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Preconcentration and Analytical Methods for Determination of Methyl Tert-Butyl Ether and Other Fuel Oxygenates and Their Degradation Products in Environment: A Review
PublicationFuel oxygenates (FOs) are mainly ethers or alcohols which are added to gasoline either to boost the octane number or to make the fuel burning process more "cleaner" with increasing the oxygen content, or to obtain a combination of both effects. FOs are water soluble with high mobility in the environment which presence even at very low concentrations lower the quality of water making it unsafe or unpleasant due to their objectionable...
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Poly(ε-Caprolactone)/Brewers’ Spent Grain Composites—The Impact of Filler Treatment on the Mechanical Performance
PublicationWaste lignocellulose materials, such as brewers’ spent grain, can be considered very promising sources of fillers for the manufacturing of natural fiber composites. Nevertheless, due to the chemical structure differences between polymer matrices and brewers’ spent grain, filler treatment should be included. The presented work aimed to investigate the impact of fillers’ reactive extrusion on the chemical structure and the poly(ε-caprolactone)/brewers’...
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The impedance of hydrogen oxidation reaction in a proton exchange membrane fuel cell in the presence of carbon monoxide in hydrogen stream
PublicationEvaluation of performance of a proton exchange membrane fuel cell, which is affected by carbon monoxide that pollutes the hydrogen stream, was presented. This influence was studied for carbon monoxide concentration of 125–325 ppb, which are close to values specified in ISO 14687:2019 standard. Performed studies provided crucial information for further development of fuel cell as an energy source for automotive application. Impedance...
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Insights into modification of lignocellulosic fillers with isophorone diisocyanate: structure, thermal stability and volatile organic compounds emission assessment
PublicationThis study presents an analysis of the structure and properties of different types of lignocellulosic fillers modified by isophorone diisocyanate (IPDI) to provide insights into the possibility of their application to the manufacturing of wood polymer composites (WPCs). Moreover, it deals with the environmental aspects of modified fillers, by assessment of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) emitted during modification, as well as...
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Copper and copper-manganese 1D coordination polymers: Synthesis optimization, crystal structure and preliminary studies as catalysts for Baylis–Hillman reactions
PublicationThis work reports the influence of experimental parameters (pH and counter-ion) in the synthesis of the 1D coordination polymer [Cu(IDA)(H2O)2]n (IDA = iminodiacetate), named here Cu-IDA. Copper-manganese bimetallic coordination polymers were also obtained by isomorphic replacement into Cu-IDA structure, with different molar ratio of Cu2+ and Mn2+ ions, denoted here as Cu/Mn-IDA (0.9/0.1; 0.7/0.3 and 0.5/0.5). New coordination...
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Immittance Studies of Bi6Fe2Ti3O18 Ceramics
PublicationResults of studies focusing on the electric behavior of Bi6Fe2Ti3O18 (BFTO) ceramics are reported. BFTO ceramics were fabricated by solid state reaction methods. The simple oxides Bi2O3, TiO2, and Fe2O3 were used as starting materials. Immittance spectroscopy was chosen as a method to characterize electric and dielectric properties of polycrystalline ceramics. The experimental data were measured in the frequency range D = (101–107)...
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The influence of the type of halogen substituent and its position on the molecular conformation, intermolecular interactions and crystal packing for a series of 1-benzoyl-3-(halogenophenyl)thioureas
PublicationBy the reaction of benzoyl chloride, potassium isothiocyanate and the appropriate halogenoaniline, i.e. 2/3/4-(bromo/iodo)aniline, we have obtained five new 1-benzoyl-3-(halogenophenyl)thioureas, namely, 1-benzoyl-3-(2-bromophenyl)- thiourea and 1-benzoyl-3-(3-bromophenyl)thiourea, C14H11BrN2OS, and 1-benzoyl-3-(2-iodophenyl)thiourea, 1-benzoyl-3-(3-iodophenyl)thiourea and 1-benzoyl-3-(4-iodophenyl)thiourea, C14H11IN2OS. Structural...
