Low-energy Processes Research Articles

Study of Cyclohexane and Methylcyclohexane Functionalization Promoted by Manganese(III) Compounds

Alkane functionalization using safe and low-energy processes is of great interest to industry and academia. Aiming to contribute to the process of saturated hydrocarbon functionalization, we have studied a set of three manganese(III) complexes as catalysts for promoting the oxidation of saturated hydrocarbons (cyclohexane and methylcyclohexane) in the presence of hydrogen peroxide or trichloroisocyanuric acid (TCCA). The mononuclear manganese(III) compounds were prepared using the ligands H2LMet4 (6,6’-((1,4-diazepane-1,4-diyl)bis(methylene))bis(2,4-dimethylphenol), H2salen (2,2’-((1E,1’E)-(ethane-1,2-diylbis(azaneylylidene))bis(methaneylylidene))diphenol) and H2salan (2,2’-((ethane-1,2-diylbis(azanediyl))bis(methylene))diphenol). The catalytic processes were carried out in acetonitrile at 25 and 50 °C for 24 h. The increase in the temperature was important to get a better conversion. The compounds did not promote cyclohexane oxidation in the presence of H2O2. However, they were active in the presence of TCCA, employing a ratio of 1000:333:1 equivalents of the substrate:TCCA:catalyst. The best catalytic activity was shown by the compound [Mn(salen)Cl], reaching conversions of 14.5 ± 0.3% (25 °C) and 26.3 ± 1.1% (50 °C) (yield for chlorocyclohexane) and up to 12.1 ± 0.5% (25 °C) and 29.8 ± 2.2% (50 °C) (total yield for the mixture of the products 1-chloro-4-methylcyclohexane, 3-methylcyclohexene and 1-methylcyclohexene). The interaction of the catalysts with TCCA was studied using electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR), suggesting that the catalysts [Mn(LMet4)Cl] and [Mn(salan)Cl] act via a different mechanism from that observed for [Mn(salen)Cl].

Exoplanet weather and climate regimes with clouds and thermal ionospheres

Context. Gaseous exoplanets are the targets that enable us to explore fundamentally our understanding of planetary physics and chemistry. With observational efforts moving from the discovery into the characterisation mode, systematic campaigns that cover large ranges of global stellar and planetary parameters will be needed to disentangle the diversity of exoplanets and their atmospheres that all are affected by their formation and evolutionary paths. Ideally, the spectral range includes the high-energy (ionisation) and the low-energy (phase-transitions) processes as they carry complementary information of the same object. Aims. We aim to uncover cloud formation trends and globally changing chemical regimes into which gas-giant exoplanets may fall due to the host star’s effect on the thermodynamic structure of their atmospheres. We aim to examine the emergence of an ionosphere as indicator for potentially asymmetric magnetic field effects on these atmospheres. We aim to provide input for exoplanet missions such as JWST, PLATO, and Ariel, as well as potential UV missions ARAGO, PolStar, or POLLUX on LUVOIR. Methods. Pre-calculated 3D GCMs for M, K, G, F host stars are the input for our kinetic cloud model for the formation of nucleation seeds, the growth to macroscopic cloud particles and their evaporation, gravitational settling, element conservation and gas chemistry. Results. Gaseous exoplanets fall broadly into three classes: i) cool planets with homogeneous cloud coverage, ii) intermediate temperature planets with asymmetric dayside cloud coverage, and iii) ultra-hot planets without clouds on the dayside. In class ii), the dayside cloud patterns are shaped by the wind flow and irradiation. Surface gravity and planetary rotation have little effect. For a given effective temperature, planets around K dwarfs are rotating faster compared to G dwarfs leading to larger cloud inhomogeneities in the fast rotating case. Extended atmosphere profiles suggest the formation of mineral haze in form of metal-oxide clusters (e.g. (TiO2)N). Conclusions. The dayside cloud coverage is the tell-tale sign for the different planetary regimes and their resulting weather and climate appearance. Class (i) is representative of planets with a very homogeneous cloud particle size and material compositions across the globe (e.g., HATS-6b, NGTS-1b), classes (ii, e.g., WASP-43b, HD 209458b) and (iii, e.g., WASP-121b, WP 0137b) have a large day-night divergence of the cloud properties. The C/O ratio is, hence, homogeneously affected in class (i), but asymmetrically in class (ii) and (iii). The atmospheres of class (i) and (ii) planets are little affected by thermal ionisation, but class (iii) planets exhibit a deep ionosphere on the dayside. Magnetic coupling will therefore affect different planets differently and will be more efficient on the more extended, cloud-free dayside. How the ionosphere connects atmospheric mass loss at the top of the atmosphere with deep atmospheric layers need to be investigated to coherently interpret high resolution observations of ultra-hot planets.

