Magnetic properties of small nickel oxide clusters enclosed inY-zeolite

The magnetization of small nickel oxide clusters containing less than four nickel atoms (sample A) and about ten atoms (sample B), respectively, formed inside the supercages ofY-zeolite, was studied in the magnetic field below 50 kOe and in the temperature range of 2 to 600 K. The magnetic susceptibility of sample A obeyed a Curie-Weiss' (C-W) law above about 20 K with a C-W temperature of 12 K. A saturation behavior was observed in the magnetization versus field (M-H) curve below about 20 K. A hysteresis in the M-H curve and a remanent magnetization were found below about 7 K. A similar behavior was observed for sample B. The observed positive C-W temperature indicates a ferromagnetic interaction between nickel ions in each cluster, which is semiquantitatively consistent with nearest neighbor ferromagnetic interactions previously reported for antiferromagnetic NiO single crystals. The hysteresis suggests an enhanced magnetic anisotropy energy in the present clusters.     

Instrumental detection limits in total reflection X-ray fluorescence: Comparison of cut-off and monochromatic excitation devices

“Cut-off” reflectors, which allow obtaining a reflected beam with almost no high energy radiation, as well as different monochromator devices that reflect a beam of monoenergetic and polarized radiation are the most widely employed artifacts to perform the excitation radiation improvement in analytical “non-expensive” TR spectrometers. The aim of this work consisted in testing several monochromator devices: a multilayer structured mirror for soft X-rays (0.7–12.5 nm), as well as different bent and flat crystals of wavelength dispersive spectrometers. The achieved instrumental detection limits for the selected monochromator device are compared with the values obtained using a Suprasil Cut-off reflector and a C-W multilayer (d∼5 nm). Several human corporal fluid samples were analyzed to compare the spectral characteristics when using the Cut-Off Reflector and the RAP flat crystal, respectively.     

Correlation between lead isotope analysis and solid-state electrochemistry for determining the provenance of archaeological bronze

Journal of Solid State Electrochemistry - The voltammetry of microparticles (VIMP) methodology was applied to a set of submicrosamples from the corrosion layers of copper artifacts from the...     

XAS study on copper red in ancient glass beads from Thailand

Glass has been used in ornaments and decorations in Thailand for thousands of years, being discovered in several archeological sites and preserved in museums throughout the country. To date only a few of them have been examined by conventional methods for their compositions and colorations. In this work we report for the first time an advanced structural analysis of Thai ancient glass beads using synchrotron X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) and energy-dispersive X-ray (EDX) spectrometry. Four samples of ancient glass beads were selected from four different archeological sites in three southern provinces (Ranong, Krabi and Pang-nga) of Thailand. Archaeological dating indicated that they were made more than 1,300 years ago. A historically known method for obtaining a red color is to add compounds containing transition elements such as gold, copper, and chromium. For our samples, EDX spectrometry data revealed existing fractions of iron, copper, zinc, and chromium in ascending order. Thus, copper was selectively studied by XAS as being potentially responsible for the red color in the glass beads. K-shell X-ray absorption near-edge structure (XANES) and extended X-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) of copper were recorded in fluorescence mode using an advanced 13-element germanium detector. Comparisons with XANES spectra of reference compounds identified two major forms of copper, monovalent copper and a metallic cluster, dispersed in the glass matrix. The cluster dimension was approximated on the basis of structural modeling and a theoretical XANES calculation. As a complement, EXAFS spectra were analyzed to determine the first-shell coordination around copper. XAS was proven to be an outstanding, advanced technique that can be applied to study nondestructively archaeological objects to understand their characteristics and how they were produced in ancient times.     

XRF study of archaeological and metallurgical material from an ancient copper-smelting site near Ein-Yahav, Israel

A movable XRF instrument (a bench-top designed machine modified to work in the field for archaeological purposes) was used for analysis of artifacts and sediments during the field study (01–07 April 2003) of a small copper-smelting site in the Negev (about 30 km west of the Feinan complex of ancient copper mines and smelting sites in Jordan). The site consists of a relatively small hill with blackened slopes, covered mainly by crushed copper slag. The surface collection of datable objects (i.e. pottery shards and stone tools) indicated that the site had functioned at the end of the Early Bronze Age and during the Roman/Byzantine time.

The analysis of Cu concentration in the ash and in the ground as well as the analysis of ore and slag, were used as markers for the identification of the operation centers and for locating the remains of the smelting devices used at the end of the Early Bronze Age for smelting copper. The ore in use typically contained 35–45% Cu, up to 1% Mn and up to several percent Fe. The slag contained 13–20% Mn and 1–5% Cu and Fe. From these results we are able to estimate the Cu production scale during the first and most active period on this site, at the end of the Early Bronze Age.     

