Flexible and Conductive 3D Printable Polyvinylidene Fluoride and Poly(N,N‐dimethylacrylamide) Based Gel Polymer Electrolytes

In this work, 3D printable gel polymer electrolytes (GPEs) based on N,N‐dimethylacrylamide (DMAAm) and polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) in lithium chloride containing ethylene glycol solution are synthesized and their physicochemical properties are investigated. 3D printing is carried out with a customized stereolithography type 3D gel printer named “Soft and Wet Intelligent Matter‐Easy Realizer” and free forming GPE samples having variable shapes and sizes are obtained. Printed PVDF/PDMAAm‐based GPEs exhibit tunable mechanical properties and favorable thermal stability. Electrochemical proprieties of the printed GPEs are carried out via impedance spectroscopy in the temperature range of 25–90 °C by varying PVDF content. Ionic conductivity as high as 6.5 × 10^?4 S cm^?1 is achieved at room temperature for GPE containing low PVDF content (5 wt%) and conductivity of the GPEs is increased as temperature rises.     

Occurrence of two genotypes of tetracycline (TC) resistance gene tet(M) in the TC-resistant bacteria in marine sediments of Japan

The tetracycline (TC) resistance gene tet(M) was monitored in bacteria isolated from Japanese coastal and off-shore marine sediments. The high rate of occurrence of TC resistant (TC(r)) bacteria (120 microg mL(-1) TC) was observed at frequency ranges between 0.0-0.08% in Tokyo Bay, 1.67-1.82% in Sagami Bay and 0.0-4.35% in the open Pacific Ocean. The tet(M) gene was PCR amplified from the TC(r) isolates, showing 127 of 209 isolates (60.8%) as positive. The rate of occurrence of tet(M) was between 32.0-96.0%, 21.1 -28.0% and 0.0-83.3% in the isolates from Tokyo Bay, Sagami Bay and the open Pacific Ocean, respectively. The tet(M) positive isolates belonged to 4 orders of bacteria. Bacillales was the most dominant order (121 strains) among tet(M) possessing bacteria, followed by Actinomycetales (three strains), Flavobacteriales (one strain) and Pseudomonadales (one strain). This indicates that tet(M) is present in various bacterial species and suggests that marine sediments are a natural reservoir of the tet(M) gene. Nucleotide sequence of the tet(M) revealed that two genotypes of tet(M) were found in the bacteria. The two genotypes were placed in genetically distant branches of the phylogenetic tree, suggesting that the two tet(M)s have different origins.     

Mass balance of total mercury and monomethylmercury in coastal embayments of a volcanic island: significance of submarine groundwater discharge

To understand the contribution of submarine groundwater discharge (SGD) to the coastal mass budgets of Hg and monomethylmercury (MMHg), preliminary mass balance estimates were made for Hwasun and Bangdu Bays on Jeju Island, known to have large SGD due to the high permeability of the volcanic rocks. The mass balance results indicate that SGD is a main source of Hg in Hwasun Bay (23 ± 14 × 10(-2) mol yr(-1), 34%) and Bangdu Bay (23 ± 20 × 10(-2) mol yr(-1), 67%), although the contribution from atmospheric deposition was considerable (25% for Hwasun and 23% for Bangdu). MMHg was also discharged primarily from submarine groundwater at Hwasun (0.30 ± 0.17 × 10(-2) mol yr(-1), 55%) and Bangdu (0.65 ± 0.49 × 10(-2) mol yr(-1), 64%), which was higher than atmospheric deposition (6% for Hwasun and 2% for Bangdu) and sediment diffusion flux (5% for Hwasun and 3% for Bangdu). The overall mass balance results suggest that, although there are large spatial variations in SGD rates throughout the region, the coastal mass budgets of Hg and MMHg need to include SGD as well as atmospheric deposition and sediment diffusion as primary sources of Hg and MMHg.     

Effect of processing on the composition and oxidative stability of coconut oil

The effect of various processing procedures on the composition and oxidative stability of coconut oil has been studied. The crude oil is relatively stable but major reductions in oxidative stability occur during the bleaching of oil degummed with phosphoric acid; during alkali refining; during the deodorization of oil degummed with citric acid and bleached; and during the deodorization of oil processed with a combined phosphoric acid degumming and bleaching operation. The reasons for the loss of oxidative stability during processing are discussed with reference to changes in the composition of the oil. Residual traces of citric acid or phosphoric acid play an important role in stabilizing processed oils. The tocopherol content is also important, although no additional stabilization of the oil occurs on adding levels of tocopherol above those present naturally in the crude oil. A combined phosphoric acid degumming and bleaching process leads to smaller losses of tocopherols than sequential treatments.     