Novel LiAlO2 Material for Scalable and Facile Lithium Recovery Using Electrochemical Ion Pumping

In this study, α-LiAlO2 was investigated for the first time as a Li-capturing positive electrode material to recover Li from aqueous Li resources. The material was synthesized using hydrothermal synthesis and air annealing, which is a low-cost and low-energy fabrication process. The physical characterization showed that the material formed an α-LiAlO2 phase, and electrochemical activation revealed the presence of AlO2* as a Li deficient form that can intercalate Li+. The AlO2*/activated carbon electrode pair showed selective capture of Li+ ions when the concentrations were between 100 mM and 25 mM. In mono salt solution comprising 25 mM LiCl, the adsorption capacity was 8.25 mg g-1, and the energy consumption was 27.98 Wh mol Li-1. The system can also handle complex solutions such as first-pass seawater reverse osmosis brine, which has a slightly higher concentration of Li than seawater at 0.34 ppm.

Tailoring a low-energy ball milled MnCo2O4 spinel catalyst to boost oxygen evolution reaction performance

The development of cost-efficient oxygen evolution reaction (OER) catalysts is one of the most important tasks facing modern techniques for hydrogen production. In this work, for the first time, a low-energy ball milling process of MnCo2O4 (MCO) spinel powders, with a mechanical modification time exceeding 1 day was used. After 6 days of ball-milling, the obtained overpotential of the electrocatalyst reached the value of 375 mV at 10 mA cm−2, which is a relatively low value obtained for this type of compound. The studies showed how the mechanical (low-energy long-term milling process) and chemical modification of the fragmented spinel powder nanoparticle surfaces affects the increase of the electrocatalytic properties. The addition of the appropriate amount of conductive carbon black (cCB) and Nafion ionomer to the ink of the MCO spinel also has a significant effect on the improvement of the catalytic performance of the manganese-cobalt oxide during the milling process. By reducing the amount of Nafion to 10 % of its initial value, the overpotential dropped to 352 mV at 10 mA cm−2 after 30 days of ball-milling. This shows that catalyst ink and layer composition are important factors influencing the catalyst’s efficiency in the OER.

Self-Activation of Inorganic-Organic Hybrids Derived through Continuous Synthesis of Polyoxomolybdate and para-Phenylenediamine Enables Very High Lithium-Ion Storage Capacity.

Inorganic-organic hybrid materials with redox-active components were prepared by an aqueous precipitation reaction of ammonium heptamolybdate (AHM) with para-phenylenediamine (PPD). A scalable and low-energy continuous wet chemical synthesis process, known as the microjet process, was used to prepare particles with large surface area in the submicrometer range with high purity and reproducibility on a large scale. Two different crystalline hybrid products were formed depending on the ratio of molybdate to organic ligand and pH. A ratio of para-phenylenediamine to ammonium heptamolybdate from 1 : 1 to 5 : 1 resulted in the compound [C6 H10 N2 ]2 [Mo8 O26 ] ⋅ 6 H2 O, while higher PPD ratios from 9 : 1 to 30 : 1 yielded a composition of [C6 H9 N2 ]4 [NH4 ]2 [Mo7 O24 ] ⋅ 3 H2 O. The electrochemical behavior of the two products was tested in a battery cell environment. Only the second of the two hybrid materials showed an exceptionally high capacity of 1084 mAh g-1 at 100 mA g-1 after 150 cycles. The maximum capacity was reached after an induction phase, which can be explained by a combination of a conversion reaction with lithium to Li2 MoO4 and an additional in situ polymerization of PPD. The final hybrid material is a promising material for lithium-ion battery (LIB) applications.

