Study of the conversion of aromatic hydrocarbons on EMT-type zeolite: Influence of the partial substitution of Al by Ga

(Al,Ga)EMT-type zeolites (Al:Ga = 1:0, 0.75:0.25 and 0.5:0.5) were prepared and tested as catalysts in the gas-phase toluene–methanol alkylation and toluene–trimethylbenzene transalkylation. Various techniques including XRD, N₂ sorption, MAS NMR and SEM were used to monitor the physico-chemical properties of these solids. The results revealed a high purity and crystallinity of the materials, and that the Ga atoms are entirely incorporated into the framework. The ammonia TPD measurements indicated that the isomorphous substitution of aluminium by gallium leads to a decrease of both acidic strength and acid sites concentration. The catalytic performances of the EMT-type solids in the conversion of methylaromatic hydrocarbons were correlated with their acid properties. Thus, the less acidic (Al,Ga)EMT samples exhibited a lower activity, but a higher selectivity towards the xylenes formation by comparison with (Al)EMT.     

Nano or Not Nano? A Structured Approach for Identifying Nanomaterials According to the European Commission’s Definition

Identifying nanomaterials (NMs) according to European Union legislation is challenging, as there is an enormous variety of materials, with different physico‐chemical properties. The NanoDefiner Framework and its Decision Support Flow Scheme (DSFS) allow choosing the optimal method to measure the particle size distribution by matching the material properties and the performance of the particular measurement techniques. The DSFS leads to a reliable and economic decision whether a material is an NM or not based on scientific criteria and respecting regulatory requirements. The DSFS starts beyond regulatory requirements by identifying non‐NMs by a proxy approach based on their volume‐specific surface area. In a second step, it identifies NMs. The DSFS is tested on real‐world materials and is implemented in an e‐tool. The DSFS is compared with a decision flowchart of the European Commission’s (EC) Joint Research Centre (JRC), which rigorously follows the explicit criteria of the EC NM definition with the focus on identifying NMs, and non‐NMs are identified by exclusion. The two approaches build on the same scientific basis and measurement methods, but start from opposite ends: the JRC Flowchart starts by identifying NMs, whereas the NanoDefiner Framework first identifies non‐NMs.     

HIGH-SPEED PCA ENCRYPTION ALGORITHM USING RECONFIGURABLE COMPUTING

In this work, an originally bio-inspired cryptosystem is developed. It is based on the use of cellular automata (CAs) as pseudorandom bit generators and programmable cellular automata (PCA) to construct the block ciphering functions of the proposed enciphering scheme. The cryptosystem is featured by resistance on different types of attacks and high speed due to the cellular automata's parallel information processing property. The proposed architecture could be efficiently implemented in reconfigurable hardware like field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs) and could be applied in high-speed data communication. The project was implemented in two experimental hardware platforms based on Spartan 3 XC3S400fg456-4 and XILINX Spartan 3E XC3S500E.     

H 2 optimal control for a wide class of discrete-time linear stochastic systems

In this article, the problem of H ₂-control of a discrete-time linear system subject to Markovian jumping and independent random perturbations is considered. Different H ₂ performance criteria (often called H ₂-norms) are introduced and characterised via solutions of some suitable linear equations on certain spaces of symmetric matrices. Some aspects specific to the discrete-time framework are revealed. The problem of optimisation of H ₂-norms is solved under the assumption that full state vector is available for measurements. One shows that among all stabilising controllers of higher dimension, the best performance is achieved by a zero-order controller. The corresponding feedback gain of the optimal controller is constructed based on the stabilising solution of a system of discrete-time generalised Riccati equations.     

