This report includes the conclusions and recommendation of an expert workshop on Physical-Chemical Properties of Manufactured Nanomaterials and Test Guidelines organized by OECD’s Working Party on Manufactured Nanomaterials. The workshop addressed issues relevant to the physical-chemical properties of manufactured nanomaterials from a regulatory perspective point with a view to the need for new or adapted test guidelines.

This new document focuses on the evaluation of test methods applied to determine the physico-chemical properties of different types of nanomaterials.

Kew may be 70 times bigger than the Physic Garden, but historically Chelsea is the mother ship

The entertainment boss runs his online streaming company like a champion sports team

The capital is the cleanest, most orderly and safest bet for spending time in a global city

Kevin Lilley of Old Mutual picks out investment themes for the eurozone

Effective ways to reinvest in existing buy-to-let property portfolio

Five ways to improve your home

Let us build garden cities – but we cannot build enough to prevent a housing bubble

The UK’s four tumultuous decades of membership have fuelled controversy and featured huge change

Britain does not have the worst Covid-19 death toll in Europe. And the Government's critics know it. Unlike the UK, other nations' coronavirus statistics don't include deaths outside of hospital.

While there is some a general uniformity and standardisation when it comes to roadside instructions, some European countries have signs that are unique from any other nation.

It was a very jolly time, remembers Britain's Got Talent winner Colin Thackery  

Britain does not have the worst Covid-19 death toll in Europe. And the Government's critics know it. Unlike the UK, other nations' coronavirus statistics don't include deaths outside of hospital.

DEREK LAWRENSON AT GLENEAGLES: Most young brides-to-be spend the days before their wedding living on their nerves. They don't normally do so in the heat of a sporting firmament.

David Warner has sold one of his investment properties in Maroubra, Sydney.

The night ended with some of the team playing Connect 4 in a remote hotel and others heading for the bright lights in a clapped-out Spanish saloon car.

Prin filmul ”Rapsodiem” Romania surprinde publicul din fiecare colt al lumii, creionand peisaje pitoresti, locuri pline de emotii si insemnatate.

The post Romania ofera un cadou la inaltime Europei appeared first on Forbes.ro.

Sports stars are refusing to let the coronavirus lockdown stop them from keeping fit with many coming up with unique 'stay at home' training methods.

It is impossible to record society accurately if the content of our news is not drawn proportionately from the events and issues. And when the news is drawn in the right proportions, the morality of our development goals is preserved better. The India Together editorial.

In a first, the army's Local Military Authority (LMA) has roped in its quick response team (QRT) to monitor the Covid-19 situation in civil areas of the Pune Cantonment Board (PCB).

The US is the country with the most deaths at 77,280, following by Britain on 31,241, Italy 30,201, Spain 26,478 and France 26,230.

Washington, May 02: More than 2,40,000 people have died of the new coronavirus worldwide with over 85% of the deaths in Europe and the United States, according to an AFP tally on Saturday based on official figures. There have

London, May 08: Scientists have found an association between low average levels of vitamin D, and high numbers of COVID-19 cases and mortality rates across 20 European countries, and call for dedicated studies to probe into the relationship. Based

Paris, May 09: The coronavirus pandemic has killed more than 2,75,000 people worldwide since it began in China late last year, with more than 85% of fatalities in Europe and the United States, according to an AFP tally compiled from official

As of today, there are 2,000,951 COVID-19 cases with 126,782 deaths. On a hopeful note, 484,979 have recovered. The virus outbreak that began in 2019 continues to cause casualties, while health experts around the globe are extensively working on developing a

Archives, Room Use Only - TK6055.B46 1974

Fun fact: var foo = { H̹̙̦̮͉̩̗̗ͧ̇̏̊̾Eͨ͆͒̆ͮ̃͏̷̮̣̫̤̣Cͯ̂͐͏̨̛͔̦̟͈̻O̜͎͍͙͚̬̝̣̽ͮ͐͗̀ͤ̍̀͢M̴̡̲̭͍͇̼̟̯̦̉̒͠Ḛ̛̙̞̪̗ͥͤͩ̾͑̔͐ͅṮ̴̷̷̗̼͍̿̿̓̽͐H̙̙̔̄͜: 42 }; is valid JavaScript. It may not be immediately obvious, but the real surprise here is that the Cthulhu-esque property name is not surrounded by quotes. Intrigued by this, and having written about the similar topic of JavaScript identifiers before, I decided to look into valid property names in JavaScript. When do they need to be quoted? When can the quotes be omitted? And in which cases can dot notation be used instead of bracket notation to get or set a property based on its name?

