Enhancement of the electrical properties of poly(p‐phenylene vinylene) by the incorporation of silicon dioxide nanoparticles

The electrical properties of a poly(p‐phenylene vinylene) (PPV) conjugated polymer using silver (Ag) as a cathode were improved by the incorporation of silicon dioxide (SiO₂) nanoparticles. The current density of the Ag–PPV/SiO₂ nanocomposite system was higher than that of Ag–PPV. A lower level of interfacial oxidation was found in the Ag–PPV/SiO₂ nanocomposite than in Ag–PPV, confirming that a more complete elimination of residue occurred in the nanocomposite. This was due to the relatively large surface area of the PPV/SiO₂ nanocomposite film and the hydrophilic surface of the SiO₂ nanoparticles. The lower level of oxidation contributed to an improvement in the material's current–voltage characteristics. Morphology‐dependent current–voltage characteristics were enhanced by a large variation in the thickness of the Ag–PPV/SiO₂ nanocomposite film because an increased effective field strength could be induced in the thinner regions of the film. The incorporation of SiO₂ nanoparticles altered the effective film thickness and the amount of residue in the interior of the PPV without disrupting the structure of the conjugated polymer. The Ag cathode created a stable interface with the PPV film layer without causing the formation of an organic–metal complex, which would have obstructed electron injection. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2010     

Branched and curved nanotubular polyaniline synthesized by emulsion polymerization in presence of zinc salts of n-dodecylbenzenesulfonic acid

The presence of zinc salts of DBSA (n-dodecylbenzenesulfonic acid), designated as Zn(DBSA)₂, induced some branches and curvature of the resultant polyaniline nanotubes. These branched or curved nanotubes can be clearly seen from their SEM and TEM micrographs taken for various polyaniline nanotubes prepared in the presence of Zn(DBSA)₂. For branched or curved polyaniline nanotubes, the conjugation chain length can be monitored by the position of their λ_maxs in the UV-Vis-NIR spectra.     

Synthesis and characterization of cross-linkable ruthenium dye with ion coordinating property for dye-sensitized solar cells

Crosslinkable ruthenium complex dye, Ru(2,2′-bipyridine-4,4′-bicarboxylic acid)(4,4′-bis((4-vinyl benzyloxy)methyl)-2,2′-bipyridine)(NCS)₂ (denoted as Ru-S dye), was synthesized and characterized using ¹H-NMR, ¹³C-NMR, Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) and UV/vis spectroscopies.The power conversion efficiency of dye-sentitized solar cell (DSSC) using Ru-S and liquid electrolyte containing lithium iodide (LiI) reached 7.53% under standard global AM 1.5 full sunlight, which is partly attributed to Li⁺ being coordinated by Ru-S as verified by ATR-FTIR spectroscopy. As Ru-S was further crosslinked with glycerol propoxylate triacrylate (GPTA), not only 89% of dye retained on TiO₂ mesoporous surface after rinsed by 0.1 N NaOH aqueous solution, the power efficiency was also increased to 7.88%. As poly(methyl acrylate) was used to gel the electrolyte system, the power efficiency of DSSC with Ru-S dye was 6.96% but increased to 7.57% after crosslinking with GPTA. Notably, both DSSCs showed a good long-term stability after one month storage.     

A fabrication technique for a UO2 pellet consisting of UO2 grains and a continuous W channel on the grain boundary

A new fabrication process of UO₂-W composite fuel has been studied in order to improve the thermal conductivity of the UO₂ pellet by the addition of a small amount of W. A fabrication process was designed from the phase equilibria among tungsten, tungsten oxides and UO₂. The conventionally sintered UO₂ pellet which contains W particles is heat-treated in an oxidizing gas and then in a reducing gas. In the oxidizing heat-treatment W particles are oxidized and liquid tungsten oxide penetrates within the UO₂ grain boundary, and in the reducing heat-treatment liquid oxide is transformed to solid tungsten which forms a continuous channel along the UO₂ grain boundary. This developed technique can provide a continuous W channel covering UO₂ grains for a UO₂-W composite fuel even with a small amount of a metal phase - below 6 vol.%. The thermal diffusivity of the UO₂-6 vol.%W cermet composite increases by about 80% when compared with that of a pure UO₂ pellet.     