Eco-design for perovskite solar cells to address future waste challenges and recover valuable materials

Photovoltaic development should be steered by the circular economy. However, it is not. In case of perovskite photovoltaics even current environmental directives divert from profitably recycling. Here, we study the profitability of noble metals recovery from wasted perovskite solar cells depending on recycling routes. Our results show that substrates play a major role in the recovery of precious metals and in contrast to previous research even recycling carbon-based devices could reach profitability. Going beyond the recovery of valuable elements, our findings show that revival of the perovskite solar cells is strongly dependent on the device architecture, so far viable for mesoscopic structures with carbon back contacts. Perovskite solar cells are still at the development stage, but the window of opportunity to ensure eco-design will close with market entry, and device complexity might compromise profitability recycling and even result in failure of recovery critical materials. Therefore, its eco-design should be prioritized by materials researchers to develop devices, where valuable components can be separated and liberated with safe and low energy processes.

Synthesis and Characterization of rGO/Fe3O4 Nanocomposite as Counter Electrode for Dye Sensitized Solar Cell

Abstract: In this project work deals with the synthesis and characterization of rGO/Fe3o4 nanocomposite as counter electrode for dye sensitized solar cell . The growing population in the world arouses energy concerns in all kinds of fields. It is mandatory to meet our everyday energy demands from solar, wind, geothermal, and so on. The proposed Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells (DSSC’s) belong to the group of thin-film solar cells that have been the subject of research for more than two decades due to their low cost, simple preparation methodology, low toxicity, ease of production, and simple methodology. Still, there is a lot of scope for the replacement of current DSSC’s materials due to their high cost, limited abundance, and long-term stability. These cells have the advantages of low-energy and high-throughout processing technologies, low material costs, and the ability to work even in low incident light conditions. To studied about the structural and morphological properties of synthesized rGO/Fe3O4 nanocomposite by using various characterization techniques such as XRD analysis, then the efficiency of existing DSSC’s may be upto 10-12% by using eosin yellow dyes and optimising material.

Plant Terpenoid Permeability through Biological Membranes Explored via Molecular Simulations.

Plants synthesize small molecule diterpenes composed of 20 carbons from precursor isopentenyl diphosphate and dimethylallyl disphosphate, manufacturing diverse compounds used for defense, signaling, and other functions. Industrially, diterpenes are used as natural aromas and flavoring, as pharmaceuticals, and as natural insecticides or repellents. Despite diterpene ubiquity in plant systems, it remains unknown how plants control diterpene localization and transport. For many other small molecules, plant cells maintain transport proteins that control compound compartmentalization. However, for most diterpene compounds, specific transport proteins have not been identified, and so it has been hypothesized that diterpenes may cross biological membranes passively. Through molecular simulation, we study membrane transport for three complex diterpenes from among the many made by members of the Lamiaceae family to determine their permeability coefficient across plasma membrane models. To facilitate accurate simulation, the intermolecular interactions for leubethanol, abietic acid, and sclareol were parametrized through the standard CHARMM methodology for incorporation into molecular simulations. To evaluate the effect of membrane composition on permeability, we simulate the three diterpenes in two membrane models derived from sorghum and yeast lipidomics data. We track permeation events within our unbiased simulations, and compare implied permeation coefficients with those calculated from Replica Exchange Umbrella Sampling calculations using the inhomogeneous solubility diffusion model. The diterpenes are observed to permeate freely through these membranes, indicating that a transport protein may not be needed to export these small molecules from plant cells. Moreover, the permeability is observed to be greater for plant-like membrane compositions when compared against animal-like membrane models. Increased permeability for diterpene molecules in plant membranes suggest that plants have tailored their membranes to facilitate low-energy transport processes for signaling molecules.

