Synthesis and characterization of transition metal mixed oxide doped graphene embedded durable electrocatalyst for hydrogen evolution reaction

A promising electrocatalyst containing variable percentage of V₂O₅–TiO₂ mixed oxide in graphene oxide support was prepared by embedding the catalyst on Cu substrate through facile electroless Ni–Co–P plating for hydrogen evolution reaction. The solvothermal decomposition method was opted for tuning the crystalline characteristics of prepared material. The optimized mixed oxide was well characterized, active sites centres were identified and explained by X-ray diffraction, high resolution tunnelling electron microscopy, scanning electron microscopy coupled with energy dispersive X-ray and X-ray photon spectroscopy analysis. The structural and electronic characteristics of material was done by fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and the electrochemical behaviour of the prepared material was evaluated by using Tafel plot, electrochemical impedance analysis, linear sweep voltammetry, open circuit analysis and chronoamperometry measurements. The results show the enhanced catalytic activity of Ni–Co–P than pure Ni–P plate, due to synergic effect. Moreover, the prepared mixed oxide incorporated Ni–Co–P plate has a high activity towards HER with low over potential of 101 mV, low Tafel slope of 36 mVdec^?1, high exchange current density of 9.90 × 10^?2 Acm^?2.     

An Instant,Green, Microwave Irradiated Process for the Preparation of Advanced,Hybrid, Nanoflower of Thorium Oxide and Thorium Oxalate Hydrate Useful for Broad Application Spectrum

Protection of Metals and Physical Chemistry of Surfaces - We report a facile and reproducible method to synthesize advanced, homogenized, hybrid, nanoflower of thorium oxide and thorium oxalate...     

A generalized knowledge representation system for context sensitive reasoning: Generalized HCPRs System

Context sensitive reasoning (i.e., changing the response of the system with change in state of any kind with respect to time, space, matter, or emotions of the system, user, or environment) is significant in real life decision-making. This is a comparatively unexplored facet of intelligent systems and needs to be looked into depth. The Extended Hierarchical Censored Production Rules (EHCPRs) System is an attempt to assemble, maintain, and employ a massive knowledge base exhibiting the property of inheritance and recognition in its reasoning along with the representation of constraints and defaults, and will facilitate all sort of possible learning schemes. Context sensitivity is addressed in the EHCPRs System that result in Generalized HCPRs (GHCPRs) System and its characteristics are exhibited through sample run of implemented system. With different context of user priorities, the GHCPRs system is shown to behave differently in its decision making.     

Hybrid polymer networks of unsaturated polyester–urethane as composite matrices for jute reinforcement

Reactions of unsaturated polyester resin and 4,4′ diphenyl methane diisocyanate were carried out at different NCO/OH ratios in presence of catalysts to form the hybrid polymer networks. Chain extender (1,4 butanediol) added in the hybrid network (NCO/OH ratio: 0.76) was optimized at a level of ～ 3 wt % only of the polyester resin. The curing of these networks was studied by a rigid body pendulum type (RPT) method in terms of reduced damping ratio and increased frequency. Lack of multiple glass transition temperatures, sharp Tan delta peak, and particulate composite type morphology clearly demonstrated the formation of phase mixed domains in the hybrid networks. The storage modulus and loss modulus master curves obtained by dynamic mechanical analysis indicate that hybrid polymer networks retained higher modulus at lower and intermediate frequencies over the polyester resin showing their superior time‐dependent response. Efficacy of these hybrid network resins was examined as matrices in the jute composites and compared with those of polyester resin and unsaturated polyester–polyurethane interpenetrating network matrices. It is found that the hybrid polymer network matrix composites exhibited superior physicomechanical properties under both dry and boiling water age test. Fractographic evidences such as fiber–matrix adhesion, hackle markings, and fiber breakage also supported their superior behavior over other composite matrices. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2011     

Processing and microstructure of particle stabilized silica foams

Silica foams containing ~ 85% porosity and with different shapes and sizes have been prepared by air entrainment in suspensions of hydrophobized silica + alumina (5 wt.%) powder mixture in aqueous solution of isopropanol and binders, followed by casting, drying and sintering. The silica powder with surfaces modified by presence of long chain amphiphilic molecules has been used successfully for stabilization of air bubbles in suspensions, so that their disproportionation and collapse could not be observed even after 4 weeks. Microstructural examination using optical and scanning electron microscopy as well as measurements by mercury porosimetry has shown trimodal pore size distribution with fine (4–10 μm), medium (50–100 μm) and coarse (~ 680 μm) pores.     

Controller Placement in Software Defined Internet of Things Using Optimization Algorithm

The current and future status of the internet is represented by the upcoming Internet of Things (IoT). The internet can connect the huge amount of data, which contains lot of processing operations and efforts to transfer the pieces of information. The emerging IoT technology in which the smart ecosystem is enabled by the physical object fixed with software electronics, sensors and network connectivity. Nowadays, there are two trending technologies that take the platform i.e., Software Defined Network (SDN) and IoT (SD-IoT). The main aim of the IoT network is to connect and organize different objects with the internet, which is managed with the control panel and data panel in the SD network. The main issue and the challenging factors in this network are the increase in the delay and latency problem between the controllers. It is more significant for wide area networks, because of the large packet propagation latency and the controller placement problem is more important in every network. In the proposed work, IoT is implementing with adaptive fuzzy controller placement using the enhanced sunflower optimization (ESFO) algorithm and Pareto Optimal Controller placement tool (POCO) for the placement problem of the controller. In order to prove the efficiency of the proposed system, it is compared with other existing methods like PASIN, hybrid SD and PSO in terms of load balance, reduced number of controllers and average latency and delay. With 2 controllers, the proposed method obtains 400 miles as average latency, which is 22.2% smaller than PSO, 76.9% lesser than hybrid SD and 91.89% lesser than PASIN.     

Linearization of Photonic Link Based on Phase-Controlled Dual Drive Dual-Parallel Mach–Zehnder Modulator

Wireless Personal Communications - Wireless sensor network will be the dominating field in the future era. Right now it goes from the transformation phase. It unfolds its capacity and sort out its...     

Enlarged Photonic Band Gap in Heterostructure of Metallic Photonic and Superconducting Photonic Crystals

We show theoretically that the frequency range of photonic band gap of a hetero-structure which is made of a metallic photonic and superconducting photonic crystal can be enlarged due to the combination of the reflection band properties of the superconductor–dielectric (PC1) and metallic–dielectric (PC2) periodic structures. The transmittance and band structure of the considered structures are calculated using simple transfer matrix method and the Bloch theorem. Beside this, we have also calculated the transmittance of the superconducting photonic structure (PC1), metallic photonic structure (PC2) and heterostructure of metallic photonic and superconductor photonic crystals (PC1/PC2) for TE and TM-mode at the different angles of incidence.