Compatibility of polystyrene/polyolefin blends containing compatibilizing agents, 2. Extraction behavior

Polystyrene (PS)/polyolefin (PO) blends in various mixing ratios compatibilized by a triblock copolymer polystyrene‐block‐poly(ethene‐co‐butylene)‐block‐polystyrene (SEBS) and a diblock copolymer polystyrene‐block‐poly(ethene‐co‐propene) (SEP) and subsequently γ‐irradiated were prepared. The blends have been subjected to extraction in different solvents (chloroform or toluene) for various periods of time to obtain porous films. The efficiency of the extraction and the morphology of the films have been assessed by infrared spectrometry (IR), optical and electronic microscopy, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and thermogravimetry (TG); glass transition, melting heat, thermal stability, overall kinetic parameters and weight losses have been evaluated. The extraction behavior is close related to compatibility of the components, so on the base of the obtained results optima compatibility ratios have been established.     

V-, Mo- and W-containing layered double hydroxides as effective catalysts for mild oxidation of thioethers and thiophenes with H2O2

Catalytic oxidation of thioethers and thiophene derivatives with H₂O₂ was performed at 40 °C and atmospheric pressure, in presence of W-, V- and Mo-containing layered double hydroxides (LDH). The catalysts were prepared by direct ion exchange with metal-oxoanions, i.e. WO₄²⁻, W₇O₂₄⁶⁻, V₂O₇⁴⁻, V₁₀O₂₈⁶⁻, MoO₄²⁻ and Mo₇O₂₄⁶⁻, of the LDH containing aluminum and magnesium atoms in the brucite layer. All the catalysts showed good activity and selectivity in the sulfoxidation reaction, but the catalyst performances strongly depended on the nature of the anion species intercalated in the interlayer gallery. Thus, the W-based LDH was more active and more stable than the V-LDH and Mo-LDH catalysts. The conversion of sulfur-containing compounds is also dependent on the nucleophilicity of substrates and the following order of reactivity was observed benzothiophene < dibenzothiophene < diphenyl-sulfide < benzyl-phenyl-sulfide < methyl-phenyl-sulfide.     

Initial value problem for fuzzy differential equations under dissipative conditions

A new concept of inner product on the fuzzy space (Eⁿ,D) is introduced, studied and used to prove several theorems stating the existence, uniqueness and boundedness of solutions of fuzzy differential equations. A stability result is also proved in the same context.     

Iron oxide colloids and their heterogenization by silica sol–gel entrapment: Catalytic and magnetic properties

Fe₃O₄ colloids modified by the chiral ligand cinchonidine were prepared with the goal of obtaining a magnetic and catalytic nano-material and were subsequently embedded in silica to form a heterogeneous catalyst. The systems were characterized by TEM and XRD measurements, while the Mössbauer technique was applied for measuring the magnetic properties of the Fe₃O₄ colloids. The hyperfine magnetic field distribution was consistent with one type of Fe oxide, namely, the magnetite (Fe₃O₄). These colloids, both as ‘quasi-homogenous catalysts’ (or soluble heterogeneous catalysts) and embedded in silica (heterogeneous catalysts) were employed in the selective hydrogenolysis of complex bicyclo[2.2.2]oct-7-enes (bicyclo[2.2.2]oct-2-enes when unsubstituted).     

New arylidene–siloxane polyethers: Liquid‐crystalline and photosensitive properties

By polycondensation reactions, starting from α, ω‐bis(chloromethyl)polydimethylsiloxanes with different molecular weights and 2,6‐bis(4‐hydroxybenzylidene)cyclohexanone, new polyethers were obtained. The structure of resulting polymers was confirmed by IR and ¹H‐NMR spectroscopy and their thermal properties and mesophase behavior were studied by TGA, DSC, and polarizing light microscopy. Depending on the length of the siloxane spacer, some of the obtained compounds exhibited thermotropic liquid‐crystalline properties. A possible smectic texture was investigated by X‐ray diffraction measurements at room temperature. A decrease of the transition temperatures values was observed as the spacer length increased. The photochemical behavior of the siloxane polyethers was studied by ultraviolet absorption spectroscopy. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 90: 3093–3099, 2003     

On the compatibility of polystyrene/acrylonitrile-butadiene-g-styrene copolymer/solvent system

Summary Influence of the temperature on the compatibility of the polystyrene / AB-g-S graft copolymer / cyclohexanone have been studied by light scattering and viscosity measurement. It was established that the compatibility of components is changed in the temperature range where the conformational transitions take place.