Mixture Of PC Research Articles

Interfacial behaviour of human bile and its substitution for in vitro lipolysis studies

This study examined the interfacial evolution of individual bile salts (BSs) and their blends with phosphatidylcholine (BS/PC) to simulate the complex behaviour of human bile (HB) during lipolysis at the triglyceride/water interface. Using adsorption and desorption cycles, mimicking exposure to small intestinal fluids, we demonstrate that the interfacial behaviour of real HB can be replicated using simple mixtures of BSs and PC. Interfacial tension (IFT) measurements after lipolysis and desorption showed no significant differences (P > 0.05) between HB samples and BS/PC mixtures across the total BS concentrations analysed (2.23–7.81 mM). However, individual BSs without PC yielded significantly different IFT results (P < 0.01) compared to HB, highlighting the importance of phospholipids. Dilatation rheology further emphasised the need for accurate phospholipid representation in bile models. Our results suggest that phospholipids in HB and in BS/PC systems enhance resistance to desorption, potentially affecting lipolysis. This is important, as current in vitro digestion models often replicate only intestinal BS concentrations to mimic the behaviour of HB in the intestinal lumen. Furthermore, the specific composition of BSs in HB appears less critical than the overall BS and phospholipid contents, suggesting that the kinetics of triglyceride digestion is influenced by the combined luminal concentrations of these components. These findings have significant implications for understanding the role of bile in digestion and offer insights for designing more accurate in vitro models to study the gastrointestinal behaviour of food emulsions and lipid-based delivery systems.

Machine learning for cyanobacteria mapping on tropical urban reservoirs using PRISMA hyperspectral data

Urban reservoirs are important for drinking water services and urban living. However, potentially toxic cyanobacteria blooms are frequently present due to human pollution and might threaten the urban water supply. Conveniently, cyanobacteria can be monitored by remote sensing-based approaches based on the spectral features of C-Phycocyanin (PC). Furthermore, methods leveraging Machine Learning Algorithms (MLA) for PC estimation from hyperspectral data have highlighted the potential to estimate PC more accurately - even at low concentrations. Since relatively few methodologies for PC retrieval in tropical environments have been developed or validated, this research evaluated PRISMA hyperspectral data processed with three MLA (Random Forest, Extreme Gradient Boost, and Support Vector Machines) to estimate PC concentrations in the Billings reservoir, Brazil. The same MLA were used to generate PC models using Wordview-3 and Landsat-8/OLI simulated data to assess the potential gain of using hyperspectral over multispectral data. A PRISMA image was processed with three atmospheric correction methods and validated with co-located in-situ data, where the best atmospherically corrected product was used to generate synthetic Landsat-8/OLI and Worldview-3 images. The PC models were calibrated and validated through Monte Carlo simulation using field radiometric and biological data (Chlorophyll-a, PC, and phytoplankton taxonomy) collected in eight field campaigns (N = 115). The PRISMA and the synthetic multispectral images were used for a second round of models’ validation using co-located PC measurements (match-up window ± 4 h). The global PC Mixture Density Network was also applied to the PRISMA data, and the estimates were compared with the other MLA. The results showed that the standard PRISMA surface reflectance product provided the best atmospheric correction (MAE < 20% for the 500–700 nm bands), while ACOLITE and 6SV underperformed it from two to more than ten-fold. Cyanobacteria species were abundant in 96% of the taxonomical samples, even though relatively low PC concentrations were found (PC from 0 to 301.81 μg/L and median PC = 2.9 μg/L). The global Mixture Density Network sharply overestimated PC (MAE = 280% and Bias = 280%), potentially due to Billings reservoir’s low PC:Chlorophyll-a ratio relative to the original training dataset. PRISMA/Random Forest (MAE = 45%) achieved the lowest error for orbital PC estimate, while Extreme Gradient Boost outperformed the other MLA using Worldview-3 (MAE = 49%) and Landsat-8 (MAE = 74%) synthetic imagery. Therefore, the results suggest hyperspectral and multispectral orbital data aligned with MLA are feasible for monitoring PC, even for waters containing low PC concentrations and reduced PC:Chlorophyll-a ratios.

