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Poonam Bhandari ¹, Poonam Sharma ², Gurinder Kaur ³, Mandeep Singh Bakshi ¹, Tarlok Singh Banipal ²

Affiliations
1 Department of Chemistry, Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar-143 005, Punjab, IN
2 Department of Applied Chemistry, Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar-143 005, Punjab, IN
3 College of North Atlantic, Labrador City, A2V 2K7 NF, CA

Abstract

The effect of temperature on the self-assembled behavior of polymers P103 and P84, and their subsequent use as soft templates for the synthesis of gold (Au) nanoparticles (NP) have been studied with the help of SEM, TEM, and UV-vis spectral measurements. Both the triblock copolymers (TBP) exist in the form of liquid crystalline thread like assemblies. P103 being more hydrophobic shows a structural transition from liquid crystal (LC) threads to sheets at 50°C and bear uniformly distributed Au NP, the size of which increases with the increase in temperature. P84 being more hydrophilic shows only LC threads and no sheets, but the LC threads bearing running groove at 50°C, act as wonderful nucleation sites for the growth of large cubic Au NP. The presence of surface cavities constituted by polyethylene oxide (PEO) and polypropylene oxide (PPO) blocks on LC phase of both TBPs are considered to be the nucleation sites for Au NP. The greater hydrophobicity of P103 in comparison to P84 favors the uniform distribution of NP throughout the LC phase while an increase in the temperature facilitates this process.

Keywords

Gold Nanoparticles, Triblock Copolymers, Liquid Crystalline Structures, Temperature Effect, Hydrophobicity.

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Mandeep Singh Bakshi ¹, Poonam Bhandari ¹, Aman Kaura ¹, Gurinder Kaur ², Tarlok Singh Banipal ³

Affiliations
1 Department of Chemistry, Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar 143005, Punjab, IN
2 Department of Chemistry, University of Western Ontario, London, ON, N6A 5A5, CA
3 Department of Applied Chemistry, Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar 143005, Punjab, IN

Abstract

Seed-growth method has been applied to synthesize flower like gold nanoparticles capped with pluronic P103 which on subsequent growth steps eventually lead to the formation of nanowires of variable thickness. During this reaction, a simultaneous self-aggregation of P103 micelles into liquid crystalline tubes has also been achieved which served as soft template for the further nucleation of gold nanoparticles.

Keywords

Soft Templates, Triblock Copolymer, Liquid Crystalline Phase, Flower Like Gold Nanoparticles.

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Gian Singh ¹, Anupama ¹, Rupinder Kaur ¹, Gurinder Kaur ², Sukhveer Kaur ³

Affiliations
1 Department of Economics, Punjabi University, Patiala, IN
2 Department of Geography, Punjabi University, Patiala, IN
3 Dashmesh Khalsa College, Zirakpur, IN

Abstract

The present paper is an attempt to analyse the levels of living of farmers and agricultural labourers in rural Punjab. The study reveals that the levels of income and consumption expenditure of agricultural labourers, marginal, small, semi-medium farmers are significantly lower than the medium and large farmers. The consumption pattern of the agricultural labourers, marginal, small, semi-medium and medium farmsize categories is of subsistence in nature. A large share of total consumption expenditure by these categories is allocated to the non-durable items. On the other hand, in the case of large farm-size category, the highest proportion of expenditure is accounted for by the durable items, followed by socio-religious ceremonies, non-durables and services. The average propensity to consume is greater than one for the marginal, small, semi-medium and medium farm-size categories. More than four-fifth’ of the farm and agricultural labour households in the State of Punjab are under debt. The amount of debt per indebted household and per sampled household increases as farm-size goes up. The category-wise amount of debt per owned acre decreases as farm-size goes up. It implies that the burden of debt is greater on the lower farm-size categories as compared to the upper farm-size categories. The average amount of debt per indebted agricultural labour household in rural Punjab is ₹68329.88.

Keywords

Farmers, Agricultural Labourers, Income, Consumption Expenditure, Debt.

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