Attributes of an excellent cane sugar factory

Exposure to sugar cane operations around the world has led to conclusions about what distinguishes an excellent operation from an average or mediocre one. This article evaluates the hallmarks of a mill that lead to efficient performance, from cane harvesting through the individual unit operations to the production of sugar, ethanol and energy. The process of cane harvesting and transport impacts the juice purity, which has a major impact on sugar recovery. Conditions in processing affect losses and color formation and the aim is to minimize temperatures and residence times in the process steps, while also minimizing the opportunities for any micro-biological losses. High massecuite exhaustions in the pan house are vital in this respect and affect steam requirements due to lower recycling in the pan house. The requirements for maximum export power include reducing process steam usage and low processing energy requirements.

Isomer-Dependent Threshold Photoelectron Spectroscopy and Dissociative Photoionization Mechanism of Anisaldehyde.

We studied the threshold photoionization and dissociative ionization of para-, meta-, and ortho-anisaldehyde by photoelectron photoion coincidence spectroscopy in the 8.20-19.00 eV photon energy range. Vertical ionization energies by equation of motion-ionization potential-coupled cluster singles and doubles (EOM-IP-CCSD) calculations reproduce the photoelectron spectral features in all three isomers. The dissociative photoionization (DPI) pathways of para- and meta-anisaldehyde are similar and differ markedly from those of ortho-anisaldehyde. In the para and meta isomers, the lowest-energy DPI channel corresponds to hydrogen atom loss to form the C8H7O2+ fragment at m/z 135, which undergoes sequential dissociation processes at higher energies, such as carbon monoxide loss to C7H7O+ (m/z 107) and further, sequential CH3, CH2O, and CH2CO losses to produce C6H4O+ (m/z 92), C6H5+ (m/z 77), and C5H5+ (m/z 65), respectively. Carbon monoxide loss from the parent ions, yielding C7H8O+ (m/z 108), is a subordinate dissociation channel parallel to H atom loss. At higher energies, it also gives rise to sequential formaldehyde (CH2O) loss to produce C6H6+ (m/z 78). In the ortho-anisaldehyde cation, the vicinity of the aldehyde and methoxy groups opens up low-energy hydrogen-transfer processes, which allow for seven fragmentation channels to compete effectively with the H- and CO-loss channels. Thus, the fragmentation mechanism changes considerably, thanks to the steric interaction of the substituents. Functional group interactions, in particular H transfer pathways, must therefore be considered when predicting the isomer-specific unimolecular decomposition mechanism of cationic and neutral species, as well as mass spectra for isomers.

High efficient separation of H2/CH4 using ZIF-8/glycol-water slurry: Process modelling and multi-objective optimization

Hydrogen (H2) is expected to play a vital role in future global energy system. The efficient and low-energy consumption process for H2/CH4 separation from hydrogen rich industrial off-gas is still a key challenge. The absorption-adsorption process for H2/CH4 separation using ZIF-8/glycol-water slurry is a promising alternative technique due to its high separation efficiency, mild operation conditions and continuous operation mode. We proposed two process configurations: a decompression desorption process A to obtain 99.5 mol% H2; and a process B combined with decompression and H2 stripping desorption to attain 99.99 mol% H2. The detailed process modelling and multiple objective optimizations for two processes are conducted to determine optimal operation conditions, stream characteristics, and unit energy requirements. Results show that the H2 recovery ratio and total unit energy consumption reaches 99.70% and 0.3876 kW·h/Nm3 for Process A; 99.47% and 0.4608 kW·h/Nm3 for Process B, respectively. It indicates the novel process can simultaneously achieve high purity and high H2 recovery with low energy consumption.