Developing Lignite Pervious Concrete for Application in Pedestrian Walkways and Urban Runoff Treatment

In the present study, the mechanical characteristics and environmental aspects of lignite pervious concrete (LPC) in reducing stormwater pollution were investigated. Therefore, fine-grained lignite (0.6–1.2 mm) in various portions (up to 15% w/w of coarse aggregate) was added to the PC mixture. The workability, strength, cementitious paste thickness, and physical properties of LPC were examined for further application in urban areas with a focus on stormwater treatment. The statistical analysis of the results of ANOVA and visualization of the microstructure of LPC by means of scanning electron microscopy and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy were also presented. The results showed that LPC is a sticky paste with no slump (0). Adding lignite also slightly reduced the compressive strength of LPC up to 23% lower than the control sample (13.8 MPa). In addition, the presence of lignite led to a considerable reduction in permeability (40%) and porosity (51%) compared to the control sample. It was also found that the increase in cementitious paste thickness resulted in an increase of the compressive strength, which was mainly concentrated between 0.3 and 1.8 mm. However, the performance of LPC in reducing stormwater contamination was promising. Sample L15, with the highest removal efficiency, reduced the chemical oxygen demand, total suspended solids, and turbidity up to 42.14%, 63.38%, and 67.24%, respectively, while no significant changes were observed in pH, total dissolved solids, and nitrate (NO3). In short, although adding lignite to PC caused a reduction in the strength and physical properties of LPC, its efficiency in reducing stormwater pollution is quite promising, and it is recommended for use in green spaces of urban areas.Graphical

Lipid dependence of BsYetJ calcium transport activity by fluorescence and ESR techniques.

Recent studies based on X-ray crystallography and pulsed electron spin resonance results have revealed substantial structural insights for the mechanistic understanding of the Ca2+ transport mechanism in the membrane protein YetJ from Bacillus subtilis (BsYetJ). One striking finding is that its structure-function relationship is sensitive to the difference between the surrounding environments, detergent versus POPC lipid. Here, we continue on the study to explore the molecular details of BsYetJ in response to changes in lipid composition, at various mixtures of PC, PE, PI, and cholesterol. Using mutagenesis and fluorescence-based functional assays, we investigate several important negatively charged residues in the BsYetJ and reveal how the interplay determines the calcium channel conductance. This study identifies the conformations of BsYetJ in a complex lipid environment using electron spin resonance and molecular dynamics. Together with the functional data, we propose a mechanism, composed of previously unidentified selectivity filters, for the calcium transport activity of BsYetJ. We show that the calcium transport activity of BsYetJ can be modulated by lipid compositions. Our study provides new insights into the structural impact of the mutations and the development of the mechanistic model of BsYetJ.

Impact of Pollutant Ozone on the Biophysical Properties of Tear Film Lipid Layer Model Membranes.

Ozone exposure from environmental smog has been implicated as a risk factor for developing dry eye disease (DED). The tear film lipid layer (TFLL), which is the outermost layer of the tear film and responsible for surface tension reduction while blinking, is in direct contact with the environment and serves as the first line of defense against external aggressors such as environmental pollution. The impact of exposure to ozone on the biophysical properties of three TFLL model membranes was investigated. These model membranes include a binary mixture of cholesteryl oleate (CO) and L-α-phosphatidylcholine (egg PC), a ternary mixture of CO, glyceryl trioleate (GT) and PC, as well as a quaternary mixture of CO, GT, a mixture of free fatty acids palmitic acid and stearic acid (FFAs) and PC. Biophysical impacts were evaluated as changes to the surface activity, respreadability, morphology and viscoelastic properties of the films. Expansion to higher molecular areas was observed in all the TFLL model membrane films which is attributable to the accommodation of the cleaved chains in the film. Significant morphological changes were observed, namely fluidization and the disruption of the phase transition behaviour of GT, and multilayer formation of CO. This fluidization reduces the hysteresis loops for the model membranes. On the other hand, the viscoelastic properties of the films exhibited differential impacts from ozone exposure as a function of composition. These findings are correlated to chemical changes to the lipids determined using ESI-MS.

