Deposition of Diamond-Like Carbon Film and Mass Spectrometry Measurement in CH4/O2 RF Plasma

The deposition of diamond-like carbon (DLC) film and the measurements of ionic species by means of mass spectrometry were carried out in a CH ₄ /O ₂ RF (13.56 MHz) plasma. The film deposition rate greatly decreased with increasing O ₂ content up to 10% O ₂ . The oxygen ion density indicated the remarkable increase with the increase of O ₂ content up to 10%. The hydrocarbon ion density is increased considerably by the addition of 5% O ₂ , and then decreased monotonically for O ₂ contents more than 5%. Many oxygenated hydrocarbon ions were detected in the CH ₄ /O ₂ plasma. They were classified into three kinds of ions: C _n H _m O ⁺ , C _n H _m OH ⁺ , and C _n H _m O ₂ H ⁺. When the O ₂ content was increased, the higher hydrocarbon C _n H _m ⁺ (n2) ion densities (except C ₂ H ₄ ⁺ ) decreased more than the principal (CH ₃ ⁺ and CH ₄ ⁺ ) ion densities, since the generation of higher hydrocarbon ions would be suppressed by the formation of oxygenated hydrocarbons. It was also suggested that the great decrease in the film deposition rate in the CH ₄ /O ₂ plasma was mainly associated with considerable decrease in the higher hydrocarbon ion densities. The properties of DLC film obtained in CH ₄ /O ₂ plasma did not indicate considerable change from those obtained in pure CH ₄ plasma.     

Deposition of Diamond-Like Carbon Film in a Closed-Space CH4 RF Plasma

Deposition of diamond-like carbon (DLC) film and mass spectrometry measurements were carried out in a closed-space CH₄ rf (13.56 MHz) plasma (without both gas injection and vacuum pumping during the process). At pressures less than 0.6 Torr, the thickness of the DLC film deposited increased with increasing elapsed deposition time, and reached a maximum value, but after this the film thickness started to decrease, which was considered to be caused predominantly by ion-induced sputter etching. The maximum film thickness appeared at larger elapsed time for higher deposition pressure. The mass concentrations of hydrocarbon ions indicated anomalous behavior at early deposition times, but those of higher hydrocarbon ions are clearly increased at the point where the film thickness started to decrease. These results suggested that the ratio of precursor CH₃al density to the total hydrocarbon ion density (_CH3/_ion in the CH₄a was an important factor for the carbon film formation, and when this ratio reduced to a certain critical value with increasing elapsed deposition time, the deposited film was then re-etched predominately by the secondary higher hydrocarbon ions. At 1.0 Torr where a polymer-like soft carbon film was deposited, such re-etching of the deposited film was not observed.     

Incorporation of cesium ion from CsNO3 into NH4Zr2(PO4)3 studied by TG-IR spectroscopy and powder XRD

The incorporation mechanism of Cs⁺ ions from CsNO₃ into NH₄Zr₂(PO₄)₃ was studied on a mixture of CsNO₃ and NH₄Zr₂(PO₄)₃ by powder X-ray diffraction analysis and by monitoring off-gases released from the mixture upon heating with a thermogravimetry analyzer connected to an infrared spectrometer. With increasing temperature, the decomposition of CsNO₃ first started, followed by the conversion of NH₄Zr₂(PO₄)₃ to HZr₂(PO₄)₃ with the release of NH₃. At around 500°C, the Cs Zr₂(PO₄)₃ phase started to appear as a result of the H⁺/Cs⁺ ion exchange. No Cs⁺ ion loss was observed at thermal treatment temperatures of 900°C and lower.     

Viscosity of aqueous NH4Cl and tracer diffusion coefficients of ions,water and non-electrolytes in aqueous NH4Cl,KI, and MgCl2 at 25°C

Viscosities for aqueous NH₄Cl and tracer diffusion coefficients for²²Na⁺,³⁶Cl^–, HTO, and CH₃OH, acetone and dimethylformamide (all¹⁴C-labelled) in NH₄Cl supporting electrolyte are reported for 25°, together with tracer diffusion coefficients for²²Na⁺,³⁶Cl^–, and¹⁴CH₃OH in 1M KI, and for¹⁴CH₃OH in 1M MgCl₂. The diffusion coefficient of HTO in NH₄Cl solutions is slightly larger, for most of the concentration range investigated (0.05 to 4.5 M), than the value for pure water and is almost unaffected by the supporting electrolyte up to about 4M. Similar behavior is shown by CH₃OH, acetone and dimethylformamide in NH₄Cl solutions. Onsager limiting law behavior is approached by Cl^– at NH₄Cl concentrations in the 0.05–0.1M region but at much lower concentrations by Na⁺.     

