Ensuring complete absence of Ce(IV) and measurement of the stability constant of the fluoride complex of Ce(III)

Literature survey revealed a wide variation in the measured stability constant values of the aqueous fluoride complexes of trivalent cerium. This could be due to inadequate care for full conversion and maintenance of the oxidation state of cerium to trivalent state. In the present work quinhydrone has been used to ensure complete absence of Ce(IV) and the stability constant of CeF(2+) in 1 M NaClO(4) has been measured potentiometrically using a fluoride ion selective electrode. Log beta(1) obtained in this work was 2.936+/-0.024 and fitted well with the general trend of stability constants of the lanthanide (rare earths) fluorides in aqueous solution.     

The unusual formation of methyl α-(5,6-dimethoxycarbonyl-2,3-dimethoxyazepin-7-ylidene)-α-[5-methoxycarbonyl-2,3-dimethoxypyrid-6-yl)acetate during the pyrolysis of “Azido-meta-hemipinate”: First example of a reaction involving a concomitant ring expansion and ring extrusion

The ortho methoxycarbonyl substituent constitutes a sole exception in the ring closure reactions of ortho substituted aryl azides, as it provides no rate acceleration to this reaction. Pyrolysis of “azido-meta-hemipinate”, an aryl azide containing such a substituent, led us to the title compound, a new azepinylidene-pyridylacetic ester, whose structure has been established unambiguously by a single crystal X-ray diffraction study. This is the first report of a reaction involving both a ring expansion to an azaheptafulvalene and a ring extrusion to a pyridyl ring residue.     

Stability constants of the aqueous mono-fluoride complexes of Pu(III) and Am(III) and their correlation with other metal ions

The stability constants of the aqueous mono-fluoride complexes of Pu(III) and Am(III) have been measured using the distribution method. A correlation of the available stability constants of fluoride complexes of trivalent actinides, up to Cf, with fundamental properties like charge and radii of the metal ion has been discussed. Good correlation within the group and as a part of other metal ions was obtained only for transplutonium elements. The reported stability constant values measured by potentiometry and the value obtained by distribution for Pu³⁺ appear to be much higher than expected from this correlation. However, a better correlation was obtained with transplutonium elements when effective charge instead of formal charge was considered for Pu³⁺ in the BSE function.     

Simultaneous analysis of uranium and plutonium using thermal ionization mass spectrometry

Simultaneous isotopic analysis of uranium and plutonium using thermal ionization mass spectrometer coupled to a multi-collector detection assembly with 9 Faraday cups has been reported earlier. Subsequently investigations have been carried out (1) to understand the applicability of correction methodologies available to account for the contribution of²³⁸Pu at²³⁸U and (2) to evaluate the effectiveness of these methodologies on the accuracy of²³⁵U/²³⁸U atom ratio being determined, particularly when samples containing different U/Pu atom ratios. Isotopic fractionation for both U and Pu in the simultaneous isotopic analysis has been compared with the results of the individual analysis of these elements. The different isotopic fractionation factors observed for U were attributed to different conditions of analysis. There was no significant difference in the isotopic fractionation patterns for Pu. The consideration to extend this method to actual samples from our observations on synthetic samples with diferent U/Pu atom ratios containing U and Pu isotopic reference standards is described.     

Simultaneous determination of trace amounts of borate, chloride and fluoride in nuclear fuels employing ion chromatography (IC) after their extraction by pyrohydrolysis

An accurate and sensitive method based on the combination of pyrohydrolysis-ion chromatography (PH-IC) is proposed for the simultaneous separation and determination of boron as borate, chloride and fluoride in nuclear fuels such as U(3)O(8), (Pu,U)C and Pu-alloys. The determination is based on the initial pyrohydrolytic extraction of B, Cl and F from the samples as boric acid, HCl and HF, respectively, which are subsequently separated by ion chromatography (IC). The proposed method significantly improves the existing analytical methodology as it combines the determination of boron, a critical trace constituent in nuclear materials, along with F(-) and Cl(-) for chemical quality control measurements. Various experimental parameters were optimized to achieve maximum recoveries of the analytes during the pyrohydrolysis and to get better ion chromatographic (IC) separation of borate, F(-) and Cl(-) along with other anions such as CH(3)COO(-), NO(2)(-), NO(3)(-), Br(-), PO(4)(3-) and SO(4)(2-). Recoveries of more than 93% could be obtained for all the analytes in the sample (0.5-1.5 g) at 1200+/-25K and distilled with pre-heated steam at the flow rate of 0.3 mL/min. An isocratic elution with a mobile phase of 0.56 M d-mannitol in 6.5mM NaHCO(3) was used for the IC separation. The detection limits for B (as borate), F(-) and Cl(-) were 24, 13 and 25 microgL(-1), respectively. Precision of about 5% was achieved for determination of boron, Cl(-) and F(-) in the samples containing 1-5 ppm(w) of boron, and 10-25 ppm(w) of Cl and F. The method was validated with reference materials and successfully applied to the nuclear fuels. The methodology is easy to adapt on routine basis.     

Metal-based netropsin mimics showing AT-selective DNA binding and DNA cleavage activity at red light

Copper(II) bis-arginate [Cu(l-arg)2](NO3)2 (1) and [Cu(l-arg)(phen)Cl]Cl (2) as mimics of the minor-groove-binding natural antibiotic netropsin show preferential binding to the AT-rich region of double-stranded DNA. The complexes with a d-d band near 600 nm display oxidative DNA cleavage activity on photoirradiation at UV-A light of 365 nm and at red light of 647.1 nm (Ar-Kr laser) in a metal-assisted photoexcitation process forming singlet oxygen (1O2) species in a type-2 pathway.     

Organocatalytic cascade reactions based on push-pull dienamine platform: synthesis of highly substituted anilines

A practical and novel one-pot organocatalytic selective process for the cascade synthesis of highly substituted o-hydroxydiarylamines and o-pyrrolidin-1-yldiarylamines is reported. Direct combination of amine-catalyzed cascade Knoevenagel/Michael/aldol condensation/decarboxylation and cascade enamine amination/isoaromatization of alkyl acetoacetates, aldehydes, and nitrosoarenes furnished the highly functionalized anilines with high yields.     

Two-step condensation of lattice bosons

We present a theoretical study of Bose-Einstein condensation in highly anisotropic harmonic traps. The bosons are considered to be moving in an optical lattice in an overall anisotropic harmonic confining potential. We find that two-step condensation occurs for lattice bosons at much reduced harmonic potential anisotropy when compared to the case of an ideal Bose gas in an anisotropic harmonic confinement. We also show that when the bosons are in an isotropic harmonic confinement but with highly anisotropic hopping in the optical lattice, two-step condensation does not occur. We interpret some of our results using single boson density of energy states corresponding to the potentials faced by the bosons.     

Synthesis of cubic Li<Subscript>7</Subscript>La<Subscript>3</Subscript>Zr<Subscript>2</Subscript>O<Subscript>12</Subscript> by modified sol–gel process

Polycrystalline cubic Li₇La₃Zr₂O₁₂ (LLZ) with garnet-related type structure has been synthesized at 700 °C by modified sol–gel processes using citric acid as organic complexing agent and butan-1-ol or propan-2-ol as surface active agent. Thermal analysis (thermogravimetric/differential thermal analysis) indicated that the gel must be annealed at around 700 °C to completely remove the organic solvent. X-ray powder diffraction, X-ray fluorescence, and scanning electron microscopic investigations revealed that Al may not be essential to form cubic-phase LLZ; however, the addition of Al₂O₃ led to enhanced sintering of LLZ.