Estimation of Aqueous Solubility (-lgS_w) of All Polychlorinated Biphenyl (PCB) Congeners by Density Functional Theory and Position of Cl Substitution (NPCS) Method

Optimization calculations of 209 polychlorinated biphenyls （PCBs） were carried out at the B3LYP/6-31G^＊ level. It was found that there is significant correlation between the Cl substitution position and some structural parameters. Consequently, Cl substitution positions were taken as theoretical descriptors to establish a novel QSPR model for predicting –lgSw of all PCB congeners. The model achieved in this work contains four variables, of which r^2 = 0.9527, q^2 = 0.9490 and SD = 0.25 with large t values. In addition, the variation inflation factors （VIFs） of variables in this model are all less than 5.0, suggesting high accuracy of the –lgSw predicting model. And the results of cross-validation test and method validation also show that the model exhibits optimum stability and better predictive capability than that from the AM1 method.

Estimation of n-Octanol/water Partition Coeffi-cients(lgK_(ow)) and the Aqueous Solubility(-lg_(Sw)) of all PCDF Congeners by Density Functional Theory

Optimized calculation of dibenzofuran （DF） and 135 polychlorinated dibenzofurans （PCDFs） was carried out at the B3LYP/6-31G＊ level in GAUSSIAN 98 program. Based on the theoretical linear solvation energy relationship （TLSER） model, the obtained structural parameters were taken as theoretical descriptors to establish the novel quantitative structureproperty relationship （QSPR） model for predicting n-octanol/water partition coefficients （lgKow） of PCDFs. The new model of lgKow achieved in this work contains three variables： energy of the highest occupied molecular orbital （EHOMO）, the most negative atomic partial charge （q^-） and average molecular polarizability （a）, of which R^2= 0.9011 and SD = 0,17 with larger t values. In addition, the variation inflation factors （VIF） of variables in the present model are all less than 5.5, suggesting high accuracy of the lgKow model. And the results of cross-validation test （q^2 = 0.8688） and method validation also show this model exhibits optimum stability and better predictive power than semi-empirical method. At the same time, it is found that the aqueous solubility （-lgSw） has high relative correlation with constant volume molar heat capacity （Cv^0）, of which R^2 = 0.9777 and SD = 0.22. Moreover, lgKow and -lgSw values of all PCDF congeners were predicted respectively.

Measurement and correlation of solubility of 9-fluorenone in 11 pure organic solvents from T = 283.15 to 323.15 K

In this work, the solubility data of 9-fluorenone in 11 pure solvents(methanol, ethanol, n-propanol, isopropanol, n-butanol, iso-butanol, acetonitrile, ethyl formate, ethyl acetate, dimethyl sulfoxide, n-hexane)were measured by the gravimetric method from 278.15 K to 318.15 K under atmospheric pressure. The results showed that the solubility of 9-fluorenone in all tested solvents increased with the raised temperature. The solubility data were correlated by the modified Apelblat equation, λh model and NRTL(nonradom two fluid) model. The average relative deviation(ARD) correlated by three thermodynamic models in different solvents was all below 5%, which indicated that the three thermodynamic models fit the solubility data well. Furthermore, the mixing thermodynamic properties of 9-fluorenone in pure solvent systems were calculated via NRTL model. The results indicated the dissolution process of 9-fluorenone is spontaneous and entropically favorable. The solubility and the mixing thermodynamic properties provided in this paper would play an important role in industrial manufacture and follow-up operation of 9-fluorenone.

Prediction of Aqueous Solubility for 209 Polychlorinated Diphenyl Ethers from Molecular Structural Parameters by DFT Method

Optimized calculations of 209 polychlorinated diphenyl ethers （PCDEs） and diphenyl ethers were carried out at the B3LYP/6-31G^＊ level with the Gaussian 98 program. Based on the theoretical linear solvation energy relationship （TLSER） model, the obtained structural parameters were taken as theoretical descriptors to establish the novel QSPR model for predicting aqueous solubility （-lgSw） of PCDEs. The model obtained in this work contains two variables： mean molecular polarizability （a） and the most positive partial charge on a hydrogen atom （qH^＋）, of which RE = 0.9606 and SD = 0.32. And the results of cross-validation test also show that the model exhibits optimum stability and better predictive power. Moreover, the predictive power of the new model is better than that of MCIs method.

