Particle-depletion dynamics in axisymmetric thermocapillary flows

The European Physical Journal Special Topics - The removal of suspended particles from the interior of a thermocapillary liquid bridge via a finite-particle-size effect restricting the particle...     

Places of algebraic function fields in arbitrary characteristic

We consider the Zariski space of all places of an algebraic function field F|K of arbitrary characteristic and investigate its structure by means of its patch topology. We show that certain sets of places with nice properties (e.g., prime divisors, places of maximal rank, zero-dimensional discrete places) lie dense in this topology. Further, we give several equivalent characterizations of fields that are large, in the sense of F. Pop's Annals paper Embedding problems over large fields. We also study the question whether a field K is existentially closed in an extension field L if L admits a K-rational place. In the appendix, we prove the fact that the Zariski space with the Zariski topology is quasi-compact and that it is a spectral space.     

Site-to-site peptide transport on a molecular platform using a small-molecule robotic arm

Peptides attached to a cysteine hydrazide ‘transporter module’ are transported selectively in either direction between two chemically similar sites on a molecular platform, enabled by the discovery of new operating methods for a molecular transporter that functions through ratcheting. Substrate repositioning is achieved using a small-molecule robotic arm controlled by a protonation-mediated rotary switch and attachment/release dynamic covalent chemistry. A polar solvent mixtures were found to favour Z to E isomerization of the doubly-protonated switch, transporting cargo in one direction (arbitrarily defined as ‘forward’) in up to 85% yield, while polar solvent mixtures were unexpectedly found to favour E to Z isomerization enabling transport in the reverse (‘backward’) direction in >98% yield. Transport of the substrates proceeded in a matter of hours (compared to 6 days even for simple cargoes with the original system) without the peptides at any time dissociating from the machine nor exchanging with others in the bulk. Under the new operating conditions, key intermediates of the switch are sufficiently stabilized within the macrocycle formed between switch, arm, substrate and platform that they can be identified and structurally characterized by ¹H NMR. The size of the peptide cargo has no significant effect on the rate or efficiency of transport in either direction. The new operating conditions allow detailed physical organic chemistry of the ratcheted transport mechanism to be uncovered, improve efficiency, and enable the transport of more complex cargoes than was previously possible.

Peptides are transported in either direction between chemically similar sites on a molecular platform, substrate repositioning is achieved using a cysteine hydrazide transporter module and a small-molecule robotic arm controlled by a rotary switch.     

The use of bis(diphenylphosphino)amines with N-aryl functionalities in selective ethylene tri- and tetramerisation

A systematic study was conducted on the Cr catalysed tri- and tetramerisation of ethylene using bis(diphenylphosphino)amine ligands with N-aryl functionality. This study revealed that the oligomerisation reaction product selectivity is primarily dependent on the structure and size of the N-aryl groups.

Addition of sufficient steric bulk to the N-phenyl group via ortho-alkyl substitution increased the combined 1-hexene and 1-octene selectivity (overall alpha selectivity) to above 82% at an overall 1-octene selectivity of 56%. The introduction of a single carbon spacer between the N-atom and the aryl-moiety, as well as the addition of branching on this carbon, resulted in further selectivity improvements, achieving an overall 1-octene selectivity of 64% and an overall alpha selectivity of 84%. This was obtained at catalyst productivities in excess of 1,000,000 g/g Cr/h.     

On the structure of nonarchimedean exponential fields I

Given an ordered fieldK, we compute the natural valuation and skeleton of the ordered multiplicative group (K ^>0, ·, 1, <) in terms of those of the ordered additive group (K,+,0,<). We use this computation to provide necessary and sufficient conditions on the value groupv(K) and residue field , for theL -equivalence of the above mentioned groups. We then apply the results to exponential fields, and describev(K) in that case. Finally, ifK is countable or a power series field, we derive necessary and sufficient conditions onv(K) and forK to be exponential. In the countable case, we get a structure theorem forv(K).This paper represents some results of the author's doctoral thesisThis paper was written while the author was supported by a research grant from the University of Heidelberg     

Ethylene tetramerization: a new route to produce 1-octene in exceptionally high selectivities

Linear alpha-olefins, such as 1-hexene and 1-octene, are important comonomers in the production of linear low-density polyethylene (LLDPE). The conventional method of producing 1-hexene and 1-octene is by oligomerization of ethylene, which yields a wide spectrum of linear alpha-olefins (LAOs). While there exists several processes for producing 1-hexene via ethylene trimerization, a similar route for the selective production of 1-octene has so far been elusive. We now, for the first time, report an unprecedented ethylene tetramerization reaction that produces 1-octene in selectivities exceeding 70%, using an aluminoxane-activated chromium/((R2)2P)2NR1 catalyst system.     

Combined application of INAA and PIXE for studying the regional aerosol composition in Southern Africa

As part of the SAFARI-92 biomass buming experiment, aerosol collections were carried out with several size-fractionating sampling devices at a number of sites in Southern Africa. One of the samplers used at all ground-based sites was a stacked filter unit (SFU). The SFU samples were analyzed by both INAA and PIXE analysis. The present paper gives an intercomparison of the analytical results obtained in order to assess the accuracy and to check the quality assurance of the analytical procedures. Twenty-one common elements were determined by both INAA and PIXE. Concentrations of 13 elements (i.e., Na, Mg, Al, Cl, K, Ca, Ti, V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Zn and Br) were generally measured with sufficient precision in both techniques for performing the intercomparison. The INAA and PIXE data were compared in terms of PIXE/INAA concentration ratios on a sample by sample basis for the coarse and fine size fraction separately. the atmospheric concentrations for K, Mn and Fe agreed within 5–10%, the agreement between the data for the other common elements was typically better than 15%. Possible explanations for lower than 1.0 ratios for Cl, Br and Na are presented. The common elements were classified into groups according to their detectability and sensitivity in each technique.     

A sequential injection spectrophotometric method for the determination of penicillamine in pharmaceutical products by complexation with iron(III) in acidic media

A simple, robust and sensitive sequential injection spectrophotometric method for the assay of penicillamine (PA) in pharmaceutical formulations is developed. The method was based on the complex formation when PA is reacted with iron(III) solution in hydrochloric acid media. The deep blue colored PA-iron(III) complex produced is monitored at a maximum wavelength of 600 nm. A five level orthogonal array design coupled to genetic algorithm was employed to obtain the optimum experimental conditions for the determination of PA using peak absorbance as the measure of the system's performance criterion. A linear dynamic range for the determination of PA of 25-300 ppm was obtained with a sampling frequency of 50 h⁻¹ and a relative standard deviation of less than 0.98%. The method was successfully applied to the determination of PA in pharmaceutical formulations.     

IsoscalarE2 transition strengths in 10≦A≦48 nuclei

Electric quadrupole transition strengths for the 2 ₁ ⁺ ,T=1→0 ₁ ⁺ ,T=1γ-decay branches are summarized for 10≦A≦42 nuclei. In¹⁰B the corresponding branch has been remeasured by use of the⁹Be(p, γ)¹⁰B resonance reaction atE _p =320 keV; an upper limit of 0.6% is found. The variation of theE2 strengths within each individualT=1 isobaric multiplet reveals the particleor hole-character of the levels involved. The isoscalar 2 ₁ ⁺ →0 ₁ ⁺ transition strengths in 10≦A≦48 nuclei vary between 2 and 20 Weißkopf units showing drastic shell effects. Results for the ratio of neutron and proton matrix elements deduced from analogγ-decay studies and from inelastic pion scattering are compared.