Synthesis and biological activity of novel thiazolidinediones

Novel compounds having a dual pharmacophore were synthesised and evaluated for their insulin sensitiser and anti-inflammatory properties in different animal models.     

Fusibility study of the magnesium cell electrolyte containing MgCl2, CaCl2, NaCl and KCl

The four-component magnesium cell electrolyte containing MgCl₂, CaCl₂, NaCl and KCl has been converted to a quasi-ternary system by keeping the proportion of NaCl and KCl in the mixture equimolecular. The triangular phase diagram has been drawn depicting the fusibility isotherms of the system. It has been possible to obtain complete liquid mixtures at temperatures as low as 400° C by suitably adjusting the proportions of the four components of the molten salt mixture.     

Experimental analysis of particle deposition on single collectors

Experimental studies of particle deposition from liquid suspensions of monodispersed particles flowing past single spherical collectors were carried out and compared with theoretical results based on trajectory calculations. The experimental observations indicate the significant effect of particle flocculation and thus suggest the importance of sedimentation as a collection mechanism. The agreement between the theoretical results and the experimental data is good when the surface force interactions are favorable for collection. However, when the electrokinetic repulsion dominates in the neighborhood of the collector, the rate of collection drops rapidly, although not to zero as predicted by theory.     

Detection of Rotor Faults in Brushless DC Motors Operating Under Nonstationary Conditions

There are several applications where the motor is operating in continuous nonstationary operating conditions. Actuators and servo motors in the aerospace and transportation industries are examples of this kind of operation. Detection of faults in such applications is, however, challenging because of the need for complex signal processing techniques. Two novel methods using windowed Fourier ridges and Wigner-Ville-based distributions are proposed for the detection of rotor faults in brushless dc motors operating under continuous nonstationarity. Experimental results are presented to validate the concepts and illustrate the ability of the proposed algorithms to track and identify rotor faults. The proposed algorithms are also implemented on a digital signal processor to study their usefulness for commercial implementation     

Studies on spinel cobaltites,MCo2O4 (M = Mn,Zn, Fe,Ni and Co) and their functional properties

Optimization of electrodes for charge storage with appropriate processing conditions places significant challenges in the developments for high performance charge storage devices. In this article, metal cobaltite spinels of formula MCo₂O₄ (where M = Mn, Zn, Fe, Ni and Co) are synthesized by oxalate decomposition method followed by calcination at three typical temperatures, viz. 350, 550, and 750 °C and examined their performance variation when used as anodes in lithium ion batteries. Phase and structure of the materials are studied by powder x-ray diffraction (XRD) technique. Single phase MnCo2O4,ZnCo2O4 and Co3O4 are obtained for all different temperatures 350 °C, 550 °C and 750 °C; whereas FeCo₂O₄ and NiCo₂O₄ contained their constituent binary phases even after repeated calcination. Morphologies of the materials are studied via scanning electron microscopy (SEM): needle-shaped particles of MnCo₂O₄ and ZnCo₂O₄, submicron sized particles of FeCo₂O₄ and agglomerated submicron particle of NiCo₂O₄ are observed. Galvanostatic cycling has been conducted in the voltage range 0.005–3.0 V vs. Li at a current density of 60 mA g^?1 up to 50 cycles to study their Li storage capabilities. Highest observed charge capacities are: MnCo₂O₄ – 365 mA h g^?1 (750 °C); ZnCo₂O₄ – 516 mA h g^?1 (550 °C); FeCo₂O₄ – 480 mA h g^?1 (550 °C); NiCo₂O₄ – 384 mA h g^?1 (750 °C); and Co₃O₄ – 675 mA h g^?1 (350 °C). The Co₃O₄ showed the highest reversible capacity of 675 mA h g^?1; the NiO present in NiCo₂O₄ acts as a buffer layer that results in improved cycling stability; the ZnCo₂O₄ with long needle-like shows good cycling stability.     

Experimental and Computational Studies of Bis(thiourea) Lead Chloride: Semi-organic Material for NLO Applications

Silicon - Non liner optical single crystals of bis(thiourea) lead chloride (BTLC), belonging to the semi-organic material category, have been prepared by a slow solvent evaporation process. The...     

A structural study on MFCl (M=Ca, Sr, Ba) and BaFX (X=Br, I)

Here we present the electronic band structure calculations of CaFCl, SrFCl, BaFCl, BaFBr and BaFI performed using tight binding linear muffin-tin orbital method. The calculated ground state properties namely the lattice parameters, bulk moduli and the pressure-volume relations were found to be in good agreement with the experimental values. The electronic band structure of these compounds were calculated at ambient as well as in the high pressure region. The band gap values of these insulating systems were calculated and compared with available experimental values. At high pressure these compounds exhibit the interesting phenomenon of band overlap metallization.     

Synthesis and characterization of one-dimensional flat ZnO nanotower arrays as high-efficiency adsorbents for the photocatalytic remediation of water pollutants

We report on facile fabrication of 1-D flat ZnO nanotower arrays on various substrates, including a metal, a semiconductor and an insulator. The nanotowers have a unique flat basal section near the substrate and taper in stages to wire-like at the tip. Electron microscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy are used to characterize these new nanostructures, revealing that their morphologies are significantly influenced by reaction temperature. A qualitative formation mechanism is proposed based on the experimental observations. A proof-of-concept demonstration shows that the ZnO nanotower arrays are highly effective at adsorbing and subsequently photo-remediating a model pollutant (Eosin B) from water. These observations could promote new applications of photocatalytic adsorbents for wastewater treatment utilizing oxide semiconductor nanostructures.