaluation of the Effect of Nanosilica on Thermal and Mechanical Properties of Metal–Metal and Metal–Glass Canola-Based Polyurethane/Nanosilica Adhesives

Nanocomposites with different concentration of nanofiller were prepared by adding nanosilica to the canola-based polyurethane matrix via in situ polymerization. The effect of nanosilica on the mechanical properties of adhesives was evaluated by tensile tests. Adhesive characteristics on metal–metal and metal–glass bondings were also evaluated by lap shear strength tests. Incorporation of nanosilica into the canola-based polyurethane enhanced both tensile and lap shear strength of synthesized adhesives. Also the effect of nanoparticles on glass transition temperature and thermal stability was investigated by differential scanning calorimetry and thermogravimetric analysis, respectively. The increase of nanosilica content in the polyurethane adhesives, thermal property of the nanocomposites improved.     

Effect of γ-Irradiation on the Electrical Properties of Poly (Methyl Methacrylate) Doped with Some Transition Metal Complexes

Abstract

The electrical resistivity (p) of pure and doped poly(methyl methacrylate), PMMA, with dithizone (HDZ) and its metal complexes, Zn(HDZ)₂, Cd(HDZ)₂ and Hg(HDZ)₂ has been investigated before and after γ-irradiation. The results show a phase transition at nearly 323°K. The activation energy of the conduction process has been calculated below and above the transition temperature. Further information concerning the electrical behaviour is obtained by considering the type and mechanism of the conduction process. This has been achieved by studying the effect of temperature and γ-irradiation on the mobility and the number of charge carriers which take part in the conduction process.     

The Effect of Glass Transition Temperature on the Procedure of Microwave–Freeze Drying of Mushrooms (Agaricus bisporus)

Freeze drying (FD) yields the best quality of dried mushroom but at the cost of a long drying time and high overall cost. Air drying (AD) gives an unacceptably poor quality product. To achieve faster drying along with a high-quality product, a microwave–freeze drying (MFD) technique was developed to dry mushrooms. The relationship between dried mushroom quality and the glass transition temperature during the MFD process was studied to optimize the MFD process. According to the change tendency of the glass transition temperature of mushroom during MFD, a step-down microwave loading scheme for the MFD process was developed to obtain good product quality.     

Effect of yttria substitution on structure,optical and mechanical properties of (Gd,Y)2O3–MgO nanocomposite ceramics

A citrate-nitrate combustion method was applied to synthesize fine composite Gd_2-xY_xO₃-MgO (x = 0, 0.02, 0.2, 0.3, 0.4, 0.6) nanopowders. Y₂O₃ substitution inhibited Gd₂O₃ phase transition from cubic structure to monoclinic structure during sintering, thereby stabilizing its cubic structure to room temperature. This approach led to nanocomposite ceramics with a grain size of about 190 nm and increased the transmittance to 85% over the 3–5 μm wavelength range when x = 0.3. However, the addition of Y₂O₃ weakened the mechanic properties of the nanocomposite ceramics.     

Effect of a Bi–Cr–O synthetic multi-phase on the microstructure and electrical properties of ZnO–Bi2O3 varistor ceramics

ZnO–Bi₂O₃–MnO₂ (ZBM)-based varistors were fabricated via doping a novel synthetic multi-phase (SMP) additive produced by calcining the mixture of 18Bi₂O₃·Cr₂O₃ at a given temperature. The effects of the SMP on the microstructural and electrical properties of ZBM varistors were investigated. It was found that the SMP dopant was a compound crystalline phases including Bi–Cr–O phases (Bi_7.38Cr_0.62O_12+x and CrBi₁₈O₃₀) and small amounts of Bi₂O₃ rather than a synthesized polycrystal. The Bi–Cr–O phases were not emerged for samples with x=1, indicating that the amount of it is tiny and the small Bi₂O₃ may accelerate ZnO grain growth. With more SMP doping (x>1) in the ZBM ceramics, it acted as a barrier inhibiting grain growth. For samples with x=5, excellent electrical properties were obtained: the nonlinear coefficient α increased up to 50.19 corresponding to the highly barrier height of 2.62 eV; the leakage current I_L reduced to 0.3 μA. The dielectric constant ε_a is proportional to the ratio of the grain size d to the thickness of the depletion layer width t, which explained the ε_a increased at f=1 kHz for the samples with x=1 and 5. The improvement of the electrical properties can be explained by the oxygen absorption mechanism.     

Effect of Co-catalyst (CuO,CoO or NiO) on Bi2O3–TiO2 Structures and Its Impact on the Photocatalytic Reduction of 4-nitrophenol

Topics in Catalysis - CoO, NiO or CuO oxides were employed as co-catalysts on Bi2O3–TiO2 (BT) structure in the photocatalytic reduction of 4-nitrophenol under UV light irradiation. The...     