DFT and Position of Cl Substitution (PCS) Methods Studies on n-Octanol/water Partition Coefficients (lgK_(ow)) and Aqueous Solubility (–lgS_w) of All PCDD Congeners

Optimized calculations of 75 PCDDs and their parent DD were carded out at the B3LYP/6-31G＊ level by density functional theory （DFT） method. The structural parameters were obtained and significant correlation between the C1 substitution position and some structural parameters was found. Consequently, the number of C1 substitution positions was taken as theoretical descriptors to establish two novel QSPR models for predicting lgKow and -lgSw of all PCDD congeners. The two models achieved in this work contain two variables （Na and Nβ）, of which r = 0.9312, 0.9965 and SD = 0.27, 0.12 respectively, and t values are all large. The variation inflation factors （VIF） of variables in the two models herein are both less than 5.0, suggesting high accuracy of the lgKow and -lgSw predicting models, and the results of cross-validation test also show that the two models exhibit optimum stability and good predictive power. By comparison, the correlation and predictive ability of the present work are more advantageous than those obtained using semi-empirical AM1 and GC-RI methods.

Determination and correlation solubility of m-phenylenediamine in (methanol, ethanol, acetonitrile and water) and their binary solvents from 278.15 K to 313.15 K

In this study, the solubility of m-phenylenediamine in four pure solvents(methanol, ethanol, acetonitrile and water) and three binary solvent(methanol + water),(ethanol + water) and(acetonitrile + water) systems were determined in the temperature ranging from 278.15 K to 313.15 K by using the gravimetric method under atmospheric pressure. In the temperature range of 278.15 K to 313.15 K, the mole fraction solubility values of m-phenylenediamine in water, methanol, ethanol, and acetonitrile are 0.0093–0.1533, 0.1668–0.5589,0.1072–0.5356, and 0.1717–0.6438, respectively. At constant temperature and solvent composition, the mole fraction solubility of o-phenylenediamine in four pure solvents was increased as the following order:water b ethanol b methanol b acetonitrile;and in the three binary solvent mixtures could be ranked as follows:(ethanol + water) b(methanol + water) b(acetonitrile + water). The relationship between the experimental temperature and the solubility of m-phenylenediamine was revealed as follows: the solubility of mphenylenediamine in pure and binary solvents could be increased with the increase of temperature. The experimental values were correlated with the Jouyban–Acree model, van’t Hoff–Jouyban–Acree model, modified Apelblat–Jouyban–Acree model, Sun model and Ma model. The standard dissolution enthalpy, standard dissolution entropy and the Gibbs energy were calculated based on the experimental solubility data. In the binary solvent mixtures, the dissolution of m-phenylenediamine could be an endothermic process. The solubility data,correlation equations and thermodynamic property obtained from this study would be invoked as basic data and models regarding the purification and crystallization process of m-phenylenediamine.

Determination and correlation solubility of 4-nitroimidazole in twelve pure solvents from 278.15 K to 323.15 K

In this paper,the solubility of 4-nitroimidazole in twelve pure solvents(toluene,benzene,1,4-dioxane,acetonitrile,ethyl acetate,acetone,GBL,ethanol,methanol,n-butanol,DMF and NMP)were determined by using the laser monitoring system from 278.15 K to 323.15 K under 101.1 k Pa,which are 0.00018–0.00070,0.00021–0.00073,0.00034–0.00092,0.00038–0.00142,0.00047–0.00120,0.00126–0.00303,0.00225–0.00517,0.00310–0.00724,0.00467–0.00982,0.00453–0.01940,0.01947–0.04652,and 0.04670–0.07452,respectively.At constant temperature,the mole fraction solubility of 4-nitroimidazole were increased as the following order:toluene<benzene<1,4-dioxane<(ethyl acetate or acetonitrile)<acetone<GBL<ethanol<(methanol or nbutanol)<DMF<NMP,and the solubility of 4-nitroimidazole in(ethyl acetate,acetonitrile)and(methanol,n-butanol)had an intersection point at 297.55 K and 281.85 K,respectively.The solubility of 4-nitroimidazole could be increased with increasing temperature in twelve pure solvents.The ideal model,modified Apelblat equation,polynomial empirical equation,andλh equation were used to correlate the experimental values.The experimental solubility values were employed to calculate the standard dissolution enthalpy,standard dissolution entropy and Gibbs energy.The dissolution of 4-nitroimidazole could be an endothermic process in twelve pure solvents.The determination and fitting solubility of 4-nitroimidazole have important guiding significance for the purification and crystallization of its preparation process.

