Selective extraction of iron(III) from aqueous nitrate solution in the presence of cobalt(II), copper(II) and nickel(II) ions using bis(delta2-2-imidazolinyl)-5,5'-dioxime.

The feasibility of using bis(delta2-2-imidazolinyl)-5,5'-dioxime (H2L) for the selective extraction of iron(III) from aqueous solutions was investigated by employing an solvent-extraction technique. The extraction of iron(III) from an aqueous nitrate solution in the presence of metal ions, such as cobalt(II), copper(II) and nickel(II), was carried out using H2L in binary and multicomponent mixtures. Iron(III) extraction has been studied as a function of the pH, equilibrium time and extractant concentration. From the extracted complex species in the organic phase, iron(III) was stripped with 2 M HNO3, and later determined using atomic-absorption spectrometry. The extraction was found to significantly depend on the aqueous solution pH. The extraction of iron(III) with H2L increases with the pH value, reaching a maximum in the zone of pH 2.0, remaining constant between 2 and 3.5 and subsequently decreasing. The quantitative extraction of iron(III) with 5 x 10(-30 M H2L in toluene is observed at pH 2.0. H2L was found to react with iron(III) to form ligand complex having a composition of 1:2 (Fe:H2L).     

JET: Preparing the future in fusion

JET (Joint European Torus) is the largest tokamak in the world and the only fusion facility able to operate with Tritium, the fusion fuel, and Beryllium, the ITER first wall material. JET also features the most complete remote handling equipment for invessel maintenance. As a multinational research center, JET provides logistic experience in preparing for operation of the global facility, tokamak ITER.Experiments on JET are focused on ITER-relevant studies, in particular on detailing the operational scenarios (EL My H-modes and advanced regimes), on enhancing the heating systems, on developing diagnostics for burning plasmas etc. Pioneering real-time control techniques have been implemented that maximize performance and minimize internal disturbances of JET plasmas. In helium plasmas, ion cyclotron heating (ICRH) created fast α-particles, mimicking their populations in future burning plasmas. The recent successful Trace Tritium campaign provided important new data on fuel transport. Current enhancements on JET include a new ITER-like ELM-resilient high power ICRH antenna (7 MW) and over twenty new diagnostics that will further extend the JET scientific capabilities and push the facility even closer to the ITER parameters.A special mention is given to the involvement of the fusion experts from Association EURATOM-IPP.CR, who have been actively participating in the collective use of JET facility for more than three years.     

Using Inquiry to Improve Pedagogy through K‐12/University Partnerships

This article focuses on the impact a collaborative project between university graduate fellows and K‐12 classroom teachers had on improved pedagogy in the classroom and in the future at the university. Nine teams participated in a yearlong professional development project to improve pedagogy and communication skills of the participants. This study shows that the participants, the fellows and the K‐12 teacher partners, made changes in planning, implementation, and even motivation for using inquiry‐based methods in their classroom. External observations of the teams further support the individuals' claims of improved pedagogy using inquiry and impact on student conceptual understanding. The Horizon Classroom Observation instrument was used for these observations. The teams showed an overall increase in scores, as well as overall effective and exemplarily implementation of their planning. The program design, the implementation, and the results of this three‐year study will be elaborated in this article.     

Composition spread metal thin film fabrication technique based on ion beam sputter deposition

A composition spread metal thin film fabrication technique based on ion beam sputter deposition method was developed. The technique enables us to fabricate any desired part or a complete binary/ternary composition spread metal thin films onto a single substrate by sequentially sputtering different target materials. Composition spread metal thin films can be deposited directly on a dielectric film in patterned electrode shape for C-V and I-V measurements. The system could be especially useful in the search for new multi-component metal gate materials.     

Schottky metal library for ZNO-based UV photodiode fabricated by the combinatorial ion beam-assisted deposition

A binary alloy Schottky barrier diode on zinc oxide (ZnO) was developed using the combinatorial ion beam-assisted deposition system. The compositional fraction of the binary alloy was continuously varied using the composition-spread technique, to control the Schottky barrier height. After metal deposition, patterned Schottky diodes were fabricated on a ZnO single-crystal substrate. Pt-Ru alloy was selected from the work function viewpoint. Our experiments showed that the compositional fraction of the Schottky binary alloys changed continuously as designed and the Schottky barrier heights measured by current-voltage (I-V) measurements increased with increasing Pt content. Maximum barrier height difference for ZnO was 137 meV. Using ion beam deposition in parallel with the combinatorial system showed that the Schottky barrier heights for ZnO can be controlled by binary metal alloying.     

Construction of nonanuclear supramolecular structures from simple modular units

A porphyrazine based supramolecule with a nonanuclear structure has been prepared by the ready coordination of pyridine donor sites in octakis(4-pyridoxyethylthio)porphyrazinatomagnesium with vanadyl bis(acetylacetonate) and characterized by EPR spectroscopy.     

Lavandulifolioside: A New Phenylpropanoid Glycoside from Stachys lavandulifolia

A new phenlypropanoid glycoside has been isolated from the methanolic extract of the aerial parts of Stachys lavandulifolia (Lamiaceae), lavandulifolioside (1) . On the basis of chemical and spectral data the structure of the new compound 1 has been elucidated as β-(3,4-dihydroxyphenyl)ethyl O-α-L -arabinopyranosyl-(1→2)-α-L -rhamnopyranosyl-(1→3)-4-O-caffeoyl-β-D -glucopyranoside.     

Ascorbic acid as a potential masking agent in the tanning process. Olated chromium complexes involving ligating ascorbate and bridging sulfate groups

Two polynuclear complexes, a dimer and a tetramer, involving sulfate and hydroxo bridges and ligating ascorbate were isolated from aqueous solutions. Structural formulae are proposed on the basis of microanalytical and thermal analysis results, i.r., ¹³C-n.m.r., mass spectral data and magnetic measurements.     

Oxygen/nitrogen ordering in lanthanum new phase (La3Si8N11O4)

High-resolution ¹⁷O NMR spectra have been collected for crystalline samples of lanthanum new phase, La₃Si₈N₁₁O₄. In conjunction with previously published ²⁹Si and ¹⁵N spectra obtained for this phase, and in the light of the high-quality crystal structure data reported recently, a more detailed interpretation of the NMR spectra is presented than was possible in previous studies. The non-bridging oxygens in the structure are responsible for the single sharp peak seen in the ¹⁷O spectrum at 188 ppm; the remaining oxygens, occupying bridging sites shared with nitrogen, show up only weakly on the ¹⁷O spectrum as a broad diffuse band centered around zero ppm. The peak at −57.3 ppm on the ²⁹Si spectrum is believed to correspond to an overlap of [SiN₄] and [SiON₃] environments, with the −68.2 ppm peak corresponding to an [SiO₂N₂] environment.     

Novel binding of beryllium to dicarboxyimidazole-based model compounds and polymers

The ligand 4,5-dicarboxyimidazole (H(2)DCI) and its methyl derivative 1-methyl-4,5-dicarboxyimidazole (H(2)MDCI) have been shown to bind to Be(II) forming a zwitterionic species that has been structurally characterized. A new dicarboxyimidazole-based polymer has been prepared and its Be-binding properties have been studied using NMR ((1)H and (9)Be) and fluorescence spectroscopy; it represents a rare example of beryllium binding to a polymer. Models of the mononuclear and polymeric Be(II)-binding sites have been studied using density functional theory (DFT), and the (9)Be NMR chemical shifts of these model materials have been calculated for the purpose of direct comparison to experimentally observed values. Differences in the binding modes of the mononuclear and polymeric species are discussed.