Chloroplast/thylakoid-rich material: A possible alternative to the chemically synthesised flow enhancer polyglycerol polyricinoleate in oil-based systems

Chloroplasts are abundant organelles in a diverse range of plant materials; they are predominantly composed of multicomponent thylakoid membranes which are lipid and protein rich. Intact or unravelled thylakoid membranes should, in principle, have interfacial activity, but little has been published on their activity in oil-in-water systems, and nothing on their performance on an oil continuous system. In this work different physical methods were used to produce a range of chloroplast/thylakoid suspensions with varying degrees of membrane integrity. Transmission electron microscopy revealed that pressure homogenisation led to the greatest extent of membrane and organelle disruption compared to less energy intensive preparation methods The ability of the derived materials to modulate the flow behaviour of a chocolate model system (65% (w/w) sugar/ sunflower oil (natural amphiphiles removed) suspension) was investigated by acquiring rheological parameters. All chloroplast/thylakoid preparations reduced yield stress, apparent viscosity, tangent flow point and cross over point in a concentration-dependent fashion, although not as significantly as polyglycerol polyricinoleate applied at a commercially relevant concentration in the same chocolate model system. Confocal laser scanning microscopy confirmed presence of the alternative flow enhancer material at the sugar surfaces. This research reveals that low-energy processing methods that do not extensively disrupt thylakoid membranes are applicable to generating materials with marked capacity to affect the flow behaviour of a chocolate model system. In conclusion, chloroplast/thylakoid materials hold strong potential as natural alternatives to synthetic rheology modifiers for lipid-based systems such as PGPR.

Behavior of solutes and membrane fouling in an electrodialysis to treat a side-stream: Migration of ions, dissolved organics and micropollutants

The electrodialysis (ED) is widely applied as a reliable low-energy process in which ions are transferred through selective ion-exchange membranes. The purpose of this study is to confirm the efficiency of the ED system for removing nutrient ions contained in the side-stream of actual wastewater and to identify the propensity of ion exchange membrane fouling by dissolved organic matter and micropollutants contained in the side-stream. As a result of the constant-voltage of 7 batch operation for the side-stream, 92.1 % of ammonium and 52.4 % of phosphate were removed, and it was confirmed that the ED system was particularly effective in removing ammonium. The propensity of the membrane fouling by organic solutes was compared by measuring elemental analysis and FTIR spectra of three types of ion-exchange membranes: original, fouled, and cleaned. It was confirmed that low-molecular-weight organic matter was an important cause of organic fouling, and SEM-EDS analysis showed that acid-base cleaning is effective in removing organic foulants. Among the remaining micropollutants, diclofenac, gemfibrozil, ibuprofen, ketoprofen, and naproxen can be removed by the ED system according to their ionic characteristics, but some of the diclofenac and gemfibrozil are presumed to be adsorbed on the membrane due to their hydrophobicity.

Green, Water-Based Synthesis of ZnO Nanostructures

We report on the synthesis of zinc oxide (ZnO) nanostructures using a simple, green, waterbased process, without the aid of any chemical precursor or external energy source. Zinc plates were immersed in deionized water and kept at ambient conditions in a dark cabinet for up to 21 days. After immersion, the reaction products were analyzed using scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, photoluminescence spectroscopy and Raman spectroscopy. After short immersion times (1-3 days), ZnO agglomerates with a high concentration of oxygen defects were formed, which overlapped along the c axis to form ZnO nanoflowers. After long immersion times (21 days), ZnO microswords with smooth surfaces, well-defined tips, and less oxygen defects were formed. This low-cost, low-energy synthesis process is an attractive alternative to produce ZnO nanostructures with low impact on the environment.

Honeynet Implementation in Cyber Security Attack Prevention with Data Monitoring System Using AI Technique and IoT 4G Networks