ES2018 adds support for Unicode property escapes of the form p{…} and P{…} to JavaScript regular expressions. This article explains what Unicode property escapes are, how they work, and why they’re useful.

An analysis of the coherence properties of the fourth-generation high-energy storage rings with emittance values of 10 pm rad is performed. It is presently expected that a storage ring with these low emittance values will reach diffraction limit at hard X-rays. Simulations of coherence properties were performed with the XRT software and an analytical approach for different photon energies from 500 eV to 50 keV. It was demonstrated that a minimum photon emittance (diffraction limit) reached at such storage rings is λ/2π. Using mode decomposition it is shown that, for the parameters of the storage ring considered in this work, the diffraction limit will be reached for soft X-ray energies of 500 eV. About ten modes will contribute to the radiation field at 12 keV photon energy and even more modes give a contribution at higher photon energies. Energy spread effects of the electron beam in a low-emittance storage ring were analysed in detail. Simulations were performed at different relative energy spread values from zero to 2 × 10−3. A decrease of the degree of coherence with an increase of the relative energy spread value was observed. This analysis shows that, to reach the diffraction limit for high photon energies, electron beam emittance should go down to 1 pm rad and below.

A portable IR fiber laser-heating system, optimized for X-ray emission spectroscopy (XES) and nuclear inelastic scattering (NIS) spectroscopy with signal collection through the radial opening of diamond anvil cells near 90°with respect to the incident X-ray beam, is presented. The system offers double-sided on-axis heating by a single laser source and zero attenuation of incoming X-rays other than by the high-pressure environment. A description of the system, which has been tested for pressures above 100 GPa and temperatures up to 3000 K, is given. The XES spectra of laser-heated Mg0.67Fe0.33O demonstrate the potential to map the iron spin state in the pressure–temperature range of the Earth's lower mantle, and the NIS spectra of laser-heated FeSi give access to the sound velocity of this candidate of a phase inside the Earth's core. This portable system represents one of the few bridges across the gap between laser heating and high-resolution X-ray spectroscopies with signal collection near 90°.

Scottish researchers win £12m CCUS funding from European pot - News for the Oil and Gas Sector  Energy Voice

European lockdown a boon to seismologists checking Earth's vibrations  E&T Magazine

The title compound, [Ni(C10H8N2)3](C9H5N4O)2·2H2O, crystallizes as a racemic mixture in the monoclinic space group C2/c. In the crystal, the 1,1,3,3-tetracyano-2-ethoxypropenide anions and the water molecules are linked by O—H⋯N hydrogen bonds, forming chains running along the [010] direction. The bpy ligands of the cation are linked to the chain via C—H⋯π(cation) inter­actions involving the CH3 group. The inter­molecular inter­actions were investigated by Hirshfeld surface analysis and two-dimensional fingerprint plots.

The asymmetric unit of the title compound, [Fe(NCS)2(C12H9NO)4], consists of an FeII ion that is located on a centre of inversion, as well as two 4-benzoyl­pyridine ligands and one thio­cyanate anion in general positions. The FeII ions are coordinated by two N-terminal-bonded thio­cyanate anions and four 4-benzoyl­pyridine ligands into discrete complexes with a slightly distorted octa­hedral geometry. These complexes are further linked by weak C—H⋯O hydrogen bonds into chains running along the c-axis direction. Upon heating, this complex loses half of the 4-benzoyl­pyridine ligands and transforms into a compound with the composition Fe(NCS)2(4-benzoyl­pyridine)2, that might be isotypic to the corresponding MnII compound and for which the structure is unknown.

Rb0.21(H2O)yWS2, rubidium hydrate di­thio­tungstate, is a new quasi two-dimensional sulfide. Its crystal structure consists of ordered WS2 layers, separated by disordered Rb+ ions and water mol­ecules. All atomic sites are located on mirror planes. The WS2 layers are composed of edge-sharing [WS6] octa­hedra and extend parallel to (001). The presence of structural water was revealed by thermogravimetry, but the position and exact amount could not be determined in the present study. The temperature dependence of the electrical resistance indicates that Rb0.21(H2O)yWS2 is semiconducting between 80–300 K.

