Ligand-free Guerbet-Type Reactions in Air Catalyzed by In-Situ Formed Complexes of Base Metal Salt Cobaltous Chloride

Inexpensive, earth-abundant and environmentally benign cobaltous chloride efficiently accomplishes the catalytic β-alkylation of alcohols in air at 140 °C. At higher loadings of cobaltous chloride (1 mol%) in the presence...

The performance of calcined serpentine to simultaneously remove fluoride, iron and manganese

To solve the problem of high fluoride, iron and manganese concentrations in groundwater, serpentine (Srp) was modified by metal salt impregnation, acid-base activation and calcination, and the effects of these three modifications on removal performance of Srp were compared. Specifically, the effects of the calcined serpentine (Csrp) dose, reaction time, pH, and temperature on the removal performance of F−, Fe2+ and Mn2+ on Csrp were analysed. An isothermal adsorption model and adsorption kinetic equation were established and confirmed through SEM, EDS, XRD and FTIR spectroscopy to analyse the mechanism of removing F−, Fe2+ and Mn2+ by Csrp. The results show that when 3 g/L Csrp was used to treat water samples with 5 mg/L F−, 20 mg/L Fe2+, and 5 mg/L Mn2+ (pH of 6, reaction temperature of 35 °C, and time of 150 min), the removal rates of F−, Fe2+, and Mn2+ were 94.3%, 99.0%, 98.9%, respectively. The adsorption of F−, Fe2+ and Mn2+ on Csrp follows the quasi-second-order kinetic equation and Langmuir isotherm adsorption model. After 5 cycles of regeneration of Csrp, Csrp can still maintain good properties of fluoride,iron and manganese removal.

A suicidal heavy metal poisoning mimicking corrosive acid poisoning: A rare case report

Ingestion of corrosive substances may cause severe to serious injuries of the upper aero-digestive tractand the poisoning can even result in death. Acute corrosive intoxications pose a major problem in clinical toxicology since the most commonly affected population are the young with psychic disorders, suicidal intent and alcohol addiction. In our case report, a 19-year-old male, 2year engineering student committed suicide by consuming a heavy metal salt available in his chemistry lab after leaving a suicidal note. He got treated in a private hospital for 2 days and later he succumbed due to poisoning. Though the findings of this heavy metal poisoning mimicks corrosive acid poisoning, it has to be viewed through the eye of forensic toxicology for a clear view in clinching the diagnosis in the earlier phase of treatment.

Effects of Differently Incubated Cupric Oxide Nanoparticles on the Granulosa Cells of Caprine Ovary in Vitro

Present study was aimed to investigate the effect of temperature on the shape and size of nanoparticles and related cytotoxicity of these particles on ovarian granulosa cells. Cupric oxide nanoparticles (CuONPs) were synthesized using a simple, efficient, and reproducible precipitation method involving reduction of Cu metal salt with sodium hydroxide and then incubation of the precipitates at 70oC for 5 hrs. Subsequently, this prepared sample was divided into 3 subsamples and incubated at 3 different temperatures i.e. 70oC, 150oC, and 350oC for a time duration of 5 hrs. to study the effect of temperature on the particles. The products were characterized by XRD, FTIR, HRTEM, and FESEM. Characterization of the particles revealed that all particles were monoclinic crystalline in nature and had a size range from 9 nm - 60 nm. Particles were of different shapes; spherical, needle, and capsule. Toxicity of each particle was determined on granulosa cells by exposing them for 24 hrs. at 2 different doses. Toxicological results showed the size and shape-related toxicity of nanoparticles; particles which were spherical shape were significantly more toxic than capsule-shaped particles.

Promotive Selectivity to C2-C3 Polyols From Alkaline Cellulose Hydrogenated by Ionic Liquid-stablized Ru Nanoparticles

Alkaline cellulose hydrogenolysis on metal catalyst was an effective way to get C2~C3 polyols. The alkaline cellulose was obtained by treating cellulose with 4 wt% NaOH solution. Ionic liquid-stablized Ru nanoparticles were prepared by reducing metal salt in ionic liquid. The SEM results indicate that the amorphous part of alkaline cellulose is helpful for getting the catalyst into the cavities to have a further hydrogenation reaction. When hydrogenolysis of alkaline cellulose over Ru/[Bmim]BF4 nanoparticles was conducted at 433 K, 63.78% of the substrate was converted with glycerol, 1,2-propanediol and ethylene glycol as main products of which selectivity was up to 58.91 %, whereas the conversion rate over Ru/C catalyst of alkaline cellulose was 59.23 % and only 26.11 % C2~C3 polyols were detected. Moreover, if the ionic liquid-stablized Ru nanoparticles were doped with 53.7 % Ni, the selectivity of C2~C3 polyols was promoted to 65.07 %. These results suggested the advantages of the ionic liquid-stablized Ru nanoparticles, especially doping with Ni, have potentials for promotive selectivity to C2~C3 alcohols. Put forward the plausible mechanism finally.

Formation of Water-Channel by Propylene Glycol into Polymer for Porous Materials

In this study, a porous membrane with a cellulose acetate (CA) matrix was fabricated using propylene glycol with a water pressure treatment without a metal salt as an additive. The water pressure treatment of the fabricated CA membrane with propylene glycol yielded nanopores. The nanopores were formed as the additives in the CA chains led to plasticization. The weakened chains of the parts where the plasticization occurred were broken by the water pressure, which generated the pores. Compared to the previous study with glycerin as an additive, the size of the hydration region was controlled by the number of hydrophilic functional groups. When water pressure was applied to the CA membrane containing propylene glycol as an additive, the hydration area was small, so it was effective to control the pore size and the number of nano pores than glycerin. In addition, the number of nanopores and pore size could be easily adjusted by the water pressure. The porosity of the membrane was increased owing to the trace amount of propylene glycol, confirmed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and porosimetry. The interaction between the CA and propylene glycol was verified by Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). Consequently, it was the optimum composition to generate pores at the CA/propylene glycol 1:0.2 ratio, and porosity of 69.7% and average pore diameter of 300 nm was confirmed. Since it is a membrane with high porosity and nano sized pores, it is expected to be applied in various fields.

Synthesis of Porous Polydimethylsiloxane Gold Nanoparticles Composites by a Single Step Laser Ablation Process

Typically, polymeric composites containing nanoparticles are realized by incorporating pre-made nanoparticles into a polymer matrix by using blending solvent or by the reduction of metal salt dispersed in the polymeric matrix. Generally, the production of pre-made Au NPs occurs in liquids with two-step processes: producing the gold nanoparticles first and then adding them to the liquid polymer. A reproducible method to synthetize Au nanoparticles (NPs) into polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) without any external reducing or stabilizing agent is a challenge. In this paper, a single-step method is proposed to synthetize nanoparticles (NPs) and at the same time to realize reproducible porous and bulk composites using laser ablation in liquid. With this single-step process, the gold nanoparticles are therefore produced directly in the liquid polymer. The optical properties of the suspensions of AuNPs in distilled water and in the curing agent have been analyzed by the UV-VIS spectroscopy, employed in the transmission mode, and compared with those of the pure curing agent. The electrical dc conductivity of the porous PDMS/Au NPs nanocomposites has been evaluated by the I–V characteristics. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) analysis have monitored the composition and morphology of the so-obtained composites and the size of the fabricated Au nanoparticles. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) has been used to determine the roughness of the bulk PDMS and its Au NP composites.