A fast method to measure the thickness of removed layer from etching of SSNTD based on EDXRF

Solid state nuclear track detectors are commonly used for measurements of concentrations of radon gas and/or radon progeny. All these measurements depend critically on the thickness of the removed layer during etching. However, the thickness of removed layer calculated using the etching period does not necessarily provide a sufficiently accurate measure of the thickness. For example, the bulk etch rate depends on the strength of stirring during etching for the LR 115 detector. We propose here to measure the thickness of the removed layer by using energy-dispersive X-ray fluorescence spectrometry. In the present work, a reference silver nitrate pellet is placed beneath the LR 115 detector, and the fluorescence X-ray intensity for silver is then measured. We have found a linear relationship between the X-ray intensity and the thickness of the removed layer for LR 115 detector. This provides a fast method to measure the thickness of removed layer from etching of LR 115 detector. However, this method was found to be inapplicable for the CR-39 detector. Therefore, alternative methods have yet to be explored for the CR-39 detector.     

Differentiation between tracks and damages in SSNTD under the atomic force microscope

We have observed three-dimensional sponge-like structures as well as strips of connecting pits on the surface of the LR 115 detector after etching, which can be confused with the small tracks formed after short etching time. We have employed an atomic force microscope (AFM) to study these “damages” as well as genuine alpha tracks for short etching time. It was found that while the track and damage openings could be similar in size and shape, the depths for the damages were consistently smaller. Therefore, the depth of the pits will serve as a clear criterion to differentiate between tracks and other damages. The ability to discriminate between genuine tracks from other damages is most important for etching for short time intervals.     

Improved estimation of a covariance matrix in an elliptically contoured matrix distribution

In this paper, the problem of estimating the covariance matrix of the elliptically contoured distribution (ECD) is considered. A new class of estimators which shrink the eigenvalues towards their arithmetic mean is proposed. It is shown that this new estimator dominates the unbiased estimator under the squared error loss function. Two special classes of ECD, namely, the multivariate-elliptical t distribution and the ε-contaminated normal distribution are considered. A simulation study is carried out and indicates that this new shrinkage estimator provides a substantial improvement in risk under most situations.     

Aerobic oxidative cyclization under Pd(II) catalysis: a regioselective approach to heterocycles

[chemical reaction: see text]. An efficient Yb(OTf)3-promoted palladium-catalyzed oxidative cyclization of gamma-heteroalkenyl beta-keto amides has been developed. Under simple aerobic condition, a variety of six-, seven-, and eight-membered-ring N- and O-heterocycles were obtained regioselectively in excellent yield.     

A mesoporous Pt/TiO2 nanoarchitecture with catalytic and photocatalytic functions

A novel metal/semiconductor nanocomposite with catalytic and photocatalytic functions has been prepared. The new material consists of highly dispersed platinum (Pt) nanoparticles embedded in a cubic mesoporous nanocrystalline anatase (meso-nc-TiO2) thin film. The porous thin film possesses a narrow pore-size distribution and a large surface area. The diameter of the Pt cluster can be controlled to below 5 nm, and the high dispersion of these clusters gives rise to catalytic activity for the oxidation of carbon monoxide, an important reaction for automobile exhaust treatment. This novel ordered mesoporous Pt/TiO2 nanoarchitecture is also a promising photochemical material, as demonstrated by the photo-driven killing of Micrococcus lylae cells on the film.     

重氮树脂-聚(4-羧酸苯基)乙炔自组装膜与光电转换

近年来 ,自组装及其形成的多层复合膜已经在导电、生物传感器及非线性光学等领域得到深入研究 ,特别是以聚阴离子与聚阳离子相互作用的静电自组装研究更为深入 .这一技术制备方法简单 ,无需特别的设备 ,对膜层厚度能随意调控 ,并以水作为介质 ,对环境无害 [1～ 3] .共轭高分子 (如聚苯胺、聚吡咯及聚苯亚乙烯等 )通过自组装形成共轭高分子膜 ,对制备具有导电、光电和传输等功能的薄膜半导体器件具有重要意义 .聚乙炔类是最早被发现且理论与应用研究最多的一类共轭高分子材料[4 ,5] .本文以聚 ( 4 -羧酸苯基 )乙炔 ( PCPA)为聚阴离子 ,以重…