The asymmetric unit of the title compound, C12H22N+·CH3O3S−, consists of three (3,5-di­methyl­adamantan-1-yl)ammonium cations, C12H22N+, and three methane­sulfonate anions, CH3O3S−. In the crystal, the cations and anions associate via N—H⋯O hydrogen bonds into layers, parallel to the (001) plane, which include large supra­molecular hydrogen-bonded rings.

The asymmetric unit of the title compound, [Fe(C13H18BN6)2], contains two half independent complex mol­ecules. In each complex, the FeII atom is located on an inversion center and is surrounded by two scorpionate ligand butyl­tris­(1H-pyrazol-1-yl)borate mol­ecules that coordinate to the iron(II) ion through the N atoms of the pyrazole groups. The two independent complex mol­ecules differ essentially in the conformation of the butyl substituents. In the crystal, the complex mol­ecules are linked by a series of C—H⋯π inter­actions, which generate a supra­molecular three-dimensional structure. At 120 K, the average Fe—N bond distance is 1.969 Å, indicating the low-spin state of the iron(II) atom, which does not change upon heating, as demonstrated by high-temperature magnetic susceptibility measurements.

In the title com­pound, C29H22N4O3, the carbazole system forms a dihedral angle of 68.45 (3)° with the mean plane of the bi­pyridine ring system. The bi­pyridine ring system, with two meth­oxy substituents, is approximately planar (r.m.s. deviation = 0.0670 Å), with a dihedral angle of 7.91 (13)° between the planes of the two pyridine rings. Intra­molecular C—H⋯O/N hydrogen bonds may promote the planarity of the bipyridyl ring system. In the pyridyl-substituted carbazole fragment, the pyridine ring is tilted by 56.65 (4)° with respect to the mean plane of the carbazole system (r.m.s. deviation = 0.0191 Å). In the crystal, adjacent mol­ecules are connected via C—H⋯O/N hydrogen bonds and C—H⋯π inter­actions, resulting in the formation of a three-dimensional (3D) supra­molecular network. In addition, the 3D structure contains inter­molecular π–π stacking inter­actions, with centroid–centroid distances of 3.5634 (12) Å between pyridine rings. The title com­pound exhibits a high energy gap (3.48 eV) and triplet energy (2.64 eV), indicating that it could be a suitable host material in organic light-emitting diode (OLED) applications.

In the crystal structure of the title com­pound, [Ni(NCS)2(CH3CN)2(C12H9NO)2] or Ni(NCS)2(4-benzoyl­pyridine)2(aceto­nitrile)2, the NiII ions are octa­hedrally coordinated by the N atoms of two thio­cyanate anions, two 4-benzoyl­pyridine ligands and two aceto­nitrile mol­ecules into discrete com­plexes that are located on centres of inversion. In the crystal, the discrete com­plexes are linked by centrosymmetric pairs of weak C—H⋯S hydrogen bonds into chains. Thermogravimetric measurements prove that, upon heating, the title com­plex loses the two aceto­nitrile ligands and transforms into a new crystalline modification of the chain com­pound [Ni(NCS)2(4-benzoyl­pyridine)2], which is different from that of the corresponding CoII, NiII and CdII coordination polymers reported in the literature. IR spectroscopic investigations indicate the presence of bridging thio­cyanate anions but the powder pattern cannot be indexed and, therefore, this structure is unknown.

The new title one-dimensional CdII coordination polymer, [Cd(C10H10N2)2(μ1,3-N3)2]n, has been synthesized and structurally characterized by single-crystal X-ray diffraction. The asymmetric unit consists of a CdII ion, one azide and one 1-benzyl­imidazole (bzi) ligand. The CdII ion is located on an inversion centre and is surrounded in a distorted octa­hedral coordination sphere by six N atoms from four symmetry-related azide ligands and two symmetry-related bzi ligands. The CdII ions are linked by double azide bridging ligands within a μ1,3-N3 end-to-end (EE) coordination mode, leading to a one-dimensional linear structure extending parallel to [100]. The supra­molecular framework is stabilized by the presence of weak C—H⋯N inter­actions, π–π stacking [centroid-to-centroid distance of 3.832 (2) Å] and C—H⋯π inter­actions between neighbouring chains.