Preparation of Sorbents Containing Straetlingite Phase from Zeolitic By-Product and Their Performance for Ammonium Ion Removal

In this study, straetlingite-based sorbents were used for NH₄⁺ ion removal from a synthetic aqueous solution and from the wastewater of an open recirculation African catfish farming system. This study was performed using column experiments with four different filtration rates (2, 5, 10, and 15 mL/min). It was determined that breakthrough points and sorption capacity could be affected by several parameters such as flow rate and mineral composition of sorption materials. In the synthetic aqueous solution, NH₄⁺ removal reached the highest sorption capacity, i.e., 0.341 mg/g with the S30 sorbent at a filtration rate of 10 mL/min and an initial concentration of 10 mg/L of NH₄⁺ ions. It is important to emphasize that, in this case, the Ce/C0 ratio of 0.9 was not reached after 420 min of sorption. It was also determined that the NH₄⁺ sorption capacity was influenced by phosphorus. In the wastewater, the NH₄⁺ sorption capacity was almost seven times lower than that in the synthetic aqueous solution. However, it should be highlighted that the P sorption capacity reached 0.512 mg/g. According to these results, it can be concluded that straetlingite-based sorbents can be used for NH₄⁺ ion removal from a synthetic aqueous solution, as well as for both NH₄⁺ and P removal from industrial wastewater. In the wastewater, a significantly higher sorption capacity of the investigated sorbents was detected for P than for NH₄⁺.     

Temperature programmed desorption of F-doped SnO<Subscript>2</Subscript> films deposited by inverted pyrosol technique

Fluorine-doped tin dioxide (FTO) films were deposited on silicon wafers by inverted pyrosol technique using solutions with different doping concentration (F/Sn=0.00, 0.12, 0.75 and 2.50). The physical and electrical properties of the deposited films were analyzed by SEM, XRF, resistivity measurement by four-point-probe method and Hall coefficient measurement by van der Pauw method. The electrical properties showed that the FTO film deposited using the solution with F/Sn=0.75 gave a lowest resistivity of 3.2·10^–4 ohm cm. The FTO films were analyzed by temperature programmed desorption (TPD). Evolved gases from the heated specimens were detected using a quadruple mass analyzer for mass fragments m/z, 1(H⁺), 2(H₂ ⁺), 12(C⁺), 14(N⁺), 15(CH₃ ⁺), 16(O⁺), 17(OH⁺ or NH₃ ⁺), 18(H₂O⁺ or NH₄ ⁺), 19(F⁺), 20(HF⁺), 28(CO⁺ or N₂ ⁺), 32(O₂ ⁺), 37(NH₄F⁺), 44(CO₂ ⁺), 120(Sn⁺), 136(SnO⁺) and 152(SnO₂ ⁺). The majority of evolved gases from all FTO films were water vapor, carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide. Fluorine (m/z 19) was detected only in doped films and its intensity was very strong for highly-doped films at temperature above 400°C.     

Error of Atomic Charges Derived from Electrostatic Potential

The purpose of this article is to show that CHELP, CHELPG, and Merz and Kollman undergo error for the charge on atoms of HCOO^– (H₂O) _n for n = 1 6. We also demonstrate that the CHELP, CHELPG, and Merz and Kollman show error for the tendency toward change in the charges on carbons for CH₃NH⁺ ₃ (CH₃)₂NH⁺ ₂ (CH₃)₃NH⁺ (CH₃)₄N⁺.     

Thermospray mass spectrometry of N-methylcarbamates

The thermospray mass spectrometry (TSP/MS) of five N-methylcarbamates is presented. This is the first time that ions other than [M + H]⁺ and [M + NH₄]⁺ have been reported using positive TSP/MS. Protonation of ROCONHCH₃ yields the [CH₃NH₂CO]^+· ion, with formation of the ion–molecule adduct [ROCONHCH₃ · CH₃NH₂CO]^+· through elimination of CO^+· from [CH₃NH₂CO]^+·, and the adduct [M + 75]^+·, [ROCONHCH₃ · OCONH₂CH₃]^+·, is also obtained.     

