Widely-tunable mid-infrared frequency comb source based on difference frequency generation

We report on a mid-IR frequency comb source of unprecedented tunability covering the entire 3-10 μm molecular fingerprint region. The system is based on difference frequency generation in a GaSe crystal pumped by a 151 MHz Yb:fiber frequency comb. The process was seeded with Raman-shifted solitons generated in a highly nonlinear suspended-core fiber with the same source. Average powers up to 1.5 mW were achieved at the 4.7 μm wavelength.     

Measurement and modeling of the surface potential evolution of hydrated cement pastes as a function of degradation

Hydrated cement pastes (HCP) have a high affinity with a lot of (radio)toxic products and can be used as waste confining materials. In cementitious media, elements are removed from solution via (co)precipitation reactions or via sorption/diffusion mechanisms as surface complexation equilibria. In this study, to improve the knowledge of the surface charge evolution vs the degradation of the HCP particles, two cements have been studied: CEM-I (ordinary Portland cement, OPC) and CEM-V (blast furnace slag and fly ash added to OPC). Zeta potential measurements showed that two isoelectric points exist vs HCP leaching, i.e., pH. Zeta potential increases from -17 to +20 mV for pH 13.3 to pH 12.65 (fresh HCP states) and decreases from 20 to -8 mV for pH 12.65 to 11 (degraded HCP states). The use of a simple surface complexation model of C-S-H, limited in comparison with the structural modeling of C-S-H in literature, allows a good prediction of the surface potential evolution of both HCP. Using this operational modeling, the surface charge is controlled by the deprotonation of surface sites (>SO(-)) and by the sorption of calcium (>SOCa(+)), which brings in addition a positive charge. The calcium concentration is controlled by portlandite or calcium silicate hydrate (C-S-H) solubilities.     

Stacking interactions as the principal design element in acyl-transfer catalysts

The conformational properties and the stability of acylpyridinium intermediates formed in pyridine-catalyzed acylation reactions have been studied at the SCS-MP2(FC)/6-311 +G(d,p)//MP2(FC)/ 6-31G(d) level of theory. It has been shown that stacking interactions can play a decisive role in the stability as well as the conformational preferences of these transient intermediates.     

A theoretical study of the fluoride exchange between UO2F+(aq) and UO2 2+(aq)

Experimental data on the thermodynamics and reaction mechanism of the inner-sphere fluoride exchange reaction U17O2(2+) + UO2F+ <==> U17O2F+ + UO2(2+) have been compared with different intimate reaction mechanisms using quantum chemical methods. Two models have been tested that start from the outer sphere complexes, (H2O)[U(A)O2F(OH2)4+]...[U(B)O2(OH2)5(2+)] and [U(A)O2F(OH2)4+]...[U(B)O2(OH2)5(2+)]; the geometry and energies of the intermediates and transition states along possible reaction pathways have been calculated using different ab initio methods, SCF, B3LYP and MP2. Both the experimental data and the theoretical results suggest that the fluoride exchange takes place via the formation and breaking of a U-F-U bridge that is the rate determining step. The calculated activation enthalpy DeltaH( not equal) = 30.9 kJ mol(-1) is virtually identical to the experimental value 31 kJ mol(-1); however this agreement may be a coincidence as we do not expect a larger accuracy than 10 kJ mol(-1) with the methods used. The calculations show that the fluoride bridge is formed as an insertion of U(A)O2)F(OH2)4+ into U(B)O2(OH2)5(2+) followed by a subsequent transfer of water from the first to the second coordination sphere of U(B).     

The hydration of the scandium(III) ion in aqueous solution and crystalline hydrates studied by XAFS spectroscopy, large-angle X-ray scattering and crystallography

