Surface Cross-Linked Poly (Vinyl Alcohol) Hydrogel for Colon Targeted Drug Release

A series of surface cross-linked PVA hydrogels (previously bulk cross-linked with maleic anhydride) were prepared for different cross-linker (glutaraldehyde) concentration. FTIR-ATR study revealed the cross-linking reaction. Surface cross-linking results in contraction of pores and increase in hydrophobicity, pore tortuosity around the surface of the membrane. As a result swelling, drug release decreases with increasing glutaraldehyde concentration. After surface cross-linking swelling of the hydrogels in simulated gastric fluid (SGF) further decreased to attain half of the value as observed for only bulk cross-linked membranes. Surface cross-linking has improved the colon-targeted release characteristics of the drugs from the PVA hydrogels.     

Crystallographic relationship of orthorhombic φ-Al5Mg11Zn4 phase to icosahedral quasicrystalline phase

The orthorhombic φ-Al₅Mg₁₁Zn₄ phase is known to be related to quasicrystalline phases, but the exact relationship has not been shown yet. In this study, the relationship of this phase to the icosahedral quasicrystalline phase is explored through analysis of the electron diffraction patterns. It is shown that icosahedral coordinations in three orientations occur in the unit cell - one with three mutually perpendicular twofold axes along 〈1 0 0〉 of the unit cell, and two with a twofold axis along [1 0 0] and a fivefold along [0 0 1]. In this, this phase is similar to aluminum and zinc based hexagonal phases which are related to quasicrystals.     

Synthesis of Co_3O_4 Nanoparticles Wrapped Within Full Carbon Matrix as an Anode Material for Lithium Ion Batteries

A facile polyol-assisted pyro-synthesis method was used to synthesize Co_3O_4 nanoparticles embedded into carbon matrix without using any conventional carbon source. The surface analysis by scanning electron microscopy showed that the Co_3O_4 nanoparticles(~20 ± 5 nm) are tightly enwrapped within the carbon matrix. CHN analysis determined the carbon content was only 0.11% in the final annealed sample. The Co_3O_4@carbon exhibited high capacities and excellent cycling performance as an anode at various current rates(such as 914.4 and 515.5 mAh g~(-1) at 0.25 and1.0 C, respectively, after 50 cycles; 318.2 mAh g~(-1) at a high current rate of 5.0 C after 25 cycles). This superior electrochemical performance of the electrode can be attributed to the various aspects, such as,(1) the existence of carbon matrix, which acts as a flexible buffer to accommodate the volume changes during Li~+ion insertion/deinsertion and facilitates the fast Li~+and electron transfer and(2) the anchoring of Co_3O_4 nanoparticles within the carbon matrix prevents particles agglomeration.     

Effect of Sintering Temperature and Heating Rate on Crystallite Size,Densification Behaviour and Mechanical Properties of Al-MWCNT Nanocomposite Consolidated via Spark Plasma Sintering

Powder mixture of ball-milled aluminium and functionalized multi-walled carbon nanotubes was compacted via spark plasma sintering(SPS) to study effects of sintering temperature and heating rate. An increase in sintering temperature led to an increase in crystallite size and density, whereas an increase in heating rate exerted the opposite effect. The crystallite size and relative density increased by 85.0% and 14.3%, respectively, upon increasing the sintering temperature from 400 to 600 °C, whereas increasing the heating rate from 25 to 100 °C/min led to respective reduction by 30.0% of crystallite size and 1.8% of relative density. The total punch displacement during SPS for the nanocomposite sintered at 600 °C(1.96 mm) was much higher than that of the sample sintered at 400 °C(1.02 mm) confirming positive impact of high sintering temperature on densification behaviour. The maximum improvement in mechanical properties was exhibited by the nanocomposite sintered at 600 °C at a heating rate of 50 °C/min displaying microhardness of 81 ± 3.6 VHN and elastic modulus of 89 ± 5.3 GPa. The nanocomposites consolidated at 400 °C and 100 °C/min, in spite of having relatively smaller crystallite size, exhibited poor mechanical properties indicating the detrimental effect of porosity on the mechanical properties.     

Optimum dynamic design of flexible robotic manipulator

A closed form solution to Optimum Dynamic Design (ODD) of a flexible link Robotic Manipulator is derived considering the link to be the Euler–Bernoulli beam. The Finite Element Model (FEM) for dynamic equation is solved to maximize the stiffness and minimize the mass in the formulation of ODD procedure. The optimum pre-assigned parameters of link end deflections and the maximum payload capacity form the constraint inputs. The redundant progressive series formed as an objective function is solved by Optimal Interface Theory, briefed in the Appendix. The philosophy of Interface Theory lies in the observation that with the progression, the grip improves and the grasp diminishes under the loads of the physical world problems. For the theoretical analysis, the manipulator link is considered to be a revolute jointed with two degrees of freedom (DOF)—a deflection and a rotation at each node. Based on the requirements of better productivity and higher precision in high speed industrial robots, the platform for the maximization of stiffness, minimization of mass has been prepared to demonstrate the ODD procedure. In the ODD problem, the deflection, velocity and acceleration vectors act as grip coefficients and the stiffness, damping and the mass are considered as the grasp variables.     

Copper nanoparticles catalysed an efficient one-pot multicomponents synthesis of chromenes derivatives and its antibacterial activity

In this study, copper nanoparticles (Cu NPs) were synthesised by using diethylenetriamine as a protective agent in chemical reduction method. The obtained nanoparticles were characterised by various spectroscopic techniques like powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), UV–visible spectroscopy, energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and thermal analysis (TG/DTA). The structure and composition were estimated by PXRD, FTIR, EDS, UV–visible and TG/DTA techniques, while particles size and morphology behaviours were investigated by SEM and TEM instrumentation. A noteworthy, average particle size of nanoparticles was found around 40 nm with spherical shapes. Furthermore, the applications part of NPs were studied as a catalyst for one-pot solvent-free green synthesis of 3,4-dihydropyrano[c]chromenes from different aromatic aldehydes, malonitrile and 4-hydroxycoumarin by stirring at 80 °C. Moreover, the antibacterial properties of NPs were assessed in vitro against human bacterial pathogen such as Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Klebsiella sp. and Pseudomonas aruginosa using agar well diffusion method. Gram positive bacteria S. aureus (18 mm) exhibited a maximum zone of inhibition at 60 µg/ml of Cu NPs. Nonetheless, antibacterial activities of Cu NPs (10–100 µg) were compared with four well-known antibiotics likes amikacin (30 mcg), ciprofloxacin (5 mcg), gentamicin (5 mcg) and norfloxacin (10 mcg). This study indicates that Cu NPs exhibited a strong antibacterial activity against all the test pathogens even at lower concentration.