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Cure Index demonstrates curing of epoxy composites containing silica nanoparticles of variable morphology and porosity
PublicationAn image was taken by Cure Index on curability of epoxy with silica nanoparticles having variable morphology and porosity. Three kinds of silica nanoparticles with non-porous curved-rod, non-porous spherical, and mesoporous spherical microstructures were synthesized and characterized by Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and Brunauer–Emmett–Teller analyses. Epoxy nanocomposites containing...
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Shales Leaching Modelling for Prediction of Flowback Fluid Composition
PublicationThe object of the paper is the prediction of flowback fluid composition at a laboratory scale, for which a new approach is described. The authors define leaching as a flowback fluid generation related to the shale processing. In the first step shale rock was characterized using X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy, X-ray diractometry and laboratory analysis. It was proven that shale rock samples taken from the selected sections of horizontal...
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The lanthanide influence on selected properties of BaLnCo2O6-δ
PublicationThe subject of research of this dissertation are cobalt oxides with a double perovskite structure with a general formula BaLnCo2O6-δ, where Ln stands for La, Pr, Nd, Sm, Gd, Tb, Dy. The aim of the study was to verify the ability of these materials to form the protonic defects, as well as to identify the factors determining this ability. As part of the work, materials from the proposed group were synthesised and characterized. To...
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Towards sugar-derived polyamides as environmentally friendly materials
PublicationAs part of our ongoing study investigating isohexide-based polyamides, we have synthesized isosorbide(bis(propan-1-amine)) (DAPIS) and studied its reactivity in the polymerization towards fully biobased polyamides. Polycondensation of nylon salts with various contributions of DAPIS afforded a family of homo- and copolyamides, which were characterized using complementary spectroscopic techniques. The chemical structure of the materials...
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Electrochemical synthesis and characterization of nanocomposites based on poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) and functionalized carbon nanotubes
PublicationThis work is focused on new composite materials consisting of poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (pEDOT) and functionalized multi-walled carbon nanotubes synthesized electrochemically. Three types of composites were synthesized: the first one containing carbon nanotubes with carboxyl groups (covalent functionalization), the second one containing oxidized carbon nanotubes ox-MWCNTs (with different oxygen-rich polar groups) (covalent...
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Tailoring optical constants of few-layer black phosphorus coatings: Spectroscopic ellipsometry approach supported by ab-initio simulation
Publication2D black phosphorus (BP) has attracted extensive attention as an anisotropic platform for novel optoelectronic and polarizing optics applications. Insight into the factors that tune the optical and polarizing properties of 2D BP reveals their essential influence on BP-based photonic and optoelectronic devices. In this work, studies of the optical constants of few-layer black phosphorus coatings are studied and discussed, with particular...
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High-Temperature Tensile Behaviour of GTAW Joints of P92 Steel and Alloy 617 for Two Different Fillers
PublicationThis study explores the high-temperature (HT) tensile rupture characteristics of a dissimilar gas-tungsten-arc-welded (GTAW) joint between P92 steel and Alloy 617, fabricated using ER62SB9 and ERNiCrCoMo-1 fillers. The high-temperature tensile tests were performed at elevated temperatures of 550 ◦C and 650 ◦C. An optical microscope (OM) and a field emission scanning electron microscope (FESEM) were utilized to characterize the...
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Controlling crystallites orientation and facet exposure for enhanced electrochemical properties of polycrystalline MoO3 films
PublicationThis study focuses on the development and optimization of MoO3 films on commercially available FTO substrates using the pulsed laser deposition (PLD) technique. By carefully selecting deposition conditions and implementing post-treatment procedures, precise control over crystallite orientation relative to the substrate is achieved. Deposition at 450 °C in O2 atmosphere results in random crystallite arrangement, while introducing...
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Development of iron doped strontium titanates as oxygen electrode for solid oxide fuel cells
PublicationProducing efficient solid oxide fuel cells (SOFC) without the use of harmful elements is one of the current challenges. Increasing the safety of people and reducing production costs is possible, among others, thanks to the use of iron doped strontium titanates as porous oxygen electrodes. In this thesis, the results of research on iron doped strontium titanates as potential oxygen electrodes for SOFC are presented. The research...
