Complementary spectroscopic techniques to model the association of contaminant uranium with structural surfaces

Contaminant uranium poses unique problems for decontamination of former weapons processing and nuclear power facilities, as well as chemical plants, waste storage sites and former mining facilities. In addition, dealing with the possibility of intentional (i.e., a terrorist act) or accidental release of radioactive material in a populated area requires an accurate understanding of the nature of the association of such material with structural surfaces. These surfaces must also be considered in the context of repeated contamination, and the importance of atmospheric exposure, interaction with other possible contaminants, and corrosion or surface degradation due to such exposure must be taken into account. Complementary spectroscopic techniques, especially surface spectroscopies, are essential in developing models for the interaction of contaminants with surfaces and interfaces. In this review (which also presents new data on uranium association with corroding steel surfaces), we collect models of this association as determined by spectroscopic techniques, assess the important considerations in the development of more accurate models, and address some of the questions which remain.     

Physics in Melbourne

I survey highlights of the practice of physics and allied sciences in Melbourne,Australia, from the 1850s, soon after Europeans first settled in the area, to the present. I note recognizable sites of past and current physical-science activity that may be visited, as well as exhibits of historic items of physics apparatus. I trace the role of physics, in the course of a century and a half, in the evolution of a pioneering settlement into a large city embedded in a modern industrial economy.     

Peptides-XXXXVI: Studies in the synthesis of an analogue of hen egg white lysozyme

The previously synthesised (1–37), (38–75), (76–93), (94–104), (105–117) and (118–129) fragments of the analogue were combined making extensive use of the DCCI/HONSu method. The final coupling involved the (1–75) and (76–129) sub-fragments. Aggregation of the latter fragment caused problems in purification by routine gel filtration methods employing Enzacryl K2 or Sephadex LH60. The fully protected (1–129) product was partially purified by washing, then deprotectcd and purified by gel filtration and ion exchange chromatography. Satisfactory removal of the acetamidomethyl group used for cysteine protection could not be achieved.     

Medium effects on fluorescence quantum yields and lifetimes for coumarin laser dyes

Fluorescence quantum yields and lifetimes of coumarin dyes are sharply reduced in polar solvents if amine substituent groups are free to rotate. The polar solvent effect is interpreted in terms of relaxation of excited dye from an initial planar conformation to a twisted zwitterionic state.     

Research and Practice in Green Chemical Technologies

Green chemistry is also called environment harmless or environment friendly chemistry.Green chemistry requires to use new synthetic methods, engineering technologies and processes to eliminate or reduce by-products, wastes or products that harmful to human health, community safety,and ecology environment. Green chemistry pursues to control the usage of the harmful and toxic materials, reduce waste emission, avoid necessity to treat the wastes; Green Chemistry advocates wastes management from the beginning, improving the efficiency of atoms, optimizing the use of resources and energy, lowering the cost of production. Green Chemistry technologies are the ultimate path to the clean chemical production in the future.Insight Co. takes "hospital of enterprises" and "bank of technologies" as our characteristics in business, and deems the development and spread of green chemistry as our mission. We developed an unique business model which combines education, research and production. In the past 8 years,we had applied and obtained more than 30 patents and received more than ten national and provincial awards in technology progress.We had made great progress in the manufacturing of organophosphorus pesticides, especially the production of omethoate, methamidophos, paraquat and glycyrrhizinic phosphor, etc., which made a stable foundation for INSIGHT's development. We had also achieved great success in the high efficiency low toxic pesticides, such as imidacloprid, etofenprox, metalaxyl and in the new synthetic methods in various amino acids as well as in the pharmaceutical intermediates. The new method of preparation indigo using N-phenylglycinonitrile is an advanced process in the world in terms of the clean production technology for Ferro cyanide and HCN's transformation rate improvement. We solved the pollution problem of the old route. The newly developed substituted product for indigo using a clean production technology which greatly reduced the material consumption and environmental pollution. Insight has facilities producing nearly 20 photo-initiators and developed the new technique for light-curing lubricity, water-born resin, the technique for water-bon coating and their associated applications. The successfully developed technology of new high performance emulsion will promote the technology advancement in the coating industry and the wide spread of new coating in China.Insight has developed a series of new technologies, including a novel reactor technology - using a newly designed patented blade, has been characterized as high efficiency & energy saving reactor.The novel technology research and development are widely applied in INSIGHT's ten-year practice.We studied and confirmed the non-thermal catalyzing effect of microwaves, proposed a "weak microwave" theory, and a chemical reaction rate equation. We proposed that in the existence of microwave magnesium ions and phosphate, amino acid can be activated to form peptide which maybe the path of the origin of life.A 3000mt/a pilot plant in Chongqing using carbon monoxide and hydrogen to produce dimethyl ether in a single step has been built via collaboration with the Dept. of Chemical Engineering at Tsinghua University. The large scale, low cost production of dimethyl ether may possible through comprehensive technology improvement. This technology will take full advantage of current ammonia production facilities, and try to solve the global fuel shortage problem.     

