Search results for " DSC"
showing 10 items of 16 documents
Differences of stabilized organic carbon fractions and microbiological activity along Mediterranean Vertisols and Alfisols profiles
2010
This study examined the chemical and structural properties of humic substances and microbiological activity in order to verify differences in carbon dynamics along soil profiles in two Vertisols (Typic Haploxerert and Xeric Epiaquert) and two Alfisols (Mollic Haploxeralf and Ultic Haploxeralf) developed under Mediterranean climate in Italy. Humification parameters, thermal methods, including differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and thermogravimetry (TG), together with Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) and fluorescence spectroscopies were used to characterize humic acids (HA). Microbiological activity of soils was assessed by basal respiration, metabolic quotient (qCO2) and Cmic:Corg rat…
Calorimetric study of myoglobin embedded in trehalose-water matrixes
2009
It has been suggested that in ‘dry’ protein–trehalose–water systems, water–mediated hydrogen bond network, whose strength increases by drying, anchors the protein to its surroundings. To further characterize this effect, we performed a DSC study on low-water myoglobin–trehalose systems. The denaturation temperature resulted to increase by decreasing hydration, and linearly correlated to the glass transition temperature of both the ternary protein–water–trehalose and the binary water–trehalose systems. Further measurements are being performed to investigate eventual differences among different saccharides.
Hydration and water holding properties of cross-linked lignite humic acids
2014
Abstract Lignite and lignite humic acids, which are used as soil amendments sometimes, are supposed to improve soil properties such as water holding capacity. The structure of those materials is composed of various organic molecules stabilized mostly by weak interactions. Therefore, excess of water causes only partial swelling, but most of the physical structure is destabilized. This accelerates the desiccation and hampers their application as natural hydrogel-like substances. In order to stabilize the structure of lignite humic acids and improve the water holding capacity, we applied formaldehyde cross-linking procedure based on covalent coupling of aromatic humic acids moieties. By combin…
Effects of pyrolysis conditions on the thermal transformation of chicken manure into char
2012
Biochar is a fine-grained and highly porous carbonaceous substance, arising from the pyrolitic decomposition of natural or synthetic organic materials. It is lately applied to soils to favorably affect soil physico-chemical properties, such as water and nutrient retention and cation exchange capacity (CEC). The extent of the effect of biochar on crop productivity is very variable due to the different biophysical interactions and processes that occur when it is applied to soils. Char properties are greatly influenced by both natures of feedstock and process conditions. An accurate characterization of biochar is crucial to evaluate the possibility to amend soil with such material by avoiding …
Integrazione di celle fotovoltaiche ibride nel vetromattone
2012
L’invenzione riguarda l’integrazione del vetromattone con celle solari ibride (organiche/inorganiche), conosciute come Dye-sensitized Solar Cell (DSC). La combinazione del vetromattone con le DSC consente di migliorare le prestazioni del prodotto originario rendendolo in grado di produrre energia pulita. Le caratteristiche di trasparenza e isolamento termo-acustico del prodotto possono essere regolate agendo sulla configurazione delle DSC. Il prodotto può essere assemblato a formare pannelli fotovoltaici per la realizzazione di facciate traslucide energeticamente “attive” in varie condizioni luminose (condizioni di luce diffusa o artificiale) e indipendentemente dall’angolo di radiazione so…
Innovative Photovoltaic Translucent Components for the Building Envelope
2014
International directives that regulates buildings energy efficiency and environmental sustainability establish strict parameters for the construction of a new generation of “Zero Energy Buildings” indicating transmittance limits for building envelope components and encouraging the use of renewable sources. In this sense, the PV sector aims at the definition of novel efficient solutions for the integration in the building envelope, standing out for their multifunctional features. After an overview on the main PV technologies and building integrated applications, focusing on semi-transparent envelope solutions, the paper shows the results of a research that is being carried out at the Departm…
Laponite clay in homopolymer and tri-block copolymer matrices
2007
Macromolecule/laponite nanomaterials were studied by DSC and X-ray diffraction techniques. The matrices are poly(ethylene) glycols at various molecular masses and poly(ethylene oxides)-poly(propylene oxides)-poly(ethylene oxides) tri-block copolymers. The latter were tuned by modulating the molecular masses, at constant hydrophilic/hydrophobic ratio, and the hydrophilicity. For all the investigated systems, the enthalpy of melting (ΔH m) is nearly constant up to a given composition thereafter it increases monotonically reaching the value of the pure macromolecule. We proposed a model to interpret the DSC data. Briefly, it was invoked a mechanism of interaction following which some segments …
Vetromattoni innovativi per componenti traslucidi multifunzionali
2017
A partire dal 2006, presso l’Università degli Studi di Palermo è stata avviata una ricerca finalizzata ad indagare le potenzialità di materiali e sistemi tecnologicamente avanzati per l’ottimizzazione energetica e l’incremento prestazionale degli elementi di captazione della luce naturale integrati nell’involucro edilizio. In particolare, negli anni, l’attenzione è stata posta su un prodotto ben noto ai più come “vetrocemento”, di “gran moda” negli anni Trenta del Novecento -in Italia così come in Europa e in Nord America- ravvisando nella sua stessa conformazione -due conchiglie di vetro “saldate” a caldo con una intercapedine interposta- le potenzialità per una ulteriore implementazione d…
Solution and thermal behaviour of novel dicationic imidazolium ionic liquids
2013
A new class of functionalised dicationic ionic liquids, containing a central cationic unit capped by a basic functionality (imidazole), has been synthesised. These salts have been characterised in isotropic solution using proton and 2D-NMR spectroscopy, and their thermal stability has been studied by DSC and TGA. All these novel salts contain the 1-(1-imidazolylmethyl)-3,5-di{1-(3'-octylimidazolylmethyl)}-benzene cation as a defining structural motif. Salts of both singly and doubly charged anions were prepared and, in particular, the selected monoanions (Br(-), [BF4](-), or [NTf2](-)) differ in size, shape and hydrogen-bonding ability, whereas the dianions differ in the nature of the space…
Glycerosomes: Use of hydrogenated soy phosphatidylcholine mixture and its effect on vesicle features and diclofenac skin penetration.
2016
In this work, diclofenac was encapsulated, as sodium salt, in glycerosomes containing 10, 20 or 30% of glycerol in the water phase with the aim to ameliorate its topical efficacy. Taking into account previous findings, glycerosome formulation was modified, in terms of economic suitability, using a cheap and commercially available mixture of hydrogenated soy phosphatidylcholine (P90H). P90H glycerosomes were spherical and multilamellar; photon correlation spectroscopy showed that obtained vesicles were ∼131nm, slightly larger and more polydispersed than those made with dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine (DPPC) but, surprisingly, they were able to ameliorate the local delivery of diclofenac, whic…