Methylation reaction for four DNA base molecules by methanediazonium ions

The methylation reactions at ten nucleophilic sites in four DNA base molecules with methanediazonium ions (CH₃N₂ ⁺) have been theoretically investigated including solvent effects at the B3LYP/6-31G^** and MP2/6-31G^** levels. The results show that all the methylation reactions have relatively small activation energy (<33.5 kJ/mol), and the methylation process is exothermic reaction and easy to occur. This study shows that the ultimate carcinogen CH₃N₂ ⁺ by NDMA can easily methylate DNA base molecules and form carcinogenic products. Supported by the Shanghai Municipal Education Commission (Grant No. YYY-07015) and Shanghai Institute of Technology (Grant No. YJ2007-36)     

High-pressure photoionization mass spectrometry. Effect of internal energy and density on the ion–molecule reactions occurring in methyl,dimethyl, and trimethylamine

The ion–molecule reactions of CH₃NH₂⁺, (CH₃)₂NH⁺, and (CH₃)₃N⁺ with the respective amines have been investigated at thermal kinetic energies in a high-pressure photoionization mass spectrometer at several wavelengths (energies) in the vacuum ultraviolet. The absolute rate coefficient for proton transfer from (CH₃)₃N⁺ to (CH₃)₃N decreases from 8.2 × 10^?10 cm³/molecule · sec at 147.0 nm (8.4 eV) to 4.9 × 10^?10 cm³/molecule. sec at 106.7-104.8 nm (11.7 eV). In dimethylamine, the rate coefficient decreases from 11.6 × 10^?10 cm³/molecular. sec at 8 4 eV to 10.2 × 10^?10 cm³/molecule osec at 11.7 eV, while no significant effect of energy was detected in methylamine. The reactions of several fragment ions are also reported. Experiments were also carried out at pressures up to 0.5 torr in order to investigate the further solvation of CH₃NH₂⁺, (CH₃)₂NH₂⁺, and (CH₃)₃NH⁺. It was found that the maximum proton solvation numbers in methyl-, dimethyl-, and trimethyl-amine are 4, 3, and 2, respectively, under these conditions.     

Adsorption separation of carbon dioxide,methane, and nitrogen on Hβ and Na-exchanged β-zeolite

Adsorption isotherms of carbon dioxide （CO2）, methane （CH4）, and nitrogen （N2） on Hβand sodium exchanged β-zeolite （Naβ） were volumetrically measured at 273 and 303 K. The results show that all isotherms were of Brunauer type I and well correlated with Langmuir-Freundlich model. After sodium ions exchange, the adsorption amounts of three adsorbates increased, while the increase magnitude of CO2 adsorption capacity was much higher than that of CH4 and N2. The selectivities of CO2 over CH4 and CO2 over N2 enhanced after sodium exchange. Also, the initial heat of adsorption data implied a stronger interaction of CO2 molecules with Na＋ ions in Naβ . These results can be attributed to the larger electrostatic interaction of CO2 with extraframework cations in zeolites. However, Naβ showed a decrease in the selectivity of CH4 over N2, which can be ascribed to the moderate affinity of N2 with Naβ. The variation of isosteric heats of adsorption as a function of loading indicates that the adsorption of CO2 in Naβ presents an energetically heterogeneous profile. On the contrary, the adsorption of CH4 was found to be essentially homogeneous, which suggests the dispersion interaction between CH4 and lattice oxygen atoms, and such interaction does not depend on the exchangeable cations of zeolite.     

Formation of different products during photo-catalytic reaction on TiO<Subscript>2</Subscript> suspension in water with and without 2-propanol under diverse ambient conditions

Studies on photo-catalytic reduction of CO₂ using TiO₂ photo-catalyst (0.1%, w/v) as a suspension in water was carried out at 350 nm light. CO₂ from both commercially available source, as well as generated in situ through 2-propanol oxidation, was used for this study. The photolytic products such as hydrogen (H₂), carbon monoxide (CO) andmethane (CH₄) generated were monitored in TiO₂ suspended aqueous solution with and without a hole scavenger, viz., 2-propanol. Similar photolytic experiments were also carried out with varying ambient such as air, O₂, N₂ and N₂O. The yields of CO and CH₄ in all these systems under the present experimental conditions were found to be increasing with light exposure time. H₂ yield in N₂-purged systems containing 2-propanol was found to be more as compared to the without 2-propanol system. The rate of H₂ production in N₂-purged aqueous solutions containing 0.1% TiO₂ suspension were evaluated to be 0.226 and 5.8 μl/h, without and with 0.5 M 2-propanol, respectively. This confirmed that 2-propanol was an efficient hole scavenger and it scavenged photo-generated holes (h⁺), allowing its counter ion, viz., e⁻, to react with water molecule/H⁺ to yield more H₂. The formation of both CO and CH₄ in the photolysis of CO₂-purged aqueous solutions containing suspended TiO₂ in absence of 2-propanol reveal that the generation of CH₄ is taking place mainly through CO intermediate. In presence of air/O₂, the yield of H₂ in the system without 2-propanol was observed to be negligible as compared to the system containing 2-propanol in which low yield of H₂ was obtained with a formation rate of approx. 0.5 μl/h.     