Effect of Li2CO3–Bi2O3 doping on the low-temperature sintering,structure, and dielectric and mechanical properties of MgO–TiO2(w) ceramics

Dense MgO–12% TiO₂(w) ceramics containing 12 wt% TiO₂, which were doped with Li₂CO₃–Bi₂O₃ composite sintering aids, were prepared at a low sintering temperature of 950 °C in this study. The effects of sintering additives on the sintering characteristics, phase composition, microstructure, and dielectric and mechanical properties of the ceramic samples were systematically investigated, and the influences of their phase composition and microstructure on the dielectric and mechanical properties were examined. The introduction of sintering aids produced a new Bi₄Ti₃O₁₂ phase in the sample structure, while the residual Bi₂O₃ mixed with the newly formed Mg₂TiO₄ and Bi₄Ti₃O₁₂ phases distributed at MgO grain boundaries formed a structure surrounding MgO grains. This structure filled the pores in the ceramic sample, which increased its density and enhanced the mechanical properties. At a Li₂CO₃–Bi₂O₃ content of 15 wt%, the density, flexural strength, and Vickers hardness of the ceramic samples reached their maximum values of 3.4 g/cm³, 218.9 MPa, and 778.7 HV, respectively. However, the further increase in the Li₂CO₃–Bi₂O₃ content deteriorated their dielectric properties although the dielectric constant and dielectric loss remained below 13.4 and 2.1 × 10⁻³, respectively. The findings of this work indicate that Li₂CO₃–Bi₂O₃ sintering aids can significantly lower the sintering temperature of MgO–12% TiO₂(w) ceramics and control their dielectric and mechanical properties through microstructural changes.     

Effect of Different Synthesis Approaches on Structural and Thermal Properties of Lanthanide(III) Metal–Organic Frameworks Based on the 1H-Pyrazole-3,5-Dicarboxylate Linker

Journal of Inorganic and Organometallic Polymers and Materials - The impact of different synthetic procedures such as: hydrothermal, mechanochemical and precipitation on the structure and thermal...     

Effect of Surfactants and Temperature on Adsorption Behavior of Metal Ions on Organic–Inorganic Hybrid Exchanger,Acrylamide Aluminum Tungstate

The adsorption behavior of a thermally and chemically stable hybrid ion-exchange material, acrylamide aluminum tungstate was explored in cationic (CTAB) and anionic (SDS) surfactants and acidic solvents. Critical micellar concentration (CMC) appears to be an important parameter in determining the adsorption behavior of metal ions. Equilibration time and temperature studies on the distribution coefficient of metal ions were studied. On the basis of the distribution coefficient, this material was successfully used for quantitative separations of some binary synthetic mixtures of metal ions by the column method. Hg(II) ion was selectively determined quantitatively in synthetic mixture. The material appears to be promising for separating toxic metal ions in a real matrix (industrial effluents and waste water) and can be utilized as a packing material in HPLC and GC columns for faster and more efficient separation.

Metal-Ion Type Effect on the Crystal Structure and Optical Properties of 2,2′-bipyridine Complexes of Pb(II) and Cd(II)

To investigate the effect of metal ion type on the crystal structure and optical and thermal behaviors of coordination compounds, two homometal and one heterometal 2,2′-bipyridine complexes of Pb(II) and Cd(II) have been synthesized and characterized by elemental analysis, PXRD, FT-IR and single crystal X-ray diffraction. Crystal structure analysis of heterometal coordination polymer, [Pb₂Cd(2,2′-bipy)₄(NO₃)₆]_n, displays the attendance of a centrosymmetric 1D coordination polymer that crystallizes in the triclinic system with the space group of \({\text{p}}_{1}^{ - }\). Thermal behavior of prepared coordination compounds was examined under air atmosphere by thermogravimetric analysis. The study of optical properties of compounds showed that metal ion type of coordination compounds is influential on their photophysical properties. Moreover, heterometal coordination polymer was doped into a PVK:PBD blend in two different concentrations as a light emitting material in the fabrication of two organic light-emitting diodes.     

Effect of carbon and tungsten content on the phase equilibria,microstructure, and mechanical properties of (Nb,W)C–Ni cermets

With the assistance of thermodynamic simulation, the NbC–Ni based cermets with different W and C additions were designed and sintered in liquid state at 1390°C for 90 min in vacuum. By controlling the carbon and tungsten content, (Nb,W)C–Ni based cermets were prepared with varied phase constitution, microstructure, and mechanical properties. The microstructure, composition of phases, grain size, and equilibrium phases were investigated using scanning electron microscopy, electron probe microanalysis, EBSD, and X-ray diffraction. The simulation reasonably predicted the experimentally observed phase constitutions. Depending on the additions, detailed analysis indicated that the cermets were composed of either a combination of cubic (Nb,W)C solid solution and Ni alloy binder or with an additional carbon-deficient phase. Furthermore, mechanical analysis showed a strong dependence of its mechanical properties (Vickers hardness, indentation toughness, and flexural strength) on the phases and NbC grain size.     

