Tomasz G. Zieliński

7,7'-Diureido-2,2'-diindolylmethanes: anion receptors effective in a highly competitive solvent, methanol.

Neutral, acyclic, indole-containing ligands bind anions with hydrogen bonds in pure methanol and form an unprecedented phosphate complex in the solid state.

Synthesis, structure, and complexing properties of macrocyclic receptors for anions*

Understanding of structure-affinity relationships is crucial for rational receptor design, however, such studies for anion receptors are still limited. Therefore, we investigated this issue in the case of amide-based macrocyclic receptors derived from aromatic diacids (i.e., isophthalic and dipicolinic). Using these model compounds, we examined the macrocyclic effect, the influence of intramolecular hydrogen bonds, and the correlation between the ring size and anion affinity. We found that in contrast to what was known for acyclic diamides, macrocyclic isophthalamide receptors bind anions more weakly than their dipicolinic analogs. Comprehensive structural studies revealed that such behavior is due to intramolecular hydrogen bonds present in isophthalamide receptors. Furthermore, we demonstrated how this obstacle can be overcome by the preparation of a hybrid macrocycle based on both building blocks.

Generation of random microstructures and prediction of sound velocity and absorption for open foams with spherical pores

This paper proposes and discusses an approach for the design and quality inspection of the morphology dedicated for sound absorbing foams, using a relatively simple technique for a random generation of periodic microstructures representative for open-cell foams with spherical pores. The design is controlled by a few parameters, namely, the total open porosity and the average pore size, as well as the standard deviation of pore size. These design parameters are set up exactly and independently, however, the setting of the standard deviation of pore sizes requires some number of pores in the representative volume element (RVE); this number is a procedure parameter. Another pore structure parameter which may be indirectly affected is the average size of windows linking the pores, however, it is in fact weakly controlled by the maximal pore-penetration factor, and moreover, it depends on the porosity and pore size. The proposed methodology for testing microstructure-designs of sound absorbing porous media applies the multi-scale modeling where some important transport parameters-responsible for sound propagation in a porous medium-are calculated from microstructure using the generated RVE, in order to estimate the sound velocity and absorption of such a designed material.

A finite-element study of a piezoelectric/poroelastic sound package concept

This paper presents a complete finite-element description of a hybrid passive/active sound package concept for acoustic insulation. The sandwich created includes a poroelastic core and piezoelectric patches to ensure high panel performance over the medium/high and low frequencies, respectively. All layers are modelled thanks to a Comsol environment. The piezoelectric/elastic and poroelastic/elastic coupling are fully considered. The study highlights the reliability of the model by comparing results with those obtained from the Ansys finite-element software and with analytical developments. The chosen shape functions and mesh convergence rate for each layer are discussed in terms of dynamic behaviour. Several layer configurations are then tested, with the aim of designing the panel and its hybrid functionality in an optimal manner. The differences in frequency responses are discussed from a physical perspective. Lastly, an initial experimental test shows the concept to be promising.

Damage Identification by the Dynamic Virtual Distortion Method

This paper presents a novel approach to damage identification based on the phenomenon of elastic waves propagation. The theoretical background is the dynamic Virtual Distortion Method, which is capable of modelling both a reference excitation signal propagated in the structure over a time domain and a perturbed signal due to damaged locations. The related methodology is presented including a brief description of experimental verification. Numerical example with successful, multi-damage case identification is demonstrated. Advantages of the approach as well as its challenging points are discussed.

Acoustic absorption of foams coated with MR fluid under the influence of magnetic field

The article presents results of the acoustic measurements on open-cell porous media coated with a magnetorheological (MR) fluid. Sound absorption of polyurethane foams of different, single and dual porosity was tested in the impedance tube. The measurements were conducted in three stages using clean samples, the same samples moistened with MR fluid, and finally, exposing the MR fluid-coated samples to a constant magnetic field. The transfer function method was employed to determine the acoustic absorption coefficient. Two significant, controllable effects were observed in the curve illustrating the variation of the acoustic absorption coefficient with frequency, especially, for the foams of dual porosity. Namely, relative to the field-free conditions, or to the clean foams, the most substantial peak in the absorption curve could be shifted by applying a magnetic field. Moreover, a resulting significant increase in acoustic absorption yields, in a wide frequency range directly behind the peak.

