Thermal decomposition of Cd(CH3COO)2·2H2O studied by a coupled TG-DTA-MS method

The thermal decomposition of cadmium acetate dihydrate in helium and in air atmosphere has been investigated by means of a coupled TG-DTA-MS method combined with X-ray diffraction analysis. Dehydration of Cd(CH₃COO)₂·2H₂O is a two-stage process with Cd(CH₃COO)₂·H₂O as intermediate. The way of Cd(CH₃COO)₂ decomposition strongly depends on the surrounding gas atmosphere and the rate of heating. CdO, acetone and CO₂ are the primary products of decomposition in air. In helium decomposition goes by two parallel and consecutive reactions in which intermediates, Cd and CdCO₃, are formed. Metallic cadmium oxidizes and cadmium carbonate decomposes giving CdO. Some of the metallic cadmium, depending on the heating rate and the concentration of oxygen, evaporates. Acetone is partially oxidized in secondary reactions with oxygen. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Domain-wall energy in sintered Nd15Fe77B8 permanent magnet

From measurements of the magnetic domain widthsD versus grain thicknessL, we have determined the domain wall energy in the demagnetized state for a sintered Nd₁₅Fe₇₇B₈ magnet: = 56 erg/cm². Using this wall energy and the published magnetocry-stalline constantK ₁=4.9×10⁷ erg/cm³, we have calculated the exchange constantA=4.0×10^–6 erg/cm, domain wall thickness _B=89 Å, and the critical diameter for single domain particlesD _c=0.67 m.     

Structural assignment of organotin hydrides containing the oxazoline ligand

A series of triorganotin hydrides and diorganotin dihydrides containing the optically active 2-(4-isopropyl-2-oxazolinyl)-5-phenyl ligand have been characterized by means of the multinuclear low-temperature NMR investigations, the results of which are discussed. In the corresponding organotin hydrides values of the ¹J(¹H-^117/119Sn) couplings appeared to be temperature dependent, supporting an axial/equatorial position of the hydrogen attached to the tin.     

Synthesis and characterization of metal polycarboxylates constructed from lanthanides(iii) and 1,2,4,5-benzenetetracarboxylic acid

The complexes of yttrium(III) and lanthanides(III) with 1,2,4,5-benzenetetracarboxylic acid were prepared as crystalline solids of the general formula Ln₄(C₁₀H₂O₈)₃⋅14H₂O. They are insoluble in water. On heating in air or inert gas atmosphere all compounds lose water molecules; next anhydrous compounds decompose to oxides. The yttrium complex and heavy lanthanide (from Ho to Lu) ones crystallize in monoclinic crystal system. The dehydration does not change the crystal structure of the compounds.     

Effect of the fibre-forming material structure and silica nanoparticles

The paper discusses the thermal properties of alginate fibres made from alginic acid or sodium alginate and from alginates substituted with divalent metal ions during the fibre-forming stage. Alginate fibres with an addition of silica nanoparticles have also been examined. The selection of fibre-forming parameters was intended to obtain the best either sorption or strength properties depending on the specific fibre application. Thermal curves of the fibres under investigations obtained by under air atmosphere and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) under neutral gas atmosphere have been interpreted from the view of physical and chemical changes in the fibre-forming material. Based on thermogravimetric curves, the fibre thermal stability indices have been determined. It has been found that the addition of silica nanoparticles exerts a positive influence on the thermal properties of the examined fibres.     

Electron-stimulated desorption from ionic crystal surfaces

Inelastic interactions of electrons with surfaces of ionic crystals result in emission of various particles such as ions, atoms and molecules. We will review such electron-stimulated desorption processes for the particular class of ionic crystals, namely for alkali halides. In this case, a dominant fraction of the emission is in the form of halogen and alkali atoms characterized by a thermal (Maxwellian) spectrum of translational energies. For several alkali halides (potassium and rubidium chlorides, bromides, and iodides), however, a significant part of the halogen atoms is ejected with nonthermal energies, i.e. energies of the order of 0.1 eV. The results of recent systematic studies of angular-resolved kinetic energy distributions of the emitted particles will be reported and current views on the electronic mechanisms of desorption will be described. In particular, it will be shown that the ESD mechanism can be understood in terms of the model involving a surface localisation of the so called “hot-holes” created by electron bombardment of alkali halides. A role of hot holes in ESD processes will further be discussed in relation to very recent experimental results obtained for the KBr crystals doped with In impurities which act as efficient hole traps.     