Synthesis,Characterization and Catalytic Activities of Palladium(II) Nitroaryl Complexes

Two palladium(II) nitroaryl complexes trans-[bromo(p-nitrophenyl)bis(triphenylphosphine)palladium(II)] 1 and trans-[bromo(2,4-dinitrophenyl)bis(triphenylphosphine)palladium(II)] 2 have been synthesized. The complexes were characterized by FTIR and NMR (¹H, ¹³C and ³¹P) spectroscopy and elemental analysis. The molecular structure of complex 2, as confirmed by X-ray crystallography, reveals that the Pd atom and its neighboring groups (two PPh₃, Br and phenylene group) lie in a slightly distorted square plane. In the UV–Vis spectra of the complexes 1 and 2, the palladium to aryl charge transfer bands were observed. The emission peaks from the singlet excited states (S₁ → S₀) were observed in the photoluminescence spectra of the complexes. The thermal stability of the complexes has been studied by thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA). TGA data showed that both complexes are thermally stable up to 200 °C, and complex 1 is more stable than 2. The catalytic efficiency of the new palladium(II) complexes was studied as demonstrated using the Sonogashira coupling reactions with good yields. The experimental results suggest that the Sonogashira coupling reactions can be performed at moderate temperature (50 °C) using these new palladium(II) complexes as catalysts.     

Structural Control of NiO–YSZ/LSCF–YSZ Dual‐Layer Hollow Fiber Membrane for Potential Syngas Production

The objective of this study was to fabricate dual‐layer hollow fiber as a microreactor for potential syngas production via phase inversion‐based co‐extrusion/cosintering process. As the main challenge of phase inversion is the difficulty to obtain defect‐free fiber, this work focuses on the effect of the fabrication parameters, that is, nonsolvent content, sintering temperature and outer‐layer extrusion rate, on the macrostructure of the produced hollow fiber. SEM images confirm that the addition of nonsolvent has successfully minimized the finger‐like formation. At high sintering temperature, more dense hollow fiber was formed while outer‐layer extrusion rate affects the outer layer thickness.     

Thermal,Mechanical and Morphological Characterization of Jute/Gelatin Composites

Jute fabrics/gelatin biocomposites were fabricated using compression molding. The fiber content in the composite varied from 20–60 wt%. Composites were subjected to mechanical, thermal, water uptake and scanning electron microscopic (SEM) analysis. Composite contained 50 wt% jute showed the best mechanical properties. Tensile strength, tensile modulus, bending strength, bending modulus and impact strength of the 50% jute content composites were found to be 85 MPa, 1.25 GPa, 140 MPa and 9 GPa and 9.5 kJ/m², respectively. Water uptake properties at room temperature were evaluated and found that the composites had lower water uptake compared to virgin matrix.     

Surface modification of henequen (Agave fourcroydes) fibers by ultraviolet curing with 2‐hydroxyethylacrylate and ethylacrylate: Effect of additives on degradable properties

Henequen fibers were grafted with a double impregnating monomer 2‐hydroxyethylacrylate (HEA) and ethylacrylate (EA) to improve the physicomechanical properties. The fibers soaked in different concentration (1–10%) of monomer + MeOH solution along with photoinitiator Irgacure 907 [2%] were cured under ultraviolet (UV) lamp at different UV radiation intensities (2–14 passes). Concentration of monomer at different radiation intensities was optimized with extent of mechanical properties such as polymer loading, tensile strength, and elongation at break. Enhanced tensile strength (268%) and elongation at break (110%) were achieved by the polymer treated fibers than untreated virgin fibers. We observed that, henequen fibers treated by 3% EA showed better physico‐mechanical properties than those treated by 5% HEA. The tensile properties of henequen fibers treated by 3% EA can be enhanced by adding aloxysilane; 3‐(trimethoxysilyl) propylmethacrylate additives with bulk monomer EA (3%). The degradability of the treated and untreated fibers due to accelerated weathering were also studied and it has been found that surface modified henequen fibers produced more resistivity towards different weathering conditions than untreated fibers. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 102: 4000–4006, 2006     

The effect of magnetic and optic field in water electrolysis

Hydrogen production via water electrolysis was studied under the effect of magnetic and optical field. A diode solid state laser at blue, green and red were utilized as optical field source. Magnetic bar was employed as external magnetic field. The green laser has shown a greatest effect in hydrogen production due to its non-absorbance properties in the water. Thus its intensity of electrical field is high enough to dissociation of hydronium and hydroxide ions during orientation toward polarization of water. The potential to break the autoprotolysis and generate the auto-ionization is the mechanism of optical field to reveal the hydrogen production in water electrolysis. The magnetic field effect is more dominant to enhance the hydrogen production. The diamagnetic property of water has repelled the present of magnetic in water. Consequently the water splitting occurs due to the repulsive force induced by the external magnetic field. The magnetic distributed more homogenous in the water to involve more density of water molecule. As a result hydrogen production due to magnetic field is higher in comparison to optical field. However the combination both fields have generated superior effect whereby the hydrogen yields nine times higher in comparison to conventional water electrolysis.