INFLUENCE OF DOPING AGENTS AND pH MEDIA ON ELECTROMECHANICAL PROPERTIES OF SEMICONDUCTOR POLYMERS, ANALOGUES OF POLYANILINE

Установлено, что плёнки полупроводниковых полимеров поли-о-толуидина и поли-а-нафтиламина, синтезированные на платиновых подложках, способны обратимо изменять свои геометрические размеры в процессе электрохимического окисления-восстановления (электромеханический эффект). Показано, что в растворах органических кислот электромеханический эффект проявляется более сильно, чем в среде неорганических. Увеличение рН раствора от 1 до 3 приводит к ослаблению электромеханического эффекта и полному его исчезновению при рН более 4. It was found that films of semiconductor polymers poly-o-toluidine and poly-a-naphthylamine, synthesized on platinum substrates, are capable of reversibly changing their geometric dimensions during the electrochemical oxidation-reduction (electromechanical effect). It is shown that in solutions of organic acids the electromechanical effect is manifested more strongly than in an inorganic medium. An increase in the pH of the solution from 1 to 3 leads to a weakening of the electromechanical effect and its complete disappearance at a pH of more than 4.

Alterations in Proteins and Amino Acids of the Cyanobacterium Anacystis nidulans in Response to Different Inorganic Formulations

Anacystis nidulans is a small, rod-shaped, unicellular, colonial, obligatory phototrophic microalga isolated from Sambhar Lake, Jaipur (Rajasthan). To find out the best inorganic composition cultures were grown in five different defined inorganic medium such as Modified BG-11 medium (pH 7.31), BG-11 medium (7.1), CHU-10 (pH 7.65), Zarrouk’s medium (pH 10.2) and Kratz & Myer medium (pH 9.5) and kept at the temperature of 25 ± 2°C, illuminated with white fluorescent lamps at a light intensity of 2.5 Klux with 12:12 hours light/dark photoperiod in departmental laboratory. Protein content is determined by Bradford assay and qualitatively by SDS-PAGE. Protein expression levels were determined through densitometry. Highest protein and amino acid content were obtained in Modified BG-11 medium as compared to other medium. Two polypeptides of 54.3 and 56.2 kDa were uniquely observed, but the genotype of 35.8 kDa polypeptide was completely degraded under Modified BG-11 inorganic formulation. 35.8, 54.3, 56.2 and 61.8 kDa polypeptides were completely degraded in Zarrouk’s as well as Kratz and Myer medium. The expression of some polypeptides of 14.0, 34.1, 42.3, 45.9, 49.5 and 75.0 kDa were greatly reduced and expressed only 1mm level in Zarrouk’s and Kratz and Myer medium. Quantity of free amino acids maximum was in Modified BG-11 medium and minimum was in the Kratz and Myer Medium. Total 17amino acids were observed in the HPLC chromatogram. No detectable amount of asparagine, glutamine and tryptophan were found throughout the course of the algal life cycle

Surface Organic Modification of TiO2 Powder and Relevant Characterization

Surface organic modification was conducted to TiO2 with modifiers to improve the dispersity and comparability of pigment TiO2 in application system by adjusting particle surface characteristics. Then, modification effects were characterized according to the changes in wetting contact angle and activation index of TiO2 before and after modification. Moreover, the modification mechanisms of sodium stearate and sodium oleate were studied by analyzing the characteristics of TiO2 surface functional groups in modification system and effects of modifiers. The results showed that, after being wet-processed with sodium stearate and sodium oleate, TiO2 could turn from surface hydrophilic to inductive hydrophobic with controllable degree. The wetting contact angle of modified TiO2 increased from 7° to 125.6° and 121.3°, respectively. The dispersity of TiO2 in organic medium was stronger than that in inorganic medium. The modifiers formed absorption with chemical property on TiO2 particle surface, so the inductive hydrophobicity of surface was stable.

Studies on Highly Porous Graphene-Like Structures as Electrode Material for Supercapacitors

The paper presents studies on highly porous graphene-like structures as an electrode material for supercapacitors. The experimental research was performed in inorganic (3 M sulfuric acid) and organic (1 M tetraethylammonium tetrafluoroborate in acetonitrile) electrolytes. It was found that in the inorganic medium the electrodes made on the basis of graphene-like structures possess higher specific capacitance. When increasing the potential scan rate from 5 to 100 mV/s the “electrode-electrolyte” system lost 40-80% of the capacitance. The cyclic current-voltage curves obtained for the organic electrolyte were more strongly distorted when increasing the potential scan rate, which might be related to more severe transport limitations imposed on large organic ions.