The structures of the hydrated scandium(III) ion and of the hydrated dimeric hydrolysis complex, [Sc2(mu-OH)2]4+, in acidic aqueous solutions have been characterized by X-ray absorption fine structure (XAFS) and large-angle X-ray scattering (LAXS) methods. Comparisons with crystalline reference compounds containing hydrated scandium(III) ions in well characterized six-, seven- and eight-coordinated polyhedra have been used to evaluate the coordination numbers and configurations in aqueous solution. In strongly acidic aqueous solution the structure of the hydrated scandium(III) ion is found to be similar to that of the eight-coordinated scandium(III) ion with distorted bicapped trigonal prismatic coordinating geometry in the crystalline [Sc(H2O)(8.0)](CF3SO3)3 compound. The EXAFS data reveal for the solution, as for the solid, a mean Sc-O bond distance of 2.17(1) Angstrom to six strongly bound prism water molecules, 2.32(4) Angstrom to one capping position, with possibly another capping position at about 2.5 Angstrom. The LAXS study supports this structural model and shows furthermore a second hydration sphere with approximately 12 water molecules at a mean Sc...O(II) distance of 4.27(3) Angstrom. In less acidic concentrated scandium(III) aqueous solutions, the dimeric hydrolysis product, [Sc2(mu-OH)2(H2O)10]4+, is the predominating species with seven-coordinated scandium(III) ions in a double hydroxo bridge and five terminal water molecules at a mean Sc-O bond distance of 2.145 Angstrom. Hexahydrated scandium(III) ions are found in the crystal structure of the double salt [Sc(H2O)6][Sc(CH3SO3)6], which crystallizes in the trigonal space group R3[combining macron] with Z = 6 and the unit cell dimensions a = 14.019(2) and c = 25.3805(5) Angstrom. The Sc-O distances in the two crystallographically unique, but nearly identical, [Sc(H2O)6]3+ entities (both with 3[combining macron] imposed crystallographic symmetry) are 2.085(6) and 2.086(5) Angstrom, while the mean Sc-O distance in the near octahedral [Sc(OSO2CH3)6]3- entities (with three-fold symmetry) is 2.078 Angstrom.     

Structure, equilibrium and ligand exchange dynamics in the binary and ternary dioxouranium(VI)-ethylenediamine-N,N'-diacetic acid-fluoride system: A potentiometric, NMR and X-ray crystallographic study

The structure, thermodynamics and kinetics of the binary and ternary uranium(VI)-ethylenediamine-N,N'-diacetate (in the following denoted EDDA) fluoride systems have been studied using potentiometry, 1H, 19F NMR spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction. The UO2(2+)-EDDA system could be studied up to -log[H3O+] = 3.4 where the formation of two binary complexes UO2(EDDA)(aq) and UO2(H3EDDA)3+ were identified, with equilibrium constants logbeta(UO2EDDA) = 11.63 +/- 0.02 and logbeta(UO2H3EDDA3+) = 1.77 +/- 0.04, respectively. In the ternary system the complexes UO2(EDDA)F-, UO2(EDDA)(OH)- and (UO2)2(mu-OH)2(HEDDA)2F2(aq) were identified; the latter through 19F NMR. 1H NMR spectra indicate that the EDDA ligand is chelate bonded in UO2(EDDA)(aq), UO2(EDDA)F- and UO2(EDDA)(OH)- while only one carboxylate group is coordinated in UO2(H3EDDA)3+. The rate and mechanism of the fluoride exchange between UO2(EDDA)F- and free fluoride was studied by 19F NMR spectroscopy. Three reactions contribute to the exchange; (i) site exchange between UO2(EDDA)F- and free fluoride without any net chemical exchange, (ii) replacement of the coordinated fluoride with OH- and (iii) the self dissociation of the coordinated fluoride forming UO2(EDDA)(aq); these reactions seem to follow associative mechanisms. (1)H NMR spectra show that the exchange between the free and chelate bonded EDDA is slow and consists of several steps, protonation/deprotonation and chelate ring opening/ring closure, the mechanism cannot be elucidated from the available data. The structure (UO2)2(EDDA)2(mu-H2EDDA) was determined by single crystal X-ray diffraction and contains two UO2(EDDA) units with tetracoordinated EDDA linked by H2EDDA in the "zwitterion" form, coordinated through a single carboxylate oxygen from each end to the two uranium atoms. The geometry of the complexes indicates that there is no geometric constraint for an associative ligand substitution mechanism.     

Working with tasks for the learning of problem solving in maths teaching as an issue of the first teacher training phase

This article describes learning goals of teacher training for the working with tasks in maths lessons. Selected common and different features of tasks intended for the learning and performing are especially referred to