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Physics augmented classification of fNIRS signals
PublicationBackground. Predictive classification favours performance over semantics. In traditional predictive classification pipelines, feature engineering is often oblivious to the underlying phenomena. Hypothesis. In applied domains such as functional Near Infrared Spectroscopy (fNIRS), the exploitation of physical knowledge may improve the discriminative quality of our observation set. Aims. Give exemplary evidence that intervening the...
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Magnetic semiconductor photocatalysts for the degradation of recalcitrant chemicals from flow back water
PublicationIn the present study treatability of persistent organic compounds from the flow back water after hydrauling fracturing was investigated. The combination of TiO2 photocatalyst and magnetic oxide nanoparticles enhance the separation and recoverable property of nanosized TiO2 photocatalyst. Fe3O4/ TiO2 and Fe3O4@SiO2/TiO2 nanocomposites were prepared by heteroagglomeration. The photocatalysts’ characteristics by X-ray diffractometry...
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Synthesis and characterisation of polyurethane elastomers with semi-products obtained from polyurethane recycling
PublicationIn this work polyurethane elastomers were synthesised by using different mixtures of a petrochemical and glycerolysate polyols and 4,4-diphenylmethane diisocyanate (MDI). Glycerolysate polyol was produced from polyurethane foam decomposition using crude glycerine as a decomposition agent. The structure and thermal properties of obtained semi-product were similar to the polyol used in the synthesis of original foam. Glycerolysate...
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Fabrication and Significant Photoelectrochemical Activity of Titania Nanotubes Modified with Thin Indium Tin Oxide Film
PublicationOrdered titanium dioxide nanotubes (TiO2NTs) modified with indium tin oxide (ITO) films were obtained via magnetron sputtering, in which ITO plate was used as a target, onto the as-anodized titania support followed by the calcination process. The morphology of fabricated material with deposited oxide was investigated using scanning electron microscopy. Raman and UV–Vis spectroscopies were utilized to characterize crystalline phase...
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Thermoplastic polyurethanes with glycolysate intermediates from polyurethane waste recycling
PublicationThe polyol is a major component in polyurethane formulations and therefore introducing to the formulation recycled polyol (obtained during decomposition process) allows decreasing the usage of pure petrochemical components. In this work, thermoplastic polyurethanes were prepared using various mixtures of a petrochemical macrodiol poly(ethylene-butylene adipate)diol (PEBA) and a recycled glycolysate intermediate, called glycolysate...
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Interaction of cisplatin and two potential antitumoral platinum(ii) complexes with a model lipid membrane: a combined NMR and MD study
PublicationIn this study, the interaction of cisplatin (1) and two potential antitumoral Pt(II) complexes (2 and 3) with a model DMPC bilayer was investigated by multinuclear NMR spectroscopy and MD simulations in order to understand its implication for the different antitumoral properties shown by the three complexes. In particular, 31P, 13C and 2H solid state NMR experiments were performed to obtain information on the phase structure, phase...
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Photophysics of Untethered ZnTPP-Fullerene Complexes in Solution
PublicationThe spectroscopy and dynamic behavior of the self-assembled, Soret-excited zinc tetraphenylporphyrin (ZnTPP) plus fullerene (C60) model system in solution has been examined using steady state fluorescence quenching, nanosecond time-correlated single photon counting, picosecond fluorescence upconversion, and picosecond transient absorption methods. Evidence of ground state complexation is presented. Steady-state quenching of the...
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Photocatalytical properties of maze-like MoO3 microstructures prepared by anodization of Mo plate
PublicationIn this work, we present a simple method of the formation of MoO3 microstructures via an electrochemical anodization of Mo plate carried out under varied conditions. The morphology, composition and structure of samples were investigated by SEM, EDX, XRD and Raman spectroscopy. The band gap energy was estimated using the Kubelka–Munk function and was found to be 2.87 eV. Finally, the photocatalytic activities of MoO3 samples were...
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Ordered titanium templates functionalized by gold films for biosensing applications – Towards non-enzymatic glucose detection
PublicationRecently, metal nanostructures evoke much interest due to application potential in highly sensitive detectors in biochemistry and medical diagnostics. In this work we report on preparation and characteristics of thin (1–100 nm) Au films deposited onto highly ordered structured titanium templates for SERS (Surface Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy) and electrochemical sensing. The Ti templates are formed by selective removal of TiO2 nanotubes...