Comparison between methods for predicting maximum solid solubility of transition metals in solvent metal

It is important to know the maximum solid solubility( C max ) of various transition metals in a metal when one designs multi component alloys. There have been several semi empirical approaches to qualitatively predict the C max , such as Darken Gurry(D G) theorem, Miedema Chelikowsky(M C) theorem, electron concentration rule and the bond parameter rule. However, they are not particularly valid for the prediction of C max . It was developed on the basis of energetics of alloys as a new method to predict C max of different transition metals in metal Ti, which can be described as a semi empirical equation using the atomic parameters, i e, electronegativity difference, atomic diameter and electron concentration. It shows that the present method can be used to explain and deduce D G theorem, M C theorem and electron concentration rule.

Maximum solid solubility of transition metals in vanadium solvent

Maximum solid solubility (C_ max) of different transition metals in metal solvent can be described by a semi-empirical equation using function Z_f that contains electronegativity difference, atomic diameter and electron concentration. The relation between C_ max and these parameters of transition metals in vanadium solvent was studied. It is shown that the relation of C_ max and function Z_f can be expressed as lnC_ max=Z_f= 7.3165- 2.7805(ΔX) 2- 71.278δ 2-0.85556n 2/3. The factor of atomic size parameter has the largest effect on the C_ max of the V binary alloy; followed by the factor of electronegativity difference; the electrons concentration has the smallest effect among the three bond parameters. Function Z_f is used for predicting the unknown C_ max of the transition metals in vanadium solvent. The results are compared with Darken-Gurry theorem, which can be deduced by the obtained function Z_f in this work.

Solubility study of hydrogen in direct coal liquefaction solvent based on quantitative structure–property relationships model

Direct coal liquefaction(DCL)is an important and effective method of converting coal into high-valueadded chemicals and fuel oil.In DCL,heating the direct coal liquefaction solvent(DCLS)from low to high temperature and pre-hydrogenation of the DCLS are critical steps.Therefore,studying the dissolution of hydrogen in DCLS under liquefaction conditions gains importance.However,it is difficult to precisely determine hydrogen solubility only by experiments,especially under the actual DCL conditions.To address this issue,we developed a prediction model of hydrogen solubility in a single solvent based on the machine-learning quantitative structure–property relationship(ML-QSPR)methods.The results showed that the squared correlation coefficient R^(2)=0.92 and root mean square error RMSE=0.095,indicating the model’s good statistical performance.The external validation of the model also reveals excellent accuracy and predictive ability.Molecular polarization(a)is the main factor affecting the dissolution of hydrogen in DCLS.The hydrogen solubility in acyclic alkanes increases with increasing carbon number.Whereas in polycyclic aromatics,it decreases with increasing ring number,and in hydrogenated aromatics,it increases with hydrogenation degree.This work provides a new reference for the selection and proportioning of DCLS,i.e.,a solvent with higher hydrogen solubility can be added to provide active hydrogen for the reaction and thus reduce the hydrogen pressure.Besides,it brings important insight into the theoretical significance and practical value of the DCL.

Application of Pomegranate Rind Extract for Improvement of Functional Properties of Various Materials—A Critical Review

Pomegranate rind is abundantly available as a waste material. Pomegranate Rind Extract (PRE) can be applied to cotton fabrics for its natural colours, as a mordanting agent and also for imparting certain functional properties such as fire retardancy and antimicrobial properties. This paper reviews the feasibility of Pomegranate Rind Extract to improve the functional properties of cellulosic fabrics. Studies show that varying concentrations and higher temperatures that were used to apply the extract on the fabric, resulted in enhanced functional properties. At a particular concentration, the treated fabric showed a 15 times lower burning rate in comparison with the control fabric. Also, antimicrobial efficacy has been observed against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. Due to the natural colouring material, it can be used as a natural dye on cotton material. The fire retardancy of pomegranate rind extract was tested on jute material under varying alkalinity. Research has indicated that pomegranate rind extract could be used to dye polyamide as well. The rubbing and wash fastness of the finished fabrics is good. The light fastness was fair, and its antibacterial efficiency against tested bacteria was good.