Instrumental neutron activation analysis of native copper: Some methodological considerations

A scheme for INAA of native copper, which permits the determination of 22–24 elements is proposed. The possible error source in INAA of native copper and other types of more or less pure copper are evaluated quantitatively. The accuracy and precision of the analyses are tested by comparison with NIST-SRM's. The applicability of the proposed method for archaeometric investigations is demonstrated by the analysis of two samples of native copper and two eneolithic archaeological artifacts from Bulgaria.     

Electrolytic palladium deposits: Dependence of adsorption properties and texture on the deposition potential

Specific features of the copper and oxygen adsorption on electrolytic palladium deposits obtained from chloride solutions at different deposition potentials are considered. It is shown that, in sulfuric acid solutions, the palladium dissolution, which accompanies the oxygen adsorption, obscures the adsorption behavior of the deposits with respect to oxygen. Assumptions are made about the predominant crystallographic orientation (100) of the surface of some palladium deposits being dependent on the deposition potential and about the presence of regions whose adsorption properties are anomalous with respect to copper. The assumptions are based on a comparative analysis of the copper adsorption data and X-ray diffraction patterns. In addition to sites of crystalline palladium, the deposits are found to have disordered areas as well. Dedicated to the ninetieth anniversary of Ya.M. Kolotyrkin’s birth.     

Effects of 3-amino-1,2,4-triazole on the inhibition of copper corrosion in acidic chloride solutions

Effects of 3-amino-1,2,4-triazole (ATA) on the inhibition of copper corrosion in 0.5 M HCl solutions have been studied using gravimetric, electrochemical, and Raman spectroscopy investigations. Weight-loss measurements after varied immersion periods revealed that the dissolution rate of copper decreased to a minimum, while the inhibition efficiency (zeta%) and consequently the degree of surface coverage (theta) increased with the presence of ATA and the increase of its concentration. Potentiodynamic polarization, chronoamperometric, and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) measurements after 0, 24, and 48 h immersion of the copper electrode in the test solutions showed that the presence of ATA molecules significantly decreased cathodic, anodic, and corrosion (jcorr) currents and corrosion rates (Rcorr) and greatly increased polarization resistance (Rp), zeta%, and theta; this effect was increased on increasing the ATA content in the solution. Raman spectroscopy confirmed that ATA molecules strongly adsorbed onto the copper surface, blocking its active sites and preventing it from being corroded easily.     

Chromotropism in halo-bridged dimers. Structural characterization of bis(μ-halo)bis(halo N-(pyridin-2-ylmethyl)cyclohexanamine copper(II))

Two dinuclear copper(II) complexes, [LCu(μ-Cl)Cl]₂ (DMF) (1) and [LCu(μ-Br)Br]₂ (2), with the bidentate ligand N-(pyridin-2-ylmethyl)cyclohexanamine, L, were synthesized and characterized by physicochemical and spectroscopic (IR, UV–vis) data. The crystal structural analysis of 1 shows that both copper(II) ions are in a distorted square pyramidal N₂Cl₃ environment with the apical position of the copper(II) being occupied by the bridging chloride anion which is equatorial to the other copper ion, forming a dimeric copper(II) complex. The chromotropic properties of both complexes, including solvato-, thermo-, and halochromism, were investigated. The complexes show reversible thermochromism in solution which is irreversible in the solid state. It was found that the solvatochromism is due to structural change followed by solvation of the vacant sites of the complexes. Their halochromic properties were studied in pH range of 1–11 by visible absorption spectroscopy. The color changes from blue to green and to colorless are due to deprotonation and protonation of the ligands.     

Characterization of green copper phase pigments in Egyptian artifacts with X-ray absorption spectroscopy and principal components analysis

The characterization of materials in historical artifacts can contribute significantly to their preservation and understanding; however, sampling and characterization are ideally performed using non-destructive approaches. The analysis of green pigments from Egyptian artifacts presents a further challenge as responses to laboratory based techniques have proven unsuccessful in many cases. An alternative approach is the use of non-destructive X-ray absorption near-edge structure spectroscopy, which was performed on a reference set of copper-containing green minerals and other compounds. Data projection using principal component analysis was used to explore the spectral data structures and to illustrate the relationship between the spectra and copper speciation, resulting in a calibration or training set of the reference materials used. Data from the training set were compared with samples from Egyptian artifacts. The combination of X-ray absorption spectroscopy with principal components analysis provides a novel approach in archeometry and the characterization of objects of cultural heritage.     