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Utilization of oriented crystal growth for screening of aromatic carboxylic acids cocrystallization with urea
PublicationThe possibility of molecular complex formation in the solid state of urea with benzoic acid analogues was measured directly on the crystallite films deposited on the glass surface using powder X-ray diffractometry (PXRD). Obtained solid mixtures were also analyzed using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). The simple droplet evaporation method was found to be efficient, robust, fast and cost-preserving approach for first...
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Microscopic and Spectroscopic Imaging and Thermal Analysis of Acrylates, Silicones and Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients in Adhesive Transdermal Patches
PublicationDermal or transdermal patches are increasingly becoming a noteworthy alternative ascarriers for active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs), which makes their detailed physicochemical evaluation essential for pharmaceutical development. This paper demonstrates mid-infrared (FTIR) and Raman spectroscopy with complementary microscopic methods (SEM, optical and confocal Raman microscopy) and differential scanning calorimetry...
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Experimental and predicted physicochemical properties of monopropanolamine-based deep eutectic solvents
PublicationIn this work, the novel deep eutectic solvents (DESs) based on 3-amino-1-propanol (AP) as hydrogen bond donor (HBD) and tetrabutylammonium bromide (TBAB) or tetrabutylammonium chloride (TBAC) or tetraethylammonium chloride (TEAC) as hydrogen bond acceptors (HBAs) were synthesized with different molar ratios of 1: 4, 1: 6 and 1: 8 salt to AP. Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy measurements were performed to provide an evidence...
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The fast identification of explosives, natcotics and other chemicals carried on board of ships or transported in containers
PublicationThe fast identification of explosives, narcotics and other chemicals carried on board of ships or transported in containers to the harbors is an important problem of maritime security. Raman spectroscopy is an advanced technique used in state-of-the art laboratories for fast identification of chemicals. No sample preparation is required, and identification can be carried out through transparent packing, such as plastic or glass,...
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Concentration‐Induced Hetero‐Valent Partial‐Inverse Occupation of Infrared Phosphor
PublicationInfrared luminescent materials have evoked much attention from chemists and material scientists. Although substantial progress is made in materials design, the luminescent mechanism remains ambiguous in the complex structures, presenting major barriers to developing novel infrared luminescent materials. Herein, this study aims to deliberate a complete discussion on infrared phosphors with concentration-induced hetero-valent partial-inverse...
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Reactive imines: Addition of 2-aminopyrimidine to the imine bond and isolation of the aminal from the equilibrium mixture aminal/imine
PublicationThe reaction between o-vanillin and 2-aminopyrimidine leads to the formation of a single crystalline product: aminal, 1, which results from the reaction of the initially formed imine with 2-aminopyrimidine. The reaction was followed by the NMR spectroscopy. VT NMR studies prove that in solution two major species are observed: aminal and imine and their ratio depends on the time or/and temperature with the imine content increasing...
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Boron-Doped Diamond/GaN Heterojunction—The Influence of the Low-Temperature Deposition
PublicationWe report a method of growing a boron-doped diamond film by plasma-assisted chemical vapour deposition utilizing a pre-treatment of GaN substrate to give a high density of nucleation. CVD diamond was deposited on GaN substrate grown epitaxially via the molecular-beam epitaxy process. To obtain a continuous diamond film with the presence of well-developed grains, the GaN substrates are exposed to hydrogen plasma prior to deposition....
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Partial inhibition of borohydride hydrolysis using porous activated carbon as an effective method to improve the electrocatalytic activity of the DBFC anode
PublicationCarbon materials are commonly used catalyst supports in various types of fuel cells. Due to the possibility of designing their properties, they seem to be attractive and functional additives. In Direct Borohydride Fuel Cells (DBFCs), the electrooxidation reaction of borohydride competes with the undesirable hydrolysis reaction, therefore our work aimed to modify anodes based on a multi-component hydrogen storage alloy with a small...