Ion cyclotron resonance studies of some reactions of C+ ions

Product distributions and rate constants for the reaction of ground state C⁺ ions with O₂, NO, HCl, CO₂, H₂S, H₂O, HCN, NH₃, CH₄, H₂CO, CH₃OH, and CH₃NH₂ have been measured. Rate constants were obtained using ion cyclotron resonance trapped ion methods at JPL, and product distributions were obtained using a tandem (Dempster-ICR) mass spectrometer at the University of Utah. Rapid carbon isotope exchange has also been observed in C⁺-CO collisions.     

Gas phase ion chemistry in germane/ammonia,methylgermane/ammonia,and methylgermane/phosphine

Gaseous mixtures of germane or methylgermane with ammonia and methylgermane with phosphine have been studied by ion trap mass spectrometry. Rate constants of reactions of the primary ions and of the most important secondary ion species are reported, together with the calculated collisional rate constants and efficiencies of reaction. The GeH_n⁺ (n = 0–3) ions, formed by electron ionization of both GeH₄ and CH₃GeH₃, react with ammonia yielding, among others, the GeH_n⁺ (n = 2–4) ion family, which, in a successive and slow reaction with NH₃, only give the unreactive ammonium ion. Also, the CH₃GeH_n⁺ (n = 1, 2) species do not form Ge–N bonds, whereas secondary ions of germane, such as Ge₂H₂⁺, produce species containing germanium and nitrogen together. In the CH₃GeH₃/PH₃ mixture a great number of ions are formed with rather high rate constants from primary ions of both reagent molecules and from phosphorus containing secondary ions. GePH_n⁺ (n = 2–4) ions further react with methylgermane leading to cluster ions with increasing size such as Ge₂PH_n⁺ and Ge₂CPH_n⁺. The experimental conditions favoring the chain propagation of ions containing Ge and N, or Ge and P, with or without C, important in the chemical vapor deposition of materials of interest in photovoltaic technology, are discussed.     

Converting Methane by Using an RF Plasma Reactor

A radio-frequency (RF) plasma system was used to convert methane gas. The reactants and final products were analyzed by using an FTIR (Fourier transform infrared spectrometer). The effects of plasma operational parameters, including feeding concentration (C) of CH ₄ , operational pressure (P) in the RF plasma reactor, total gas flow rate (Q) and input power wattage (W) for CH ₄ decomposition were evaluated. The results showed that the CH ₄ decomposition fraction increases with increasing power input, decreasing operational pressure in the RF plasma reactor, decreasing CH ₄ feeding concentration, and decreasing total gas flow rate. In addition, mathematical models based on the obtained experimental data were developed and tested by means of sensitivity analysis.     

IR and Raman spectra of two layered aluminium phosphates Co(en)3Al3P4O16 · 3H2O and [NH4]3[Co(NH3)6]3[Al2(PO4)4]2 · 2H2O

The FT IR and FT Raman spectra of Co(en)₃Al₃P₄O₁₆ · 3H₂O (compound I) and [NH₄]₃[Co(NH₃)₆]₃[Al₂(PO₄)₄]₂ · 2H₂O (compound II) are recorded and analysed based on the vibrations of Co(en)₃³⁺, Co(NH₃)₆³⁺, NH₄⁺, Al---O---P, PO₃, PO₂ and H₂O. The observed splitting of bands indicate that the site symmetry and correlation field effects are appreciable in both the compounds. In compound I, the overtone of CH₂ deformation Fermi resonates with its symmetric stretching vibration. The NH₄ ion in compound II is not free to rotate in the crystalline lattice. Hydrogen bonding of different groups is also discussed.     

Ammonium adduct ion in ammonia chemical ionization mass spectrometry: 2—Mechanism of elimination of neutrals from the ammonium adduct ion

The mechanism of elimination of ROH (R = H or CH₃) from the ammonium adduct ion, [M+NH₄]⁺, of 1-adamantanol and its methyl ether is examined by using linked-scan metastable ion spectra and by measuring the dependence of the peak intensity ratio [M+NH₄]⁺/[M+NH₄? ROH]⁺ on ammonia pressure. For 1-adamantanol both S_Ni and S_N1 reactions are suggested in metastable ion decomposition, while only the S_N1 mechanism is operative in the ion source. For 1-adamantanol methyl ether the S_N1 reaction predominates both in metastable ion decomposition and in the ion source reaction.     