Cyber Physical Systems (CPS) comprises of the ubiquitous object concept those are connected with Internet to provide ability of data transmission and sensing over network. The smart appliances transmits the data through CPS devices with the implementation of Internet of Things (IoT) exhibits improved performance characteristics with significant advantages such as time savings, reduced cost, higher human comfort and efficient electricity utilization. In the minimal complexity sensor nodes cyber physical system is adopted for the heterogeneous environment for the wireless network connection between clients or hosts. However, the conventional security scheme uses the mechanisms for desktop devices with efficient utilization of resources in the minimal storage space environment, minimal power processing and limited energy backup. This paper proposed a Secure Honeynet key authentication (SHKA) model for security attack prevention through effective data monitoring with IoT 4G communication. The proposed SHKA model uses the lightweight key agreement scheme for authentication to provide security threats and confidentiality issues in CPS applications. With the implementation of SHKA HoneyNet model the data in IoT are monitored for security mechanism in IoT environment. The middleware module in SHKA scheme uses the Raspberry platform to establish internetworking between CPS device to achieve dynamic and scalability. The secure IoT infrastructure comprises of flexible evaluation of user-centric environment evaluation for the effectiveness. The developed SHKA model perform mutual authentication between CPS devices for minimal computation overhead and efficiency. The wireless channel uses the dynamic session key for the secure communication for cyber-attacks security with lightweight security in CPS system. The SHKA model demonstrate the effectiveness based on consideration of three constraints such as low power processing, reduced storage and minimal backup energy. Experimental analysis stated that proposed SHKA scheme provides lightweight end-to-end key establishment in every session. The CPS devices generates the session key of 128 bit long. The minimum key size is implemented to provide effective security in IoT 4G communication with minimal execution time. The simulation results demonstrated that SHKA model exhibits effective cyber-attacks for the constraint devices to improve performance of IoT network.

Ultra-fast microwave regeneration of CO2 solid sorbents for energy-efficient direct air capture

Large-scale deployment of direct air capture (DAC) technologies has become critical for mitigating climate change. Towards this end, energy-efficient regeneration of the sorbents used in the process of carbon capture from air is very important to significantly reduce the high operational cost of DAC. Guanidine compounds can be used with environmentally friendly aqueous amino acids (e.g., potassium sarcosinate) for fast and effective CO2 capture from air, and have a strong potential for low-energy CO2 release and sorbent regeneration. In this process, the amino acid absorbs the CO2 from the air, and the guanidine compounds react with the CO2-rich amino acid solution and crystallize as an insoluble carbonate salt. Separation and thermal regeneration of the precipitated guanidine carbonate salt leads to an overall low-temperature and low-energy direct air capture process. Effective CO2 release from the solid guanidine compound can be achieved by mild heating at 120 °C. In this study, to overcome the relatively inefficient traditional conductive heating of the crystalline solid (i.e., Methylglyoxal-bis(iminoguanidine) carbonate, MGBIG carbonate), we evaluated the feasibility of microwave heating of MGBIG carbonate in terms of power requirement, radiation time, and solids mass for efficient CO2 desorption. The energy consumption needed by a microwave oven and a conventional oven to regenerate the same mass of the sorbent was directly measured to compare the total energy required per unit mass of regenerated sample and provide an understanding of the potential benefits of microwave regeneration. We found that microwave heating effectively regenerates MGBIG carbonate, which may be facilitated by the water molecules that are co-crystallized with carbonate in the guanidine crystals. Microwave heating at 2.54 GHz with 1250 W is up to 17 times faster than conventional conductive heating at 160 °C, resulting in 40 % electrical energy reduction. These results indicate that microwave regeneration may be an energy-efficient method for fast regeneration of solid sorbents used for direct air capture.

Effective six-band model and unconventional spin-singlet pairing in Kagome superconductor CsV3Sb5

Recently synthesized Kagome compounds AV3Sb5 attract great attention due to the unusual coexistence of the topology, charge density wave, and superconductivity. In this work, based on the band structures for CsV3Sb5 in the pristine phase, we construct an effective six-band model for the low-energy processes; utilizing the random phase approximation on the effective six-band model, we show that the (p wave) pairing dominates in the region of eV, the (I wave) in the region of eV and the (d wave) in the region of eV. Considering that the correlation in AV3Sb5 is weak or intermediate, these results suggest that pairing symmetry is (I-wave) in the CsV3Sb5, which can explain some recent experiments about pairing symmetry.

Radiopaque Iodosilane-Coated Lipid Hybrid Nanoparticle Contrast Agent for Dual-Modality Ultrasound and X-ray Bioimaging.