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Electrochemical synthesis of 2D copper coordination-polymers: Layer-stacking deviation induced by the solvent and its effect on the adsorptive properties
PublicationA 2D Cu-based Metal-Organic Framework (MOF), namely copper-terephthalate (Cu(1,4-BDC)), was successfully synthesized by electrochemical method for effective methylene blue (MB) sorption from aqueous solutions. The composition, morphology, and the presence of functional groups in the obtained material were verified by Fourier Transform Infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), Powder X-Ray Diffraction (PXRD), Thermal (TGA), and Elemental (EA)...
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Properties of New Composite Materials Based on Hydroxyapatite Ceramic and Cross-Linked Gelatin for Biomedical Applications
PublicationThe main aim of the research was to develop a new biocompatible and injectable composite with the potential for application as a bone-to-implant bonding material or as a bone substitute. A composite based on hydroxyapatite, gelatin, and two various types of commercially available transglutaminase (TgBDF/TgSNF), as a cross-linking agent, was proposed. To evaluate the impacts of composite content and processing parameters on various...
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Investigation of tetrabutylammonium bromide-glycerol-based deep eutectic solvents and their mixtures with water by spectroscopic techniques
PublicationDeep eutectic solvents (DES) are formed by an acceptor and a donor of hydrogen bonds. They are generally considered as a possible alternative to hazardous organic solvents in various fields. Very recently they have also appeared in analytical chemistry, used mainly for the separation of analytes before instrumental quantification. For the development of new extraction procedures, it is important, among other things, to understand...
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Low-strain sensor based on the flexible boron-doped diamond-polymer structures
PublicationA free-standing high boron-doped diamond nanosheet (BDDNS) has been fabricated for the development of a flexible BDDNS strain senor. High boron-doped diamond was initially grown on a tantalum substrate in a microwave plasma-assisted chemical vapor deposition method, and was then transferred to a Kapton polymer substrate to fabricate the flexible BDDNS/Kapton device. Before performing the transfer process, the thin BDDNS’s morphology...
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Enzymatic and Chemical Cross-Linking of Bacterial Cellulose/Fish Collagen Composites—A Comparative Study
PublicationThis article compares the properties of bacterial cellulose/fish collagen composites (BC/Col) after enzymatic and chemical cross-linking. In our methodology, two transglutaminases are used for enzymatic cross-linking—one recommended for the meat and the other proposed for the fish industry—and pre-oxidated BC (oxBC) is used for chemical cross-linking. The structure of the obtained composites is characterized by scanning electron...
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Novel sugar-based nickel-tungsten carbide catalysts for dry reforming of hydrocarbons
PublicationThe search for new materials for dry reforming of hydrocarbons with high activity, stability, and ease of synthesis is still one of the main directions of research in the field of heterogeneous catalysis. Traditional methods of carbide synthesis require the use of combustible gases of petrochemical origin. The search for new catalysts based on renewable and safe carbon sources is highly demanded. Therefore, we report WC and Ni-WC...
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β-cyclodextrin-containing polymer based on renewable cellulose resources for effective removal of ionic and non-ionic toxic organic pollutants from water
PublicationA novel, bio-derived cyclodextrin-based trifunctional adsorbent has been successfully synthesized for efficient, rapid and simultaneous removal of a broad-spectrum of toxic ionic (anionic and cationic dyes) and non-ionic organic pollutants from water. The composition, morphology and the presence of functional groups in the obtained sorption material were characterized by elemental analysis, XRD, SEM, and FTIR spectroscopy. The...
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Seeding enhancement for microcrystaline diamond layers growth on non-diamond substrates
PublicationThe present paper gives an overview on the possible methods of seeding substrates for diamond layers growth. Diamond in reason of his properties is very desirable material in microelectronic, biomedical and waste treatment sensors. Microcrystalline diamond for these applications must be grown on silicon substrate in microwave plasma assisted chemical vapor deposition (MPACVD). To grow diamond on non-diamond surface pre-growth...
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Structure and Molecular Dynamics in Renewable Polyamides from Dideoxy-Diamino Isohexide
PublicationThe chemical structure, the conformation, andthe flexibility of the polymer chain fragments present in thepolyamides synthesized from 2,5-diamino-2,5-dideoxy-1,4;3,6-dianhydrosorbitol, 1,4-diaminobutane, and either sebacic orbrassylic acid have been studied by liquid-state 2D NMRspectroscopy viz. correlation spectra (COSY) and heteronuclearmultiple-bond correlation spectra (gHMBC), by 13Ccross-polarization/magic-angle spinning...