Feasibility study of using desalination brine to control the stiffness and early-age hydration of 3D printable cementitious materials

This paper proposes the use of desalination brine as a setting and hydration activator in set-on-demand 3D concrete printing. A series of tests were conducted to investigate the effect of adding different concentrations of desalination brine on stiffness evolution and early-age hydration of Portland cement mortars (PC mixtures) and limestone-calcined clay-based cementitious materials (LC mixtures). Results show that, increasing brine concentration decreased slump, flowability and initial setting time, as well as enhanced buildability, and stimulated the stiffness development within the first hour. Furthermore, the addition of desalination brine resulted in an acceleration of cement hydration, a higher amount of chemically bound water and a higher 1st day compressive strength. The abovementioned behaviors were further promoted by doubling the brine concentration. Due to the presence of reactive aluminates in calcined clay, the acceleration of first-day hydration was slightly diminished and a higher intensity of Friedel's salt was observed in LC mixtures compared to that of PC mixtures with the same desalination brine addition.

Influence of feeding the nano-structured form of b-carotene to egg-laying quails at the beginning of laying on productivity indicators

Purpose: checking the assimilation of beta-carotene from a nanostructured globe and the influence of nanostructured beta-carotene 10% on productivity and organoleptic qualities of products.Materials and methods. Experience was conducted on the basis of the Russian Pularka farm "Russian Pularia" of the Leningrad Region. 2 groups of the quail of meat - the egg direction of the Estonian breed were formed for 10 goals at the age of 50 days - the beginning of egg production. All groups of quails were contained in the same conditions, all the parameters of the microclimate in the premises, the front of feeding and post corresponded to the recommended standards. Egg productivity was evaluated in accordance with GOST 27583- 88 in the context of groups: the mass and number of eggs were determined by loafer; Color of the yolk on the Rosh scale; The content of vitamin A and beta-carotene in the yolk. The experience included three stages: 1st day-the implementation of landing quail quails; 2-10 days - the adaptation of the bird to new conditions of content; 11-20 days - directly the accounting period of experience. Feeding the control group was carried out by standard compound feed PC 1-1 of the production of the Gatchinsk compound factory. For an experimental group, a mixture of feed PC 1-1 was prepared with the addition of nanostructured beta-carotene 10%. 1 group (control) - PC 1-1 food at the rate of 30 g/head. Group 2 (experimental)-PC 1-1 food at the rate of 30 g/head + 36 mg of nanostructured beta-carotene 10% (at the rate of 150 mg/kg of poultry mass). The number and weight of the eggs of each group was fixed daily in the journal. Eggs of the experimental and control groups were stored separately.Results. IResults. The fodder forms of beta-carotene are not economically impractical, especially with industrial breeding of a bird. In our work, we studied the introduction of a polymer complex of a nanostructured form of B-carotene into the production of a polymer complex, which is unique. It forms complex emulsions with fat -soluble vitamins, which can be considered as a nano. The studies have shown that the intensity of the color of the yolks of the eggs of the experimental group was significantly higher than this indicator of the control group, which shows the bio-converters of the β-carotene in the yolk of the egg. At the same time, the masses of eggs in the experimental group were higher, but this excess was small.

Protein engineering and biochemical/biophysical approaches for structural studies of small membrane proteins and their complexes: Application to viroporins

We study the structure and function of small viral membrane proteins, which are expressed in the host and function in cellular membranes. Typically, they are multi‐domain multi‐functional proteins aiding virus adaptation and proliferation. Detailed characterization of the structure‐function relationship of these proteins will help to better understand virus‐host interactions and possibly develop protein inhibitors. However, such characterization is challenging due to the proteins’ small size and dynamic nature. Our focus is on viroporins, namely the Vpu, p7 and E proteins from HIV‐1, HCV, and CoV, respectively. Viroporins form ion‐conducting oligomers in cellular membranes leading to increased membrane permeability affecting ion homeostasis in infected cells. In addition, these proteins have soluble domains involved in interactions with host proteins. Currently, the structures of full‐length viroporins are largely uncharacterized and the information about the mechanism of oligomer formation and inter‐domain communication is very limited. Here, we report our effort to produce and solve the structure of stable viroporin oligomers in lipid environment. We use protein engineering to generate a range of fusion constructs aiming to increase the protein/oligomer size and reduce the conformational heterogeneity, thus making the protein amenable for structural determination by electron microscopy (EM) techniques. We produced, expressed in E. coli and purified, several soluble constructs of Vpu, p7 and E proteins fused at their N‐terminals to maltose binding protein (MBP). Thereafter, we interacted these proteins with lyso lipid mixtures of PC and PG, and their oligomerization was observed by negative staining EM and pulse electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR). We further use size‐exclusion chromatography (SEC) to assess the heterogeneity of viroporin oligomers in lyso PC/PG. Indeed, the protein elution exhibits a relatively broad chromatographic profile, indicating the presence of more than one oligomeric form. We further use SEC to test different protein‐to‐lipid molar ratios and the effect of viroporin inhibitor binding, aiming to shift the equilibrium toward stable functional viroporin oligomers. We will also discuss results from EM studies on these stable oligomers and EPR studies on spin‐labeled viroporin assembly. The progress we made in generating protein constructs and assessing protein oligomerization and stability in lipid provides a great promise for the development of successful methodology to determine the structure of full‐length viroporin. This methodology could also be applicable to other small oligomeric membrane proteins.