Wave propagation of a functionally graded plate via integral variables with a hyperbolic arcsine function

Several studies on functionally graded materials(FGMs)have been done by researchers,but few studies have dealt with the impact of the modification of the properties of materials with regard to the functional propagation of the waves in plates.This work aims to explore the effects of changing compositional characteristics and the volume fraction of the constituent of plate materials regarding the wave propagation response of thick plates of FGM.This model is based on a higher-order theory and a new displacement field with four unknowns that introduce indeterminate integral variables with a hyperbolic arcsine function.The FGM plate is assumed to consist of a mixture of metal and ceramic,and its properties change depending on the power functions of the thickness of the plate,such as linear,quadratic,cubic,and inverse quadratic.By utilizing Hamilton’s principle,general formulae of the wave propagation were obtained to establish wave modes and phase velocity curves of the wave propagation in a functionally graded plate,including the effects of changing compositional characteristics of materials.

Effect of Exchange-Correlation Functional on the Structural, Mechanical, and Optoelectronic Properties of Orthorhombic RbSrBr3 Perovskite

In the present study, the effect of the exchange-correlation functional on the structural, mechanical, and optoelectronic properties of orthorhombic RbSrBr3 perovskite has been investigated using various functionals in Density Functional Theory (DFT) with the CASTEP code. The optimized lattice parameters are quite similar for all the functionals. The electronic properties have shown that RbSrBr3 perovskite is a wide direct band gap compound with a band gap energy ranging from 4.296 eV to 4.494 eV for all the functionals. The mechanical parameters like elastic constants, Young’s modulus, Shear modulus, Poisson’s ratio, Pugh’s ratio, and an anisotropic factor reveal that the RbSrBr3 perovskite has ductile behavior and an anisotropic nature which signifies the mechanical stability of the compound. The Debye temperature might withstand lattice vibration heat. High absorption coefficient (>104 cm−1), high optical conductivity, and very low reflectivity have been found in the RbSrBr3 perovskite for all functions. The computed findings on the RbSrBr3 perovskite suggested that the presented studied material is potentially applicable for photodetector and optoelectronic devices.

Effect of Graphene Surface Functional Groups on the Mechanical Property of PMMA Microcellular Composite Foams

The functional groups on graphene sheets surface affect their dispersion and interfacial adhesion in polymer matrix. We compared the mechanical property of polymethymethacrylate (PMMA) microcellular foams reinforced with graphene oxide (GO) and reduced graphene oxide (RGO) to investigate this influence of functional groups. RGO sheets were fabricated by solvent thermal reduction in DMF medium. UV-Vis, FT-IR and XPS analyses indicate the difference of oxygen-containing groups on GO and RGO sheets surface. The observation of SEM illustrates that the addition of a smaller number of GO or RGO sheets causes a fine cellular structure of PMMA foams with a higher cell density(about 1011 cells/cm3) and smaller cell sizes (about 1 -2 jim) owing to their remarkable heterogeneous nucleation effect. Compared to GO reinforced foams, the RGO/PMMA foams own lower cell density and bigger cell size in their microstructure, and their compressive strength is lower even when the reinforcement contents are the same and the foam bulk density is higher, These results indicate that the oxygen-containing groups on GO sheets' surface are beneficial to adhere CO2 to realize a larger nucleation rate, and their strong interaction with PMMA matrix improves the mechanical property of PMMA foams.

Changes of structure and functional properties of rice protein in the fresh edible rice during the seed development

It has been reported that fresh edible rice has more bioactive compounds and its protein is easier to digest and has lower hypoallergenic than mature rice. In this paper, the changes in structure and functional properties of proteins at five different stages, including early milky stage(EMS), middle milky stage(MMS), late milky stage(LMS), waxy ripe stage(WS)and ripening stage(RS), during the seed development were investigated. It was found that with the seed developing, the molecular weight of fresh rice protein gradually become larger while the secondary structure changed from the highest content of disordered structure at MMS to the highest content of ordered structure at RS, which affect the surface hydrophobicity and then the functional properties of proteins, including foaming properties, emulsifying properties and oil holding capacity. Fresh rice protein at MMS has the strongest surface hydrophobicity while fresh edible rice protein at RS has the strongest oil holding capability. The results of our study can provide a theoretical basis for the application of fresh rice protein in the food industry and help to develop new fresh edible rice food.

