Enhancement of service life of polymer electrolyte fuel cells through application of nanodispersed ionomer.

In polymer electrolyte fuel cells (PEFCs), protons from the anode are transferred to the cathode through the ionomer membrane. By impregnating the ionomer into the electrodes, proton pathways are extended and high proton transfer efficiency can be achieved. Because the impregnated ionomer mechanically binds the catalysts within the electrode, the ionomer is also called a binder. To yield good electrochemical performance, the binder should be homogeneously dispersed in the electrode and maintain stable interfaces with other catalyst components and the membrane. However, conventional binder materials do not have good dispersion properties. In this study, a facile approach based on using a supercritical fluid is introduced to prepare a homogeneous nanoscale dispersion of the binder material in aqueous alcohol. The prepared binder exhibited high dispersion characteristics, crystallinity, and proton conductivity. High performance and durability were confirmed when the binder material was applied to a PEFC cathode electrode.

Dose-Volume Analysis of Lung and Heart according to Respiration in Breast Cancer Patients Treated with Breast Conserving Surgery.

PURPOSE: Adjuvant radiotherapy of breast cancer using a photon tangential field incurs a risk of late heart and lung toxicity. The use of free breathing (FB), expiration breath hold (EBH), and deep inspiration breath hold (DIBH) during tangential breast radiotherapy as a means of reducing irradiated lung and heart volume was evaluated. METHODS: In 10 women with left-sided breast cancer (mean age, 44 years) post-operative computed tomography (CT) scanning was done under different respiratory conditions using FB, EBH, and DIBH in 3 CT scans. For each scan, an optimized radiotherapy plan was designed with 6 MV photon tangential fields encompassing the clinical target volume after breast-conserving surgery. RESULTS: The results of dose-volume histograms were compared using three breathing pattern techniques for the irradiated volume and dose to the heart. A significant reduction dose to the irradiated heart volume for the DIBH breathing technique was compared to FB and EBH breathing techniques (p<0.05). CONCLUSION: This study demonstrated that the irradiated heart volume can be significantly reduced in patients with left-sided breast cancer using the DIBH breathing technique for tangential radiotherapy.

Nucleophilicity and accessibility calculations of alkanolamines: applications to carbon dioxide absorption reactions.

Both nucleophilicities and accessibilities of three alkanolamines [monoethanolamine (MEA), (2-(methylamino)ethanol (MAE), and 2-amino-2-methyl-1-propanol (AMP)] were calculated to predict their reactivities with CO(2). After DFT geometry-optimization calculations, the global, group, and atomic nucleophilicities of each amine were obtained using MP2 quantum mechanical calculations. Only global nucleophilicity matched an experimental pK(a) order (MAE > AMP > MEA). However, it failed to predict the slow rate of the sterically hindered AMP and the order of rate constants, MAE > MEA > AMP. The accessibilities of amines to CO(2) have been calculated by MD simulations by monitoring collisions at the reaction centers: N atoms in amines and C in CO(2). The accessibility results indicate that global nucleophilicity needs quantitative correction for steric effects to predict better reactivities of amines with CO(2).

Crystal structure and electronic properties of 2-amino-2-methyl-1-propanol (AMP) carbamate.

A crystal structure of a carbamate of 2-amino-2-methyl-1-propanol (AMP-carbamate) has been elucidated and its structural and electronic properties investigated by density functional theory calculations and natural bond orbital analyses.

Tetrazole synthesis via the palladium-catalyzed three component coupling reaction.

The synthesis of tetrazoles was achieved via the palladium-catalyzed three component coupling (TCC) reaction; The TCC reaction of malononitrile derivatives, allyl acetate and trimethylsilyl azide proceeds very smoothly under a catalytic amount of Pd(PPh3)4 to give 2-allyltetrazoles, and further the TCC reaction of various activated cyano compounds, allyl methyl carbonate and trimethylsilyl azide proceeds readily under a catalytic amount of Pd2(dba)3 x CHCl3 and (2-furyl)3P to give 2-allyltetrazoles. pi-Allylpalladium azide complex is proposed as a key intermediate in the catalytic cycle and the [3 + 2] cycloaddition between the pi-allylpalladium azide complex and cyano compounds most probably gives the tetrazole frameworks. The deallylation of the derived allyltetrazoles was attained via the two-step procedure; the ruthenium-catalyzed isomerization and ozonolysis.

Catalytic and highly regiospecific carbon-carbon bond formation at alpha-position of Michael acceptor by palladium complex.

Activated olefins react with allyl acetates and Bu3SnH in the presence of a catalytic amount of a palladium catalyst to afford the corresponding products which construct a new C-C bond selectively at the alpha-position of Michael acceptors.