Use of chitosan complex with aminophosphonic groups and cobalt for the removal of Sr2+ ions

We briefly describe the adsorbent performance of the chitosan complex with aminophosphonic groups and cobalt in the removal process of Sr²⁺ ions from aqueous solutions. The strontium adsorption was studied as a function of pH, contact time, and initial strontium concentration. Adsorption isotherms such as Langmuir, Freundlich, Dubinin–Radushkevich, and Temkin were used to analyze the equilibrium data at different concentrations. The kinetics of the Sr²⁺ sorption was analyzed using the pseudo-first-order and pseudo-second-order kinetic models. The results clearly indicate that the chitosan complex with aminophosphonic groups and cobalt is an efficient adsorbent with respect to its capacity to absorb Sr²⁺ ions from aqueous solutions.     

Recovery of Phosphoric Acid from Spent Petrochemical Catalysts

Petrochemical catalysts are widely used in the industry. For the production of cumene, zeolite-based catalysts containing phosphoric acid are applied. Over the time, coking deactivates the surface, and the catalyst has to be exchanged and disposed of. Different process approaches for recycling the phosphoric acid-containing catalysts were investigated. Related preliminary investigations have shown that calcination of the used catalyst is necessary prior to reprocessing. By digesting the catalyst with hydrofluoric acid, ∼96 % phosphate was recovered. However, this process is very costly in terms of process technology. More promising is digestion by basic or acidic routes. Several options are possible here, and digestion with H₃PO₄ proved to be particularly suitable. Here, phosphate yields reached up to 98.8 %, with a positive balance of economic efficiency at the same time. The catalyst can be produced and recycled in the same plant with the same reagents, what constitutes a major breakthrough towards sustainability in industrial catalysis.     

Synthesis of Spiro[piperidine‐3,3′‐oxindoles] via Gold(I)‐Catalyzed Dearomatization of N‐Propargyl‐ and N‐Homoallenyl‐2‐bromotryptamines

N‐Propargyl‐ and N‐homoallenyl‐2‐bromo‐β‐tryptamines undergo gold(I)‐catalyzed dearomatizing cyclizations to afford 2‐bromospiroindolenines that are in situ hydrolyzed to furnish spirooxindoles in a one‐pot process. Tryptophane derivatives (R²=CO₂Et) led upon cyclization to chiral spirooxindoles in excellent diastereoselectivities.

     

PtRu nanoparticles supported on nitrogen-doped multiwalled carbon nanotubes as catalyst for methanol electrooxidation

Nitrogen-doped carbon nanotubes (N-CNT) obtained by plasma treatment were compared to the conventional acid-treated carbon nanotubes (O-CNT) as catalyst support for platinum-ruthenium (PtRu) nanoparticles in the anodic oxidation of methanol in direct methanol fuel cells. PtRu catalysts were prepared by an impregnation-reduction method from chloride precursors with metal loadings of 20 wt.%, and were characterised by scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and electrochemical methods. Voltammetry and chronoamperometry studies showed that the performance of PtRu/N-CNT was significantly higher compared to PtRu/O-CNT and also to the commercial E-TEK PtRu/C catalyst, indicating that N-CNT are an interesting support material for fuel cell electrocatalyst. Nitrogen plasma treatment produced pyridinic and pyrrollic species on the CNT surface, which acts as the anchoring sites for the deposition of PtRu particles. A mechanism for the deposition of PtRu on N-CNT is tentatively proposed and discussed.     

Tight complexity bounds for the two-dimensional real knapsack problem

We study the complexity of the 2-dimensional knapsack problem , where . The problem is defined in terms of real numbers and we study it where an integral solution is sought under a real number model of computation. We obtain a tight complexity bound , where . Received: November 1998 / Accepted: December 1998     

An Analysis of the Sensitivity of Digital Modulation Techniques to Frequency-Selective Fading

This Paper investigates the sensitivity to frequency-selective fading of different modulation techniques commonly used in digital radio systems. The modulation methods considered are phase-shift-keying (Mary PSK), nonoffset and offset quadrature amplitude modulation (M-ary QAM), and quadrature partial response signaling (QPRS). The performances of these methods during multipath fading are compared on the basis of the "signatures" calculated for idealized systems. Results are presented from which the relative outage probability was determined, assuming a propagation channel with frequency-selective Rician fading.     

Fracture mechanics models applied to delayed failure of LVL beams

Several theories for modelling fracture and slow growth of a crack in wood have been developed. The various models may be differentiated by the specifically regarded stress levels, failure mechanisms and averaging procedures. This paper deals with the application of viscoelastic fracture mechanics models to predict delayed failure of a timber element in bending. Simulations are compared to experimental results of bending tests carried out on LVL (Laminated Veneer Lumber) notched beams. This analysis emphasizes the influence of the geometry and of the size of the beam as well as of the damage area on the delayed failure.     

Adsorption of Thin Liquid Helium Films on Cs Measured via Photoelectron Tunneling

The alkali metals Cs and Rb are the only surfaces which are not wetted by superfluid ⁴ He below a certain temperature. In our experiments, using the photoelectron tunneling method, we can highly resolve the growth of the non-wetting thin-film state of ⁴ He on a quench-condensed Cs surface. It turns out that far from coexistence there is little adsorption of helium. In contrast, close to coexistence a rapid growth up to two monolayers of helium is observed, but the surface is still non-wet under the usual convention.     

Rapid Screening of Lectins for Multivalency Effects with a Glycodendrimer Microarray

Multivalency is an important phenomenon in protein–carbohydrate interactions. In order to evaluate glycodendrimers as multivalent inhibitors of carbohydrate binding proteins, we displayed them on a microarray surface. Valencies were varied from 1 to 8, and corrections were made for the valencies so that all surfaces contained the same amount of the sugar ligand. Five different carbohydrates were attached to the dendrimers. A series of fluorescent lectins was evaluated, and for each of them a binding profile was obtained from a single experiment showing both the specificity of the lectin for a certain sugar and whether it prefers multivalent ligands or not. Very distinct binding patterns were seen for the various lectins. The results were rationalized with respect to the interbinding distances of the lectins.