Cloning and disruption of the antigenic catalase gene of Aspergillus fumigatus

Aspergillus fumigatus possesses two catalases (described as fast and slow on the basis of their electrophoretic mobility). The slow catalase has been recognized as a diagnostic antigen for aspergillosis in immunocompetent patients. The antigenic catalase has been purified. The enzyme is a tetrameric protein composed of 90-kDa subunits. The corresponding cat1 gene was cloned, and sequencing data show that the cat1 gene codes for a 728-amino-acid polypeptide. A recombinant protein expressed in Pichia pastoris is enzymatically active and has biochemical and antigenic properties that are similar to those of the wild-type catalase. Molecular experiments reveal that CAT1 contains a signal peptide and a propeptide of 15 and 12 amino acid residues, respectively. cat1-disrupted mutants that were unable to produce the slow catalase were as sensitive to H2O2 and polymorphonuclear cells as the wild-type strain. In addition, there was no difference in pathogenicity between the cat1 mutant and its parental cat1+ strain in a murine model of aspergillosis.     

Discoloration mechanism of polymer surface in contact with air–water interface

The white-colored inner surface of a polypropylene (PP) material containing water discolored and turned yellow. The discoloration occurred selectively on the surface at the point of contact with the air–water interface. Since the polymer surface was exposed to water in darkness at room temperature, no sign of deterioration or degradation of the polymer at the discolored surface was confirmed. This study conducts an in-depth analysis of the discoloration mechanism of the polymer surface. A variety of technical approaches, including microscopic, spectroscopic, and chromatographic analysis techniques, were used to investigate the nature of discoloration and the root cause. From the analysis results, the discoloration was ascribed principally to a phenol transformation compound having the structure of a quinone methide, which was identified as a degradation product of a primary antioxidant. Based on the observations and experimental results, a plausible discoloration mechanism was proposed.     

Insights on Ceramics as Dental Materials. Part II: Chemical Surface Treatments

The purpose of surface treatment (conditioning) methods on dental ceramics is to improve the retention and bonding between the enamel or the dentin and ceramic veneer, with the help of resin composite luting cements. These types of surface treatments include chemically altering the surface of ceramics with some specific acidic etchants followed by applying a silane coupling agent (silane). The silane currently used in dentistry is 3-methacryloxypropyltrimethoxysilane, a hybrid organic–inorganic trialkoxy ester monomer, which is diluted in an acidified water-ethanol solvent system. Such silane primers are said to be pre-hydrolyzed. Some oxide ceramics with high crystalline content, such as alumina and zirconia, cannot be easily etched with acid etchants. They should be silica-coated and silanized prior to bonding. A silane coupling agent should be applied after silica-coating to the ceramic surface to achieve chemical bonding and the optimal durable bond strength.     

Expression characteristics of the maeA and maeB genes by extracellular malate and pyruvate in Escherichia coli

The malate-pyruvate conversion pathway is catalyzed by two malic enzyme isomers, MaeA and MaeB. qRT-PCR was carried out under malate and pyruvate supplemented conditions to understand the dynamics of maeA and maeB gene expression. maeA expression was elevated by malate, and maeB expression was inhibited by levels of both malate and pyruvate higher than 0.1 mM. Green fluorescent protein (GFP) reporter plasmids were also constructed by integration of the maeA/maeB promoter with the gfp gene. We showed that maeA driven GFP expression was positively and negatively correlated with extracellular malate and pyruvate induction. In contrast, no significant changes in maeB driven GFP expression were observed under both malate and pyruvate supplemented conditions.     

A Novel Method for Enhanced Recovery of Lignin from Aqueous Process Streams

Abstract

This study demonstrates that acid precipitation of lignin in the presence of magnetite followed by an applied magnetic field provides a simple method for enhanced lignin recovery from an aqueous stream. The extraction procedure was shown to be sensitive to the relative charge of magnetite and solution pH. Under optimized conditions, 93 wt.% of the softwood lignin from a kraft cooking liquor could be recovered employing this novel separation approach.     

Effects of a Shroud Tube on Flow Field and Particle Behavior Inside a Bag-Filter Vessel

A shroud tube was used to decrease the amount of particles toward the bag filters from whole particles entering a filter vessel. The effects of the shroud tube on the flow field and particle behavior inside the vessel were studied. The air mixed with dust particles enters the vessel through a tangential inlet duct. Some of the particles are deposited on the inside wall of the vessel and the surface of the shroud tube. The other ones are collected on the filter surface or passed through it. The particles deposited on the wall surfaces fall into a hopper by gravity, and those collected on filters are removed by back pulse-jet flow. Computational simulation was performed to know the prereduction rate of particles by deposition on the wall surfaces for the different shroud tubes. The experiment was accomplished with some shroud tubes suggested by the results of computational simulation, and the experimental results were compared qualitatively with the computational results. The shroud tube blocked the direct transport of particles toward the bag filters and reduced the particle loading onto the filters. The particle loading was reduced when the upper region of the vessel was not blocked by the shroud tube more than when the vessel was blocked wholly with the filters from the upper end wall. However, the re-entrainment of the particles removed from the filters by the back pulse cleaning increased when the upper region of the vessel was not blocked by the shroud tube more than when the vessel was blocked wholly with the filters from the upper end wall.