Simply Fabricated Inexpensive Dual-Polymer-Coated Fabry-Perot Interferometer-Based Temperature Sensors with High Sensitivity.

We designed simply fabricated, highly sensitive, and cost-effective dual-polymer-coated Fabry–Perot interferometer (DFPI)-based temperature sensors by employing thermosensitive polymers and non-thermosensitive polymers, as well as different two successive dip-coating techniques (stepwise dip coating and polymer mixture coating). Seven sensors were fabricated using different polymer combinations for performance optimization. The experiments demonstrated that the stepwise dip-coated dual thermosensitive polymer sensors exhibited the highest sensitivity (2142.5 pm °C−1 for poly(methyl methacrylate)-polycarbonate (PMMA_PC) and 785.5 pm °C−1 for poly(methyl methacrylate)- polystyrene (PMMA_PS)). Conversely, the polymer-mixture-coated sensors yielded low sensitivities (339.5 pm °C−1 for the poly(methyl methacrylate)-polycarbonate mixture (PMMA_PC mixture) and 233.5 pm °C−1 for the poly(methyl methacrylate)-polystyrene mixture (PMMA_PS mixture). Thus, the coating method, polymer selection, and thin air-bubble-free coating are crucial for high-sensitivity DFPI-based sensors. Furthermore, the DFPI-based sensors yielded stable readouts, based on three measurements. Our comprehensive results confirm the effectiveness, reproducibility, stability, fast response, feasibility, and accuracy of temperature measurements using the proposed sensors. The excellent performance and simplicity of our proposed sensors are promising for biomedical, biochemical, and physical applications.

Statistical assessment on relationship between fracture parameters of plain and fiber reinforced polymer concrete materials

Polymer concrete is a relatively new concrete in which a matrix made of a polymeric resin material is used to bind the ingredients. In this paper, 288 specimens made of 72 different plain and fiber-reinforced polymer concrete mixtures (PC and FRPC) are prepared and tested to assess the fracture behavior under pure mode I and pure mode II conditions. The main purpose of this research is to determine the relationships between fracture load and work of fracture as two important fracture mechanics parameters using statistical clustering or trends analysis. The weight percentages of the ingredients were varied as 17–25% resin, 75–81% fine and coarse aggregates, and 0–2% glass fibers. A general comparison of results obtained from the PC and FRPC materials show that for a given mix-design, addition of glass fiber increases the work of fracture by about 10%. The assessment shows a good correlation between fracture load and work of fracture. Results also show that the relation between the fracture load and work of fracture obeys the dominantly linear curve. The scatter of results obtained for the FRPC material were higher than the data of PC mixture for both modes I and II. In addition, the fracture resistance characteristics of both PC and FRPC mixtures tested under mode II loading conditions are greater than the corresponding values of mode I case.

Gel-Polymer Electrolytes for Sodium Batteries - Raman and Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopic Studies

