Influence of the sample orientation in Sn<Subscript>2</Subscript>P<Subscript>2</Subscript>S<Subscript>6</Subscript> crystals on the hydrostatic piezoelectric coefficients

The influence of the sample orientation on the effective value of the hydrostatic piezoelectric coefficients d _h ⁽ⁱ⁾ of Sn₂P₂S₆ crystals has been studied. The hydrostatic piezoelectric coefficients d _h ⁽¹⁾ and d′ _h ⁽³⁾ , were measured, d _h ⁽¹⁾ =(244±3) pC/N and d′ _h ⁽³⁾ =(92±1) pC/N. The hydrostatic piezoelectric coefficient d _h ⁽³⁾ for orthogonal axis system was calculated to be d _h ⁽³⁾ =(87±2) pC/N. The, optimal orientation of the sample has been found as (Xy l)−20°-cut. Maximal value of the effective hydrostatic piezoelectric coefficient d _h ⁽¹⁾ equals 260 pC/N. Double rotated samples were also studied. The orientation of the samples insensitive to the pressure has been found. The theoretical mean value of hydrostatic piezoelectric coefficient (d _h ) _mean corresponding to randomly oriented Sn₂P₂S₆ grains in a poled composite has been calculated to be (d _h ) _mean =136 pC/N.     

Fluorimetric determination of the levels of urinary neopterin and serum thiobarbituric acid reactive substances in the nonagenarians

Twelve self-sustaining nonagenarians, 10 women and two men, aged 94+/-3 years, and eight institutionalised nonagenarians, eight women, aged 91+/-1 year as well as 11 control subjects, seven women and four men, aged 84+/-5 years entered the study. Urinary neopterin, an indicator of systemic immune activation, and serum thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS), a marker of lipoperoxidation, were determined initially, and collection of the blood and urine samples was repeated at 3-month interval. Neopterin was measured in the urine specimens by reversed-phase high performance liquid chromatography. A C(18) reversed-phase column 3.3x150 mm, 5 mum-diameter packing Separon SGX was used. Potassium phosphate buffer (15 mmol l(-1), pH 6.4) at flow rate of 0.8 ml min(-1) was used as mobile phase. After centrifugation (5 min, 1300xg) and diluting 100 mul of urine specimens with 1.0 ml of mobile phase containing 2 g of disodium-EDTA per litre, a 20 mul sample was injected on a column. Neopterin was identified by its native fluorescence (353 nm excitation, 438 nm emission). Creatinine was determined by Jaffé kinetic reaction after dilution of sample 1:50 (v/v). The concentration of neopterin in urine was expressed as neopterin/creatinine ratio (mumol mol(-1) creatinine). TBARS were determined spectrofluorometrically using LS-5 spectrofluorimeter (excitation wavelength 528 nm, emission wavelength 558 nm) after extraction with n-butanol treatment with thiobarbituric acid. The significance of differences between nonagenarians and control group was examined by ANOVA-Kruskal-Wallis tests, using statistical software NCSS 6.0.21 (Kaysville, UT, 1996). The decision on significance was based on P=0.05. Urinary neopterin was significantly higher in institutionalised compared to self-sustaining subjects and controls (625+/-565 vs. 203+/-63 mumol mol(-1) creatinine, and 198+/-128 mumol mol(-1) creatinine, respectively, P=0.006). The serum TBARS were higher in both groups of nonagenarians (3.23+/-1.16 mumol l(-1) and 2.69+/-0.39 vs. 2.12+/-0.83 mumol l(-1) for the self-sustaining, institutionalised and controls, respectively, P=0.023). We conclude that the fluorimetric determinations of urinary neopterin and serum TBARS can be useful for the monitoring health status in the elderly patients.     

Corrosion-stable nickel- and cobalt-based alloys for dental applications

In a comparative study the in vitro corrosion behavior of a selection of nickel- and cobalt-based alloys for application in dentistry containing no noble metals was studied with slow scan cyclic voltammetry. The obtained breakthrough potentials, the repassivation behavior and further typical features of the cyclic voltamograms are correlated with the chemical composition as measured with electron beam microanalysis. Surface inhomogenities detected with the latter method are discussed with respect to the electrochemical behavior. For all alloys stabilities in terms of breakthrough potential superior to previously reported data for nickel-base alloys are found.     

Water wafers: structure and melting of a hydrate inclusion compound of a neutral Pt(IV) complex with 1-methylcytosinato ligands

The characterization by X-ray analysis of the trans,trans,trans-[bis(1-methylcytosinate,N4)bis(ammine)bis(hydroxo)platinum(IV)] octahydrate complex (I) reveals an unexpected crystal packing. The neutral complex molecule is hosted by layers, totally built up by water molecules which do not exhibit a direct coordination to metal ions. These corrugated layers are made by puckered eight- and planar four-membered rings of water molecules, held together by hydrogen bonds with an ordered proton arrangement.     

