Static atomic displacements of Sn in disordered NiAs/Ni2In type HT-Ni1+δSn

The crystal structures of the intermediate solid solution HT (high temperature) Ni_1+δSn with δ=0.28, 0.52 and 0.61 (refined Ni contents) have been analyzed in detail by X-ray diffraction on single crystals. The previously reported basic atomic arrangement, i.e., a NiAs/Ni₂In structure type (P6₃/mmc, Ni(1) on 2a, 0 0 0, Ni(2) with an occupancy δ on 2d, and Sn on 2c, ), is confirmed. However, strong anisotropic atomic displacements occur for Sn within the a-b plane of the hexagonal unit cell, which require a Gram-Charlier expansion of the probability density function of Sn in order to obtain a good fit to the diffraction data. Direction, magnitude and the concentration dependence of the displacements can be interpreted in terms of the geometrical requirements of the different local atomic configurations in the planes z=±1/4, so that the displacements can be identified as static ones.     

Monitoring of yeast fermentation by ion mobility spectrometry measurement and data visualisation with Self-Organizing Maps

Ion mobility spectrometry (IMS) measurement combined with unsupervised neurocomputing is considered as a new potential method for on-line monitoring of fermentation and other processes producing volatile compounds that involve micro-organisms. This was demonstrated in a model system in which a strain of brewer’s yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) was cultivated in a bench-top fermenter. Five phases of yeast growth could be detected from measurements of the exhaust gases from the fermenter, as indicated by the changes in ion mobility spectra analysed by computational methods.The data were first processed using the Self-Organizing Map (SOM) algorithm, the results showing that the phases of fermentation can be detected and identified. The cultivations were also shown by Sammon’s mapping to be comparable to a certain level of accuracy. Contaminated cultivation could be detected by its distinctive ion mobility spectrometry profile.     

The effect of electroosmotic and hydrodynamic flow profile superposition on band broadening in capillary electrophoresis

The effect of the superposition of electroosmotic flow and pressureinduced hydrodynamic counterflow on efficiency has been investigated for different capillary electrophoretic systems. Results are shown for 50 and 75 μm internal diameter capillaries at several voltage and counterpressure levels. Hydrodynamic counterflows were successfully applied in electrokinetic chromatography in order to delay the entry of a UV-active pseudostationary phase, tetraphenyl porphyrintetrasulfonate, into the detection zone allowing the separation of neutral nitroaromatics. The separations are based on the weak charge-transfer interactions between the porphyrin and the analytes.     

Bilayer studies in mixedn-decanol/n-tetradecanol complexes ofn-decylammonium beidellite

Complexes have been prepared by treatment ofn-decylammonium beidellite with mixtures ofn-decanol andn-tetradecanol with different concentrations. Measurements of the basal spacings of the obtained complexes have been performed in a wide range of temperatures. Three different bilayer phases have been established between (20 and 70°C: the _i(C₁₀) phases (=bilayers ofn-decyl chains); the _i(C₁₀/C₁₄) phases (=mixed bilayers ofn-decyl andn-tetradecyl chains in molar ratio approximately 1:1) and the _i(C₁₄) phases (=bilayer ofn-tetradecy 1 chains with then-decylammonium ions included). In all bilayer phases the chains stand perpendicular to the silicate interfaces. In definite concentration ranges two of the phases coexist, i.e., miscibility gaps occur, which disappear at temperatures higher than the temperature of the _i/ transition. The miscibility gaps are reversible with temperature. The composition of the intercalated bilayers has been studied by HPLC of the excess alkanol mixture separated from the beidellite complexes after the equilibrium has been reached. There is preferential adsorption of one of two alkanols from the mixture, which is in agreement with the observed miscibility gaps. The space filling problem as well as the structure of the three bilayer phases observed have been discussed.     

Separation of Tetracycline Antibiotics by Hydrophilic Interaction Chromatography Using an Amino-Propyl Stationary Phase

In this work the potential of hydrophilic interaction chromatography (HILIC) is explored for the analysis of tetracycline antibiotics. The choice of the polar stationary phase is first discussed and it is demonstrated that aminopropyl stationary phases lead to higher efficiencies and peak symmetry than bare silica ones. The influence of the composition of the mobile phase is studied next : the concentration of the weaker solvent (acetonitrile), the nature and concentration of the more polar solvent (water or methanol), pH, the nature and ionic strength of the buffer. It is shown that high efficiencies are reached only with a citrate buffer that impairs the interactions with the residual silanol groups whatever the mobile phase pH is. We demonstrate that the citrate buffer strongly interacts with the cationic moiety of the aminopropyl stationary phase and thus reduces the accessibility of silanols. The separation of oxytetracycline, tetracycline and chlortetracycline is achieved in a few minutes at pH 3.5 or 5, with no peak tailing as usually observed in reversed phase liquid chromatography with an opposite elution order when compared with reversed phase liquid chromatography.     

Dependence of the methylene selectivity on the composition of hydro-organic eluents for reversed-phase liquid chromatographic systems with alkyl bonded phases

Summary A theoretical treatment is presented which considers differences between the composition of the mobile phase and solvents that are incorporated into the bonded phase via preferential sorption. Equations are derived and used to analyze retention data for various homologs chromatographed under reversed-phase conditions using alkyl bonded phases and combinations of water-methanol, water-acetonitrile and watertetrahydrofuran as mobile phases. In the case of water-methanol the surface phase and bulk mobile phase compositions are similar. However, significant differences in composition between the two phases are observed when binary combinations of water-acetonitrile and water-tetrahydrofuran are used as the cluents.     

Prediction of the net retention volumes in gas chromatography using porous polymers coated with different stationary phases

Summary A new expression which permits the prediction of the net retention volumes in gas chromatography with column packings of coated porous polymers is reported. The porous polymers Chromosorb 101 and Chromosorb 102 were used as supports and squalane, Ethofat and Carbowax 20M as stationary phases at three different column temperatures of 80°C, 100°C and 150°C. Several organic compounds of various polarity were used as test compounds and the net retention volumes, V_Ntheor, have been calculated according to this new expression. The V_Ntheor values were compared with the experimental net retention volumes, V_Nexp, and it was found that the difference between these two values is dependent on the type of compound and column packing. Nevertheless, the elution order could be predicted in most cases.