Sodium-ion batteries (SIBs) as low-cost alternatives to expensive lithium-ion batteries become a hot R&amp;D topic in the recent days due to the natural abundancy of sodium in the Earth’s crust and also in the oceans. As far as solid electrolytes for SIBs are concerned, larger size of Na+ ions compared to that of Li+ ions hinders the ionic mobility resulting to insufficient ionic conductivity for practical applications. Development of quasi-solid state gel-polymer electrolytes (GPEs) would be a feasible solution to overcome this challenge. In this work, we developed Poly (methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) based GPEs with six different compositions dissolved in EC:PC (ethylene carbonate and propylene carbonate, 1:1 wt%) mixture. Among six different GPE samples investigated by Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopic and Raman Spectroscopic techniques, the best ambient temperature ionic conductivity of 4.2 mS cm-1 was obtained for 9PMMA:9NaPF6:41EC:41PC (wt%). Variation of ionic conductivity with inverse temperature showed Arrhenius behavior with almost constant activation energies. The best conducting GPE showed an activation energy of 0.14 eV. In the Raman spectra, very sharp crystalline peaks (400-850 cm-1 wave number range) of NaPF6 disappear in the gel state of the electrolytes confirming the non-crystalline nature of the GPEs. Boson modes remain almost constant in intensity for all the six different compositions. The best conducting GPE seems to be highly suitable for practical applications in SIBs as it has sufficient ambient temperature ionic conductivity.

Electrochemical performance of hard carbon anode in different carbonate‐based electrolytes

AbstractThe electrolytes of 1 M NaFSI dissolved in various carbonate solvents containing EC, PC and/or DMC have been investigated to find out the most compatible electrolyte composition with hard carbon (HC) anode in Na‐ion batteries (NIBs). The physical properties including viscosity and conductivity were measured to correlate with the electrochemical behaviors of these electrolytes. The Na/HC half‐cell was used for testing the charge/discharge performance of prepared electrolytes at room temperature. This best medium for the solvation of NaFSI salt is the mixture of EC, PC and DMC with the ratio 3:1:1, respectively. Indeed, this electrolyte delivered a highest capacity of 335.6 mAh.g‐1, excellent capacity retention of 73.7 % for 100 cycles.

The effect of concentration and ratio of ethylene carbonate and propylene carbonate plasticizers on characteristics of the electrospun PEO-based electrolytes applicable in lithium-ion batteries

In this study, plasticized electrospun fibers have been designed and fabricated as an electrolyte for lithium-ion batteries using electrospinning method. Polyethylene oxide (PEO) and lithium perchlorate were used as polymer matrix and lithium salt, respectively. Ethylene carbonate and propylene carbonate were applied to investigate the effects of the plasticizer concentration and various EC:PC ratios on the characteristics of the as-spun electrolytes. In addition, the influence of fiber orientation was examined on the ionic conductivity of the nanofibrous electrolytes. Results illustrated that compared with PC, EC can lead to a greater fraction of free ions, lower activation energy (Ea) and so more ionic conductivity. However, the highest room temperature ion conductivity of 0.171 mS·cm−1 was obtained for the as-spun electrolyte containing EC:PC (3:1) mixture. Moreover, with the increase of PC content, cycle stability of the electrospun electrolytes faded significantly. Furthermore, the ionic conductivity reduced from 0.212 to 0.020 mS·cm−1 with increasing of the fiber alignment. The results implied that the proposed nanostructured fibers can be a great candidate as free-solvent polymer electrolytes applicable in lithium-ion batteries.

Prechamber ignition: An exploratory 2-D DNS study of the effects of initial temperature and main chamber composition

A numerical investigation was conducted to study ignition and the initial phases of methane combustion in a two-dimensional setup consisting of a pre- (PC) and main (MC) chamber. The effect of the wall thermal boundary condition (isothermal Tw=500 K or adiabatic), initial mixture temperature (Tu=300 and 800 K) and equivalence ratio in the main chamber (ϕMC=0.5 and 1.0) was studied. A stoichiometric mixture was used in the PC and the mixtures were initially quiescent in all cases. Flame propagation in the prechamber is affected mainly by the initial temperature, while the thermal state of the wall plays a minor role. The transient jet that is generated at the exit of the orifice connecting the two chambers creates an intense flow field with vortical structures that, depending on the initial temperature, persist for a long time or dissipate quickly affecting combustion in the main chamber. Depending on the local flow and mixing conditions close to the orifice exit, the hot jet can be broken into small kernels at low Tu or forms quickly a flame torch at hot conditions, strongly affecting ignition of the MC mixture and flame propagation in the main chamber. In the lean MC cases, the intense mixing with the stoichiometric PC mixture creates local compositions that are more favorable for ignition by the hot turbulent reactive jet that subsequently exits from the PC at a temperature that is significantly lower than the adiabatic flame temperature of the corresponding mixture. Despite the short residence time, the reactive state of the mixture is affected as it flows through the nozzle. The flame structures in the MC are described in terms of the progress variable and mixture fraction and compared to flamelet-type calculations. The local flame structure differs strongly from that of the 1-D unstrained premixed flame, particularly for the low Tu cases. The flamelet-type calculations show that ignition of the most reactive mixture is enhanced by the radicals in the hot reactive jet, while scalar dissipation rate accelerates the ignition of the whole mixture. The 2-D simulations show that ignition is significantly longer than what is predicted by the flamelet calculations.

