Characterization of NOx species in dehydrated and hydrated Na- and Ba-Y, FAU zeolites formed in NO2 adsorption

Adsorbed ionic NO_x species formed upon the interaction of NO₂ with dehydrated or hydrated Na- and Ba-Y, FAU zeolites were characterized using FT-IR/TPD, solid state NMR, and XANES techniques. NO₂ disproportionates on both dehydrated catalyst materials forming NO⁺ and NO₃⁻ species. These ionic species are stabilized by their interactions with the negatively charged zeolite framework and the charge compensating cations (Na⁺ and Ba²⁺), respectively. Although the nature of the adsorbed NO_x species formed on the two catalysts is similar, their thermal stabilities are strongly dependent on the charge compensating cations. In the presence of water in the channels of these zeolite materials new paths open for reactions between NO⁺ and H₂O, and NO₂ and H₂O, resulting in significant changes in the adsorbed ionic species observed. These combined spectroscopic investigations afforded the understanding of the interactions between water and NO₂ on these zeolite catalysts.     

Binding of erbium(III) and holmium(III) to native and chemically modified alfalfa biomass: a spectroscopic investigation

Traditional treatment methods used to clean-up heavy metal contamination of soils and waters are cost intensive whereas more cost effective methods need to be developed. The use of plant materials to remediate heavy contamination has been studied for the past two decades. This technique has shown much promise for many of the common heavy metal contaminants, but few studies have focused on the lanthanide series elements. By investigating the binding and interactions of the lanthanide elements to alfalfa biomass, a more complete understanding of the binding mechanisms and the interactions of heavy metals with biomaterials can be obtained. Different chemical functional groups on the alfalfa biomass, carboxyl, amino, sulfur, and ester groups, were modified to investigate the binding mechanisms of erbium(III) and holmium(III). Batch experiments were performed with native and chemically modified alfalfa biomass suggesting that the carboxyl groups play a major role in the binding of erbium(III) and holmium(III) to the alfalfa biomass. In addition, X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) studies corroborated the data obtained from the batch experiments.     

Determination of adsorption and speciation of chromium species by saltbush (Atriplex canescens) biomass using a combination of XAS and ICP-OES

Studies were performed to determine the effect of pH on chromium (Cr) binding by native, esterified, and hydrolyzed saltbush (Atriplex canescens) biomass. In addition, X-ray absorption spectroscopy studies were performed to determine the oxidation state of Cr atoms bound to the biomass. The amounts of Cr adsorbed by saltbush biomass were determined by inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectroscopy (ICP-OES). For Cr(III), the results showed that the percentages bound by native stems, leaves, and flowers at pH 4.0 were 98%, 97%, and 91%, respectively. On the other hand, the Cr(VI) binding by the three tissues of the native and hydrolyzed saltbush biomass decreased as pH increased. At pH 2.0 the stems, leaves, and flowers of native biomass bound 31%, 49%, and 46%, of Cr(VI), respectively. The results of the XAS experiments showed that Cr(VI) was reduced in some extend to Cr(III) by saltbush biomass at both pH 2.0 and pH 5.0. The XANES analysis of the Cr(III) reaction with the saltbush biomass parts showed an octahedral arrangement of oxygen atoms around the central Cr(III) atom. The EXAFS studies of saltbush plant samples confirmed these results.     

Arsenic Speciation in As(III)- and As(V)-Treated Soil Using XANES Spectroscopy

Arsenic (As) is a toxic trace element that occurs naturally in groundwater and soils. Understanding the reactions of arsenite (As(III)) and arsenate (As(V)) with soil and mineral surfaces is critical for predicting the fate and transport of As in the environment and developing better ways to remediate As-contaminated areas. This investigation uses X-ray absorption near edge spectroscopy (XANES) to evaluate the solid phase oxidation state and mineral surface binding sites in three agricultural soil samples from California, USA by fitting linear combinations of XANES spectra derived from several synthetic and well characterized As(III)- and As(V)-treated model compounds (Fe and Al metal hydroxides and aluminosilicate illite clay mineral). The results suggest that As(III) is either partially or completely oxidized to As(V) when reacted with soil in an aqueous, batch reaction. The As(III)-treated Aiken soil was composed of 60% As(III) attached to surfaces similar to lepidocrocite (γ-FeOOH)) and 40% As(V) attached to aluminosilicate (illite). The Fallbrook soil completely oxidized As(III) and the product was As(V) adsorbed on Al hydroxide (gibbsite, γ-Al(OH)₃) (62%), illite (16%), and lepidocrocite (γ-FeOOH) (22%). The reaction of As(III) with Wyo soil resulted in 42% As(III) adsorbed on surface similar to goethite and 58% As(V) adsorbed on lepidocrocite. Arsenic(V) adsorption on soil resulted in stable As(V) surface complexes that were well described by XANES spectra from As(V) adsorption complexes on gibbsite, illite, and lepidocrocite.     