Evaluation of growth of Chlorella ellipsoidea in different culture media

An experiment was conducted to evaluate the growth of Chlorella ellipsoidea in three different media viz,. medium I (pulse bran), medium II (soil extract) and medium III (inorganic) under the natural environmental conditions. The alga, C. ellipsoidea, reached maximum cell density of 56.32 × 106 cells ml-1 in 10 days in medium I (pulse bran), maximum cell density of 102.99 × 106 cells ml-1 in 11 days in medium II (soil extract) and maximum cell density of 64.23 × 106 cells ml-1 in 12 days in medium III (inorganic medium). The ranges of water temperature, air temperature and light intensity were 22 to 32ºC, 22 to 34ºC and 2.11 to 4.31 (× 103) lux, respectively during the culture period. The average sunshine period was 7.65 ± 1.57 hours. Total alkalinity, free CO2, pH, NO3-N, PO4- P of algal culture medium I, medium II and medium III were 220, 200 and 150 mg L-1 ; 26, 9 and 19 mg L-1; 7.9, 7.6 and 7.5; 45, 45 and 133.33 mg L-1; 10.9, 15.1 and 37.06 mg L-1, respectively. Cell densities of cultures of C. ellipsoidea under three treatments I, II and III, it can be concluded that cell densities under 3 treatments are significantly different (F=39.78) and treatment II (soil extract medium) is the best for algal (C. ellipsoidea) culture among three treatments. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3329/ijarit.v4i2.22636 Int. J. Agril. Res. Innov. & Tech. 4 (2): 6-10, December, 2014

Adsorption of Phthalates on the Inorganic Medium of Aquatic Environment

Phthalates were of heath concern in groundwater and drink water. In order to understand how Phthalates were transported at different medium of the aquatic environment, adsorption experiments were conducted using quartz sand, kaolinite, and natural clay as inorganic adsorbents and sewage sludge as organic adsorbents for adsorbing Di-n-butyl phthalate and Bis(2-Ethylhexyl) phthalate. As a result, the inorganic particles displayed Langmuir adsorption characteristics. The maximum adsorption capacity is the most important parameter, varied much between the types of Phthalates than the adsorbents.

Alga-Derived Substrates Select for Distinct Betaproteobacterial Lineages and Contribute to Niche Separation in Limnohabitans Strains

ABSTRACTWe examined the proportions of major Betaproteobacteria subgroups within bacterial communities in diverse nonaxenic, monospecific cultures of algae or cyanobacteria: four species of cryptophyta (generaCryptomonasandRhodomonas), four species of chlorophyta (generaPediastrum,Staurastrum, andChlamydomonas), and two species of cyanobacteria (generaDolichospermumandAphanizomenon). In the cryptophyta cultures,Betaproteobacteriarepresented 48 to 71% of total bacteria, the genusLimnohabitansrepresented 18 to 26%, and thePolynucleobacterB subcluster represented 5 to 16%. In the taxonomically diverse chlorophyta group, the genusLimnohabitansaccounted for 7 to 45% of total bacteria. In contrast, cyanobacterial cultures contained significantly lower proportions of theLimnohabitansbacteria (1 to 3% of the total) than the cryptophyta and chlorophyta cultures. Notably, largely absent in all of the cultures wasPolynucleobacter necessarius(PolynucleobacterC subcluster). Subsequently, we examined the growth ofLimnohabitansstrains in the presence of different algae or their extracellular products (EPP). Two strains, affiliated withLimnohabitansplanktonicusandLimnohabitansparvus, were separately inoculated into axenic cultures of three algal species growing in an inorganic medium:Cryptomonassp.,Chlamydomonas noctigama, andPediastrum boryanum. TheLimnohabitansstrains cocultured with these algae or inoculated into their EPP consistently showed (i) pronounced population growth compared to the control without the algae or EPP and (ii) stronger growth stimulation ofL. planktonicusthan ofL. parvus.Overall, growth responses of theLimnohabitansstrains cultured with algae were highly species specific, which suggests a pronounced niche separation between two closely relatedLimnohabitansspecies likely mediated by different abilities to utilize the substrates produced by different algal species.