Microstructure-based calculations and experimental results for sound absorbing porous layers of randomly packed rigid spherical beads

Acoustics of stiff porous media with open porosity can be very effectively modelled using the so-called Johnson-Champoux-Allard-Pride-Lafarge model for sound absorbing porous media with rigid frame. It is an advanced semi-phenomenological model with eight parameters, namely, the total porosity, the viscous permeability and its thermal analogue, the tortuosity, two characteristic lengths (one specific for viscous forces, the other for thermal effects), and finally, viscous and thermal tortuosities at the frequency limit of 0 Hz. Most of these parameters can be measured directly, however, to this end specific equipment is required different for various parameters. Moreover, some parameters are difficult to determine. This is one of several reasons for the so-called multiscale approach, where the parameters are computed from specific finite-element analyses based on some realistic geometric representations of the actual microstructure of porous material. Such approach is presented and validated for layers ma...

Benzopyrrole derivatives as effective anion receptors in highly competitive solvents

Neutral anion receptors working in highly demanding solvents are new materials being sought. Benzopyrroles are more acidic than amides and pyrrole itself, and are promising building blocks in the design of host compounds. A whole series of receptors based upon benzopyrroles were synthesized and evaluated. They include carbazole, dipyrrolonaph-thalene, and 7-aminoindole-based hosts. Most of them demonstrate moderate binding affinities in dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) and have good selectivity toward tetrahedral oxyanions. Recently, a group of receptors utilizing 7-aminoindole and urea moieties proved to work in a very competitive solvent—methanol.

Normalized inverse characterization of sound absorbing rigid porous media

This paper presents a methodology for the inverse characterization of sound absorbing rigid porous media, based on standard measurements of the surface acoustic impedance of a porous sample. The model parameters need to be normalized to have a robust identification procedure which fits the model-predicted impedance curves with the measured ones. Such a normalization provides a substitute set of dimensionless (normalized) parameters unambiguously related to the original model parameters. Moreover, two scaling frequencies are introduced, however, they are not additional parameters and for different, yet reasonable, assumptions of their values, the identification procedure should eventually lead to the same solution. The proposed identification technique uses measured and computed impedance curves for a porous sample not only in the standard configuration, that is, set to the rigid termination piston in an impedance tube, but also with air gaps of known thicknesses between the sample and the piston. Therefore, all necessary analytical formulas for sound propagation in double-layered media are provided. The methodology is illustrated by one numerical test and by two examples based on the experimental measurements of the acoustic impedance and absorption of porous ceramic samples of different thicknesses and a sample of polyurethane foam.

Fully Coupled Finite-Element Modeling of Active Sandwich Panels With Poroelastic Core

Active sandwich panels are an example of smart noise attenuators and a realization of hybrid active-passive approach for the problem of broadband noise reduction. The panels are composed of thin elastic faceplates linked by the core of a lightweight absorbent material of high porosity. Moreover, they are active, so piezoelectric actuators in the form of thin patches are fixed to their faceplates. Therefore, the passive absorbent properties of porous core, effective at high and medium frequencies, can be combined with the active vibroacoustic reduction necessary in a low frequency range. Important convergence issues for fully coupled finite-element modeling of such panels are investigated on a model of a disk-shaped panel under a uniform acoustic load by plane harmonic waves, with respect to the important parameter of the total reduction of acoustic transmission. Various physical phenomena are considered, namely, the wave propagation in a porous medium, the vibrations of elastic plate and the piezoelectric behavior of actuators, the acoustics-structure interaction and the wave propagation in a fluid. The modeling of porous core requires the usage of the advanced biphasic model of poroelasticity, because the vibrations of the skeleton of porous core cannot be neglected; they are in fact induced by the vibrations of the faceplates. Finally, optimal voltage amplitudes for the electric signals used in active reduction, with respect to the relative size of the piezoelectric actuator, are computed in some lower-to-medium frequency range. [DOI: 10.1115/1.4005026]