Here, we report the synthesis of robust hybrid iodinated silica-lipid nanoemulsions (HSLNEs) for use as a contrast agent for ultrasound and X-ray applications. We engineered iodinated silica nanoparticles (SNPs), lipid nanoemulsions, and a series of HSLNEs by a low-energy spontaneous nanoemulsification process. The formation of a silica shell requires sonication to hydrolyze and polymerize/condensate the iodomethyltrimethoxysilane at the oil/water interface of the nanoemulsion droplets. The resulting nanoemulsions (NEs) exhibited a homogeneous spherical morphology under transmission electron microscopy. The particles had diameters ranging from 20 to 120 nm with both negative and positive surface charges in the absence and presence of cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB), respectively. Unlike CTAB-coated nanoformulations, the CTAB-free NEs showed excellent biocompatibility in murine RAW macrophages and human U87-MG cell lines in vitro. The maximum tolerated dose assessment was evaluated to verify their safety profiles in vivo. In vitro X-ray and ultrasound imaging and in vivo computed tomography were used to monitor both iodinated SNPs and HSLNEs, validating their significant contrast-enhancing properties and suggesting their potential as dual-modality clinical agents in the future.

Babchi Oil-Based Nanoemulsion Hydrogel for the Management of Psoriasis: A Novel Energy Economic Approach Employing Biosurfactants.

The current research aimed to assess the Babchi oil nanoemulsion-based hydrogel prepared using biosurfactants through a low-energy emulsification process for the topical management of psoriasis. The emulsification capacity and solubilities of many nanoemulsion constituents such as surfactants, co-surfactants, and oil were considered to determine the range of concentration of the constituents. Pseudoternary phase diagrams were created using the method of titration. Nanoemulgel structure, morphology, micromeritics, conductivity, and viscosity were all optimized. The assessment of the Babchi oil nanoemulgel included particle size, polydispersity index (PDI), drug content, pH, spreadability, rheological management, ex vivo drug study, 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) scavenging ability, in vitro drug release, release kinetics, and dermatokinetics. The selected ratios of the surfactant mixture (Smix) taken were 3:1. The entrapment efficiency estimated was 91.298%. The zeta potential of Babchi oil was observed to be -24.93 mV at 25 °C with water as a dispersant, viscosity as 0.887 cP, and material absorption as 0.01 nm. The size distribution of the particle was 108 nm by the intensity and the conductivity observed was 0.03359 mS/cm. The cumulative amount of Babchi oil penetrated and fluxed by nanoemulgel was considered larger (p ≤ 0.05) than the conventional formulations. Skin retention was observed to be good with decreased lag time. The formulation followed the Higuchi Korsmeyer for Fickian Peppas model for in vitro drug release studies. The oil was most effective on the epidermal layer of the skin for treatment. It was established that the Babchi oil nanoemulgel formulation had superior permeability capabilities for topical and transdermal administration and is a viable alternative to traditional formulations.

Preparation, Structure and Spectroscopic Properties of NH4[Ln(S2CNH2)4] ⋅ H2O (Ln=La, Eu)

AbstractThe title compounds were prepared under mild ambient conditions by a facile co‐precipitation route. NH4[Eu(S2CNH2)4] ⋅ H2O (a) and NH4[La(S2CNH2)4] ⋅ H2O (b) crystallize isotypically in the monoclinic space group P21/c with a=8.4461(3), b=13.6367(3), c=16.2945(5) Å, β=103.759(2)° (for (a)), and a=8.50484(9), b=13.84476(16), c=16.20816(17) Å, β=103.7644(11)° for (b), respectively. The spectroscopic data reveal the presence of a ligand‐to‐metal charge transfer (LMCT) process of low energy in a and in the solid solutions NH4[La1−xEux(S2CNH2)4] ⋅ H2O (x=0.016 and 0.05). Despite of the consequent efficient luminescent quenching, it was possible to recorded excitation and emission spectra at room temperature. These spectra are characterized by narrow bands due to intraconfigurational‐4f transitions of the Eu3+ ion. However, broad bands associated to the LMCT state were also observed, mainly for the solid solutions NH4[La1−xEux(S2CNH2)4] ⋅ H2O (x=0.016 and 0.05). Consequently, an intramolecular energy transfer mechanism is proposed, taking into account the role of the LMCT on the spectroscopic properties of dithiocarbamate complexes.