Effect of α-, β-, γ-, and δ-Tocotrienol on the Oxidative Stability of Lard

Despite the structural similarity of tocopherols, the antioxidative activities of tocotrienol homologues have not been studied often. In this study, the antioxidant activities of α-, β-, γ-, and δ-tocotrienols at various concentrations from 100 to 1,000 ppm in lard were evaluated. Headspace oxygen content of the lard without tocotrienol decreased from 21.1 to 10.7 % and the peroxide value increased from 0.4 to 33.4 mequiv/kg after 7 days of storage at 55 °C in the dark. α-Tocotrienol at 100 ppm and β-tocotrienol at 100 and 200 ppm effectively improved the oxidative stability of lard; however, the antioxidative activities of α- and β-tocotrienol reduced as the concentration increased to 1,000 ppm. The γ- and δ-tocotrienols improved the oxidation stability of lard and the effectiveness was essentially same at all concentrations (p > 0.05). The antioxidative activities of tocotrienols in the autoxidation of lard increased in the order of α-, β-, γ-, and δ-tocotrienols. The activities of tocotrienols in lard were different depending on the type of homologues and concentrations.     

Effect of end-group modification on the adsorption of poly(ethylene oxide)-b-poly(butylene oxide) diblock copolymers at the solid–liquid interface

The adsorption of poly(ethylene oxide)-b-poly(butylene oxide) diblock copolymers at the solid–liquid interface was studied using a quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation monitoring (QCM-D). The effect of modifying the end group of the hydrophilic block was investigated by comparing the behaviour of trimethylammonium- and dimethylamino-tipped copolymers, designated as TE _m B _n and DE _m B _n , respectively. For adsorption from aqueous solution onto a gold surface, results for DE₄₉B₂₂ were similar to those of the T-analogue, but for DE₈₀B₃₄ adsorbed amounts were substantially higher, and for DE₂₇B₂₅ enormously higher, than for the T-analogue. It is suggested that very high levels of adsorption are associated with the formation of a multilayer structure.     

Effects of Ca–Gd co-substitution on the structural,magnetic, and dielectric properties of M-type strontium hexaferrite

Sr_1−xCa_xFe_12−xGd_xO₁₉ (x = 0, 0.04, 0.08, 0.12, 0.16, 0.20) hexaferrites were characterized by several techniques, such as X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, and vibrating sample magnetometer. Structural results indicate the formation of a pure-phase Sr_1−xCa_xFe_12−xGd_xO₁₉ hexaferrite with space group P6₃/mmc. SEM photography confirms that there are a smaller number of defects due to the reduced porosity and surface area (increased particle size). Magnetic investigations showed a rise of the coercive force from 5069.8 to 5757.4 Oe and saturation magnetization from 79.25 to 80.68 emu/g. The maximum values appear to be for sample x = 0.16, which may be useful in such as permanent magnets, and high-density media for magnetic storage devices. Dielectric parameters, such as conductivity, the real part of permittivity, dielectric loss, dielectric tangent loss, and complex modulus, were studied. Impedance analysis shows that the conduction process is mainly governed by the long-range movement of the charge carriers based on the Debye model for x = 0.12.     

Effect of α-, β-, γ-, and δ-Tocotrienol on the Singlet Oxygen Oxidation of Lard

The impacts of four different types of tocotrienol homologues on the singlet oxygen oxidation of lard were evaluated by measuring the headspace oxygen content and the peroxide value. Singlet oxygen oxidation of lard was induced by chlorophyll photosensitization. Samples of 0.100, 0.250, and 0.400 M lard in methylene chloride containing chlorophyll and α‐, β‐, γ‐, or δ‐tocotrienol were prepared and stored under light at 3,000 lux for 4 h. All tocotrienol homologues at 1.20 mM significantly prevented the singlet oxygen oxidation of lard. Chlorophyll under light produced singlet oxygen at 1.09 μmol oxygen/mL headspace/h. A steady state kinetic study showed that tocotrienols reduced the singlet oxygen oxidation of lard by quenching the singlet oxygen. Singlet oxygen reacted with lard at 6.50 × 10⁴M^?1 s^?1. α‐, β‐, γ‐, and δ‐tocotrienol quenched singlet oxygen with the rate of 2.16, 1.99, 2.05, and 0.800 × 10⁷M^?1 s^?1, respectively. Among them, α‐tocotrienol significantly prevented singlet oxygen oxidation of lard.     

Microwave dielectric properties of ceramics based on CaTiO3–LnMO3 System (Ln–La,Nd; M–Al,Ga)

Structural features and microwave dielectric properties of LnMO₃–CaTiO₃ samples (where Ln stands for La or Nd, M stands for Al or Ga) are studied. Solid solutions with the rhombic perovskite structure are shown to be formed with increasing molar concentration of LnMO₃ up to ∼35% (for Ln–Nd, M–Al) or ∼40% (for Ln–La, M–Ga). Further increase of the neodymium aluminate or lanthanum gallate molar content in the solid solution up to 70% leads to formation of solid solutions with the tetragonal perovskite structure. A family of promising ceramics for application in the microwave technology with dielectric permittivity lying within the range from 43 to 48, the dielectric permittivity temperature coefficient being near to zero, and heightened quality factor (Q·f ⩾40,000 GHz) are obtained.