Nonlinear frequency response analysis: a recent review and perspectives

The nonlinear frequency response analysis (NFRA) can be seen as an extension of electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. NFRA gives a full and detailed representation of the system response and can establish a connection between model parameters and the experimentally observed phenomena. In this article, different theoretical NFRA approaches and the most recent application examples are discussed. A simple electrochemical example is used to showcase the benefits and disadvantages of analyzing the system response by using different approaches. In addition, it was shown how to extract experimental harmonic values and analyze them.     

Characterization of Metallo Bis(terpyridine) Diblock Polymers by Nonaqueous Capillary Zone Electrophoresis

A method of nonaqueous capillary zone electrophoresis (CZE) has been developed to characterize block (co)polymers of poly(ethylene oxide) and poly(styrene) containing metallo bis(terpyridine) complexes as bridging units. Specific CZE separation conditions had to be applied, with barium perchlorate dissolved in N-methylformamide (NMF) as background electrolyte and OV-1701-OH deactivated capillaries. For detection UV absorption was measured at a wavelength of 316 nm. Metallo diblock polymers with molecular weights up to 30,000 Da could be analyzed by the proposed nonaqueous CZE method. Experiments performed with polymeric compounds containing Fe, Ni or Ru as central metal ions showed that their electrophoretic mobilities were independent of the type of metal ion. Therefore, the data on the size of the polymeric compounds could be obtained using just one set of calibration standards. Polydispersities of the samples calculated from the experimental results were in correlation with the polydispersities of the polymers used in the synthesis of the metallo diblock polymers. Several polymeric samples contained metallo mono(terpyridine) complexes as impurities. These by-products could be separated from the main product. With symmetrical diblock polymers only one by-product was detected, while with an asymmetric diblock polymer two types of mono-complexes were found. The amount of the mono-complexes present as impurities was dependent on the type of central metal ion (Ni > Fe >> Ru).     

Analysis of Corrugated Long-Period Gratings in Planar Waveguides and Their Polarization Dependence

We present a theoretical analysis of corrugated long-period gratings in planar waveguides. In particular, we calculate the transmission spectra for both the TE and TM polarizations and highlight the polarization-independence conditions.     

Topology evolution and gelation mechanism of agarose gel

Kinetics as well as the evolution of the agarose gel topology is discussed, and the agarose gelation mechanism is identified. Aqueous high melting (HM) agarose solution (0.5% w/v) is used as the model system. It is found that the gelation process can be clearly divided into three stages: induction stage, gelation stage, and pseudoequilibrium stage. The induction stage of the gelation mechanism is identified using an advanced rheological expansion system (ARES, Rheometric Scientific). When a quench rate as large as 30 deg C/min is applied, gelation seems to occur through a nucleation and growth mechanism with a well-defined induction time (time required for the formation of the critical nuclei which enable further growth). The relationship between the induction time and the driving force which is determined by the final setting temperature follows the 3D nucleation model. A schematic representation of the three stages of the gelation mechanism is given based on turbidity and rheological measurements. Aggregation of agarose chains is promoted in the polymer-rich phase and this effect is evident from the increasing mass/length ratio of the fiber bundles upon gelation. Continuously increasing pore size during gelation may be attributed to the coagulation of the local polymer-rich phase in order to achieve the global minimum of the free energy of the gelling system. The gel pore size determined using turbidity measurements has been verified by electrophoretic mobility measurements.     

Filamentous growth in activated sludge

Applied Biochemistry and Biotechnology - Bulking and foaming in activated sludge have been associated with filamentous overgrowth. FilamentousNocardia amarae and nonfilamentousPseudomonas...     

Addition of hydroxide to an isoelectronic series of bis-diazineplatinum(II) complex ions

Base hydrolysis of bis-bipyridylplatinum(II) occurs via a 1:1 intermediate adduct with hydroxide ion. The equilibrium constants for this 1:1 addition of hydroxide inwater to complex ions [PtL2]2+, where L=one of theisoelectronic set 2,2-bipyridyl (bpy); 2,2- bipyrazine (bpz); 3,3-bipyridazine (bpdz) and 2,2- bipyrimidine (bpym) are respectively (as log10K at 25°C): 4.23; 4.59; 3.82; 6.14. This result is rationalized in terms of addition at the 6–position of the ligand.     

Viscosities ofn-alkylamines from 15 to 80°C

The viscosities of seven n-alkylamines from n-butylamine to n-decylamine were determined from 15 to 80°C at 5°C intervals. The intrinsic volumes were determined by extrapolation of the plot of fluidity against molar volume to zero fluidity and found to be a linear function of the number of carbon atoms. Plots of the logarithm of viscosity vs. reciprocal absolute temperature were almost linear. The energies of activation for viscous flow for the n-alkylamines were calculated and found to increase with increase in the carbon number. The B values, based on Hildebrand's equation and representing a measure of a molecules resistance to transport of momentum, were calculated for each of the n-alkylamines. A modified form of the equation describing the change fluidity with temperature was then formulated. It is suggested that the activation energy for viscous flow consists of the sum of the energy required for the expansion of the void volume and the energy required to overcome intermolecular interactions. These energies were calculated and discussed.     

High-speed liquid and thin-layer chromatography of polychlorinated biphenyls.

High-speed liquid chromatography in the system silica gel/dry n-hexane and ultraviolet spectrometry have been used to study the composition of various types of commercially available mixtures of chlorinated biphenyls. Special attention has been paid to the analysis of highly chlorinated products. In addition to data previously published, retention times are recorded for 11 individual polychlorinated biphenyls. The results of high-speed liquid chromatography are compared with those obtained in several normal and reversed-phase thin-layer chromatographic systems.