A one-step conversion of isoquinolinium salts into naphthalene derivatives1

Berberine chloride (1) upon treatment with NaOAc-Ac₂O yields naphthalene derivatives 4 and 5 In like fashion, 8 gives naphthalene 10; isoquinoline methiodide leads to β-naphthyl acetate; and 12 provides 14. The reaction has been extended to the 3-carbonyl pyridinium series where 3-acetylpyridine methiodide and 3-pyridinecarboxaldehyde methiodide furnish lactones 16 and 17, respectively. All these transformations proceed by initial nucleophilic attack of the acetic anhydride anion on the immonium carbon atom.     

Development of a laccase-based flow injection electrochemical biosensor for the determination of phenolic compounds and its application for monitoring remediation of Kraft E1 paper mill effluent

This paper describes the development of a new system for amperometric determination of phenolic compounds, and its application for monitoring these compounds in paper mill effluent. The method was based on a flow system, a dialysis sampler, and a laccase-based biosensor. The performance of this system was investigated with respect to pH, ionic strength, working potential, and flow-rate dependence. The biosensor showed an excellent long-term stability allowing measurements for over than 3 months. The sensitivity of laccase-based biosensor was tested for phenol, p-chlorophenol, guaiacol and chloroguaiacol; the detector presented selective measurements of micromolar concentration of these compounds. The integration of a dialysis membrane sampling in the system protected the biosensor surface from fouling and gave independence of sample conditions that commonly influence the biosensor performance. These favorable characteristics allowed its application for direct measurements in complex media with no sample pretreatment. This ability was confirmed employing this system in a continuous analysis of phenolic compounds during the remediation of paper mill effluent by ozonization process.     

Spectrophotometric determination of micro amounts of mercury,cadmium, and zinc by stepwise extraction with tribenzylamine

A rapid spectrophotometric method has been developed for the stepwise determination for mercury, cadmium, and zinc in mixtures. Optimal conditions have been established for the extraction efficiency of cadmium and mercury with a chloroform solution of tribenzylamine pre-equilibrated with hydrobromic acid. After addition of dithizone solution to the organic layers the absorbance at 490 nm or 510 nm is measured for mercury or cadmium, respectively. Even when the ratio of mercury, cadmium, and zinc is 10^-1 : 1 : 10^-5 , the metals can be determined successively.     

Controlled Radical Polymerization

Various methods which lead to the control of molecular weight and polydispersities, and which allow for the preparation of block copolymers by radical polymerization are discussed. Thermal polymerizationof styrenes in the presence of stable radicals, polymerization of vinyl acetate and methyl methacrylate in the presence of chromium complexed by macrocyclic ligands polymerization of vinyl acetate initiated by organoaluminum compounds complexed by dipyridyl and activated by stable radicals, as well as in the presence of phosphites, are described in detail.