Peat Stabilization by Using Sugarcane Bagasse Ash (SCBA) as a Partial Cement Replacement Materials

Malaysia are covered approximately 2.6 million hectare of peat and facing serious geotechnical problems to develop infrastructure on peatland area. This study is to observe the basic geotechnical properties, strength and compressibility behavior of Pontian peat that stabilized by cement (OPC) and sugarcane bagasse ash (SCBA). The whole laboratory test standards and regulation that had been used in this study was adopted from American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) and British standards (BS). In order to understand an improvement of peat stabilization, unconfined compressive strength (UCS) and 1D-Oedometer consolidation test were conducted on untreated and stabilized peat. The results show that Pontian peat can be considered as hemic peat with average acidic. It was observed that the treated peat with 5% of SCBA (PCB5) has the highest UCS of 190 kPa and was discovered to be equivalent to PC specimen. There was a noteworthy decrease of void ratio, e for optimum PCB and PC mixtures as compared to untreated peat. The value of Cc and Cα was quite low at small effective stresses, however it improved after beyond preconsolidation pressure, σ’c. Compared to untreated Pontian peat which contributed the ratio of Cα/Cc about 0.056, stabilized peat for PC and PCB5 gave better ratio with 0.0316 and 0.0273 respectively. Results shows that the treated peat Cα/Cc ratios were drop dramatically from untreated peat which is representing the stabilized mixture can efficiently reduce the secondary compression.

Improved Performance of LiFePO4 Cathode through Use of Single Lithium Ion Conducting Polymer Binders Based on Sp 3 Boron Atoms

Active materials and electrolytes are widely explored to improve the energy and power density of the batteries. However, polymer binder is the key component for the control of the electrode (composite) interfaces, which include the conductive agent/active materials interface, the conductive agent/current collector interface, and the initial active materials/electrolyte interface, facilitating electron and ion conductivity, retaining the physical structure of electrode and stable cycling improving the performance of the LIB. According to Sugita et al. [1] and the approach based on the thermodynamic work of adhesion, polar binders improve the composite electrode wettability, increasing the ionic conductivity in conventional composites; these showed highest capacity, suggesting that Li+ conduction inside the polymeric binder contributes to the enhancement of electrochemical performance. In this work, we report a serie of binders based on sp3 boron atoms and poly(ethylene glycol) PEG400 bridges and other alcohols. These binders were obtained by polymerization in-situ with lithium tetrametoxyborate (LTMB), on the LiFePO4 and SP-carbon surfaces (120°C, 12h), after homogenized in methanol by magnetic stirring. The electrodes based on polyborates as binders were processed and compared with electrodes with PVDF as binder, according to the methodology used by G. Guzman et al. [2] In addition, the effect of charge delocalization present in BO4 - groups, associated to strong electron-withdrawing substituents and their effect on the ionic conductivity in polyborates binders, was studied by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy EIS. The results suggest that increased in ionic conductivity of the SLICB relative to the PVDF, decreases the charge transfer resistance in LiFePO4 cathodes. During the process of stabilization of the cell at C-rate of C/10, the cathodes based on PVDF as binder have better capacity, however, it is easily degraded with the increase of the C-rate. In general, the use of SLICB allows improving the load capacity of LiFePO4 cathodes, mainly at high C-rate values. Besides, they allow for a lower degree of degradation, which is possible to observe in the reversibility tests at low C-rate values, see figure 1. Figure 1. Rate capabilities collected during 40 cycles for a Li-ion cell at subsequent C-rates of 0.1, 1, 10 and 0.1C. Cell contains a cathode composite comprised: LiFePO4: SP-Carbon and different polymer binders 86-07-07 %w) and electrolyte of 1 M LiPF6 in a mixture of PC:EC:DMC (1:1:1 V%). Acknowledgements This work was supported, GR thanks (project seciti/080/2017) IG thanks CONACYT (proyect 237343) for financial support. G. Guzman is grateful to CONACYT for the scholarship granted to pursue his doctoral studies. Reference s : [1] M. Sugita, H. Nakamura, M. Yoshio, IMLB-2006, No. 486. [2] G. Guzmán, J. Vazquez, G. Ramos, M. Bautista, I. González, Electrochimica Acta 247 (2017) 451–459 Figure 1