Oxidation reactions in triterpenes under chemical ionization conditions

From a collisional activation spectral study it has been found that certain triterpene alcohols with an ursane or oleanane skeleton undergo oxidation to the corresponding ketones under chemical ionization (NH₃) conditions giving rise to abundant [M + NH₄ ? 2]⁺ ions. Mass-analysed ion kinetic energy and B²/E scan results indicate that both [M + NH₄]⁺ and [M + N₂H₇ ? 2]⁺ ions contribute to the formation of the [M + NH₄ ? 2]⁺ ion.     

The [CH5NO]+ ˙ potential energy surface: Distonic ions,lon-dipole complexes and hydrogen-bridged radical cations

By combining results from a variety of mass spectrometric techniques (metastable ion, collisional activation, collision-induced dissociative ionization, neutralization-reionization spectrometry, ²H, ¹³C and ¹⁸O isotopic labelling and appearance energy measurements) and high-level ab initio molecular orbital calculations, the potential energy surface of the [CH₅NO]^{+ ˙} system has been explored. The calculations show that at least nine stable isomers exist. These include the conventional species [CH₃ONH₂]^{+ ˙} and [HO? CH₂? NH₂]^{+ ˙}, the distonic ions [O? CH₂? NH₃]^{+ ˙}, [O? NH₂? CH₃]^{+ ˙}, [CH₂? O(H)? NH₂]^{+ ˙}, [HO? NH₂? CH₂]^{+ ˙}, and the ion-dipole complex CH₂?NH₂⁺ …? OH˙. Surprisingly the distonic ion [CH₂? O? NH₃]^{+ ˙} was found not to be a stable species but to dissociate spontaneously to CH₂?O + NH₃^{+ ˙}. The most stable isomer is the hydrogen-bridged radical cation [H? C?O …? H …? NH₃]^{+ ˙} which is best viewed as an immonium cation interacting with the formyl dipole. The related species [CH₂?O …? H …? NH₂]^{+ ˙}, in which an ammonium radical cation interacts with the formaldehyde dipole is also a very stable ion. It is generated by loss of CO from ionized methyl carbamate, H₂N? C(?O)? OCH₃ and the proposed mechanism involves a 1,4-H shift followed by intramolecular ‘dictation’ and CO extrusion. The [CH₂?O …? H …? NH₂]^{+ ˙} product ions fragment exothermically, but via a barrier, to NH₄^{+ ˙} HCO^…? and to H₃N? C(H)?O^{+ ˙} H˙. Metastable ions [CH₃ONH₂]^+…? dissociate, via a large barrier, to CH₂?O + NH₃⁺ + and to [CH₂NH₂]⁺ + OH˙ but not to CH₂?O^{+ ˙} + NH₃. The former reaction proceeds via a 1,3-H shift after which dissociation takes place immediately. Loss of OH˙ proceeds formally via a 1,2-CH₃ shift to produce excited [O? NH₂? CH₃]^{+ ˙}, which rearranges to excited [HO? NH₂? CH₂]^{+ ˙} via a 1,3-H shift after which dissociation follows.     

Li ion diffusion in Li4Ti5O12 thin film electrode prepared by PVP sol-gel method

Li₄Ti₅O₁₂ thin films for rechargeable lithium batteries were prepared by a sol-gel method with poly(vinylpyrrolidone). Interfacial properties of lithium insertion into Li₄Ti₅O₁₂ thin film were examined by cyclic voltammetry (CV), electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), and potentiostatic intermittent titration technique (PITT). Redox peaks in CV were very sharp even at a fast scan rate of 50 mV s⁻¹, indicating that Li₄Ti₅O₁₂ thin film had a fast electrochemical response, and that an apparent chemical diffusion coefficient of Li⁺ ion was estimated to be 6.8×10⁻¹¹ cm² s⁻¹ from a dependence of peak current on sweep rates. From EIS, it can be seen that Li⁺ ions become more mobile at 1.55 V vs. Li/Li⁺, corresponding to a two-phase region, and the chemical diffusion coefficients of Li⁺ ion ranged from 10⁻¹⁰ to 10⁻¹² cm² s⁻¹ at various potentials. The chemical diffusion coefficients of Li⁺ ion in Li₄Ti₅O₁₂ were also estimated from PITT. They were in a range of 10⁻¹¹-10⁻¹² cm² s⁻¹.