Universal Anticancer Cu(DTC)2 Discriminates between Thiols and Zinc(II) Thiolates Oxidatively

Aerobic organisms must rely on abundant intracellular thiols to reductively protect various vital functional units, especially ubiquitous zinc(II) thiolate sites of proteins, from deleterious oxidations resulting from oxidizing environments. Disclosed here is the first well‐defined model study for reactions between zinc(II) thiolate complexes and copper(II) complexes. Among all the studied ligands of copper(II), diethyldithiocarbamate (DTC) displays a unique redox‐tuning ability that enables copper(II) to resist the reduction by thiols while retaining its ability to oxidize zinc(II) thiolates to form disulfides. This work proves for the first time that it is possible to develop oxidants to discriminate between thiols and zinc(II) thiolates, alluding to a new chemical principle for how oxidants, especially universal anticancer Cu(DTC)₂, might circumvent the intracellular reductive defense around certain zinc(II) thiolate sites of proteins to kill malignant cells.     

Synthesis and Characterization of Manganese-copper Spinel Ferrite Powders

Magnetic Mn_1-xCu_xFe₂O₄(x=0.2, 0.5, 0.8 and 1.0) nanoparticles were synthesized by single citrate precursor method. The samples were characterized by powder X-ray diffraction, vibrating sample magnetometry and electron paramagnetic resonance(EPR). For samples with a low copper content(x<0.5), the copper ions have a tendency to occupy and substitute the Fe³⁺ at the tetrahedral(A) sites. For samples with a high copper content(x>0.5), most Cu²⁺ enter into the octahedral(B) sites. Transfer of Fe³⁺ from octahedral sites to tetrahedral sites leads to the decrease of the saturation magnetization. Maximum coercivity is observed for CuFe₂O₄ nanoparticles due to the strengthened magnetic anisotropy arisen from the Jahn-Teller effect of the octahedral copper ions. The dependence of magnetic properties of Mn_0.8Cu_0.2Fe₂O₄ nanoparticles on calcination temperature was investigated. The cation distribution in Mn_0.8Cu_0.2Fe₂O₄ is sensitive to the calcination temperature.     

CuNaY分子筛的有效吸附位与其脱硫性能的关联性研究

以液相离子交换法制备了一系列不同Cu负载量的CuNaY分子筛;采用XRD及N₂吸附-脱附表征分子筛的微观结构和织构性质,采用动态吸附法考察其对噻吩模拟油的吸附脱硫性能,结合NH₃-TPD和Py-FTIR方法对CuNaY分子筛的酸量和有效Cu⁺物种进行定量分析,研究了CuNaY分子筛的表面酸性和铜物种形态结构对其吸附脱硫性能的影响机制。结果表明,通过改变铜负载量可有效调控改性Y分子筛的表面酸性以及铜物种化学形态;适量铜物种的引入可以最大限度的形成有效吸附位,从而获得最优吸附脱硫性能,而过量的Cu物种会在Y分子筛笼内形成多核铜物种结构,导致有效吸附位点的减少,影响其对噻吩的吸附能力。     

Atomically dispersed copper species on ceria for the low-temperature water-gas shift reaction

The structure of copper species, dispersed on nanostructured ceria(particles, rods and cubes), was analyzed by scanning transmission electron microscopy(STEM) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy(XPS). It was interestingly found that the density of surface oxygen vacancies(or defect sites), induced by the shape of ceria, determined the geometrical structure and the chemical state of copper species. Atomically dispersed species and monolayers containing few to tens of atoms were formed on ceria particles and rods owing to the enriched anchoring sites, but copper clusters/particles co-existed, together with the highly dispersed atoms and monolayers, on cubic ceria. The atomically dispersed copper sites and monolayers interacted strongly with ceria, involving a remarkable charge transfer from copper to ceria at their interfaces. The activity for the low-temperature watergas shift reaction of the Cu/CeO_2 catalysts was associated with the fraction of the positively-charged copper atoms, demonstrating that the active sites could be tuned by dispersing Cu species on shape-controlled ceria particles.     

CopC protein from Pseudomonas syringae: intermolecular transfer of copper from both the copper(I) and copper(II) sites

The CopC protein from Pseudomonas syringae pathovar tomato is expressed as one of four proteins encoded by the operon CopABCD that is responsible for copper resistance. It is a small soluble molecule (10.5 kDa) with a beta-barrel structure and features two distinct copper binding sites, which are highly specific for Cu(I) (K(D) > or = 10(-)(13)) and Cu(II) (K(D) approximately 10(-)(15)). These dissociation constants were estimated via ligand competition experiments monitored by electronic spectral and fluorescence probes. The chemistries of the two copper sites are interdependent. When the Cu(II) site is empty, the Cu(I) ion is oxidized by air, but when both sites are occupied, the molecule is stable in air. The availability of an unoccupied site of higher affinity induces intermolecular transfer of either Cu(I) or Cu(II) while maintaining free copper ion concentrations in solution at sub-picomolar levels. This intriguing copper chemistry is consistent with the proposed role of CopC as a copper carrier in the oxidizing periplasmic space. These properties would allow it to exchange either Cu(I) or Cu(II) with its putative partners CopA, CopB, and CopD, contrasting with the role of the Cu(I) (only) chaperones found in the reducing cytoplasm.     

