Characterisation and optical vapour sensing properties of PMMA thin films

The present article reports on the characterisation of spin coated thin films of poly (methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) for their use in organic vapour sensing application. Thin film properties of PMMA are studied by UV–visible spectroscopy, atomic force microscopy and surface plasmon resonance (SPR) technique. Results obtained show that homogeneous thin films with thickness in the range between 6 and 15 nm have been successfully prepared when films were spun at speeds between 1000?5000 rpm. Using SPR technique, the sensing properties of the spun films were studied on exposures to several halohydrocarbons including chloroform, dichloromethane and trichloroethylene. Data from measured kinetic response have been used to evaluate the sensitivity of the studied films to the various analyte molecules in terms of normalised response (%) per unit concentration (ppm). The highest PMMA film sensitivity of 0.067 normalised response per ppm was observed for chloroform vapour, for films spun at 1000 rpm. The high film's sensitivity to chloroform vapour was ascribed mainly to its solubility parameter and molar volume values. Effect of film thickness on the vapour sensing properties is also discussed.     

Application of environmental impact quotient model to Kumluca region, Turkey to determine environmental impacts of pesticides.

Besides the new developments in agricultural technology, intensive use of pesticides poses a great environmental hazard. The unthinking use of pesticides leads to contamination of air, water and soil. There are several pesticide risk indicator models available in the literature to assess pesticide impacts on the applicator and the ecosystem which is an important issue. This paper refers to an application of a pesticide risk indicator model, called Environmental Impact Quotient (EIQ) which was developed to measure the environmental impacts of pesticide active ingredients used in vegetable and fruit production. The application site is the Kumluca region of Turkey, which is well known for its intensive agricultural activities. As the first step in the model application, EIQ values have been calculated for 35 commonly used pesticides in Kumluca. EIO values were then turned into EIQ field use rating results based on the active ingredient percent and application rate. Furthermore, some pesticide management scenarios were evaluated to select the least detrimental pesticide by comparing EIO model results. The EIO model is an easily applied and very helpful tool for pest management practitioners and agricultural specialists. It can be used efficiently to compare different agricultural pest management strategies or programs.     

Synthesis,Characterization, and Thermoelectric Properties of Electrospun Boron-Doped Barium-Stabilized Bismuth-Cobalt Oxide Nanoceramics

In this study, the boron-doped barium-stabilized bismuth cobalt oxide thermoelectric nanocrystalline ceramic powders were produced by the polymeric precursor technique. The powders were characterized by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, and the physical properties measurement system. The X-ray diffraction results showed that these patterns have mixture of two phases as face-centered cubic and body-centered cubic. Values of the crystallite size, the dislocation density, and the microstrain were calculated by the Scherrer equation. According to these values, the crystallite size decreased from 60 to 51 nm with the boron addition in the boron-undoped and boron-doped samples, respectively. The scanning electron microscope results showed that nanograins are rarely seen in the boron-undoped samples, but nanograins turn into needle-like and layered structures with boron addition. The diameters distribution of nanofibers was calculated. The average diameter of the boron-doped sample is smaller than the boron-undoped sample. The physical properties measurement system values showed that the electrical and thermal conductivity, the Seebeck coefficient, and the figure of merit increased with the temperature rise for both samples. The boron-doping effect increased the electrical and thermal conductivity, decreased the Seebeck coefficient, and decreased the figure of merit.     

Microstructure–property relationship in textured ZnO-based varistors

The relationship between microstructure texturing and electrical characteristics of a ZnO-based varistor system was investigated in comparison with a varistor system having the same chemical composition but conventional microstructure. Highly textured ZnO-based varistors were produced via the templated grain growth (TGG) technique. Stereological analysis, electron back-scattered diffractometry (EBSD) and X-ray diffractometry (XRD) were conducted to analyze texture development and orientation distribution. The degree of orientation, r, calculated from the (0 0 0 1) EBSD pole figure, was 0.34; the texture fraction, f (Lotgering factor), calculated from the XRD data, was 0.98 for the samples produced via TGG. The threshold voltages were found to be anisotropic, consistent with the observed morphological texture. The non-linear coefficients, α, did not exhibit a significant difference as a function of direction, even in the highly textured samples. However, different types of grain boundary characteristics depending on the direction were identified with 0.42, 0.69 and 1.14 eV Schottky barrier heights.     

Does laser etching have an effect on application mode of a universal adhesive?—A microleakage and scanning electron microscopy evaluation

This study aimed to evaluate the microleakage of a universal adhesive's different application modes incorporated with Er,Cr:YSGG laser on Class V resin composite restorations. Sound human molar teeth (n = 30) were used for microleakage evaluations. Specimens with 60 standardized Class V cavities were divided into five groups according to the adhesive modes of universal adhesive, Adhese Universal (n = 12). Group 1‐etch‐and‐rinse mode with phosphoric acid; Group 2‐etch‐and‐rinse mode with Er,Cr:YSGG laser; Group 3‐selective‐etch mode with phosphoric acid; Group 4‐selective‐etch mode with Er,Cr:YSGG laser; Group 5‐self‐etch. After restorations were performed with a resin composite, Tetric N‐Ceram, the specimens were polished and subjected to thermocycling (10,000X). Following immersion in 0.5% basic fuschin for a day, the teeth were sectioned and the degree of microleakage was determined along the tooth‐resin composite interface using a light microscopy(40X). Five specimens from each group were examined by scanning electron microscopy. The Kruskal–Wallis, Siegel Castello, and Wilcoxon tests were used for statistical analyses (α = .05). At the enamel margins, significant differences were obtained among the groups (p < .05). Significantly higher microleakage scores were detected in Group 5 in comparison with Groups 1, 2, and 3. There were no significant differences between different adhesive strategies at the dentin margins (p > .05). While analyzing enamel and dentin microleakage scores, no statistically significant differences were observed in Groups 4 and 5 (p > .05). The laser application time and the adhesive modes of universal adhesives could affect the microleakage at the enamel margins. Different adhesive modes of universal adhesives combined with laser etching had no influence on the microleakage scores of dentin margins.     

Electrocatalytic Performances of Carbon Supported Metallophthalocyanine and Pt/Metallophthalocyanine Catalysts Towards Dioxygen Reduction in Acidic Medium

Electrocatalytic performances of phthalocyanines (Pcs) involving N-benzyl-4-phenyloxyacetamide moieties, dispersed on a high-surface area carbon substrate, Vulcan XC-72 (VC) and Nafion (Nf), towards oxygen reduction in acidic medium were determined and compared. The VC/Nf/CoPc(5) catalyst showed much higher catalytic activity than those of the other Pc(1–4)-based catalysts (H₂Pc 1, ZnPc 2, NiPc 3 and CuPc 4) and that of unsubstituted CoPc-based one. The comparison of the performance of VC/Nf/Pt-5 dual catalyst with that of VC/Nf/Pt one indicated that the former can be a good alternative to the latter as a cathode catalyst both in direct methanol and H₂/O₂ fuel cell applications.     

Microstructural, geochemical and geomechanical properties of caliche deposits from the Adana Basin, Turkey

The 1998 Ceyhan (Adana, Turkey) earthquake caused major damage to construction on caliche formations. Caliche (a heterogenous secondary calcium carbonate deposit formed in arid and semi-arid regions) is widespread in the Adana area. The paper distinguishes three types of caliche: massive, containing vegetation remains and containing gravel. The porosity, water absorption and unconfined compressive strength of these three groups of caliche were determined. The compressive strengths are low compared to caliches in other areas—an important consideration as Adana is the fourth largest city in Turkey.