Hydrolysis and dispersion properties of aqueous Y2Si 2O7 suspensions

The dispersion of aqueous γ-Y2Si2O7 suspensions, which contain only one component but have a complex ion environment, was studied by the introduction of two different polymer dispersants, polyethylenimine (PEI) and polyacrylic acid (PAA). The suspension without any dispersant remains stable in the pH range of 9-11.5 because of electrostatic repulsion, while it is flocculated upon stirring due to the readsorption of hydrolyzed ions on the colloid surface. However, suspensions with 1 dwb% PEI exhibit greater stability in the pH range of 4-11.5. The addition of PEI shifts the isoelectric point (IEP) of the suspensions from pH 5.8 to 10.8. Near the IEP (pHIEP=10.8), the stability of the suspensions with PEI is dominated by the steric effect. When the pH is decreased to acid direction, the stabilization mechanism is changed from steric hindrance to an electrosteric effect little by little. PAA also has the effect of reducing the hydrolysis speed via a "buffer effect" in the basic pH range, but the lack of adsorption between the highly ionized anionic polymer molecules and the negative colloid particle surfaces shows no positive effect on hydrolysis of colloids and on the stabilization of Y2Si 2O7 suspensions.

Thermal properties of single-phase Y2SiO5

Y2SiO5 is a promising candidate for oxidation-resistant or environmental/thermal barrier coatings (ETBC) due to its excellent high-temperature stability, low elastic modulus and low oxygen permeability. In this paper, we investigated the thermal properties of Y2SiO5 comprehensively, including thermal expansion, thermal diffusivity, heat capacity and thermal conductivity. It is interesting that Y2SiO5 has a very low thermal conductivity (∼1.40 W/m K) but a relatively high linear thermal expansion coefficient ((8.36 ± 0.5) × 10-6 K-1), suggesting compatible thermal and mechanical properties to some non-oxide ceramics and nickel superalloys as ETBC layer. Y2SiO5 is also an ideal EBC on YSZ TBC layer due to their close thermal expansion coefficients. As a continuous source of Y3+, it is predicted that Y2SiO5 EBC may prolong the lifetime of zirconia-based TBC by stopping the degradation aroused by the loss of Y stabilizer.

Thermal properties and thermal shock resistance of γ-Y 2Si2O7

Thermal properties, namely, Debye temperature, thermal expansion coefficient, heat capacity, and thermal conductivity of γ-Y 2Si2O7, a high-temperature polymorph of yttrium disilicate, were investigated. The anisotropic thermal expansions of γ-Y2Si2O7 powders were examined using high-temperature X-ray diffractometer from 300 to 1373 K and the volumetric thermal expansion coefficient is (6.68±0.35) × 10-6 K-1. The linear thermal expansion coefficient of polycrystalline γ-Y2Si2O7 determined by push-rod dilatometer is (3.90±0.4) × 10-6 K-1, being very close to that of silicon nitride and silicon carbide. Besides, γ-Y2Si2O7 displays a low-thermal conductivity, with a κ value measured below 3.0 W·(m·K) -1 at the temperatures above 600 K. The calculated minimum thermal conductivity, κmin, was 1.35 W·(m·K) -1. The unique combination of low thermal expansion coefficient and low-thermal conductivity of γ-Y2Si2O7 renders it a very competitive candidate material for high temperature structural components and environmental/thermal-barrier coatings. The thermal shock resistance of γ-Y2Si2O7 was estimated by quenching dense materials in water from various temperatures and the critical temperature difference, ΔTc, was determined to be 300 K.