Elution behavior of styrene oligomer fractions in supercritical fluid chromatography

Summary In supercritical fluid chromatography (SFC), the elution behavior of styrene oligomers in pentane depends greatly on the degree of oligomerization, n. The influence of capacity ratio, k, on the lower oligomers up to about n=11 resembles the behavior of other substrates of low molecular weight, like aromatic hydrocarbons. Thus, with pentane of 100 bar and below, minima are found in plots of k versus temperature. In contrast, the k of oligomers of higher molecular weight (n>11) increase monotonously with increasing temperature. The studies were performed using oligostyrene fractions obtained by semipreparative SFC fractionation.     

Geometry changes of a Cu(I) phenanthroline complex on photoexcitation in a confining medium by time-resolved X-ray diffraction

Using a stroboscopic technique, in which the molecule is repeatedly excited and the structural change is probed more than 5000 times per second immediately after excitation, we performed a 16 K time-resolved single-crystal study of the microsecond lifetime triplet state of the Cu(I)phenanthroline derivative[Cu(I)(dmp)(dppe)][PF6] (dppe = 1,2-bis(diphenylphosphino)ethane). The geometry changes on excitation differ for the two symmetry-independent molecules, but are in the same direction as calculated for an isolated reference molecule, although the flattening distortion in the crystal is significantly smaller, implying that the reorganization energy is greatly affected by the confining medium.     

Raman and cathodoluminescence spectroscopic investigations on Permian fossil wood from Chemnitz--a contribution to the study of the permineralisation process

Samples of different three-dimensionally preserved fossil plants (Medullosa sp., Dadoxylon sp., Calamodendron striatum, Psaronius sp.) from the Lower Permian petrified forest of Chemnitz were examined with regard to their chemical composition and structural order. Raman spectroscopy and cathodoluminescence microscopy are shown to be powerful tools for such investigations. Silicified wood from Chemnitz-Hilbersdorf generally shows yellow cathodoluminescence (CL) of the cell walls and only weak yellow-brownish CL of the cell lumina. By time-resolved cathodoluminescence spectroscopy, a secondary mineralisation of hydrothermal origin was recognized. The latter is shown by short-lived blue CL at the cell walls extinguishing the yellow signal. Therefore, after the primary silicification step a secondary mineralisation step initiated by hydrothermal processes, seems to have taken place at probably slightly higher temperatures. The resulting silica matrix consists of phanerocrystalline and microcrystalline alpha-quartz as well as microcrystalline moganite, both partially associated with iron oxides. Dadoxylon sp. is a prominent example for parallel permineralisation by alpha-quartz and fluorspar, which is outstanding for the Chemnitz Petrified Forest. CL on this samples shows parallel silicification and fluoritisation, followed by infiltration of iron oxides. Permineralised samples show very low percentage of original organic remains. The seed fern Medullosa, for example, shows dispersed carbon, which is mainly restricted to the centres of the typical star-shaped vascular bundles. Raman spectroscopy revealed that these carbonaceous particles are of an anthracite structure. For experimental confirmation coal samples of different rank, especially anthracite from different geological times and localities, were studied by means of Raman spectroscopy. The remaining pith of the vascular bundles is white-coloured and consists of alpha-quartz and moganite, whereas surrounding tracheides exhibit white and reddish coloured parts. The reddish parts, mainly found in the rays, additionally contain alpha-Fe2O3 and Fe3O4 among the SiO2 polymorphs of alpha-quartz and moganite. Sometimes iron oxides could have dominated permineralisation processes as the peak intensities of distinct parts of the samples suggest.     

Excess Molar Volumes and Liquid–Liquid Equilibria of the Ionic Liquid 1-Methyl-3Octyl-Imidazolium Tetrafluoroborate Mixed with Butan-1-ol and Pentan-1-ol

Experimental densities were measured for the system 1-methyl-3-octyl-imidazolium tetrafluoroborate [OMIM][BF₄] + butan-1-ol, + pentan-1-ol at 298.15 K and ambient pressure using a vibrating tube densimeter, taking into account the influence of the viscosity correction. Excess molar volumes V^E have been determined. V^E is quite small and negative in the alcohol-rich range of the mixture composition and positive in the alcohol-poor range. LLE data of [OMIM][BF₄] + pentan-1-ol have been measured using a laser light scattering cell for detecting cloud points at different compositions in the temperature range of 282–292 K. A miscibility gap with an upper critical solution temperature (UCST) of 292 K has been found.     

Synthesis and Circular Dichroism of Both Enantiomers of 2-deuterofluoroacetic acid ( Fluoro[2H1]acetic acid)

Sharpless epoxidation of (E)-1-(trimethylsilyl)[1-²H₁]oct-1-en-3-o1 ( 3a ) yielded (1S,2S,3S)- and (1R,2R,3R)-1-(trimethylsilyl)-1,2-epoxy[1-²H₁]octan-3-ols ( 4a and 4b , resp.) which were converted in three steps into (S)- and (R)-fluoro[ ²H₁]acetic acid ( 7a and 7b , resp.) in good yields. Their high isotopic and optical purity was established by ¹H- and ¹⁹F-NMR, mass, and circular-dichroism spectroscopy.