Structural investigation of high-valent manganese-salen complexes by UV/Vis,Raman, XANES,and EXAFS spectroscopy

XANES and EXAFS spectroscopic studies at the Mn-K- and Br-K-edge of reaction products of (S,S)-(+)-N,N'-bis(3,5-di-tert-butylsalicylidene)-1,2-cyclohexanediaminomanganese(III) chloride ([(salen)Mn(III)Cl], 1) and (S,S)-(+)-N,N'-bis(3,5-di-tert-butylsalicylidene)-1,2-cyclohexanediaminomanganese(III) bromide ([(salen)Mn(III)Br], 2) with 4-phenylpyridine N-oxide (4-PPNO) and 3-chloroperoxybenzoic acid (MCPBA) are reported. The reaction of the Mn(III) complexes with two equivalents of 4-PPNO leads to a hexacoordinated compound, in which the manganese atom is octahedrally coordinated by four oxygen/nitrogen atoms of the salen ligand at an average distance of approximately 1.90 A and two additional, axially bonded oxygen atoms of the 4-PPNO at 2.25 A. The oxidation state of this complex was determined as approximately +IV by a comparative study of Mn(III) and Mn(V) reference compounds. The green intermediate obtained in reactions of MCPBA and solutions of 1 or 2 in acetonitrile was investigated with XANES, EXAFS, UV/Vis, and Raman spectroscopy, and an increase of the coordination number of the manganese atoms from 4 to 5 and the complete abstraction of the halide was observed. A formal oxidation state of IV was deduced from the relative position of the pre-edge 1s-->3d feature of the X-ray absorption spectrum of the complex. The broad UV/Vis band of this complex in acetonitrile with lambda(max)=648 nm was consistent with a radical cation structure, in which a MCPBA molecule was bound to the Mn(IV) central atom. An oxomanganese(V) or a dimeric manganese(IV) species was not detected.     

Comparison of sediment pollution in the rivers of the Hungarian Upper Tisza Region using non-destructive analytical techniques

The rivers in the Hungarian Upper Tisza Region are frequently polluted mainly due to mining activities in the catchment area. At the beginning of 2000, two major mining accidents occurred in the Romanian part of the catchment area due to the failure of a tailings dam releasing huge amounts of cyanide and heavy metals to the rivers. Surface sediment as well as water samples were collected at six sites in the years 2000–2003, from the northeast-Hungarian section of the Tisza, Szamos and Túr rivers. The sediment pollution of the rivers was compared based on measurements of bulk material and selected single particles, in order to relate the observed compositions and chemical states of metals to the possible sources and weathering of pollution. Non-destructive X-ray analytical methods were applied in order to obtain different kinds of information from the same samples or particles. In order to identify the pollution sources, their magnitude and fate, complementary analyses were carried out. Heterogeneous particulate samples were analyzed from a large geographical territory and a 4-year time period. Individual particles were analyzed only from the “hot” samples that showed elevated concentrations of heavy metals. Particles that were classified as anthropogenic were finally analyzed to identify trace concentrations and chemical states of heavy metals.     

Crystal structure, oxidation state and magnetism of La1.2Sr2.4RuO7: a new member of the [A2O][AnBn−1O3n] series of hexagonal perovskites

Single crystals of the new compound La_1.2Sr_2.4RuO₇, an oxide related to the hexagonal perovskites, were grown from a BaCl₂ flux. The structure was solved by single crystal X-ray diffraction. La_1.2Sr_2.4RuO₇ crystallizes in the space group with a=5.760(1) Å and c=18.273(3) Å. It is one of the rare examples of oxides with isolated RuO₆-octahedra. The structure consists of alternating layers of RuO₆-octahedra and trigonal (La,Sr)O₆-prisms. These prisms are capped by one additional oxygen ion, which occupies a distorted position within the (La,Sr)O₆-layers. La_1.2Sr_2.4RuO₇ is the second member of the general [A₂O][A_nB_n−1O_3n] family of hexagonal perovskites with n=2 and the first ruthenate possessing this structure. XANES investigations, bond valence sum calculations and magnetic measurements show that ruthenium takes the oxidation state +5. Although the ruthenium ions have quite long distances, a medium strong antiferromagnetic interaction between these paramagnetic centers was observed.     