Mechanical properties and damage tolerance of Y2SiO5

Y2SiO5 has potential applications as functional-structural ceramic and environmental/thermal barrier coating material. As an important grain-boundary phase in the sintered Si3N4, it also influences the mechanical and dielectric performances of the host material. In this paper, we present the mechanical properties of Y2SiO5 including elastic moduli, hardness, strength and fracture toughness, and try to understand the mechanical features from the viewpoint of crystal structure. Y2SiO5 has low shear modulus, low hardness, as well as high capacity for dispersing mechanical damage energy and for resisting crack penetration. Particularly, it can be machined by cemented carbides tools. The crystal structure characteristics of Y2SiO5 suggest the low-energy weakly bonded atomic planes crossed only by the easily breaking Y-O bonds as well as the rotatable rigid SiO4 tetrahedra are the origins of low shear deformation, good damage tolerance and good machinability of this material. TEM observations also demonstrate that the mechanical damage energy was dispersed in the form of the micro-cleavages, stacking faults and twins along these weakly bonded atomic planes, which allows the "microscale-plasticity" for Y2SiO5.

γ-Y2Si2O7, a machinable silicate ceramic: Mechanical properties and machinability

In this paper, the mechanical properties of bulk single-phase γ-Y2Si2O7 ceramic are reported. γ-Y2Si2O7 exhibits low shear modulus, excellent damage tolerance, and thus has a good machinability ready for metal working tools. To understand the underlying mechanism of machinability, drilling test, Hertzian contact test, and density functional theory (DFT) calculation are employed. Hertzian contact test demonstrates that γ-Y2Si2O7 is a "quasi-plastic" ceramic and the intrinsically weak interfaces contribute to its machinability. Crystal structure characteristics and DFT calculations of γ-Y2Si2O7 suggest that some weakly bonded planes, which involve Y-O bonds that can be easily broken, are the sources of the low shear deformation resistance and good machinability.

Charge-order-driven multiferroic properties of Y1-xCaxMnO3

Dielectric measurements on the charge-ordered insulators, Y1-xCaxMnO3 (x = 0.4. 0.45 and 0.5), show maxima in the dielectric constant around the charge ordering transition temperature while magnetic measurements show the presence of weak ferromagnetic interactions at low temperatures. Besides the magnetic field dependence of the dielectric constant, these manganites also exhibit second harmonic generation. Thus, the charge-ordered Y1-xCaxMnO3 compositions are multiferroic and magnetoelectric, in accordance with theoretical predictions. Magnetoelectric properties are retained in small particles of Y0.5Ca0.5MnO3. (C) 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A novel single pot synthesis of binuclear copper(II) complexes of macrocyclic and macroacyclic compartmental ligands: Structures and magnetic properties

Two binuclear copper(II) complexes one (complex 1) with a macrocyclic ligand (H(2)L1) and other (complex 2) with a macroacyclic (end-off type) compartmental ligand (HL2) have been synthesized from single pot template synthesis involving copper(II) nitrate, 1,2diaminoethane, 4-methyl-2,6-diformylphenol, and sodium azide. Structure analysis of complex I reveals that there are actually two half molecules present in the asymmetric unit and so two complexes (molecule-I and molecule-II) are present in unit cell, although they show slight differences. The two Cu(II) centers are in distorted square pyramidal coordination environment with two endogenous phenoxo bridges provided by the phenolate of H(2)L1 I having Cu-Cu separations of 2.9133(10) angstrom and 2.9103(10) in the two molecules. In complex 2 the coordination environments around two Cu(II) centers are asymmetric, Cu1 is in distorted square pyramidal environment whereas, the coordination environment around Cu2 is distorted octahedral. The two Cu(II) centers in complex 2 are connected by two different kinds of bridges, one is endogenous phenoxo bridge provided by the phenolate of the ligand HL2 and the other is exogenous azido bridge (mu-(1),(l) type) with Cu-Cu distance of 3.032(10) angstrom. Variable temperature magnetic studies show that two Cu(II) centers in both the complexes are strongly antiferromagnetically coupled with J = -625 +/- 5 cm(-1) and J = -188.6 +/- 1cm(-1) for complex 1 and 2, respectively. (C) 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Elastic Properties of Boron Nitride Nanotubes and Their Comparison with Carbon Nanotubes