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Curing epoxy with ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) surface-functionalized Co Fe3-O4 magnetic nanoparticles
PublicationIn this work, the bulk and surface composition of Fe3O4 supermagnetic nanoparticles were modified for efficient epoxy curing. The bare, ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) capped, and cobalt (Co)-doped EDTA capped Fe3O4 nanoparticles were synthesized electrochemically. The crystalline structure and phase information, surface capping, morphology and magnetization behavior of nanoparticles were studied by X-Ray diffraction (XRD),...
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Ordered TiO2 nanotubes with improved photoactivity through self-organizing anodization with the addition of an ionic liquid: effects of the preparation conditions
PublicationModifying the geometric and surface parameters of oriented TiO2 nanotubes (NTs) is beneficial to the utilization of solar energy for chemical reactions, and this performance may be further improved. Thus, the effects of adding an ionic liquid (IL), 1-butylpiridinium chloride [BPy][Cl], and the effects of the water content and preparation conditions on the surface morphological, physicochemical, photocatalytic and photoelectrochemical...
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Influence of silver-core gold-shell nanoparticle parameters on the variation of surface-enhanced Raman spectra
PublicationThe detection of molecules by surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) is dependent on the nanomaterial used to induce the enhancement effect. This depends on a variety of parameters of the substrate such as the metal used for their creation, their shape, size and size distribution, concentration, as well as the parameters of the solution, such as packing of the nanoparticles, the complexity of the sample, the solvent, etc. It...
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Electrochemical Stability of Few-Layered Phosphorene Flakes on Boron-Doped Diamond: A Wide Potential Range of Studies in Aqueous Solutions
PublicationTwo-dimensional phosphorene has attracted great interest since its discovery as a result of its extraordinary properties. Two-dimensional single crystals of phosphorene can be useful for electrochemical (EC) sensing applications due to their enhanced surface-to-volume ratio. We proposed to investigate the electrochemical performance of phosphorene deposited directly on boron-doped diamond (BDD) electrodes. Noncovalent interaction...
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Investigation of Thermoplastic Polyurethanes Synthesized via Two Different Prepolymers
PublicationThe man aim of this work was to investigate the effect of the molecular weight of polyols, mixture of prepolymers, and [NCO]/[OH] molar ratio used during the prepolymer chain extending step on the chemical structure, thermomechanical and mechanical properties, and thermal stability of thermoplastic poly(ether-urethane)s In this work thermoplastic poly(ether-urethane)s were synthesized by using polyols with a various molecular weight,...
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Determination of flavanols by liquid chromatography with fluorescence detection. Application to the characterization of cranberry-based pharmaceuticals through profiling and fingerprinting approaches
PublicationIn this work, a new method based on reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with fluorescence detection (FLD) was established for the determination of catechins and related oligomeric proanthocyanidins (PACs) in cranberry-based pharmaceuticals. Compounds were recovered by liquid extraction using methanol/water/hydrochloric acid (60:39:1, v:v:v) as the extraction solvent. The chromatographic separation was carried...
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The Taste of Waste: The Edge of Eggshell Over Calcium Carbonate in Acrylonitrile Butadiene Rubber
PublicationRubber technology experiences a new age by the use of biowaste or natural fillers. In this regard, taking properties of reinforcing agents from biowaste fillers remains as the challenging matter. Chicken eggshell (ES) biowaste has recently been introduced to substitute calcium carbonate (CaCO3) duo to its superior properties and low price. In this work, composites based on acrylonitrile butadiene rubber (NBR) reinforced with ES...
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Evolution of Ag nanostructures created from thin films: UV–vis absorption and its theoretical predictions
PublicationAg-based plasmonic nanostructures were manufactured by thermal annealing of thin metallic films. Structure and morphology were studied using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HR-TEM) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). SEM images show that the formation of nanostructures is influenced by the initial layer thickness as well as the...