Sonochemical synthesis of Pt-doped Pd nanoparticles with enhanced electrocatalytic activity for formic acid oxidation reaction

Pt-doped Pd nanoparticle catalysts (Pd _n Pt, n is 12, 15 and 19) supported on carbon were synthesized by an ultrasound assisted polyol method. The catalysts were characterized by X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. The electrochemical activity of the electrocatalysts was investigated in terms of formic acid oxidation reaction (FAOR) at low concentration of formic acid in 0.1 M perchloric acid at room temperature. Formic acid oxidation on the Pd _n Pt/C commences at lower potential than a commercial Pt/C. Pd₁₉Pt/C catalyst showed the highest catalytic activity in FAOR compared to that of other catalysts. The obtained electrochemical results from voltammograms indicate that Pt-doped Pd catalysts can be a promising candidate for the anode material in direct formic acid fuel cells. The synthesis procedure is not only a very facile route but also a mass producible method for preparing carbon supported alloy nanoparticles.     

Enhancing the Stability of CuO Thin-Film Photoelectrodes by Ti Alloying

A major drawback for CuO as an efficient photocathode in photoelectrochemical (PEC) water splitting is its instability in aqueous solution. In this paper, we report that Ti alloying can enhance the stability of CuO in PEC water splitting but at the cost of reduced crystallinity and optical absorption, and therefore reduced photocurrent. We further report that a balance between the stability and photocurrent can be realized by a bilayer configuration—a thin Ti-alloyed CuO layer on a pure CuO thin film. Our results indicate that the thickness of the top Ti-alloyed CuO layer should be optimized to realize the best stability and photocurrent.     

Structural,Dielectric, and Magnetic Properties of Ba-Doped Multiferroic Bismuth Ferrite

The main focus of the research was to correlate the microstructure with dielectric and magnetic properties of Bi1-xBaxFeO3 samples. Bi1-xBaxFeO3 samples(x = 0.1, 0.2 and 0.3) were synthesized by the conventional solid-state reaction method using nano-powders of Bi2O3, Fe2O3, and BaCO3. Thereafter, field emission scanning electron microscope and X-ray diffraction(XRD) techniques were used to examine the structure and phase of the samples. Phase analysis by XRD indicated that the single-phase perovskite structure was formed with possible increment in lattice parameter with increasing Ba doping. Complex permeability(u'iand u'i) measured using impedance analyzer confirmed the increase in magnetic property with increasing Ba doping. Finally, dielectric constant(k) was analyzed as a function of temperature at different frequencies. Dielectric constant as high as 2900 was attained in this research for Bi0.8Ba0.2FeO3 sample due to reduction in leakage current at this composition.     

Fabrication and Characterization of CZTS Thin Films Prepared by the Sulfurization of RF-Sputtered Stacked Metal Precursors

In this work, Cu₂ZnSnS₄ (CZTS) thin films were prepared by the sulfurization of metal precursors deposited sequentially via radio frequency magnetron sputtering on Mo-coated soda-lime glass. The stack order of the precursors was Mo/Zn/Sn/Cu. Sputtered precursors were annealed in sulfur atmosphere with nine different conditions to study the impact of sulfurization time and substrate temperature on the structural, morphological, and optical properties of the final CZTS films. X-ray fluorescence was used to determine the elemental composition ratio of the metal precursors. Final CZTS films were characterized by x-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and energy-dispersive spectroscopy (EDS). XRD and EDS were combined to investigate the films’ structure and to identify the presence of secondary phases. XRD analysis indicated an improvement in film crystallinity with an increase of the substrate temperature and annealing times. Also indicated was the minimization and/or elimination of secondary phases when the films experienced longer annealing time. EDS revealed slight Sn loss in films sulfurized at 550°C; however, an increase of the sulfurization temperature to 600°C did not confirm these results. SEM study showed that films treated with higher temperatures exhibited dense morphology, indicating the completion of the sulfurization process. The estimated absorption coefficient was on the order of 10⁴ cm^?1 for all CZTS films, and the values obtained for the optical bandgap energy of the films were between 1.33 eV and 1.52 eV.     

Developing Equations for Estimating Reference Evapotranspiration in Australia

Quantifying reference evapotranspiration (ET₀) is essential in water resources management. Although, many methods have been developed with different level of accuracy, in this study, two new equations were developed and optimized for estimating ET₀ using Honey-Bee Mating Optimization (HBMO) algorithm. The first eq. estimates ET₀ from extraterrestrial radiation (R_a), relative humidity (RH) and mean daily temperature (T_mean), while the second uses the same parameters except that mean daily temperatures is replaced with maximum daily air temperature (T_max). Both equations were developed using climatic data from eight weather stations in Western Australia and subsequently verified using data from ten sites across Australia. The estimated ET₀ values from both equations versus the FAO56-Penman-Monteith have a coefficient of determination, R², of larger than 0.96. Moreover, the performance of six commonly used methods of estimating ET₀ including Hargreaves-Samani, Thornthwaith, Hamon, Mc Guinness-Bordne, Irmak and Jensen-Haise were assessed and the Hargreaves-Samani method performed better than others. An attempt was made to calibrate the Hargreaves-Samani equation; however, its overall performance did not improved and the two newly proposed equations are suggested to be used in Australia.     

Susceptibility of Rhyzopertha dominica to ionizing radiation

The effects of ionizing radiation doses between 1 and 20 krad on all stages of Rhyzopertha dominica were studied. Adult emergence from treated eggs and larvae was prevented by 4 and 8 krad respectively. Doses up to 20 krad to pupae only slightly reduced the emergence of adults. However there was considerable (up to 30 per cent) mortality of the adults within 8 hours of eclosion. The 20 krad dose caused very high mortality of adults from irradiated pupae and of irradiated adults within 3–5 weeks. Complete sterility, as evidenced by the lack of an F₁ generation, was induced in pupae by a dose of 14 krad and in adults by 11·5 krad.     

Negative regulation of the neu promoter by the SV40 large T antigen

We investigated the effect of transforming growth factor-beta 1 (TGF beta) on the proliferation and differentiation of cultured acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL) cells with the chromosomal t(15;17) translocation obtained from four patients to determine the role of TGF beta on growth and differentiation of APL cells. DNA synthesis, determined by 3H-thymidine uptake, was inhibited in the presence and absence of granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) in a dose-dependent manner by TGF beta in APL cells obtained from three of the four cases. TGF beta and G-CSF did not significantly affect the differentiation of APL cells, but all-trans retinoic acid (RA) induced morphological and functional differentiation in all APL cells tested. G-CSF markedly enhanced RA-induced granulocytic differentiation in APL cells obtained from all four cases. In cells in which TGF beta inhibited DNA synthesis, it also inhibited RA-induced granulocytic differentiation of APL cells and, to a greater degree, granulocytic differentiation induced by RA plus G-CSF. These results suggest that TGF beta is a negative regulator of the proliferation and differentiation of APL cells. The significance of TGF beta as an endogenous regulator in differentiation therapy with RA of APL patients is discussed.