Boron Nitride Nanotubes (BNNTs) have alternating boron and nitrogen atoms in graphite like network and are strongly polar in nature due to a large charge on boron and nitrogen atoms. Hence electrostatic interactions are expected to play an important role in determining the elastic properties of BNNTs. In the absence of specific partial atomic charge information for boron and nitrogen, we have studied the elastic properties BNNTs varying the partial atomic charges on boron and nitrogen. We have computed Young modulus (Y) and Shear modulus (G) of BNNT as a function of the tube radius and number of walls using molecular mechanics calculation. Our calculation shows that Young modulus of BNNTs increases with increase in magnitude of the partial atomic charge on B and N and can be larger than the Young modulus of CNTs of same radius. This is in contrast to the earlier finding that CNTs has the largest tensile strength (PRL, 80, 4502, 1998). Shear modulus, on the other hand depends weakly on the magnitude of partial atomic charge and is less than the shear modulus of the CNT. The values obtained for Young modulus and Shear modulus are in excellent agreement with the available experimental results.

Design, Synthesis, and DNA Binding Properties of Photoisomerizable Azobenzene−Distamycin Conjugates: An Experimental and Computational Study

Here, we present the synthesis, photochemical, and DNA binding properties of three photoisomerizable azobenzene−distamycin conjugates in which two distamycin units were linked via electron-rich alkoxy or electron-withdrawing carboxamido moieties with the azobenzene core. Like parent distamycin A, these molecules also demonstrated AT-specific DNA binding. Duplex DNA binding abilities of these conjugates were found to depend upon the nature and length of the spacer, the location of protonatable residues, and the isomeric state of the conjugate. The changes in the duplex DNA binding efficiency of the individual conjugates in the dark and with their respective photoirradiated forms were examined by circular dichroism, thermal denaturation of DNA, and Hoechst displacement assay with poly[d(A-T).d(T-A)] DNA in 150 mM NaCl buffer. Computational structural analyses of the uncomplexed ligands using ab initio HF and MP2 theory and molecular docking studies involving the conjugates with duplex d[(GC(AT)10CG)]2 DNA were performed to rationalize the nature of binding of these conjugates.

Determining the CP Properties of the Higgs Boson

The search and the probe of the fundamental properties of Higgs boson(s) and, in particular, the determination of their charge conjugation and parity (CP) quantum numbers, are the main tasks of future high-energy colliders. We demonstrate that the CP properties of a standard model-like Higgs particle can be unambiguously assessed by measuring just the total cross section and the top polarization in associated Higgs boson production with top quark pairs in e(+)e(-) collisions.

Effect of Al substitution on the magnetic properties of amorphous Fe73.5Cu1Mo3Si13.5-xAlxB9 alloy

We have synthesized FINEMET type amorphous Fe73.5Cu1Mo3Si13.5-xAlxB9 alloy by the single wheel melt spinning technique. The effect of Al substitution on the magnetic properties has been studied using a vibrating sample magnetometer, SQUID and Mossbauer spectroscopy. Magnetization and Curie temperature of the amorphous phase of the alloys were found to decrease with A] concentration. The results are attributed to the dilution effect of At on the magnetic moment of Fe and to the increase in Fe-Fe interaction distance resulting in the weakening of exchange interaction. (C) 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Effect of compatibilization on mechanical and thermal properties of polypropylene–soy flour composites

A new biobased composite was developed by adding soy flour (SF) to polypropylene (PP). This composite shows an enhanced tensile strength and modulus but decrease in elongation at break. The compatibilizer (coupling agent) appears to have a synergistic effect on tensile strength. The presence of the compatibilizer improves the dispersion of SF in the PP matrix. The addition of glycerol plasticizer to the composite improves the processability resulting in improved performance, as compared to composites without glycerol plasticizer. The optimal compatibilizer content appears to be 6%.