Hole doping and superconductivity characteristics of the s=1, 2 and 3 members of the (Cu,Mo)-12s2 homologous series of layered copper oxides

Superconductivity characteristics have been systematically evaluated for a two-CuO₂-plane copper oxide system, (Cu,Mo)-12s2, upon increasing the number of fluorite-structured layers, s, between the two CuO₂ planes. Essentially single-phase samples of (Cu_0.75Mo_0.25)Sr₂YCu₂O_7+δ (s=1), (Cu_0.75Mo_0.25)Sr₂(Ce_0.45Y_0.55)₂Cu₂O_9+δ (s=2) and (Cu_0.75Mo_0.25)Sr₂(Ce_0.67Y_0.33)₃Cu₂O_11+δ (s=3) were synthesized through a conventional solid-state route in air. To make the samples superconductive an additional high-pressure oxygenation (HPO) treatment was required. Such treatment (carried out at 5 GPa and 500 °C in the presence of 75 mol% Ag₂O₂ as an oxygen source to maximize the T_c) compressed the crystal lattice for the three members of the (Cu_0.75Mo_0.25)-12s2 series equally, i.e., by 0.01 Å for the a parameter and by 0.07 Å for the c parameter per formula unit. From both Cu L-edge and O K-edge XANES spectra the s=1 sample was found to possess the highest overall hole-doping level among the HPO samples. Accordingly it exhibited the best superconductivity characteristics. With increasing s, both the T_c (s=1: 88 K, s=2: 61 K, s=3: 53 K) and H_irr values got depressed, being well explained by the trend of decreasing CuO₂-plane hole concentration with increasing s as revealed from O K-edge XANES spectra for the same samples. Hence, the present results do not suggest any significant (negative) impact on the superconductivity characteristics from the gradually thickened fluorite-structured block itself.     

Lithium insertion into In2S3 studied by perturbed γ-γ angular correlation

Li_xIn₂S₃ was electrochemically prepared with different small amounts x of lithium (0?x?0.13) in order to maintain the initial crystallographic structure of the thiospinel In₂S₃. About 10¹² radioactive ¹¹¹In ions have been implanted into these samples at 400 keV to perform PAC experiments in the temperature range from 10 to 773 K. The results are compared to previous experiments with undoped In₂S₃ samples. According to the structure of In₂S₃ in the β-phase, which belongs to the I4₁/amd space group having a unit cell with 32 In and 48 S atoms and the cell parameters α=7.61 Å and c=32.28 Å, three different electric field gradients were observed. Within two different temperature ranges dynamical EFGs occur, which are clearly influenced by the insertion of Lithium. The strong dependence of one EFG on the Li concentration x can be correlated to the effective charge of the In ions. This correlation is discussed with respect to XRD analyses of the Li_xIn₂S₃ samples and to XANES measurements on a similar sample.     

Transition Metal Atom Sites in Ternary ZrO2-TiO2-SiO2 Xerogels

There has been much work on the binary TiO₂-SiO₂ and ZrO₂-SiO₂ materials prepared by sol-gel because of the beneficial properties resulting from incorporation of Ti and Zr. In contrast the ternary TiO₂-ZrO₂-SiO₂ xerogels have been relatively little studied. We report the results of a study of those xerogels having Zr:Ti:Si ratios of 5:15:80, 10:10:80 and 15:5:80 heated to 750°C and to 1000°C. The study includes X-ray diffraction, small angle X-ray scattering, X-ray absorption spectroscopy at Ti and Zr K-edges, and ¹⁷O MAS-NMR. The study has benefited from close comparison with similar previous studies of the binary systems. The metal atoms in the ternary systems are shown to be predominantly homogeneously mixed in the silica network, as observed for the respective binary systems. The clear exception is for the sample with a minority of Zr, which after heat treatment at 750°C shows the presence of phase separation attributed to the formation of an amorphous precursor of ZrTiO₄; at 1000°C this phase crystallises. In samples with higher Zr content the crystallisation of a ZrO₂ tetragonal phase was observed. The data obtained illustrate well the strength of a research methodology in which a common batch of samples is studied using a coherent suite of modern structural probes.