Исследование структуры объемного гетероперехода в полимерных солнечных элементах с помощью комбинации ультрамикротомирования и атомно-силовой микроскопии

AbstractA method for visualization via atomic-force microscopy of the internal structure of photoactive layers of polymer solar cells using an ultramicrotome for photoactive layer cutting is proposed and applied. The method creates an opportunity to take advantage of atomic-force microscopy in structural investigations of the bulk of soft samples. Such advantages of atomic-force microscopy include a high contrast and the ability to measure various surface properties at nanometer resolution. Using the proposed method, samples of the photoactive layer of polymer solar cells based on a mixture of PTB7 polythiophene and PC_71BM fullerene derivatives are studied. The disclosed details of the bulk structure of this mixture allow us to draw additional conclusions about the effect of morphology on the efficiency of organic solar cells.

Photophysicochemical behaviour and antimicrobial properties of monocarboxy Mg (II) and Al (III) phthalocyanine-magnetite conjugates

Asymmetric Mg (II) or Al (III) phthalocyanine (containing a COOH group and 3-pyridylsulfanyl units) was conjugated via an amide bond to amino functionalized magnetic nanoparticle (AIMN) to form MgPc-AIMN or AlPc-AIMN conjugate, and characterized. The photophysicochemical behaviour of the phthalocyanine–AIMN conjugates was investigated and compared to the asymmetric Pcs and to the simple mixture of Pc with AIMNs without a chemical bond, (MPc-AIMN (mixed)). The directed covalent linkage of AIMNs to the asymmetrical metallopthalocyanines afforded improvements in the singlet oxygen (ФΔ) and triplet state quantum yield (ФT) as well as singlet oxygen lifetimes for the MPcs–AIMN-linked conjugates compared to MPc-AIMN (mixed) and MPcs alone. The asymmetric phthalocyanines and their conjugates showed effective antimicrobial activity against Escherichia coli bacteria under illumination.

Clogging potential evaluation of porous mixture surfaces used in permeable pavement systems

Service life of permeable pavements is strongly influenced by the infiltration capacity reduction produced due to the progressive clogging of the interconnected pores. This study focused on the effect of rainfall intensity and duration as well as the pavement slope, on the clogging and de-clogging processes of permeable pavements. For this purpose, a rainfall simulator was used in order to test porous asphalt and pervious concrete samples with void contents of 15, 20 and 25%. In order to simulate the permeability reduction in permeable pavements during their service life, test samples were clogged using three different sediment concentrations: 0.5, 1.0 and 2.0 kg/m2. Three different rainfall intensities (50, 100 and 150 mm/h) and two different rainfall durations (15 and 30 min) were tested over the test samples. The infiltration capacity of the test samples was assessed in newly built conditions, and for each clogging scenario before and after rainfall simulations. Results showed that rainfall patterns as well as pavement slope significantly affect the infiltration capacity of clogged permeable materials, being higher after longer and intense rainfall events and for lower pavement slopes. Overall, PC mixture showed a best performance in terms of infiltration capacity and self-cleaning capabilities.

Physicochemical properties of water soluble unsymmetrical phthalocyanine-folic acid conjugates

This work reports on the successful chemical linkage of folic acid (FA) to Zn mono carboxyphenoxy phthalocyanine (1) and Zn mono carboxyphenoxy tri–(tert–butyl) phthalocyanine (2). The amide bond linkage of FA to phthalocyanine (Pc) is achieved for the first time through the FA-NH2 and Pc-COOH and confirmed using FTIR, MS, elemental analysis and NMR. The linked conjugates were found to be water soluble compared to the physical mixtures of FA and Pc, which allowed for studies of singlet oxygen in water. The Pc-FA linked conjugates (1-FA and 2-FA) were found to be singlet oxygen generators with the following singlet oxygen quantum yields: 1-FA = 0.61 and 2-FA = 0.47 in DMSO and 1-FA = 0.17 and 2-FA = 0.12 in water.