A simple and precise linear integral method for isoconversional data

A simple and precise linear integral method to evaluate the activation energy dependence oil the extent of conversion has been proposed. The method leads to consistent results with those from differential and integral non-linear procedure (Vyazovkin method). Moreover, the new procedure yields the pre-exponential factor and the kinetic model. The method was evaluated from isothermal,…

Experimental and theoretical analysis of the intensity of beams diffracted by three-dimensional photonic crystals

An analysis of the diffracted beams emerging from three-dimensional photonic crystals is herein presented. The wave vectors of nonspecular beams are calculated for a triangular two-dimensional lattice and the change in their directions as a function of the wavelength is confirmed experimentally for the case of face-centered-cubic colloidal crystals illuminated under normal incidence. A fluctuating…

Functionalisation versus mineralisation of some N-heterocyclic compounds upon UV-illumination in the presence of un-doped and iron-doped TiO2 photocatalysts

Heterogeneous photocatalytic oxidation of some N-heterocyclic compounds (4-picoline, and 6- and 8-methylquinoline) in oxygenated solvents (water or acetonitrile), containing dispersed photocatalyst (un-doped or iron-doped titanium dioxide), was investigated under UV-illumination in a photochemical reactor. This work aimed to correlate experimental parameters such as structural aspects of the substrates, photocatalyst chemical and surface properties. illumination times,…

Polymorphic transformation from body-centered to face-centered cubic vanadium metal during mechanosynthesis of nanostructured vanadium nitride determined by extended x-ray absorption fine structure spectroscopy

The pathway for vanadium nitride (VN) formation obtained by milling treatment has been traced out. At the initial stages of the process, the reactant, vanadium metal, showing body-centered cubic (bcc) structure, becomes highly distorted. Simultaneously, the formation of a small nucleus of the product, VN, takes place. X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) has allowed the quantification…

Electronic structure, magnetic properties, and microstructural analysis of thiol-functionalized Au nanoparticles: role of chemical and structural parameters in the ferromagnetic behaviour

Gold nanoparticles (NPs) have been stabilized with a variety of thiol-containing molecules in order to change their chemical and physical properties; among the possible capping systems, alkane chains with different lengths, a carboxylic acid and a thiol-containing biomolecule (tiopronin) have been selected as protecting shells for the synthesized NPs; the NPs solubility in water or…

Degradation of phenylmercury compounds by heterogeneous photocatalysis over alpha-Fe2O3

We report here on the degradation of diphenylmercury and monophenylmercury chloride in air-equilibrated aqueous solutions by heterogeneous photocatalysis over alpha-Fe2O3. Photocatalysis proceeded via sequential de-phenylation leaving inorganic mercury. GC-MS analysis of the products revealed that photocatalytic degradation involved hydroxylation of the phenyl rings. Mechanistic features and photocatalytic activity were also studied and are reported upon.