Chemical analysis of archaeological copper and brass fron northeastern Ontario

Since it is now possible, with some reliability, to separate native from European copper using chemical analysis, we now sort archaeological copper into geological (North American) or smelted (European) groups and thereby help address issues relating to the cultural impact of earliest aboriginal — European contact in northeastern Ontario. Twenty six metal samples from 11 archaeological sites, dating from the 17th to 19th centuries, were analyzed by INAA. The results were compared with reference data for native copper and European trade copper and indicate that of the 17 copper samples in the suite, an archaeologically-unexpected high number of 12 were made of native copper. The majority of these samples (7 of 8) derived from the post-contact early 17th century Providence Bay Odawa village. The remaining samples were made of brass (8) and zinc (1). Two of the brass samples, from Point Louise, have remarkably similar chemistries and probably came from the same object, or at least from the same batch of brass.     

Identification of Cu(II)/Cu(III) couples in binuclear copper(II) complexes

A new series of binuclear copper(II) complexes were synthesised and studied by magnetic, spectral, ESR and cyclic voltammetry methods. The μ_eff values per copper atom correspond to the values observed for mononuclear copper(II) complexes. ESR spectral data in solution indicate weak interactions resulting from the electron delocalisation through the ligand system. Two nearly reversible red-ox couples are identified at $\text{+}\text{?}$0.50 V and $\text{+}\text{?}$0.75 V vs SCE. They correspond to Cu(II)αCu(III) red-ox processes, successively occurring at the two copper sites in the binuclear complexes.     

Spectroscopic identification of different types of copper centers generated in synthetic four-helix bundle proteins

Using a combined rational-combinatorial approach, stable copper binding sites were implemented in template-assembled synthetic four-helix bundle proteins constructed by three different helices with only 16 amino acid residues. These peptides include two histidines and one cysteine at positions appropriate for coordinating a copper ion. Sequence variations of the helices were made in the second coordination shell or even more remote from the copper binding site (i) to increase the overall stability of the metalloproteins and (ii) to fine-tune the structure and properties of the copper center. As a result, ca. 90% of the 180 proteins that were synthesized were capable to bind copper with a substantially higher specificity than those obtained in the first design cycle (Schnepf, R.; Horth, P.; Bill, E.; Wieghardt, K.; Hildebrandt, P.; Haehnel, W. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2001, 123, 2186-2195). Furthermore, the stabilities of the copper protein complexes were increased by up to 2 orders of magnitude and thus allowed a UV-vis absorption, resonance Raman, electron paramagnetic resonance, and (magnetic) circular dichroism spectroscopic identification and characterization of three different types of copper binding sites. It could be shown that particularly steric perturbations in the vicinity of the His(2)Cys ligand set control the formation of either a tetragonal (type II) or a tetrahedral (type I) copper binding site. With the introduction of two methionine residues above the histidine ligands, a mixed-valent dinuclear copper binding site was generated with spectroscopic properties that are very similar to those of Cu(A) sites in natural proteins. The results of the present study demonstrate for the first time that structurally different metal binding sites can be formed and stabilized in four-helix bundle proteins.     

Diethylenetriamine-grafted poly(glycidyl methacrylate) adsorbent for effective copper ion adsorption

Amine-functionalized adsorbents have attracted increasing interest in recent years for heavy metal removal. In this study, diethylenetriamine (DETA) was successfully grafted (through a relatively simple solution reaction) onto poly(glycidyl methacrylate) (PGMA) microgranules to obtain an adsorbent (PGMA-DETA) with a very high content of amine groups and the PGMA-DETA adsorbent was examined for copper ion removal in a series of batch adsorption experiments. It was found that the PGMA-DETA adsorbent achieved excellent adsorption performance in copper ion removal and the adsorption was most effective at pH>3 in the pH range of 1-5 examined. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) revealed that there were different types of amine sites on the surfaces of the PGMA-DETA adsorbent but copper ion adsorption was mainly through forming surface complexes with the neutral amine groups on the adsorbent, resulting in better adsorption performance at a higher solution pH value. The adsorption isotherm data best obeyed the Langmuir-Freundlich model and the adsorption capacity reached 1.5 mmol/g in the case of pH 5 studied. The adsorption process was fast (with adsorption equilibrium time less than 1-4 h) and closely followed the pseudo-second-order kinetic model. Desorption of copper ions from the PGMA-DETA adsorbent was most effectively achieved in a 0.1 M dilute nitric acid solution, with 80% of the desorption being completed within the first 1 min. Consecutive adsorption-desorption experiments showed that the PGMA-DETA adsorbent can be reused almost without any loss in the adsorption capacity.