In the crystal structure of the title compound, [Fe(NCS)2(C12H9NO)2(CH4O)2], the FeII cations are octa­hedrally coordinated by two N atoms of 4-benzoyl­pyridine ligands, two N atoms of two terminal iso­thio­cyanate anions and two methanol mol­ecules into discrete complexes that are located on centres of inversion. These complexes are linked via inter­molecular O—H⋯O hydrogen bonds between the methanol O—H H atoms and the carbonyl O atoms of the 4-benzoyl­pyridine ligands, forming layers parallel to (101). Powder X-ray diffraction proved that a pure sample was obtained but that this compound is unstable and transforms into an unknown crystalline phase within several weeks. However, the solvent mol­ecules can be removed by heating in a thermobalance, which for the aged sample as well as the title compound leads to the formation of a compound with the composition Fe(NCS)2(4-benzoyl­pyridine)2, which exhibits a powder pattern that is similar to that of Mn(NCS)2(4-benzoyl­pyridine)2.

A coordination polymer formulated as [Sr(H2BTEC)(H2O)]n (H4BTEC = benzene-1,2,4,5-tetra­carb­oxy­lic acid, C10H6O8), was synthesized hydro­thermally and characterized by single-crystal and powder X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy and thermal analysis. Its crystal structure is made up of a zigzag inorganic chain formed by edge-sharing of [SrO8] polyhedra running along [001]. Adjacent chains are connected to each other via the carboxyl­ate groups of the ligand, resulting in a double-layered network extending parallel to (100). O—H⋯O hydrogen bonds of medium-to-weak strength between the layers consolidate the three-dimensional structure. One of the carb­oxy­lic OH functions was found to be disordered over two sets of sites with half-occupancy.

Two new co-crystals, tetra­iodo­ethyl­ene–phenanthridine (1/2), 0.5C2I4·C13H9N (1) and tetra­iodo­ethyl­ene–benzo[f]quinoline (1/2), 0.5C2I4·C13H9N (2), were obtained from tetra­iodo­ethyl­ene and aza­phenanthrenes, and characterized by IR and fluorescence spectroscopy, elemental analysis and X-ray crystallography. In the crystal structures, C—I⋯π and C—I⋯N halogen bonds link the independent mol­ecules into one-dimensional chains and two-dimensional networks with subloops. In addition, the planar aza­phenanthrenes lend themselves to π–π stacking and C—H⋯π inter­actions, leading to a diversity of supra­molecular three-dimensional structural motifs being formed by these inter­actions. Luminescence studies show that co-crystals 1 and 2 exhibit distinctly different luminescence properties in the solid state at room temperature.

In the title hydrated complex, [Co(C15H10ClN3)2]Cl2·4H2O, the complete dication is generated by overline{4} symmetry. The CoN6 moiety shows distortion from regular octa­hedral geometry with the trans bond angles of two N—Co—N units being 160.62 (9)°. In the crystal, O—H⋯Cl and C—H⋯O inter­actions link the components into (001) sheets. The title compound exhibits blue-light emission, as indicated by photoluminescence data, and a HOMO–LUMO energy separation of 2.23 eV was obtained from its diffuse reflectance spectrum.

Functional materials are of critical importance to electronic and smart devices. A deep understanding of the structure–property relationship is essential for designing new materials. In this work, instead of utilizing conventional atomic coordinates, a symmetry-mode approach is successfully used to conduct structure refinement of the neutron powder diffraction data of (1−x)AgNbO3–xLiTaO3 (0 ≤ x ≤ 0.09) ceramics. This provides rich structural information that not only clarifies the controversial symmetry assigned to pure AgNbO3 but also explains well the detailed structural evolution of (1−x)AgNbO3–xLiTaO3 (0 ≤ x ≤ 0.09) ceramics, and builds a comprehensive and straightforward relationship between structural distortion and electrical properties. It is concluded that there are four relatively large-amplitude major modes that dominate the distorted Pmc21 structure of pure AgNbO3, namely a Λ3 antiferroelectric mode, a T4+ a−a−c0 octahedral tilting mode, an H2 a0a0c+/a0a0c− octahedral tilting mode and a Γ4− ferroelectric mode. The H2 and Λ3 modes become progressively inactive with increasing x and their destabilization is the driving force behind the composition-driven phase transition between the Pmc21 and R3c phases. This structural variation is consistent with the trend observed in the measured temperature-dependent dielectric properties and polarization–electric field (P-E) hysteresis loops. The mode crystallography applied in this study provides a strategy for optimizing related properties by tuning the amplitudes of the corresponding modes in these novel AgNbO3-based (anti)ferroelectric materials.