Investigation of the structural, electronic and mechanical properties of CaO–SiO_(2) compound particles in steel based on density functional theory

CaO–SiO_(2)compounds compromise one of the most common series of oxide particles in liquid steels, which could significantly affect the service performance of the steels as crack initiation sites. However, the structural, electronic, and mechanical properties of the compounds in CaO–SiO_(2)system are still not fully clarified due to the difficulties in the experiments. In this study, a thorough investigation of these properties of CaO–SiO_(2)compound particles in steels was conducted based on first-principles density functional theory. Corresponding phases were determined by thermodynamic calculation, including gamma dicalcium silicate(γ-C2S), alpha-prime(L) dicalcium silicate(αL′-C2S), alpha-prime(H) dicalcium silicate(αH′-C2S), alpha dicalcium silicate(α-C2S), rankinite(C3S2), hatrurite(C3S), wollastonite(CS), and pseudowollastonite(Ps-CS). The results showed that the calculated crystal structures of the eight phases agree well with the experimental results. All the eight phases are stable according to the calculated formation energies, and γ-C2S is the most stable. O atom contributes the most to the reactivity of these phases. The Young’s modulus of the eight phases is in the range of 100.63–132.04 GPa. Poisson’s ratio is in the range of0.249–0.281. This study provided further understanding concerning the CaO–SiO_(2)compound particles in steels and fulfilled the corresponding property database, paving the way for inclusion engineering and design in terms of fracture-resistant steels.

Solubility measurement,correlation and thermodynamic properties of 2,3,4-trichloro-1,5-dinitrobenzene in fifteen mono-solvents at temperatures from 278.15 to 323.15 K

The solubility of 2,3,4-trichloro-1,5-dinitrobenzene(TCDNB) was measured by a laser dynamic method over the temperature range from 278.15 K to 323.15 K under 0.1 MPa in fifteen mono-solvents(methanol,ethanol,isopropanol,n-butanol,toluene,dichloromethane,chloroform,tetrachloromethane,1,2-dichloroethane,acetone,ethyl acetate,acetonitrile,N-methylpyrrolidone(NMP),N,Ndimethylformamide dimethyl sulfoxide(DMF),dimethyl sulfoxide(DMSO).The solubility of TCDNB could be increased with increasing temperature in fifteen mono-solvents.TCDNB solubility is in the following order at 298.15 K:NMP>DMF>DMSO>toluene>acetone>ethyl acetate>dichloromethane>1,2-dich loroethane>chloroform>acetonitrile>tetrachloromethane>methanol>ethanol>n-butanol>isopropanol.The KAT-LSER model was used to investigate the solvent effect,which revealed that the hydrogen bond acidity of solvents has a greater effect on TCDNB solubility.The van't Hoff model,the modified Apelblat model,theλh model,and the non-random two liquid(NRTL)model were used to correlate the solubility of TCDNB.The calculated solubility data agreed well with the experimental data,and the modified Apelblat model fit best.Furthermore,the van't Hoff and Gibbs equations were also used to calculate the dissolution thermodynamic properties of TCDNB in various solvents.TCDNB dissolution could be an enthalpy-driven,non-spontaneous,and endothermic process in fifteen mono-solvents.The determination and fitting solubility of TCDNB,as well as the calculation of its thermodynamic properties,would be critical in the purification and crystallization of its preparation process research.

Three-in-one LaNiO_(3) functionalized separator boosting electrochemical stability and redox kinetics for high-performance Li-S battery

The lithium-sulfur(Li-S)battery,as one of the energy storage devices,has been in the limelight due to its high theoretical energy density.However,the poor redox kinetics and the"shuttle effect"of polysulfides severely restrict the use of Li-S batteries in practical applications.Herein,a novel bimetallic LaNiO_(3) functional material with high electrical conductivity and catalytic property is prepared to act as a high-efficiency polysulfide shuttling stopper.The three LaNiO_(3) samples with different physical/chemical characteristics are obtained by controlling the calcination temperature.In conjunction with the high electrical conductivity and excellent catalytic properties of the as-prepared materials,the appropriate chemisorption toward polysulfides offers great potential to enhance electrochemical stability for highperformance Li-S batteries.Particularly,the Li-S cell with the separator modified by such functional material gives a specific capacity of 658 mA h g^(-1) after 500 cycles at a high current density of 2 C.Even with high sulfur loading of 6.05 mg cm^(-2),the Li-S battery still exhibits an areal specific capacity of 2.81 m A h cm^(-2)after 150 cycles.This work paves a new avenue for the rational design of materials for separator modification in high-performance Li-S batteries.