Oxybis(dimesitylborane) dichloro­methane hemisolvate

The title compound, C36H44B2O·0.5CH2Cl2, contains an almost linear O—B—O linkage [177.23 (15)°] and approximately orthogonal [interplanar angles 89.49 (5) and 80.77 (4)°] trigonal planar B centers, consistent with the previously reported non-solvated structure [Cardinet al. (1983). J. Chem. Res. (S), p. 93]. Inter­molecular C—H⋯π inter­actions exist between mesityl groups, with a C—H⋯centroid separation of 3.6535 (18) Å. The dichloromethane mol­ecules lie on twofold rotation axes

Increasing your U.S. News and World Report graduate school rankings: a census of public affairs schools and their strategic communications efforts to create a tradition of distinction

Colleges and schools in today??s competitive marketplace must not only be cognizant of student and faculty recruitment, but also of their positioning in rankings. This thesis seeks to determine how the use of strategic communications can play a role in increasing student applications, the quality of student applications and funding resources; thereby, increasing their rank as determined by the U.S. News and World Report. It is believed that an in-depth strategic communications plan committed to paper, and resourced properly, can increase each of these areas. Specifically, this research examined the top 50 ranked schools in public affairs to determine the relationship between top ranked schools and their communications departments and each of their uses of strategic communications as defined as the long-term planning, implementation and research of the use of public relations, marketing, and advertising

Bis(μ-dimesitylborinato-κ2 O:O)bis­[(2-methyl­pyridine-κN)lithium]

The title compound, [Li2(C18H22BO)2(C6H7N)2], is a lithium dimesitylboroxide dimer in which the lithium cation is also coordinated by one mol­ecule of 2-methyl­pyridine. At the core of the structure is an Li2O2 four-membered ring. The structure is centrosymmetric with an inversion centre midway between two Li atoms. Inter­molecular C—H⋯π inter­actions and π–π inter­actions between the 2-methyl­pyridine rings exist [centroid–centroid distance = 3.6312 (16) Å]

Diffusion doping of cobalt in rod-shape anatase TiO\u3csub\u3e2\u3c/sub\u3e nanocrystals leads to antiferromagnetism†

Cobalt(II) ions were adsorbed to the surface of rod-shape anatase TiO2 nanocrystals and subsequently heated to promote ion diffusion into the nanocrystal. After removal of any remaining surface bound cobalt, a sample consisting of strictly cobalt-doped TiO2 was obtained and characterized with powder Xray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, UV-visible spectroscopy, fluorescence spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, SQUID magnetometry, and inductively-coupled plasma atomic emission spectroscopy. The nanocrystal morphology was unchanged in the process and no new crystal phases were detected. The concentration of cobalt in the doped samples linearly correlates with the initial loading of cobalt(II) ions on the nanocrystal surface. Thin films of the cobalt doped TiO2 nanocrystals were prepared on indium-tin oxide coated glass substrate, and the electrical conductivity increased with the concentration of doped cobalt. Magnetic measurements of the cobalt-doped TiO2 nanocrystals reveal paramagnetic behavior at room temperature, and antiferromagnetic interactions between Co ions at low temperatures. Antiferromagnetism is atypical for cobalt-doped TiO2 nanocrystals, and is proposed to arise from interstitial doping that may be favored by the diffusional doping mechanism

Oxygen Reduction Reaction with Manganese Oxide Nanospheres in Microbial Fuel Cells

Operating microbial fuel cells (MFCs) under extreme pH conditions offers a substantial benefit. Acidic conditions suppress the growth of undesirable methanogens and increase redox potential for oxygen reduction reactions (ORRs), and alkaline conditions increase the electrocatalytic activity. However, operating any fuel cells, including MFCs, is difficult under such extreme pH conditions. Here, we demonstrate a pH-universal ORR ink based on hollow nanospheres of manganese oxide (h-Mn3O4) anchored with multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) on planar and porous forms of carbon electrodes in MFCs (pH = 3–11). Nanospheres of h-Mn3O4 (diameter ∼ 31 nm, shell thickness ∼ 7 nm) on a glassy carbon electrode yielded a highly reproducible ORR activity at pH 3 and 10, based on rotating disk electrode (RDE) tests. A phenomenal ORR performance and long-term stability (∼106 days) of the ink were also observed with four different porous cathodes (carbon cloth, carbon nanofoam paper, reticulated vitreous carbon, and graphite felt) in MFCs. The ink reduced the charge transfer resistance (Rct) to the ORR by 100-fold and 45-fold under the alkaline and acidic conditions, respectively. The current study promotes ORR activity and subsequently the MFC operations under a wide range of pH conditions, including acidic and basic conditions