Simultaneous propane dehydrogenation andco2hydrogenation overCrOx/SiO2catalyst

Summary Single reverse water-gas shift (RWGS) and dehydrogenation of propane with CO₂(DH-CO₂) reactions in the presence and absence of the CrO_x/SiO₂ catalyst have been studied between 673 and 873 K. It was found that the CrO_x/SiO₂ catalyst is active both in the dehydrogenation of propane and in the RWGS reactions. The obtained results suggest that the dehydrogenation of propane to propene in the presence of CO₂on CrO_x/SiO₂can be facilitated by the RWGS reaction.</o:p>     

Photogeneration and quenching of reactive oxygen species by urocanic acid

Urocanic acid, UCA, is characterized by two electronic transitions in the UV-B (280-320 nm) which comprise its broad absorption spectrum and give rise to wavelength-dependent isomerization quantum yields. The absorption spectrum of UCA extends into the UV-A (320-400 nm). Given the UV-A component of sunlight is significantly greater than the UV-B component it is hypothesized even weak UV-A photochemistry of UCA could be important for in vivo responses to UV radiation. Degenerate pump-probe experiments performed on t-UCA at several wavelengths in the UV-A reveal an excited-state absorption that undergoes a rapid, approximately 1 ps decay. Photoacoustic experiments performed on both the cis and trans isomers reveal the formation of a long-lived intermediate following UV-A excitation. The efficiency and action spectra for this latter photoactive process are presented and are similar for both isomers of UCA. Cholesterol hydroperoxide assays designed to investigate the nature of the UV-A photoreactivity of t-UCA confirm the production of reactive oxygen species. The bimolecular rate constant for the quenching of singlet oxygen by t-UCA is determined to be 3.5 x 10(6) M(-1) s(-1). Taking into consideration recent theoretical calculations and jet expansion studies of the electronic structure of gas-phase t-UCA, a model is proposed to explain the isomerization and photoreactivity of t-UCA in solution over the UV-A region.     

New evidence on the structure of potassium salts of 12-tungstophosphoric acid, KxH3-xPW12O40

Physicochemical properties and compositions of KxH(3-x)PW12O40 salts, where 2 < or = x < or = 3, have been investigated. It has been found that freshly prepared K2HPW12O40 salt (drying at 313 K) contains particles of heteropolyacid and particles of the neutral potassium salt, the sample being in 78.6% amorphous. On aging at room temperature, the heteropolyacid spreads to form a surface layer covering the neutral potassium salt particles K3PW12O40. Heat treatment of KxH(3-x)PW12O40 salts, where 2 < or = x < 3, from 313 K to higher temperatures induces the transformation of the heteropolyacid-covering K(3) core into a well-dispersed, amorphous surface layer. On further heating of the acidic potassium salts, the surface layer decomposes between 855 and 915 K with the formation of a PW8O26-type bronze as a new phase, the K3PW12O40 salt remaining unchanged. The latter starts to decompose at 1093 K, and in the case of all samples, the process is completed at about 1183 K. Rietveld structure refinement, XPS, and 31P NMR measurements of acidic potassium salts indicate that the core of these salts is always formed by the K3PW12O40 salt, which is covered by a heteropolyacid. Comparison of lattice parameters of the K3 salt and HPW leads to the conclusion that the layer is composed of partially or completely dehydrated heteropolyacid molecules. The coverage of the core by HPW in the K2 sample was estimated to be equal to one monolayer.     

On multireference superdirect configuration interaction in third order

The superdirect configuration interaction (Sup-CI ) method has the usual versatility and stability of the CI methods with computational efficiency typical to that of the many-body methods, such as the many-body perturbation theory (MBPT ). The Hamilton operator is projected into a space of a few trial vectors, such as Krylov, Nesbet, or Møller–Plesset correction vectors. In this space, Hamiltonian matrix elements may be directly computed in the many-body fashion, as weighted sums of integral products over orbital indices. The variation-perturbation method based on the first-order wave function is equivalent to the Sup-CI method with a single correction vector of the Møller–Plesset type. Different points of view on the superdirect CI method are discussed and a version in which third-order contributions are computed for a relatively small (10–100) space of reference and correction vectors is tested. Selection of the best “effective first-order spaces” and size-extensivity corrections in Sup-CI are briefly discussed. Møoller–Plesset, Epstein–Nesbet, and other correction vectors are included in the model calculations on the symmetric stretch of bonds in water, acetylene, and the NH₂ molecule. Errors are almost independent of molecular geometry and the method appears to be superior than the multireference second-order perturbation methods. © 1994 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.