Effect of Crystallographic Structure of MnO2 on Its Electrochemical Capacitance Properties

MnO2 is currently under extensive investigations for its capacitance properties. MnO2 crystallizes into several crystallographic structures, namely, α, β, γ, δ, and λ structures. Because these structures differ in the way MnO6 octahedra are interlinked, they possess tunnels or interlayers with gaps of different magnitudes. Because capacitance properties are due to tercalation/deintercalation of protons or cations in MnO2, only some crystallographic structures, which possess sufficient gaps to accommodate these ions, are expected to be useful for capacitance studies. In order to examine the dependence of capacitance on crystal structure, the present study involves preparation of these various crystal phases of MnO2 in nanodimensions and to evaluate their capacitance properties. Results of α-MnO2 prepared by a microemulsion route (α-MnO2(m)) are also used for comparison. Spherical particles of about 50 nm, nanorods of 30−50 nm in diameter, or interlocked fibers of 10−20 nm in diameters are formed, which depend on the crystal structure and the method of preparation. The specific capacitance (SC) measured for MnO2 is found to depend strongly on the crystallographic structure, and it decreases in the following order: α(m) > α δ > γ > λ > β. A SC value of 297 F g-1 is obtained for α-MnO2(m), whereas it is 9 F g-1 for β-MnO2. A wide (4.6 Å) tunnel size and large surface area of α-MnO2(m) are ascribed as favorable factors for its high SC. A large interlayer separation (7 Å) also facilitates insertion of cations in δ-MnO2 resulting in a SC close to 236 F g-1. A narrow tunnel size (1.89 Å) does not allow intercalation of cations into β-MnO2. As a result, it provides a very small SC.

Effect of the headgroup variation on the gene transfer properties of cholesterol based cationic lipids possessing ether linkage

Eight cholesterol based cationic lipids differing in the headgroup have been synthesized based on the ether linkage between the cationic headgroup and the cholesterol backbone. All the lipids formed stable suspensions in water. Transfection efficacies were examined in the absence and presence of serum using their optimized liposomal (lipid:DOPE) formulations. Our results showed that the transfection activities depend on the nature of the headgroup. Lipid bearing 4-N,N′-dimethylaminopyridine (DMAP) as headgroup showed the maximum transfection efficacy in the presence of serum. Importantly, the optimized formulation for this cationic lipid does not require DOPE, which is being used by most commercially available formulations. Cytotoxicity studies showed that the introduction of the positive charge decreases the cell viability of the cationic lipid formulations. Gel electrophoresis and Ethidium bromide exclusion assay revealed the different DNA binding abilities of formulations depending upon the headgroup of the cholesteryl lipid.

An investigation into the thermophysical and rheological properties of nanofluids for solar thermal applications

Considered to be the next generation of heat transfer fluids, nanofluids have been receiving a growing amount of attention in the past decade despite the controversy and inconsistencies that have been reported. Nanofluids have great potential in a wide range of fields, particularly for solar thermal applications. This paper presents a comprehensive review of the literature on the enhancements in thermophysical and rheological properties resulting from experimental works conducted on molten salt nanofluids that are used in solar thermal energy systems. It was found that an increase in specific heat of 10–30% was achieved for most nanofluids and appeared independent of particle size and to an extent mass concentration. The specific heat increase was attributed to the formation of nanostructures at the solid–liquid interface and it was also noted that the aggregation of nanoparticles has detrimental effects on the specific heat increase. Thermal conductivity was also found to increase, though less consistently, ranging from 3% to 35%. Viscosity was seen to increase with the addition of nanoparticles and is dependent on the amount of aggregation of the particles. An in-depth micro level analysis of the mechanisms behind the thermophysical property changes is presented in this paper. In addition, possible trends are discussed relating to current theorised mechanisms in an attempt to explain the behaviour of molten salt nanofluids.